Thunder began to rumble in the dark clouds above, and rain began to pour vigorously just as Bryony and Togget made it to the edge of the pine grove they sought for shelter that morning. Neither had expected such a tumult to drop down upon them from the calm look of the sky just a few hours before, but the downpour was there all the same. In a matter of minutes, the both of them were completely soaked from head to toe even as they pushed deeper into the dimly lit forest for any kind of coverage from the relentless rain. Bryony wiped her face and looked back at her poor mole companion trudging a short ways behind her, huffing miserably as he kept on. She knew he, like any mole, wasn't a fan of the rain, and she couldn't bring herself to force him on in such conditions, even if Veil could be just a short distance ahead. With a resigned sigh, she slowed her pace and turned to a large, old pine just ahead. It wasn't much, but the aged tree rested upon a small rise in the ground and leaned a bit to one side, offering as best a respite from the deluge that they could hope to find in that moment.
"Let's rest here, Togget!" the mousemaid called to him with a wave of her paw over the din of the storm.
The mole stumbled over to the tree and plopped down with a deep groan between a pair of gnarled roots that broke the surface.
"Hurr, oi doan't loik ee rain one bit," he grumbled, wrinkling his velvety nose.
"I know," Bryony said as she tucked in beside him, frowning up at the sky as the raindrops fell heavy on her face. "We can't hope to catch up or even keep on Veil's trail in this weather anyhow, so we might as well just stay here until things clear up."
With nothing else for either of them to say, they kept silent, nestled together in the crook of the pine's roots as the storm raged on.
Had it not been for the veil of falling rain that obscured their vision and dampened any other noise in the dense pine grove, the two Redwallers might've heard the curses of the foxes Renn and Brool where they lay not all that far off from their own shelter. The villainous duo grumbled as they tried in vain to keep the fire ablaze in the downpour with what little twigs they had left.
"Argh!" Renn growled as he pulled a blanket tighter around his shoulders in a futile attempt to stay dry. "We're goin' to get soaked to bone out 'ere! Probl'y catch our deaths."
"These lousy pines are awful cover, that's for true." Brool added with a sniffle as he tossed the last pinecone onto the pitiful fire, snarling as it proved too wet to do any more than raise a plume of smoke. "Some fire 'e made, eh? Not fit for anybeast, I tell yer, let alone a warlord's son, heh heh!"
"Ain't no use making fun o' the ferret, Brool," Renn chimed in with what little sadistic cheer he could manage. "What's-his-name's out on his feet."
Brool looked over and saw he was indeed. It had been about a day since they intruded upon Veil's campsite and waylaid him, stringing him up and gagging him before they ransacked his already ill-gotten supplies. With his paws tied tightly to a bough above his head and his footpaws barely touching the ground, Veil had struggled fiercely at his restraints for hours, his curses muffled by the binding cloth in his mouth as hot furious tears slipped down his face. Eventually, though his anger continued to burn within him and his bindings ached him greatly, exhaustion overcame him all the same, and he had passed out some time before the cloudy dawn. The ferret outcast remained unconscious in a slumped standing position, totally unaware of the storm about him.
"Hmph. At least 'is majesty is none to bothered by this blasted rain." Brool said with a snort.
Not a second after he finished, a strong gust of wind blew among them and put out the last bit of fire, leaving only a small, smoldering pile of sticks between them. Brool shot up snarling, grabbing up the remainder of Veil's supplies and pulling his cloak tight as he started to stalk off.
"That's it!" he said, fuming. "I'm gettin' outta 'ere to find some real shelter. 'Op to it, Renn!"
The other fox was up and behind him soon. He motioned with a claw at the bound ferret they left behind in the campsite.
"What is we gonna do about 'im?"
"Not a thing! Let 'im rot for all I care, heh heh!"
The wretched foxes cackled hoarsely and set off, leaving Veil all alone under the dark, swaying pines and the never-ending rain.
The hours passed, but the storm showed little sign of slacking, the black towering clouds rolling ever overhead and the rain beating down on Veil even as the day fell into night. Veil was oblivious to it all, however, as he still remained unconscious in spite of everything, squirming weakly here and there, mumbling incoherently under his shallow breath. His painful restraints, the chilling rain, the whipping wind, hunger, thirst, and his own frantic mind left Veil in a feverish condition, growing weaker by the hour, yet all the while, his mind wandered.
