"I'm perfectly fine dearies. A wee little tremblin' never stopped ol' Mildred!" The old squirrel merrily informed the pair as she shuffled down the hall. Her cane made a clack with every step.
"Ma'am it's my duty to remind you that staying rested is the best way to prevent any further harm." Trilloway stated as he awkwardly bounced around the squirrel readying himself to catch her if she fell. Brin led her by the paw toward the infirmary waiting room.
"The more ye hop around like a sugared-up grasshopper the more likely I am going to trip!"
Trilloway stopped circling the squirrel like a mosquito. "I'm sorry ma'am."
"Oh, don't be, sweetheart. I know you're just trying t' help." Mildred chirped as lightly as a lark. Her grandmotherly nature was not limited to beasts she had watched grow up.
Brin sighed as she held to Mildred's paw. It had been an excitingly slow day in the infirmary today. There were no new beasts to care for and the three injured dibbuns didn't dare sit still. Even more exciting was that Sister Beryl finally left her bed after being attacked. Mildred was supposed to remain in bed, but upon hearing the news she decided she was well enough to leave. Brin expected Sathe to be beside herself.
"I've been in bed for two whole days. I can't believe I've missed two whole beautiful days!" Mildred lamented with a frown. The old squirrel walked a bit slower than normal and although she tried not to show it leaned upon her cane heavily.
"Recommend you lay low a bit longer, ma'am. Two days are nothin' t' the rest o' yer life, wot wot!"
"Oh, poppycock! This is far more important!" The old squirrel surged forward and into the waiting room without waiting for a response.
A pleasantly smiling Sister Beryl sat in a large chair brought to the infirmary just for her. She bounced Beskit and Twiggy on her knees as they giggled with glee. They had private access to Redwall's badger which was a prize worth more than the finest gold or sweetest candies. The weasel Ripeye lay on his stomach watching the happy dibbuns from the cot in the corner of the room. His slim face didn't appear interested in his playmates' games with Sister Beryl. His dark eyes darted about looking for a hidden attacker hiding behind Trilloway or the old squirrel.
"Beryl you ol' gel shouldn't you be in bed?" Mildred happily squeaked.
The badger turned with a kind smile as she extended her massive arm out for a hug.
"I should ask the same of you." Sister Beryl responded with a croak. The badger was still recovering her voice from the attack. Sathe said it would likely take her a full season to recover completely if possible.
"Just a little shakin'," Mildred responded after their warm embrace. She shuffled over to a chair and grabbed it before scraping it towards the badger. "I worked my tail off and it looks like my age just seemed to catch up with me."
Mildred plopped down as Brin retrieved a blanket and draped it over the haggard old squirrel. The room was almost full but there was still enough room for beasts to squeeze past each other.
"The two of yew should be on yar backs in bed. Not jawing it up like a couple ol' sparrows!" Sathe snapped as the grinding of a mortar and pestle slowed to a stop. Sister Beryl slightly harrumphed but Mildred didn't seem to mind.
"The kind company of a friend and the laughter of Dibbuns is the best medicine fer the two of us! It's lovely to see you again, m'dear." Mildred chirped as she wrapped herself in a blanket.
Sathe's whiskers twitched for a moment before walking towards a kettle and pouring the boiling liquid into two cups. "Never helped me in the horde."
"Did ye ever at try it, m'dear?" Mildred asked.
"Naw," Sathe spat as she poured the contents of her mortar and pestle into one of the two cups. "Never needed to. Most vermin don't feel the need to visit injured beasts. Most don't wanna be there anyways."
The ferret stirred the contents of the tea as she searched the window like she was looking for a long-lost friend. Brin noticed a small cluster of beasts heading toward Redwall from the northern road. Brin thought it funny to see the giant white rat push a cart laden with broken stone while Foremole Grumm stood atop it and shouted something harsh to the corsair rat.
Sathe sighed as she handed the tea to Sister Beryl. "Drink this slowly it'll do good t' yer throat."
The badger croaked a dry and wispy thank you as she took the drink in a massive paw. "How did you end up inna vermin's horde?" Beskit squeaked. The small mouse had been a bundle of energy all day, wanting to play in the infirmary and search for any fake walls to Sister Beryl's chagrin.
Sathe shriveled her nose at the bright-eyed mouse. "I dunno. How did yew end up in Redwall?"
