Redemption
By: jadoredancingintherain
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Brian Jacque's work. Nor will I ever claim to.
Author's Note: Hello! It's jadoredancingintherain again, and I have a fanfiction for Redwall for everybody :D I hope you guys like it. I think it's a new and innovative plot, but that's just me putting myself on a pedestal xD;. I hope you enjoy it! I will admit, I don't have as strict an outline for this story as I do for others ..' So please forgive my lack of organization I will try to work on one as soon as I get the chance to! Oh! And please note that I won't be mimicking Jacque's brilliant use of accents and the like. I'm not that talented, thank you very much xx. Please read and review! –jadoredancingintherain
Prologue – The Way Things Were
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The warm, comforting sun splashed shimmering golds, pinks, and purples across the darkening sky. The rustling in Mossflower Wood, serene, was unusually unbroken by noise from inside the Abbey's walls. Birds chirped gaily, flowers were in abundance, and the steady gurgling of the River Moss was not far away. Summer had finally come.
Inside the Abbey walls, there was no sign of anybeast assembling the usual preparations necessary for the annual Summer Feast. In fact, the Abbey was unusually silent, void of its usual jovial ambience and its peaceable atmosphere. Abbeybeasts quietly walked side by side, chattering about the way things were.
Inside the kitchen, steam and hot air rushed from boiling pots. The Friar, a chubby, wizened old mouse named Kal, and his assistant, a young, surprisingly fit mouse named William, were busily attending to the various pots and pans. Nobeast cracked a smile. Grim lines creased everybeast's forehead.
"D'you think we'll have enough for dinner, Friar?" William's concern over the lack of food was evident as he dropped a hot lid. Friar Kal winced as the sharp metal clanged against the stone floor. "It just seems like we have to keep diving into last year's supplies to feed the Abbeybeasts…"
"We'll always have enough, m'lad," Friar Kal chuckled, patting the young mouse's head for a moment. It was the first sign of affection evident in the Abbey that day.
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Underneath the shade of the forest trees, a young squirrelmaid lay on the grassy turf, motionless and seemingly dead. Her golden-red fur was covered in a green cloak, a bright golden brooch fastening it under her chin. At her side was a beautiful bow, carved out of golden-white wood from the North, and a quiver full of arrows. The squirrel clutched a silver blade caked in dried blood in her paw. She lay there, crushed under the silence of the wood.
An overly curious bird hopped over and tilted her head at the strange figure. It was too big to be a worm, but it was too small to be any predator. The bird's crest flashed black in the setting sunlight as it boldly hopped closer and inspected the fur. A beautiful fur, perhaps she could pluck a few strands out for her nest…
The bird felt the air whoosh over her head as the squirrel jumped up, the blade at the terrified chickadee's neck. The bright green eyes were slits of anger. "Nobeast comes that near to Jade without warning! What's your name? Where do you come from?"
The bird swallowed, feeling the icy cold blade graze against her neck. "I-I am Songtail, I am a chickadee from Mossflower W-Woods. Please, do not kill me, my family will be most upset with you." Her steely blue eyes searched Jade's eyes for any sign of malice. Finding none, Songtail managed to relax a little. Jade studied her, then set her down, sheathing her sword.
"Apologies, Songtail of Mossflower Wood. I am not used to people sneaking up to me when I sleep." Her eyes flickered as the sun finally set, the purples darkening the sky. Songtail nervously looked over her shoulder. There was no telling what would come out of the Woods at night.
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"My name is Jade. I come from the North. I left when my family's tribe was attacked by the stoat Ermise the Evil." Jade's bright eyes glittered with hatred. Songtail shuddered and approached the fire that Jade had burning with caution. Fire was always an ominous threat in such a heavily wooded area. Jade smiled at the cautious bird. "It's all right, I surrounded the area with rocks. Your precious wood will not be set on fire." She held her paws out to the fire, and Songtail mimicked her by spreading out her wings, and found a pleasant warmth spread down to her claws.
Jade cleared her throat and continued her story. "I wandered for several days and nights until I found myself here. Since there was such an abundance of food and shelter, I decided to stay here a while." Songtail kept silent, a million questions rushing through her head. Finally, she decided to test the waters and ask a question.
"What of your family?" she trilled quietly. She glanced at Jade, and to her surprise she saw tears in the fierce maiden's eyes.
"I know not of what happened to them. Probably, they are dead and rotting in the ground. There is no use thinking about them. They are dead, and that is the way things are."
Songtail swallowed back another question, and the two companions, bird and squirrel, sat near the comfort of the flame as night approached them.
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A far distance West, a large group of skilled vermin lay about, licking wounds and grumbling under their breaths, while fighting with each other to get the closest spot to a fire. Birds were cooked over these fires, the fat dripping and crackling into the fire. Greedy eyes kept watch on the precious food at all times. Paws rested on blades, should anybody take more than their fair share.
A large stoat with a great battle scar from his ear to his shoulder blade watched the vermin, tense and angry, and felt uncontrollable rage rise within him. His second-in-command, the fox Clawdeath, held a magnificent purple satin cloak in his immense claws. A relic from a past adversary. The stoat paced the area, kicking some vermin and lashing out at others with his claws. He growled at those who complained, until the entire camp was silent and all eyes were on him.
"Scum!" he snarled, and some vermin shifted uncomfortably. Silence followed, interrupted only by the crackling of flames. "You should all be at the Hellgates now if it wasn't for me!" He picked up a nearby rat's sword. "You! Where did you get this sword?"
The rat's milky eyes flickered in the flame light. "I got it when we pillaged the shrew camp, yer mightiness." The stoat threw the sword back at him, and the rat grabbed it quickly before someone could steal it.
"When I gathered you and made you my army, you were naught but sniveling babes. Now look at you! The very thought of our massive army makes the strongest beasts shake with fear! We are the best! Nobeast can stop us!" Roars of approval echoed in the night. The stars twinkled down at them as the stoat continued his speech. "And now look at you! Complaining about a few bumps and bruises, eh? Well, let the complainer come to me! I shall show them a… permanent punishment, shall we say?" All eyes traveled to the stoat's immense flail, the spiked ball gleaming maliciously in the light.
The stoat, satisfied with the response, turned and let Clawdeath roar out the chant.
"Ermise! Ermise! Ermise the Evil!"
Ermise grinned, his one large fang showing. Clawdeath faithfully stepped to his side. "My lord?"
"Tomorrow… we head to Mossflower."
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