Legal Stuff/Copyrights/Author's Note

Legal Stuff

1. I am not Brian Jacques. I think that pretty much settles it.

Copyrights

The following names belong to me: Catari/Cataractus, Ralpiq/Ralpiqueye/Querall, Queye, Magnabella, Kangal, Kanyker, Shadow Raiders/Shadower, Prikk, Darkon, Friar Wress, Ponnay, Sister Licha, this particular Skipper (Sirenn), Foremole Dygdeap, Cellarkeeper Brissel, Terinn, Crekk, Stamm, Ferall, Berran, Kermy, Reedynn/Reed, and Ellom.

The following do not belong to me: Mossflower, Redwall, Martin the Warrior, Guosim, Dibbun, Badrang the Tyrant, and the Inland Sea.

Author's Note

Yeah, sure, I made up the "Eastern Swamp". It's the watermeadow and marshes found east of Redwall in Marlfox. Catari calls them that, not having any better name. The name "the Barren Lands" also belongs to me, but I wouldn't care if you use it, because there's no other real name for the empty plains between the Mountains of the North and the Broadstream.

Thanks for all the reviews! And thanks to Rift Whirlstream, who inspired me to take the story back into hand (paw) and continue writing it.

- OE

Prologue

Everybeast knows squirrels, those dashing, red or grey beasts that leap from tree to tree in a wild frenzy to collect nuts for winter. Squirrels have diversity, like most mice and otherwise sensible beasts don't think. They have tradition, religion, and prophecies. Their most famous legend goes like this.

Once, a squirrel lord ruled all of the squirrels in Mossflower. His name was King Cataractus, or as he liked to be called, Catari. He was a just ruler, strong and wise. No one ever doubted his rule, in fact, it seemed like it was meant to be. But perfection is just a figment of the imagination.

No matter how hard he tried to rid all of Mossflower of vermin, there was always one group that evaded his army: The Ralpiqs! The Ralpiqs weren't a united horde, but small bands of the same name that each had separate leaders. To his mistake, King Catari only bothered with them when they did damage to his squirrels. Out of his watchful eye and through the seasons of peace in Mossflower, the groups started to conquer each other, until there was only one big group - the Ralpiqueyes. The leader, Queye, had tacked his name to the end, showing that all of these beasts were his by conquest. Now, Queye was a tactful beast, a tall black stone marten, who didn't hold faith with prophecies and seers and such nonsense.

Queye had always had his eye on the rolling hills and gentle plains and forests of Mossflower, rich with the bounty of food. Now that he had a horde built up, he began plans of attack on Catari's realm. Soon he had a strategy, and he put it to work that fall. The hordes of the Ralpiqueyes marched upon Mossflower.

One third of the horde, about fiftyscore vermin, all rats, foxes, stoats, ferrets, weasels, and martens, approached the area in which Catari lived. They surrounded it and burnt down many of the trees, and killed all the squirrels they found. They soon came upon Catari, who saw them, and managed to escape. Catari traveled through the forest, and soon found his own small but determined army. He called them up, and they traveled back to the horde for a surprise attack.

The tactic worked, and the third of the main horde was decimated. When Queye found out, he was outraged. Too angry to think of anything better, he sent the rest of the horde to eliminate Catari and his army. When the two hordes met, there was a massive battle. Catari left a general in command and left to seek out Queye. He soon spotted the stone marten, hanging back with archers to protect him. Catari, seeing his wife's cloak on Queye's shoulders, and his family heirlooms in Queye's hands, went into a mad rage. He leapt from the trees, and Queye yelled for his archers to kill the squirrel. Catari dashed out to the main battle, waving his sword about. He received an arrow in his back, but that didn't stop him. With the Bloodlust upon him, he killed every vermin he could. His army swarmed upon the disorganized Ralpiqueyes.

Queye, determined to kill Catari, ran out into battle. He saw Catari standing on a pile of his dead vermin. He ran for Catari, sword drawn. Catari saw him, and drew his own sword. The two clashed swords and scored several hits each. Queye, though, saw Catari falter, and lose confidence. Queye swung his sword to the left, and Catari failed to block it. The hit left a huge gash on Catari's side. He stumbled, and Queye laughed and swung at him again. But it was too late. While Queye laughed with victory, Catari had lunged and his sword now went through Queye's middle. Queye dropped dead. Catari heard cheers from his squirrels, but faintly. He smiled, knowing he had avenged his family's deaths. He collapsed, and never got back up.

The onlookers gasped. Their leader was dead. Then, something amazing happened. Everyone saw a vision, of Catari getting up, and saying "Hail the Bronze One, the Magnabella!"

Since then, squirrels have divided up, and no longer are apart of one group. Despite this, all squirrels know this prophecy, and seek the Bronze One, the Magnabella.

Now, to the story.

Mossflower's cold wind whipped through the trees over the young pair of squirrels. The anxious male hovered over a lying down female, holding a babe. The small squirrel babe was wrapped in a blanket. The mother opened the blanket, and gasped. The father did too. The baby was…bronze! His fur shone in the sun as the tiny squirrelbabe reached for his father's dagger.

"Do you think he's…" he stuttered.

"No, he couldn't be…" she said, in natural denial.

"But he's bronze! And look, he's reaching for my dagger. The sign of a true warrior."

"I think that we should name him Cataractus Daggerpaw."

"Catari, for short."

"Of course."

To their misfortune, at that precise moment, a small band of foxes was traveling in Mossflower. I'll spare you the details, but to make a long story short, Catari was the only survivor. But he was strong. And he wasn't about to give up.