Chapter 8: Year of the Silent Butterflies
An abbeybeast was writing away on a piece of paper, frustrated as he wrote down more and more. He stopped, thought, and then went back to writing again. His desk is a mixture of all manner of scrawled papers, dried ink, and crumbs from an evening meal. The squirrel Curlor Vonbrok is a scribe of the abbey, raised and trained in all manner of history and note taking, but alone in the library of Redwall, he was angrily trying to put his words to paper. He began writing again.
In the evening summer he stopped, and instinctively crossed it out. "Damn it." He mumbled "Evening summer. What am I thinking?"
"Wut ur yu thinkun?" A voice called from the doorway to the library. Curlor turned, seeing a young mole maid in a abbey's habit walking with a plate of food to him. She came over and gave the squirrel a small salad with his favorite nuts and creamy sauce. "Thank you, Lusma."
Lusma. Lusma Rocklore, daughter and one of the few survivors of the mole colony extinguished by Gandal long ago. Lusma was dropped off at a young age at the abbey, with her father going out into the south for a reason unknown to her. She had been curious of history, and began coming more often to the library. Curlor was a common sight, the squirrel very much frustrated with his words. She helped herself onto a small stool and was quick to notice why he was frustrated.
"Oi, yu shuld use ol' Rullo's recurds fur inspuration! Yu'ld like hus sturt, but I prufur he dudn't use so fuw descriuptions."
Curlor thought about it, and seeing there were no real other options, and curious to known what Lusma meant. He got up and brought over a dusty old tome, the records of Rollo, Recorder of Redwall. He looked through it, and he looked on impressed. Lusma was right, he really did like his beginnings.
"Lusma, how did you-"
"Ooouuhhhhhh, yu knuw, I uz been lukin fer infurmatuon on moles an' uthers. I'z aluwys am interusted in tales an' yore. Been readun abut all dey uld sturies of the beusties of Rudwall, der adventures, de battles. Me pa use tu reud me sturies of cave ins an' treusure. Yet, Rudwall be filled wit tales of war un' feastun. Do we liv'en sum path of every varment in ulm' der wurld?"
Curlor sighed and noted "No, we are one of many abbeys in the world. Although, we do live on the border to the northern highlands, where vermin thrive in. Every once in awhile, from the seas or elsewhere, the vermin come in droves. Why they come here and siege our lands differs. If you read Matthias's accounts and records, which I sure you have. . ."
"Aye!"
The squirrel wasn't surprised and returned his attention to his scroll. He was now more motivated. "Then you should know, my dear mole, that we are peaceful beasts, but we must defend ourselves from the cruelty and dark whims of the vermin. Why they come to harm and bully us may vary, but it's all the same. We have food, big walls, and a beautiful place we call home. They just want to steal away what they cannot make." Lusma chewed on her own snack, and picked up a nearby book as Curlor began to write.
Today starts the late summer of the Year of the Silent Butterflies. We have just finished up the Festival of the Evening Harvest and much fun and food was had. Our cook, and hero of redwall Kalma, had cooked us up a fine feast for the festivities. Our abbot Marthomis made a dedicated prayer, for our festival would have even made our missing guardian blush and weep for those lost in Kasg the Craven's war. Long has that vermin slumbered in the dirt, and all of Mossflower is glad that we will never see such evil in our time. It has been a fairly silent year for the abbey, as our recent festivities saw the return of our friendly Companions. Hesam's songs of harvest and adventure filled our ears with soothing sound, and our dibbums continue to cause all manner of troubles for our dear Stenna, our badger mother. Today is the day we put away the festival grounds and begin a bright new collection of our stock, for all the abbey gets ready for the coming winter. Curlor stopped right there, not knowing more to say. The year had truly been silent and uneventful, at least by Redwall standards. The squirrel looked out the window, looking into the grounds below, as Redwall began to recover from its festivities.
The Mossflower Holt was up and about, having rested in the abbey itself in cotton blankets, laying atop of tables, and resting comfortably with their pups. The entire Holt was awoken far after the abbeybeasts were up and about, most sleepily trying to find new places to go to bed in. Kalma had to shoo away a large herd of otter children from the pantry, trying to get at the salted fish for the early breakfast. The Otter Holt wouldn't stay long, at least by their standards, having moved in for the week to mostly help pack up their things and then return to the River Moss. Pelma and her brother Kasser were fast asleep in a guest room, when their father and skipper of the holt Dakan practically bursted in, humming an old otter tune of awakening.
