An old hare and his younger travelling companion walked through the wind and snow. It was winter in Mossflower and all creatures, except the two lone hares, were safe in their homes.
The Redwallers waited patiently for the arrival of their guests. The dibbuns all gave a start as a loud pounding was heard on the gates. "I say, lads, open up in there, wot?" One of the young mice got up to go and let their guests in. A large silver furred badger held him back. "I'll get it, young 'un." The mouse plopped back down on his seat and fidgeted in anticipation. The badger walked slowly, yet with confident strength, outside of the feast room and into the snow. She trudged over to the gate. The pounding was heard again. Opening the gate, she grinned kindly out at the Redwall Abbey's visitors. They were two hares. The younger one was ivory white and the older, pudgier one was a mottled brown. The brown hare looked like he had seen better days, seeing the scars running down his once muscular, still sturdy, body. The younger one took off his cap and made a sweeping bow for the badger. "'Tis a wonderful thing t' see you again, marm. Been a long while since y' left th' fire mountain, m' lady." The old hare coughed. "Yes, yes, Malan. I think she'd know if it's been a long time. Now, Lady Minray, where's th' bally feast we heard you were giving? We've been out in th' cold for some time. All th' way from Salamand'stron, y' know. Is it a crime t' give a few famished and freezing hares some food now, eh?" The badger lady chuckled. "You've gotten a bit larger since I saw you, General Ganere." Ganere crossed his arms. "Thank y' fer that comment, marm, but if you'd lead me in th' direction of the feast, I will ignore that insult." Malan piped up. "Get'n cheeky wi' a badger, are y' Ganere? Thought y' knew bet'r 'in that." Ganere turned to face Malan. "I simply want t' know where th' flip'n feast is! You are dismissed, sah! Don't say another word." Malan pouted, mumbling to himself. "S'pose y' 'ave a death wish... Hmph."
After the marvelous feast, the abbot suggested the hares tell the Redwallers a story. Ganere's ears straightened. "I'd bally well be d'lighted to! I 'ave a story 'bout how I got one of th' Tears of All Oceans!" "Weren't they all thrown into the sea?" Ganere winked "Not even th' sea can hide anythin' from ol' Ganere! Nor th' land."
"Me an' Malan were on a dangerous an' perilous mission, y' see." Malan scoffed "We were going fishing." Ganere put his hands on his hips. "That's wot I said!" Ganere then sat down. "Well, I put my fishin' pole in th' water and what d'ya know! A big blink'n fish!"
Malan snorted "'Twas a minnow. And it didn't pull 'im out. He just got so excited he stood up and fell out of our boat." Ganere chose to ignore that comment. "Anyways, I fell out. That whopper of a fish pulled me right into th' water!! He jus' kept pullin' 'til he reached an island. A huge strange island, I tell you!" Malan cut in again. "It was just a couple of rocks. He swam to an island a couple of boat lengths away." "Was an island! I'll thank yeh not to say anything else, Malan." Ganere scratched his chin "Now, where was I?" "You was at a big island!" squeaked a dibbun mouse. "An island... Hmmm... Oh yes! It was a big island, as I said. I--" Malan stared at Ganere. "We. We walked along it's beach. Then! Oh then! These savage little beasties came swarming all over to us!! No manners at all! I was afraid, but acted bravely! I stood up to those strange beasts." "They were shrews that we were going to go fishing with."
Genere ignored Malan. "For my bravery they gave me... A Pearl of Lutra!" "'Twas for winning the scoffing contest." Ganere glared at Malan. "After I got th' pearl I was 'bout t' set off t' Salymandystron. when a lil' otter came up ter me. She handed me a shell. Wasn't any shell, mind you! 'Twas th' actual bally shell that held all th' pearls long 'go. I figgure she would like th' shell an' pearl bett'r so I gave 'er 'em. I could prove t' ye that I really held th' pearl, but I'm sure th' otter's long gone by now. Was a long time ago an'--" A dibbun pulled on Ganere's sleeve. "This for you, zir, fer tell'n th' story." It was a wadded up piece of cloth. "No opennny 'til later!! It from me mum." "I'll be. Thank 'e little one. Say, wot time is it?" "Sunset." Said a hedgehog. "Gorsh! We gotta get back t' the fire mountain!! It's me an' Malan's turn t' cook at breakfast!" Malan grabbed up his cap. "Sorry we 'ave to leave so soon, folks! Thanks for the food! Whoa!" Ganere pulled Malan out of the Cavern Hole. They both waved. A little otter dibbun, the one who gave Ganere the gift, waved energetically. Then, her mother, an otter of many seasons, with a scar running down her arm, walked out smiling, putting a paw on her daughter's shoulder. "Bye mista Ganere and Malaaaan!"
