Bluequartz
Part 1- The Prisoner
Chapter 1
Swifttail, the brown squirrel who was Abbess of Redwall Abbey, stood on the walltops. It was a beautiful spring day, and even the Dibbuns seemed to be behaving. She hopped down the stairs and walked to the pond, where the little rascals were playing. She didn't stay long, for within minutes, the cooks had rung the dinner bell for the Nameday feast. After nearly being run over by a crowd of infants, she sped off to the hall with the rest of them.
After everyone had taken their seats, (which was quite a challenge for the Dibbuns) Swifttail stood. "I'd like to thank all of those who made this feast possible for us tonight. The cooks, Kulty the shrew, Lingwo the mole, and Karon the hedgehog; Awnsie, our cellarhog; and all the other good creatures here tonight. Let the feast begin!"
Everyone greeted these words with a roar of approval, and the Dibbuns proceeded to throw food at Karon, the fat cook, when the Abbess wasn't looking. Karon grinned at the children and stuffed the food into her mouth before Swifttail noticed.
"Yer too soft on 'em, mate," Kulty told him.
"Aw, they on'y live once friend. Why not let 'em live it?"
On the other side of the table, three hares visiting from Salamandastron were scoffing to their heart's content. The nurse, a kind old mouse named Shart, eyed them nervously, muttering something about stomachs exploding and having to physick them back together. The hares choked on their scones and proceeded to eat a bit slower.
The Skipper of Otters, two other otters, and a fourth hare were having a hotroot pepper contest. A group of Dibbuns cheered them on as they loaded their skilly'n'duff with as many peppers as they could take. Shart looked their way, and they stopped, pretending to be innocent until she looked away.
Swifftail was consulting with Prendail, the gatekeeper, about the marvelous feast. Moles were digging in to their Deeper'n'ever-turnip'n'tater pie. Otters ate hotroot, Dibbuns threw food, hares overstuffed themselves, and everyone ate until there was no room left in their stomachs. But the party was far from over.
It was time for the games.
Meanwhile, Thisa, an old ottermum, made her way through the forest of Mossflower. She had nothing with her, except for a small child, not more than three seasons old. Thisa, however, was exhausted, but then she saw the huge Abbey looming up in front of her. She knew she was saved.
The old otter could hear the merriment going on inside. They were in the midst of the games, but Thisa didn't know that. She could tell that they were having a good time, and that there was plenty of food for everyone. She set the babe down and knocked on the large gates. No answer came. She knocked harder, but could not be heard over the shouting of the Abbeybeasts.
Despite all her efforts, she was not heard. She knocked until she could knock no more, and then Thisa fainted at the gates of Redwall.
After the Dibbuns had been herded back to their beds, and some of the older creatures had also begun to retire to sleep, Swifttail and Prendail were still awake, helping some others to clean up. "What a success, Pren! I never expected my first feast as Abbess to go so well!"
"I knew ye could do it, miss. Yer a great Abbess, no mistake."
"Pren, you great suck-up! I'm not so great!"
"Don' be so 'ard on yerself, missy. Ye-- What was that?" Prendail had heard a peculiar noise, much like a cry.
"What, Prendail? What is it?" Swifttail paused. Then, out of nowhere, she heard it too. The cry of a child. "Shart," she called, "Are all the Dibbuns in bed?"
"Every one, lady."
"Skipper, check outside the gates!"
The big otter opened the gates and started to walk out of the Abbey, then nearly tripped over a big lump on the ground. "Goodness, Abbess! Thar's an ottermaid an' 'er chil' out 'ere, an' I nearly tripped over 'em!"
"Bring 'em in, Skip! 'Urry!"
Shart rushed to the otter and her baby, and directed Skipper. "Pick her up gently now! I'll hold the child, keep her head steady! We must get them to the Infirmary. Oh, the poor creatures, they'll be alright in my care."
The next morning, Thisa awoke. "Wh-where... am I?"
"You're in Redwall Abbey, friend. Don't worry, you'll be safe here," Shart assured her. "I'm Shart, the healermouse. Who are you?"
"I'm Thisa, and my daughter is Kelzina, or Zin. We used to live in a beautiful cove by the west shores. Everyone was happy there, but then... Then Dartal Croth came."
"Dartal Croth?"
"Yes. Shall I tell you my story?"
"Wait. Let me get the Abbess and Prendail. They need to hear this too." The mouse left to get the others, but when she returned, the otter had fainted again.
