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Chapters (50)
  1. TRAPPED
  2. Title Page
  3. Map
  4. BOOK ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. BOOK TWO
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. BOOK THREE
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44

“I say, chaps, any room for another jolly old contestant?”

“Steady on, Pikkle Ffolger. You’re in the middle of a pie-eatin’ contest with me.”

“Haha, so I am, Tubbyguts old lad. Hold the soup—I’ll be with you as soon as I’ve dealt with this Guosssom glutton.”

“Ach, yon skinny lang-legged laddie is a braw scoffer. Ah’d hate him tae visit mah nest for a season. Pass some o’ those candied chestnuts, will ye, Tammbeak.”

“Awa’, yer no doin’ sae bad yersel’ for an injured falcon, if ye’d tak’ yer beak out o’ yon trifle an’ look at yersel’, Rocangus!”

The son of Laird Mactalon did take his beak out of the trifle long enough to rip away the dressing from his wing. He flexed it and gave a wild whoop. “Kaahey! Mah wing’s workin’ again. Thrugg, yer a bonny riverdog!”

Immediately he was in the air, circling and soaring around the high spire and redstone turret of the Abbey. Wheeling out, he swooped down and glided majestically over the heads of the revellers in the orchard as they cheered and hurrahed.

*   *   *

Abbess Vale smiled contentedly at her old friend. “My my, Faith, they are enjoying themselves. I do hope we don’t run short of anything.”

“Humph!” Friar Bellows leaned over between them. “Short, did you say? You should see the supper spread I’ve laid out in Great Hall—it would feed an army through a hard winter.”

Mara shook the fat mouse solemnly by the paw. “Thank you, Friar Bellows, you have done our Abbey proud.”

Abbess Vale smiled as she grasped the badger maid’s paw.

“Did you hear that, Samkim? She said ‘Our Abbey.’ Do 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 Samkim—we 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.

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