Hi everyone! Katie here with my first Redwall
fic. This takes place after the Legend of Luke but you don't have to read it if
you don't want to. Martinb lies on his detah bed, giving his truths and sorrow
of his life. This is drama/romance and it's a Rose/Martin romance.
Redwall does not belong to me, it belongs to
the wonderful writer Brian Jacques so please do not sue.
Please read and review!
Free at Last
By Katie
He can hear gentle sobs surround him as he lay
in Cavern Hole of the great Redwall Abbey. I am in no physical pain, yet feel a
slight sensation surge through me, painfully, starting around my heart.
I can hear Bella's soft murmurs in
my ears, telling me to hold on.
"Brother Martin, please, hold
yourself together my friend, oh please…"
I smile meekly at her and open one
eye to look at her. She has a worried look upon her face, tears staining her
black fir cheeks. I cautiously open yet another eye and gaze about me, setting
my eyes upon my other friends. Gonff and Columbine stand off in the corner with
their son, Gonff Jr. now at age 14, he is acting more like his father by the
day. Trimp and Chugger also stand, a little ways back from everyone else,
behind their adopted parents. Trimp, now being a full-grown female hedgehog
rarely considered Gonff and Columbine to be her adopted parents anymore, but
more like companions and advisors.
Martin smiled at them, glancing
over the other familiar faces before shutting his eyes once more.
"Gonff…" he whispered quietly,
ordering his friend to his side.
"Martin…"
Martin laughed lightly and tore
his eyes opened one more time to look into his eyes, full of tears and sorrow
for his friend.
"Why are you so sad?" Martin asked
smiling. "I'm not going anywhere!"
"Martin…"
"I shall live again dear friend, through
the eyes of Am That Is."
"What?"
Martin laughed lightly once more,
a laugh with bitter pain seeping through it.
"My friend I have grown old, my
age has caught up with me, finally pulling me towards the Dark Forest Gates."
"Are you scared?"
"I have no regrets."
"But my friend you will leave
us…you will be lonely there…please don't leave!"
"I have someone waiting there for
me."
"What?"
Martin turned his head away form
his friend for a moment, to grasp his thoughts. His smile greatened as his thoughts
and memories collected, so many years worth of lost memories, seeping back in a
time of which they mean the most. Finally after a time of thinking her spoke
once more, his voice becoming raspier and raspier.
"I have lived so many years in
Mossflower, with no memories of my past. When I first came, I was full to the
rim with horrid memories. Something I never told anyone was that I was running
away when I came."
"Running away from what?" Bella
cut in slowly and gently before Gonff could get out the question.
Martin just continued on with his
story, as if not hearing his poor friend, who knows, maybe he didn't, for his
voice just carried softly over her words.
"In the battle against the
wildcats I lost my memory, I guess I got knocked on the head a few to many
times…anyways now thinking deeply about it, I remember. I can remember a place
they call Marshank, a tall fortress on the coast, and one called…now what was
his name? Budnam? No…that wasn't it. Badrang? Yes, I believe that was it.
Anyways he was a stoat, a commanding stoat. He was commanding a powerful army
of woodlanders to build his great fortress of Marshank. One day he came to our
caves by the sea, when I was just a little runt. He captured my grandmother and
I, driving us, along with many others on a long journey, lasting months, to the
building site of Marshank. My grandmother died on the way. When I was there
many things happened, leading me to meat a young Mouse maiden, named Rose, from
Noonvale. I cannot go into much detail, for my last moments should not be spent
telling a long story which I shall never finish before my death. All I can say
is after a long journey for freedom we battled against Marshank, defeating
Badrang and taking back the captured woodlanders. But while I was battling
Badrang, with the sword I battled to retrieve back form him, my father's sword
which he stole form me while I was still I runt, He was defeating me. Rose
jumped on his back to help me but was thrown off and against the wall she was
instantly killed. At least she died painlessly, or at least I hope. I had
fallen in love with her, and when the battle was over and we were marching off
to Noonvale, I went my separate ways from my new friends, heading god only knew
where. I didn't even go to her funeral, I just can't help but think if I had
just tried harder I could have saved her…but if I had I would have never met
any of you, and in so many ways I long for Rose and the life I could have had,
but am happy for I know this is the way she wished my life to be, peaceful and
away from war.
