Chapter One
Bushtail sat on the edge of the River Moss, her fishing line drawn, waiting for a bite. She was to bring food back to the barn for Squire Julian and Captain Snow, who were generous enough to give her shelter. It had been exactly one year since she had come there, so she was preparing a special meal for that night.
Finally, there was a tug on the line and Bushtail began to pull the fish in with all her might. It was a rainbow trout, one of her favorites. With one last pull, she heaved the fish onto land.
'This should make for a nice supper.' The squirrel thought as she gutted the trout. 'I'll keep the head for Captain Snow; he said that was his favorite part.'
She cleaned her catch in the River and started a fire with her knife and a flint rock. As the fish cooked, Bushtail thought. 'What am I doing with my life? Will I live in the same old barn forever?'
The full meal was rainbow trout, oatcakes or acorn bread with honey, and an apple pie washed down with October ale.
"Where did you get all of this fine food?" Julian asked politely after taking a large gulp of October ale.
"I bought it from a peddler traveling to Redwall this morning." The squirrel explained.
"Yes, good, old Redwall." Julian commented. "We both have good friends living there."
"Like who?" Bushtail asked curiously.
"Well, there's Basil Stag Hare, Matthias the Warrior…"
"Those are both quite strange names." She giggled.
"Show some respect, child." Captain Snow said sternly. "They are both very noble heroes. You should be ashamed of yourself."
"Calm down, Snow," Julian said. "Don't be so hard on the girl. They are, after all, quite strange names."
"Don't you start, as well…"
As the two argued, Bushtail snuck out into Mossflower Woods. She found a slightly curved stick.
'Nice and firm.' She thought, trying to snap the stick with no success. She took out her knife and made notches on either end of it. She then took a leather bootlace and tied it tightly to the stick where she put the notches. She plucked the bootlace, making a small *boing* noise.
There had been battle between rat and mouse in that area long ago, but Bushtail easily found some sturdy, intact arrows.
She carved a target into the bark of a large tree, took aim with her new bow and arrows, and shot. The arrow landed about an inch away from the center.
"Huh," she smiled victoriously. "Must be genetics. Now, how am I to carry all of these arrows? Ah well, I don't need one yet."
The next morning…
Bushtail woke up in Mossflower Woods. She sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes, recalling the night before and looked around for her bow and arrows. After gathering all of them, she tied the arrows in a bunch and put them in her satchel.
She walked back to the barn, still half asleep.
"Where have you been all night, Bushtail?" Julian asked worriedly.
"Making this." She showed them her bow she had made the previous night. Captain Snow snatched it from her grasp to examine it.
"Interesting…" he turned it over in his claws. Handing it back to the squirrel he said, "It would work well in battle. Keep it safe, it could be dangerous in the wrong paws."
"I'd like to know more about Matthias the Warrior." Bushtail requested of the two older creatures.
"Well, of course, every child should know the story of Cluny the Scourge's attack on Redwall Abbey." With that, Julian began to tell the young squirrel what he knew of Matthias.
"Sounds like a great hero." She commented once the story was over.
"Indeed he is." The cat agreed.
"He still lives?"
"Of course, the battle only ended a month before you came to these Woods." The owl replied. "Why, you could visit him where he lives."
"May I?" the squirrel asked eagerly.
"I suppose you may. You can use that bow?"
Bushtail nodded.
"Then what are you waiting for? If you're going on a journey you will need to pack supplies."
The squirrel packed her knife, a flint rock, and various other supplies, a loaf of acorn bread, a canteen of strawberry juice, and a small package of roasted chestnuts.
"I'll be off then." She was about to walk out the door when Snow halted her.
"Not without your bow." He presented the fine piece of weaponry to the young squirrel. "Now set out on your journey."
"Goodbye, friends." She bowed.
"Farewell, young squirrel."
With that, Bushtail set out into Mossflower Woods, to Redwall Abbey. After what seemed like hours of walking, she stopped to rest near a fallen beech tree. The sun was directly above head.
"Noontide, I s'pose." She opened her satchel and ripped off a small chunk of bread and a handful of chestnuts.
She could scarcely hear a vulgar slurping noise, until it started coming closer. Her ears perked up as she hadn't heard anything besides herself crunching chestnuts in over three hours. Readying her bow for an enemy, she stood up, looking in the direction of the sound. It was close.
Suddenly, another squirrel jumped out from behind a tree, sucking his paw. Bushtail put away her bow and greeted the male,
"Hello." She smiled in a very friendly manner.
"Hello." He replied in a similar tone. "I'm Sam, what's your name?"
They shook hands.
"M' name is Bushtail. I'm looking for Redwall Abbey, do you know where 'tis?"
"O' course, but it's a long way away." Sam glanced at the food the female had been eating.
Noticing this, Bushtail invited him to eat lunch with her which he accepted.
"D' you live at Redwall?" she asked her new friend.
"Yeah, old' Abbot Mordalfus makes it nice living' there." "D' you know Matthias the Warrior?" "I reckon everyone in Mossflower does." "I don't…" Bushtail hung her head. "That why you're coming to the abbey?" "Aye, just to say I met someone who done somethin' great." "Well, you did, I helped in the final battle against Cluny. Isn't that something great?" "Aye. You'd be right in that. But, I still would like to live in the abbey, maybe help in the kitchens or as a guard." She smiled at the thought "Being a guard be more exciting." When they had eaten their fill they set off for Redwall Abbey.