(I was bored recently and just finished reading Mariel of Redwall and The Bellmaker for the first time in years. I decided why not write a Redwall fanfiction story, as a tribute to Brian Jacques. RIP. I do not claim ownership of any of his original characters I use. This was merely my way of dealing with the loss. I do not write this to make any profit whatsoever.)

CHAPTER ONE

The gatehouse door was swept shut behind the badger as soon as she hurried inside. The massive beast chuckled kindly as the crowd of little creatures crowded around the trolley of food she pushed before her.

"Wait your turn!" she warned a little volebabe who was in the process of dipping a sneaky paw into a bowl of stew.

The little Dibbun drew back his paw with a guilty expression, sucking on the offending paw. Constance ruffled the fur on his head with a fond smile as she passed out bowls to the mob. The badger mother of Redwall Abbey made herself comfortable on a chair by the fire and surveyed her young charges.

"Tell uz-ns a story," one molebabe demanded, and the other Dibbuns clamored agreement.

Constance stared at the coals in the fire for a moment, deep in thought. She smiled slowly as she selected a tale from her long seasons of experience.

"Have you ever heard the tale of Mariel Gullwhacker and Darkgor the Twisted?" she asked, knowing the answer before the responses.

Indeed, there was a chorus in the negative from the Abbey's young ones who sat in a semicircle around their badger mother.

"Sit back - wait for that scone to cool Grunk you little scamp! - and listen to the tale of a mousemaid and her companions as they battle in the name of freedom against the hordes of evil."


The windborne spray tore across the old ship's battered deck, threatening to carry away anybeast that didn't hold on for dear life. The vessel was caught in the claws of a gale that would tear the courage from the hearts of any other crew. The Pearl Queen and the beasts aboard her were made up of something special, however. They fought tooth and limb against the sea's ruthless assault.

A sturdy full-grown mouse whooped as a wave crashed over the deck. The ageless devil was soaked to the skin in seawater and grinning like a mad hare.

"I must admit," he bellowed to his companion, a pretty mousemaid, "these searats are unusually persistent."

The mousemaid raised her head against the cruel wind, staring at the searat vessel three shiplengths in their wake. She bared her teeth in something born between a grimace and a smile. A hedgehog that stood at the other side of the mousemaid laughed despite the spray that battered his face mercilessly.

"Let them come," he roared heartily. "We can't keep up at this pace for long, mates! Break out your weapons!"

The two mice knew that their companion spoke the truth. The mousemaid unlooped a thick length of rope from about her waist. The end was knotted into a blunt weapon. Mariel of Redwall hefted her Gullwhacker and grimly regarded it. She remembered laying out several scavenging seabirds with it while she languished half-dead on the shore.

The other mouse drew his long dagger, clutching it tightly in one paw as he stared at the ship in their wake. Scores of ragged searats crowded its deck, casting taunts at the three companions and waving weapons. A few poorly-timed arrows were already in the air, falling miserably short.

"They're gaining on us fast!" the mouse with the dagger shouted.

"Let them come, Dandin!" the hedgehog called again as he loaded his sling with a hefty pebble.

Bowly Pintips cast a stone and nodded in satisfaction as a rat toppled into the abyss with a startled scream. The rats were in range now, for better or for worse.

The vermin that thronged the decks returned fire. Spears, arrows and slingshots thudded into the aged decks of The Pearl Queen. Mariel ducked just under an arrow that zipped overhead and she tossed a spear back. It arced uselessly into the sea. The three companions were forced to dive for cover as another volley of projectiles took flight.

"That's it, mates! Pin 'em down!" crowed a rat standing on a rail waiting to leap aboard The Pearl Queen as the distance steadily closed between the two craft.

Dandin realized that this particular searat was the captain. He raised a paw to point him out to Bowly. The hedgehog had already loaded another stone and cast it, however. The unfortunate rat toppled backwards senseless as the stone bounced off his head. The other searats paid him no heed.

The ships were now almost pressed together as the storm pounded them. A few adventurous vermin attempted to leap aboard. They were slain by Mariel's Gullwhacker and Dandin's dagger before they had time to draw breath. The two mice and a hedgehog stood waiting to repel all comers.

"Come on! It's only the three of us, you cowards! REDWAAAAAAAAAAAALL!"

Mariel was almost shocked at the harsh scream that ripped from her throat. The searats milled uncertainly on the deck of their own vessel. A bold young searat broke the silence.

"We can take 'em, mates!" he yelped, leaping across to The Pearl Queen nimbly. "Come on!"

