"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." ~Sir Isaac Newton.
The rain had not picked up as the two woodlanders sprinted towards the Front Gates of Redwall Abbey. A light drizzle remained in the five minutes they'd spent hurrying down the road.
Jared bolted straight in through the Abbey gates, patting Wyatt on the shoulder. Jacob followed hot on his tail. The mouse gave the white wolf a lingering sidelong glance in the bright yellow glow of his lantern. But he let him inside all the same.
Jared dashed straight for the Gatehouse. He didn't even bother knocking, but grabbed the door and threw it open.
Madeline knelt on the floor. Fanistra, Falmur, Amelia, and Lunafreya all encircled her. At the sound of the door, a sigh of deep relief escaped her. But Jared saw her empty eyes, the distant look on her tear-stained face, her drooping ears and low-hanging shoulders, and her paws still trembling in her lap. His heart sank at the sounds of her sporadic sniffles.
Biting his lip, Jared slipped off his wet sandals and strode barefoot into the Gatehouse to his younger sister's side, scooping her into his arms. She too did not speak, but buried her face in his shirt and shut her eyes.
Jacob remained outside, holding his rain-spotted leather jacket by his side. Fanistra and the other Sisters stood up and backed away to give the siblings their space.
"I'm sorry, Jacob," Jared explained over his shoulder in a low voice. "I'm afraid introductions will have to wait. My sister and I went through an ordeal earlier today, and you kind of caught Redwall Abbey at a bad time."
"I understand," Jacob gave a sympathetic nod in return. "I'm in no rush. I've been to Redwall Abbey so many times I could walk it with my eyes closed."
"Jacob Atherson?" Abbot Curtis perked up at the sound of his voice. "Is that you?"
"Father Abbot Curtis!" Jacob's eyes widened at the familiar voice of the Abbot. "It's been so long, sir!"
He too left his wet shoes on the doormat and entered the Gatehouse barefoot, hanging his lederhosen hat on a rack of hooks before crossing over to the Abbot.
"Seasons, it's such a relief to see you, Father Abbot." The grateful Jacob could not wipe the glowing toothy grin from his face. He knelt down by the Abbot's side. "I've lost count of the seasons since I've last been at Redwall. I'm so happy to see everyone. After so much traveling and adventuring over the past few months, I feel like I can finally rest now."
"It is indeed comforting to see a familiar face in these troubled seasons, Jacob," Curtis took Jacob's paws in his own and lightly squeezed them. "But I'm afraid that your timing, while impeccable, is also inopportune. Dark times have fallen upon Redwall Abbey, my son, and it's all centered around those two."
He pointed a non-accusatory finger at the Sandeye siblings. "I hope you understand."
"I do, Father Abbot." The sympathy in Jacob's eyes was genuine and unmistakable.
"Jacob…" Brother Timms reached out a withered old paw through the darkness.
"Brother Timms," Jacob hurried to Timms' side. He planted a tender kiss on the back of the aged fieldmouse's outstretched paw. "It's wonderful to see you again."
"Likewise, Jacob," Brother Timms blindly grasped the wolf's paws in his own. "Your radiant presence brightens this dark day."
Madeline turned herself and Jared around to face the fire, their backs to the Redwallers. He rubbed her back and shoulders while she elaborated on everything she had told the Elders moments earlier.
"I'm sorry, Jared," Madeline whispered, her voice utterly bare of emotion, a skeleton of its natural sound. "I couldn't help myself. They asked about the Prophecy and I—"
"It's okay, Maddie," Jared whispered, planting a consoling kiss on her forehead. "You did all you could. It's not your fault. We'll wait until the time is right to tell them the truth about the Prophecy."
She trembled in his embrace. He held her close to him and made soft shushing sounds.
"I'm so proud of you, Maddie, for doing this. I'm sure our family is, too. I know this can't have been easy. In fact, it must've been harrowing. I regret that I wasn't there to support you when you needed me the most. I should have known better than to go to the forge. I should have stayed to help you. But you did it, Maddie, and all by yourself."
Madeline touched her paws to his and interlaced their fingers together. She allowed herself a small laugh, and a fresh tear streaked down her face. Jared promptly wiped it away.
"I know I don't say this very often, Isidith. But I really do look up to you, you know. A whole lot. You have so much strength and courage and heart inside of you. I wasn't there to support you in this endeavor, when I should have been. I regret heading off to my forge when I should have been staying for you. But you amazed me even when I wasn't there to see it."