The two hares galloped through the snow. "Yeowch!" Malan fell to the ground. "I think I broke m' ankle!" Ganere ran back to Malan. The wadded up piece of cloth fell out of Ganere's shirt pocket and unraveled. In it, a pearl shone brightly.
"Ohmygosh@" Malan almost forgot about his injury and tried to get up. "It's th' pearl!" Malan fell back down. "Could it be?..." Malan trailed off. "No... she was way too young." "Her mother?" Ganere nodded his head absently. "Yes... I didn't tell about the shark, did I?" "No." "Makes m' cry every time I tell 'bout it. You see, the lil' otter gave me the shell so she could take a ride in the canoe with me. I said yes... 'Twas foolish. After we got out some ways, th' little otter fell out and a shark came by. I chased it away by whack'n it w' me paddle, but the otter babe got a cut down 'er arm. I brought 'er back as quick as I could... I tried not to let y' know. You'd grown quite attached to 'er, while I was scoff'n. The shrew 'ealer thought she might bleed to death. I left the pearl w' th' shrew an' tol' th' shrew to give th' otter th' shell an' pearl if she survived..." Malan looked up at the sad hare. "At least she's alive... Those pearls always had a way t' be bad luck."
Ganere made a makeshift splint out of wood for Malan. Malan hobbled beside Ganere. After some time, Malan asked "Are we go'n th' right right, Ganere." "I decided t' take a little side stop, wot?" Malan and Ganere emerged out of the foliage and onto a sandy beach. The two hares walked down to the shore. The waves made a soft 'whoshing' sound. Ganere took the pearl out of his jacket. "All yeh ever brought was bad luck! We're send'n you back to the ocean, where you belong!" Ganere hurled the pearl with all his might.
The pink orb sat at the bottom of the sea, waiting for the next beast to fall upon it. Woe be him.
The Redwallers waited patiently for the arrival of their guests. The dibbuns all gave a start as a loud pounding was heard on the gates. "I say, lads, open up in there, wot?" One of the young mice got up to go and let their guests in. A large silver furred badger held him back. "I'll get it, young 'un." The mouse plopped back down on his seat and fidgeted in anticipation. The badger walked slowly, yet with confident strength, outside of the feast room and into the snow. She trudged over to the gate. The pounding was heard again. Opening the gate, she grinned kindly out at the Redwall Abbey's visitors. They were two hares. The younger one was ivory white and the older, pudgier one was a mottled brown. The brown hare looked like he had seen better days, seeing the scars running down his once muscular, still sturdy, body. The younger one took off his cap and made a sweeping bow for the badger. "'Tis a wonderful thing t' see you again, marm. Been a long while since y' left th' fire mountain, m' lady." The old hare coughed. "Yes, yes, Malan. I think she'd know if it's been a long time. Now, Lady Minray, where's th' bally feast we heard you were giving? We've been out in th' cold for some time. All th' way from Salamand'stron, y' know. Is it a crime t' give a few famished and freezing hares some food now, eh?" The badger lady chuckled. "You've gotten a bit larger since I saw you, General Ganere." Ganere crossed his arms. "Thank y' fer that comment, marm, but if you'd lead me in th' direction of the feast, I will ignore that insult." Malan piped up. "Get'n cheeky wi' a badger, are y' Ganere? Thought y' knew bet'r 'in that." Ganere turned to face Malan. "I simply want t' know where th' flip'n feast is! You are dismissed, sah! Don't say another word." Malan pouted, mumbling to himself. "S'pose y' 'ave a death wish... Hmph."
After the marvelous feast, the abbot suggested the hares tell the Redwallers a story. Ganere's ears straightened. "I'd bally well be d'lighted to! I 'ave a story 'bout how I got one of th' Tears of All Oceans!" "Weren't they all thrown into the sea?" Ganere winked "Not even th' sea can hide anythin' from ol' Ganere! Nor th' land."