"Rise an' shine, rascals! You two are once again late as ever to breakfast!" Kasser groggily stood up and shook himself up, but Pelma instead gave mocking snore. Dakan came over and tempted her with a candied nut he had in his paw. Pelma began to rise to the food and smiled "Ya know full well that is cheating, pa!"
The two otters were at attention as Dakan gave them a light hug and kiss "Mornin you two! Come down an' join the rest of us. The cook has something special for the lot of us, you know!"
"Aye, I know, but I am still pretty sleepy pa. Maybe wake us up when winter be startin?" Kasser yawned, but his father was already rushing him out "Ya won't be making me starve while you lot still be up here, snorin' and dreaming of vittles already being prepared! Besides, ya two aren't getting out of work that easy!" Pelma followed her father as he and his son were walking down into the Great Hall. Pelma was nearly blinded as they entered, with many of the abbey beasts and shrews seated at the table, with others having to pull up new tables and chairs just to eat. There was a lot of discussion going on, making abbot Marthomis fumble his words simply trying to answer it all.
"So when do we start tearing down the flower chains from the pillars? I was thinking of storing them for next year in the attic."
"No no, brother Tulch. They will rot away in the attic, we will dispose of them like last year."
"Abbot, I think we got a lot of leftovers still, shall we send them to the communities up north?"
"Oh. I suppose we could, but we would have to organ-"
"Abbot! This stew be delicious! Me shrews would love to know the recipe!"
"Well yes, I would love to. You can ask our li-"
"Abbot, I must speak to you about the organization of the alcohol of last night. I am starting to think some of the young ones got their paws on it."
"Oh, most dreadful, I wi-"
The abbot was continued to be bombarded with questions and comments, being unable to even speak let alone answer. Dakan noticed and only made a shrewd comment to the abbot in private "Me and me otters will start helpin pack up the festival, yer abbeybeasts can join when you get done here, alright?"
The abbot only nodded. Dakan and his tribe collected their meal and began to move outside, as Pelma and Kasser were stopped by Kalma.
"Oh? You two be helping? I need some help in the kitchens! Your young un's are going to tear me poor kitchen apart!" Kalma was in a half panic, as a pack of young otters were already running past them with a trail of anxious and energetic dibbums behind them. Stenna was quick to notice and run after them, only able to pick a handful into her paws, the youngsters giggling as they played. Stenna was growing more frustrated with them, but could never stay mad at them. Kasser could only give a hearty laugh and motioned to his sister "Lets go help collect ourselves a crew, eh? We can lead em' out to help the skipper."
"Lead the way, Oh captain." Pelma gave a mocking bow, and began to race to the kitchens.
_
Pelma and her brother entered Redwall's kitchens, most of it occupied by a vicious and fearsome group of dibbums and otters pups who had brought a small army to pillage and loot it. Pelam couldn't help but chuckle. Mossflower's Otters were flourishing, and nothing was more wholesome in the otter maiden's heart then to see a new generation hard at work building a small fort in the corner of the kitchen made up of pots, pans, and food scraps, joined in by a smaller group of dibbums. Had they known better, knowing that their new found friends would bring them into deep trouble with the badger mother, they would have scattered. Pelma whirled around and caught two of the younger pups, recogonizing them almost instantly as one of the Holt captain's children.
"You two youngsters better not be tormenting our good host's cook, or by me rudder, I will put be cleaning out your beds and the rest of the Holt for a week!" The Pups squealed in horror and as soon as they put back down, they were already running off elsewhere. Kalma entered the kitchens, uncertain of what to do.
"I can only be feeden'em. I know not what to actually do when they be-Hey! No! You lot know better, put me cookery down!" Kalma had come over and pulled away one of her prize stew pots from a group. Kasser entered with a smile on his face as he gave a loud yelp.
