Chapter 2

Reunion

Songbreeze walked through the doorway into the abbey kitchens, carrying a large basket of red berries between her paws. Inside Friar Kal stood humming to himself over a steaming pot of soup, stirring it with a long wooden spoon and occasionally adding a few mushrooms to the simmering concoction. Kal was a shrew of no small height or girth, with stubby brown fur under his white apron that had nary a stain on it. A jolly fellow who seemed to only argue about anything when it involved food and its preparation.

As Song entered the Friar turned his head and his face cracked with a broad smile. "Ah, Abbess marm! Please, please, do come in. Go ahead and set them berries on the table there!"

"Of course Friar." Said Song, striding over to the indicated table and placing her burden upon it. Afterwards she turned and looked over the Friar's shoulder at the soup, breathing in the smell wafting from the pot. "Mmmmm, smell's wonderful Friar. A new recipe?"

Kal beamed, nodding and garbing a nearby jar of containing an odd brown powder. "Yes marm, I'm pleased you noticed. This is a little something I stumbled across season's back when I was but a young shrew just learning the grand secrets of the culinary arts." He opened the jar and while still stirring the soup, gently dabbled a pawful into it. "One day I found that certain plant's have bark that if ground off and crushed into a fine powder, make excellent spices for soups and other such things."

"Fascinating," Song said, taking in the smell one last time and thinking that it did indeed smell a bit spicy. "I'm sure it will taste delicious. You have yet to not live up to the title of Friar. Is there anything else you need?"

Kal bobbed his head, his smile never once fading. "Your praise is more than enough marm. I'm sure you have far more important things to be doing." He says with a knowing wink. Song rolls her eyes, understanding what he was talking of all too well.

"Very well Friar, carry on and good day."

Leaving the kitchens, Song made her way down the grand hallway that ran down the center of the main building towards the stairwell that would lead to the upper dormitories. She needed to check with Brother Garlin, the resident handymouse, about repairing the doorframe on the Sister Alora's infirmary. Yesterday it had been…

"Abbess! Abbess!" Song turned around upon hearing somebeast calling for her from down the hall. Up came running Sister Mayfield. Mayfield was a delicate appearing dormouse, soft white fur and pale blue eyes matching a sapphire dress that was certainly not abbey attire. But since she had made the outfit herself, along with all her many others, Song found no reason to say Mayfield could not dress any way she wished. Normally Mayfield was cheerful and kind, if not a bit whimsical and more than a tad flirty with many of the males in the abbey, seemingly regardless of species. However now the female dormouse looked positively flustered her cheeks puffing in and out and her steps seeming like exaggerated stomps upon the stone floor. The reason for this, Song guessed without doubt, was hanging upside down from his tail held by Mayfield's left paw.

"What is the trouble Sister Mayfield." Asked Song, trying to hide the growing smile of amusement on her face.

Mayfield stopped in front of Song, putting one paw on her hip and holding up the other, displaying her prisoner with a look of stark distaste. "I found this…this…babe," from her tone she didn't think the word suited "in my sewing room again! He had completely made a mess of things, string and needles everywhere!"

"Oh, I'm glad to hear he didn't hurt himself," said Song, looking down at what Mayfield held. "You aren't hurt are you Leon?"

The ratbabe, Leon, looked up from his upside down position with an odd lopsided grin on his face. The long patch of fur on his head had only grown over the past weeks, now fully covering one eye usually; now fell down towards the ground, hanging there like a stringy brush of brown fur. The babe didn't' seem to mind being held in that precarious manner, seeming to actually enjoy swinging from left to right by his tail. "Norra m'be hurted…looki." he held up his diminutive paws as if to prove he'd not stabbed himself with one needle or pin.

Mayfield snorted and held out the babe to Song, who took Leon and held him right side up and smiled at the dormouse. "I'll send somebeast to clean your sewing room Sister Mayfield, so not to worry. And I'll talk with little Leon here and see that he doesn't disturb it again."

The dormouse blew out a long breath and nodded once, looking between Song and the ratbabe who had now thoroughly attached himself to her shoulder, looking back at her with wide innocent eyes. "I swear," said Mayfield "That babe is too bold and cunning for his own good. I don't even know how he got inside this time but if I find him in there again I'll paddle him myself." The dormouse turned her chin up and strode away with fast deliberate steps.

Once Mayfield was out of sight Song sighed and held Leon up to look the ratbabe in the face. "Well mister, what do you have to say for yourself?" the ratbabe's face didn't change it's grin as he said "I lika missy May! She funny a' er' roomie's got lotsa toys!"

