"Bryony, get out of 'ere, run!"

He smashed his father in the face as hard as he could, desperately trying to buy her time, trying to let her get away. He didn't care about the massive badger Swartt had tied up, he didn't care about dying…

He didn't even care about revenge against Redwall Abbey. His one thought was to save her, the mousemaid who had always given him everything, and always received nothing in return.

Swartt had leaped on him, javelin in hand. Veil tried to parry his thrusts with a small knife he had found, but with each slash of the spear Swartt held, he realized this would be the last stand of Veil Sixclaw.

The Poisoner, they had called him, that day when he had been cast out, with tears in his eyes and his paws blood-red. Did that matter anymore? If Bryony survived and returned to the Abbey, would they ever tell tales about him around the fire in Cavern Hole? Would they ever think about him as good in the end?

No, thought Veil. None of them would forgive me. They were innocent and pure, and I tried to kill their innocence.

Swartt thrust again, nicking his ear as he did so. This is it, he thought, as Swartt drove the small knife from his hands. The whole camp had dissolved into chaos, all were running willy-nilly, he couldn't see Bryony anymore…

He felt the cold shock of pain as Swartt's javelin went through his chest, just below his ribs.

The world seemed to stand still. The wound wasn't fatal, but all the strength seemed to run out of Veil with the blood that was now pooling on the ground and building up in his throat.

Swartt drew in close. With a sadistic leer in his eye, he whispered eight words in Veil's ear.

"The mouse? We'll take her niiice and slow!"

Tears sprang to Veil's eyes as he realized it had all failed. And as he stood dying, a memory rose to his tired mind.

He was a small Dibbun, just barely able to walk, and was with Bella, the old badgermum, and a young squirrel Dibbun named Firetail, whom he had bullied constantly. He had just taken Firetail's last apple, and Bella had not seen.

"Mother Bellaaaaa!! Veil took my apple!"

Bella had turned around, amused. "So, Firetail, what are you going to do?"

At that moment, a change came over the young squirrel. A glint had come into his eye, and without another word, he leaped up, punched Veil in the eye, and relieved him of the apple.

The memory returned to Veil as he stood on the top of Duskskin's mountain. He's going to torture Bryony, Veil, he told himself. What are you going to do?

What are you going to do, Veil?

With the last of his strength, he pulled the spear from his middle. Before the astounded eyes of his father, he broke the point of the javelin, and plunged it into his father's throat.

Swartt gurgled, smiling to the end. "You think it's over now, son?"

Veil gasped for breath. "It is now, dad."

Swartt grinned all the more. "Oh, no it's not. You see? Now you're a murderer, son, and you never just kill once. Oh, no. You'll always be a killer now, they'll never take you back. You'll slash and stab all the way to Dark Forest."

And with that, Swartt Sixclaw had died. Veil stared at his grinning corpse a moment longer, and then collapsed.

He woke with Bryony looking over him. Without another word, she had flung herself on him.

"Oh Veil, Veil, I knew you weren't evil, I knew you'd see! Now we can go back!"

"Go back?" said Veil weakly.

"To Redwall, silly! I'll tell them all about how good you were and –"

"I can't go back, Bryony."

Bryony looked up, stunned. "What?"

"I've made my first real kill, Bry. You think they'd take me back now?"

"But Veil, you just –"

"Bry, you would know better than anyone. You gave me every chance, and I always let you down. I was cast out because I let you all down."

"Veil, please."

"You see my paws, Bry? They're red because I couldn't just lead a life that was as good as the others. I can't go back."

With tears in her eyes, Bryony of Redwall realized just how hopeless it had all been. And how right Veil was.

"I'm so sorry, Veil."

"So am I. I wish I could go back, I wish I could lead that life, but…"

"Veil, what will I tell them?"

"Tell them Veil Sixclaw died as horribly as he had lived, with one act of goodness to his name."

And she had left with Togget, saying one very long, hard goodbye, and leaving Veil with an emptiness in his heart where the desire for revenge had been.

And Veil had sat there a while longer, atop the mountain, and even after Sunflash and Sabretache had left later in the day with the others, he still sat there, wondering what to do with what was left of his life…