Shawn almost choked on the apple he had been eating. Sadie quickly realised her mistake."I mean up in my room. I have a few spare pillows and blankets up there."
"Oh ok," Shawn weezed,"but what about Derek."
Sadie looked over Shawn's shoulder to for Derek. She saw him liplocked with Caren, a pretty young volemaid."I don't think he'll have much trouble finding a bed." she said with a grin.
"Well that just leaves Barial," said Shawn.
"I have an idea," said Sadie. She walked over to another young volemaid. She whispered something in her ear and the voles jaw dropped.
"Oh I'll go give him a right what for," said the volemaid, storming off.
"What did you say," said Shawn as Sadie walked back.
"Oh nothing," Sadie smiled. She grabbed his paw and led him upstairs. Agian he wished the halls of Redwall were longer so he could hold her paw longer.
As they entered her room she began setting up a bed on the floor for him. He calmly curled up on the floor and fell asleep.
Shawn awoke a few hours later. Sadie was tossing and turning in her bed. She was muttering something. He walked over to her and listened closely. "No, Mom! Get up! Don't leave me! No!"
Shawn began to stroke the side of her face. "Shhh," he whispered,"It's okay. It's just a nightmare."
Sadie's eyes fluttered open."No. It wasn't." she said as she sat up,"It was a memory."
"Huh?"
"A few seasons ago," she explained as Shawn sat down next to her, "before I came to the abbey, I lived in a small village just north of here. We were poor, but happy. That is, until the wolves came. As they walked through the village, my brother went forth to greet them. But as he aproached them, thier leader, King Robert, pulled out his saber and decapitated him."
Shawn stared. "That's horrible."
"That's not all," she continued."They moved through the village burning down homes and slaying the residents. My father was killed trying to buy mom some time. But the wolves were to fast." She paused and Shawn saw tears in her eyes. "They caught up with us and brought my mom down with arrows, but I escaped. I travelled south, heading to the abbey I had heard about as a kit." she broke down and began sobbing uncontrollably.
Shawn reached out and put his arm around her. He held her close as she nuzzled his chest. She looked up at him. He smiled down at her and she smiled back. His head moved forward and when she didn't resist, he kissed her. Shawn was unsure if it lasted two seconds or two hours. All he was sure of is that, however long it lasted, he wished it had lasted longer. When the kiss had ended, she layed back, pulling him down with her. She then set her head back on his chest and fell asleep. Damn, he thought, for a second there I thought I was gonna get lucky, oh well. He stroked her head gently before joining her in slumber.
Shawn awoke an hour before dawn. He carefully untangled himself from her grasp. He then slipped out of the door and ran down the hall.
Sadie opened one eye. After making sure he had gone she leaped from her bed and followed him out the door.
Shawn got lost many times trying to find a way out of the abbey. When he finally found his way to the front gate the sun was rising.
"Took you long enough," said Derek as Shawn aproached him.
"Ah. Screw you." Shawn said grinning,"So when are we leaving."
"Now, I guess," said Derek,"but maybe we should leave them a note or something."
"Nah," said Shawn,"If anybody finds out they'll try to stop us."
"Shawn," came a voice from behind them. The friends turned to see Sadie walking toward them,"Shawn where are you going."
"Oh, nowhere." Shawn lied.
"Come on please."
"You're not gonna stop asking me until I tell you, are you."
"Nope," she smiled.
"Fine," Shawn told her of the strange toad and the map he had been given.
"Oh," she said, suddenly very serious,"Well if you must go I have something for you,"she ran back to the abbey building.
She returned a few minutes later, holding something wrapped in cloth. She unwrapped the object, revealing it to be the most magnificant sword Shawn had ever."This," she said, "is the sword of Martin The Worrior." she handed it to him along with a sheath." consider it a parting gift." As Shawn took the blade he began to wonder if he would ever see the pretty squirrelmaid again.
Sadie followed them out the gate. She stood, staring at Shawn for a minute, before launching into song:
"Oh Shawny boy the pipes, the pipes are calling From glen to glen, and down the mountain side The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying 'tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come you back when summer's in the meadow Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow 'tis I'll be there in sunshine or in shadow Oh Shawny boy, oh Shawny boy I love you so.
And If you come, when all the flowers are dying And I am dead, as dead I well may be You'll come and find the place where I am lying And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.
And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me I simply sleep in peace until you come to me."
As the friends marched on, Derek looked over his shoulder to see Sadie turn and enter the gates."Your girlfriend's sure got a nice ass on her," he said with a chuckle. Shawn kicked him hard on the bottom. "What was that for," Derek said, rubbing his backside furiously.
"Your not supposed to talk about ladies that way. Not that it matters. I'll probably never see her again."
"You really like this girl, don't you," said Derek. Shawn nodded. "Well don't worry. I'll make sure you see her again someday. That's a promise."
"Thanks, Derek." Shawn smiled, "I always knew I could count on you."
Derek quickly changed the subject."You'll never guess who I woke up next to."
"Barial," said Shawn.
"No," said Derek,"I'm not really sure what her name was. But she was pretty so I don't really care."
"Do you remember anything from last night."
"Not really, no. Wine tends to mess with your memory a little."
"Sometimes I worry about you Derek."
The two companions continued chatting, unaware of the dangers ahead.
A.n: Okay I know Shawny Boy is really Danny Boy. I also know that Danny Boy is an irish folksong and this takes place in england. So I'm just gonna say that Sadie heard it from some old sea otter that came to Redwall one winter. Ok.