A/N: I know I usually do my notes at the end of series fics, but this ending is kind of powerful. No, that's not the right word. Profound, I think. Yeah, profound. (Profound? I'm 11!) I don't like the title, can anyone suggest a better one?

This has a dedication, Cesar Salazar, who requested it. Thanks for e-mailing me!

Dandin shaded his eyes, and then gave a yell, startling Mariel.

"What?" she called, balancing herself precariously on the branch.

"The Abbey's on the horizon!"

This time Mariel really did fall out of the tree. Luckily, it was not far from the ground, and she landed on the softest thing possible in that area - Dandin.

They collapsed laughing on the earth, before recovering themselves sufficiently enough to strike camp.

It was well into noon before the abbey loomed up close, and Dandin wiped his forehead with a kerchief.

"It's hot," he complained.

"Understatement of the season," Mariel remarked, taking the kerchief from him, and wetting it with a drop of cold water - though it was already soaked with sweat on the boiling hot day - before rubbing her own face.

"And in the abbey they'll be serving cold mint tea and trifles straight from the pantry," said Dandin wistfully.

"And if you want some of it, you'd better get a move on," snapped Mariel, the heat making her irritable. Then - "Sorry. But it's so hot…"

"I know," said Dandin, flopping against her. "I feel the same. You'll have to carry me these last few yards."

"No, I won't. You carry your own weight - if you're heavy, then that's your fault for eating too much!" retorted Mariel, pushing him away. Dandin snorted.

"Eating too much? That's a good-'un. We've been starving ourselves for about a season!" cried Dandin in mock horror.

"Shows how much you eat then, doesn't it?" replied Mariel astutely. "It's only been two days, because we only ran out of food then."

"Maybe, but it feels like a season, and my stomach is always right. All it says is, 'has the throat been cut?'."

Mariel inspected her friend's neck carefully. "Nope, no bleeding. Can't have been cut."

"All right, Mariel, you win," said Dandin disarmingly, and Mariel fell for it.

"Don't I always?" she retorted.

"But you can't have this time," said Dandin suddenly.

"Why?"

"Because my stomach only asked, and it's a figure of speech, so it doesn't count, so I won - again," burst out Dandin.

Mariel sighed. She hoped the abbey wasn't a mirage.

It was Saxtus who spotted them first.

"Mariel! Dandin!"

"Where?" asked Rufe.

"Over there. You can see two figures - and I'd bet my life it was them!"

The Redwallers hurried around to greet the two warriors. They had been gone three seasons.

"Welcome back!"

"Mariel, finally!"

"Dandin, you old rascal, Mother Mellus would spank you if she was here!"

When the greetings were over, the two warriors were ushered to seats in Cavern Hole.

"There's a feast tonight," explained Tarquin, helping himself to meadowcream pudding. "One to celebrate the beginning of the autumn. They're going to call it the Autumn of the Storms."

"Will there be storms?" asked Mariel, her eyes wide.

"Simeon says so. Big ones too, lots of thunder and lightning."

Mariel shivered in the boiling heat. Dandin noticed.

"Are you all right? You've gone pale."

"I'll be all right. It was just - "

Dandin nodded understandingly. Even though Gabool was dead, Mariel still had a fear of storms - or rather, the memories they brought back.

But nothing could spoil the pure joy of the moment, and soon Mariel was laughing and dancing again, free as the air. Dandin watched from the sidelines, playing on his flute with Tarquin accompanying him on the harolina.

"I say, old chap, you won't be able to work the next thingy on the jolly old windpipe. Best go and join the dancers, wot?"

Dandin shrugged and laid down his flute. "All right. What is the next song?"

Tarquin Longleap Woodsorrel did not answer. Instead, he played a few bars of the current tune, and then stopped, making a face.

"The old strings have got a bit wet, m'lad. Don't worry, soon be sorted, wot, wot?"

Dandin laughed and went off to join Mariel, bowing in a mock-courtly way. "May I have the next dance, my dear friend?"

"Why, certainly," answered Mariel, imitating his posh voice.

The introduction sounded, and it was recognised as an old favourite, 'Marigold Bay'. It required partners, and Dandin grabbed Mariel's paws and swung her round, still laughing. It was a comic song, and soon the dancers were laughing too hard to dance. Only Dandin and Mariel completed the song, working their laughter into the dance.

"Marigold Bay, my love, my heart

Oh, oh, Marigold Bay!"

It was a typical hare song; a spoof of an old melody about wishing to be at a supposedly wonderful place named Marigold Bay.

"Marigold Bay, that's where I love

Oh, oh, Marigold Bay!"

The Redwallers were bright-eyed and laughing at the comical way Tarquin played, balancing on one foot while he sang in a high, reedy voice, adding further to the hilarity. Rosie herself could not see what was wrong, so she turned to Treerose, who could not control her giggles.

"I don't see what's so funny. Please tell me this blinkin' moment!"

Treerose could only shake her head, too weak with laughter to talk.

"Marigold Bay, it's a beautiful place

Oh, oh, Marigold Bay!"

There was no way anybeast could stifle their giggles now. Even Mariel and Dandin were shaking with unexploded laughter as they swung each other round.

"And so I end my ditty

Maaaaaariiiiiiigooooooooold Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!"

Tarquin finished off-key, the notes grating against every Redwaller's ears. However, they were laughing too hard to care. Finally Rosie saw the joke, and even the most gentle or deaf Redwaller wished she hadn't.

"Whoohahaha! That's a good'un, Tarkers! Good old Marigold Bay! Whoohahaha!"

*

But even the jollity of the evening couldn't prevent the storm from beating against the windows of the dormitory, and Dandin found Mariel pale as a ghost, almost in tears.

"The storm?"

Mariel nodded. Dandin put an arm round her. "Don't worry."

"I'm not…" whispered Mariel, weakly trying to hide the fact that she was terrified.

Dandin wisely did not comment, but drew his friend closer to him, hugging the small figure.

"Everything's going to be fine…it's just a storm."

"I know," said Mariel sarcastically. "I can hear it."

Dandin grinned, and let go of her. "Don't cry, now, or I'll send for your father!"

Mariel smiled. "And I suppose you wouldn't stop at resurrecting Gabool?"

Dandin grinned again. "Oh, I think I would. I'm not that bad!"

Mariel raised her eyebrows. "Prove it."

Dandin shrugged. "Don't have to."

"Let's not argue…'night, Dandin."

" 'Night, Mariel."

Something had changed during those few minutes. Perhaps it had always been there in their mutual lives, but merely sleeping. Or maybe it had just landed in upon them, no hard feelings. Either way, nothing would be quite the same again.