Song laughed and shook her head, holding the ratbabe to her chest and patting him on the head. "Yes she is funny isn't she? But don't go into her room anymore alright?" Leon's head cocks to the side and his face becomes overly curios. "Why's a no?"

"Because it's dangerous to play in there. And because I said not to." She winked and added "Also because if you do go in there again I know a certain Friar who's cooking up some ratbabe soup and he needs some fresh ingredients." She starts to tickle him under the armpits.

At hearing this Leon squeals and wriggles in her paws, laughing. "Hahahaha, Norra me goin' inta souper! Hehehehehe, me besa goodin now, nor mor tickles, hehehe!"

Song holds him up and gives him a final level stare "See that you do Leon. Now…where's your sister." The ratbabe looks up and seems to think for a moment, before replying "Mesa no seein' Terra." Song sighs and starts to walk towards the stairs, carrying Leon on her shoulder. "I figured as much. All right it's time for your nap, I don't want to hear about you sneaking out of bed now you hear. I'll go find your sister and when I get back I want to see you fast asleep snoring like a family of hedgehogs after a feast."

Leon jumps up and down on her shoulder, or as much as he can with Song holding him in place. "Soris liks yous mama?" he asks innocently. Song fakes a glare and laughs as she tickles him again, as the crest the top of the stairs and she takes him into their room. "Who snores? I don't snore. Now off to bed."

The room was once just the single bedroom area of the Abbess, but now it had been expanded to include a smaller bed next to hers that had obviously two sides to it, one painted blue the other white. She places Leon on the blue side, tucking him in as the ratbabe squirms around talking about babe like things. She takes a moment to calm him down and get him tucked in properly, then gets up to leave.

"Nora leavi!" calls Leon "Gotta sig gotta sig!" Song laughs and turns around "Very well, just a quick one…" she goes back to the bedside, sitting on the folds of her own bed, and starts to hum a soft lullaby letting her voice take the simple musical notes and turn them into something akin to a warm spring wind rustling through the leaves of the forest. In moments Leon is making little rhythmic snores in his bed, smiling contently in the way babes do as the sleep.

Getting up, Song quietly makes her way out the door, closing it firmly behind her. One down, one to go, she thought to herself as she stared back down the hallway to the stairs.

Outside the sky seemed to be like a bright crystalline dome of blue overhead. It was hard to imagine that this was the same sky that had been filled with the black cloud of that terrible storm half a season past. Song well remembered how the abbey grounds had been partially flooded by the end of that storm, it being nearly impossible to walk outside without moving through ankle deep pools of water.

Fortunately the ground had dried out quick enough after the rains had ceased. With the sun hanging almost directly overhead, it's pleasantly warm rays bathing the land and a soft wind picking up to caress one's fur, this day felt as near perfect as one could get.

Walking right out from the main building, Songbreeze started down a well-worn path that cut right through the grounds to the gatehouse. To her left the grass of the grounds gave way to sectioned orchards where even now Song could see various abbeydwellers going about picking berries and other fruits for the next night's feasting. She slowed her step a pace when she thought of the pool of water beyond the orchards. The abbey pond provided Redwall with it's much needed water supply and acted as a pristine spot to cool one's heels after a hard day of work to relax under the shade of a willow tree. Song found herself going to that pond more and more recently. Not because she was a slouch in her work and took time off, not her. But because she somehow felt a certain responsibility…to who rested there now.

The female rat, whose name none of them had even known, lay buried by that pond. The grave was marked by the small oak sapling, which had been planted over it. Song fervently hoped that the oak would grow into a very strong tree, it somehow seemed right that it should with such a strong creature resting under it. There had been some examination of the female rat's body by Sister Alora before the burial. Not much, but enough for the infirmary mouse to learn that the poor rat had been traveling with that wound for days after it had been inflicted, had traveled with little food or water apparently. Alora's guess was that any that the female rat had scrounged up had gone into nourishing her two babes. Song still could not quite fathom the kind of willpower it must have taken to have kept going, even in that storm, with a wound like that and having not eaten in days. She had obviously loved her two children more than any hardship could have beaten down.

