Brian Jacques - Redwall #06 - The Outcast of Redwall

A war that would begin two dawns later.

27

“Where has my little blue honeypot gone?

Friar Bunfold wandered distractedly around RedwalFs kitchens, mixing batter in a bowl that he carried as he went, searching hither and thither. “Sister Orris, watch those pasties, theyre beginning to leak gravy on the floor. Has anybeast seen my blue honeypot? I had it with me on the cooling slab, just after breakfast. Bryony, did you move my honeypot? You know, the small blue one?

Bryony placed a tray of scones on the window ledge to cool. “No, Friar, Im sorry, I havent seen it. Maybe you left it in the wine cellars when you went down for damson juice.

Bunfold beat the mixture in the bowl furiously with his ladle. “No, it never leaves this kitchen. That pot was very special. It belonged to my mother, and she gave it to me when I became Friar here. Ahh! Young Veil, cmere, wheres that honeypot, eh?

Bunfold put aside the bowl and caught the ferret by one ear, shaking him vigorously.

“Yeeeaah! Lemme go! Yowch! Veil squealed. “I dont know anythin about your ole honeypot! Aaaaargh! Bryony!

The mousemaid was between the two like a flash, pulling Veil from the wrathful Friars clutches. “Leave him alone this very instant, Friar Bunfold! How dare you treat Veil like that! Why should he know anything about your honeypot? Youre always blaming him if anything goes missing!

Sister Orris looked up from her pasties. “Thats probably because Veil is usually the one responsible! she said.

Bryony turned on the Sister. “Thats not fair, hes changed! Veil only did things like that when he was a Dibbun!

Myrtle the hogwife shook her paw disapprovingly at the ferret. “Aye, well, he aint a Dibbun no more, but thingsre still goin astray.

Veil ran behind Bryony and, poking his head over her shoulder, he stuck out his tongue at Myrtle. “Yah, fatty ole spiky, go an boil your snout!

“What in the name of goodness is going on here, may I ask? Abbess Meriam had glided in unnoticed. Silence fell in the room. She looked from one to the other. “Please explain all the noise and shouting.

The explanations came thick and fast, everybeast trying to get their say in at once.

“That liddle robber, hes taken my honeypot!

“No, he never, Abbess, theyre always blaming Veil!

“Thats cos hes always to blame, missie!

“No, he isnt, youre all against him!

Meriam held up a paw for silence. “Friar Bunfold, did you see Veil take the honeypot? she asked.

“Er, well, no, I didnt, Mother, but I know it was him!

“He never, Mother, he never!

“Keep out of this, Bryony! Veil, did you take Friar Bun-folds honeypot?

“No, Mother Abbess, I never took it, an he twisted my ear!

Meriam pursed her lips at the Friar. “Please, do not ever do that again. There will be no violence in this Abbey. Come immediately to me if you have a grievance against anybeast.

She turned away from the chastened Friar and placed a paw under the ferrets chin, lifting his head. “Look me in the eye, Veil. Now tell me, and I want the truth, you have nothing to fear: Did you take the pot?

Veil blinked back tears as he tried to return Meriams gaze. “I never took it, Mother Abbess!

Meriams paws disappeared automatically into her wide sleeves. “Then the matter is finished and done with. Nobeast saw Veil take the pot; he should not have been accused without proof. I believe him when he tells me he did not take it. As for your honeypot, Friar, I know it is valuable to you, so we will instigate a search right away. Togget, you will recruit any Redwaller who is not busy at the moment, bring them here, and let the search begin.

Bryony felt so angry at Bunfold and Myrtle that she could not bring herself to help with the search. Putting a paw around Veils shoulders, she led him out into the orchard. The fruit trees and berry bushes were still; not a single leaf moved in the shimmering warmth of midday. Bees humming and the muted sounds of birdsong from beyond the walls in Moss-flower added to the tranquillity of the verdant glade. Bryony sat beneath a gnarled apple tree. The Abbesss reprimand to stay out of the dispute weighed like a stone on her heart.

She patted the grass beside her, saying, “Come and sit by me, Veil.

The young ferret remained standing, pulling the leaves, one by one, from a red currants foliage. “Weve missed lunch yknow. He sniffed.

Bryony folded her paws and hunched forward, head down. “I dont know how you could even think of food at a time like this. Id be sick if I tried to eat anything. Take an apple if youre so hungry.

Veil plucked a rosy apple that was ready to drop from a low bough. He bit into it, spat out the piece, and flung the apple away rebelliously. “Dont want one! Theyre all against me in this Abbey!

He dashed off out of the orchard. Bryony half rose, calling after him anxiously. “Veil, come back, Im on your side, you know that!

But he was away, dashing off to the bushes near the south wall stairs, a place he often went to in times of trouble.

Bryony sat alone, her mind in a turmoil. Since Veil had been a Dibbun, things had gone missing, and each time she had defended him, never able to believe he was the thief. Often he was caught red-pawed; then she would apologize for him, lectures would follow, then tears and solemn promises from Veil that he had changed his ways. Bryony knew he had not, but she had cared for him, nursed him, and comforted him; the mousemaid loved Veil as if she were his real mother. Standing upright, Bryony wiped her eyes and clenched her paws resolutely. Today would begin a new era. She would assure Veil of her faith in him, show him that others tould like and trust him if he was honest with them. He would discover happiness through goodness, and together they would learn to shake off the clouds of mistrust, until Veil earned the respect of all Redwallers!

The young ferret was growing tall and strong, lithe and sinewy like the father he had never known. He sat in the cover of the bushes alongside the south wall stairs, tossing the blue honey-pot in the air and catching it skillfully with his agile, six-clawed paw. Smiling craftily, he licked the last of the honey from inside the pots rim. Maybe he might have sneaked it back into the kitchen when it was empty. But no! Friar Bun-fold had twisted his ear; the fat stupid mouse would pay for that by never again seeing his beloved blue honeypot.

Bryony knew where Veil would be. She climbed the east wall stairs in the afternoon heat and wandered slowly along the battlemented top of the outer wall, hoping to catch a cooling breeze. Seeing the bushes moving in Veils hiding place, she remained silent, peering down to see what he was doing. The blue honeypot rose above the bushes as he threw it high and caught it. Bryony held her breath and ducked low, and she bit her lip hard to stop herself crying out.

Holding the pot close in to his side, Veil hurried over to the Abbey pond. Nobeast was there to see him, they would all be inside the Abbey at lunch. Bryony had watched him from her position on the walltop; now scurrying, bent low, she dashed around the battlements, descending the wall stairs at the southwest corner. Arriving at the opposite side of the pond, she peered through a screen of rushes at Veil.

He filled the pot with water and spoke to it. “Thanks for the honey, always tastes sweeter when its stolen. Nobeast will ever see you again. Just think, Im the last creature on earth to touch you. Good-bye, little blue pot!

He threw it high over the pond, drawing in a breath sharply as he realized that he had thrown it too hard. The pot flashed blue in the sunlight as it splashed down at the far side, right in the center of the rushes. Bryony crouched low, watching Veil.