Martin slept through the morning to the afternoon. He awoke and pulled his sword out of the ground. He had some oat bread and a few strawberries. Then, he wept. Why does this ail him so? What he would give for the pain to go away. He then went to a nearby brook, and silently washed his face. He watched the sun dance on the tiny ripples, and felt the wind upon his body. How it would feel if Rose was with him now.
"If I had only a minute more with you, Rose, I would waste no time in telling you that I love you," He said looking up at the clear blue sky. Then he wept again.
He had no touch with reality; he was in his own world, a world where Rose and him were together. He took no notice of the vole approaching him.
"Excuse me, sir, but why are you upset?" He asked.
"Oh, I am sorry. I did not notice you were around," Martin replied, quickly drying his eyes.
The vole smiled.
"So you are saying that if you knew that I was around, then you would not cry?" He said.
Martin liked this vole. He was clever.
"That is exactly what I am saying, my friend. I am Martin."
"I am Yuly. I live here in Mossflower, in a rather small cave on the other side of this brook. Would you like to spend the night at my house?"
"I would like that Yuly. Thank you very much."
The two new friends set out to Yuly's cave, but this did not raise Martin's spirits up too much.
"It's hot! Too hot!" Yugo's screamed out as he drank a gulp of tea.
"Of course you crazy beast, that's why you don't chug it down like that! Here, have this." Pallum handed him a glass of cold cider.
After Yugo's tongue had stopped burning, he started to sip the tea, slowly.
"That's how you drink tea," Pallum said.
"Mmm, it's not that bad when you drink it slowly." Yugo replied.
There was an awkward silence that followed. Pallum then spoke.
"So, do you still want to hear this story?" He asked.
"Yes please. But, Pallum, I sense that this story hurts you in some way, so if you would like not to share it, I completely understand," Yugo said to Pallum's face, which was on the verge of tears.
"No it's fine. I need to get it out of my system. But this is a long story so let's go into the back room. There are two beds there, and it's also very cool and comfortable." Pallum said.
So the two went into the room, and Pallum began the tale, from when Rose first found Martin at Marshank, to when she returned to Noonvale, to when she left, and to when she was slain. Yugo listened intently through the tale, and when Pallum had finished, he drew his scimitar, and set it beside him. He gazed at it, and went deep into thought. Pallum continued.
"Everyone here knows that Martin is not responsible for the death of Rose, but Urran Voh will not come to his senses." Yugo was silent for a moment, and then he spoke.
"Pallum, I seek a vermin band. Their leader's name is Baro, as I have already told you, and I must kill this fox. He slew my family and burned down my village." Yugo said.
"Have you nothing to say about my story?" Pallum asked.
"No I do not. The story is striking, heartbreaking, and fills me with sadness, and joy. It is a feeling that I have never felt, and I don't like it. It leaves me speechless, literally," Yugo said, with no expression at all.
"So where do you think your hunt shall lead you?" Pallum inquired.
"I do not know, but now that you have told me this story, I have an idea of where I will be going." Yugo then told Pallum of his dream with his father.
"I believe that Martin is the mouse that I am searching for. His love reached death because his love, Rose, reached dead; she died." Yugo said. "I must die to help Martin, but I do not see how dying would heal Martin's heart in any way."
"I agree. It's late now, Yugo. You can rest until evening, I will awaken you," Pallum said.
"Thank you my friend, I have never been shown such hospitality and kindness before," Yugo replied.
Pallum smiled, and left the house. Yugo fell asleep, and had another dream.
There was an angelic bright light that filled all of Yugo's vision. Then, a young squirrel stepped forth. Yugo could not fully make him out. At first, he thought it was his father again. Yugo's eyes widened, he waited to see what his father had to say. Maybe he was here to tell him that he was right about the mouse: it was Martin the warrior who he is supposed to find. But it wasn't his father. The squirrel smiled at Yugo.
"Hello my pupil," He said.