Song had gone to that grave each day since the burial to pay respects and to tell the mother how her two babes were doing under Song's care. Song did not presume yet to call herself the babe's mother; she was just taking care of them; that was all. Even so, she still had to admit that she was growing very fond of them both. Leon was a troublemaker true, but a pure hearted one who only made trouble because he was so curious about the world around him. Not a day went by when she did not find him toying around with one odd object or another, always feeling the item all over to try and understand what it did and how it worked. And even when he wasn't moving, Song could see an odd intensity in the babe's gaze whenever he looked upon something that interested him, as if just by looking he could see inside the object and learn everything there was to know about it. It astonished Song that he had learned basic speech so quickly, it had barley been a month before Leon had been saying his first words. Maybe that was normal for rats…both he and Terra had grown so fast in such a short period of time that it caused talk in the abbey.

Terra was so different and yet very much the same. Unlike Leon, who chattered in his babe-like speech all the time and rarely stopped moving around, Terra was a very quite babe who so far had not said one word to anybeast. Song suspected, however, that Terra understood speech just as well as Leon did, the little female rat babe just choose not to speak. Where Leon was always messing around with things and a terror to keep under control at times, Terra was one to always quietly play by herself in a random corner of the abbey. Like Leon, she had an uncanny knack for vanishing on her own when nobeast else was looking. Unlike Leon, however, Song did not have to worry about hearing about the kitchens catching on fire when Terra wandered off on her own. And whenever she did take to wandering off, Song had a pretty decent idea on where to find the babe.

When almost to the gatehouse, Song veered off the path to the right, heading for the stairs that would take her up the wall to the ramparts that circled all of Redwall Abbey in a barrier which had served to protect it for countless seasons. Normally it was forbidden for young ones to come up here and play, the chances of an accidental fall far to high to even consider risking it. Song knew very well though that her two little ratbabes cared little for the rules, and oddly enough Song felt no real desire to teach them otherwise. Their free-spirited will was part of what the Abbess of Redwall Abbey treasured in them, and the idea of weeding it out of the two made her heart clench with repulsion.

Once upon the wall tops Song knew just where to go. Heading around the southwestern corner she made her way to the opposite wall, where she knew her little Terra would be. The female ratbabe could really have been the mirror image of her brother, save that instead of that strange long patch of fur on the head Terra had perfectly smooth and rich brown fur that grew evenly all around. Terra sat as she always did, with her back to the walkway and all her attention on the red sandstone in front of her. Even as Song slowly paced up Terra did not seem to notice, and Song could easily see why.

Small black streaks lined, crossing this way and that, across the ramparts, some forming various patterns, most just babe-like scribbles. Which made sense since a babe made them. Terra was just making another long mark with a piece of charcoal, her face alight with pure dibbunish delight at what was to her beautiful artwork, when Song leaned over her shoulder.

"And what is my little artist drawing today?" asked Song in a soft and loving voice. Terra turned her face upward, smudged with charcoal and deep chocolate brown eyes going bright with the smile that spread the babe's face. Terra said nothing, but she threw her arms up, which was signal enough for Song as she scooped up the ratbabe and held her up on her shoulder just as she had Leon.

"You've already decorated the entire south wall you know." Song said with a smile and laugh as she carried Terra down from the walls. "At this rate you'll have no more wall left."

To this Terra just snuggled her head against Song's neck and cooed, the only sound she ever really made. The piece of charcoal was still clung in one of her tiny babe paws, but Song paid it little mind. She knew that somehow Leon got a hold of those pieces and would give them to Terra, the two ratbabes always had such a natural knowing of what the other needed. As such Song had quickly given up on breaking Terra of her drawing habits when a few of the abbeydwellers had complained of the drawings showing up at random around the abbey. In all honesty Song didn't see the harm in letting the little one express herself, especially since Terra seemed to enjoy little else than make those drawings.

Once back on the cool grass of the abbeygrounds Song spotted a familiar figure closing the door to the gatehouse and turning to go down the path with a rather flustered look on his face.

"Brother Halem, good to see you." Said Song as she approached the young mouse, who practically jumped out of his habit when he spun around and saw her. He managed a polite smile and a nervous stammer. "W-w-why Abbess! So good to see you as well. And of course little Terra, how are you?"

Terra smiled a dibbun's smile at Halem, one of the few other creatures at the abbey Terra seemed to take any notice of save Song and Leon. "She is well as can be expected, and sharpening her artistic skills as well," said Song, carefully scrutinizing Halem without appearing to do so. The gatekeeper's face was slightly beaded with sweat and his whiskers twitched in an erratic fashion. He was certainly nervous about something.

