A/N:

Hello! This is my first Redwall fanfic, so please be kind when reviewing.

All the usual disclaimers apply. I am not Brian Jacques, as will be obvious when you read this, and therefore I don't own Redwall.

This story follows on from Mariel of Redwall, The Bellmaker and Martin the Warrior, so take this as your spoiler warning if you have yet to read these books.

Chapter One

The sky was a deep, crimson red as the sun started to peek above the leafy treetops of Mossflower Woods, casting strange shadowy shapes into the almost deserted grounds of Redwall Abbey.

Dandin smiled happily as he walked through the familiar gardens. He had thought all the beasts were still asleep but the echo of happy laughter from what sounded like a young, courting couple drifted through the morning breeze to his ears. He changed course, not wanting to disturb the happy couple, whoever they were.

Then he heard a pitiful wail of mourning and he raced towards the sound. He rounded a corner with his dagger drawn, ready to fight whatever evil had dared to destroy the peace of his Abbey.

He lowered it back down to point at the dew-soaked grass when he spotted nothing but a solitary mouse. The stranger was sobbing and as Dandin moved closer he noticed that he was bent over a freshly planted rose bush.

"Friend," Dandin said gently, still gripping the dagger tight in his paw. "What's the matter? Is there anything I can do?"

He gasped as the mouse stood up, his tears magically gone but his face still melancholy. It was Martin, the spirit of the Warrior mouse who still protected the Abbey all these long seasons since his death. Dandin would know him anywhere. It wasn't the first time he had met him, either. However, this was different. This was no stoic, wise and firm warrior that was standing before him. This Martin was young, much younger than Dandin and the sorrow on his face was deeper than the mouse had ever seen on the face of any beast.

"No beginning and never an end,

Seasons flow with the passage of time,

No beast can stop the leaves from falling,

Nor halt the growth of spring.

What must happen will happen,

Whether you will it or no,

What has happened will happen again,

And on the cycle goes."

"I don't understand," Dandin told the Warrior. "What are you trying to tell me?"

Martin said nothing but pointed at a rose bud that was opening on the shrub. Dandin peered closer and in the centre of the flower he could see the face of a beautiful mousemaid. He reached out to take a closer look, but it turned brown and crumbled into dust before his eyes. Dandin looked back at Martin, who had morphed back to the way he looked on the tapestry in Redwall.

"Return home, warrior, if you dare,

Bad fortune awaits thee there,

Before you go take this advice,

Learn, understand and beware."

The image of Martin began to walk back towards the main Abbey building. Dandin ran after him, but he could never catch up with him; no matter how fast he ran the figure just walked further and further away.

"Wait, Martin, I don't understand what you mean! Please, don't go! Don't...!" Dandin tripped over and landed face-first into the Abbey pond. He coughed and spluttered water out of his mouth. "Wait!"

"Too late. You should have woken up earlier, shouldn't you?"

Dandin opened his eyes and slowly focused onto the two figures that were standing in front of him. "Huh?" He rubbed at his eyes, only to realise that his fur was dripping wet. "Hey, who poured water over me?"

Mariel smiled and pointed at Bowly, who held an empty bucket in his paws. "He did."

The hedgehog glared at her and thrust the bucket into her paws. "Only 'cause she told me to," he sniffed as he stormed out of the cabin and up onto the deck.

Dandin stood up and dried himself off with his blanket, only to discover that it had also fallen victim to their alarm call. "Humph. Look what I have to put up with. What's wrong with shaking somebeast to wake them up, why must you two soak them?"

The mousemaid tutted at him. "We shook you, shouted and you and prodded you. If the drenching hadn't worked you were likely to get pummelled by stale oatcakes followed by a sharp knock to the head with a Gullwhacker. You wouldn't wake up."

"Nice to know you had a back-up plan," he grumbled. "What was so important that you had to wake me up or kill me trying?"

