Prologue
It had been 18 seasons since the fall of Marshank, and the deaths of Rose, Felldoh, and Badrang, and it had been over 5 seasons since a few of the brave creatures that stood up against Badrang had finally passed away. They were Barkjon and Grumm Trencher. The warm spring breeze gusted through the small village, inside on of the cottages was Brome, now Brome Voh, who finally reached adulthood, was the hidden village's Chieftain and its doctor. He was slightly sinewy and he wore a brown habit. He held a tiny infant mouse in his paws, it was a tiny female mouse snuggled in her blanket. Brome's wife, Sharon walked in carrying a basket full of boysenberry scones and a holding a flask of blueberry cordial. She saw the healer mouse cradling their daughter, the young infant's name was Rose, in honor of his late sister, Laterose of Noonvale. Sharon pulled up a chair and watched as her little one suckled on her left thumb claw.
"What a beauty, she is. She has her father's eyes."
"Well, she has her mother's face."
The two smiled at each other and exchanged a kiss.
Outside of the cottage, Ballaw de Quincewold pushed an elderly Rowanoak in her oaken wheelchair, the two were both getting grey in the whiskers and they felt their seasons were coming to a close. The two met fine beasts to help bring new life into the world. Ballaw was dressed in a luscious green habit, while Rowanoak donned a beautiful gown. The retired warriors watched their grandchildren play in the orchards.
"What a pair of young rogues, eh, wot?"
"I second that, Ballaw, once they're older they'll make excellent warriors."
"I have a suspicion that you may be right, old girl."
"Speaking of warriors, I wonder how Martin is doing?"
"To be honest, I haven't got a blinkin' clue. However, I do have a feeling that he is safe somewhere."
The two old friends watched as their grandchildren played, laughed, and were merry.
Nearby the lake, Keyla and Tullgrew were the new skippers, Keyla wore a blue short sleeved belted tunic with a cyan blue scarf wrapped around his neck, and Tullgrew wore a green and blue gown with a red headdress. They two also had young ones, twins. A male otter and a female one. They named them Martin Skipper and Jewel Skipper. Keyla docked their ship to the coast, he and Tullgrew tied their ship to a wooden post, they did many sailor knots, so that their ride wouldn't get away.
"Phew, now the boat shan't be drifting away."
"I second that, come on, let's see how young Brome and Sharon are doing."
The pair held their young otter pups' paws and lead them up the cliff to Noonvale.
However, far from Noonvale and near the ruins of Marshank was a group of vermin lead by a tall burly stoat with brown fur, clad in a emerald green hooded cloak, a belted blue tunic and a steel broadsword at his hip. Near the stoat's right was a tall, slightly sinewy fox clad in a white blouse, brown trousers, and a red sash around his waist, as a makeshift belt. He had a full quiver of arrows and a longbow slung around his shoulders. Standing to the stoat's left was a somewhat tall searat, he donned a black vest, adder skin belt and a pair of long daggers on both sides of his waist. The three and their army of vermin marched through the woods, when they got out of the forest, the stoat Commander smiled and responded.
"There she is, boys. Fortress Marshank, my father's home and soon to be mine."