In truth, there was a feast waiting, but before that was the rest of the Redwallers, with Napole at the front, clearly visible. The old mouse knew what to do. Martin had told him.

Eventually, chatter started to float up the road. Napole shaded his eyes with a paw to get a clearer view, and saw the Javelin's crew and the delegation that Skipper had led out coming up the road, all talking animatedly. The group slowly came to a stop when they saw the group at the gate. After a long moment of silence, Lucar walked forward alone. He knelt, drawing his sword and holding it out in his paws to Napole. "I am sorry that I ran away, Father. I won't do it again."

Napole sighed. "Though I know that you went to prove yourself, Lucar, I also know that the reason that you left was because of your father's wandering spirit. You inherited it from him, and thus you should feel a need to adventure. There is no reason to apologize." He placed his paws on Lucar's shoulders. "We are merely glad that you are home again."

Lucar smiled, and sheathed the sword. Napole looked over him at Ryon, standing beside Skipper and looking very uncomfortable. Napole smiled and beckoned with his paw. "Come here, my friend. I would like to speak to you."

Ryon obediently walked forward, and stopped before the Abbot. He could not help noticing that he was half a head taller than the mouse. He knelt slightly so that he and Napole saw eye to eye. The old mouse was smiling still. "What is your name, my young friend?"

"Ryon Oakleaf, sir. Captain of the Javelin."

Napole nodded. "Yes, of course. I was told to look for you. You are fully welcome to anything we have here at Redwall."

The crew's cheers drowned out any words of thanks.

That night, Javelin crewmembers sat cheek by jowl with Redwallers. Breads, cheeses, pasties, trifles, turnovers, drinks and foods were stacked from end to end, and the tables groaned and more than once threatened to collapse. Early in the meal, Ryon left the table and was not seen for a while. Lucar and Birchleaf went to search for him.

They found him on a rock by the pond, staring at the moon's reflection on the water. He was tossing stones into it, watching the ripples. He did not say anything when his friends walked up to him. Then he sighed and looked at them, his bright green eyes seeming to bore into them. "I know that you've both lost parents, as have I." He tossed another rock. "Silver never remembered his parents either." The he looked back at them. "But now I know that neither of you have lost a friend as dear to me as Silver was."

Lucar swallowed. "I think that wherever he is now, he'd be disappointed."

The eyes locked with Lucar's own. "How so?"

Birchleaf sat down beside him. "He died for a good cause, Ryon. So that countless other creatures could be free. He would want you to enjoy this night."

The squirrel captain was silent for what seemed like an eternity. Then he smiled gently. "I think you're both right."

After a time, they rejoined the feast, eating and joking with others. The feast dragged on well into the night, and ended for a time with the attendants sleeping outside. It was still late summer, though the leaves were beginning to turn a shade of red and the air was warm and still. Ryon slept in a tree, his brush hanging over the branch and twitching gently. He dreamed of Silver, and for one night at least, the two friends were together again.

Aw... R and R! Posting as fast as possible to get around to the Pokemon story!