Noonvale Returns Chapter 3
When he was honest with himself, Martin was uneasy about Redwall's new guests. It was mostly to do with that mouse he had first spoken to. He couldn't think who the mouse reminded him of, or where he could have seen him before. He shook his head and continued descending the seven stone stairs between Great hall and Cavern Hole. There was a great deal of noise coming from the latter.
Columbine nearly dropped a pile of plates on Martin's head on her way to the kitchens. Martin grabbed the top plate as it wobbled dangerously. He took the top half of the pile and passed it to a burly otter who ran up to help.
"They want you in Great Hall Martin!" called thee otter as he skipped off, balancing the plates on one hand.
Martin groaned and yawned. Columbine giggled, and walked slowly after the otter with her share of crockery.
Martin glanced into Cavern Hole. Mice, hedgehogs, squirrels, otters, moles, voles and even four hares were still tucking in with gusto.
The Redwallers had long since departed, but the immense room was still half full. Martin spotted that mouse he had met the previous night and waved. The mouse waved back. For a moment something flashed across the warrior's brain but then it was gone once again.
Martin decided against grabbing something to eat and made his way back to Great Hall.
Gonff met him outside. "You can eat while we talk," he told his friend. "Good news tho'. We found the Flichaye camp on the way. No more searches for us mate, they were out of Mossflower two days ago at the least. No point in going after them when they never killed one of our own." He lowered his voice. "There's so blinkin' many of 'em," he said, and Martin knew he meant the newcomers stuffing their faces in Cavern Hole. "Their leader's are in there now, talking to the Abbess. Apparently there was a raid on their home, but no one was killed. Seems that they weren't lookin' for killin'. Burned the place to the ground though."
Martin shook his head sadly. It was just incredible what vermin creatures would do for no reason.
He was still preoccupied with these thoughts when Gonff opened the door. What he first saw was Abbess Germaine, Bella, Columbine, Lady Amber the Squirrelqueen, Skipper of otters and Diggum Foremole, all sitting on one side of the large table placed in the centre of the room. The next thing he saw was his father's friends Vurg, Beau the hare, Dulam and Denno, all sitting beside them. But the next thing he saw froze him to the spot so he couldn't move an inch even if he had wanted to. The leaders of the tribe that had been attacked were sitting opposite the Redwallers, and Martin recognised every single one of them. They were his friends from Noonvale.
Keyla the otter wasn't really paying rapt attention to what his leader Brome and their Badgermother Rowanoak were telling the old frail mouse in the armchair. He already knew about the destruction of his home, and he didn't really need to hear it all again. He swivelled his head up and around so that he could get a good look at the massive red stone structure he had ended up in. Then he stopped, as his eyes fell on the door. Two mice had come in. One was the mouse called Gonff who had come for them the previous night. And the other......
"Er.. Brome?" he said in little more than a whisper, his voice cracking. Brome carried on talking. "Brome?" Keyla said louder. Every one stopped.
"What?" said Brome, turning around. Martin and Keyla's eyes were locked on each other. Neither could look away.
"You might want to look," said Keyla, and pointed. Brome's eyes followed the direction of the otter's paw. So did everyone else's. All was deathly silent.
Gonff shifted uncomfortably. "Have I missed something here?" he asked no one in particular. At his words, a mole who had been so far hidden by Rowanoak's massive bulk waddled out. He took a few paces forward, then a few more. Martin watched him. He stopped about halfway.
"Be that ee, Marthen ee Wurrier?" asked the mole. Martin sighed.
"Yes Grumm. It's me."
When he was honest with himself, Martin was uneasy about Redwall's new guests. It was mostly to do with that mouse he had first spoken to. He couldn't think who the mouse reminded him of, or where he could have seen him before. He shook his head and continued descending the seven stone stairs between Great hall and Cavern Hole. There was a great deal of noise coming from the latter.
Columbine nearly dropped a pile of plates on Martin's head on her way to the kitchens. Martin grabbed the top plate as it wobbled dangerously. He took the top half of the pile and passed it to a burly otter who ran up to help.
"They want you in Great Hall Martin!" called thee otter as he skipped off, balancing the plates on one hand.
Martin groaned and yawned. Columbine giggled, and walked slowly after the otter with her share of crockery.
Martin glanced into Cavern Hole. Mice, hedgehogs, squirrels, otters, moles, voles and even four hares were still tucking in with gusto.
The Redwallers had long since departed, but the immense room was still half full. Martin spotted that mouse he had met the previous night and waved. The mouse waved back. For a moment something flashed across the warrior's brain but then it was gone once again.
Martin decided against grabbing something to eat and made his way back to Great Hall.
Gonff met him outside. "You can eat while we talk," he told his friend. "Good news tho'. We found the Flichaye camp on the way. No more searches for us mate, they were out of Mossflower two days ago at the least. No point in going after them when they never killed one of our own." He lowered his voice. "There's so blinkin' many of 'em," he said, and Martin knew he meant the newcomers stuffing their faces in Cavern Hole. "Their leader's are in there now, talking to the Abbess. Apparently there was a raid on their home, but no one was killed. Seems that they weren't lookin' for killin'. Burned the place to the ground though."
Martin shook his head sadly. It was just incredible what vermin creatures would do for no reason.
He was still preoccupied with these thoughts when Gonff opened the door. What he first saw was Abbess Germaine, Bella, Columbine, Lady Amber the Squirrelqueen, Skipper of otters and Diggum Foremole, all sitting on one side of the large table placed in the centre of the room. The next thing he saw was his father's friends Vurg, Beau the hare, Dulam and Denno, all sitting beside them. But the next thing he saw froze him to the spot so he couldn't move an inch even if he had wanted to. The leaders of the tribe that had been attacked were sitting opposite the Redwallers, and Martin recognised every single one of them. They were his friends from Noonvale.
Keyla the otter wasn't really paying rapt attention to what his leader Brome and their Badgermother Rowanoak were telling the old frail mouse in the armchair. He already knew about the destruction of his home, and he didn't really need to hear it all again. He swivelled his head up and around so that he could get a good look at the massive red stone structure he had ended up in. Then he stopped, as his eyes fell on the door. Two mice had come in. One was the mouse called Gonff who had come for them the previous night. And the other......
"Er.. Brome?" he said in little more than a whisper, his voice cracking. Brome carried on talking. "Brome?" Keyla said louder. Every one stopped.
"What?" said Brome, turning around. Martin and Keyla's eyes were locked on each other. Neither could look away.
"You might want to look," said Keyla, and pointed. Brome's eyes followed the direction of the otter's paw. So did everyone else's. All was deathly silent.
Gonff shifted uncomfortably. "Have I missed something here?" he asked no one in particular. At his words, a mole who had been so far hidden by Rowanoak's massive bulk waddled out. He took a few paces forward, then a few more. Martin watched him. He stopped about halfway.
"Be that ee, Marthen ee Wurrier?" asked the mole. Martin sighed.
"Yes Grumm. It's me."