His dreams were filled with visions of Redwall and everyone there he had known, each scene flittering from one to next like fallen leaves on the autumn wind. He saw himself as just a babe, crawling across the floor of the great hall, gnawing at a table leg, climbing the tapestry of Martin the Warrior as Redwallers hurried to pull him down. Then he found himself a crafty Dibbun, stealing innumerable items from whoever and wherever, laughing in his victories and raging and weeping when he had been found out. These visions melted into vignettes of his near-grown life as his mischief grew crueler, filching from Dibbuns, tripping Redwallers unawares, crushing and tearing the flowers in the gardens just cause he could, and much more. The events of the near past came most frequently to him, showing him everything of his failed poisoning attempt, his capture, and finally his banishment, showing him the angered, accusing faces of each and every Redwaller in perfect detail as he was cast out. The memories swirled in his head like a dark, dismal whirlpool, dragging him down in a sea of rage, hate, and agony. His own thoughts failed him, leaving him mute in his own mind as his fevered emotions swallowed him whole. Even the pictures flickering in his mind's eye grew dim, details fading away one by one as only his fractured anguish remained in the face of all he had done and was done to him.
Then, for the first time in all the hours of his tortuous dreams, he saw Bryony. Slowly at first, another image of her came to him, and then another and another. Soon a cascade of the mousemaid swirled around him, light, color and sound returning to his dream once more. He began to see full memories as he had before, imagining himself at all points of his life again, but now he could see her always with him, always right behind him, at his side, cradling him in her arms. No matter where his memory placed him, no matter what he had done then, he could look over and see her smiling face, her caring gaze upon him. Her voice rang loud throughout his recall: calling him inside for supper, admonishing him for some mischief, defending him for something her surely did, singing him a soft, soothing lullaby. He could even feel her warm, gentle touch, so real it seemed just like the waking world. All his memories of her danced in his head, washing clear all the anger and pain from his heart like the rain that doused him under the stormy sky. Veil ceased his struggles against his bondage, not from despair or hopelessness, but from a calm within he hadn't felt in a very long time. He was silent as well, save for the occasional whisper of her name, his voice drowned out by the deluge around him, though he cared not as he dreamt along, a small smile plain on his downcast face; it was enough to be with her in his mind.
After a sullen, sleepless night of chilling rain and wind, the dawning sun broke through the clouds to light upon the pair of Redwallers. The rain finally began to taper off at that very moment as if on cue, giving them something to be happy for the first time in many long hours. Bryony shuffled out from between her husky mole companion and the pine and jumped onto her footpaws, looking on the early morning sun with a grateful smile.
"Look, Togget!" she exclaimed, wringing the moisture out of her habit as she spoke. "The sun's come out to greet us and warm up our bones."
"Boi hurr, we's goin' to need lots a' sunloight to droi we out," he responded while he got up and sloshed over to the mousemaid.
"You're definitely right," Bryony said with a giggle as he noisily joined her side. "But we need to head on all the same. Veil may not have stopped in this rain, we may have to make up the distance he's gained on us if we ever hope to catch him."
Togget shook his little black head as he turned and went to grab their supplies. Bryony sighed quietly, watching him go. She knew her companion didn't care much for Veil or think him any good whatsoever and only made the journey out of his friendship and worry for her.
At least he's here for me, she thought, tightening her paw into a fist. I'll be there for Veil, and that's all that matters.
Seeing Togget had gathered their things, Bryony took her share and set off in their original southwesterly direction, the sun warming their backs as they moved out.
The way ahead was sodden beneath the fallen pine needles, their footpaws sinking in and letting out a juicy squelch with each step. The sound was the only to be heard amongst the tall pines. Not a word was shared between the pair, both steeling themselves for a long day's march to wherever their path might lead. With nothing else to hear, the squelching soon dominated their thoughts. It gave Bryony a start when she heard a faint whisper just above their noisy steps. She came to a stop instantly, and Togget, noticing this, nearly toppled over into his face where stopped just as suddenly. Her companion began to question her, but she raised her paw to him, listening intently for any trace of sound and scarcely breathing. Nothing. And then, another thin whispering susurration.
Bryony started towards the sound slowly, thinking it so quiet that she might've just imagined it. Again she waited, moving her footpaws without so much as a squeak. She reached a nearby pine, placed her paw on the tree, and closed her eyes, straining her twitching ears as hard as she could. The seconds came and went in what felt like hours, and she was just about to let out a sigh when she heard it once more, a scarcely audible utterance carried on the breeze to where she stood by some chance of fate.
"Bryony . . ."
Togget was still righting himself when the mousemaid suddenly gave out a high-pitched choking sound and took off without warning. Bewildered and completely unaware of what she heard, Togget began to race after her as best he could, stumbling and slipping all the way. Bryony didn't do any better as she ran ahead, tripping more than a few times on the knotted roots, her paws soon caked in mud. Breathing fast and hard, she powered on, ignoring the muck weighing her down and the burning in her limbs. All she could hear was Veil's weak, faded voice echoing in her mind, calling out to her without end. She forced herself to go faster despite the pain; she had to find him.
The clearing where he was restrained hadn't been all that far ahead, and she slowed down just a bit as she saw the small hollow where the trees began to thin. The moment she saw from a distance just a flash of his unmistakable white and brown fur, she sped up again, making directly for him.