Song held back a frown and listened as Halem made a show of explaining in a slightly louder voice than normal that he was leaving his post in the gatehouse for a moment to go gather some tinder for the fireplace in the gatehouse. The mouse paused as if realizing the incredulous nature of his own statement as he looked up at the clear sky above, a promise of the warm weather to come.

Before he could say anything else though, Song heard voice from inside the gatehouse. She recognized them instantly and her face cracked widely in a smile that reached all the way to her ears and made her eyes shine like polished pearls. Shifting her hold on Terra so that she held the back in the cradle of one arm, she opened the door into the gatehouse and strode in, catching the last snippet of conversation from those within.

"Like I was sayin' Tiv, you just double up the hull, split it up 'tween a pair of posts n' such and use a tilted V sail and you get a boat than can go three times faster than the best log boat you could ever build." A male shrew said to a much younger one who fingered his headband and seemed to stand on the tips of his footpaws so to match the elder's stare at eye-level.

The younger one was a striking contrast of dark black and white fur, with an expression equally as contrasting, something between defiance and meekness. This made for an amusing sight as the shrew's face kept swiveling between the two emotional states as he stared up at the taller one, saying in a tone that was only slightly tinged with respect. "But Log-a-Log sir, it don't seem right I tell ya. We've been using the o' logboats for, well, ever, an' I don't see how splitin' up the hull makes a boat move faster. Probably make the bloody thing sink faster."

The elder shrew, though in all actuality he was perhaps only a season the younger one's senior, rolled his eyes, two perfect brown orbs set in a face of light brown fur that had the coarse texture of one used to the rigors of the outdoors. It was then he spotted Songbreeze.

"Song? By blazes it is you! I can hardly recognize you n' that get up o' yours, guess I forgot you were Abbess of Redwall now." he looks her up and down, grinning so widely that it looked like it would split is face in two, which completely spoiled the hurt look he tried to put in his eyes "It's been a whole season! Don't tell me you forgot what your ol' pal Dippler looks like!"

"Well I somehow remember a more handsome character," Song said playfully, letting her own smile blossom onto her face, "Very polite and well groomed, hardly the ruffian that I see before me."

The two are silent for a moment, then burst out into laughter. It isn't until they both recover from their bout of heartfelt bantering that Dippler sees Terra. The ratbabe had been morose and quiet during the exchange, hugging close to Song and looking at the two shrews with unhidden fear.

"Eh, Song? Not to spoil the reunion an' all…but why s' there a little vermin hanging on you like that?" said Dippler, scratching his head and giving Terra a quizzical gaze. Song sighed and adjusted her hold on Terra so that she could clutch the babe closer. "Oh, uh, long story Log-a-Log…hehe, I guess that's your name now isn't it."

Dippler waved a paw, saying "Nah, just call me Dippler while I'm here. I get enough of the Log-a-Log treatment from my Guosim. And nothin' personal Song but don't avoid the question…it ain't everyday the Abbess of Redwall carry's round a vermin babe like it was her own child or something."

For the first time since she'd met him Song gave Dippler a very serious look that had nothing at all to do with banter. "This is Terra, and she is my daughter."

Dippler blinked. Then blinked again. Finally he managed to say past the astonishment plain on his face. "Oh. All right…okay…. eh…Song, should I even be ask n' how this happened? I mean…uh…it's not as if you…er…you know…I mean…you didn't marry a rat now did you?"

It was Song's turn to roll her eyes and she added a very profound headshake that told Dippler just how ridiculous he was being. "No Dippler, and don't be foolish. Terra is an orphan like all the other dibbuns here at Redwall. And I'm not going to go over the same argument with you that I have with Cregga, Dann's father, and half the others at the abbey. I'm very tired of having to explain to creatures who should know very well and better that Redwall is a place of sanctuary for all who need the protection of it's walls. I would no more deny a vermin than I would any other creature, especially young ones. Terra and her brother Leon came to our abbey…"

After a time Song explained in full just how the twins arrived at the abbey as Dippler and the younger shrew Tiv listened on, faces going from disbelieving to shock to understanding in short order as Song concluded the tale. Dippler seemed to accept the story at face value and said no more on it, even smiled at Terra and waved. The ratbabe at some comforting words from Song returned the smile, but did little else save keep close to Song and peer at the shrews with eyes that no longer were fearful but were still far from friendly.

