Phew! This one took me a little while to write.
Hope it doesn't sound to melodramatic! *hehehe* Oh well! We all need a little melodrama in our lives! Onward ho!!!
VII
The hustle and bustle of Abbey life had not quite returned to normal overnight. As Roken did various things throughout the day, he could sense a different feeling in the air as clouds shifted and scurried about in the sky, threatening rain. Not only was there gloominess in the sky that day, but also in the hearts of the Abbey dwellers. There was no real way to hide what had happened last night, and they were all forced with the agonizing task of realization that they were not completely protected by the Abbey as many wished to feel. Peace had blessed the lands for many seasons, and not even the oldest among them could tell of their grandparent's memories of a war. The bells tolled out 10 times, when the first few splashes of rain could be felt. Roken sat underneath a great tree in the Abbey grounds and watched the inhabitants go by while he played a few songs on his mandolin. Andrew assured him that while he stayed as a guest, he was not obliged to perform any chores for the Abbey. Little did he know that any time Roken wasn't doing anything that he felt was productive, he would become edgy and snippy. At times like these, the young squirrel had learned that he could work out any concerns with his trusty mandolin, and soon his mood would be back to normal. So, like most musicians, he found himself alone, making music through the entire morning utterly content. Many times he would borrow the melody of a songbird for a moment, and then give it back through his instrument. But as he saw drips from the clouds come down, he stopped playing immediately and rushed into the Abbey. Friar Jake was walking through the Great Hall as he saw the squirrel dash in.
"Whoa! Steady on there, lil' fella! What are you running from?" Roken wiped slightly damp fur on his forehead out of his eyes as he replied.
"Well, I was out there with my mandolin when it started to rain... wetness is probably one of the worst things for them!" Jake chuckled merrily.
"Yes, I suppose so! Hmm, hmm!" Roken waved and said "Bye!" as he walked up the stairs and into the dormitories above. As he entered the room, he saw Andrew sitting on a bed, writing down things on a piece of parchment.
"Hello!"
"Hello back, Roken." Roken seemed to detect a bit of almost anger in his friend's voice as he walked to the bed where he slept the previous night, and slid his mandolin safely underneath it. He sat down, and asked Andrew some questions.
" ... is anything the matter?"
"No." Roken's brow furrowed.
" ... ... watcha doin'?"
"Writing down names."
"Oh..." Roken's head bobbed up and down as he hopefully tried to sound understanding, but he didn't. "You uh, you sounded angry when I walked in... were you mad at me?" Andrew looked up and into Roken's eyes as he replied shortly.
"I'm not mad at you, I'm mad that I have to make a list of Redwallers to take with me so that we can warn Mossflower of danger." The squirrel's mouth squeezed together and to the side as he nodded again and looked off into the distance.
"Tedious work?" Andrew didn't bother to look at Roken as he replied slowly, setting the paper down on the bed.
"It's not the working that bothers me." Andrew sighed. "It's the fact that I have to be the one responsible for picking out beasts to take with me and into danger... if anything happens to them, it's my fault."
"It would be the vermin's fault, not yours." Andrew nodded, still looking somewhere besides the paper or Roken.
"It's hard... it's just hard not to feel that way when it's you who might be stealing away a brother, or a sister from someone." There was a long pause. "Roken, I don't like war. Nobody does... but sometimes it's necessary, y'know? It's easy to get mad at the beasts who are making the decisions to send out those to fight, but I never knew until it was my position to make those decisions that it was hard for them, too." Roken nodded yet again before he replied.
"Yeah... but I guess the real problem is the fact that there are vermin out there who you just can't convince to think any differently then they do." Andrew slowly and sadly muttered under his breath.
"Exactly..." Roken hadn't yet seen this serious side of Andrew. Roken thought for some time.
"But this won't... won't lead us into, war, will it? I mean, all that happened was a couple of vermin attacking the area... not an army." Andrew looked grim.
