Disclaimer: I don't own Redwall, Martin the Warrior, or any other books and charecters from that series.

Snow wildly filled the Mossflower Woods, snowflakes wove themselves into a curtain of biting ice. The landscape was naught but a blanket of snow with a withering tree here and there. Darkness filled the air letting neither sun nor blue sky shine forth; and the gloom of midwinter hung in the air, lethal and forbidding. Without a creature in site, the wind's savage breath came harsh and cold over the empty woods, killing anything that dared stand in its path.

Then out from the shadows a creature emerged, no more than a thin form staggering through the woods. He came running through the snow, his bare paws bloodied from the days they had been exposed to snow and ice; flakes of snow clung to his fur, numbing his flesh to the bone.

His breathing was ragged and exigent, between a sob and a gasp; conciousness drifted from his mind in strange intervals, causing him to totter. Cold stole the breath right out of his mouth, and he had neither slept nor eaten in many days; fatigue threatening to overwhelm him. The muscles in his legs trembled and the void in his belly gnawed at him relentlessly, granting him no moment of peace.

But the young mouse ran doggedly onward, his hazel eyes shining with a determination far beyond his seasons. Never once did he pity himself or consider giving up. He had gone too far to give in to anything, phsysical limitations or the elements; he was on a mission and he wasn't going to let anything stop him.

Then he saw it. It stood in the distance with an air of majesty and pride. His young heart filled with joy at the site; he was a sailor who had been lost at sea, now he had found land. He pushed forward with a new strength, keeping his tired eyes on his goal; it was just the way he had imagined it. Brick upon brick upon brick, it reached high into the wintry sky, proud of its power and stability, yet peaceful and welcoming. The sun shone over it, its rays reflecting off the falling snow and causing the stones to glower a rosey hue.

The mouse lowered his gaze to the passing ground. It was only a few moments before he would arrive.

"And then we saw it from our ship, the completed wall glowing proudly in the distance. All of Redwall Abbey was watching for us, whooping with joy as they saw their warriors returning home. And little Gonflet---Oh boy! he was just as excited to see his daddy as I was to see him--- ran to the Honeysuckle and jumped right into my open arms, and we rode our sailing ship straight into the Abbey."

Inside the walls of Redwall Abbey, two mice sat around a fire keeping safe and warm from winter's merciless domination while telling stories of past adventures. They were surrounded by young ones, called Dibbuns, who listened round-eyed and awestricken of the tales of the two mice.

"'Tis all be trues, Sir Gonff?" inquried a young otter, staring at the mouse in wonder.

Gonff, for that was indeed the mouse's name, picked up the small otter pup and winked at the him assuringly. Gonff was a clever, jovial, and somewhat plump mouse; always ready with a joke or smile. He was greatly adored by the Abbey dwellers, who warmheartedly titled him Prince of Mousethieves and the

Pincher of Pies.

"Aye, tis all the tales I tell you is true. Right, Martin, me matey?"

Gonff's matey, Martin, sat on a nearby chair balancing three Dibbuns on his lap. He was a sturdily built mouse, with warm facial features and a welcoming smile. Martin was known throughout the land as a warrior, famed for his courage and skill in warfare. He was a fairly quiet creature, often admired for his nobleness, kindness, and helpfulness toward others; and not without good reason.

"Oh, yes. Maybe slightly exaggerated, but, nonetheless true." he said, winking good-naturedly at the mousethief.

"Was their really a'undret Flitcheyeses after , yer?"

"And spine'ogs dressed as ghosts?"

"How comes you nameded your ship afta the meany shrewwife?"

"Skipper 'as a daddy?"

Gonff laughed, "Yes, there was probably two hundred o' them Flitchayes! And Ferrie, Dunspike hedgehogs dress as ghosts to scare vermin off, we named the ship Honeysuckle so Log-a Log's wife wouldn't hurt him, and yes, Skipper also has a daddy! Now, are there anymore questions that we can answer?"

Lilac, a young mouse who was sitting on Martin's lap, had one. She looked at the warrior's face with her large curious eyes, smiling as she asked.

"Mista Martin, will you showa your sword dance?"

Martin smiled at the young mousemaid and scratched the back of her head fondly. He looked around the room of expectant Dibbuns, all eager to see him perform his legendary sword dance and sighed. "I'm afraid not, young uns." he said finally. The faces of the young creatures fell in obvious disappointment, some voicing out their feelings.

"Why not!?"

"Pleeeeeeese, Mista Martin!"

"Just one itty-bitty time, Mista Martin? Please?"

Martin laughed and patted Lilac on the head. "I would, but my sword is hidden very well in a place where it will stay safe and protected for the rest of my days." Martin paused, as if pondering over something of long ago, " I have lived a life of full of wars and hardship, it's now time for me to hang up my sword and my life as a warrior. There is nothing that I want more than to live the rest of my life in peace."

This, however, didn't lessen the Dibbuns disappointment and some left to sulking and pouting. Gonff looked at Martin and winked at him smartly. The clever mousetheif sighed as if he were equally disappointed, "Oh juniper! I really wanted to see that sword dance again!," Gonff looked up as a few Dibbuns were about to agree; he interrupted, "But--but you know? Martin does have a point. He has really had a tough life, full of great tales and adventures. Why, have I told you about the time when--"

But Gonff was interrupted as a creature entered the room. It was his his wife, Columbine. Columbine was a pretty little mousewife; she and Gonff had met during a time when woodlanders couldn't live freely in the Mossflower Woods. She herself wasn't originally from Mossflower; she was from Loamhedge, a settlement faraway that was plagued with diseases at the time. She and Gonff took instantly to each other and were married directly after the Great Mossflower War.

