So dance or sing, do anything,
You're free free free free freeeeeeeeeee!
"Hurr, that's wot 'ee think, Gonffen. You tell 'im missus."
"Gonff, come and help me to get the stopper off this strawberry wine, right
away."
"Immediately, my Columbine, O nurse of warriors and charming mouselet. I'm
coming, my little candied chestnut."
There were roars of laughter.
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Timballisto flopped down on the edge of Martin's blanket.
"So, you're awake, mate. The Abbess said it'd be sometime today."
Martin smiled and grasped his friend's paw.
"Don't worry, I'm back now. How long have I lain here?"
Before Timballisto could answer, Ferdy and Coggs dashed up.
"Ha, so you're awake, sleepyhead," Ferdy teased.
"Yes, fancy dozing off when there's a party," Coggs added.
The Abbess and Bella came over, decked in flowers and carrying a bowl of
woodland vegetable soup, which the old mouse started feeding to Martin from a
ladle.
"Good evening, Martin. Don't answer, just keep eating; we want you up and
about as soon as possible."
The warrior mouse did as he was bidden. Soon all the woodlanders had gathered
around him.
"Look, Martin's awake now!"
"My, my, doesn't he look well!"
"Urr, loivly as pepper V strong as ale."
"Haha, ahoy there, shipmate."
"Well, how do you feel, Champion of Mossflower?" Bella chuckled happily.
Martin gazed about him at the friendly faces and smiled through the tears
falling from his eyes.
"Good to be alive, Bella!"
There was a loud cheer, then the voices poured in thick and fast.
"Guess what, matey—while you were asleep I wedded Columbine."
"Yes, Gonff's given up being a thief—I've seen to that."
"Ha, we found them a place, y'know, while we were out on border patrol down
south along the path. It's just inside the woods."
"Yes, it's a tiny old church called Saint Ninian's or some-such. How it came
there, goodness knows. It's all overgrown and rickety.''
"Oh, my Gonff will soon fix that up."
"Hey, matey, have you noticed that the lake's gone down a bit? Skipper and
Log-a-Log have practically refloated Wuddshipp. "
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"Indeed they have. Before summer's out we'll be shipping stone down from the
quarry near Gingivere's Farm."
"Have you heard? We're going to build a great stone Abbey."
"A huge place where we can all live together."
"Right at the side of the path, not far from where Gonff will be living with
Columbine."
Bella waved her paws for order. "Hush now. Go and enjoy yourselves. Our
warrior has fallen asleep listening to your chatter."
The fires burned low, though the festivities continued on the lakeshore as the
sounds of happiness drifted up into the soft summer night, traveling onto the
places beyond the stars, where legends live.
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Some creature was knocking on the gatehouse door.
Bella of BrockhaU rose slowly from her armchair by the embers of the fire and
shuffled across to the threshold.
A fine plump mouse stood framed against the starstrewn night. He entered,
nodding toward the small mouse who lay asleep, propped up on the arm of the
chair by a cushion.
"I knew he'd be here listening to your stories, marm."
Bella squinted closely at the plump mouse. "You must be Gonff, son of Gonif
and Columbine from Saint Ninian's. I thought I recognized your son. He's the
image of his grandfather."
The plump mouse chuckled. "Aye, you'd better check your candied chestnuts and
cheese, marm. There's nothing safe while he's around. Lucky he's asleep, eh."
Bella picked up the sleeping mouse with great gentleness. "Little rogue. Look,
his tunic's full of acorns. Wonder where he got them from. Come on, I'll carry
him back home for you."
Together they made their way south along the dusty path, Bella talking quietly
as they went.
"Pity he went to sleep like that, I never told him of the great vow that
Martin made when he hung up his sword to become a Redwall mouse. Or of the
wonderful feast when the main gate was raised. That was when you were born,
y'know. Hoho, we certainly made a double celebration of it
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that summer. Skipper of otters ate so much that he sank in the Abbey pool, and
Lady Amber dived in to fish him out. Did your mum and dad ever tell you about
it?"
Gonff, son of Gonff and Columbine, nodded, smiling in the late autumn night.
"Aye, at least a hundred times, matey!"
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The last day of autumn was hot and bright as midsummer. Still as a millpond,
the sea reflected a cloudless blue sky. Seabirds wheeled and called, soaring
lazily on the warm ther-mals above the sun-baked sands of the shore.
Two hares stood shaded by the cave entrance, watching a folly grown male
badger plough his way wearily across the beach toward them. He was big and
dangerous-looking, the fierce light in his eyes glinted off the metal tips of
an immense warclub which he carried easily in one paw.
The hares stepped from the shadows of the rock into the sunlight, the stranger
stood before them, pointing at the mountain.
"What do they call this place?" he asked.
The oldest of the hares, a male, answered him.
"Salamandastron, the place of the fire lizard."
The badger gave a huge sigh. Leaning against the rock, he rested his club on
the sand.
"I feel as if I've been here before," he said strangely.
The female hare produced victuals from within the cave entrance. "Rest awhile.
Eat and drink. I am called Breeze, and this is my brother Starbuck. What do
they call you?"
The badger smiled. He touched one of his headstripes, which was yellow rather
than white.
"Some call me Sunflash the Mace. I am the son of Bella and Barkstripe. I'm a
traveler."
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Starbuck nodded in satisfaction. "Your travelling is at an end, Sunflash, you
are the grandson of Boar the Fighter and great grandson of Old Lord Brocktree.
It is written on the walls of our mountain that you would come here someday.''
Sunflash straightened up. He stared hard at the hares.
"Written, you say. By whom?"
Breeze shrugged. "By whoever wrote that other hares will follow after us. That
is the way it has always been and always will be."
Both hares stood in the cave entrance. They bowed to the badger. "Welcome to
your mountain, Sunflash the Mace, Lord of Salaraandastron,"
The high sun above watched as the badger and the hares went together into the
mountain on the shores below.
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