"Aye, ye lot! Stand to attention!" His yelp caused a temporary silence as the small children army came to a stand still. Kasser began to bound around, chastising the crew of energetic pups and youngsters. "Ye come to this abbey, an' ye know all too well you lot of guys and gels were to behave like if we were back home, and I see ya making a mess of the place! Ya should be ashamed I'd say, but nottin the Holt of Mossflower cannot fix. Now stand be at attention, me crew, fer I want you all to start linen up. You lot, start helping put away the mess. You two bring out the broom." Kasser smacked his tail on the ground, and the youngster began to get to work. All of the Holt, from young to old, respected Kasser as the otter playfully and calmly spoke to them. Pelma and Kasser began to help Kalma pick up the bigger pans and plate, with the hedgehog cook looking utterly dumbfounded.
"How did ya do that? They be obeyin like ants?"
Pelma wiped away that mystery "Kasser be the best and most active clown in all of Mossflower of course, every one in the Holt knows him. One of the best scouts ya know. Friendliest juggler this side of Mossflower be ever seen."
Kasser chumly corrected his sister's correction "But not to be literal of course, I ain't no real clown. Not yet anyway."
Kasser chuckled as he began friendly song to the new found assistants of Kalma, motivating them to work.
"Clean an' scrub, scrub an' clean
Like a cokkle of mums, on brig with sheen
Scrub an' clean, work an' help
To make yer mums smile an' yelp.
Scrub till ye see yer face
Clean till yer pa be proud
Shift yer rudders, bring yer scrubbers
To make em' sparkle an' clean!"
The pups all sang along and often repeated it, with even the redwall children and assistants who did not know the lyrics very well quickly joining in or at least humming it. Pelma casted a happy glance at her brother, see him help a young Redwaller learn how to quickly scrub and clean the wooden plates in a small bucket. Kasser was always popular with the children, but Pelma couldn't help but be proud of him. You will be a good skipper I bet one day, Kasser. I don't envy you though.
_
Dakan and his otters were helping put down tents, although the group had been slow. Dakan shifted around at the otters and redwallers, but his attention quickly turned to a sad and dejected squirrel sitting on the walls of the abbey. Still in Garfan's 'recruit' uniform, the squirrel looked down more sad than ever, but a quick yelp and rush of angry feet behind him made Dakan turn to attention. Staring at him was the pouting face of Kana.
"Dakan Whitewhisker, what on earth did you ever say to the abbot! He just had a talk with me, me and Garfan that bounder! That snake! Serpent!" Kana could have cursed much worse and much louder, by Dakan tried to comfort her. "Before ye start offenden every otter, shrew, abbeybeast, an' woodlander here. Maybe ya can tell me whats wrong first?"
"You know exactly what is wrong! How could even suggest that foul suggestion to the abbot! My son is going to be away from the safety of his mother for an entire season!"
"Aye." Dakan shrugged, but this did not comfort her as she angrily growled "And what? You think it makes me feel better that it is proper punishment for my precious boy!"
"It be what happen when me young'uns misbehaved or got out of line, an' it works. He attacked an' bit at another abbeybeast out of line, an he be growin. Ya prefer to have a silver spoon be feeden him? Besides, marchin an' patrollin builds a warrior character!"
"Dakan! I don't want him to be a warrior! I want him to be safe!"
"Being safe be far worse fer his health as far as I see it, an the abbot be agreein. Youngster is buildin up a fury, an when it gets out, it be ugly an' vicious like any vermin straggler." Dakan became rather suddenly firm. "Jue was a good beast, Kana, his son clearly wants to be like em. Many a' beasts do. Garfan may be an' old an' difficult mate, but he ain't out there just to give you or yer son a hard time. Besides, his bullies be goin to go through something much rougher." Dakan pointed to the opposite end of the wall. Garfan was forcefully marching a younger mouse and otter on a patrol, lagging behind. He would turn, give them a grim stare, and would suddenly catch up.
"If you had it your way, would you want every beast in the abbey marching like an army?" Kana asked accusingly, but the otter again made a nod of his head that shocked her. "Maybe, but ye folk here are peaceful, an' I know that. Me Holt an' clan lives out in Mossflower woods. The shrews live closer by, an in more dangerous lands. Evil beasts roam Mossflower, Kana. We call em' vermin, but I prefer der real name. Bandits. Slavers. Murderers. I fight em', drive em' off, so ya lot can live in peace. I respect yer abbot's wishes, an ya should as well. Its not like yer barred from talkin to yer son, ya know."