"Me parents live here," Beskit responded with a single breath. "Did your parents live in yer horde?"
Sathe seemed taken aback by the mouse's childlike bluntness. Brin knew how the ferret tended to avoid or snap at anybeast who inquired about her past or time within the vermin horde. Brin knew she should respect her privacy, but it was easy to fantasize about the vermin's past life and even more enticing to ask about it.
"Why d'ye care?" Sathe responded with a sigh and a drop of her shoulders.
"Because I heard you know magiks!" Beskit grinned a toothy smile and bounced eagerly on Sister Beryl's lap. "An I wanned t' know if ye could see inta the future, or turn a bit of dirt t' gold, or I've ye could make herself invisible t' steal vittles!"
"Oooh! What if she could talk t' the dead? Err see through walls!" Twiggy added, getting in on the fun.
"I thinks she knows how t' kill a beast wid only a glance! Or she kin talk t' the birds like dere normal beasts like us." Ripeye called from his place on the bed.
"Why would I do any of that?" Sathe snapped planting her paws on her hips. "I'm far more than a thieving trickster! That kind of trickery is far below me!"
"Could ye use yer magicks t' find tha beast who attacked me matey Ripeye?" Twiggy asked.
Sathe's mouth dropped open before she quickly shut it. "I haven't tried that yet."
Brin wasn't sure if the ferret was telling the truth or not. Of course, rumors of the vermin knowing magic had spread like wildfire since she set foot in the Abbey. The only things magical about the ferret were her healing skills and wicked tongue. The lies seemed so much more interesting than the truth about Sathe.
"Ye don't have any ehhh… magical abilities do ye, wot?" Trilloway asked with a raised eyebrow. It seemed Brin wasn't the only beast who wanted to know as even Sister Beryl focused her listening ears and watchful eyes on the vermin.
Sathe eyed him oddly before narrowing her eyes and raising her nose. "Of course, I know magicks ye long-eared oaf! How else would ye have figured it out if I didn't plant that thought into your head like it was a flower bulb?"
The dibbuns faces lit up. "So ye do know magicks!"
"Yes, you deaf fools!" Sathe responded in an oily voice as she bowed with as much grace and gusto as an experienced player. "I was the finest seer Mossflower had ever seen! Zidar begged me to join his nasty horde but promised me everything a beast could ever ask for. Gold. Jewels. Status. I could achieve all of those on my own of course but why not humor myself with the presence of lowly horde beasts? T'was most amusing to be seen as an idol to lowly brutes, yet I grew tired and left with the rest of our pitiful band of deserters. It was my cunning that protected us from bands of otters and shrews, and it was my foresight that led us to Redwall."
As she explained she weaved her arms through the air as if she was shaping and directing the wind. Brin thought it a bit excessive yet the dibbuns were caught in her frivolous spell.
"Didja see what was gonna happen to the fox?" Twiggy asked. "Cus if ye did and didn't tell him that would be mean!"
"How very observant." Sathe spat with distaste that the hedgehog clearly didn't understand. "He was a fool, and his foolishness almost got me slain. So, I cursed him. I told him that his world shall be upturned due to his ignorance! He laughed and the next day the stupid runt lost his leg."
Brin thought that portion of her story was a bit cruel, and Sister Beryl opened her mouth to say something before being interrupted by the dibbuns.
"Wow! So ye do know dark magics!" Beskit cried out before backing away from the ferret. "Ye can put a curse on the Ghost of Martin! I bet the real Martin would help ye! Have ye tried talking t' him?"
Sathe blinked as she was caught off guard once more.
"I- I've already spoken to him," Sathe responded regaining her composure. "He wanted me to ask you two to help."
"He did!" Brin withheld a laugh as the two dibbuns jumped from Sister Beryl onto Sathe as the ferret was attacked with questions.
"Gerrof me yew idjits! Or I'll ask that cursed ghost mouse t' giv' me other beasts!" The two dibbuns quickly backed away apologizing as they did so.
"Good," Sathe said as she wiped the residue from their grubby paws offer her cloak. "I have several items and ingredients I've yet to find for a proper curse. Since you have lived here longer than I, you'll need to find them."
Beskit and Twiggy saluted like they had seen the Long Patrol do during their military parades around the Abbey. "Yew has the word of the Dibbuns Against Bedtime Brigade m'lady! We'll find those ingredients in the name of the true Martin the Warrior!"
