Hi there everybody! Sorry for the lack of care I've shown my story, but I've been busy. As requested by many, I have continued writing, and this is the next chappie. Excuse the shortness! Hope you enjoy! More soon, if things go well.
VIII
Roken trudged sullenly through the Abbey's great twisting halls until he found himself exiting it altogether through the main entrance in Great Hall. He breathed in the cool clear air of the silent evening as he collected his thoughts. Seeing Wintergreen go through agony was something unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He felt as if his tunic were three sizes too small. He tried to breath in deep but the air didn't do anything to aid his discomfort. The more he breathed, the less it helped. Before he began hyperventilating, he walked back into the Abbey and ran into Andrew as he strolled through great hall. Andrew flashed a nod in his direction to be friendly. Roken decided to speak up.
"Andrew?" The mouse stopped.
"Yes?" Roken walked closer to him.
"Did you say that Sean was the name of the Abbey's recorder?"
"Yes, he's in the gatehouse right now working on something or other. Do you need him for something?"
"Maybe... just to answer a few questions." Andrew smiled as he responded.
"Yes, well, he's the one to ask if you have questions about the Abbey... he's always been obsessed with the history of our founders, and other boring things like that, ever since he was a dibbun. He loves showing off his knowledge to others, so you should have no trouble finding out what you want to know from him." Roken grinned as he turned and jogged out of the Abbey.
"Thanks!" He looked around, his eyes searching for the gatehouse, which he found rather quickly. He rushed across the Abbey's grounds and to the door and knocked on it. A loud voice was heard coughing and calling back.
"Wooo haa ha haaa!! *Cough cough gag* Come... aahhhCHOO, in. *snif* Ugh... mind the dust." Roken opened the door gingerly and peered around it with squinting eyes as he surveyed the dusty and dirty scene below. In the middle of the comparatively dark gatehouse was a chair, and a desk, and a mouse sitting in that chair, at that desk. All around him were scrolls and scrolls piled upon each other, all competing to see how much dust they could collect over the seasons. There was also another chair somewhere underneath all of the mess. On the desk was a pen and ink set, a glass of water, and more and more scrolls. One, was open, and blank halfway down. Roken assumed that it was something that Sean was working on at the moment. Sean sat back, rubbed his red eyes, and stared at the squirrel. The mouse was young, and this surprised Roken. He possibly had yellow fur at one time, but the dust made him look grey-brown. He might have even not looked that bad, if his eyes were not swollen and red, and the dust didn't hide his features. Still, he smiled to see a new face, and was as pleasant as you could wish.
"Hello there, I am *cough* Sean, the local recorder. Are you a newcomer here?" Roken held out his paw, and shook Sean's heartily.
"Yes, my name is Roken." Sean's eyes widened slightly as he nodded. Dust fluttered ubiquitously.
"Ah... Andrew told me about you. Yes, ahem, what can
I do for you?" Roken looked around.
"Umm... is there anywhere
I could sit at?" Sean popped up and off his seat.
"Oh! Yes! My goodness, where are my manners? Oh, I believe there is a nice big chair here somewhere underneath this mess... ah yes, here it is, just let me move these parchments out of the way. Here you go!" A large, dark red chair could be seen now, it looked twice as big as what Roken needed. Roken sank down into the large cushion a few inches, and then began to speak.
"I wanted to ask you a few things about the Abbey and it's inhabitants." Sean turned his small chair around to face Roken and sat down.
"Shoot."
"Well, my first question is, how did Annabelle become the Abbess? Most Abbesses and Abbots are not parents, for one thing." Sean sat up, and then back down as he nestled into his chair and got comfortable.
"Well, I was very young at the time, and I don't remember it much, but I have gone back over time and read how it happened through our last recorder's logs. Her name was Azalea, and she was my tutor when I first became interested in the job of Abbey Recorder... and good friend." His eyes strayed past Roken's and into the distance. Roken could tell she meant a lot to him.
"She died 2 seasons ago. She was old... but she lived long enough to pass the torch on to me, and see me become the Recorder for the Abbey... that's why I take my job so seriously." Roken was politely listening, but inside he was hoping that he would answer his question soon. Sean sniffed again, and continued.
"I hate this dust. Anyway, the records show that our last Abbot, who was named Harris, passed on unexpectedly after he took ill. Now, at the time, Annabelle had just become a mother. She was young, but very strong and wise for her age. It was somewhat understood ever since she was in her youth that she would become the next Abbess. You know the kind of creature, where everybeast seems to ask them the questions, and expect them to be mature, and knowledgeable? Well, it was just that sort of unsaid, understood kind of thing! Now I could never be sure, but to me, it seemed like she was, well, unnerved by everybeast seemingly expecting her to rise to the greatness of which is not seen every season. Become the leader of Redwall Abbey! That's a lot to put on anybeast, no matter what age! Isn't it?" Sean had wide eyes and nodded in Roken's direction.
"Oh, uh, yes... I suppose so." Roken tried to seem energetic in his response.
"Of course! That's what I always thought! Now then, here is another one of my assumptions. She didn't want to become the Abbess, Right? Of course right." Roken smirked.
"You speak as one twice your age."
"Oh, thank you! Yes I know... ahem, well, anyway, unbeknownst to anybeast at the time, in only a few seasons, Abbot Harris was about to take ill. At that time, Annabelle had become married, and soon had a young one of her own. She might have seen this as a way to get out of having to be Abbess." Roken's brow creased.
"Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"Well, yes it is, I'm afraid." The two were quiet for a while, until Roken spoke up again.
"That's interesting.... does the Abbey Records show of a hare being here at that time?"
"Uh, just a second, I'm not sure..." Sean turned around in his chair and sent dust flying as he grabbed a piece of parchment out of an enormous pile. The young squirrel was amazed... out of the entire heap of scrolls, Sean was immediately able to pull out the exact one he wanted. The mouse muttered to himself as he skimmed the writing on the paper.
"Ah, let's see... hmm... ah, aha! Yes, here it is. Why- yes, there was a hare here. How did you know?"
"She told me." Sean looked puzzled. "She's the hare who brought me here in the first place. She said that she hadn't seen Wintergreen since she was just a dibbun."
"Oh! I see! I must speak with her some time!" Roken still wanted a few more answers.
"Now, back to what we were talking about... who was Annabelle's husband?" Sean sighed, placed the parchment he was holding on the desk, and rubbed his eyes in vain.
"Honestly, I have no idea. It's the oddest thing though, isn't it? Out of all of these records, not one mentions who the father of Wintergreen is. ... Come to think of it, I'm not even sure she was married. It just speaks of Annabelle having a daughter." Roken's brow creased again.
"Wow... that's very interesting... no father... where did she come from?" Sean shrugged.
"I'm sorry. I don't have all of the answers. And I doubt that the Abbess will be very willing to talk about her past life in such great detail. But I just can't think of anybeast else who would know!" There were the flames of determination in Roken's eyes.
"I can."
* * *
As Roken walked through the Abbey, the smells of food wavering throughout the kitchens met his nose. The pleasant aroma started making his mouth water in anticipation of his next meal. Closely following behind Roken's brisk stride was Sean, who was anxious to see who he was taking him to.
"So, where is he?" Roken called back without looking at the mouse behind him.
"She, actually. If I know her well, and I do, she should be wreaking havoc in the--" A loud crash could be heard ringing throughout Great Hall. It came from the kitchens.
"GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!" Roken muttered under his breath a quick "Oh no," and sprinted to the kitchens. He and Sean stood dumbfounded in the doorway beholding the scene in front of them.
A.N.: Doncha love cliffhangers? :O)