Kana angrily marched off without a word, likely to speak to the abbot. Dakan again turned his attention to Jase who still looked longingly over the wall at the courtyard. Although he had noticed, he didn't seemingly care. Dakan had seen those eyes and features before, when he and many others rushed into Kasg's fortress in the north. The face of defeat and depression, the grim frowns, the longing for an end to their own lives. Many of Kasg's former slaves and victims of his tyranny now resided happily in Mossflower, but the faces of such defeatism still lingered in Dakan's mind. He abandoned what he had been doing previously, ascending the walls to speak to the alone youngster.
Dakan sat slowly and comfortably near Jase, who had not cared let alone noticed. Jase was deep in his thoughts, half dazed and half on the edge of emotional distress. Dakan could see something was wrong, and could easily guess that Jase had been avoiding others. His friend Gaisen was not seen, likely doing something within the gatehouse. When Dakan loudly plopped himself down nearby, Jase weakly lifted his eyes to him, but returned to his previous state.
"Ye alright, me lad?" Dakan spoke softly. Jase looked at him, his eyes watering. The older otter patted his back in comfort. Jase couldn't have held it in much long even if he tried, telling the otter all he had heard.
_
Bollo and his moles weren't exactly busy with festivities, but they had other repairs they wanted to start on with the abbey. The mole team of masons had been painstakingly trying to fix a leak in the attic, and being so high up made them nervous. Working on stone walls and the bases they stood on was simple work. Working on an actual roof? Bollo was directing several teams, as one was trying to push up on an old wooden plank, left over from storage which was still covered in cobwebs.
"Oi! Bur' Curful, wit dut plunk! Dem Squirrel fulk be waiting dur us to luft it up to em!" Two squirrel helpers, older friars, were outside. They were nervously being guided by the moles. Bollo began to pat his own head, a sting came from it. He had wondered if he had drank too much last night, as the last half of the festival was a complete blank to him. When the moles dropped the plank on his head, he quickly rushed over to relieve him. Before he could even help his fellow moles start to bring the plank upward, a troublesome and loud waddling of footsteps echoed into the attic. Bollo didn't turn to this, thinking it was perhaps another mole making awkward noises or swiftly trying to escape the safety of the bottom floor. He did turn however to see Dakan who came up to greet the foremole. He did not look happy.
"Foremole Bollo, eh? I would have words with ye." Dakan wasn't very calm, his voice riddled with a new found spite. Bollo knew that the Whitewhiskers, while calm to friends, were swift to anger and quicker to infuriate. Dakan was no exception, if not the paragon, of that rule.
"How ye, duin, Dakun? Sumthin wrung?" Bollo wasn't very inquisitive. He had guessed at first the otter lost something, but when Dakan reacted very accusingly did Bollo seem to look in wide eyed concern
"Ye there be sumthin wrong, foremole. We need to be talkin. Now, or I'll be shoutin me criticisms in front of dees' good beasts!" His voice was firm and swift, most of the other workers turned to see the awkward confrontation. Bollo swiftly regathered his character and spoke to his would be audience "Iu'z be right buck. Ye continue, or der wull bee rain watur in yer sleepin quarters! Volkur, yer in charge."
The group watched as Bollo and Dakan went off, overly curious and talking to themselves. As their murmurs died, Dakan showed Bollo to his room where the mole got onto his guest cot to get comfortable. Dakan swirled, his teeth gritting with fury. "I just be havin a good an' long talk with Jase. Ya know, son of Jue the Warrior. Yer friend, as I was led to believe."
Bollo had no clue what he was talking about. "Whut be der mutter with Jause? I knuw de lad be sad he caun't be workin wit me team cause of Gurfun, but I du hope ye aren't goun to give me a talkin to like Kuna does to me." Bollo would have continued as the skipper explained his frustration.
"I just had a long, and saddening, talk wit that boy Bollo. Ye said somethings to him, last night, that be on me mind. If I had a good sense, an' didn't want to get to the bottom of this abyss, i'd have ye thrown to the abbot to explain yerself! Talkin about Jue like that, an ye even knew him far better then I ever did! He was a good warrior, and you be talkin like he be some vermin villain to his own son behind his back!"
Dakan suspected the mole to yield, to quickly relent. He half suspected he had said these mean and terrible things out of some kind of jealousy or drunkenness, and he was angry the Mole would even have these kinds of feelings. He met Jue, Bollo and Kalma when they helped rescue the slaves from Kasg's fortress. What the otter saw however was a swift and sudden shift of emotions from Bollo. First he was shocked, his face lit up and went pale in embarrassment. Then he was in deep thought, trying to figure out what happened. A sudden realization. A bout of anger and self regret.
