**I know it has been about four months, sorry, but I have been busy with my Harry Potter fics. **

"Noonvale?" Martin sank into a chair, his eyes wide and pleading. "Not Noonvale, Brome?"

Brome hung his head. "There is no need to tell me that I failed, Martin. I know it. I have failed my land and my family again."

Grumm put a velvety paw onto Brome's shoulders. "Nay, Maister Brome. I knows what happened, yurr. Ee couldn't have done a thing, zurr."

Brome thought about this. "It's no good, Grumm," he said. "I blame myself." He looked quickly up at Martin, but there was no reaction in those sorrow filled eyes.

"Who's Badrang the Tyrant?" asked Gonff, nervously.

"This isn't the time." growled Martin.

"Of course it is, young mouse," said Rowanoak, sitting down beside him. "Heaven knows I need something to take my mind off everything else."

Martin glared at her. "Very well. You can tell it though. I'll have no part in it."

"Fine," said Rowanoak.

"In the meantime, you cheer up, young mouse!" said one of the hares, Ballaw, Gonff thought his name was.

Martin smiled a little. "You can't call me that anymore, Ballaw."

Ballaw's ears twitched, then he laughed. "No, I suppose I can't, can I? All right then, old mouse, let us on with the tale!"

Martin winced. "I wouldn't go quite that far, old friend. All right, I may as well get it off my chest."

"Too right you might as well," said Pallum, plopping down the other side. "And I also think you had better start. It all started with you, didn't it?"

"I wouldn't say that," said Martin. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Well," said Brome. "Badrang the tyrant was an evil stoat who roamed the lands in search of slaves for many years before finally settling down to build a fortress called Marshank."

Martin slid lower and lower in his seat as Brome told the story with exquisite detail of how Martin had been captured by the stoat's band. He recalled himself telling Brome about it once.

Vurg, Beau, Dulam and Denno listened in silence. Martin thought he saw tears glistening in Vurg's eyes.

"And all this time," said Denno, "We thought he just moved them away, to a safer haven."

"I failed them," Martin whispered. "But I had no choice."

The story continued, with occasional help from Grumm and Pallum and the theatrical group as the tale progressed.

When it was over Martin drew a deep breath.

The Redwallers were silent for a moment. Then Gonff lent back in his chair. "That's nothing," he said, and embarked on a very embellished version of the events after Martin came to Mossflower.

Columbine put a paw on Martin's shoulder. She led him out of the room without anyone noticing - they were too caught up in the story.

"What am I going to do?" Martin asked her. "I've been hiding for so long - and Vurg - Beau - the look in their eyes when they realised - "

Columbine smiled. "You mustn't worry about what they think. Everyone in that room loves you. Here you have a family, and now you have an even bigger family, with all your old friends.

Not all of them, thought Martin. "No, Columbine," he told her. "I am still alone."

And he walked up the seven stone steps, leaving her behind him.