Eventually, all ropes will snap, be cut through, or rot away to nothing. There is no ribbon, string, or cord that can withstand everything. Except one. There is one, and only one, that will last past the deaths of the beasts who are its keepers. It is the invisible, intangible bond that holds loved ones together.
This is the classic bedtime story. It is a tale of tyranny and oppression, and of the light that dawns in good hearts, a light known by many names: courage, valor, selflessness, but most of all, love. This light is the very foundation of what Redwall stands for: steadfastness in times of crisis, and the simple yet powerful thing called freedom. The story I will tell now is of all that and more, but most of all it is about an event that taught me much about the importance of family, about this mysterious bond that binds us all together, and especially about a desperate desire for redemption that lasts even beyond the grave.
--A memoir by the Apprentice Recorder of Redwall Abbey, under the direction of Sister Melanda, in Mossflower Country
Of the four young martens, Kyru was easily the biggest and strongest. Lean yet sinewy, with smooth fur and quick, dark eyes, the oldest brother could clearly hold his own in a fight.
The second brother was smaller and less fiery. Venlow was more soft spoken than his older brother, less quick-tempered, and much more diplomatic about convincing others to listen to him.
Dante was the third son, and he was nearly as fierce as Kyru. He was good with fire and metals, so many of the Juska vermin looked to him to repair any broken weapons, or make new ones.
Last of all was Cody. Upon birth, he had immediately been disowned by his father for his undersized, slight appearance. So his brother Venlow had taken it upon himself to look out for him. In time, Cody had developed an innocent, childlike trust for him. And in return for Venlow's devotion, Cody had entrusted him with his greatest secret. His deep, doleful blue-green eyes were useless. Cody was blind.
From then on, Venlow did his level best to keep the secret hidden. Their father, Harun Lok, had issued a decree that any babe born with a disability would be killed along with its mother. They were Juskalok, and weakness was not tolerated. Females were nearly useless; they were good only for making more warriors or slaving to the superior males. As the Juska Chief's mate, Kara Lok was treated better, but she was also subject to her husband's rages. As for the kits... they were nothing more than future soldiers.
In time, Cody allowed Venlow to reveal the great secret to Dante, but the three of them agreed that not a word was spoken to Kyru. There were many rumors going around that Kyru would be the next Taggerung; if that were to be true, and Kyru found out about Cody's blindness (not to mention the fact that Venlow and Dante were hiding it), then there would be Hell to pay.
Then the dream came.
Venlow found himself standing in a dark woodland, surrounded by mist. I knew there was something funny in that trout that Figger caught, he told himself bitterly.
"Hello, Venlow Lok," a strange, echoing voice resonated in the foggy atmosphere. A mouse, dressed in armor and bearing a magnificent sword, marched into his view.
"Venlow! VENLOW!" Cody came dashing up with Dante behind him. The former's eyes were bright with happiness as he stared around wildly. "I can see! I can see!"
Dante, however, took a more uneasy approach to their situation. "Where are we?" he demanded. "And who's he?"
"My name is Martin the Warrior." the mouse replied calmly. "Once you awaken, your brother will be blind once more. But you must listen to what I have to say. You must not say any of this to your father, your brother, or even your mother. This is not my first dealings with beasts in a Juska clan who are not happy with a violent life."
Without thinking, Venlow blurted, "Zann Juskarath Taggerung the otter, right? Warriors always tell stories of him, how he began speaking of a mouse in armor shortly before deserting the Juskarath clan."
"My name is Deyna of Redwall," a new voice informed him. A tall, muscular otter joined the mouse Martin. His hard, warlike eyes fixed into those of all three young martens. "I rejected the Juska the day I left. Now you must do the same. Go to Redwall Abbey. Seek out the young one who has risen from the clouds of conceit, and the child of the mountain who dwells in Abbey walls." Venlow opened his mouth to question him further.
Then the three of them woke simultaneously, and Cody whimpered slightly when he realized that he could no longer see.
Unbeknownst to the three of them, Kyru also dreamed. The big marten thundered through the battlefields of his subconscious, striking left and right with a huge sword with a jewel-encrusted handle. Woodlanders fell before him as they tried in vain to bring him down, the mighty Taggerung! He had no need of an army at his back; he could slay a thousand enemies and emerge without a single wound. And suddenly, something caught his eye.
In the midst of the slaughter, a lone ferret stood with a fiery inferno blazing at his back. He was young, probably only about as old as Venlow. But his dark eyes were sad as the strange creature watched Kyru massacre his dream-foes with a killing joy. Then everything around him halted. The huge fire no longer roared and flickered, and the woodlanders around him ceased to move.
Kyru looked down, shocked, at the dream-mouse he had just run through. He struggled to free the sword, but the shining weapon turned to black dust in his paw. Frustrated, Kyru stood back and realized that the ferret was now standing beside him.
"What did you do?" Kyru snarled accusingly. The ferret shrugged, and gestured with a red paw to the face of the dream-mouse that Kyru had just killed. With a jolt, Kyru realized that the ferret's left paw bore six claws rather than five.
"I'd never known vermin to dream with such detail," the ferret remarked, ignoring Kyru's question. He spoke truly; the mask of frozen fear and defiance on the dream-mouse's face looked as clear as if Kyru were in the waking world. "And with such accuracy." Kyru looked. The mouse he had just stabbed had died purposely; he had jumped into the path of the blade to block the killing blow from the young squirrel behind him. Kyru noticed the expression of sadness in the ferret's eyes as he looked upon the petrified mouse.
"Aw, what do you care?" Kyru said scornfully, spitting carelessly on the ground. "It's just a dream, and you just interrupted it when it was getting good."
The six-clawed young ferret laughed mirthlessly. "Oh, I see nothing good about this hideous creation of your mind," he replied, shaking his head. "Perhaps I might have, back before I was killed. But a lesson can be learned in no more time than it would take to hurl a javelin. Or," he added meaningfully with another glance at the mouse "to jump in front of one."
Kyru stared at him curiously. "Are you a vermin warrior of olden times, come to teach me to be great?"
With a half-smile that bore no emotion at all, the ferret answered cryptically. "Yes. In a way."
"Who are you?" the marten queried, narrowing his eyes. The half-smile widened slowly, and the strange vermin answered in rhyme.
"Give him a name and leave him a while
Veil may live to be evil and vile
Though I hope my prediction will fail
And evil so vile will not live in Veil."
Kyru stared at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"A badger by the name of Bella of Brockhall wrote that rhyme before she gave me my name," the ferret replied. "Take heed of what I have told you, my friend. I will be seeing you again soon."
The vision faded, and Kyru was back in his own bed. Like an echo, the strange six-clawed ferret's voice rang in his mind.
"They gave me a name and left me a while
Maybe I did become evil and vile.
But, in the end, their prediction did fail
I am the Outcast. My name is Veil."
All right, new fic! So, what do you think? Too rushed? Too long? Pretty good? Flame-worthy? I hope I can finish this one, because I had to euthanize my last one. It died, and I couldn't rescusitate it. :P
--Adderstar of ValorClan