He gazed deep into those cocoa-brown eyes that they shared. "You are the strongest, smartest, and most resilient squirrelmaid I know. I always knew you would be able to tell the Redwallers the truth. You truly were the best of us to do it."
Madeline's eyes brightened. The shining firelight danced in her brown irises. "You really believe that, Tinarandel?"
"I never had a doubt, Madeline," Jared rubbed his thumbs on the backs of Madeline's paws. "I believed in you to the fullest. You've done hard things before, and this was probably the hardest thing you've ever had to do. But you did it, and I am so very proud of you. I'm proud to have you as my sister."
The firelight danced over their bodies as they hugged each other tight. Jacob kept his distance and waited until the siblings broke their hug to approach.
"I won't dare intrude on your private business," he explained, his tone gentle. "But, well, if it's all the same to you," he started to rub the back of his head, grinning awkwardly. "I'm starving, and I'd like to go get some food. I haven't eaten much since I arrived in Mossflower; berries, nuts, roots. I've sorely missed Redwall's cuisine, you know what I mean?"
"We still have plenty of leftovers from our Nameday Feast yesterday," Jared explained as he and Madeline both got to their feet.
"You had a feast yesterday?!" Jacob broke into a grin, his canines glinting in the firelight. "Aww, I can't believe I missed it!"
He snatched his hat from the rack, plopped it onto his head, and proceeded to pull his ears out through the holes in the top. "In that case, I can't wait to sink my fangs into your leftovers!" The wolf pulled a cheeky grin, as if trying to lighten the mood of the moment, his canines glinting harmlessly in the firelight.
"You may go on, Jacob," Curtis gave the wolf a permissive nod. "I would say some words to the Sandeyes first, then we'll join you at lunch."
"I understand, Father Abbot," Jacob returned the Abbot's nod. "I know this is a private matter. I won't involve myself in it unless you explicitly require my help. I'll meet you all at lunch." He gave the Sandeyes one final courteous nod, then let himself out of the Gatehouse.
Curtis beckoned Jared and Madeline to his side. They obeyed and knelt on either side of his chair.
"In light of what Isidith revealed to us concerning your family history, I do believe it best that you two ultimately remain at Redwall. You are both a part of our Abbey family. For your own safety, and that of Redwall and Mossflower, you'll continue to live here. I have since come to understand that yours and Nagrig Deathblade's connections are serious matters not to be taken lightly. We understand that you need our help now more than ever. Your lives are in our paws. We will do everything in our power to protect you from Deathblade. He wants you for his own malicious ends. By any means necessary, we won't let him have you."
"You'll take care of us?" Hope glowed in Madeline's eyes. "You'll protect us from Deathblade and his evil corsair vermin?"
"We can stay?" Jared added, anticipation twinkling in his eyes. "You won't banish us, even though you now know who we are?"
"I swear by the legendary Sword of Martin the Warrior himself," Curtis placed a paw each on the siblings' shoulders. "We shall keep you under our wings and preserve you. If Deathblade wants to hunt you, then we'll hide you from him. The hunt turns against the hunter."
He wrapped his arms close about their shoulders. "Will you two continue to call Redwall your home, and stay under its security? Will you trust in the wisdom of Martin, until such time when he calls a Champion to defend his Abbey?"
Jared and Madeline exchanged thoughtful stares. Each appeared to be reading the other's mind.
Jared smiled at Curtis, warm and thoughtful. "Yes, Father Abbot. We will always think of Redwall Abbey as our home. We've always enjoyed living here. We wouldn't rather be anywhere else right now."
"We're happy to stay here, Father Abbot," Madeline added, her face likewise brightening. "We need Redwall now more than we've ever needed it before. I hope Martin the Warrior smiles down upon us and grants us his blessings, in whatever forms they may come."
Curtis wiped his brow in utter relief, his tense body unwinding. His chest collapsed in a long exhale. "Thank you, my children. It is a wonderful comfort to hear this from both of you."
He cuddled them close to his sides. "I promise you, we'll come up with ways to combat this terrible threat upon Redwall. Nagrig Deathblade shall not go unpunished for his trespasses. We'll keep you under the strongest protection. It may take calling some of our allies from across the world to do it. But rest assured that we will get it done."
He planted a tender kiss on their foreheads, then sprang to his feet, his face breaking into an expectant grin. "Now, my friends, to lunch!"
Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap.
Brother Timms tapped his maple cane on the red sandstone floor of the Great Hall. The world around the blind old fieldmouse seemed dark, gray, and dull. But to him, it still sounded, smelled, tasted, and felt as alive and vibrant as ever.