"Veil!" she cried out to him repeatedly even as she ran breathlessly to him. "I'm here, Veil!"
Her heart nearly stopped when she reached his side and got a good look at her poor Veil. For a moment, she stood there stunned, her paws clasped over her mouth, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Veil was filthy, drenched from head to tail in mud and grime and clearly hurt by his ordeal, a bump visible on his furry head and his wrists painfully bound above his head. He was slumped over and facing downwards, mumbling incoherently with the fallen gag having slipped from him sometime in the night to the ground.
"Oh Veil, what's happened to you?" Bryony cried out to him as she recovered from her shock. She shot back to the edge of the clearing and waved and jumped to get Togget's attention as he lagged behind. "Togget, please hurry! Veil's hurt!"
She turned back to Veil and stood on the tips of her footpaws to unbind his wrists. Togget rolled down into the clearing with a heavy gasp, exhausted by the run, but he managed to pick himself up and shuffle over to them.
"Uh, there!" Bryony said with a grunt as she worked the knot out of Veil's restraints "Help him down gently, Togget. Lean him up against the tree."
Togget did what she said and sat the ferret up against the very pine he had been bound to. Bryony kneeled beside him and lifted his head in her paws; his lids were closed, his breathing shallow and labored.
"V-Veil, wake up!" Bryony pleaded with him, her paws shaking and tears finally spilling down her face. "Oh, please wake up!"
An agonizing silence followed. The cheerful din of morning had disappeared, leaving the three all alone in quiet despair. At last, Bryony hung her head and closed her eyes, weeping freely as she realized she had lost him.
"My poor, sweet Veil . . ."
As if her words finally reached Veil through his slumber, his head in her paws stirred ever-so-slightly. Bryony turned her head up in an instant and searched his face, barely breathing.
"V-veil?" she said in a whisper, scarcely believing the movement to be real.
Another painfully long wait passed, and then he shuffled his head a little bit more, and suddenly spoke in a gravely, hoarse whisper of his own:
"Bryony . . ."
The mousemaid gasped and then laughed, her face still freshly stained from her tears.
"Veil, you're alive!" she was able to spit out after her uncontrollable elation. "Oh, thank goodness. Come on, Veil, wake up! I know you're in there!"
Bryony shook his head gently and continued to call out to him while Togget started to shake his shoulders, offering his own words of encouragement.
"Wake ee upp, maister Veil, afor we 'ave to doomp a bucket o' water on ee 'ead."
Their efforts proved not in vain. Veil's mutterings came more often, grew louder, and he himself started to toss and turn as they prodded him ceaselessly. With a final shudder and aching groan, Veil lifted his head up and leaned back against the pine, cracking his bloodshot eyes open as if it pained him to do so.
"Ugh, my head," he uttered lowly, closing his eyes again as he put his paw to his head. He began to rub his wrists right after, trying to bring some feeling back into them while his eyes wandered. They fell first onto the dark, chubby mole at his side.
"W-what are you doin' here, huh?" he asked accusingly between heavy breaths, narrowing his eyes. "Spyin' on me for the rotten Abbey, I s'pose. Ah, guess it wasn't enough to throw me out of yer, ugh, precious Redwall, you gotta harass me too, eh?"
Togget hummed deeply and pointed a claw at the ferret, ready to tell him what-for when Bryony cut in and took Veil's head in her paws again.
"That's not true, Veil!" she said, her voice raised and her eyes wide with fear he might run away or start a fight. "We came to find you and take you back! We care about you!"
Her words only served to stir the smoldering resentment inside Veil, all of the anger and insecurity in the outcast. He started to yank his head from her grasp, opening his mouth to yell at her, but then he looked on her face for the first time since he had awoken. He froze instantly, his mouth still agape as he gazed upon her. All at once, the dreams flooded anew in his mind, the hours and hours of visions passing through him in a matter of seconds, every image of the mousemaid before him. All the rage and hate inside was washed away and replaced with some overwhelming emotion he couldn't even begin to understand in that moment. Bryony remained just as still as him, taken aback by the sudden reaction.
"Are you okay, Veil?" she whispered, careful not to upset him further.
Veil continued to stare at her, completely unmoving, not even seeming to breathe. Then, he started to shake, his gaze never faltering as tears began to run down his dirt-stained face. Without a word, Bryony knelt down and hugged him tight, pressing her cheek against his own and gently rubbing his back. The ferret closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the smaller mouse, hugging her for the first time in his life, sobbing silently.
"Shh, it's alright, it's alright," Bryony cooed softly, stroking the damp, matted fur on his head easily. "You're safe with us now, Veil. We're going to get you fixed up, we'll head back and make a life for ourselves, just you and I. Everything's going to be okay."