Then a stewing depression, followed by an accusing stare. Bollo may not have been braver than Jue, but he did not fear Dakan or his words. "Jase, whut did he hear me'z say about Ol' Jue?"
"That he abandoned him, that he left him for 'fame and glory' and left him behind. What manner of demon comes over ye tell him a thing like that."
"Yuz wern't der skupper. Ye'z weren't der." Bollo shot him a vicious glance "Whun we'z returned to der' abbey, we'z all be settlin down. We'z settled, un' Jue an' Kana had Jase. He'z was the huppiest squirrel i'd seen. He'z was huppy, an' I wuz cuntent. Jue wuz me bestest frund, me mate, our heru. He thru it all awuy, like trush. He wunt off to be expandun his name, always leavun fer seasuns at a time. Juse always waited by the duur wit' Kana, waitun fer his return. I saw dem' suffer, suffer fer whun he came home fer a day an' leave again. An agun. I confrunted him abut it all, huw he treatud his famuly, his frunds. He acted foreign to me, Skupper, actun like we dudn't hulp him every step of der' way. It got ugly, ugly an' bloated till he disuppeared. It wasn't Jue der Wurrior who cumforted his son when der seasons passed when he dusappeared. It wuz' me."
Dakan was an older creature, he had served as Skipper for a long time, and Bollo may have been a good leader of the moles and a diligent builder. Yet, he felt young again, and so did Bollo, like when he and Jue had gone on an adventure across Mossflower country to find Martin's sword. The mole had tears in his eyes, and Dakan could not help but pity him.
"I know ya be missen him, foremole. Ya miss him more then most, and he be gone. Yet ya hurt that young lad more than any weapon that can be born. I cheered the boy up the best I could. Ya should have a talk wit him."
Bollo only nodded, choking on his own words. Dakan soon came to deeply regret his rage with Bollo and bent his knee to comfort him. "He be taken a break with his mother, an' will be done soon. Ish. I won't bring this up with any other creature, I tell ya."
"I wunt dat bouy to be happy Skupper. I brought him to hulp me wit the projects ya knuw. To git'uem's mind off of Jue." Bollo was collecting himself, what mourning he had for his dear and lost friend was gone years ago. The anger of the room washed away, with only Dakan's pity remaining.
"I'll talk to Garfan, but I will not mention it to no other beast. Do any of them know?"
"Kana knuws, we argued of it recently. Kalma an' Stenna knuw as well. Lugis suspects, but we'z dun't talk of it."
"I won't have ya speak of it anymore, no beast needs to be hearin such things in these bad times. I need to tend to me own, why don't ya go an' help Jue's son." Bollo could only nod in agreement. Dakan lagged behind as the mole waddled off, he could only wonder to himself. I wish stories like that just ended when the hero won the day. He wondered what had happened to Jue in his absence. Maybe Hesam was-
He pushed the thought out of his mind. Jue was off on more than just adventure for a mindless sake, he was off ridding Mossflower of the snakes and black birds tormenting poor beasts, beasts fought by Hesam to this very day. Mice could be trusted after all.
Bollo waddled up the stairs to the walls, looking for Jase. Jase was resting on the walls, enjoying a nice snack left by the skipper. He turned his attention to Bollo who approached cautiously, his face still filled with regret. Jase may have been feeling better, but he was still deeply saddened, and mostly hiding from Garfan's sight. The mole rested down next to him and gave a loud and exhausted sigh.
"Skipper spoke to you?" Jase began, his voice weak but curious.
"Aye, luddie."
"Ya denied it, didn't you?" Jase felt sorry, he didn't want to see his friend in trouble. The otter chieftain had reassured him that Bollo was just drunk, and drunk creatures say terrible things they do not mean. Bollo shook his head "Nay." was the only word that came out. The worse had come to pass in Jase's mind, his friend had gotten into trouble. Jase looked up to the foremole, wondering if this entire conversation would go down a terrible path. Bollo's words still wrung in his head. My father, did he really abandon me? Why did he ever leave? Is this why Bollo always avoided Hesam?