"Kin I join?" Ripeye asked from his bed.
"Do ye like bedtimes?" Twiggy asked. Ripeye shriveled his nose in disgust.
"Yarr pirates hate bedtimes! We don' have any! An anybeast who tries t' stop us 'll taste me cold steel!"
"Good! Yew and Twinetail kin be our allies."
"You can help Sathe once you're completely healthy." Sister Beryl said with a croak.
"Yes, Sister Beryl." The dibbuns chimed in unison. Brin and Mildred stifled a laugh. It seems that even Martin the Warrior's orders were second to that of Redwall's Badgermum.
"I think," Sathe said with an evil smile. "I'll have Ruddy aid you with these tasks. He still owes me a favor from our journey to Redwall."
Brin didn't know what she meant but thought it could mean nothing good for the fox.
"Now then the two of ye it's back to-"
Just then the door to the infirmary flew open as a high-pitched cry filled the room. Brin, Trilloway, and Sathe flew into action as a small mouse rushed in. It was Shmoopy the small doughy mouse that was Sister Lilac's aid.
"Sathe, please! Minerva hasn't stopped crying since you dropped her off after lunch!" The small white mouse Shmoopy hurried toward the ferret who backed away.
"I've injured me paw I can't help her! Besides I'm busy and yew work in the nursery!"
"Take her! I've been ripping me whiskers out tryin' to keep her from sobbin'! Sister Lilac won't let me back in the nursery if she's sick."
"Hold on," Trilloway said as he plucked the dark-furred baby from the small mouse's paws. The baby continued to scream at the top of its lungs. "The little babe doesn't feel too feverish, wot. Has she eaten anything?"
Shmoopy shook her head. "No. She hasn't got a fever or crib cough. She just hasn't stopped crying since the ferret dropped her off. We tried everything we could, but now we think she's hurt."
A cold pang of dread drove its way into Brin's heart. "Poor little thing. Let me hold her, mebbe I can keep her still while Sathe checks on her."
Sathe said nothing but nodded with an exhausted roll of her eyes. Trilloway passed the crying squirrel babe to Brin. She smiled at Minerva; she thought it funny how the baby appeared to have her brother's button nose. Brin remembered kissing his nose with her own when they were younger to stop his crying. Brin smiled and kissed Minerva sweetly on the snout with her own. The onyx black squirrel stopped crying momentarily as it opened its eyes and looked at Brin.
"There, all better!" Brin sighed with relief.
The quiet didn't last long as Minerva blinked before bursting into tears.
"Dash it all! I thought you had her, wot." Trilloway sighed.
"Keep the worm still, squirrel!" Sathe snapped as she began to feel about the baby for any broken bones or things out of the ordinary. To Brin's surprise, Minerva almost immediately settled down as the ferret drew near. She still cried but it wasn't the ear-piercing screams as before.
"Doesn't feel like anything's broken." Sathe mused. "She might have an upset stomach. Did you feed her anything t' make her mad?"
Shmoopy shook her head. "I told you, we didn't give her anything. She's been fussy since you've dropped her off."
Sathe grumbled as she turned from Brin and Minerva. The screaming started up once more this time louder than before. Brin caught Mildred and Sister Beryl shared a look.
"Shuddup yew!" Sathe snapped from over her shoulder. "I'm gonna make a sleeping draught to keep her down for the night. If we're lucky, whatever ails her will pass."
"She doesn't need any medicine, Sathe." Sister Beryl's raspy voice sounded in Brin's ear as the badger plucked baby Minerva from her paws. The baby screamed even louder than before but Sister Beryl with her seasons of experience handling the dibbuns had surely seen worse.
"She needs you. Minerva misses her mother." Sister Beryl said as she walked toward Sathe with the crying baby in her paws. Sathe edged back as a sour look twisted onto her face.
"I'm not her mother! I'm a ferret, she needs a squirrel! Give it to Brin!" She pleaded as her back pressed against the wall.
"I don't think ye've got much of a chance with that dearie," Mildred added. "It seems Minerva's imprinted on you sweetheart!"
For what Brin thought would be a lovely moment Sathe was completely disgusted. "Have her imprint on Brin! I'm not gonna live in this cursed Abbey! An' I don't wanna take her when I leave!"
"She doesn't know that, and it doesn't matter. She thinks you're her mother. Even if you're not by blood, she's chosen you." Sister Beryl responded as she held the crying squirrel toward the ferret. Brin could see Sathe relent but eventually fold and take the squirrel into her arms. Almost immediately she quieted down.