"Roken, this could just be the beginning. That very well could have been some scouts who will now send back information of the Abbey to their chief. You have to be tactical, like that. We just don't know what might happen next. "
* * *
Andrew had introduced Roken to Luther as an old friend earlier in the day, and Luther explained to Roken that the hedgehog he had helped take care of the previous night was his little sister, Eva. Apparently the little hedgehog was quite taken with Roken. This of course led to a large amount of teasing at Roken's expense, but I doubt you want to hear all about that right now, do you? Anyway, Andrew, Luther, Nikki, and Roken were walking through the Abbey to find Abbess Annabelle. On their way, they stumbled upon Sister Carol in the Library as she was looking through some books. Andrew spoke up as the five met.
"Hello there, Carol. Have you-" The sister looked huffy.
"You are supposed to address me as Sister Carol." Andrew looked taken aback.
"Well! Where are my manners? Hey sis, you seen the Abbess anywhere?" Carol rolled her eyes as she sighed.
"Yes I have. What do you want with her?" This time, Andrew actually looked offended.
"What do I want with her? You make her sound like a pail of water. If you need to be reminded, I have to talk to her about serious matters. Remember? The vermin?"
"Yes, I remember Andrew." She was almost livid. Roken sensed great tension between the two, and tried to speed things up before they blew up.
"Umm, where is she?"
"I believe she is in Cavern Hole, talking to Faulk." Roken nodded curtly and moved on.
"Thank you." The four then left with Roken as he walked hurriedly out of the Library. As Andrew caught up next to him, Roken commented on the previous encounter.
"Goodness Andrew, why is it that you always fight with her?" Andrew looked slightly depressed.
"I don't know. She sets me off, it just happens." Nikki audibly muttered under her breath.
"Opposites attract, doncha know." Luther nodded in agreement. Andrew scowled and continued at a fast pace with Roken as they walked down into Cavern Hole. The Mother Abbess of Redwall along with Wintergreen and Faulk were sitting together, chatting quietly. Roken had to compose himself as usual before encountering her. This including clearing his throat, straightening his back, and ignoring the stabbing pains of fear deep within his stomach. This was not very easy, nor was it discreet. Still, he moved forward along with his companions. Never afraid to interrupt an important conversation, Andrew loudly spoke out to the Abbess.
"Mother Abbess? May we have a word with you?" Annabelle looked over at the five, then turned back to Faulk and Wintergreen.
"Would you two excuse me, for a moment?" They nodded and started to leave. Andrew's paw shot out and pointed to them.
"No, don't leave, this concerns you, too." They both glanced at Andrew, then at the Abbess, who nodded. They resumed their positions. The Mother Abbess put on her usual serious face as she spoke.
"What is it Andrew?"
"I believe that I have decided on who I will bring with me tomorrow. However, they aren't quite who we both planned on."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well, I've decided to bring seven other beasts with me into the woods." Andrew braced for a shocked reaction by the Abbess.
"What? That's eight all together! Three more than you said in the beginning!" Andrew tried to keep her calm.
"Yes, I know, but I think this is the smart choice."
"Why?"
"One, I just don't think moving about in such a small number is very safe. You know what they say about safety in numbers. Secondly, I don't believe it will take us very long to get to the Guosim shrews, since they are, when they last said, somewhere around a day east of the river just north of us. It shouldn't be more then 4 days before the Guosim will show up here to add to your protection. How does that sound?" The mother Abbess sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Andrew." Another sigh. "Well, who have you decided to bring with you?" Andrew started naming off names while counting with his fingers.
"I'm going to bring Roken along with me, Nikki, and Luther, for starters." Annabelle nodded and spoke to Roken for a moment.
"I'll be sorry to see you go since we just met, Roken." Roken looked surprised to hear this from the Abbess.
"Oh, uh... yeah, me, too." The Abbess then turned from the young squirrel and looked back at Andrew. She spoke with a tone to suggest to Andrew to rethink his decision.
"He's young." Andrew didn't waver in his response.
"So am I." Another sigh could be heard from Annabelle.
"Well, that's four, including you. Who are the other four?" Andrew cleared his throat before continuing.
