I'm still working on this, but I warn you that this isn't far off earning its rating. But you chose to read it and you can chose to skip the offending text if you have to. But it will get exciting. I don't own Redwall, Salamandastron, Veil, Bryony, etc. You know what I mean. Don't sue me.

Votucu.

…………………………

Chapter 7: And They Fled

Veil thrust with Martin's blade as he charged. Log-a-Log did a half spin while nimbly skipping to one side, jabbing outward once with his rapier. A muffled groan reached his ears as Veil tried to hide his pain. Then the world went red as Veil was filled with the bloodlust and want to kill. Log-a-Log saw the look in Veil's eyes as he completed his turn and, despite his skill in fighting, he knew what fearing an enemy was like. But he knew that he had to return Bryony to Redwall and this thought gave him a renewed strength. Log-a-Log charged Veil, yelling and screaming as his rapier sought his adversary's side again, hoping to scare the young and experienced one with his attack. But Veil was past being rational, he didn't care how tough his enemy was, nor how much experience Log-a-Log had. He imitated Log-a-Log's earlier move, spinning and slashing. But he added a bit of foul play, sticking out his footpaw so that Log-a-Log tripped, diving muzzle-first into the sandy bank.

Veil raised Martin's sword to strike down hard, completely unaware of Bryony's screams for him to stop. As the star-metal blade caught a ray of light, he saw Martin glaring at him as the angry voice called into his head "Remember!"

Veil did remember. The dream that he'd had in Oakfree's cave rushed back into his head with dizzying speed, Martin's warning not to fight with friends over a resolvable issue, Martin's warning not to rise to another's bait and Martin's warning not to dishonour his sword. Striking a fallen creature, striking a friend, striking a fighter who had acted irrationally, all of these things were against the Warriors' Code and were opposite to the things that Martin's sword was forged for.

The sword dropped from his paws, landing dangerously close to Log-a-Log's closest leg and Veil fell down to the ground next to his fallen adversary, his body numb with the shock of what he'd almost done. Bryony ran down to where the two warriors lay, weeping softly at what her love had almost done to an old friend. She held Veil as he slowly started to rise up. Then her eyes came into contact with Log-a-Log's and she knew that he had figured out why she was so close to the ferret. Closing her eyes, she turned her head away, trying desperately not to see Log-a-Log's eyes which were filled with grief, upset, and unsureness. Bryony led Veil to the rocky area where her friends were sitting and then into the trees behind them as some of the shrews from the front boat helped Log-a-Log back up and onto his feet. He was dizzy from the fall but he didn't notice it or the pain in his side as he watched the mousemaiden lead her beloved away from the scene. He silently vowed to hold their secret out of respect for the young mouse and knew that when he reached Redwall, he'd have to break all his principals by lying to Abbess Meriam and Bella the Badgermother.

Togget silently followed Bryony and Veil into the fringe of the trees, leaving the two badgers on the shore in the same confused state that they'd been in from first meeting the shrews. He knew that Oakfree would eventually follow them with Oaklen in tow.

Like Log-a-Log, Togget had noticed something more than a friendship between Veil and Bryony and he was curious as to how it all was. But what he saw as he headed into the forest numbed his body and he froze on the spot, not wanting to be spying on the odd pair, but not being able to leave them.

Veil was sitting on a fallen log with Bryony sitting on his lap, her face on his shoulder as her body was racked by her gasping sobs. He was holding her with one crimson paw while his sixclawed paw stroked her head. He was murmuring things into her ear and they seemed to be calming her slightly. Because the area was so quiet, some of his words reached Togget's sensitive ears. They were to leave him very confused towards his feelings for Bryony as her best friend and he wondered to himself if she'd forgotten him. The sound of two large creatures approaching brought him back to his mobile state and he silently slipped back to prevent them from entering the area and seeing his friends in this state.