He smiled as a pack of Dibbuns scampered past him on their way down to Cavern Hole for lunch. His wrinkled ears twitched at the sound of their mischievous giggles and little footpaws pitter-pattering on the smooth red sandstone. He stopped short at the bottom of the stairs at the end of the Great Hall, looking up in no direction in particular as the sound of sandal-clad pawsteps came towards him.
Jared descended the large stone staircase, his blacksmith's apron slung over his shoulder. He stopped on the penultimate step above Brother Timms. He had the feeling the old mouse stared right back at him through those sightless eyes.
"Jared Sandeye?" Timms addressed him in that same aged yet soft voice.
"Yes, Brother Timms," Jared stepped down to the old Brother. "It's me."
"Oh, thank Martin it's you," Timms placed a relieved paw on his heart. "I was sore afraid that one of Deathblade's vermin had stealthily infiltrated our precious Abbey. The sound of your voice relieves my heart of that burden."
"I'm here, Brother Timms," Jared allowed himself a reassuring smile, even though he knew in his heart that the blind mouse would never see it. "What are you doing in the Great Hall? I thought Sister Falmur was escorting you to Cavern Hole."
"She was," Timms explained, nodding. "But I told her I wanted to stay a little while to commune with Martin." He pointed the butt of his cane behind him in the direction of the Tapestry, just as a flash of lightning dramatically illuminated the portrait of Martin the Warrior.
"Right." Jared exhaled in relief, nodding his understanding. "I suppose that makes sense."
"Come closer, Jared," Brother Timms asked, raising his paws. "Let me feel your face."
Jared tied his blacksmith's apron around his waist like a skirt, then leaned closer to Brother Timms, who tucked his cane under one arm. His wrinkled and delicate fingers traced every line of Jared's face, from his scalp to his chin, recreating a flawless, yet colorless, facsimile in the mouse's mind.
Timms frowned, his countenance darkening slightly, the lines of his own face falling sympathetically. "Hmm. Your face is hard, young one. You've known pain, and loss before your time. But there was a time when you smiled, and still do, in fact."
He dropped his paws down by his sides. A twinge of regret shot through Jared's heart, but he scarcely had the luxury of time to think about it before Timms asked, "Have you eaten lunch, Jared?"
"Yes, I have," Jared stuffed his paws in his pockets, leaning casually to one side. "Though I could scarcely go back out to my blacksmith's forge in this stormy weather, though. Did you need any help?"
"Nothing of the sort." Timms stopped his rhythmic tapping. "I'm hardly feeling hungry myself at the moment. I seem to recall you wanting to visit our Abbey Library the day after the Nameday Feast. Well, that day has come, Jared, despite its…most frightening beginnings."
Jared could not help but scratch his head awkwardly. "Oh. Right. Yeah, I forgot about that…"
He pressed his other palm to his forehead, shutting his eyes tight in frustration. "Nagrig Deathblade's dramatic reappearance affected my memory in all the wrong ways."
"Since the inclement weather is keeping you and your poor smithing forge apart," Timms pointed out, his tone inviting. "Let us head to the library. We'll be perfectly safe there."
Timms resumed climbing up the staircase, tapping his cane in front of him. "I daresay the books have sorely missed you, Jared," he joked. "No need to lead me; I know this Abbey better than anybeast else save our beloved Abbot."
Above the Abbey, near the lower attics, moderate rain splattered on the lofty glass reticulated windows of the Redwall Library. Lightning flashed between the rainclouds looming over the monastery. Booming thunder punctuated the silences between like a chorus of heavenly drums.
Brother Timms seated himself in one of the library's many chintz armchairs. Jared poured warm pumpkin spice tea into cups.
"I can sense your curiosity, Jared," Timms nodded knowingly at the squirrel. "I may not be able to see your face, but I can hear it in your heartbeat: the anxious spirit of inquiry, the righteous intent, and that youthful insatiable thirst for knowledge that no mere book can satisfy. You have an admirably strong heart, Jared. Yours and Madeline's relationship makes that certain. But an even sharper, quicker mind is what can truly carry your day. You know Redwall Abbey's history, I assume?"
"Sort of," Jared sat down with his teacup between his paws. "Wasn't Redwall Abbey built some twenty seasons after the destruction of Kotir?"
"Correct," Timms nodded, resting both paws on the head of his cane. "It was built by the first mice out of red sandstone harvested from a nearby quarry, based on architectural plans drawn out by Abbess Germaine and Martin the Warrior. As I'm sure you also know, Redwall Abbey's history is quite extensive, and has had a long line of Recorders. I am proud to count myself among their ranks."
