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you think she will stay here as Guardian?"
"I'm certain, Abbess. Martin the Warrior said it should be
so.
Vale sat back in her chair, folding her paws into the habit sleeves as her eyelids began to droop. "You must forgive me, it has been a long day and I need to take a little nap. Samkim, I always knew you would come back. You have returned Martin's sword, and tomorrow the Wild King MacPhearsome will restore it to its place on the weathervane. There it will stay to watch over our Abbey. My heart is glad, because not only did you bring the sword, you brought us our beautiful badger, Mara. Heroes Samkimwe were never short of them: Thrugg, little Dumble, Arula and yourself, brave creatures all! What more could an old one like me desire than to rest here with Redwallers enjoying themselves in good health, peace and happiness..."
The young squirrel and the badger maid sat watching the Abbess of Redwall as she slept quietly, surrounded by her friends in the orchard on a high sunny afternoon in the Autumn of the Homecomers.
44
The great Joseph Bell pealed out mellowly over the warm spring evening as an old mole grandmother made her way slowly over to the small cheery fire that glowed by the beech-log in the orchard. The infant mole was toasting a chestnut on a stick at the fire, and his friend the dormouse elder was dozing.
Taking the little mole by his paw, the grandmother whispered, ''Come on, Burrem, et be yurr bedtoime long since, bring thoi chesknutter with 'ee."
Paw in paw they strolled back toward the Abbey dormitories, the old one questioning her grandson.
"Wurr et a gudd story, Burrem?"
The infant trundled along, nodding. "Hoo urr, it serpintly wurr, tho' oi thinks that ol' dormouser be a gurt fibber, Gran-murr."
She stopped and wagged a heavy digging ciaw at him. "Gurr, maister Dumble b'aint no fibber, you 'pologize roight naow, young un!"
The infant mole smiled winningly at her. "Oi 'pologizes, Granmurr 'rula. You wutr in 'ee story so it must be 'onest true, burr aye!"
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Old Arula patted his velvety head. "You'm forgived, young ripscullywag."
They continued walking to the Abbey.
"Whoi does Maister Dumbie allus sleep outside in 'ee orchard, Granmurr? Him'n doant go t' bed in 'ee durmitory."
"Oh he'm a-stayen out thurr every noight fer long seasons naow, Burrem, waitin' on heaglyburds an' falkies t' come back. S'pose someday they will, hurr."
Together they entered the Abbey, leaving the door open, as it always is to welcome any traveler to Redwall.