As Columbine entered a sliver of cold air and snow slipped into the room. Columbine shivered as she shook herself busily, allowing droplets of melting snow to spray across the room. She shook her head as the warmth of the fire dried her wet fur. "My, it's quite a blizzard out there," she said wiggling her paws as if to shake the cold out of them, "God forbid that any creature should be traveling in this sort of weather!"

Gonff reached out and took her paw. He bowed broadly as he spoke, "Oh, Princess of Mousethieves, pray, won't you warm yourself by the fire as your humble husband relates the adventures of his

loyal friend, Martin the Warrior?"

Columbine laughed at her husband's crazy antics. "Oh Gonff, hahaha, you really are something. Your princess would have gladly listened to your stories, but she has been called to help the Friar in the kitchen," she looked around at the rest of the creatures in the room,"Really, don't mind me. I'll be gone in a little bit, I only need to get a certain pan so that the Friar can cook his famous hazelnut and berry pudding."

With this statement Gonff jumped up hastily. "Well, hurry up, my pretty little wife! The Friar mustn't be kept waiting now! Not when there's hazelnut an' berry puddin' to be made!"

Columbine shook her head as she was rushed out the room and into a hallway. She walked down the corridor and took a turn into a room. She quickly grabbed the wanted pan and walked back.

Columbine paused breifly and watched her husband. His voice raised and lowered with his story, and his whole being become animated. He'd bend down and practically whisper then he would suddenly

jump up, his arms waving wildly in the air. The mousewife slipped past the companions unnoticed. and closed the door quietly behind her.

Outside was a different world. The snow was heavy and stung the mousewife's face hostility. She wrapped her shawl around herself tightly as she prepared herself for the unpleasant walk back to the

Abbey kitchens. She was thankful that Redwall Abbey was finally finished. It had taken many seasons; about twenty-two in all, but the long wait was worth it. She couldn't have wished for a place better than

Redwall to raise a family in the confidence that they were safe and protected. She had made countless friends and companions that she could depend on for anything, and Redwall was beginning to get a

reputation for its fine cooks. Columbine smiled quietly to herself as looked around her. It was pure destiny that had brought her to this friendly community, and destiny was also responsible for the deliverance

of the woodlanders that had previously lived under the harsh rule of the wildcats. Finally, Redwall and all its inhabitants could live in peace.

Columbine amused herself with listening to Gonff, whom she could still here. She giggled as she pictured her husband working himself into a fit as he got to the climax of his story, with Martin sitting there,

listening in amused silence. It was strangely funny. His stories had modified much over seasons. He would even add little parts just so he could add little sound effects. Which, Columbine assumed, he is probably

doing right now, due to the fact that there was an unusual knocking sound. Columbine had almost reached the kitchens by now, but the snow was falling heavier and faster than before, slowing her pace to almost

half speed. She licked her lips as she quickened her pace to as fast as she could go; an eerie feeling had suddenly overwhelmed her and she wanted to get to the as soon as possible.

As she approached the door, she suddenly realized why something had felt strange. She was far from earshot of Gonff and the Dibbuns, but the knocking sound had continued, become more and more urgent as

she had come closer to the kitchens. It dawned on her that a creature was probably at the Abbey gates and she had probably let it in.

Now, usually, Columbine wouldn't have went to the gates and opened for a strange creature by herself, but something told her to do it as fast as she could. She put the pan down on the cold door front of the

kitchens and hurried over to the impelling knocking sounds. She was felt a small surge of fear run through her heart has she nighed the great wooden gates of the Abbey. What kind of creature would be traveling in

this sort of weather? Whoever it was very set on getting into Redwall. It had been knocking for almost ten minutes and was still going as strong, if not stronger, than it had before. Thoughts of some sort of evil vermin trying to overcome Redwall pasted through the mousewife's mind. She thought that she should get Gonff or Martin to come with her, but before she could stop herself, Columbine opened the door.

The mouse had been knocking for what seemed like hours. His paw throbbed painfully, as the cold wooden doors felt like he was pounding a stone with his bare paw. All the strength had been drained from his tired arm and knocking was now a bodily effort. He threw himself against the door; his side ached at first, but the cold had weakened his body so much that it quickly became numbed. His brain seemed to be no longer in control of his body. Some unknown strength caused the run-down mouse to hurl himself subconsciously on the doors. He was beginning to wonder what on earth he was doing there, then he could think only about was all the strange colors and shapes that seemed to be a blur around him.

He didn't know what happened next, but he was suddenly surrounded by cold and everywhere was white. He heard a loud sound, like someone yelling, shouting for something. He could see a creature sitting

beside him, so he assumed that he was lying in the snow. The creature could have been a mouse, or maybe a tree. But all of a sudden there were three creatures sitting beside him. He squinted hard. He could

make out a face. It looked somewhat familiar. It began to shout something but the mouse could make it out. He looked around as everything that surrounded him melted together and everything

went black.

Reveiw and tell me what you thought! Gotta go!