Song had already pondered this idea. “Ah, but you must remember, Dann, they’re solitary creatures by choice. I’ll grant you that they like visitors, but if they were to live at the Abbey, perhaps they wouldn’t be able to get used to constant company and living night and day without the solitude they’ve come to love so well. Besides, Soll and Goody are old and set in their ways. I don’t think they’d take so easily to a new life.”

Goody Brimm turned and winked at Song. “Right, me beauty. You show great wisdom for one so young!”

The squirrelmaid felt her fur prickle with embarrassment. “Oh, marm, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was speakin’ so loud!”

Goody’s head nodded up and down as she chuckled. “Heehee, you weren’t. Sometimes my ole paws let me down, but these ears o’ mine are sharp as the day I was born. What’s more, when I hear yore voice echoin’ round this great boat that Soll’s carryin’, it sounds a lot louder, I can tell ye. Heehee!”

Burble agreed with the old otter. “Ah yiss yiss, missus, I carried that boat over me head wid these three fer nigh on a day. D’ye know, they near drove me mad wid their chatterin’ an’ singin’ echoin’ through me pore young ears. Yiss!”

Dippler stared at the watervole quizzically. “Did I ’ear right, matey? Somebeast near drove you mad by chatterin’? Are yer sure ’twasn’t the other way round, eh?”

Several rivulets joined in a small valley to form the stream. In the gathering twilight they heard the water sounds as they trekked through the trees toward it. Simple pleasure showed on Soll’s heavy face. “You see, me liddle dearies, I told you I’d get ye here afore dark, an’ I was right, was I not?” Placing the Swallow onstream, Soll held it still while the four friends stowed their supplies, climbed into the vessel and took up their paddles. Then Soll and Goody Brimm bid them farewell.

“Go ye now, an’ fortune sail with you, my dearies!”

“Aye, an’ make them scones last well, ’twill be a long time till you taste any so nice!”

“Should you return safe from yore venture, be so kind as to call an’ visit ole Soll again some sunny day!”

“You must all come an’ see me too, but stay a bit longer next time. Be careful now, go safe an’ take our best wishes with ye!”

The Swallow cut her way out to midstream, with the four friends calling their goodbyes to the two good creatures waving from the bank.

“Thanks for everything, both of you. We’ll come back, never fear!”

“Aye, a Guosim nose can scent scones bakin’ anywhere, marm!”

“Yiss yiss, tell me friend Croikle to ’ave more jokes ready when we call back this way, sir!”