"My friends I have told you this
story because I trust you all, and you all alone. None of this will ever be
spoken of again, for this is not the way I wish the Abbey to remember me. Those
were before my days as Martin the Warrior, and now I am not even that, I do not
even have my sword with me. That is why I am known as Brother Martin.
Once he ended he shut his eyes for
a moment and waved to young Trimp to come to him.
"Young Trimp, thank-you for
reminding me of my father and my people. You will forever live within my heart.
Columbine, take good care of Gonff and that rascal son of yours, he it a brat,
just like his father. And make sure that you watch those candied chestnuts in
the Abbey, we don't need that fat little thief takin' em."
Columbine smiled through her tears
and laughed lightly.
"Oh dear Martin, my friend, I
shall."
"Skipper, take care, my friend. I
have never met an otter quite like you. You are one of my best friends and if
it weren't for you, I would be dead now, if it wasn't in battles against the
wild cats or when I went to find my father. Lady Amber, my friend, lead the
squirrels well, oh champion of tree climbers. You are too one of my best
friends. Good bye my friend."
Skipper nodded his approval,
whipping tears away from his face quickly. Lady Amber, being still a woman, was
more emotional, throwing her strong paws about her friend.
"Oh Martin, champion of Redwall
Abbey, you shall forever be missed."
"I know."
Martin turned his head limply
towards the great badger off to the side. She had a paw whipping furiously at
her eyes, trying to defend her reputation as the strongest at Redwall, but
failing miserably.
"Dear Bella, why do you cry?"
"Martin, you are one of my best
friends! Please do not leave!"
Martin smiled through tears that
rolled down his cheeks. "My friend, tears roll down my cheeks for happiness.
Remember that. I do not want tears of sorrow, I wish for tears of happiness,
for you shall all know that I will soon be with loved once in the Dark Forest.
My friend you have other best friends that shall replace me…"
"None of them are quite like you…"
"I know."
"And who will carry the sword if
Redwall is attacked…"
"One day, in the far future,
Redwall will be placed under siege."
"But then…"
Martin shook his head and trailed
over Bella's words once more, ignoring her pleas for the truth. "Am that is
shall be the next in line, he shall find my sword, and continue to battle for
Redwall. I will not be the last warrior of Redwall, but the first. My friend, I
know this sounds crazy, but I can see him, Am That Is, he is young and feeble.
Klutzy but smart and kind hearted. He shall swing my sword for me with the
warrior's legacy. My friend listen to my words:
I stand here in this world alone,
No kin of mine to take my sword,
No son or daughter of my own,
A bitter and sad reward,
But Redwall in its hour of need,
Will bring forth one to follow me,
To that one, valiant in deed,
I leave a Warrior's legacy.
"Do you understand my words dear
Bella?"
"One day, I know I shall dear
Martin, I know I shall." Bella answered truthfully, though scrounging through
her head for the answer.
"Good, my dear friend, good."
Martin thought for a moment then turned his head to Gonff. "Matey, I have but
one request, when I awoke from the battle with the wildcat you were singing a
song about freedom. Will you sing it to me?"
"Aye matey, I will."
"Let no foul beast give one
command,
I'll say 'O no not me,
My back bends to no tyrant's rule.
Hey, friends, this mouse is free.'
Free has a sound, it rings around,
A lovely way to be.
So dance or sing, do anything,
You're free free free free
freeeeeeeeeee!"
Martin smiled and waved Gonff to
sing it again, through his kind words.
"Gonff, my friend, stay that way.
Stay free; stay free indeed. It shall be long after your lifetime that I shall
be seen again, through the heart of Am That Is. But do not feel distressed
matey, in time of trouble, look upon the tapestry, and dream. You shall see me
there. Please Gonff sing again."
As he did, Gonff felt tears roll
down his cheeks, as silent bowling interrupted his voice every few lines. But
it did not seem to disturb Martin, for his thoughts were true on the words.
"Mateys, we are free at last. Free
at last."
And with that Martin's head fell
onto its side. Bella flung her great paws around his neck as he whispered his
last words into her chest.
