Prologue

It had been 7 seasons since Mattimeo, Tess, Auma, Sam, and Tim along with Cynthia and Jubilation were taken from their homes by Slagar the Cruel. Now, Sam Squirrel, a young strapping adolescent squirrel, about 16 seasons old, wore a brown belted tunic with a sword scabbard around his waist. He and Elmtail, a grey squirrel clad in a sleeveless robe with belt and twin daggers strapped to his waist. The two squirrel companions formed the Mossflower Patrol. The Mossflower Patrol were similar to the Long Patrol, but instead of hares, it was made mainly up of squirrels, although, other beasts such as mice, shrews, moles, and such joined their ranks. Sam and Elmtail marched through the woodlands of Mossflower Woods, they always thought about the friends and family they left behind at Redwall Abbey, but Sam and Elmtail made a vow, "to never return home until every foebeast was vanquished or driven out of their sacred land." Elmtail missed his new home, he missed the fresh home cooked meals, the warm beds, and the many friendly creatures who treated him as an equal rather than a slave. But, he knew he wouldn't be able to go back. Sam looked over his right shoulder to see that the Mossflower Patrol soldiers were lagging behind, one member of the Patrol was a young shrew, he tripped over his paws, a dormousemaid helped the shrew up and they pressed onward.

"Okay, let's set up camp here, most of us are dragging behind."

Sam called out, the creatures unpacked their haversacks, pitched their tents, and rolled out their sleeping bags. A few creatures in their ranks gathered kindle and logs for a fire. As they pitched their fire, Elmtail sat near the blaze, warming his paws.

"The seasons are getting cold, eh, Sam?"

"No doubt, Elmtail. I remember after Matthias, my mum, Orlando, Basil Stag Hare, and Jabez Stump rescued us, the leaves turned from green to brown, and the days became shorter and the nights became colder."

"It beats living in an underground, especially when you've been living in their your whole life."

"I second that, I'm glad our friends and family followed after Slagar and his band of Slavers and saved us."

Elmtail positioned his bushy tail near the fire. Sam placed an apple on a spit and roasted it briefly. As the Mossflower Patrol sat relaxing, sleeping, and eating near their fires, a pair of yellow eyes peered from the shrubbery.