Authors note The computer has gone slightly wacko, so this might come a out as a load of random drabble. Sorry
DisclaimerAs ever, the world of Redwall is owned by Brian Jacques, the song that Ayila sings, however, is MINE. Yes, I actaully wrote a song!
Noonvalers
'See the roving river run
Over hill and dale
To a secret forest place
O my heart Noonvale
Look for me at dawning
When the sun's reborn
In the silent beauty
'Twixt the night and morn
Wait 'till the lark ascends
And skies are blue
There where the rainbow ends
I will meet you.'
The sweet sound of a beast singing cut through the silence of noontide in Mossflower woodland.
The singer was a young mousemaid, tall slim and beautiful; she was garbed in the rough clothing of a traveller cum warrior, as was evident by the sword resting on the ground beside her.
She was sitting at the foot of a tall elder and stirring a bubbling pot with a long stick. She hummed the tune of a song and gazed around at the silent woodlands.
"Boo! Guess who?"
A squirrel dropped down from the tree she was camped underneath, causing her to start and drop the stick into the pot, making the contents splatter all over her.
The squirrel was entirely black, from the end of her bushy tail to tip of her twitching nose. She could blend in perfectly with a dark night or could pass for a shadow on a summer's day.
"Ayila! What have I told you about surprising me like that! I was cooking the lunch, now it is ruined!"she chided,the squirrel did not seem to heed her friend, instead, she began to juggle with the cooking implements and broke into a impromptu song:
'Oh 'tis a delight to be a squirrel
High up, up so high!
We swing in the trees, do as we please
Though many may ask why
We seek to travel far from home
Swing up high do not toil
Through mud and leaf and twig and loam
Flowers, trees and soil
Laugh as we pass
Those weary creatures walking there
Though they are weary, we do not care
The trees laugh merrily as we pass them by,
Swinging up so high!'
The squirrel chuckled and leapt around her friend, turning somersaults and cartwheeling.
"Oh stop being such a worrywart Rosie! It's just a spot of really bad cooking spilt, nothing to worry about."
Dawnrose slumped at the foot of the tall tree, shaking with mirth.
"Stop it, you annoying squirrel." She giggled and when Ayila did not, she scooped a spoonful of the mixture up and sent it whizzing in the squirrel's direction. It hit her full in the face, causing her stop dead, before diving off into the woodland and plunging her head into the clear, bubbling water of the stream that they had camped next to. She raised her dripping head and stuck her tongue out.
"Bleh, I think I swallowed some of that."
Dawnrose whacked her lightly on the paw. "Oh come on, my cooking isn't as bad as that!" Ayila shook her head.
"You must have killed off all your taste buds mate, if you couldn't taste how bad it was!"
Rose rolled her eyes and then picked her way back to where they had left their packs. She packed hers up and pulled her rough, homespun green cloak back on. She was just securing her sword across her back, the way she always carried it, when Ayila came back. She bounded up the tree, jumped off the highest branch, turned a somersault in mid-air and pulled her pack on in one fluid motion. Rose shook her head at her friend's antics.
"Come on, we had best get moving, before it turns dark. There's a storm on the way, can't you feel it?" She shouldered her pack and they struck northwards, following the stream. They laughed and chattered, unaware of the eyes watching them from the shadows in the
depths of the dark trees.