Chapter One
The sun rose slowly over the tree tops of Mossflower wood. Today was the first day of spring and the forest was showing it. Buds were sprouting on the trees, the bees were beginning to pollinate, flying from flower to flower.
On the coast of Mossflower, where the River Moss meets with the Great Sea, the only noise heard were the sounds of the waves crashing onto the rocky coast and the occasional bird caw.
But this morning there was another sound. CLANG, CLANK, CLANG! The clash of two wooden swords stirred a family of magpies still sleeping in there tree nearby. Two figures dueled on the crest of a cliff face. Both twirling and stabbing and parrying blocks from one another. The sand was kicked up and formed miniature dust clouds.
The two creatures in question were two otters. "Good, ye predicted me attack and countered nicely," this was from the bigger of the pair. "Thank ye, but I did learn from the best," said the other one, in about his mid teens took a swing at the bigger one, but came up with only air and received a massive blow to the stomach from the others rudder.
The younger one was laid out flat by the blow and before he could react his father had him pinned with his feet. "Aye, ye did learn from the best, but that doesn't mean ye can beat me," the father, Arlong said. He took his foot paw off his son and offered a hand, which was accepted. "Aye, father ye are thee best," the smaller one, Ralo said dusting off his gray tunic.
"You two are gonna be late too breakfast, you better hurry your tails down there before Flagon eats it all agin," the pair turned around too see Marlo, Ralo's mother leaning against a rock, her white apron covering up most of her chest and going down to her knees. "Aye, honey we were bout to he' ad over to thee caves now, jus getting in a lil more practice," Arlong said smoothly swaggering over too his wife and attempting to give her a kiss, "and with a lil more practice our boy will be a fine skipper." Putting her hand up to block his lips she casually replied, "I'm sure that he will be a fine skipper indeed, but a fine skipper needs his vittles too, you should know," she felt his muscles and smiled, "you need too gain some weight."
This was an understatement as Arlong was in peak physical condition for any otter and, if it hadn't been for the white patch of hair that grew on Ralo's for head, he would of looked exactly like his son. Flexing a little bit he said "Gain weight, ye must be daft marm," and with that he picked up Marlo and twirled her around. "Aghh, put me down you great brute, I say put me down," laughed Marlo. Arlong put her down and turned towards his son, who was laughing, "Great brute, ye hear what ye momma is saying, tsk tsk making fun of me in such a way." Marlo laughed and smacked him on the rear, "Aye, whatever jus you two get down to the caves and get some vittles." Rubbing his rear Arlong looked at his son, "ye see how violent ye mom be, can take down a whole vermin horde on her own she can." He glanced over at his wife who was giving him the death stare, something all female otters gave too there mates in Arlong's Holt, whenever they say or do something the woman deem stupid. Quickly trying to avoid the stare he turned to Ralo, "Aye, race ye back to thee caves." And with that he darted away with his son close on his heel.
By the time they got back to the caves the sun had fully raised. The trio walked down the rocky cliff face and onto to the beach. Arlong stood in front of the cliff and hollered, "Hey tis me Arlong open up will ye, me n me family will like some vittles this morning." Arlong stood back as a huge boulder was pushed aside by three burly otters. The trio walked forward and shook paws with Arlong and his family, "Arlong you ole riverdog you always out on dueling matches wit ye son," said the middle otter ruffling the hair on Ralo's head, he turned too Marlo and nodded, "had too send ole Marlo out to get ye." Marlo shrugged past him and entered the cave, the rest followed.
Inside it was chaotic, and it was just breakfast. Fifth teen otters were all around the vast cave, some waiting in the chow line for vittles, and others were dancing around and a few were playing bagpipes. Ralo walked over to a table where two otters his age were sitting and eating some soup seasoned with oyster shell. A male otter named Baglow motioned towards the chow line, "ye better hurry up there matey, Flagon is already on his third serving." Ralo looked over at the chow line where a rabble of otters was standing around the cooking pot waiting to be served. An oversized one was in the front of ready for food. The female otter sitting next to Baglow pushed the rest of her dish over to Ralo, "Take me vittles Ralo, I'm stuffed." Ralo took a seat and accepted the offer, "Thank ye much Grenda." Ralo dug into the soup and used the oyster shell as a spoon to suck the soup with. "Were ye wit ye Father sparring again? Ralo me mate," Baglow asked. "Aye, me pap says that wit a lil more training I can become a great warrior." Baglow chuckled and was about to say something when his father stood up on a stone pedestal towards the back of the cave.
With a slap of his rudder against an oaken drum stationed behind him to signal for everyone to be quiet. When all was quiet he began, "Friends I'm pleased to say that we have had the best spring festival ever in me time."
A round of applause followed this, Arlong put his hand up for silence, "but at last we must a get 'goin back to thee abbey." Following this was boos from a few otters not yet ready to go home, Ralo was one of them. Raising his mug full of cordial ale he said, "But hers to ye all and a great festival." Uproar came from the crowd as they yelled in agreement.
