Abbot Gareth strolled around his beloved abbey walls as the splendid light from the sunset bathed them in a reddish orange glow. He watched as two mice herded the eager abbey babes, or dibbuns, inside. Gareth chuckled. He had a certain soft spot for the dibbuns. The twin bells of Redwall Abbey rang out across the country side, spelling out a message of peace and happiness. With one more look around the abbey grounds and Mossflower woods surrounding it on three sides, Abbot Gareth hurried into dinner.

A joyful and rambunctious mood reigned in the large dining hall, called Cavern Hole.

Otters sang loud ballads, hedgehogs talked loudly to one another, moles had boasting contests, squirrels compared bows, and mice mingled with all. The abbot swept down the length of the room, between the centermost tables, and took his seat at the head of the biggest table in the room, spanning the back wall. His ornately carved chair was in the middle of the table. He sat down, and all attention was turned to him. He stood back up. "Welcome all! Otters, squirrels, hedgehogs, voles, mice, shrews, and moles! Welcome to young and old to our summer feast!" A great cheer went up from all gathered at his words. Gareth paused until the cheering stopped to continue his speech. "We are assembled here this night to celebrate, appreciate, and welcome the new season! But we are also here, perhaps first and foremost, to EAT!" Further words were drowned out by the response to these words. Every beast sat down to enjoy the wonderful feast prepared by the chief friar of Redwall, Heidrun, A short and skinny mouse, Heidrun was the best cook in Mossflower. She was extremely shy when it came to strangers, but when it came to her kitchen and the food prepared in it, she was the fiercest warrior in the abbey. She sat at the head table, with the rest of the elders, talking with Raeburn, the hedgehog in charge of the cellars.

Motya, the residing female badger responsible for the dibbuns of Redwall, was on the other end of the head table, with three of the abbey babes on her lap; a mole, a squirrel, and a mouse. The formidable badger was huge, towering over every other beast in the abbey. She was extremely gentle with the babes, though, and they loved and trusted her above even their own parents.

Abbot Gareth looked over all the friends laughing and eating together and beamed. He remarked to no one in particular, "I love seeing every creature together in harmony like this." An ancient mouse to his left, Bridget, the recorder, replied "Aye, it does my heart good, especially to see young Baldric interacting. He is a rather solitary mouse."

The Abbot watched the young mouse laughing with the squirrels and otters. His mind wandered back to when the young mouse's parents had been killed outside the abbey gates.

It was cloudy. Gareth pulled his cloak tighter around himself, shielding himself from the cold drizzle. The gatekeeper, Napier, hurried toward him, a wrapped bundle in his arms. The abbot took it from him. It was a mouse babe, a boy. "Crawled under the bush at the side of the road. Didn't even cry or flinch when I shone the lantern over him. He's a hardy one." the keeper told him. The abbot gazed down at the bundle in his arms. "We'll call him Baldric, for brave." Napier repeated the name. "Baldric. It fits."

"Father Abbot?" An inquiring voice startled him out of his memory. Sister Cerise looked at him with quizzical concern. "Are you ready to go outside for the entertainment? she asked. "Ahem, yes, yes, quite." Gareth stood up. "Now that we are fed and watered, let us go outside for some entertainment." The crowd stood up and swept out of the dining hall.

A silky brown paw reached delicately for the silver bowl on the table beside the ornately carved throne. The Marten looked supremely down at the rat cowering at his feet. It popped a sliver of candied fruit in it's mouth. "It was a mistake sire! A mistake!" the rat groveled. The martin stroked his chin. "A mistake? Hmm.....I do not tolerate mistakes, but perhaps I can make an exception?" The rat looked up at him with a desperate hope in his eyes. Fortunately for the rodent, the elegant marten was feeling merciful. "Yes. An exception. I will go easy on you, for your mistake is not serious. Take him away and lock him up with the slaves. He will work as one of them for one month. And bring me Erebus. " The marten stood, and, ignoring the cowardly soldier at being dragged from the room sobbing thanks, and walked to the a window over-looking the sea and took a deep breath, smelling the brine brought in by the breeze. "You summoned me Lord Athanasius?". The monarch turned, his paws clasped behind his back. "Tell me, are the slaves building?" His advisor looked taken aback. "Yes my lord, always." Athanasius sat on his throne and smiled at his advisor. "And what are they building?" Erebus was puzzled. "Barracks.....and they are busy repairing the wall that was crushed during Raven-tails assault." Suddenly the marten flung the bowl at his servant "THEN WHY AREN'T THEY DONE? THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR 3 SEASONS! DOUBLE THE WORKLOAD AND SHORTEN THE FOOD! WE ARE PREPARING FOR WAR!" Erebus bowed reapeatedly as he shuffled out of the room. "It shall be done Sire."

So what did you think? I welcome all your reviews! Oh, and a little background info:

Athanasius ~ means death

Baldric ~ means brave

Gareth ~ means gentleness

Any way, bring on the criticism!