User blog:MajorPerigord09/There was good in Veil

Chpater 1
It was very late afternoon at Redwall Abbey. It had been a scorching summer, but this day was slightly cooler. Redwallers who were outside rested in the shadows of shady trees, while otters splashed and played with Dibbuns is the pond, and elders sat in the orchard, talking of old times. It was truly a typical, peaceful day at the legendary Abbey of Redwall.

Abbess Meriam was sitting in a chair by the pond with some elders, watching as the Dibbuns played in the shallows of the pond, supervised by the young otter twins, Blatt and Scrimmo, and their mother. Next to the mouse Abbes sat Old Bella, ancient badger mother of Redwall. Bella was so old she seldom found time to leave her big armchair in her room anymore, but she had decided to venture outside to enjoy the beautiful summer day. A molebabe called Druny trundled up to her and shook himself off, pond water flying every where as he did.

"Hurr, Miz Bel, coom and splasher with oi in ee pond!" The little fellow said in his odd molespeech, tugging his nose respectfully to his elders.

The ancient silver badger lifted him up onto her massive lap, despite his being wet, chuckling as she did. "Oh, dearie no, little one, I'm far too old for swimming and splashing, I wouldn't want to have to have a strong young mole like you have to pull me out."

Flattered at the compliment, Druny grinned. "Ho urr, marm, maybe ee shudd stay dry out here, you'm seem like ud take a long toime to fish ee out of the ponder!"

Heartwood, an old otter who was sitting one the other side of Meriam, leaned over to join the banter. "Ahoy, Druny mate, don't worry, I'd help ye, we'd get ol' Bella out together!"

Druny looked up at the gigantic old badger. "Hurr, best get a few more h'otters, mister Heartywood zurr!"

Smiling at the molebabe's remark, Abbess Meriam called out to the otter twins. "Blatt, Scrimmo, will you round up those Dibbuns and get them dry, it will be time for dinner soon!"

As the young twins began calling the babes out of the water, an middle aged mouse came up to Meriam, with a rather urgent look on his face. Meriam saw that he looked concerned.

"Barlom, friend, what is it? Is something wrong?"

Barlom the trusty recorder of Redwall, made his report quickly. "Visitors, Mother Abbess, Sumin's here, and he's got Jodd and another with him, and Jodd's injured badly. Sumin's got bad news!"

The Abbess could see her squirrel friend Sumin, and the hare Jodd, with another squirrel standing near the Gatehouse. Sumin and the squirrel were holding Jodd up. The hare was bleeding badly, from gashes in his torso and an arrow wound in his shoulder. Meriam could see that the other squirrel was injured too, with a missing ear and a bloody footpaw. Immediately the experienced Abbess whipped into action. She called to a slender female mouse sitting in the orchard, who had not yet seen what was happening.

"Sister Withe! Two injured beasts at the gates! Take two helpers and get them to your sickbay now! Barlom, friend, go into the Abbey and fetch Friar Bunfold, Bryony, and Foremole! Bring them back to gatehouse for an emergency meeting with Sumin! Bella, Heartwood, I want you there too. Blatt and Scrimmo, take the Dibbuns inside and tell Myrtle to start dinner without us all. Come Heartwood, help me get our badger mother to the gatehouse!"