"You were Redwall Abbey's former Recorder?" Jared realized, his eyes widening at the revelation.
"Yes!" Timms smiled radiantly. "I was but a young, fresh-faced lad when I first started; no older than you are now, Jared. I served under the late Abbess Wisteria, Curtis' predecessor, for at least four-and-a-half decades. Then, when my sight began to fail me – old age, you know –, I appointed none other than our own Jonathan Simblegum to be my successor."
"I imagine you're as full of stories as Abbot Curtis is." Jared now riveted his attention on Timms. He tried his best to sound respectful and interested rather than sarcastic or condescending.
"That and more," Timms chuckled, reaching out to blindly pat Jared on the knee. "I'm afraid there's very little action from my time, so we have to look back further. You already know about the exploits of Matthias, Cornflower, Basil Stag Hare, and Constance the Badger. Or about Mattimeo, who was taken away by the evil Slagar the Slaver, not unlike what Deathblade tried to do to you and your dear sister. Or I can relate to you the story of the Rogue Crew of sea otters from the High North Coast."
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin. "What else? Oh! Perhaps I could tell you about the Lilygrove Scout Corps! They were that group of dedicated woodland mice rangers who kept a vigilant watch over the lands between Mossflower and the mountain warrens, back when that wicked Cluny the Scourge haunted these sacred woods."
A sudden awkward grin pulled at his lips, and he laughed sheepishly.
"My apologies, Jared. I've been prattling on like an overexcited Dibbun on feast day. You didn't come here to listen to an old mouse's lecture, did you? You hold a question in your mind."
"How many Champions has Redwall Abbey had since Martin?" Jared asked, his tone earnest and his interest genuine.
"That's a simple question that requires a less than simple answer," Timms explained in an entertained bluntness. "I think we've got a record of all of the former Champions and Abbey Warriors in here somewhere. Your eyes are far better than mine, so you'll find it much faster. It must be in that shelf there."
He pointed his cane at one of the large bookshelves towering over them to their right. "If not, we can always check the Gatehouse once the rain subsides."
Jared hurried over to the bookshelf. He took the proper book out of the shelf and brought it over to a large maple round table. He also brought their chairs over and waited for the old mouse to reseat himself before doing the same. Timms carefully pried the book open.
"Phew!" He brushed a light layer of dust away from his muzzle, chuckling. "Goodness me, it feels as if this catalog hasn't been opened in over a decade. Doesn't anybeast spend time in libraries anymore?"
He took a thoughtful sip of his pumpkin spice tea. "Ah, delicious. I know full well that none of these names will strike you familiar, Jared, since you are not native to Mossflower. But all the same, I shall do my best to educate you if you so wish. Would you like to read the list of the former Abbey Warriors and Champions aloud, Jared? You may start with the squirrels if you like."
Jared sat the book in his lap, turning the pages. "Rakkety Tam MacBurl, I already know him." He stopped midway through the book and ran his fingers down a page. "Dannflower Reguba, Samkim, Abbot Arven—An Abbot wielded Martin's Sword?" he asked Timms, skeptical but intrigued.
"Yes, believe it or not," Timms answered, sincerely amused by the squirrel's unmistakable bewilderment. "Arven fought in the Battle of the Ridge of a Thousand, before going on to serve as Father Abbot for three seasons. He passed away after surviving a harsh winter, and was succeeded by Abbess Songbreeze Swifteye. It wasn't only male squirrels, either: Trisscar Swordmaid also wielded the Sword, the first and only female since to do so."
"What about mice?" Jared asked, taking a brief sip of tea. "I reckon there have been more mice warriors since Martin himself was a mouse. Not that I'm implying Martin harbored favoritism or anything," he hastily added.
"You're an intelligent young squirrel, Jared. Loss, tragedy, and death have not tainted your youthful innocence. I sincerely pray that it never does. You also have a sharp, direct wit about you that I honestly admire, but which sadly goes undervalued by others. You'll be surprised to learn that the ratio between squirrel and mice Champions is actually equal. Martin himself, and Matthias, Dandin the Swordcarrier, Mattimeo, and Martin II."
Jared continued through the catalog. "Tamello De Fformelo Tussock. Deyna, Tiria Wildlough, Laird Bosie McScutta of Bowlaynee, Clarinna…"
He skimmed through the rest of the book in mild bemusement. "It stops there. The remaining pages are blank."
