Note: It is isn't completely true that don't use 'the strange matter of dialogue at various parts of this tale, it does pop up at various points whenever it feels like it. Go figure.

O O O

"A message sir?"

"No, no, not a message, not an ordinary message, a grand message of love. Apprentice, this is a highly important task and would normally not trust it to somebeast I have known for a period so short. I do trust you Ces."

"I am honored sir that you should trust me already. I am a foreigner and I do not deserve this..."

Duke waved aside the coming flattery and laid a hardy slap upon 'Ces's' back. Ces squeaked in an unusually high pitch. "Are you alright?".

"Yes, fine. Back's just strained from a matter most grave in a situation of the past that I do not wish to think on ever again."

"Perhaps I should take a look at..."

"No!" Ces squeaked at another unusually high pitch.

The Duke never halted to be confused by his new apprentice, and not only by the total vagueness that clouded around the chap. Ces was amazingly helpful so it really didn't matter but Duke couldn't help but wonder about him. The reason that Duke didn't bother to dig deeper is that every time he did it usually ended with Ces saying something about it being a traumatic experience from his past. It may have been suspicious if Duke had thought about it but at the moment he was distracted by his quest for the love of Olivia.

Even though Olivia was reported to have cut off relations from everyone.

"In your paws I place this humble and profound message of my love. I think that younger more sensitive heart could crack the barrier set around hers. Please Ces, as a fellow male squirrel, I beseech you to try your very best."

A horrible sharp rock of nervousness settled in Ces, actually Violet's, stomach.

O O O

"Fezz?"

"The one and only, the first and last of my kind, the original, the amazing, the valiant, the wonderful Fezz the Jester," the mouse exclaimed, bowing to the haremaid who had opened the Abbey door to him.

"Olivia has longed for your presence and good cheer. I know how the death affected your heart and humor, to have a beast as yourself disappear at such a time causes worry and turmoil on you behalf you rascal. We thought a vermin band caught you, wot?" The hare bopped the mouse between the ears, just hard enough to make her point.

"Vermin band? Posh, my fair lady. My skills of weaponry would not let their paws grasp me."

Laughing greeted this suggestion, "More likely your ever flapping tongue of wry wit. Or should I say, half wit."

"You cruel but beautiful maid, its been too long." The mouse took this opportunity to kiss the hare's paw.

"Fezz, you're back!"

"What about my back?" the mouse exclaimed in mock horror, spinning in a circle to see what could be behind him.

Olivia, donned in the black cloths of mourning, ran up and embraced the mouse. "You fool of fools, how dare you abandon me in a time of need. My heart ached and I needed your cheer. Where have you been?"

"Alas, fair maiden, in places I cannot let your perfect ears to hear."

"Most likely he lost his way between a joke and punch line and has been lost wandering to find it," a sour voice cut in, coming from a black squirrel making an equally sour face at the mouse.

Unfretted, the mouse waved insolently at the squirrel. "Long time no see ol' Mollo."

"Brother Molvo to you, fool. I cannot say your return is a pleasure."

"Someone woke on the wrong side of the bed, wot?" Maria whispered under her breath, "Unfortunately he bally well does that everyday."

"Should try sleeping on the floor then," Fezz whispered back.

"I hear you," Molvo announced.

"Please you two, stop your jest of Molvo." Olivia had good reason to speak up for the sometimes-rough squirrel. The fact that he raised her as a child was something she always would remember and respect, though even she couldn't help but smile at Molvo's growing discontent.

"I don't think we should even accept you back into this Abbey, making us leave you for dead," Molvo spat, "You are a worthless mouse who cares nothing of other beast's feelings." The shadows of the archway leading into Redwall gave Molvo an extra sinister appearance.

"You trod on my honor as a fool. I may be fool to leave but I'm also a wise fool for what I have discovered in my journeys. I tell you fair Olivia, why do you still mourn?"

The question caught the squirrelmaid off guard, and her somberness returned, "Fezz, you know, for my brother."

"I think he must have departed past Hellsgates."

Olivia gasped, "How dare you say things of such nature?"

"You are a fool," Molvo stated.

"Ah, you say I'm the fool despite what you miss that makes you the fools. I'm the wisest fool of all, for why would you mourn unless your brother were doomed to Hellgates? Would not you be happy of his dwellings in the Dark Forest? What mournings are needed for his everlasting mornings of beauty in afterlife."

"Sounds like a wise fool to me," Maria piped in, wagging her ears in amusement.

Molvo grumbled something unintelligible and stalked away.

"Oh Fezz, you really must halt your mocking of poor Molvo."

"Possibly though as a fool I have an obligation to try to sweeten the sourpusses, even if they may be soursquirrees. Now, if your friend Maria would accompany me to the kitchens, my stomach would be forever in her debt if she coxed Friar Shy to volunteer vittles to my maw."

"A challenge I shall take for you, though I would bet he will be more likely to shave a pound of flesh off you for stew then give a glutton as you a crumb before lunch, wot, wot."

The hare and mouse duo departed in the direction of the main Abbey building as Olivia looked on, shaking her head at the antics of Fezz. His comment also brought back the memory of her brother and she found her smile fading to a frown, a tear tricking down her cheek.