As Song led Dippler and Tiv from the gatehouse she noticed Hallem still standing where she'd left him, his face looking a tad flushed to say the least. "Oh, Abbess marm," he said skittishly "I would have told you we had company, but-"

Song held a paw up, smiling and saying "It's alright Hallem, think nothing of it. In fact why don't you take a break from gatekeeping for a little while In fact if you could, Sister Mayfield's sewing room met with an unfortunate, er, accident, perhaps you and Lilium might help her straighten things up. After that feel free to spend the afternoon as you wish."

Hallem nodded in relief, and added on a quick wink. He knew how much Leon liked Sister Mayfield's sewing room. "Of course Abbess marm, Lil and me will have Mayfield's room back in top shape in no time."

After Brother Hallem had gone, Song and Dippler started for the main abbey building. A few creatures who were out and about paused to watch the Abbess walking with what was obviously two Guosim shrews, their bright headbands marking them out plainly. Tiv kept glancing around with slightly wide eyes, and it occurred to Song that he did not appear to be on of the Guosim that had fought the Marlfox's a season past. Another orphan perhaps? From the look on his face he seemed amazed by what he saw, and Song well understood. She herself had been more than a bit overawed by her first sight of Redwall

Finally asked what she'd wanted to ask since she first got over her initial joy of seeing her old friend again. "Log-a…I mean Dippler, not that I don't love the idea of having you and your shrews visit, I can't help but feel this is not a social visit."

Dippler glanced at her with an oh so innocent face that quickly disappeared when he saw Song was serious. So his face became serious as well. "You're partially right Song. I'm here for the most part 'cause I really missed you an' Dann, and o' course how could the Guosim pass up a chance at good ol' Redwall fare? But your right about this being more than a pleasure visit…I have news that I think you and Dann, not to mention your fathers, should hear."

Song didn't miss a step, her face keeping a cool look of serenity, but she did give Dippler a sideways glance. "Is that so? Is this news important enough that we need to hear it as soon as possible, or is there enough time at least for me to put little Terra here to bed?"

She could not be sure, because he was not looking directly at her, but Song could have sworn she saw a trace of nervousness in those deep brown eyes. "It can wait a tad while I'd say, but not much." said Dippler, his voice steady and calm, not showing any of what had been in the eyes "I ain't sure what to make of it myself…just see to it that just you, Dann, an' any other you might think could keep a' clear head on their shoulders."

Song said nothing to that as they entered through the stout oak doorway and into the Great Hall. Sunlight angled down like multi-colored streaks of paint from the stained glass windows that lined the sides of the abbey's Great Hall. A pawfull of abbey dwellers either hustled about on daily chores, or sat reading scrolls or books along the many large tables that were orderly set up around the center of the abbey.

She had thought she'd have to track him down, but to Song's surprise Dann was standing at the opposite end of the hall, next to the great tapestry. Next to the warrior squirrel was his father Rusvul and Song's own father Janglur Swifeye.

Janglur was a surprisingly tall member of his species, dark and thick fur covering a well-muscled body that was wide enough to match his height. His eyes were what had been the downfall of more than one foe that had underestimated him. Hooded, they gave off the look of a creature near dozing and practically asleep. Only a fool, however, would assume that Janglur Swifeye was anything other than alert and ready for anything at any given moment.

Next to him Rusvul seemed short, but was no less strong, with thick arms and broad shoulders that seemed made from stone. Fur that as a shade or two lighter than Janglur's, Rusvul looked like an older more rugged Dannflor. You could never mistake whose son Dann was when he stood next to his father.

As they approached Dann spotted her and smiled turning and saying "Song, good timing as always I was just about to go look for you, seems that the ol' attic rafters are in need of some repair and I wanted to ask you…" he trailed off as his eyes slid over to regard the two shrews standing next to Song. Dann's reaction was almost a perfect mirror to Song's.

"Dippler! Haha! You ol' log rider, where've you been?"

"Ha, good to see you too Dann." Dippler winked at Song "See? At least somebeast around here recognizes his pals."

There was of course a long series of heartfelt greetings among them, Dann giving Dippler a long hug and both Rusvul and Janglur patting the young Log-a-Log on the back. Tiv stood apart from it all, the young shrew looking a little shy to get involved in the reunion of old friends. "Yer lookin' fine and fit friend," said Rustle as he finished clapping Dippler heartily on his shoulder. The shrew seemed a bit embarrassed, but nodded thanks and kept up a smile. "All told I ain't too sure my wife would agree with ya. She's always tellin' me I'm too lazy for my own good."