"Clarinna was the last," Timms explained, rubbing the head of his cane on his chin. "She used the Sword of Martin after receiving a vision from him to use on Zwilt the Shade, Commander of the fearsome Ravagers and servant of Vilaya the Sable Quean, before he could kill her brother-in-law, Buckler Kordyne. She killed Zwilt and avenged the death of her fallen husband, Clerun Kordyne."
"There haven't been any Abbey Warriors since then?" Jared asked, furrowing his brow in confusion and looking up from the book at Brother Timms. "None in yours and Abbess Wisteria's time?"
"There was no need for such a defender in those days, no." Timms shook his head. "Those were seasons of peace. It seems that yours and Madeline's arrivals, and subsequently, Nagrig Deathblade's, have broken that cycle."
"I'm sorry…" Jared apologized in a sincere low voice, suddenly crestfallen. He gingerly closed the book and put it aside on the table.
"Do not apologize, Jared, truly." Timms reached out to take one of Jared's paws in his own and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Everything that happened today was outside of your control. The last thing we want you or Madeline to do is blame yourselves for this unexpected turn of events. If anybeast is to blame, it's Deathblade. You and Madeline have clean paws in this matter."
"I don't want anybeast's blood on my paws, Brother Timms," Jared confessed, his voice almost a fearful, anxious whisper. "Not my family's or anybeast else's."
Timms said nothing in reply. He only laid his cane sideways across his lap and took Jared's other paw in his. Jared, feeling a strange comfort course through him, slowly sat back down in his chair.
The same fond smile returned to Timms' face. "Jared, do you know the Redwall Abbey Charter?"
"More or less," Jared scratched his scalp. "I don't think I can recite it right off the top of my head, though."
"That is quite all right," Timms held up a gentle paw to soothe Jared's nerves. "You never seemed the type to be a member of Redwall's Order, anyway. The last section of the Charter reads thusly: 'To honor and protect friends and brethren, only raising paw to do battle when life at Redwall is threatened by treachery and the shadow of war; at these times every Redwall creature should show courage, fortitude, and obedience to the Father Abbot. The taking of another life must always be justified—'"
"'—and never carried out in a wanton manner.'" Jared finished for him.
"Indeed," was all that Timms said in reply, nodding in emphasis.
"Brother Timms," Jared leaned in towards him. "All due respect, why are you telling me these things? The tales of Rakkety Tam, Loamhedge, and Redwall's founding. The Champions of the past and the Abbey Charter. What's it all for?"
At this, Brother Timms leaned in until they were eye-to-eye. A knowing and secretive smile pulled at his lips. A twinkle appeared in his dark sightless pupils.
"To teach you to see with more than eyes."
Outside, Larina swept the red sandstone floors of the Abbey cloisters adjacent to the Belltower. She carefully brushed the last of the dirt into her dustpan. But as she was about to move to another cloister, a voice hailed her from across the lawn.
"Larina!"
Larina glanced in the direction of the salutation. A thoroughly soaked Madeline Sandeye came sprinting towards her, holding her gardener's apron over her head in vain.
"Larina! Have you seen Jared? I don't know where he went after lunch!"
"Goodness, Madeline, you startled me!" Larina held a paw to her heart in surprise. "I think Jared went to check on Brother Timms. Where have you been?"
Madeline hurried under the cloister and dropped her drenched apron by her side, trying to catch her breath from running across the Abbey. "During lunch, Sister Fanistra and I realized that we'd forgotten to lock up the greenhouse and close the windows. So, we had to hurry out there and fix it before the flowers got overwatered in their pots. It worked, but that didn't stop the rain from getting to us."
She shivered from the cold. "I need to go back to my dormitory and get a change of clothes—"
But Larina immediately took her by the arm, hurrying through the cloisters into the Abbey. "Let's go to my bedroom, it's closer!"
Madeline shuffled her feet in an attempt to keep up. "Are you sure, Rina? It's your room, and I don't want to invade your privacy!"
"It's okay, I don't mind, Madeline! We're friends, aren't we?"
"But…the broom and dustpan! The cloisters!"
"They can wait! Your health comes first, Maddie! Jared would be so worried if you caught a cold! Come on!"
Before long, Madeline found herself in Larina's bedroom, sitting in a chair and shuddering beneath a thick warm velvet blanket.
"I think some of my old clothes might fit you," Larina guessed from the other side of the bedroom, framing Madeline's figure with her thumbs. From her wardrobe, she pulled out a white flax linen chemise and a crimson chiffon petal skirt.