Bollo turned to his young friend and gave a weak smile to him "Yur futher, an' I wunt on a lung an' perilous jurney tergethur. We facued assussins, pirutes, an' wurlords of der worse kind. Fought we've did, yungsters burly knowin much of der wurld. Strung an' braves yur ol' pa was. Tis the cruel seasuns tis whun we saturated drifften apurt. Ya shuld nut mund me an' me angur, luttle Jase."
Jase still felt a twinge of sadness which soon became anger "But you said it yourself! Pa abandoned me. I didn't think on it much before, but he abandoned me and ma, left me behind. You say he said cruel things to you. . .how can I go on knowing that? I wish I hadn't prodded you, Bollo. I just wish I never came to know how pa really was beyond the stories and tales. Did I drive him away?"
Bollo could have lied at this point, be done with and went back to work. Yet, he knew all too well that it was a pointless thing to do. Jase was smart and would have bought the 'Your father loved you' bit, because Bollo never got to truly know, and it deeply disturbed him. If Jue had truly loved and cared for his son, he would have stayed with him instead of going off and risking his life for fame and glory.
"Yu didn't. Bein wurrior of Rudwall be a difficult task it be. Evun if he luft like he did, he luft to help defund Mossfluwer. I dun't knuw, but I'd nevur assume me frund had bad intention, an' ya knuw me. Maybe I be thinkun I druve him away, an' scare me Juse. It scares me stull. However I be knowin dus, ya are me frund's soun. I dun't wanna see ya suffur fer me quarrel wit yer father, I wunt ya to be huppy an' smile agun."
Jase could only give a loud sniff. Bollo responded by patting him comfortably on the back. "I knuw whut will cheer me an' yu up. Why dun't ya hulp me repur der abbey ruuf wit me an' me moles."
Building and carpentry did cheer Jase up before, and the young squirrel gave a weak smile. "Won't mom and Garfan get angry if I do so? I'm on guard duty after all."
"Ol' Skupper be takun care of dat. Yung Jase, Com alung, ruuf don't be repairen itself, yu know!" Jase followed behind Bollo happily, almost forgetting the night before. It may have opened his eyes to his mentor's spite, opened a gash in his heart he thought would end his blissful childhood, but Bollo had somehow fixed that. Like he did many of those seasons ago when he locked himself in his room when news was brought to him his father was missing for good. The festival's night's events flooded from him, replaced with happy thoughts of when Bollo embraced him at his worst moment, comforting him. The memories of when Bollo had given him a job to get his mind off his dejection from a missing parent, getting him interested in masonry and structure. Memories of them happily eating side by side in the Great Hall, telling him stories of his younger years in the abbey.
It was blissful, but he snapped back to reality, and followed his friend behind. Today was perhaps going to be a good day.
_
Today was a terrible day for Nuck and Darper, and a glorious one for Gaisen. Gaisen had been marching and practicing with Garfan since he could have memories himself, as Garfan constantly stopped and chastised the young Nuck and Darper for all manner of things, their ill fitting uniforms chafed at their fur and made Darper especially nauseous in the afternoon sun.
"You boys are older, but you march like infants! How do you call yourselves good warriors when you can barely even pick up your own two feet! Darper, if I see you march so slowly again, you will be scrubbing the entire abbey in winter! Winter!" Darper was terrified, and wanted to hide behind Nuck. However, the mouse got this idea first and was already hiding behind Darper. Gaisen couldn't help but chuckle at the two's misfortune.
"Funny isn't, Gaisen? I am glad you are laughing, cause you will be practicing spear chucking till the end of your days!" Gaisen stopped and stood at attention, with Garfan's barely noticeable approval. The three marched off down the walls as Garfan continued to complain and rant.
"I barely got enough cots in me home for a proper barracks, but the way you two nearly smashed up my clothes line is unacceptable! Had we'd been in my village, i'd have you both flogged for such disrespect to a guardsbeast's hamper!"
Garfan heard a distant snicker and then hearty chuckle as Dakan came up from the rafters below. He was rather jubilant as ever, and gave a mocking smile to both Nuck and Darper.
"Yer two new maties be behavin, ol' Garfan me mate?"
Garfan gave a loud sigh "Barely, but they be terrible soldiers an' worse marchers! Bullying I can stand, builds character, like me pa use to say. Bullying with how poor these two had performed so far? Tis a shame on all good guards and militias!"
