Chapter One

Redwall Abbey was celebrating the Winter of the Long Icicles. While the ground as yet lay free of snow, frozen rains and early season cold had conspired to trim the Abbey eaves with downward-pointing spears of ice and to decorate the bare limbs of the orchard trees with countless crystal daggers.

Three days had passed since the Nameday feast, at which Abbot Arlyn had officially given this winter the name by which it would be known down through the future annals of Redwall history. The Abbeydwellers had celebrated the occasion with their usual good food, good drink and good cheer. The boisterous laughter and spirited singing was now faded away into memory, and the Redwallers hunkered down to weather what promised to be a long season of short and dreary days.

Geoff and Vanessa, two young novice mice of the order, had had all they could stand of being cooped up indoors, even in so spacious a dwelling as their grand Abbey, and decided to go exploring out on the grounds. Vanessa, who did not normally wear shoes of any kind in the warmer seasons, borrowed a pair of sandals from old Sister Marisol the Infirmary keeper to spare her footpaws on the hard-frozen lawns and paths. Thus outfitted, she and Geoff ventured forth, leaving behind the crackling hearth fire of Cavern Hole in favor of the wide winter sky of steely gray.

No sooner had the two friends crunched their way a dozen paces across the frosty lawns than they began to question the wisdom of their plan. The bitter cold and frigid breeze nipped at ears, nose, toes and tail, and stole up under their habits to chill them up to their waists. Not even the hushed beauty of nature's splendid wintry display could distract them from their discomfort.

"What were we thinking?" Vanessa chattered, her breath puffing out white before her. "I'm freezing!"

"We?" Geoff said indignantly. "It was your idea to come out here, remember?"

Vanessa ignored him. "The ice on the pond is too thin to go sliding on it yet, but it's too cold for much of anything else." She stamped her feet hard as she trudged along. "And these sandals are just about useless - I'm getting frozen toes for sure!"

"Yeah," Geoff agreed. "I could sure go for a nice pair of boots right now myself."

Vanessa arched an eyebrow. "Fur lined, no doubt. And what creature, pray tell, would you see slain to provide you that comfort?"

"Um, er ... " Geoff stammered. Every creature who dwelt within the Abbey - mouse or mole, squirrel or otter, hedgehog or badger - stringently observed the ways of Redwall, which meant doing harm to nobeast, giving food and sanctuary to those in need, healing the sick and injured, and fighting only in defense of their home. This was how it had always been, and the idea of killing another creature to make an article of clothing was totally against everything Redwall stood for. Even as an offpaw joke, it was somewhat unsettling.

Chagrined, Geoff tried to change the subject, yanking the cowl of his habit forward over his head. "I guess we can always pull up our hoods ... at least that'll keep our ears warm, even if it does make us look like a couple of old monks!"

Vanessa blew on her paws, then rubbed at her nose, leaving her own hood down for the moment. The sound of voices and commotion of movement drew her attention to the top of the high outer wall that protected the Abbey and its grounds from raiders and invaders. High up on the south ramparts, Alexander the squirrel and Montybank the otter kibbitzed and gamboled playfully with each other. Alex and Monty were young adult creatures, only a few seasons older than Geoff and Vanessa, and the four of them were the closest of friends.

"Look at them!" Vanessa puffed in exasperation. "Fooling about up in the teeth of the wind, in nothing but sleeveless jerkins, enjoying themselves like it was a summer's day!"

"Well," Geoff ventured from the recesses of his hood, "squirrels do grow their coats good and thick for the winter, and otters ... well, otters will always be otters, and nothing much bothers our thicktailed friends. Shouldn't be surprised if they try to take a swim in our icy pond before the day's out!"

Monty took a break from his shenanigans with Alex to wave and call down to the two mice. "Hallo, Nessie! Hey there, Pinky, is that you under that monk's getup?"

Geoff self-consciously threw a paw up to his face. "Ooo, I hate it when they call me that!" He had an exceptionally pink nose, and had yet to escape his dreaded childhood nickname.

"Aren't you two cold up there?" Vanessa yelled up at them.

Monty laughed this off. "Cold? Wot's cold?"

"You just gotta keep movin', Nessa," Alex added, "then you won't even notice it!" With that, squirrel and otter resumed their play, chasing each other along the battlements toward the east wall.

"What a pair of clowns!" Geoff observed. "But I don't feel like running along the walltop. Whatcha say, Nessa - wanna head back inside?"

In spite of the chill, Vanessa was still reluctant to relinquish her freedom just yet. "Let's at least get in one complete lap around the Abbey before we do. Otherwise, I'll go stir crazy!"

"I know what you mean." Geoff pointed. "The wind seems to be coming mostly out of the east. Maybe if we head over to the base of the east wall, it won't be so bad there."

"Good thinking." Vanessa finally drew up her own hood and stomped off in the direction Geoff had indicated.

"That's what I'm here for," Geoff shrugged, falling into step behind her.