Oakfree and Oaklen escorted him to the front log in the flotilla of logboats still stopped on the stream. Most of the shrews had forgotten what had just occurred and went back to their arguments, conversations and tests of strength.

Log-a-Log looked up distastefully at the approaching group, thinking that Veil was with them, until he recognised who they were and strained to sit up to greet them. He winced and then grimaced as the slash in his side strained and caused more blood to flow into the poultice that his healer had placed on his side. Several shrews pushed him back into his former position. He gave the mole and badgers a rueful look as he complained about being held down and tortured by his mother, wife and the healer. Togget shook his head sadly.

"Zurr Log, oi'm gurtly sorry about'n Master Veil. T'was moi fault furr bringin' ee 'ere"

The shrew leader smiled sadly. "No it wasn't, Togget, you weren't to know what would happen if myself and the ferret met again"

Oakfree stood forward. "Sir Log-a-Log, I am Oakfree of Southsward and this is my son Oaklen son of Broadash. Would you please give my son and I a lift to Redwall Abbey? I suspect that's where you shall be heading to report of today's happenings"

"Please, I'm not a sir, just an ordinary shrew. I would be happy to take you to Redwall" He said, not struggling due to the pain. "Will you be coming back to Redwall with us, Togget?"

The mole was sad at not being able to stay with his shrew friends, but knew that he was needed elsewhere. "Nay, Zurr Log, oi'll stay with Miss Bryony and Master Veil" the ever faithful mole regretfully said.

Log-a-Log had expected the answer. "I thought that it would be so. I hope that our paths cross again soon, but under pleasanter conditions"

Togget nodded. "And so do oi, Zurr Log, 'till next toime, then"

"Aye, goodbye Togget" the valiant shrew said as he gave the command for the logboats to continue upstream, back to Redwall. Oakfree and Oaklen waved farewell to the mole from a logboat as the flotilla turned around a bend and they were hidden from sight by a row of trees.

Togget rushed back into the trees, a feeling of unease settling over him when he didn't hear Bryony crying or Veil soothing her. He was running hard and looking around him so he didn't see the log that they had been sitting on until it was too late. He crashed into it with a whoosh of air and fell forward winded, his nose nearly touching the ground as his head slammed into the tree next to the log and he was left slumped over the moss-covered log. Then he fainted.

***

Bryony had never travelled so hard before. Neither she nor Veil quite knew what exactly they were running from, but an urgency to be away was stirring in them both. Their instincts were drumming into them that where they had been was now not safe. Maybe it was revenge from the Guosim shrews? Maybe it was an angry badger and her son who had been left behind? They ran anyway, a cold fear closing in on them, constricting their hearts.

By the time the sun was setting on the horizon, they had covered many leagues and were well and truly lost, despite having lived their entire lives in Mossflower Woods. But they were lost anyway and Veil wanted to make the best of the situation because the failing light gave them little choice but to stop in the ruined building their flight had led them to and rest before deciding what to do about their quest. Veil was kicking himself quietly, Martin had led them to a place where they could get help from friends and he had forgotten Martin's warning, ruining the situation for both he and the mousemaid.

Bryony was beside herself with fatigue and worry for her friend; she didn't know what happened to him after she had left with Veil. She tried to console herself with thoughts that the shrews would have taken him back to Redwall as they had brought him to near Treelake from Redwall to find her. But her mind was telling her that something was not right, that she'd come to the wrong conclusion. The air was fresh and sharp outside the draughty building so she decided to have a small walk around the mess of bricks and broken tiles. Had she looked closer at the sign next to the door as she passed, she would have recognised the words Saint Ninians.

…………………………

After all their travelling, Bryony and veil are almost home again and are no closer to discovering more about Swartt Sixclaw or finding their way to Salamandastron. Who knows what will happen to them now. And what about poor Togget? You'll just have to wait until I update my story, won't you? Mwa ha ha ha ha haaaaa.

PLZ REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! From Votucu.