Nuck pleaded with Dakan "Please, good skipper! Tell the abbot we are deeply sorry! We'll stay away from Jase an' Gaisen! We promise! Just don't leave us here with-" A swift glance silenced him from Garfan. However, the skipper was having none of it.
"You lot should be lucky ya don't have me to tend with, or you'd already be out and about with me lot foraging for food, setting up camps in the wilderness, half starved searchin for vermin! Consider it a mercy that ya aren't given the rod, like I do me more younger warriors, eh? If you were pups in me holts, you lot would be put in a room and forced to settle yer differences out, and then marched together north till your feet be slopping wet and yer clothes dirty! Tis why I suggested to the abbot ye lot should be workin together. So lay down whatever nasty beliefs ya got between each other an' work fer your food. Like good soldiers."
It was a motivating speech for Darper, but for Nuck and Gaisen, the two were mortified. Both mice held nasty views toward each other. Garfan looked out at the walls, nearly red with rage "Where is that Squ-"
"Garfan, I came up here to tell ya just that. I'll be relievin him fer today, me mate."
"What? Why? You can't ju-"
"It be done, an' he'll return to ya at the end of the day. He'll be helpin the moles, so don't ya threat if ya thinkin it be a mercy on em."
Garfan thought it over and nodded "If he be laboren with the moles, I guess thats a good excuse. Although I also know Bollo does need help on the roof. Maybe this lot can help as well, build up them' muscles."
The skipper only smiled "I think that be a great idea."
_
Bollo and Jase re-entered the attic, brushing aside dusty and abandoned furniture and storage which had to be put to the side. It was an ill lit place, but Bollo was careful to have lanterns and candles scattered about so all the workers at least didn't accidentally drop into something they shouldn't have. The moles had been busy, but they had just began their second round of repairs. One mole poured in some nails into a bucket attached to a rope, which was lifted by two squirrels up onto an exposed roof. The mole had cut open the roof where a bunch of rot had set in, and decided it needed a desperate replacement. A couple new beams for the roof had been ordered in from southern woodcutters, and the moles decided go a bit more cheaply by doing their own shingling. They came to instantly regret this decision since none of Bollo's moles wanted to even touch the upper side of the roof. Despite initial troubles, the moles worked very quickly and diligently, especially with two friar squirrels who were helping them along.
Jase put Garfan's heavier and ill fitting suit into a corner, and took on a more basic habit. Even while tying a rope to secure the monk's dress to him, Bollo was handing him all manner of tools "Yu knuw whut to du, lad! We'z need der plunks nailed in first, den der shingles. Jus. . .just keep yer head down, laust thing we'z need is yer mum comin up an' screamin at me, an' yu."
Jase smiled "Oh course, Bollo." He began climbing up into the rafters, and swiftly jumped through a worker's hole and onto the roof, as Jase began to help them edge the panks into place and nailed in. Being not very sturdy with such things themselves, Jase helped them put the planks in, and set up nails for the two friars to hammer away at. Moles had bee preparing shingles and hoisting them up to their three workers, ever thankful Bollo wasn't forcing them up there. The squirrels liked to climb in the open sun, their bushy tails lifted up to provide some meaningful shade.
Garfan came up with his crew, which may as well been three young prisoners. Nuck and Darper cursed themselves to be in this situation as Garfan wheeled about them "You do what the Foremole tells you, and if any of you get injured without good cause, you will be doing laps around the abbey for the rest of the week! Without rest."
Garfan was quite a slave driver with his words, as Foremole clasped Garfan "Yus be bringun der sum help, I sees?"
"Aye, they'll do as you ask. Just be sure to give them a good whacking if they talk out of turn." Bollo secretly held back he would do no such thing, but did smile and nod. Garfan was off to his duties down below, leaving the youngster with him.
"Yung masters Gaisum, Nuck, and Duper. Yu's all three bein in big trouble, but ol' Bollo ain't liuke ol' Garfun, sou'z dun't ya wurry. Gaisum, yu'z best be hulpen ol' Juse on top, but be'r curful! Nuck. Duper, hulp curry der dem' plunks down below. Hop to it, an' I'll have Kalma bring uz sum snucks fer our watchful guardians."