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The shelter of the high wall provided some relief, but not much. If anything, the gloom of the day was heightened by the wall towering over them. The red sandstone of the Abbey and its structures, which glowed with a rosy warmth in the full light of the sun, was now muted to a dull red that seemed as cold and remote as the weather itself. It was almost hard to believe, looking at it from the outside, that the foreboding edifice contained such warmth and comradeship within its winter-dusky shell.

As the two mice wandered through the gardens - so green and vibrant in other seasons but now bare and desolate - Vanessa gave out a low groan of defeat. "Arrgh! I give up! I'd rather be shut in where it's warm and cozy than out here where it's so dreary and depressing!"

"Not to mention cold," Geoff put in, almost tripping over a protruding root. "So, back to the Abbey?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Vanessa sighed in resignation.

"Well, at least we got to stretch our legs a little bit, and get some fresh air. But I think I'll need until suppertime to get warmed up again." Spying an unused bucket lying along the side of the garden path, Geoff stooped down to grab it. "Oo, that reminds me - Brother Clyde wanted me to snap off some icicles from the lower orchard branches and bring them in to be melted for cooking water. Come on, Nessa - the sooner we get finished with that, the sooner we can be back down in Cavern Hole, thawing out our footpaws by the fire!"

"Yes, I'll admit that's starting to sound good to me ... even if we do have to share the hearth with all those snoring shrews!" Vanessa was referring to the Guosim - the Guerilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower - who always wintered at the Abbey. The Guosim were old friends and allies of Redwall, who spent the warmer months wandering the length and breadth of Mossflower Woods, the forestlands which surrounded the Abbey. The shrews numbered several hundred - far too many to be assigned individual beds and dorm rooms - so when they came to winter at Redwall they settled down in the lower gathering hall of Cavern Hole beneath Great Hall, sleeping out on the open floor on rush mats and blankets as they did in the woods. Modesty was never a problem for the shrewfolk ... but their sonorous snores could be for the Redwallers who had to share Cavern Hole with them.

Vanessa started after Geoff toward the orchard, when a flurry of motion caught her eye. It came from high overhead - not in the direction of the outer wall, where Montybank and Alexander were still cutting up, but off to her other side, from the main Abbey building itself. Glancing skyward, she was just in time to see an erratic bundle of flailing feathers and talons come tumbling toward the hard ground. Vanessa gasped as it crashed into a low pine bush, then rolled out onto the frozen lawn.

"Geoff, look! A bird just fell from the high Abbey roof!"

The male mouse followed her gaze and her pointing paw. "Fell, you say? That's very odd. You don't usually think of flying creatures as falling - hey, where are you going?"

The mousemaid was already racing across the ground toward the stricken bird. "It may be hurt! We must try to help it!"

"Vanessa, stay back! Birds can be dangerous!"

But Vanessa wasn't listening, running to the rescue of the downed creature so quickly that her hood was whipped back from her head. Geoff stood watching her for a few moments in uncertainty, then let the bucket slip from his paw and chased after her.

"Oh, look, it's just a baby!" Vanessa declared as Geoff drew up alongside her, panting heavily. "A baby sparrow chick! Why, I bet I could pick it up and cradle it!"

"I wouldn't try it," Geoff said sternly. "Looks like it's injured - it would probably try to peck out your eyes."

Vanessa stooped down to get a better look at the sparrow. Bright, sharp eyes returned her gaze, while the tiny beak opened and closed in confusion. It was indeed a very young bird, only a fraction of her size and its true feathers only just starting to grow out from its layer of new-hatched fuzzy down. The way it was gawkily sprawled on the lawn, it was impossible to tell at first glance whether it truly might be injured or was merely dazed from the impact.

That question was resolved as the sparrow chick tried to fully right itself, then cried out in pain. Vanessa and Geoff both shrank back, not just from the tortured cry but also from the sight of the mangled wing which came into view.

"Oh, how horrible!" Vanessa clapped her paws to the side of her face. "Look at its poor wing!"

Geoff nodded gravely. "I think one of its legs might be broken too."

"We've got to get it up to the Infirmary," Vanessa decided.

"Now, Nessa, I know how you've got ambitions to take over from Sister Marisol as Infirmary keeper someday, and I hate to see anybeast suffer as much as you do. But we can't take this in. We're not set up to look after a bird."

"It'll die if we leave it out here!" Vanessa protested. "Sister Marisol and I will figure out some way to nurse it back to health. I'm sure we can!"

"I don't know - Nessa, look out!"

Geoff threw himself on top of Vanessa. They hit the ground together, just in time to avoid the stabbing beak and raking claws of the full-grown male sparrow who swooped over them, cawing and shrieking loudly. The two mice looked up to see their would-be attacker flutter to a landing alongside the wounded chick. Three other sparrows, burly males all, joined the first, alighting in a rough circle around the baby bird. The leader squawked again in Geoff and Vanessa's direction, while its trio of companions glared belligerently at the two young novices.

Geoff helped Vanessa to her feet, gently urging her back away from the knot of winged creatures. "Let's give them plenty of room," he whispered. "We don't want them to think we're threatening their youngster. This is out of our paws now - they'll take care of their own."