"Much bettah, wot." Trilloway sighed. Brin shot him an angry glance.
"Sorry." The hare shrugged. "With me big ears all that screaming is grating on the ol' noggin', wot wot."
"Aww that's much better innit," Mildred said as she glided across the room to Sathe's side, Brin followed closely behind. The ferret for all her complaints seemed placated, or dare Brin say, happy to hold the little babe.
Sathe grunted a response. "She's quiet that's all."
Minerva cooed at Sathe and reached for the ferret. Her smile revealed two small but sharp-looking front teeth.
"She's hungry." The ferret blurted as concern flashed across her face. "You said she hasn't eaten yet and it's almost dinner."
"I'd wager she is. I know I certainly am, wot!" Trilloway chortled.
"We should hear the dinner bell anytime now," Brin said rubbing her arms for warmth. The infirmary could get a draft at times and it was the oddest thing. "Trilloway and I can keep the infirmary from falling apart if ye head out to dinner early,"
"Just make sure t' snag a table fer us, wot." Trilloway added.
"Aye, will do." Sathe responded. She didn't take her eyes off the little squirrel babe as she walked from the room. Brin watched her disappear; the sight made her miss her own family. At least they would be returning to Redwall for the midwinter feast, that is if the weather held up.
Trilloway watched the ferret as she left before, he looked at Brin. "I think ol' gel's comin' around, wot. Just gotta smooth out some of those rough edges!"
"She's probably spent her whole life in a horde," Mildred said with a voice as sweet as honey. "It's a big change for her, a big change for all the vermin. I'm just happy that the dibbuns seem to be getting along."
Mildred smiled as she snuck a candied nut to Ripeye. The weasel snatched it and gobbled it up as fast as he could. "Now where's Eli? I want to have a word with him on his inability to find our Ghost of Martin."
"I saw him heading up the road to Redwall, he went to help the Foremole. I'm sure they're unloading the stone for Foremole Grumm as we speak." Both Mildred and Sister Beryl had been made aware of the destruction of the cellar and the rise of the Ghost of Martin the Warrior. Each of them held strong opinions on the matter.
"I'll find him for ye but I think you should stay in the infirmary for a bit longer lass," Trilloway said, half-expecting the old squirrel to lecture him for even proposing the thought. "You'll need to be well if you want to hunt for our ghost, wot."
Mildred huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, I suppose you're right, m'dear. To think Redwall of all places could hold such vile beasts to attack dibbuns! Seasons, where did we go wrong?"
Brin wished she could've given Mildred a good answer. Vermin are evil, most are at least. The deserters that showed up happened to be the exception and now, after almost two moons the other Redwallers should understand that. However, whoever the 'Ghost of Martin' is should be banished from Redwall.
"What happened when you came fought with our ghost, Corporal Trilloway?" Sister Beryl asked in a gravelly voice.
"Well, ma'am if I'm completely honest I don't bally well remember much. T'was pitch black and I rushed from me cot when I heard the screaming. I barely had my eyes open when somebeast took me legs out from beneath me. I tried grabbin' onto the beast but got stomped on in the face then the stomach. Then the beast grabbed me ear and slammed me 'ead int' the floor, I forget the remainder of the night after that."
"So, the beast was strong enough to almost murder a ferret and a Long Patrol hare." Sister Beryl mused. "A feat not many in Redwall could accomplish."
"Well, ma'am there are several beasts here who have the brawn t' do it. The coward had the advantage of attacking at night, so he caught both Sathe and me unawares. If it were during the day, it would've ended differently, wot wot."
"I'm certain you would've ground the beast to flour." The badger said with a sour note.
"Sister Beryl?" Beskit chirped.
"Whatever is it little one?"
The mouse swallowed. "I heard beasts say that there's a beastie who knows how t' find cracks in the walls. That's how Martin's ghost could sneak into the cellar and attack Twiggy, Ripeye, an' me."
"You are correct."
"Well, what if the ghost works with tha Foremole? Since he seems t' knows about Redwall better than anybeast."
"Good idea Beskit!" Sister Beryl praised. "Did the three of you see anything when you were attacked?"
The three dibbuns looked at each other.
"I thought the ghost looked like a mouse," Twiggy said as he shuffled his feet. "He wasn't much taller than Bruvver Samuel er Eli."