The River Blade clan had recently taken up residence in the Redwall a few seasons back. They had become the abbeys make shift militia and in return got a hot meal and a place to sleep every night.
However every year around the beginning of spring the River Blades would travel down to the Great Sea and have their big Hullabaloo Festival. Where they would eat, play and just have a good time to celebrate the coming spring. They would go for about a week then they would head back to Redwall.
"Well it looks like we got to head back to thee abbey, eh Ralo?" asked the female otter Grenda.
She was as tall as Ralo and Baglow and equally built, she was quite pretty for and otter maid and she had a voice that could woe the savage's Badger with Blood wrath, or her father had said when she was born. Ralo had a small crush on her, but she didn't know it. Though Baglow did, and would never let any time he spent with Grenda without mentioning that he was as red as an apple. But Ralo could care less and soon he probably would have Grenda as his mate if he played his cards right.
"Ralo?" Baglow said with a smile on his face, "Grenda asked you a question ain't ye gonner answer."
Ralo gave Baglow a glaring stare and then turned to Grenda and answered, "aye, tis a shame we 'ave te leave such a marvelous place like this one," he said gulping down the last of his soup.
Grenda leaned over and held his hand, "please Ralo convince ye father to make us stay a lil longer, I would be much grateful." Baglow stifled a laugh as Ralo turned red. Pulling back his hand he replied coldly, "I think I should be goin." With that Ralo left the cave with Baglow laughing and Grenda looking confused.
The place where the Hullabaloo was held was a series of caves on the rocky coast; each one was big enough for three or four otters to sleep in. Ralo having the Skipper of the River Blades as a father was allowed a cave of his own. Though it was a lot smaller then the rest, it had a ledge where Ralo could store his sling and dirk, pretty much a short sword on a dagger hilt.
Ralo entered the cave and placed his weapons on the ledge; he laid out a grass knotted blanket and lay upon it. Within minutes he had drifted off into sleep.
Ralo was walking through the woods of Mossflower, a heavy fog resided over the area. It was so dense and thick Ralo couldn't make out anything more then a few feet in front of him. He walked for what seemed like hours before he finally came to a clearing. He recognized the clearing as the flatlands that were in front of Redwall. Sure enough the abbey stood a few hundred yards away, barely visible through the fog. Ralo moved forward to cross the clearing when suddenly a figure stood in front of him, Ralo jumped back and looked the figure up and down. It was a mouse with shiny silver armor and a sword that looked magnificent with a red ruby in the midsection of its hilt. Ralo instantly recognized the sword. It was the sword of Martin the warrior, one of the founders of Redwall, and that must mean the mouse must have been Martin himself. Martin looked at Ralo with a deathly stare and began to speak, "Ralo River Blade you must protect my Abbey." Ralo looked puzzled, "from what," he asked.
Martin suddenly seemed to turn into smoke and was absorbed by the fog. In his place stood creature the likes of which Ralo had never seen before. It stood about as tall as Ralo and it was wearing an all black robe that went from its feet to its silver spiked helmet that obscured whatever type of animal it was. In the beast hand was a long black chained mace. It raised the mace and was preparing to strike Ralo, who had put up his arms in defense and screamed "no!"
Ralo was suddenly wakened. He opened his eyes to see his mother crouching before him, a look of desperation in her eyes. "Mother wot's wrong?" he inquired. "Ye must get to the safety room of the cave now," she replied helping him up.
He must have been asleep longer then he thought as the sunny day had turned into a gray one, and it was down pouring outside the cave, a small puddle had formed near the mouth of the cave. Over the steady plopping of the rain he could here shouts of anguish and yelling, as if there was a battle of some sort happening.
Ralo swiveled his head around and asked, "Are we under attack?" His mother didn't answer she just kept pushing Ralo towards the back of the cave. "Wait I need me dirk." "I'll get it, ye get that safety room opened up," Marlo responded turning around and going towards the ledge where Ralo's dirk lay.
Ralo went to the back of the cave and started moving the small boulder that served as the door to the safety room. Calling it a room was an overstatement. It was more like a hollowed out small closet. It was the room Skipper Arlong had told his family to hide if there was ever trouble during the Hullabaloo. And right now it seemed there was some trouble brewing.
Marlo retrieved the dirk and joined in the safety room as Ralo put the boulder back into place in front of the entrance. He left a fraction of it open to view any beast coming into the cave.
They both sat in silence; the only source of light coming into the dark area was from the small opening. Marlo had the commanding position peering out through the opening while Ralo sat on the darker side of the room waiting anticipant.
It was a good five minutes of silent ness, the only thing that could be heard was the pitter pat of the rain outside, and the occasional shout from outside.
Marlo held Ralo's hand tight so much that it was starting to hurt him. But he knew better then to tell his mother that, especially since all she was doing was trying to protect him. He did however needed a question answered. "Where's dad?" "SSHH," his mother put her finger to her mouth to signify quiet. Then she motioned outside, though it didn't do any good as Ralo couldn't see out of the room anyway.