"The River Moss is getting too narrow for the Pearl Queen. If we continue any further we'll block off the river for any other ship. We're berthing here and then walking downstream to meet up with the Guosim before heading onto Redwall. Log-a-Log's helping us secure the ship now. I suppose we could have left you here on your own but you would have complained about that as well. Now you're awake you have a choice."

"Not much of a choice, I'll bet. If I decide to go back to sleep you'll just wake me up again and force me to accompany you anyway."

Mariel rolled her eyes at him, "It's your childhood home we're going to and it was your idea to return there. You're always grumpy first thing in the morning."

Dandin said nothing as he hunted for some dry clothing to wear. She was right, he supposed, he did want to go home. It was almost infuriating how well Mariel knew him, although he wouldn't have it any other way.

He turned around to apologise to her, only to find the room empty. He moved towards the exit and heard the peal of her laughter drift down from the deck. The sound brought a smile to his face and he quickly got dressed and went to join his friends.

Kilmus the fox strode through the temporary camp his troop of marauding vermin had set up. "Syrenn!" he called as soon as he spotted the weasel in question.

Her head shot up at the sound of her name, then Syrenn made her way towards her leader. "Yes, sir?"

"Are we close?"

Syrenn scratched her nose. "Dunno how close yet, we've just entered the woods surrounding the Abbey. I've sent Scarchin and a couple of others out scoutin'. You need patience if yer determined to capture Redwall Abbey. Fer a bunch o' peaceful woodlanders they don't half know how to fight."

Kilmus threw a friendly paw across the weasel's shoulder. "And that's what makes it such a worthy prize. That, and the treasure."

"The magic sword?" There was more than a trace of disbelief in Syrenn's patronising voice.

"Yes, the magic sword. But there's more besides, lots more. You've heard the tales," he raised his voice so that it carried to the thirty or so beasts that made up Kilmus' band. "You've all heard the tales of Redwall Abbey and you know that we are the ones to take the Abbey."

Cheers rose through the treetops, then the vermin started chanting Kilmus' name as they worked themselves up into an excited frenzy. The fox tightened his grip on Syrenn's neck in warning and all she could do was swallow. She had a bad feeling about this.

The sun had almost set by the time the squabbling band of travellers reached the gates of Redwall Abbey. Log-a-Log and Mariel walked in front, keeping away from the many arguments that were going on behind them.

As soon as the Abbey was visible at the end of the path, Log-a-Log stopped and shouted back at the beasts following him. "QUIET! Next one I hear speak doesn't get any supper!"

"...So there!" A voice was heard to echo as the shrews became silent, albeit grudgingly.

All eyes turned towards the unfortunate mouse. Dandin looked around him, surprised. "Hey, I'm not part of the Guosim, Log-a-Log has no power over me."

Mariel fought hard to keep her face straight at Dandin's indignation. "I didn't hear him specify 'shrews only'. Just the next voice, which was yours."

"You can't be serious!"

"I am," Log-a-Log replied dismissively. "Now let's all be on our best behaviour. Anyone heard shouting, arguing or raising their voice without justification will join Dandin and get no supper. Am I understood?"

There was a low murmur of ascent. Dandin, however, did not seem at all happy with the situation. "Mariel spoke too, how come she gets dinner?"

"He said next 'voice', singular, not plural," she patiently explained to her friend. "Besides I wasn't shouting or arguing."

"Log-a-Log," Dandin whined pathetically.

The shrew thought about it for a second. "Sorry Dandin, you might have a case there but I can't let a young lady go hungry, it's not very chivalrous and I won't let it be said that I let a lady go without food."

"She ain't no lady, no sir. I've never seen anybeast who's less of a lady; I'll bet there's big, brawny butch lizards fighting in a smelly, muddy swamp someplace that's more ladylike than Mariel," the warrior mouse muttered, almost under his breath but still loud enough for those close to him to hear and snigger.

"Dandin," Log-a-Log chided. "Stop muttering and keep up with the rest or else it won't just be dinner you'll be missing."

A/N: What do you think? If you like it and want me to carry on writing this story, please review. Oh, and my apologies for the poem, I never could write one that actually rhymed!