"But, what if they can't?" Vanessa asked. "I'm sure they can't be as skilled in the healing arts as Sister Marisol is. That poor thing is pretty badly injured, Geoff."

He eyed the four bigger sparrows warily. "Do you want to try telling them that?"

The adult birds had turned their attention to the wounded fledgling. Vanessa held her breath as she waited to see how they would minister to its injuries.

The leader gave a single commanding cry, and then, to Vanessa's horror, they all jumped at the helpless chick, harrying it with bill and talon amidst chants of, "Killet! Killet!"

"No!" Vanessa screamed, and Geoff was utterly helpless to prevent her from rushing forward into the fray.

For a mousemaid of her rather diminutive stature, Vanessa was nobeast to be trifled with. Using her body as a weapon, she slammed into the nearest sparrow, knocking it away from its young victim, then threw herself at another. Confused by this unexpected onslaught, the four attackers momentarily broke off their assault on the chick, which now sat screaming piteously among them, its eyes tightly shut. Vanessa took advantage of this lull to slip off one sandal and brandish it like a short club to hold off the hostile birds.

Geoff took a step forward, then froze. He knew he was no fighter, and would be of no help to Vanessa whatsoever. Maybe if he hadn't dropped the pail back in the gardens, he might have had the courage to wade into the melee, swinging it at the sparrows' heads. As it was, unarmed and untrained in the ways of fighting, he could only stand there and watch, hoping that these birds would not press an attack against a mouse of the Redwall order.

His hopes were immediately dashed. The leader of the sparrows flew at Vanessa, its talons outstretched, and knocked her onto her back before she could swat it with her sandal. The bird landed atop her, pinning her down against the cold ground. Vanessa instinctively threw her paws over her face to protect her eyes, while her attacker stabbed viciously at her chest with its sharp beak.

Heart in his mouth, Geoff turned to run for help from inside the Abbey -

- and nearly collided with Montybank, who was hurrying to join the battle.

"Gangway, Geoff matey!" the otter roared, shoving past his flustered mouse friend. "Stan' clear, an' I'll handle this from 'ere!"

The brawny otter bounded into the fray, spinning around as he did so. One smack of his thick tail sent the sparrow atop Vanessa tumbling beak over tailfeathers away from her. Monty hefted a stout quarterstaff, braining two of the other birds before they were convinced to break off their attack. Holding them at bay, Monty knelt down alongside Vanessa to protect her, should they regather their courage and try for another assault.

Vanessa took her paws away from her eyes and looked up. "Monty! Thank goodness! They're trying to kill that chick! Don't let them hurt it anymore!"

Montybank glanced down at her. The habit fabric below Vanessa's right shoulder was rent and torn, and blood was beginning to stain the edges of the hole. "Wallop me rudder, Nessie, yore wounded!"

"Never mind me, I'll be all right," Vanessa said bravely as Geoff squatted down on her other side. "Just see to that helpless little bird!"

"Sorry, Ness." Monty stayed firmly beside her. "First thing's first, an' that means looking after me favorite mousemaid bucko. Alex went to get help ... in a few shakes, there'll be more angry Redwallers out here than these nasty featherbags c'n shake a wing at. You can betcher they'll make a quick exit if they knows wot's good fer 'em. Then we'll look after yore new liddle bird friend."

The leader sparrow hopped closer to them, chest puffed out menacingly, its three companions regrouped at his side in a show of force. "Me Grym Sparra! Me kill you!"

"Not t'day, birdbrain." Monty's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Bring it on, if'n you dare, an' I'll give you twice th' drubbin' I gave yer already!"

The sparrow Grym seemed about to take Montybank up on his challenge, when the sound of approaching voices drew his attention. A large group of Abbeybeasts, including a score of the Guosims shrews with shortswords drawn, came rushing across the Abbey grounds toward the scene of the confrontation, having been alerted by Alexander. Old Abbot Arlyn was out in front, but it was the grim-faced squirrels, shrews and otters following hot on the heels of the venerable old mouse - all strong beasts who were not about to shrink from a fight - who made Grym and his bullies think twice. And the sight of Maura, the hulking badger Mother of Redwall, bringing up the rear did little to improve the sparrows' courage.

Grym clacked his beak at Montybank and the two mice, careful to stay out of range of the otter's ash stave. "Me remember you, waterdog worm! You watchout, someday I getcher good!"

"Likewise, birdbag," Monty growled, but Grym and the others had already taken flight, winging their way back up to the high attic roofspaces of the Abbey where only birds could go.

Now that the immediate danger was past and help had arrived, Monty scooted aside to make room for the Abbot to kneel down to examine Vanessa. "She's sore wounded, sir."

"Gracious, indeed she is!" Abbot Arlyn agreed upon first glance. "We must get this child up to the Infirmary at once!"

Vanessa waved aside her Father Abbot's concern for her, just as she had with Monty and Geoff. "Never mind about me, sir. That poor little bird needs help more than I do. Please ... see to ... the baby chick ... "

Vanessa's eyelids fluttered, then she fell backwards, unconscious.