"He was way stronger than a mouse!" Ripeye snapped. "He tossed the two of ye like yew were a heap o' dung!"
"So, someone had the strength to carry out the attacks, but we don't know how big they were or what they sounded like," Brin said. "Maybe we shouldn't close the tunnels. Whoever it is, could be living there. Perhaps several beasts are hiding down there."
"I would think the only bloody beasts who would do that would be vermin?" Trilloway responded, rubbing his chin.
"No. If it were vermin they wouldn't have attacked their own." Mildred said shaking her head in disgust.
"With all due respect ma'am, we don't know that, wot," Trilloway said as he began to pace back and forth. "Infighting amongst those cursed hordes is fairly common. Ask any of the deserters an' they'll tell ye stories of their longstanding squabbles with other hordebeasts, wot."
"Are you accusing the vermin of self-sabotage?" Mildred asked with a commanding tone.
"I'm not saying they're intentionally sabotaging each other, but rather," Trilloway formed the words in his head carefully, as Mildred looked as if she were ready to go on a warpath. "They're not alone."
"That's absurd!" Mildred snapped. "They've got no reason to lie to us. We've made the consequences of lying or violence clear as day, and we've treated them like slaves even when they tell the truth. If anything, Redwall should stop everything and search for this vile murderer!"
"Ma'am they say they outran their pursuers, but truth be told, we've no clue if they actually pulled it off, wot!. They could've fought off a tracking group 'fore showing up on our doorstep. And those trackers? Blinkin' savages, the lot of 'em—absolute rotters! Warlords send 'em after deserters or cowards who flee battle, and if they don't bring back a bundle of heads or tails, they'll lose their own! Sathe and the other deserters might've been lucky enough to beat off a smaller band, but if Sathe is as sharp a seer as she claims, I'd be bloody shocked if their old leader would give her up without a fight, wot."
"That doesn't make sense. They said their horde was destroyed so why would they need to worry about anybody following them?" Brin's voice trailed off.
"That's another reason I'm concerned lass," Trilloway said with a shake of his head.
"Enough!" Mildred snapped. "I don't want to hear anything of the sort! Especially, from the two of you! You're here to help Sathe and all the other vermin! You can't judge them by their pasts, you must judge them on what they've done here."
"I have, wot!" Trilloway stomped his foot. "I've been taunted and slandered throughout the Patrol ever since I started in the infirmary. I came t' blows with Nettlewhisk over it and it's only gotten worse! By the whiskers of old Major Perigord! If m'dear old mum catches wind that I've been rubbin' shoulders with a blinkin' ferret, she'll hightail her jolly ol' self to Redwall and wallop me 'til I'm blacker than a badger's stripe, wot!"
"Let her do it then. I'll vouch for you, and who cares about what those other hares say?"
"I care, but the lads have a point." Trilloway huffed with a drooping of his ears. "I say, I want to believe Sathe's story. I want to trust her, I really do, wot. But I can't ignore their past especially when it's as muddled and as dark as hers is, wot. They've all been spoutin' different tales since they rolled in, and you said yourself you're worried about that mad one—and where in the blinkin' blazes he got his wound! Sathe told you somethin' that doesn't quite line up with what Seabane claimed, doncha know."
Brin looked at the old squirrel. Her face was a stony frown, yet her eyes looked as if she were lost in a spell. Sister Beryl leaned forward, her face one of rock-hard determination.
"Mildred, what did Sathe say?"
The old squirrel sighed. "I don't remember. It was late and-"
"Mildred!" The badgermum snapped. "Don't lie to me to protect her! I know you want the vermin here more than any beast. But if they lied-"
"They didn't lie!" Mildred shot back. "And I don't know what she said to me. I can't remember what happened two days ago. How could I remember anything she said before then?"
"But she said something." Sister Beryl exhaled and looked at her old friend, before rubbing the bridge of her nose with a wince.
"Corporal if you would get to the bottom of this."
"I'll have a word with the ferret tonight." The hare nodded, setting his jaw. Before any beast could say another word the door to the infirmary was flung open.
"Oi, watch it there, foxface! Y' nearly had some poor blighter's whiskers singed, wot!" Corporal Bushby barbed from outside the infirmary.
"Ladies first hare." Ruddy cracked back as he gestured for the brash young hare to enter.