"Ahem, yes, I'm also going to take the mouse Sean with me. He spends a lot of time with his books, and he knows the area of Mossflower very well, which would aid us immensely."
"He should, being the Abbey recorder. Who else?"
"Also, the vole Joan is going to come along."
"Yes, and the other two?" Andrew looked hesitant. He looked into the eyes of Faulk as he continued.
"I was hoping, that you would come too, Faulk. We need someone who can convince the Otters to help out." Abbess Annabelle looked very shocked, but allowed Faulk to speak instead of herself.
"Um... well, I don't know... I should be here to help the Abbey. Besides, the otters will help Redwall, they don't need my beckoning." Andrew shook his head.
"I don't know..." Faulk seemed resolute.
"I think it would be best if I stayed, Andrew." With that tone of voice, he knew there would be no changing Faulk's mind. Andrew looked quite discouraged. He looked up at the otter as he replied.
"I would feel better if perhaps you would write a note that asked them to come here personally. That is all that I ask." Faulk nodded in resignation.
"All right. I'll get it together for you by morning." Abbess Annabelle looked over at Andrew.
"Good. Now that that is settled, who is the last beast you will bring with you?" Now Andrew really looked discouraged. He waited a moment, and cleared his throat yet again. "The suspense is killing me, Andrew." The Abbess remarked, dryly. With an unintentional glare, he answered.
"We need a good healer along with us just in case things go wrong and we run into trouble. I suggest we bring your daughter, Wintergreen." Annabelle's eyes widened and her nostrils flared as rage enveloped her. Wintergreen however, perked up and inhaled deeply in excitement.
"What?! Are you mad? Never! I would never allow it." Her paw slammed down at the large table they were seated at. Andrew looked determined.
"Mother Abbess, you must let her go. We need a healer with us, and it's time you began realizing that she is growing up." It looked as though the Mother might burst.
"No! There is no way! Absolutely not!"
"You must understand--"
"Nothing you can say will change my mind, Andrew! I suggest you leave my presence before I make a rash decision about your fate!" Andrew's back left his seat as he sat up in a blaze of anger.
"What about your daughter's fate?! As long as you keep cradling her like a babe, she will never learn to live life--" The Abbess looked quite frightening as she too stood up in fury like none had seen before.
"I will not send my daughter out with you to be chopped into bits by vermin!!" Silence ruled the air for a few moments as Andrew digested the words spoken to him.
"But you will send out other Redwallers with me to be chopped up for the good of the Abbey?" Annabelle could not control herself.
"Yes. I love my daughter. I can't help that. I'm greedy. I need her more than she needs me I suppose. But as long as I am the Abbess of Redwall, and more importantly, her mother, you will listen to me and obey my orders." Andrew couldn't believe what he was hearing. His eyes widened in astonishment. He was lost for words for the first time in his life. Wintergreen was close to tears. She loved knowing her mother cared for her so dearly, and yet she also hated her for it. Roken's eyes shifted back and forth between Annabelle, Andrew, and Wintergreen repeatedly. Luther couldn't help but look down at the floor. Nikki, for the first time in a while, spoke up.
"Perhaps we should hear from Wintergreen." All eyes turned to the hare, and then to the young squirrel. Roken watched her intently as her eyes raced around the room, and then settled on his. He couldn't bare staring into her eyes as she went through anguish, but he kept looking into them. He hoped he was giving her strength. She looked down to the floor. Softly, she spoke.
"... I will do as my mother says." Andrew sat back down in defeat. Roken looked frustrated on Wintergreen's behalf. He wanted now, more then ever, to say something brilliant. Something that would completely change the tide. He wanted to give her what she wanted. But how could he give her freedom? His mind raced as he thought of something to say, but he drew a blank.
No! he thought to himself. I have to help her! What can I say? Time is running out... something's going to happen. I have to do it! But what? Hurry up!! Say something, stupid!!! Anything!!!! Roken!!!!!!
"I'm going to my room. Wintergreen, would you please follow me? I'd like to have a discussion with you." Without another word, the Abbess left, with her daughter quickly following suit. Roken silently scolded himself.