Miggol stopped and panted, pressing himself flat against a tree,
breathing hard. The rat held up his mangy claws and stared at them- why oh
why had he done that? He could have chosen to live as a goodbeast, instead
of trying to grasp a living with one claw and using the other to battle of
envious rivals. His tail whisked through the air and he peeped around the
oak tree-trunk. Nobeast was following him!
He had been running for a day. A full day. Stumbling clumsily over tree roots and leaving a trail a blind moth could follow in his panic. He wondered if the Redwallers really would let him get away with such a horrible crime.
The rat sighed and slumped down onto the floor. Great. He chose THIS time to leave, just when he was beginning to think like a goodbeast. He knew that just about every vermin would think he had outsmarted the Redwallers- and he was just sitting here feeling sorry for himself.
Never mind then, the rat told himself. I'm still a badbeast through and through. Maybe I could make myself a living in these woods without hurting anybeast.
With a sigh he clambered up the oak, taking in a birds-eye view of the immediate area. His training in the old robber band with Aravis the famed squirrel bandit came in handy for that. The rat clambered skillfully onto the thickest high branch he could see and glanced around- and he saw what he was looking for. Right by River Moss was a small clearing. Maybe he'd set up housekeeping. It looked good.
The rat climbed skillfully from tree to tree- it was not that difficult as the branches of trees usually at least touched each other at some point, though occasionally he jumped.
As Miggol made his way to the clearing he recollected the past events. He was a part of Aravis' robber band. He and his friend Archon the ferret were accused of insulting Aravis- the sentence, death. Saved at the last second by the capture of a young squirrel and a hedgehog. Together they all escaped. Joined the warrior Lukawan and his friends in the journey to Redwall. Reached Redwall, welcomed. Ruwan Reguba took a liking to him- offered swimming lessons, as the squirrel was quite good. Miggol agreed- and drowned him. Miggol ran.
Miggol promised himself that he would become a goodbeast from now on. No more killing unless for defense. No more bloodshed. No more.
He leapt down on the clearing and ran towards the river; gulping in the water- surprisingly it was amazingly fresh. He decided he liked this clearing- nice, homely, nearby berry bushes and of course this river.
Miggol lay down on his back in the soft dewy grass and sighed. Life of the goodbeast was good. So good!
He had been running for a day. A full day. Stumbling clumsily over tree roots and leaving a trail a blind moth could follow in his panic. He wondered if the Redwallers really would let him get away with such a horrible crime.
The rat sighed and slumped down onto the floor. Great. He chose THIS time to leave, just when he was beginning to think like a goodbeast. He knew that just about every vermin would think he had outsmarted the Redwallers- and he was just sitting here feeling sorry for himself.
Never mind then, the rat told himself. I'm still a badbeast through and through. Maybe I could make myself a living in these woods without hurting anybeast.
With a sigh he clambered up the oak, taking in a birds-eye view of the immediate area. His training in the old robber band with Aravis the famed squirrel bandit came in handy for that. The rat clambered skillfully onto the thickest high branch he could see and glanced around- and he saw what he was looking for. Right by River Moss was a small clearing. Maybe he'd set up housekeeping. It looked good.
The rat climbed skillfully from tree to tree- it was not that difficult as the branches of trees usually at least touched each other at some point, though occasionally he jumped.
As Miggol made his way to the clearing he recollected the past events. He was a part of Aravis' robber band. He and his friend Archon the ferret were accused of insulting Aravis- the sentence, death. Saved at the last second by the capture of a young squirrel and a hedgehog. Together they all escaped. Joined the warrior Lukawan and his friends in the journey to Redwall. Reached Redwall, welcomed. Ruwan Reguba took a liking to him- offered swimming lessons, as the squirrel was quite good. Miggol agreed- and drowned him. Miggol ran.
Miggol promised himself that he would become a goodbeast from now on. No more killing unless for defense. No more bloodshed. No more.
He leapt down on the clearing and ran towards the river; gulping in the water- surprisingly it was amazingly fresh. He decided he liked this clearing- nice, homely, nearby berry bushes and of course this river.
Miggol lay down on his back in the soft dewy grass and sighed. Life of the goodbeast was good. So good!