The youngsters had cheered up, spending much of their shift helping Bollo. Gaisen got a ride in a bucket to the top and began helping his friend with the wood. Nuck and Darper lagged behind, but a threat or two from Bollo to send them back to Garfan whipped the two into moving. As promised, Kalma was summoned to bring the whole group a sizable amount of snacks, as Gaisen and Jase looked over the abbey peacefully. When Jase told Gaisen what had happened recently, his friend was fairly speechless, but yet did have a thing or two to say.
"Your father, Jase, he be an adventurin sort. Bollo be a good beast, but I be thinking your father be more complicated. Maybe ones of these day we will be on our own adventure, travelin and' wanderin about. Maybe things may make sense, but I'll tell you what, if you abandon me to make me like Bollo, I'll throw you in a river, I tell you."
"If it comes to that, Gaisen. If pa was like that when he returned from his adventure, I'd prefer to just stay in the abbey, working with Bollo. I know he doesn't mean to be angry at him, but I think my father doesn't know how much he hurt him. I am promising myself, here and now, to not be like that." Gaisen smiled and the two ate and hummed together on top of the abbey roof.
By the end of the day, the shrews had fully packed up and left, Logis and his shrews gave their final farewells before heading home and the otters had again got comfortable. There were still some things to do, but the otter clan preferred to stay in Redwall for a while before heading back to their Holt. Garfan would take Nuck and Darper on a night patrol, while Jase and Gaisen would sleep for tonight, but would be doing tomorrow's night patrol. Jase slept soundly in a more comfortable, but still makeshift, cot. Jase slept soundly, and then, all of a sudden, heard a vicious bump.
Jase awoke, seeing a nothingness in the room. Gaisen was gone, and all sounds disappeared. Jase went out to check, seeing a pitch blankness of the abbey, except for a lone light which haunted the Great Hall. Instinctively, the squirrel came down and entered, seeing a mouse in plate armor looking over an altar, a sad expression on his face. The warrior looked on as again Jase quickly recognized him as Martin. The warrior strode forward, and Jase became frightened. It was like the old stories, stories of the heroes, a great warrior mouse in dreams, speaking riddles. Jase became excited, but then frightened at the implication.
Martin strode forward and shepherd Jase outside in silence, and pointed to a new pitch blackness. The abbey became a black forest like the one in the previous dream, and around him he saw clearings, with characters bounding about in silence.
"What is this place?" Jase asked, but there was no answer.
Jase felt a tinge of cold as he looked around. Each clearing was a different vision which he did not understand. One clearing he stared at depicted an ancient snake, slithering about, half skeletal and half decayed, and following in its path were ancient snakes and beasts of yore. One was blind, as more and more followed and slithered themselves into the woods, but one stood its massive head up and gave a friendly hiss as Jase. Jase turned to another clearing, seeing only a set of bloody bed sheets, and a single rapier to its side. Another clearing up ahead confused him the most, but also gave him pause. It was an otter warrior and his wife, sitting on a rock, holding their paws together as if waiting for something. They turned to each other in sadness, as the wife weeped for something unknown. Flame consumed then suddenly consumed them both and were gone in a flash of light. Martin pulled Jase forward and spoke, his voice calm and collected.
"Worry not for what has been and will be, young Jase. In time, you shall understand."
Jase only gave an affirmative nod as Martin gave way to show him a clearing, which stood a single squirrel warrior. He was proud looking, and as bright and colored as Jase was, his golden brown fur and hawkish ears instantly recognizable. Jue the warrior, in his full getup of armor and traveler's gear stood, the sword of Martin in hand. It was a memory, the last one of his father as Jue approached and bent his knee to Jase. Jue looked on with valiance and pride, as Jase stood there in awe. Jue spoke to him
"Young as autumn, old as summer, from sea to forest the cries of war shall come, Four armies, one outcome, in ruin you shall find the truth, Look to the place of my rest, for friend shall be foe, and foe shall be friend." Was the line he repeated. Jase had heard this short rhyme before, but as Jue said them, he looked in the direction of Martin. From the forests, the looming red figure still reached out from a distance, trampling the black and gray trees of the forests of the distance. Jue returned his attention to his father, seeing he is gone, and in his place, an ancient stone. There was an engraving upon it, covered in moss. Jase brushed it away with his paw, reading only 'Sout'gen Barracks'. Jue felt a tingle of strangeness about him, and blinked, awaking in the darkness. He was wide awake, looking about the room to see Gaisen still sleeping.
Jase now had confirmation. He had no dream. He had a vision.