It was a bright sunny day in Mossflower wood. A rich golden sun looked down upon the orchard, the pond and the paddock of Redwall Abbey.

Two young squirrels, Springleaf and Dalroy could be seen climbing up the stairs to the top of the North gate. Once on the very top, they leapt one by one onto a low branch of a nearby tree, scuttling into the leafy center. The squirrels laughed as they sat down on a thick branch to rest.

'We're out again Dal. They can't keep us locked inside that musty old abbey.'

'Yah, they'll learn that soon enough Spring. But I don't understand why Abbess Farra and all those other oldbeasts don't let us off the grounds. We're grown squirrels; they should let us make our own decisions now. And besides, nowadays Mossflower is as safe as a birds nest.'

The squirrels stopped to listen as the mourning abbey bells tolled.

'We better go adventur'n before they start looking for us,' Springleaf said. She climbed down the tree, onto a well stamped path, followed by Dalbark. The two young ones jogged down the path, their backs toward the abbey.

Abbess Fara was meanwhile helping set the tables outside for breakfast in the orchard with a group of other abbey creatures. The Badgermum set a stack of small, light tables down and wiped her brow with the back of her paw.

'Whew. It sure is hot out today. Summers finally arrived, eh Riverpaw?'

The otter turned away from the cart of food he was pushing and began to arrange the tables.

'Yer right about that, matey. An' I'm thankful too, after that roarin' winter we 'ad.'

Netty, an old hedgehog maid began checking the food in the cart. 'There's still a lot of food in the kitchen. I'd better go get another cartful. Oh look, there's Brother Aspen. Aspen, could you please run down to the kitchen and get another cartful of food for breakfast?'

The dormitory keeper mouse walked down the path from the abbey to join them. 'Of course Netty, but first I must inform Fara that those two rascals have disappeared again. They weren't in their beds this morning, and I've searched the whole abbey for them.'

'Oh no, not again! Isn't there anyway to hold those young'ns?' Netty asked worriedly.

'Not ter worry, Netty. Yer know Springleaf and 'Alroy always return shortly. But I'll go take a look fer 'em, they always git out by overhang'n branches. They'll be fine,' Riverpaw said.

Abbess Fare looked distractedly at the woods that surrounded all sides of the abbey. 'I hope you're right, Riverpaw.'

Meanwhile, Springleaf and Dalroy were starting to feel guilty, as had happened in every outing. Being good beasts, the guilt of rebelling after being shown so much kindness always hit them like a ton of bricks.

'Err, do think we should go back now, Dal?'

'Yes, they, uh, probably have breakfast ready by now.'

The squirrels turned to go home when all the sudden they heard a heavy rustling in the bushes. They looked as a group of bushes shook madly as something began to emerge.

'Up the tree!' Dalroy shouted. The squirrels grabbed the lowest branch they could find and buzzed up into the leafy thick top of an old maple tree.

Two large brown paws pushed aside some leaves and a hare stepped onto the path. He wore a tattered cloak and shouldered what looked like a mostly empty bag.

'I say! Those bushes sure are bally well hard to get through. Now that I've found a path I'm stick'n to it, wot, wot!'

Dalroy and Springleaf hopped out of the tree, making the hare leap two feet into the air.

'Whaaa! You tree wallopers almost made me jump onto a thorn bush. Shouldn't go around scare'n a chap, dontcha know!'

'Hello sir,' said Springleaf, who always liked hares for their comical manner. 'This is Dalroy and I'm Springleaf. Are you trying to get to the abbey?'

'An Abbey? You can jolly well bet on it missie! I haven't a bally thing to eat in days, wot wot! I'm Benjamin, pleased t'meet ya!'

As they walked back to the Abbey, Benjamin told the squirrels why he was there.

'I'm part of a nice little clan of snowshoe hares from the North. But our dwelling was attacked and taken by bally smelly, ugly vermin. They took all our food and burned down our houses, dontcha know. Anyway, we were all traveling south to find someplace else to live, but we caught site of another pack of vermin. Actually, I believe it was the same one. They had mountain lions with them. Mountain lions are the bally well worst beasts to roam the earth, dontcha know. Except for vermin of course. Anyway, the clan decided to stay and hide, and send a couple o' scouts ahead, but seem I to have misplaced my friend Snowbuck, wot wot!'

Dalroy nodded. 'Don't worry, he'll find you. Theres our Abbey.'

Meanwhile, only a few miles behind Benjamin, Springleaf, and Dalroy, a large band of weasels, Stoats, and ferrets, along with a pair of mountain lions, had stopped to rest.

Dlake, the leader, a large weasel wearing a black hooded cloak and a belt with two spears hanging from either side, sprawled out in the long grass on the side of the path and shuffled through his pack, pulling out a piece of cheese. He ate it slowly, watching his band closely, listening for any words of threat or rebellion. The other vermin sat and ate together, talking and laughing. Some began to build fires.

Knifeclaw, one of the mountain lions came over and sat beside Dlake.

'I can't eat this stuff!' the mountain lion exclaimed, batting his large pack of food from the hares village with his paw, sending it flying. He stared into the vermin leaders pale eyes. 'You had better keep your bargain, because me and my mate love the taste of fresh weasel.'

Dlake glared at him. 'I'm starting to think asking a cougar into my horde was a mistake. You'll get your meat, lion. Calm down.'

The weasel stood up and beckoned to two stoats that were sitting against a tree. The brawny stoats hefted two huge bags over and dropped them beside Knifeclaw. The mountain lion opened them with his huge paws and brought out three dead fish and two dead sparrows.

'You said six a day. Three for me and three for Brissle.'

'Finish that and by the time your done the hunters will be back. I don't know why it makes so much difference to you.'

Brissle, the other mountain lion joined her mate and they began to eat ravenously.

'I know of a nice little place just down the road that would make the perfect fortress for us,' Dlake whispered evily to himself.