"Thank ye laddie! I know yous got some sense of sensibilities somewhere in that empty noggin', wot wot!"
"I've got more cunning in me tail than ye have in yer whole cursed mountain! Besides the only thing yer good fer is rememberin' when supper is."
"Your tail? Oh, y'mean that scruffy, soppin' rag y' lug about, eh? Must be a right bother, draggin' all that so-called cunning behind ye, wot, wot!"
"Shuddup rabbit must be nice, living without a brain weighing you down."
"Ha! You're the one without a leg t' stand on fox!"
"Boys, are you done fighting?" Sister Beryl asked.
"Yarr we're not fightin'! I'm just tellin' the truth to this, overstuffed, long-eared leech!" Ruddy's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the badger.
"Wha- you're alive?"
"Of course, Sister Beryl's alive ol' gel. Why wouldn't she be, wot?" Bushby said as he wrapped an arm around the fox and walked him toward Sister Beryl. "She's seen a thousand more battles than you, and she's won every one of them. Haven't ye ma'rm!"
"By battles if you mean squabbles with the dibbuns and their bedtimes, then yes." Sister Beryl spoke as she leaned toward the two beasts. "My goodness what happened t' the two of ye?"
Brin looked closer and saw they had welts and scrapes over their arms and faces. She quickly grabbed a wet cloth.
"Yarr it's nothing badger!" The fox snapped as his eyes fell from Sister Beryl's gaze.
"Ruddy's right, the daft blighter just had a bit of a tumble on some ice, wot! Took me down with him, too, the clumsy fool—like a bloomin' fluffy-tailed avalanche!"
"Watch your tongue hare, b'fore I cut it off! I told you not t' call me that!" The fox snapped before Brin could dab at a scrape over his left eye.
"Sorry mate I forgot, wot." Bushby held his paws up in his defense. "Bluddy here lost his footing, and the two of us ended up givin' the floor a right smooch 'cus of it, wot wot!
"That's not very kind of you, Egbert." Mildred chided as she rose and glided to help the two boys.
"Egbert? What kinda stupid name is that, eh?" The fox laughed as he elbowed the young Corporal.
"It's me, grandfathers! The ol' chap slew over a score o' vermin in the woods near Brockhall, don't y' know. Plus, me mum's fond of it too, wot wot!"
Ruddy didn't appear to care as he laughed at the hare's unfortunate name. "Ha! Yer mum loved it, ye poor rabbit! She clearly didn't love you!"
"I have a mother, ye poor sap! And she cared for me enough not t' leave me in a wretched horde, wot!"
"Watch it rabbit!" Ruddy snarled as he jutted his orange and black maw into the hare's face. "I told ye that in confidence ye lying spineless slug!"
"Enough you two!" Trilloway boomed grabbing the two by the collars and separating them. "D' I have t' tell Eli about this? He'd be disappointed in both of ye, wot."
"He started it!" Ruddy accused pointing a gnarled claw at the hare. "And he told ye all one ov me secrets!"
"He did? Well, I frankly didn't notice." Trilloway barked with a raised brow, before turning to the smaller hare. "And why's that, wot?"
"He cared enough t' share it with me why does it matter who I tell?" Corporal Bushby responded.
Trilloway sighed. "Don't go blabbin' bloomin' secrets, you know better than that, wot!"
"Sorry," Bushby sputtered.
"Don't tell me, tell him." Trilloway snapped as he let the two of them go. There was an awkward pause as Bushby looked at Ruddy. The fox had a smug half-smile.
"Sorry, fer tellin' all these beasts whatever it was ye wanted me t' keep quiet." The hare said quietly. Brin supposed this was the first time he ever apologized to vermin before. The fox looked unimpressed.
"Give me yer desert for a week and I'll keep it from the Abbot!"
"What? That's not-"
"A fortnight hare! Keep jabberin' an' it'll only go up!"
"Fine, it's yours Bluddy," Bushby said with a defeated huff. Brin suspected the rabbet was already plotting to get even with the fox in the near future. "Now, we could use something for our cuts and scrapes."
Trilloway started patching his younger cousin up with a frown, while Brin kept dabbing at the fox's face with her damp cloth. To her surprise, the slight between the two beasts was short-lived as they began to talk like nothing had happened.
"D'ya think the Abbots gonna like Eli and Seabane comin' back with more vermin?" Ruddy asked.
