"That 'un swimmin' about is Skipper of Otters, a chieftain. Pretty mousewife by the reeds is Columbine, jolly-lookin' beast with 'er is Gonff, Prince of Mouse-thieves, an' the liddle 'un is their son Baby Gonflet. Dinny Foremole you already know."
The hollow booming sounded out again, and this time Trimp saw that it was made by a squirrel beating on a hollowed section of tree trunk with two wooden batons. Ferdy nudged her. "That's Lady Amber, our Squirrel-queen. Come on, young 'un, off to the Council afore you sit down to eat."
Trimp followed Ferdy and Coggs to the orchard, where tables and benches were laid in an open square. Ferdy bade her stand back until all were seated. The traveling hogmaid could not wrench her eyes from the foodit was like being at the center of a delicious dream. Cauldrons of fresh vegetable soup steamed savory aromas around new oven-baked bread shaped into biscuits, batches and loaves. Cheeses, ranging from deep yellow to pale cream and studded with nuts, celery and herbs, were placed between heaped trays of woodland salads. Small tarts showed the rich hues of damson, apple, blackberry and greengage through their pastry-latticed tops. Jugs and pitchers of ale, fruit cordial and cold mint tea were being brought to the tables by servers. Trimp held her kerchief politely to her mouth, lest anybeast see it watering. Ferdy tugged her tunic hem and whispered, "Come on, missie, don't be afeared. Nobody will eat ye!" He led her round to the table nearest to the Abbey.
A huge, ancient badger, bent with the weight of many seasons, gazed at her with kind brown eyes and nodded. "Welcome to Redwall Abbey, little one. I am Bella of Brockhall. You look as if you have traveled far."
Trimp curtsied deeply. She liked Bella on first sight.
"Marm, I am Trimp the Rover, so traveling is my business. Since late winter, I have been walking from the northlands."
"Fourth clans? Did she say fourth clans?"
Next to Bella, the tiniest, oldest, frailest mouse Trimp had ever seen was sitting in a small cushioned chair, wrapped in a thick warm shawl. The mouse sitting on the old one's other side leaned close to her and spoke loudly.
"Northlands, Abbess Germaine. Our guest has walked all the way here from the northlands!"
He turned, smiling, to Trimp. The hogmaid warmed immediately to the sturdy beast, his strong features and friendly tone.
" 'Tis fitting to have one so pretty to grace our table as guest on summer's first day. I'm called Martin."
The mouse named Gonff, seated close by with his wife and babe, winked at Trimp and called out, "Aye, matey, an' he's never called late to table!"
Martin smiled at his friend and closest ally. "Hah! Look who's talking. The greatest grubsnatcher ever to lift a ladle!"
Gonff pointed at himself innocently. "Who me? I hardly ever touch food, matey. A crust an' a beaker o' water's good enough for me!"
His wife Columbine adopted an expression of mock surprise. "Lackaday, it must be the birds eating all those pies an' pasties I'm forever baking. What d'you think, Gonflet?"
Baby Gonflet chuckled uproariously. "It's me'n'daddy, we pincha pies'n'pattees offa windersill when they be's gudd'n'ot, us eatem all up, yumyum!"
Gonff covered his baby son's mouth amid general laughter. "It was his idea, Columbine. He's been leadin' me astray!"
Trimp took her seat amid the happy Redwallers. Old Abbess Germaine waited until Bella brought order to the assembly by tapping a spoon on the tabletop. Heads bowed while the ancient mouse recited grace in a quavery voice.
"May good fortune never cease,
Where we build and till the soil,
Mother Nature grant us peace,
And reward us for our toil.
Summer's come, now life is sweet,
Food is here for one and all,
In good friendship let us eat,
As one family at Redwall."
Bella served Trimp with soup, Martin passed the bread and cheese, Columbine piled a platter with salad for her and the charming squirrel called Lady Amber topped up her beaker with fruit cordial. Trimp went at it with the best. Dinny the Foremole shielded his mouth with a paw, whispering to the Skipper of Otters.
"Hurr hurr, dearie me, oi never afore see'd nobeast tuck into ee vittles loik miz Trimp. Zurr Gonff be eatin' loik ee buttyfly alongsoid o' that young 'un!"
Goriff the Mousethief wrinkled his nose at the mole. “I heard that, matey. Shove that cheese this way an' Ill show ye what a dainty eater I am. Hoi, Gonflet, get yore spoon out o' my soup, you liddle bandit!"
Columbine smiled sweetly at Trimp. "Like father, like son, I always say."
After lunch Trimp volunteered to help Martin and his friends hoist a roofbeam. Skipper and his crew were atop the half-timbered dormitory with mallets and pegs, awaiting the heavy oaken beam. The jovial otter jiggled the rope in its pulley block and called down, "Ahoy, mates, if'n we wait 'round much longer up 'ere we'll sprout wings'n'feathers an' fly off!"
Gonff secured the rope to the beam, and spat on his paws. "Right, mateys, let's send 'er up with a will. Anybeast got a good haulin' river song t'help out?"
Bella held up a paw in response. “I'll do 'Grumbledum Tugg' if you like!"
A groan arose from the hauling party. Baby Gonflet clapped both paws over his tiny ears.
"Not dat one agin, miz Bell, you alius singin' 'Grungledun Tuggs.' Ferdy say miz Trimpy be a good singer."
Bella sighed, bowing slightly to the hedgehog maid. "Trimp, nobeast is forcing you to sing, but it'd be nice if you'd oblige. D'you know any good hauling shanty songs?"
Trimp did, and she immediately sang out in a fine clear voice.
"Away O! Away O!
Haul hard an' take her out,
I'll tell ye of the Greenhaxvk,
An' her cap'n, ole Chopsnout.
Away O! Away O! Now bend yore backs an' heave ho!
Ole Reynard Chopsnout was a fox,
A bad corsair to boot,
Who ran his vessel on some rocks,
While searchin' 'round for loot.
Away O! Away O! Now bend yore backs an' heave ho!
So to the northlands he did steer,
The Greenhawk to repair,
A warrior who knew no fear,
Named Luke was livin' there.
Away O! Away O! Now bend yore backs an' heave ho!
That corsair came with all his horde,
I'll tell ye mates 'tis true,
Brave Luke took up his battlesword,
An' that bad fox he slew.
Away O! Away O! Now bend yore backs an' heave ho!
Then Luke called up his gallant crew,
And Greenhawk did repair,
He changed her name to Sayna, too,
Which sounded good and fair.
Away O! Away O! Now bend yore backs an' heave ho!
So Luke the Warrior sailed away,
He left the northland shore,
He swore an oath that one fine day,
He'd come back home once more.
Away O! Away O! Now bend yore backs an' heave ho!"
The beam was halfway up when Trimp stopped singing. Martin had his footpaws dug in firmly, holding the swaying oaken balk steady with the rest of his friends. He stared at the roving hedgehog, gritting from between clenched jaws: "What've you stopped singing for, missie? Keep on!"
Trimp returned his stare, shaking her head. "But that's all I know. I never learned the rest!"
Gonff slid forward a fraction as the beam began losing height. Urgently, he muttered, "Then start from the beginnin' an' sing it again, matey, afore we're all wearin' an oakbeam for a hat!"
Trimp sang the hauling shanty, as far as she knew the verses, twice before the beam was safe in the otters' strong paws on the dormitory top.
When the others went off to new chores, Martin called Trimp to him. Walking on either side of her, he and Gonff escorted her across to the gatehouse and showed her in. The Mousethief took flagon and beakers from a cupboard where he had hidden them, and poured drinks for all three.