Part 1- The Prisoner
Chapter 1
Swifttail, the brown squirrel who was Abbess of Redwall Abbey, stood on the walltops. It was a beautiful spring day, and even the Dibbuns seemed to be behaving. She hopped down the stairs and walked to the pond, where the little rascals were playing. She didn't stay long, for within minutes, the cooks had rung the dinner bell for the Nameday feast. After nearly being run over by a crowd of infants, she sped off to the hall with the rest of them.
After everyone had taken their seats, (which was quite a challenge for the Dibbuns) Swifttail stood. "I'd like to thank all of those who made this feast possible for us tonight. The cooks, Kulty the shrew, Lingwo the mole, and Karon the hedgehog; Awnsie, our cellarhog; and all the other good creatures here tonight. Let the feast begin!"
Everyone greeted these words with a roar of approval, and the Dibbuns proceeded to throw food at Karon, the fat cook, when the Abbess wasn't looking. Karon grinned at the children and stuffed the food into her mouth before Swifttail noticed.
"Yer too soft on 'em, mate," Kulty told him.
"Aw, they on'y live once friend. Why not let 'em live it?"
On the other side of the table, three hares visiting from Salamandastron were scoffing to their heart's content. The nurse, a kind old mouse named Shart, eyed them nervously, muttering something about stomachs exploding and having to physick them back together. The hares choked on their scones and proceeded to eat a bit slower.
The Skipper of Otters, two other otters, and a fourth hare were having a hotroot pepper contest. A group of Dibbuns cheered them on as they loaded their skilly'n'duff with as many peppers as they could take. Shart looked their way, and they stopped, pretending to be innocent until she looked away.
Swifftail was consulting with Prendail, the gatekeeper, about the marvelous feast. Moles were digging in to their Deeper'n'ever-turnip'n'tater pie. Otters ate hotroot, Dibbuns threw food, hares overstuffed themselves, and everyone ate until there was no room left in their stomachs. But the party was far from over.
It was time for the games.
Meanwhile, Thisa, an old ottermum, made her way through the forest of Mossflower. She had nothing with her, except for a small child, not more than three seasons old. Thisa, however, was exhausted, but then she saw the huge Abbey looming up in front of her. She knew she was saved.
The old otter could hear the merriment going on inside. They were in the midst of the games, but Thisa didn't know that. She could tell that they were having a good time, and that there was plenty of food for everyone. She set the babe down and knocked on the large gates. No answer came. She knocked harder, but could not be heard over the shouting of the Abbeybeasts.
Despite all her efforts, she was not heard. She knocked until she could knock no more, and then Thisa fainted at the gates of Redwall.
After the Dibbuns had been herded back to their beds, and some of the older creatures had also begun to retire to sleep, Swifttail and Prendail were still awake, helping some others to clean up. "What a success, Pren! I never expected my first feast as Abbess to go so well!"
"I knew ye could do it, miss. Yer a great Abbess, no mistake."
"Pren, you great suck-up! I'm not so great!"
"Don' be so 'ard on yerself, missy. Ye-- What was that?" Prendail had heard a peculiar noise, much like a cry.
"What, Prendail? What is it?" Swifttail paused. Then, out of nowhere, she heard it too. The cry of a child. "Shart," she called, "Are all the Dibbuns in bed?"
"Every one, lady."
"Skipper, check outside the gates!"
The big otter opened the gates and started to walk out of the Abbey, then nearly tripped over a big lump on the ground. "Goodness, Abbess! Thar's an ottermaid an' 'er chil' out 'ere, an' I nearly tripped over 'em!"
"Bring 'em in, Skip! 'Urry!"
Shart rushed to the otter and her baby, and directed Skipper. "Pick her up gently now! I'll hold the child, keep her head steady! We must get them to the Infirmary. Oh, the poor creatures, they'll be alright in my care."
The next morning, Thisa awoke. "Wh-where... am I?"
"You're in Redwall Abbey, friend. Don't worry, you'll be safe here," Shart assured her. "I'm Shart, the healermouse. Who are you?"
"I'm Thisa, and my daughter is Kelzina, or Zin. We used to live in a beautiful cove by the west shores. Everyone was happy there, but then... Then Dartal Croth came."
"Dartal Croth?"
"Yes. Shall I tell you my story?"
"Wait. Let me get the Abbess and Prendail. They need to hear this too." The mouse left to get the others, but when she returned, the otter had fainted again.