Madeline shook off the blanket, standing up to strip off her soaked clothes. Larina took her wet clothes and put them on the chair. She took a towel and ran it over Madeline's dripping wet body covered up by her underwear.
After they had wiped the last of the rain water away, Madeline took the dry clothes and carried them over to Larina's vanity table. She took her time putting them on. Larina stood by to smooth out any creases and wrinkles.
"Oh, Madeline!" Larina's eyes twinkled like stars, squealing like a squirrelbabe. "They suit you so gorgeously!"
"Do you really think so?" Madeline turned to her, beaming.
"Yes, I do!" Larina smoothed out the hem of the chiffon petal skirt and patted Madeline softly on the shoulders. "They used to belong to my mother, and she handed them down to me when they no longer fit her. You met my parents, didn't you?"
"I met them at the Nameday Feast," Madeline answered, nodding. "They're splending creatures. How come we don't see them at Redwall often?"
"They live in the westernmost parts of Mossflower," Larina took a hairbrush and seated Madeline in the chair before the mirror. She began to softly brush the younger squirrelmaid's headfur. "They love Redwall Abbey, but don't come around much because they're farmers. Anyway..."
She moved the hairbrush to smooth the backs of Madeline's ears. "Why don't you keep the clothes? I grew out of them months ago, and you're clearly more in need of fresh clothes than I am."
"You really mean it, Rina?" Madeline hugged Larina around her waist. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Larina giggled and gladly hugged Madeline back. "You're welcome, Madeline! Anytime you need or just want to try on new clothes, you can always call on me. I've got plenty to spare. You can model them in front of my mirror to your heart's content."
She leaned down to Madeline's eye level, unfolding the edges of the chamise sleeves. "Do you think Jared will like the clothes? I hope he does."
"What's gotten into you about my brother lately?" Madeline asked, a cheeky smile tugging at her lips.
"Why do you want to know?" Larina asked, raising an eyebrow and staring at Madeline with mock dubiety.
"Are you sure you're not interested in him?" Madeline turned her head sideways, studying Larina.
"Seasons, no!" Larina protested, squeezing Madeline's shoulders to reassure her. "Please don't think I'm here to take Jared away from you! I'd never dream of coming between you and him! That'd be so selfish of me!"
"I'm not teasing you or anything," Now Madeline raised her eyebrow, more inquisitive than suspicious. "I genuinely want to know."
"Of course I'm interested in him!" Larina blurted out. She suddenly slapped a paw to her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock. Taken aback for a moment, she gathered her wits.
"Well, er, I mean, um…" she rubbed the back of her head bashfully. "I mean that I haven't thought about it very much."
"Riddle me this, then," Madeline hoisted up the collar of the chemise. "What do you think of him?"
"Is this more for your curiosity or for mine?" Larina asked, trying her best to be polite.
"I want you to be honest with yourself, Rina," Madeline kindly took the hairbrush and laid it back on the vanity table.
Larina sat down cross-legged on the floor and put her paws in her lap, thinking deeply.
"I do think he's rather handsome." Larina looked up at Madeline, and an awkward giggle escaped her. She quickly suppressed it behind her paw, composing herself.
"You don't need to try to be ladylike all the time, Larina," Madeline laughed with down-to-earth levity. "You're not fooling anyone. Take it from somebeast who's descended from royalty herself. Come on, be sincere. What do you honestly think about him?"
"What do I honestly think about him?" At this, Larina clasped her paws together and tucked them at an angle on her shoulder, laying her head on them and closing her eyes dreamily.
"I think he's the most attractive male squirrel I've ever laid eyes on," she explained, a not at all subtle romantic smile spreading across her face. "His eyes as brown as cocoa have such a gentle strength about them. They always glow when the sun or moon hits them just right. His bangs hang curved downward and loose from his headfur. The way they move whenever he turns his head makes me melt. He's got that mysterious ruggedness about him that I can't help but be attracted to. He has such soft and smooth chestnut-brown fur that I would give anything to run my fingers through…"
She laughed and opened her eyes, interlacing her fingers together and looking back at Madeline. "He's so dreamy, Maddie! You're such a lucky gal to have him as your brother!"
"Dreamy, huh?" Madeline giggled in amused agreement. She smiled somewhat mischievously, thinking back to Jared and Larina's encounter outside the Orchard. "What about when you saw him shirtless for the first time a couple of days ago, when you two were hanging out in the Orchard?"
"Huh? Oh!" A deep blush colored Larina's cheeks, and she averted her eyes clumsily, starting to rub her arm up and down in a sensitive manner. "It was quite the surprise, for certain. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him!"
