"Rose, what is it?" Martin felt his own voice ringing strangely in the stillness.
She stroked the monolithic stone and pointed downwards.
"Noonvale!"
Through the trees, Martin saw the land dip down into a huge valley.
The blue smoke of cooking fires rose in a lazy spiral above the foliage, and small thatched rooftops could be seen here and there. An aura of time forgotten hung over the beautiful scene. The softly colored patches of flower gardens mixed with the unmarked boundaries of brightly hued orchards, while the light and sparkle of a stream cascaded into full bloom of a waterfall below. High above them, Boldred circled and wheeled on the thermals, casting her great wingshadow over them as she soared gracefully downward.
"See you in Noonvale, friends!"
They stood looking at one another for a moment, happiness brimming between them.
Grumm waved his ladle. "Hurr, we'm made et. C'mon!" He broke into a run, went head over paws through the loam and rolled down the valley side chortling happily, his three companions' paws thrumming the ground as they took off in a dash after him.
Urran Voh was not an old mouse though he was completely grey and wore a beard. As the Patriarch of Noon vale he was an impressive figure, dressed in a flowing green robe with a thick cream colored cord at its middle. His wife Aryah stood beside him, beautiful and motherly in a lilac gown embroidered with green leaves. Rose threw herself into their welcoming paws breathlessly.
Both mice hugged their daughter affectionately. Aryan's welcome for Rose was interspersed with anxious enquiries about her son.
"Oh, Rose, my Rose, you're home. Did you find your brother? My, you've grown taller, slimmer too. That rascal Brome, did you see him?
Did he mention his mother and father? Noonvale has been quiet without your singing, Rose. Is Brome following along? Will he be here soon?"
Rose's heart sank. Brome and Felldoh had not found their way to Noonvale! She could only hope that they were safe, somewhere . . .
Rose began gasping out her story, but Urran Voh held up a paw.
"Later, it is enough for now that you are safely home, Rose. No doubt you've risked life and limb several times to help your brother. You must realize that Brome is a born wanderer, never content and stubborn to the last word. Well, that young mouse is getting big enough to look after himself. But if you've agreed to meet up here, I expect he'll turn up sooner or later. Maybe someday he'll have sense enough to stay in Noonvale and not go dashing off every time the mood takes him. Ah! Grumm Trencher, you good mole, greetings.
Who are these two young creatures?"
Grumm introduced them. "Yurr be Pallum an' Mar then 'ee Wurrier, zurr. They'm wunnerful gudd friends to oi an' Miz Roser."
Rose's mother Aryah cut short the introductions busily "We can talk later. You must be starving. Rose dear, show your friends where they can wash and find clean robes, then bring them to the Council Lodge. I must prepare a homecoming party for you!"
Sometime later Pallum and Martin stood at the entrance to Council Lodge. It was an immense, homely old thatched building, its foursquare banquet tables dominating the centre beneath smoke darkened rafters. Rose and Grumm led Pallum and Martin in.
Bathed in blossom water and clad in a clean faded purple tunic, Martin held Rose's paw, standing slightly behind the mouse maid. The Lodge was packed with the inhabitants of Noonvale. They stood, cheering Rose and Grumm heartily.
Rose tugged Martin's paw. "Come on, take a bow, Martin."
The young mouse bowed formally amid the applause. Urran Voh waved him up with the other travellers to their places at table.
Everybeast stood as the Patriarch raised his goblet. "Good food, good friends and peace for ever in this place!"
"May the seasons always be kind to Noonvale!" a multitude of voices answered as one.
They sat, and the welcome party began.
Throughout his life the memory of that happy day stayed locked secretly in Martin's heart.
He sat with Rose between her parents, speechless at the sight of the abundant tables. Flowers trailed everywhere, from the rafters, walls, windows and table edges. Roses, lilies, vines and blossoms festooned the whole place, twining around the urns of strawberry cordial, dandelion and burdock cup, mint and lavender water, chestnut ale, blackcurrant wine and cider. Platters and trays were heaped high with salads, cheeses, breads and pasties whose contents he could only guess at. Babies and little ones seated on their parents' laps gazed longingly at the array of trifles, flans, puddings, pies and tartlets, each with its honey covered contents peeking through mounds of cream.
Grumm chose a deep slice of cherrycake glazed with candied nuts.
Allowing the tiny mole sitting with him to take a huge bite, he chuckled. "Burr hurrhurr, doant boite off more'n you'm can chew, Bungo!"
It took a while for the infant to swallow it all. He tugged at Grumm's snout. "Hurr, then get oi some staw b'rry drink, Nuncle Grumm. You'm wouldn't loik oi to purrish o' thirst!"
A friendly hedgehog maid sat next to Pallum, offering him various savoury delights. "Try our leek and chestnut pastie. Here, let me pour some thyme and radish sauce on it for you."
Pallum dug in gratefully. "Thank you, marm. Most kind of you, marm."
"Marm? What do you think I am, some old spike maid?" she laughed. "My name is Teaslepaw. Have you tasted our chestnut ale?
My family brews it."
Pallum flushed beneath his spikes, burying his snout in the beaker.
"It's very tasty, marm, er, Peasletaw, Paw seltea, er, marm!"
Martin and Rose chose a damson and hazelnut flan topped with mintcream. They attacked the plate from both sides, meeting in the middle of the platter. Rose wiped cream from Martin's nose with a napkin.
"What'll we try next, cherrycake?"
Martin shook his head vigorously. "No thanks, I don't want to go to sleep yet!"
They both laughed, remembering the sly Aggril.
Boldred was slightly too large for any seat. She perched on a windowsill, demolishing a wild plum and apple pudding, watched by a group of admiring youngsters.
"Can you eat all of that by yourself, Missus Boldred?"
The owl raised a large talon. "I can eat three of these without stopping. This is excellent!"
The onlookers' eyes grew even wider. "Three plum 'n' apple puddens. Great seasons!"
The party went on until late into the night. Nothing was stinted, there was an abundance of everything for every creature. The guests sat back, sipping mint and lavender water as a quartette of otters performed an acrobatic dance, while a band of mice and moles accompanied them, playing a lively slipjig on reed flutes and drums.
At a nod from Rose, Martin excused himself quietly, and followed the mousemaid and her parents to their cottage.
Urran Voh relaxed in his favorite chair. Aryah took out her embroidery. She sewed slowly as they listened to Rose tell of their adventures.
Martin sat at a window seat, letting Rose do all the talking. As Rose described the evil and cruelty of the slaves' lives at Marshank, her parents' faces became more and more grave.
Rose came to the end of the tale. Her father nodded, "You did well to return home, Rose. While there is such evil you should be here with your family. If only Brome could see this too. I am sorry that he and his friend Felldoh are not here safe, as you are. Let us hope he has the good sense to see that the outside world is not for him and he returns to us before the autumn."
Martin took a deep breath. "Sir," he said, "I agree that Noonvale is a haven of peace. Would that we could all live in such. But outside there is evil, and I cannot rest here knowing that those I lived with in slavery are still under the heel of Badrang. I came here for help. Will you allow me to ask for that help among the folk of Noonvale? There may be some here who would join me in a quest to free my friends from slavery."
Urran Voh's face was serious. "You ask a great deal. Our creatures have never seen war, they are dedicated to our life of friendship and peace."