The rest of the motley crew of vermin roared affirmation and followed. Mariel, Dandin and Bowly took one look at the charging mass of villains and ran the other direction. Footpaws pounded on the deck as the searats gave chase.

"They're running!" screamed the searat - his name was Fleatooth - who had spoken up. "The day is ours!"

He was in the front-runners of the mob of vermin when the three warriors dropped belowdecks. A score of squirrels popped up in their place with arrows nocked on bowstrings. Their faces were grim and merciless.

"SOUTHSWAAAAARD!" the squirrel archers roared as they released the shafts into the front ranks of the would-be invaders.

Fleatooth threw himself onto his snout on the deck. The arrows hissed viciously overhead and took out a good dozen vermin. Fleatooth scrambled back to his feet just in time to take one of the shafts in the shoulder. He howled in pain and staggered back towards the rats' ship, the Gutsail.

"Retreat!" Fleatooth bawled with another agonized yelp.

Fleatooth only had time to gasp as his crew was met at the rails by the trio of cold-eyed warriors leading a group of shrews. The retreat of the searats had been cut off and it wasn't a pleasant sight for anybeast. After it was all over, the storm had begun to subside. Dandin grimly wiped his dagger on the ragged clothing of one of the dead vermin.

" 'Twas a job well done," Bowly commented, leaning against The Pearl Queen's railing and watching as a crew of otters began dumping the dead rats over the side. "What will we do with yonder searat vessel?"

He nodded towards the Gutsail, which had been lashed to The Pearl Queen.

"Free the oarslaves and cut her loose," Mariel responded quietly.

The mousemaid stood at her beloved vessel's rail, watching the sun wink at her between the clouds. Dandin joined her, clasping her paw wordlessly. She rewarded him with a small smile. The two companions stood there silently together. They had never needed words to convey their feelings.

"Land ho!" a squirrel lookout called from high up in the mast.

Mariel, Dandin and Bowly rushed to the foot of the mast. They looked up and followed the squirrel's gestures, spotting the smudgy outline of mountains to the south. The three warriors exchanged glances.

"Let's cut this tub loose and head for land!" Bowly shouted to general agreement.


Darkgor the Twisted knew only victory in the savage Southern Wildlands. He had gathered all manner of bloodthirsty vermin to his cause. Slave labor had sped up construction on the smooth-tongued rat's masterpiece: the Fortress Hightop. Whispers began to run around the vermin encampment of construction being completed within a few seasons' time.

The half-finished stronghold was already impressive, in a word. It sat atop the highest peak on the coast of the Wildlands, looking out over the sea. Two towers stood freshly built in the center of the vast courtyard. The tallest of the two housed Darkgor and his most trusted generals.

Darkgor made quite an imposing picture, pacing silently in what would soon be his throne room. He was impatient and his eyes blazed with anger. Two of his lieutenants stood at attention nearby, shaking in their fur.

"You!" Darkgor roared suddenly, turning and pointing with his drawn sword.

One of the lieutenants - a ferret - jumped as he realized that his leader was talking to him.

"Y-y-yes, Your Majesty?" the ferret asked in a quavering voice.

"Why has the Gutsail not returned?" Darkgor snarled, slicing the air with the deadly blade. "Skullrigg was a capable captain but he has tested my patience for the last time."

The ferret stuttered, trying to buy time for an answer. Darkgor raised the sword as if to slay him and the pathetic beast collapsed weeping. The other lieutenant - a weasel - spoke up quickly.

"Your Majesty, the scout Grogpaw returned this morning. He spotted the Gutsail beached on the north coast. She was abandoned like a ghost ship, sire."

Darkgor turned away and resumed his pacing, scraping his swordpoint along the stone floor absently as he did.

"We have visitors," he whispered to himself.

He wheeled back around to face his two lieutenants. Both had stayed rigidly at attention and they were staring straight ahead. Darkgor was unpredictable and they dared not provoke his legendary wrath.

"Send out patrols to the north coast," he ordered the weasel Nipback.

He waited until the weasel had left before turning to the ferret, Ripwhisker. Darkgor smiled; Ripwhisker shuddered. He didn't like the look of it. It turned out that Ripwhisker's instincts were correct.

"Go with them," Darkgor said softly. "No one defies me. Find out who did this."

Ripwhisker scampered off after Nipback without a backwards glance. Darkgor stared after him for a long moment before turning and looking at the space where his throne would sit. King Darkgor sounded much better than Darkgor the Twisted. It most certainly did!