The Enemy from the East. Official material belongs to Brian Jacques.
It was the start of summer in Mossflower country. The flowers were blooming, revealing the beauty they had kept hidden for many days. The leaves once again crowned the trees, giving the forest its glorious green roof again. In Redwall Abbey, it was much the same. The young ones, called dibbuns, were playing on the grounds, paddling in the pond under the watchful eyes of the otter crew, and generally enjoying life. Abbot Radon, a field mouse in his prime, looked out at his abbey from the wall top. At his left was Skipper Dran, chieftain of the Redwall otters. At his other side was the Abby Champion, Tenga the mouse.
"Is it not a wonderful sight friends", said Radon as he smiled at the sight of the dibbuns playing about. "It is indeed Father" responded Tenga as he looked the Abbey. "We're lucky to live here." "We're also lucky to have had a long time of peace" said the deep voiced Skipper. "I thought that your being chosen as the Abbey Champion would be the sign of bad times to come."
"Well it seems you were wrong old friend" said Radon. "But then again you may be right. But the reports from the birds say that there has been no large vermin activity that could pose a threat to us""So what do we do for now Father" asked Tenga as he looked to Radon. The Abbot only shook his head. "We can only hope that Dame Fortune decides to have favor with us this time." With that being said the trio walked down the wall steps to the grounds, to join their friends.
Meanwhile, far to the east, no sounds were to be heard. No birds were singing, no crickets chirping, nothing. This could have been blamed on a deadly predator in the area, but it was worse, much worse. Several vermin walked into a clearing lit by the sun. They wore coats of plate's cuirasses that fell to their knees, made from pieces of iron made into small pieces that overlapped each other, helmets of fallen beast hides and iron and carried short, curved blades. "Do you think we are on the right track" asked the leader, a rat whose helmet was more sloping in the back, more decorative, and had a half face, giving it a fearsome look.
"We should be, Taicho." "You had better be, otherwise we are all in trouble if we give the wrong information to Daimyo Taiza-sama, we're all dead. "Yes Taicho" said the scouting party. With that they all turned back to the east and marched off. In a matter of time, they arrived in a large field. It was dotted with large tents, siege weapons, and cook fires. The scouting party went to the pavilion at the center of camp, which had a proud standard flying from it, a red sun with many rays of light coming from it half risen over a green landscape.
Two guards in similar armor the Taicho but was heavier and armed with fancy looking spears, nodded to them and uncrossed their weapons. The party went inside and looked around. The pavilion was lit by paper lanterns on the ground and hanging from hocks placed in the support poles. In the center of the pavilion was a short dais of wood with cushions on the top. Kneeling on it was a fox. His fur was golden with a black tip to the tail. He wore an odd assortment of cloths including a grey jacket with large shoulder pads and thin straps that fell onto his knees, and a robe called a keikogi. Held in place by a black belt was a curved sword in a sheath. He held a large decorated fan which he had open and was waving it at himself. "Report Saiza" he said in a light rich voice.
Captain Saiza bowed looked up at the Daimyo. "Daimyo-sama, we are approximately ten hours away from the Abbey. We can be their by tomorrow. The Daimyo nodded in approval. "Good, you may leave. Get some food and rest, we will move soon. Send for my Shoguns as well. " The scouting party bowed and left the tent. Soon five creatures came in. They all bowed and took their seats before a table with handle less cups filled with tea and a map of the area around the Abbey that had been placed by kuroko, servants who wore black cloths that obscured their faces and body's.
My generals, Saiza's scouting party reports that we are ten hours away from Redwall Abbey. Let us go over the plan one more time then, move the army westward. The Shoguns all nodded at the idea. "You may begin, Sanzu-san" said the fox turning to an old looking hare with a mustache tied like strings and in a similar but less elaborate uniform. The hare nodded and began. "As you all know thanks to Arawashi-san and his scouts", here he turned to a golden eagle clad in a light cloak, who nodded back at his fellow Shogun, "we know the lay of the land around the Abbey. This is how things will go, first we send a delegation party to see if want to surrender.
If they don't we move to stage two. We surround the Abbey with all our forces and attack", here the Shogun moved several pieces of carved jade into position around the drawn abbey", either we use our siege weapons to bring down the walls or gates to force the defenders to retreat inside the main building." He then moved the figures into the grounds surrounding the Abbey building. "We then get in the main building by any means necessary and slay all inside who resist. After that we make necessary repairs and take over the rest of the area."
"We also know", Sanzu continued,"what we're up against again thanks to Arawashi-san's scouts. We will be fighting mostly mice, moles, voles, maybe shrews of the Guosim tribe, hedgehogs, and otters." One of the Shoguns, a fox also in uniform similar to Taiza's but also less elaborate, snickered. "Well their in for a shock aren't they? Fighting their own kind, that should be fun to see!" The old hare looked shocked at being interrupted when it was his turn to speak. He was about to give a sound lecture when Taiza shut his fan with an audible snap. Sanzu decided it was best for his health to continue. The number of trained fighters is unknown but the populace can obviously defend their home. We have all heard of the attempts to take it by Cluny the Scourge, The Riftgardian Royal Family, Gruntan Kurdley, The Juska Bor, The Marlfox brood, and Ragga Bol. Also powerful armies such as the Doomwytes, The Corpse Makers, the Kingdom Malkaris, The Thousand Eyes who need I remind you were led by Ungatt Trun's brother, Gulo the savage and his best army, Urgan Nagru, and even Sampetra have fallen because Redwall got involved in some way.
The Shoguns looked down at the table as they remembered what had happened. "You forgot three Sanzu-san" said another Shogun, a wild cat with orange fur and black stripes. "Oh? And who are they Tora-san?" "One was Badrang who was killed by the one who aided in founding the Abbey and was its first Champion, Kharanjul who admittedly isn't all that well known., and Riggu Felis" "Also", said the unusually soft voice of Arawashi, "I have heard that five full grown adders were slain due to Redwall involvement. Is anyone familiar with the names Asmodeus Poisonteeth, and Baliss? All present, including the guards inside the tent shook their heads. Arawashi sighed. Very well then, the point is that many a powerful force has failed due to Redwall involvement. We need to be careful."
"We also need to move out" said the Daimyo, "The plan has been gone over and its time to go. Prepare your forces to move out. Sinzai, stay here I need to speak to you privately." As the Shoguns bowed and left the pavilion he added "The rest of you leave too." Without a word the internal guards, a mouse and a rat, along the Kuroko left the pavilion. Taiza sighed wearily and rose from the dais. He approached the other fox whose fur was orange. "Saiza what were you thinking, speaking out of turn like that? That was very disrespectful toward Sanzu." The other fox dropped his head. "Sorry Onii-chan." Taiza smacked the close fan against his paw. "I mean Onii-san." "Some times I wonder why you were chosen here. Then I remember that for all your behavior you are a skilled field commander."
"Is that the only reason why you let me come?" Again the gold fox sighed. "No. it's probably so I could keep my eye on you and if necessary protect you like I promised mother. Hah, we may be of the same species and we may have shared the same mother, but I sometimes find it hard to believe that we aren't related by blood." Sinzai approached his older brother and put a paw on his shoulder. "But don't let that put you down Onii-ch", Taiza frowned, "san." Taiza smiled then. "I won't, Nii-chan." Then his business face was back. "But enough of this. Get your forces ready. We proceed tonight." Sinzai nodded and left. Taiza didn't reprimand him for forgetting to bow to him and looked back at the map. "Redwall", he thought. "This could be the beginning of another grand tail."
So what do you all think? Is there anything I got wrong? Are there any different honorifics I can use? Let me know in the reviews please.