A long awaited chapter...sorry it took soooo long! Eek! Okay well, no more waiting, on with the next chapter.
VI
After a few moments of preparation, Roken found a spare bed in the dormitories, which happened to be next to Andrew's bed. Goodnights were exchanged between the two friends, and soon all was dark. Roken couldn't get to sleep for a while...he never could adjust to a new bed very easily, especially after being used to sleeping on the hard ground of the earth. The bed was comfortable, warm, and soft, but not too soft, almost perfect, but it was no aid to Roken's wakefulness. His mind was racing as he thought of everything that had happened in a 24 hour period. He had met Nikki on the north path while playing mandolin, he came to the Abbey of Redwall for the first time, met Andrew, experienced the best food available in Mossflower, met Wintergreen, fell in love, got invited to perform in front of hundreds of Abbey beasts, witnessed an attack at the Abbey, helped out, saw a very important war decision being made in Cavern Hole, and went to bed. He closed his eyes and anticipated the next day, which he figured would be his only full day in Redwall. He breathed in deep and tried to relax. Darkness enveloped Roken as sleep caressed him into the world of dreams.
* * *
A small ray of sunlight splashed into Roken's eyes as he began to wake up. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and was surprised to realize that he was alert, and fully awake. He thought to himself, that he must have had a much better sleep than he had had in a long time. He looked over at Andrew on his right side, and saw him snoring peacefully. Noticing that almost nobeast had awakened, he rose quietly from his bed, slipped on his tunic, and tip-toed down the stairs. As he walked down and entered Great Hall, he looked around at the wondrous Abbey in all of it's glory. Red-golden shafts of light streamed in from the high stained glass windows of the Abbey, illuminating swirls of dust as it sparkled through the ancient air of Redwall. He gazed lovingly at the tapestry, older than time itself it seemed, almost unfathomable in it's age. He looked upon the face of Martin the Warrior. Heroic, charming, fearless, and the perfection of what all warriors strive to be. However, this common picture that most saw was not the one that came to Roken's eyes. He saw the courage, yes, and the wisdom. But, he also saw a loving side... a light, in the warrior's eyes that not all noticed. He saw a passion, a true need to do what he thought was right, and just. Roken's own eyes widened in realization as he taught himself a lesson, just by looking into the eyes of Martin. He knew, as if somebeast had been speaking into his very ears, that it took more than courage, honor, and steel to become a warrior. It took something more, something you can't learn... it takes love. Love of good, and love of others. Not just an image, or a falsity to impress others, there had to be a need to do good. A greed. A hunger. A burning, excruciating pain of desire to aid those in need of help. Only such a feeling, Roken thought to himself, could will the forging of such an Abbey...
"It's really amazing, isn't it?" Startled, Roken turned around to see the face of Wintergreen behind him, also admiring the Abbey's grand tapestry. His heart lifted at the sight of her in the glorious morning light, the picture of flawlessness, he imagined. Time stood still for a moment, yet again, as he saw her watching the tapestry. He wanted to make her happy, to hold her, to feel her, to be with her forever. He looked into her green eyes shining, and thoughts started racing through his head. Crazy, impossible thoughts...
"Do you always wake so early, Roken?" There it was again... she said his name. Ahh! The splendor. He snapped to attention.
"Uh, well, not always. I mean- sometimes, but not usually. Y'know?" She smiled as she saw his paws fidget around with each other.
"Yeah, I think I do, actually." They looked at each other for a moment. Roken's stomach began to grumble.
"Say... when do you normally get breakfast?"
"Well, I am an early riser, and I don't usually eat that much this early, so I usually go into the kitchens and have one or two scones that have been kept warm through the night, then I'll stroll around the pond, or the battlements of the Abbey watching the sun rise. I love it here..." Roken was lost in her eyes.
"Yeah..."
"Do you want to come with me and get something small to eat?" Roken perked up.
"Sure! Oh-- *shhh* okay." Wintergreen sniggered. Slowly they padded their way to the kitchens. He enjoyed walking behind her as she leaded him through the Abbey, so he could admire her without worrying about her seeing him. Tiptoeing through the kitchen, and avoiding waking up Friar Jake as he snoozed peacefully in a big rocking chair, with the three dibbuns snoring along with him as they slept underneath the massive peace of furniture, they each picked out two scones, and sneaked out of the room, and back into Great Hall. Wintergreen munched on one as she went to the great entrance doors of the Abbey, opened them up, and continued outside. Roken breathed in sharply as the brisk morning air touched his fur. He walked through the grassy ground in silence as orange light flooded the deep blue sky, tingeing the trees and the Abbey in a warm tint. She beckoned Roken up the steps leading to the Eastern Wall. The two leaned over the battlements and watched the sun rise over the misty tree tops of Mossflower wood. Roken felt feelings stronger than he had ever felt in his young life as he stood next to Wintergreen watching the mist dissolve into the trees. His heart was beating furiously, he was almost out of breath, and he knew that his joints were weakening... He wondered how feelings this strong make the body so weak... He jumped noticeably as the Abbey's bells began tolling out 7 times. The time had passed quickly... They both looked back and at the Belltower as the warm "Gongs!" echoed over Mossflower.
"Shall we go back into the Abbey now?" Roken was quite enjoying being alone with Wintergreen, but he agreed to go back inside. Roken walked back to the Abbey in total bliss... he would remember this morning for quite a long time.
* * *
Andrew bolted upright from his bed as he awoke. That was normal for him, for some reason, he always woke up with a start. As his eyes opened, he looked around and noticed Roken's empty bed. He thought aloud to himself.
"Hmm... my little buddy must have gotten up early to share the morning with miss Wintergreen. Heh heh..." He turned around while sitting on the bed and slipped on his black tunic, along with his boots and oversized gloves. He jumped to his footpaws, and stretched as a long, loud yawn echoed out through the dormitories. A hedgehog popped his head out from underneath his sheets as he shouted out to Andrew.
"Hey, hey, hey! Some of us are still trying to sleep, Andy!" Andrew turned around to look at the sleepy beast.
"Well now, you know that seven o'clock is the rising hour! It's been that way for seasons and seasons."
"Well it shouldn't be." Several muffled agreements could be heard scattered around the room. Andrew looked mockingly stern.
"Are you really going to challenge an Abbey tradition that's more that 500 times your own age, Luther?" The hedgehog grumbled something nasty under his breath as he stumbled out of bed. "C'mon you lazy beast, I need you to help me organize a group of Redwallers to take with me into the woods!" Luther put on his Habit and strode tiredly over to Andrew.
"You taking the young squirrel with you?" Andrew nodded.
"Aye... and the hare, Nikki. She seems fit for adventure... you coming?" Luther nodded also.
"I suppose. You'll drag me along even if I say no, right?"
"Right. I think I will take Wintergreen along with me also, so we can have a good healer with us, just in case things don't go quite right." Luther looked slightly nervous.
"Huh, you'll have a hard time convincing Abbess Annabelle to let her daughter go out into the big bad woods. You know how protective she is of her only offspring."
"Wintergreen's almost an adult now... the Abbess needs to learn to let go." Luther looked sad.
"Aye, I agree, but you know how parents are... you can't blame her. She'll always be a dibbun in her eyes." Andrew blinked and looked down at the ground disappointedly.
"Oh well. Let's go down and eat." Luther nodded as they went downstairs.