"Me an' Malan were on a dangerous an' perilous mission, y' see." Malan scoffed "We were going fishing." Ganere put his hands on his hips. "That's wot I said!" Ganere then sat down. "Well, I put my fishin' pole in th' water and what d'ya know! A big blink'n fish!"
Malan snorted "'Twas a minnow. And it didn't pull 'im out. He just got so excited he stood up and fell out of our boat." Ganere chose to ignore that comment. "Anyways, I fell out. That whopper of a fish pulled me right into th' water!! He jus' kept pullin' 'til he reached an island. A huge strange island, I tell you!" Malan cut in again. "It was just a couple of rocks. He swam to an island a couple of boat lengths away." "Was an island! I'll thank yeh not to say anything else, Malan." Ganere scratched his chin "Now, where was I?" "You was at a big island!" squeaked a dibbun mouse. "An island... Hmmm... Oh yes! It was a big island, as I said. I--" Malan stared at Ganere. "We. We walked along it's beach. Then! Oh then! These savage little beasties came swarming all over to us!! No manners at all! I was afraid, but acted bravely! I stood up to those strange beasts." "They were shrews that we were going to go fishing with."
Genere ignored Malan. "For my bravery they gave me... A Pearl of Lutra!" "'Twas for winning the scoffing contest." Ganere glared at Malan. "After I got th' pearl I was 'bout t' set off t' Salymandystron. when a lil' otter came up ter me. She handed me a shell. Wasn't any shell, mind you! 'Twas th' actual bally shell that held all th' pearls long 'go. I figgure she would like th' shell an' pearl bett'r so I gave 'er 'em. I could prove t' ye that I really held th' pearl, but I'm sure th' otter's long gone by now. Was a long time ago an'--" A dibbun pulled on Ganere's sleeve. "This for you, zir, fer tell'n th' story." It was a wadded up piece of cloth. "No opennny 'til later!! It from me mum." "I'll be. Thank 'e little one. Say, wot time is it?" "Sunset." Said a hedgehog. "Gorsh! We gotta get back t' the fire mountain!! It's me an' Malan's turn t' cook at breakfast!" Malan grabbed up his cap. "Sorry we 'ave to leave so soon, folks! Thanks for the food! Whoa!" Ganere pulled Malan out of the Cavern Hole. They both waved. A little otter dibbun, the one who gave Ganere the gift, waved energetically. Then, her mother, an otter of many seasons, with a scar running down her arm, walked out smiling, putting a paw on her daughter's shoulder. "Bye mista Ganere and Malaaaan!"
The two hares galloped through the snow. "Yeowch!" Malan fell to the ground. "I think I broke m' ankle!" Ganere ran back to Malan. The wadded up piece of cloth fell out of Ganere's shirt pocket and unraveled. In it, a pearl shone brightly.
"Ohmygosh@" Malan almost forgot about his injury and tried to get up. "It's th' pearl!" Malan fell back down. "Could it be?..." Malan trailed off. "No... she was way too young." "Her mother?" Ganere nodded his head absently. "Yes... I didn't tell about the shark, did I?" "No." "Makes m' cry every time I tell 'bout it. You see, the lil' otter gave me the shell so she could take a ride in the canoe with me. I said yes... 'Twas foolish. After we got out some ways, th' little otter fell out and a shark came by. I chased it away by whack'n it w' me paddle, but the otter babe got a cut down 'er arm. I brought 'er back as quick as I could... I tried not to let y' know. You'd grown quite attached to 'er, while I was scoff'n. The shrew 'ealer thought she might bleed to death. I left the pearl w' th' shrew an' tol' th' shrew to give th' otter th' shell an' pearl if she survived..." Malan looked up at the sad hare. "At least she's alive... Those pearls always had a way t' be bad luck."
Ganere made a makeshift splint out of wood for Malan. Malan hobbled beside Ganere. After some time, Malan asked "Are we go'n th' right right, Ganere." "I decided t' take a little side stop, wot?" Malan and Ganere emerged out of the foliage and onto a sandy beach. The two hares walked down to the shore. The waves made a soft 'whoshing' sound. Ganere took the pearl out of his jacket. "All yeh ever brought was bad luck! We're send'n you back to the ocean, where you belong!" Ganere hurled the pearl with all his might.
The pink orb sat at the bottom of the sea, waiting for the next beast to fall upon it. Woe be him.