Two figures came into the cave, drenched from the storm they quickly shook off as much water as they could.
Lugeye and Bigfang were searat twin brothers. Both had dark black fur and looked almost identical in the face. The only way anyone could tell them apart was because of Bigfang's two large canine teeth that jutted out of his mouth a little. Both brothers weren't the brightest of creatures but they were far from being the dumbest and many of creatures who have underestimated the duo now walk the woods of the Dark Forest.
Lugeye wringed out a damp rag he was caring and said to his brother, "tis a horrid storm outta there, eh brother." Lugeye took the rag and then wrapped it tight around a small gash he had on his left arm. Bigfang looked at the gash and remarked, "aye, tis a very bad storm indeed, ye shud prob' bly get thatta there wound lookit at, thatta riverdog gotcha good ain't he."
Lugeye winced as he pulled the rag tighter around the wound. "Aye, but I gotta im' back good," Lugeye said brandishing his spear with a smile, "how's' bout we stay inna ere' for a little bit, tis nice and cozy."
Lugeye made for the comfy blanket that Ralo had slept on but was stopped by his brother who put a paw on his shoulder. "Well 'ere's the way I sees it, Luggy. We could stop 'n rest 'ere a while, but if ole Fenn caught us sleepin, then we will be really sleeping, ye get wot I'm saying."
Lugeye thought it over for a second before he said, "I guess ye right." The two turned around and began walking towards the cave opening. Marlo let out a sigh of relief, but then her footpaw accidentally slipped out of the tiny opening into the back cavern. She quickly pulled it back in, but the noise it had made had caught the twin rats' attention. Both their ears perked up at the noise and they turned around to examine the previously thought abandoned cave.
"Whoa! Wot was that?"
"I don't know, but I 'eard it too."
The two began walking towards the back of the cave in a sweeping move covering every inch of the room.
Marlo tightened her grip on the dirk. She glanced at her son for a split second, his face only visible by the small shaft of light coming through. She nodded at her son who was beginning to break out in tears. Ralo mouthed no, but it was too late.
Marlo burst out of the cavern; dirk rose yelling the battle cry of their Holt, "RIVER BLAAAAADE!!!!!" Lugeye barely had time to react. He jumped out of the way of the swishing dirk, but he wasn't fast enough to completely dodge it. The blade came down into the dirt slicing clean halfway through Lugeyes tail.
"Ouch me poor tail, that wretch cut it in half," he yelped hopping from foot to foot. Bigfang reacted by drawing his cutlass swiftly and running Marlo through before she could react. Ralo gasped but was able to stifle it by covering his mouth with his paws. Rubbing his bottom he walked over to where Bigfang stood over the still breathing but greatly incapitated. "Stoopid wretch I'll see ye in Hellsgates." With that he raised his spear and brought it down on her chest.
Ralo looked away from the murder and cried, and then something inside him started to burn. And like lightning he shot out of the cavern towards the rat Bigfang.
Bigfang turned towards the new attacker. He smiled the otter was young and weaponless. As Ralo struck out for a punch, Bigfang stepped out of the way and brought his cutlass butt down on his head. Ralo fell in a crumpled heap.
Ralo woke up minutes later, but he was still quite groggy. He had hazy vision and saw stuff in kind of a blur, the rain wasn't helping. He looked up to see the two searats talking to another creature. His vision was blurred so he could barely make out the ears and long snout of a fox. This fox must've been in command as the two rats were talking to him as such.
"Aye, Captain, this one 'ere was found in a cave a lil south of 'ere, we ad to slay 'is momma but we saved 'im jus like ye asked," said Bigfang. His brother piped up rubbing his tail, "Aye, kill all the older ones and save thee younglings," and under his breath he remarked, "and I dam well lost me tail doing that."
The fox was a corsair and looked every bit like one. With a hoop earring in his left ear and a look that screamed pirate. When he spoke it was like he had a sore throat, "Good," he looked over at Ralo and remarked, "Tis one 'ere looks fit enough for the pits."
A female ferret walked up to the fox and saluted, "Cap'n Fenn me n me patrol have scoured the rest of the area, nought an otter in sight, alive anyway." Fenn looked quite pleased, "and wot are our losses." The ferret did some quick calculations with her paws and then said, "we loss Riffing and his men." Fenn quickly did the calculations, "hmm Riffing was a good warrior, he shall be missed, but given the fact that we only lost five and had e' band of two score we did pretty well."
Bigfang piped in his opinion, "but we took thee riverdogs by surprise and thee still put up a serious fight." But all Fenn did was laugh, "But now all thee riverdogs 'r dead, so it doesn't matter." Suddenly adopting a serious face he said, "now get these three 'ere movin I want to reach back up north by noontime tomorrow."
"Aye Cap'n," responded his band and they moved to pick up Ralo. Ralo was curious to see who the other two otters were. He looked to his left and gasped, Baglow and Grenda lay unconscious on the ground. He tried to call their names but only a dry muffling sound came out. He was roughly picked up by the twin rats, had his hands bind behind his back and hauled away.