"Am that is, take on my mighty
role."
And with that, the greatest
warrior Mossflower had even laid eyes upon, died.
Martin stepped forwards quietly, watching the
world around him. He was in a deep pitch of green and black trees, casting
great shadows over him. A deep scent of pines swept through his senses as he
trekked forwards; taking in everything he was seeing. After a few moments he
laid eyes upon what he was searching for. A great tall gate stood before him,
at least 10 ft. high with cement walls on either side stretching as far as they
eye could see. But the gate itself was large a made of black metal. It was made
of many long, thick, polls coming together in new detailed designs and
patterns. You could see through the gaps to the other side, but that was no
different from the side he was currently on. His eyes wondered up the gate,
looking at the patterns. He found that they made faces; there were hundreds of
faces. Each of the greatest warriors, and the greatest creatures of all time,
with the purest and kindest hearts. He smiled as he lay eyes upon his father's
and Boar's faces in the gate.
"Father, Boar, I am happy you are
here."
"And we are happy you are here
too." Came a strong voice from the other side of the gate. There stood the
great Boar the Fighter and Luke the Warrior. Boar stood, leaning against the
wall, while Luke stood staring into his son's eyes.
"Father…"
"Yes son." he smiled. "I see you
have made it finally to the Dark Forest Gates. I thought it would be soon,
being in the condition you were in."
"I am here once again Father, this
time for good."
"Than I suggest you enter, there
are others here waiting for you." Boar touched the gate slightly, pushing it
open towards Martin. Martin quickly dodged out of the way and slid in the
gates, shutting them behind him. He looked quietly at his father who just
motioned him to follow as he trekked off into the forest.
After a few minutes they came upon
a great place in the forest, bathed in a soft gold light that splashed lazily
in and out of the gaps within the trees. Birds chirped happily around him, and
crickets played at his feet as they hopped through the grasses. He smiled as he
followed to a great open plain, surrounded by trees. They stopped there, before
many a creature.
It took martin a moment to
stabilize his memories as they came rushing through his head. There stood
Felldoh, and the Rambling Rosehip Players, and many others whom he had seen,
met, and made friends with throughout his journeys. He was greeted heartily by
them all, but his eyes lay upon none of them. He waved slightly to them and
stalked forwards, having sited a pretty young mouse maiden, whom he had searched
for all his life, in his dreams. But she had never come to him.
"Rose…"
"Hello Martin."
"Rose…I-I missed you so…my
friend…"
"And I you dear friend. I have
watched your travels Martin, I see my death came to use."
"Rose…"
"You know perfectly well that is I
had not died you would have staid with me, no matter what you say now. If you
had you would have never rescued Mossflower and become one of the founders of
Redwall."
"You know of that?" Martin asked
quizzically as he walked forwards.
"Yes. I have watched you intently
all of these years Martin, I am able to you know."
"But Rose you know we could have
been…"
"Happy? Yes, I suppose we could
have. But think of all those creatures that you saved! Martin as I lay dying I
saw a vision of the present in Mossflower, creatures starving, crying out in
agony as they were beaten to death, Martin it pained my death. But then I saw a
vision of a great warrior coming to Mossflower, and freeing them from slavery.
Martin that warrior was you, the greatest warrior. That pleased my death as I
knew my death had purpose." Rose smiled beside herself as tears started to flow
down her cheeks. "You did not live in pain without me, nor loneliness. You
didn't even remember me after that battle, as I wished it to be. After that
battle you were so happy to have defeated them, I wished you never to feel the
pain of loneliness and regret again."
"Rose, how I've missed you kind
heart."
Rose smiled and laughed lightly as
tears of joy fell down her cheeks.
"And besides, we can begin from
where we left off."
Martin smiled at Rose's request
and walked forwards through the grasses and flung his arms around her waste,
kissing her gently.
"Martin, we are finally free at
last."
"Yes my love, free at last."
And with that loud cheers rang up from the diseased around them as the sun slowly set behind them, beginning an eternity together in death.
The End
How was that? Good? Bad? Want to kill me for it? Please review or e-mail me. Thank you so much for reading!
Katie