Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm going to try and pace myself so that I don't write too much at once and get ahead of myself. I've got to keep things straight in my head!
P.S. the next chapter might take awhile...I'm going to be on the road with my family for a few days...moving...Arg. Oh well.. onward ho!
IV
"Stay here while I check things out." Said Andrew as he rushed out of the doorway. Roken called out with a strained voice.
"Wait! What?" Andrew popped back into the room.
"Stay here, and wait 'til I come back."
"And do what? Is there any way I can help?" Andrew sounded rushed.
"Just stay here for now, you'd be more of a hindrance then a help."
"Please!"
"Listen, if there is anything too bad going on out there, the dibbuns will be brought up here and in Cavern Hole. Once they are, you can help keep them calm with your mandolin or something, okay?"
"Ok-..ay." Andrew had already left. Roken sat on the bed holding his mandolin. Although he was worried for the Abbey beasts, he couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. His heart skipped a beat as screams were heard from down in the Abbey. Soon the excitement was gone for Roken, as he realized something terrible was happening. Seconds stretched into agonizing minutes for the young squirrel. He wished he could be downstairs helping out, but he remembered the duties appointed to him by Andrew. Soon the sound of many footpaws rushing up the stairs could be heard loudly by the squirrel. His heartbeat increased as he heard more screams coming from all over. He noticed how odd it was, that sweat was rolling down his face, even though he felt very cold. Soon he started shaking slightly, and realized he was, for the first time in his life, scared stiff.
CRASH!
The dormitory doors came swinging open as dibbuns and elders were ushered in. Frightened and confused, the dibbuns cried out for their loved ones. A wave of pity swept over Roken. He noticed quickly a large Otter who seemed to be taking command, and spoke to him.
"Can I help?" The otter was stern, but kind as he saw the light of youthful enthusiasm in Roken's eyes.
"Um, .. yeah, here, can you take care of this little one? She fell down on the stairs and cut herself. Can you bandage it up, son?" Roken's seemed apprehensive at first; he had never taken care of any injuries before, but he wanted to help his newly found Abbey.
"Uh, yeah, sure...I can take care of it." The otter smiled as he pointed to a small cabinet in the room.
"Bandage wrap is in there along with some healing herbs. Thanks." Roken went to the otter, and took the little hogmaid by the paw. As the otter left to go back down the stairs into Great Hall, Roken tried to ask another question. "Hey, what's going on down there, anyway?" But the otter had already left. He looked down at the hedgehog with kind eyes. "What's wrong honey?"
"I fallen down 'da staws an' hurt myselvs!" Roken bent down, and looked above her eyes. A small cut was visible just above her right eye.
"Does it hurt?"
"A lill..." Roken smiled.
"Can you be brave and let my help you?" The little hedgehog nodded.
"Ahuh." Roken got up and held her by the paw as he escorted her to the cabinet. He opened it up, and saw many different bags filled with healing herbs, with various colored labels on them, along with odd writing. Suddenly he panicked and wondered which one he should use. "Umm... well,"
"Wha's wrong?" Roken wanted to keep her calm, but he could not help being unknowing in the ways of medicine. Then, a miracle happened.
"You need some help?" Flabbergasted, he turned around hurriedly and gazed into Wintergreen's caring eyes. Roken quickly regained his posture.
"Yeah..." Wintergreen smiled an incredible smile, and looked at the little hedgehog.
"What's wrong, Eva?"
"I fallerd down da staws, miz Winnergin." The squirrel nodded knowledgably and took out a small bag of herbs with a pink label on it. She turned to Roken and indicated the bag.
"You see what this says?"
"Umm-" Wintergreen noticed some hesitation on Roken's part.
"... Well, this pink label means it's used to heal small wounds, anyway. Here you go, Eva, this should do the trick!" She then placed some powdered herbs on a rag, and dabbed at the small cut. Eva began sucking her bottom lip to avoid whimpering. "There you go, miss. Here, let me get the--" Roken was holding out some gauze. "Oh! ...thank you." She then wrapped a small amount over the cut. "There! How do you feel now?"
"Mush betterer. Fank you miz Winnergin!" Wintergreen picked her up with a laugh.
"No problem! Now go find your mum, okay?"
"Okay!" She then set Eva down, and watched lovingly as she ran off. Roken wanted to say something funny, but couldn't think of anything. Before he could think anymore, Wintergreen continued.
"Dibbuns... They're so resilient, y'know? As soon as they hurt themselves, they may tear up a bit, but once they decide to do something else, they forget all about it!" Roken smiled.
"Yeah... wish I could do that! Soon as I get a bump on the head, I'm out for a good hour!" He then felt very pleasant inside as he realized that Wintergreen was laughing at his joke.
"Hee hee, yes, same here." There was a few moments silence. Roken's head then came back to the situation.
"Well uh... what's going on down there?" Wintergreen looked nervous.
"Um, there were a few rats and a fox out there who apparently went a little crazy and tried to enter the Abbey."
"What happened? Was-- was anybeast hurt?"
"Not badly, and not directly from the vermin."
"Where are they now?"
"We don't know...they just ran off... They saw how many beasts occupied the Abbey and stopped their attack."
"Oh..." He felt a little worse than he sounded.
"Well, we should be safe for a while..." Roken's eyes widened in alarm as he looked at Wintergreen.
"A while? ... How often does this happen in Redwall?" She seemed apprehensive to frighten the newcomer any further, but she also didn't want to lie.
"Well... to be honest, I've never seen anything like this before..." She then turned away. "I'm going to see if anyone else needs medical attention." Roken perked up.
"Oh, are you a healer?"
"Yes," and she walked between the crowds of Redwallers in the dormitories and down the stairs, out of sight. Roken felt even closer to Wintergreen, now. He had always admired healers and their craft since he was a small child, and had always hoped to become one. He pictured himself, seasons from now, a veteran Abbey member, helping a wounded warrior return to health with Wintergreen at his side.
Wow... he thought to himself. That must be a wonderful feeling...helping those in need. I think I now know what I was brought here for...to help out the famous Redwall Abbey that I've heard so much about all my life... He snapped back to attention as the same Otter who gave him permission to help raised his voice, and commanded the attention of everybeast in the room.
"Alright now, settle down! Settle down! Okay. Now, there appears to be no more apparent threat to the Abbey as of now. So, we may all return to Great Hall. However, no beast without my, or the Abbess' permission, shall leave the Abbey. Now then, everybeast who feels that he or she is fit enough to serve the Abbey physically shall come down to Cavern Hole along with those of an educated mind. There we will discuss the appropriate actions to tonight's happenings."