She held up a paw and then ran it slowly downwards through the air. "The way the water dripped down his bare chest and over his torso and stomach, his wet hair slicked back and flat behind his head, and his muscles…"
Her face reddened, and she made a most childlike squeak of innocent delight. "His muscles took all my restraint not to reach out and touch. I tell you, I nearly fainted on the spot when he approached me in the Orchard. Working in his blacksmith's forge day in and day out must do wonders for his body."
"Are you sure Jared's body is all you're attracted to?" Madeline furrowed her brow in mock incredulity.
"He has such a pure and tender heart beating beneath it, too," Larina added, her eyes twinkling. "He's always there for you, so patient and loving and kind, and speaks so soft and positively with such loving encouragement to you. I've always wanted siblings myself, and I envy the wonderful relationship you two have; I really do."
"Do you still remember that time you and Jared got caught in that terrible rainstorm last summer?" Madeline teased with a playful smile. "And he gave you his umbrella?"
"Wait." Larina stared agape at her, honestly surprised. "You know about that?"
"Of course I do," Madeline nodded, sitting up straight. "I was already in bed asleep at the time, so he told me everything that had happened the next morning. Jared and I never keep secrets from each other. It's sort of an unwritten rule we have."
She made a nonchalant shrug. "We tell each other anything and everything. I know how my brother thinks better than anybeast, and he knows me the same."
"I'm surprised that you know about that night, to say the least," Larina again rubbed the back of her head. "I wonder if Jared would be surprised to see that I've kept the umbrella all this time since that night."
"I'm afraid I don't know a lot about love myself beyond the family variety," Madeline shrugged again, this time a bit more noncommittal. "But I'm sure it's a very natural thing to like somebeast, Larina." She put a comforting paw on Larina's shoulder. "Don't run away from your feelings. They'll only catch up to you in the end when you least expect it."
"Enough about me and Jared," Larina's lips pulled into a half-smirk, her eyes glinting. "What about you? Any handsome male squirrels at Maraul who ever caught your eye?"
Madeline suddenly flushed bright red. She took her paw off of Larina's shoulder and stared straight at the vanity mirror, her mind wandering off in flights of distant fancies. "Well…there was one particular squirrel, a next-door neighbor of my family. Our parents were close friends, and we often got together for tea once a month on the weekends."
"Is that so?" Larina jumped up and down in her chair in excitement. "Who was this squirrel? Do tell, if you feel comfortable talking about him, that is."
Madeline looked fondly back at Larina. "His name was Divan Tonaka. He was a constant friend of ours, both a childhood playmate and trusted confidante. I don't know what it is or how to explain it. But I've always felt a closeness of some kind with Divan, something that I didn't feel from my brothers."
She shook her head, smiling thoughtfully. "It's probably just a silly, childish, schoolgirl crush. I'll bet it's gone away since my brothers and I left the Eastern Islands. I'm too young for this sort of thing."
"Maybe, maybe not," Larina shrugged, a small knowing smile upon her face. "Who can explain what these feelings are? We have to let ourselves feel them. Time will tell if we ever come to understand them."
"There's something else you don't understand, isn't there?" Madeline tilted her head to one side, suddenly skeptical.
"This whole Deathblade business," Larina explained, no longer trying to hide her true thoughts. "Yours and Jared's true names, the Eastern Islands, and your family. It all makes my head whirl."
"Yeah…" a sudden somber mood suddenly came over Madeline. She looked down at her paws, wringing her wrists. "Mine, too."
"Do you think you'll ever be able to figure it all out?" asked Larina, sympathy tugging at her heartstrings for the younger Sandeye sibling. "What it all means?"
"Honestly…I doubt I ever will."
At the sight of fresh tears welling in the other squirrelmaid's eyes, Larina promptly took her paws in heartfelt apology and gave them a comforting squeeze.
"I understand, Madeline. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. You're not ready to talk about this yet. But when you are, I'll be here with open arms and listening ears."
Madeline closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, followed by a long exhale. When she reopened them, she blinked her tears back. "Thank you, Larina. I really do appreciate your concern about me and Jared. When the time is right, we'll tell you everything."
"Of course, Maddie," Larina beamed and placed Madeline's paws in her lap. "If it would help, you can tell me all about the cute and handsome boy squirrels in your homeland instead…"
As the rainstorm wore on, Sister Falmur came to the Library to escort Brother Timms to lunch, leaving Jared alone. His eyes skimmed through a record of Redwall's former Abbots and Abbesses. He propped his legs up on the chair that Timms had earlier vacated.