"I dunno why not. I'm jolly well surprised they brought even more weasels here in the first place, wot."
"More vermin?" Trilloway asked. "We can barely handle the ones we have. Why d' we need more?"
"He didn't say, wot. There's three of 'em—one sportin' a nasty bandage 'round his noggin. Abbot Micah's havin' a chinwag with Eli and the Foremole. I reckon they ran into a spot o' trouble, wot!"
"I don't like 'em." Ruddy barked as he crossed his arms. "There's something rotten in tha wid those three."
"They remind ye of yerself, wot?" Bushby ribbed.
"Naw, Eggy, them scum's got somethin' t' hide, I'm sure of it. Mebbe it was the way they looked at me, er how Eli was jabberin' with the Abbot, but there's somethin' foul in the air, mate."
Corporal Bushby looked at the fox, his brows ruffled in thought. "Aye… I'll take your word for it, mate."
More vermin in the abbey? Is it a good thing? Brin asked herself. Redwall might finally be realizing that the deserters weren't as bad as they anticipated. Would these new weasels spoil it? Ruddy didn't seem to like them. Could this be vermin from their horde that came to murder the deserters? What if the two groups of vermin didn't get along? So many things were balanced on the assumption that beasts could play nice with each other, the past few moons had shown things would only end poorly. Just then the door to the infirmary flew open.
"Corporal!" Sergeant Danburr strode into the room, hauling a confused and injured weasel over his shoulder. "Have we got another cot for the vermin, wot?"
"Aye sah! Right this way!" Trilloway hopped to his feet. Corporal Bushby jumped up as well to help. The vermin looked like a lost dibbun about to cry; Brin couldn't help but feel bad for the poor beast. What was Ruddy worried about, he looked the same when he showed up at Redwall.
Just as the weasel and hares disappeared into the infirmary Eli and Abbot Micah entered the waiting room.
"Brin," Eli started, there was a prolonged sadness in his eyes. "Glad to see ye again."
"Good to see you too Eli. What's wrong?" Brin felt the room grow dim.
"We-we need to speak to you for a moment." Abbot Micah said breathlessly, it seems the two mice had rushed to the infirmary. "In private."
The old mouse looked at Mildred and Sister Beryl and a terrifying sadness bloomed on their faces. Ruddy looked between the two parties with a lost expression.
"Is it about me?" The fox asked.
"No," Eli responded with a bit more vitriol than Brin thought was needed. "Go to your room and stay there until dinner."
The fox's ears drooped but he scampered off without any complaint. Eli watched him go with a dark sheen in his eyes. Something had to have gone amiss on their trip to the quarry.
"Come along young ones, I think I left some candied nuts near my cupboard." Sister Beryl said as she rose to leave.
"But I wanna stay here and listen." Twiggy bemoaned.
"Let the adults have a private conversation, Twiggy." Sister Beryl said picking the hedgehog up. "Whatever it is, it's not for our ears to hear."
The badgermum scooped up the injured Ripeye and held Beskit's paw as they walked from the room. Mildred was bundling up her blanket before she left, Eli placed a gentle paw on her shoulder.
"I think you should stay mum."
The old squirrel's brows ruffled in confusion, but she nodded. "Aye. Whatever is the matter you two?"
"Please take a seat, Brin." Abbot Micah said with a huff as he pulled a chair aside from the empty cot with ruffled blankets.
"What's going on?" Brin gasped in a panic. "You two are scaring me!"
"Please," Eli said taking her paws in his own. "You're going to be fine, everything is going to be fine. Just listen to us."
Eli's golden eyes were filled with sadness and his words did little to settle her mood. She knew that panic would do nothing for her and would hardly lessen whatever blow may come. Taking a breath to steel herself she sat next to Abbot Micah.
"How are you feeling?" Eli asked with a half-smile on his pained face.
You're still scaring me, Eli. "I feel fine, I'm not sick or hurt. Is everything alright with you?"
"Yes. Well mostly." The mouse rubbed his paws to settle himself. When he looked at her his eyes were wet with tears.
"On the way to the quarry, we stopped by your family's home."
No…
"I'm so sorry, Brin, but your family's been murdered."
Authors note, I'm going to be playing around with dialects in the coming chapters. I feel it's something I need to work on, so please excuse any messy dialogue or awkward-sounding bits.
As Always please let me know what you think and what can be improved upon. Any and all feedback is appreciated!