"Is anyone there?"

She used her tail brush to wipe the tear away and turned toward the voice. A head peaked in through the opening between the Abbey's huge doors.

"Excuse me, I have a message from the honorable Duke..."

Duke, the name changed Olivia's mood from sad to annoyance. That squirrel would not let up and leave her alone. It was bad enough that Andrew was still pining for her here in the Abbey in his dimwitted matter, but to have a suitor that would barely show his face...

"What is it?" she brashly responded.

"Are you Olivia?" the unknown squirrel asked in a timid matter.

"I..." Olivia stopped herself from answering. Why should she bother revealing herself to this messenger and give Duke the satisfaction of a direct message. "I'm her very good friend, could I take a message?"

"I'm sorry good lady. I cannot tell you, I have specific orders," the squirrel said, cautiously stepping past the door, showing his professional attire of a vest, shirt and belt adorned with a brass buckle. A primitive scabbard hung from the belt and a sword of some sort was pushed into it. Olivia couldn't help be intrigued by the messenger boy, a unfamiliar beast in her eyes.

"Come, come, spit it out. It makes no difference of the source of the note."

A piece of paper crumpled and uncrumpled in the squirrel messenger's grasp, "I guess so..." he started, unsure, "Duke would like to proclaim his love to you in the following way. 'My heart pines you on every waking moment, it seeks you on every breath, it wonders at your beauty, it sings for your perfect voice...'

"It sounds as if he's stalking."

"...your steps take you on clouds and your flawless face brings creatures to their knees..."

"Please, I will hear no more of this nonsense, it is all worthless drabble."

Ces's mind spun as she realized the Duke's words of passion were unsuitable and clunky. She couldn't let this message be disregarded and bring back bad news to Duke. What could she do?

"Please m'am, listen, his love is never-ending, his heart pains for you and he groans for the thought of life without Olivia."

"And yet, if this love truly is in his heart, he does come himself to proclaim it, he does not even know my heart, I am just a beauty in face when he does not even wonder of the beauty of heart. I cannot say that I love just a beast when he has the tongues of others speak for him of the sacred thoughts of love."

It finally dawned that this was Olivia, his target.

Olivia continued, "Do you even know what that means? Love? I would be pleased to hear what you would do for hunt of that petty word."

The image of Duke's face floated into the mind of Violet, a face that she could honestly say she thought of the most. Only a few days in his presence and she had fallen for his roguish handsome features and flawed, yet likable, nature. She could not reveal these things as Ces. What she would do to receive this love was simple.

"If I were to seek the love of my heart, I would not chance anything. I would camp on their doorstep, sing the songs of sweetness to their ears from dawn to dusk, I would call their name, I would bring the finest of nuts I would give everything of myself to get him...I mean, her, you whoever my love would seek. Love is the greatest of the fruits in this world." She held her breath, worried that Olivia had caught onto her game from that slip of the tongue.

That Ces was anything besides the boyishly handsome squirrel that stood before her never crossed Olivia's mind. A new light lit in the squirrelmaid's eyes as she took a brand new opinion of this mysterious messenger. A tingle of pleasure ran down her spine right to the tip of her tail and her voice softened, "May I inquire your title and parsonage?"

Ces politely bowed. "Oh yes, Ces, of a the Southern shores, son of a famed merchant, newly arrived on the shore of Mossflower, currently in the apprenticeship of Duke."

The sadness of her brother's death fleeted from her as she smiled warmly at Ces, "Still I cannot accept Duke's proclamation, but please, would you consider to stay, the lunchtide approaches and you must have had a long morning trek and now have a need of a replenished stomach from our famed Abbey dishes."

"I'm sorry good lady, I would partake of the meal, but I must return to Duke to bare this news to him." The squirrel stepped towards the door. Olivia caught him by the arm.

"Even in my refusal, I hope you will consider a return to the Abbey."

"I know not of my future treks. I cannot promise." Ces tried to pry the grip from his arm, not paying attention to the odd tone in the addressing voice.

"Thanks you for the pains you took in bringing this message. I hope this is not the last time we meet."

"Good day, my lady."

Ces had finally wrenched the grip off his arm and promptly jogged out the Abbey doors.

Hugging herself, Olivia let the waves of emotion flow over her in its warm currents of pureness and joy, the magic of the mystery called love. She spun and danced, out of the entrance arch, out into the sunlight of the spring day that flowed onto the Abbey grounds.

"Are you alright Olivia?" Maria cut into her bliss, walking towards the lovestruck Olivia. "Have you been out in the sun too long, wot?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful Maria, wonderful. Oh, I have a favor to ask, a squirrel arrived to deliver a message and I think he left a certain bracelet behind." As she said this, she slipped one of her own bracelets off behind her back. She handed it to Maria, "I know you are the speediest of the Abbey my friend, could you return this to him, I think he went upon the western road, towards Duke's dwellings."

"Sure thing, my ol' legs could catch him in a good five leaps I bet. I shall do this task forthwith. Are you sure you're okay though?"

"I'm perfect, just perfect." She closed her eyes and imagined the face of Ces once more.