Both Dann and Song balked at the same time, Song's eyes going a bit rounder and Dann looking like somebeast had just walked on thin air.

"You're married?" this from a still round eyed Song.

Dippler grinned and actually puffed out his chest a bit. "Why's that so suprisen'? Think a dashing young fellow like me can't get married if he's got a mind for it?"

Dann recovered rather quickly and gave a lopsided smile "If she was blind perhaps. If she was addle minded maybe. But you landing a wife who can see clearly and have all her wits together…that's stretchin' the bounds of possibility a bit ol' friend."

Dippler hunched down in mock defeat, making a comical little sniff "Oh, your all so mean to poor littl' Dippler."

Song broke into light musical laughter, like soft chimes ringing, and put a comforting arm around the shrew, "Awww, no hard feelings now." She punctuated this with a slight elbow to the ribs. "Hehe, but seriously though Dippler, who is she? Why didn't you bring her along?"

Dippler straightened up, his face suddenly going as hard and serious as steel in a forge. "Elise is with the rest of the Guosim, in charge while I'm gone. Which is a good thing since somebeast with a sharp mind needs to keep an eye on things there, and none ain't sharper than my Elise."

Both Janglur and Rusvul exchanged a glance with each other, both with a similar look on their faces. They knew what hard expressions like Dippler's meant. "An' why's it important to have an eye kept on things back with the Guosim?" asked Janglur, arms going across his chest and those hooded eyes becoming searching.

Dippler looked at the old squirrel warrior, then around at the surrounding Great Hall, "Perhaps where there ain't so many ears to hear the wrong words?" the shrew said.

There was a brief silence before Song nodded, gesturing with a paw. "Let's take this into Cavern Hole. I'll meet you there, but first I have to put little Terra here to bed."

The ratbabe had been very silent the whole time, gently snoozing against Song's neck and not paying the actions of the adults and mind. Janglur grinned and walked up to Song, hugging her briefly. "Fine with me daughter. Go on and put the little lass in with her brother, we'll wait for you."

Song smiled, nodding and turning to go towards the stairs with quick parting good-byes to the others. She did not miss, however, the quick darting look Rusvul gave her as she walked away. Or, more specifically, the look he gave Terra. She did not have to see it fully to know it had been a wary look at best, and a minor scowl at worst.

Janglur and the rest of her family had at first thought it more than a bit odd that Song had adopted the two ratbabes as her own. It hadn't taken more than a few weeks for them to embrace the idea, and Janglur often talked about his two 'grandchildren' with fondness, even finding Leon's antics as amusing more than anything else.

However had from day one appeared to harbor some sort of enmity towards Leon and Terra. He had never gone as far to openly speak it, but it showed that he thought that only trouble would come from two ratbabes being raised at the abbey. Dann for the most part manage to keep his father calm and as far as Song could tell nothing ever came of Rusvul's dislike for her two charges save for the occasional glower that she had just seen.

Still, it bothered Song. The elder Reguba was not the only one to share similar feelings of discomfort at the presence of the two young vermin inside Redwall. Sister Mayfield was just one other example. There were several other abbeydwellers who had voiced complaints, though most of those had been due to the twin's recent exploits than anything else. For the second time that day Song's thoughts strayed towards the way she had been raising the twins. Perhaps she was just a bit to lenient with them…

Opening the doorway into her room with that thought still hanging in her head like the remnants of a disturbing fog, she walked in. Thankfully Leon seemed to have actually listened to her and was fast asleep in his bed. Song wasted no time in taking Terra over to the washbasin near the window. She spent several minutes washing out the charcoal left over from the ratbabe's artistic play, and finishing that carefully placed Terra in the bed next to Leon's. The female ratbabe was much more complaint than her brother had been, but that was merely because she appeared to be genuinely tired. Terra's eyes closed halfway and she yawned, looking up as Song tucked the covers around her.

"You be a good girl and get some sleep now, okay?" said Song. Terra cooed again and her arms reached up, grasping. Song laughed lightly as she leaned down over the bed and gave the babe a quick hug. "Pleasant dreams." She whispered, and slowly rose. By the time Song reached the door Terra was asleep, and the Abbess of Redwall Abbey stood for a long moment by the door, looking at the two forms peacefully sleeping in identical small beds. Song was not really surprised when she saw, instead of two sleeping vermin, or even two sleeping ratbabes, she saw instead the sleeping forms of her son and daughter. With a content smile painting her features, she left the room. It was time to see just what news Dippler had brought to Redwall Abbey…