Brian Jacques - [Redwall 10] - The Long Patrol

Pasque Valerian paused from her salves and dressings, capturing Tammo with her soft voice and gentle smile. She

pointed skyward. “I don’t have to tell you anything, Tamm. Just look up.”

Tammo felt the other three staring upward with him.

Fading from dark blue to light, dawn was breaking, with threads of crimson and gold radiating wide. Pale, cream-

washed clouds lay in rolls to the east, their undersides glowing pink with the rising of tfte sun. Somewhere a lark was

singing its ascension aria, backed by waking curlews on the moor, and wood pigeons in the copses.

The spell was broken abruptly as the little owl Taunoc swooped out of nowhere to land at the rift edge. “I see by

your returning warriors and the vermin carcasses lying everywhere that you won the battle.”

Perigord wiped his saber blade with a pawful of dewy grass. “Aye, we won!”

Taunoc nodded sagely, preening his wings, ready for flight. “I will carry the good news back to Redwall Abbey. Is

there anything else you wish me to add?”

Tamello De Fformelo Tussock dried his eyes and smiled. “Tell them ... tell them we’re coming home!”

54?

Extract from the writings of Craklyn the squirrel, Recorder of Redwall Abbey in Mossflower Country.

Healing the wounds of war takes a very long time. It is four seasons since the victorious warriors returned to us,

but still the memory of that terrible time is fresh in all our minds. When Lady Cregga was brought to our Abbey, we

feared greatly for her. She spoke little and ate even less, lying in the Infirmary with her whole head swathed in

bandages. Pasque Valerian and Sister Viola both knew Cregga would be blind, even before the bandages were

removed.

Alas, when we did unbandage her, the rose-colored eyes were no more. They had been replaced by tightly shut

eyelids. She no longer had the desire to slay, the Bloodwrath, they call it; all that was gone. Throughout the winter she

remained in an armchair by the fire in Cavern Hole.

It was pure accident that a miraculous change was wrought in her. One day the baby Russano got loose and

crawled off, and we found him perched in Lady Cregga’s lap, both badgers entirely happy. Since then she lives only to

rear and educate Russano. He is her eyes, and now that he can walk in a baby fashion, they are seen everywhere

together. Tammo reminded me of the second half of the rhyme Martin imparted to him:

One day Redwall a badger will see,

But the badger may never see Redwall,

Darkness will set the Warrior free,

The young must answer a mountain’s call.

After the battle, the Warriors buried the Rapscallions in the rift and our own on the ridgetop. When spring arrived,

they returned to the Ridge of a Thousand (for that is what it is known as now). Major Perigord took Lady Cregga’s big

axpike. Moles chiseled a hole into the top of the standing rock on the summit, and they cemented the axpike in it,

upright, with the old green homemade flag that bears me red letter R fluttering proudly from the piketop. There it will

stand until the winds of ages shred the banner and carry it away with them.

The moles are good stonemasons; they carved Pasque Valerian’s poem to the fallen on the rock.

Slumber through twilight, sleep through the dawn,

Bright in our memory from first light each morn,

Rest through the winter beneath the soft snow,

And in the springing, when bright blossoms show.

Warriors brave, who gave all you could give,

Offered your lives so that others would live.

No one can tell what my heart longed to say

When I had to leave here, and you had to stay.

Aye, there are memories that die hard and others that we want to keep forever. What courageous creatures they

were; as the Long Patrol would say, perilous!

I wish that little Russano would never grow up, but that is an idle and foolish thought. One day he will have to take

his place on that mountain far away on the west shores; he will be Lord of Salamandastron. Lady Cregga is certain of

this. He is a quiet youngster, but he seems to radiate confidence, understanding, and sympathy to all about him.

Already the hares call him Russano the Wise.

The owlchicks of Orocca and Taunoc are big birds now. My goodness, how quickly they grew and learned to fly!

They chose the names Nutwing, Nutbeak, and Nutclaw, because “nut” was the only word they spoke for a full season.

All three are fine birds, though not as well-spoken as their parents and inclined to be a bit impudent at times, but they

are still young.

I am the official keeper of the medals, did you know that? I’ll tell you about it. The treasure we brought up from

sunken Castle Kotir was melted down by order of my good friend Abbess Tansy. She decreed that a solid gold medal,

each set with a separate gem, would be made for everybeast who fought at the Ridge of a Thousand. Redwallers get a

ruby, Waterhogs and otters a pearl, shrews a peridot, and hares a blue John, every one set in a small gold shield

attached to a white silken ribbon. But I am left in charge of them all because they will not wear them to work!

What work, did I hear you say? Why, the rebuilding of our south wall, of course. Major Perigord, Skipper, Log-a-

Log, Gurgan Spearback, and our own Arven all agreed that they cannot abide idle paws. So we have a veritable army

working on the south wall, filling holes, tamping down earth, and relaying the massive red sandstone blocks. It will

soon be completed, and then there will be double reason, nay treble, for festivities. One for the new wall, and two to

celebrate the lives of those lost in the battle last summer. The third reason is so exciting that I can scarce bring myself

to write about it.

Tammo and Pasque are to be wedded!

It’s true! Taunoc flew off some time back to bring Tammo’s family from Camp Tussock to attend the celebrations.

Mem Divinia was very proud of her son, and even old Colonel Cornspurrey had to admit that his son was a true Long

Patrol warrior. Abbess Tansy saved enough gold and three beautiful emeralds to make a paw bracelet for Pasque. She

is the prettiest hare I have ever seen, and I personally think that she knows more of healing wounds than anybeast. But

don’t tell Sister Viola I said that. Alas, even Pasque can do nothing for Tammo’s limp, which the spear wound in his

leg caused. But Tammo just laughs when asked about his injury. He says that he never intended being a Runner and

gets about better than most. I agree with him, the limp is hardly noticeable.

When the sad day arrives that Russano has to leave us, our Abbey will not be without a badger. Lady Cregga has

decided to live at Redwall as Badger Mother. The Dibbuns adore her, and though she has massive strength, her

gentleness toward them is touching to see. And talking about seeing, Mother Cregga is learning to see more without

the use of her sight than most of us can see with two eyes!

The Guerilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower, or the Guosim, as they are known, have faithfully stayed at our

Abbey to help rebuild the wall, as have the Waterhogs. Redwall is full of fast-growing Dibbuns with even faster-

growing appetites. Log-a-Log has been hearing the call of the streams and rivers of late, though he says he will wait

until Russano is ready to go, then the shrews can accompany him.

Gurgan Spearback keeps his houseboat on the water meadows, merely for the pleasure of his large family. What a

quaint beast Gurgan is. He has relinquished Chieftainship of the Waterhogs to his eldest son, Tragglo. Gurgan’s great