Mortimer…Mordalfus…Arven…Songbreeze Swifteye…Humble…Thibb…
His eyelids slowly drooped, his head growing heavy. The names blurred together until they were misshapen blotches of black ink on the yellow-tan parchment pages.
Wisteria…Curtis…
His eyes shut and he nodded off, lulled to sleep by the hypnotic, meditative sound of the pouring pattering rain outside. His head fell sideways onto the back of his chair. The record remained open in his lap.
Time slowed to a complete stop in the Library. Rain hovered in midair above the ground and on the glass windowpanes. Trees and their branches stiffened until they were rigid amidst being blown in the heavy storm winds. Lightning froze mid-flash, bathing the world in a heavenly white aura.
"Jared Sandeye…"
The voice seemed to call to him from within the frozen time itself. Jared stirred in his chair, and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that time had stopped in its tracks.
He steadily stood up from his chair. The book slipped from his lap and fell facedown on the floor.
"Hello?" Jared called out to the silent Library. "Who's there?"
"Hear me!" the voice cried out, as if speaking from the awesome white light conjured by the frozen lightning cracks outside. "I am Martin the Warrior. You may not know of me, Jared, but I know of you, and of your sister, Madeline. War is on your doorstep. Redwall Abbey and Mossflower Forest are in great danger from the one you call Nagrig Deathblade, and his armies. A defender will be needed in the days and weeks ahead."
"Can't argue with that," Jared murmured under his breath. "All due respect, Martin, but I don't suppose you have a plan for Redwall and Mossflower's defense?" He raised his voice to address Martin, glancing around the Library in confusion for the source of his voice. "I reckon you've chosen your Champion by now?"
"Indeed I have," Martin's mighty voice boomed throughout the room, loud and clear. "That Champion, Jared Eolin Sandeye, will be you."
"Me?!" Jared protested, unable to process everything that the voice of Martin had said. "But…why?! I'm only a humble blacksmith, with nothing but amateur training in the ways of the sword at best! I'm no great fighter like you, Martin! Why are you choosing me?"
"Do not go looking for the answers," the voice Martin assured him cryptically. "The answers will find you."
Jared shook his head in adamant refusal. "But I am no Champion..."
He lowered his eyes towards his sandals in anxious shame. "I am no Abbey Warrior, Martin. I don't have what it takes to be a hero. I'm not like the Warriors of the past. Rakkety Tam MacBurl, Matthias, Dandin…I can't possibly carry on their legacy. That's too great of a burden to bear."
As he lifted his gaze back up, the specter of a mighty warrior mouse appeared before him. He wore a magnificent set of armor and leaned on an impressive sword. Jared sensed an aura of majesty and strength about him, contrasted by the warm, hopeful kindness in his eyes.
"Heed my words well, Jared." Martin advised, a tone of bright encouragement in his voice."I do not want you to be like me. Nor do I want you to be like the warriors of the past. I want you to be yourself. You carry the legacy of Redwall; but also, the legacy of your family."
"Redwall," Jared repeated Martin's final words in a soft and humble whisper. "And my family…" His head spun in utter confusion at Martin's vague statements. "Tinarandel…" he spoke his Eastern name slowly so that Martin could grasp the pronunciation.
"You've been asleep for long enough, Tinarandel." Martin raised a finger to touch Jared on the forehead. "Time to wake up."
Jared opened his eyes, breathing heavily. He found himself still sitting in his chair. The record lay open in his lap. The rain poured as normal. Tree branches swayed in the wind. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed in his ears.
"To teach you to see with more than eyes." The ominous words of Brother Timms resonated in his mind.
Immediately, he stood up and returned the books to their proper shelves. He drained his cup of pumpkin spice tea and wasted no time carrying the tray out of the Library.
Halfway down the stairs leading away from the attics, he nearly collided with Almoner Mack.
"Blimey, Jared, watch yer step!" Mack safely caught Jared gently by the shoulders. "Strike me rudder, ye nearly ran inta me! Wot's yer 'urry, lad?"
"Mack!" Jared passed the tea tray to him without a preamble. "Where's Father Abbot?"
"Where's Father Abbot?" the bewildered Mack blinked and staggered a bit as he tried to hold the tray in his paws. "Why, 'e is still down in Cavern 'ole, o' course, 'elpin' clean up afta lunch!"
"Brilliant!" Jared resumed sprinting down the stairs, leaving Mack behind. "Spread the word, I want everyone to gather in Cavern Hole!"
"Now?"
"Right now!"