Veil Sixclaw

Veil Sixclaw was a young male ferret. He was the son of warlord Swartt Sixclaw and Bluefen. Like Swartt, Veil had six claws on his left paw. He was named Veil by Bella of Brockhall, an anagram of the word "evil."

While Swartt and his family was traveling through Mossflower Woods, he was sidetracked by a group of woodlanders hoping to distract him from Redwall Abbey. The group of squirrels and otters were successful; however, Veil's nursemaid was killed and the infant Veil became lost. Swartt made no effort to look for him and moved on, abandoning the child.

Skipperjo found Veil and brought him to Redwall, where Bella named him. It was decided that Veil would be placed in the care of Bryony, a gentle young mouse, and her mole friend, Togget. While an infant, he showed signs of violence, biting anyone who dared to approach him.

As Veil got older, his behavior continually became more and more difficult. He was untrustworthy, unlikable, and nasty to everyone he encountered. Veil often stole from others and denied it later. Eventually, in a move that shocked the Redwallers, he tried to murder Friar Bunfold by poisoning him with wolfbane, however he ended up unintentionally poisoning Myrtle instead. Believing that he had stained his paws with the deadly plant, Veil attempted to wash them with a special herbal solution. However, the cleanser was a ruse devised to reveal the culprit, and Veil was caught and imprisoned in The Cellar while a decision was made regarding his punishment.

Bella banished Veil from the Abbey for his harmful actions, instructing him never to return. Veil wandered into the woods, alone, while Bryony, who had cared for him like a mother, wept while she was held back.

Veil decided to seek out his father. Unbeknownst to him, Bryony and Togget followed behind. Veil traveled to Bat Mountpit, where he finally connected with Swartt. The two male relatives quickly despised one another's presence, ultimately attempting to murder each other. After Swartt captured Sunflash the Mace, Veil fought the ferret leader at the top of the mountain. Bryony tried to free Sunflash during the fight, but Swartt threw a javelin at her. Noticing this, Veil placed himself in front of the javelin, saving her life. Fatally wounded, he died shortly afterward in Bryony's arms.

Trivia

• In Ask Brian Vol. 2, Brian Jacques responded to a reader who asked if he saw Veil as a "good guy." Jacques replied "As to Veil and his final motives, I deliberately left that for the reader to decide. I have had many opinions and the jury is still out." In Tribes of Redwall Mice, it is stated that Bryony comes to learn that "inborn evil is irreclaimable."