H'Okayyy... I haven't updated in quite a while. No matter, I've been reading more Redwall books, in an attempt to get my concepts straight. Ok, I haven't got it straight entirely. No matter. Here,I write about the other problems being faced by different characters, so I'm not going into the part about the title yet. I fail to mimick Brian Jacques' style of writing so please forgive *bows*. R&R please!
Disclaimer: Redwall and its concepts yada yada yada... oh nvm, you know wot I'll write, eh?
Sister Lina, a middle-aged squirrel, stepped away from the door of her library and slipped into the shadows. She had originally gone that way to proceed to Great Hall, but retracted when she saw Huskfield the otter standing in the doorway.
"Well, well, well. Wot do we 'ave 'ere, eh? A lil' bookworm in Sister Lina's library!" she had heard Huskfield bark. There wasn't any answer to his remark, and she began to feel curious as to who was in the library. She waited at the corner of the corridor, wondering who was in her library. Still, no answer, but Huskfield gave a hearty laugh. "Get yore tail a-movin', laddie! Lunch'n's 'bout t' be occurring sooner than ye can say 'Redwall'!"
Sister Lina could see that the otter was nudging somebody out from the doorway. Before she could even grasp the features, the "intruder" had scampered down the stairs. The rest were just muffled voices and laughter.
"Huskfield!" she called gently as she came out of hiding.
The otter poked his head out from the doorway and chuckled. "Well, g'day to ye, marm. I thought you were already in Great Hall for lunch'n".
Sister Lina shook her head slowly. "No. I was on the way there. That is, until I heard you," she replied in a hushed voice. Huskfield's eyes widened in alarm. He quickly darted brought out a hand to her. "Wot did ye hear?" he inquired politely.
"You found someone in my library. Who was it?" she answered calmly.
"Aw, it's just lil' ole Fleet. He was readin' one o' yore books."
Sister Lina immediately perked her ears, suddenly on high alert. Hardly anyone was allowed to enter the library without permission, especially the Dibbuns and the other youngsters. How did Fleet manage to get into the library in the first place? It was locked up tight! Now that he did unlock the door, which book had he read? Some books were not meant to be read by young eyes. She just had to find out! She excused herself from Huskfield and quickly made her way down to the lunch venue.
…
Great Hall was set and ready for lunch to begin. The table was laid with meadowcream puddings, damson tarts, leek and carrot pasties, ryebread, oatcakes and different cheeses ranging from pale to a mellow yellow. The delectable dishes were accompanied by strawberry fizz, burdock cordial, mint tea and elderberry wine. Much to the moles' delight, their favourite deeper'n'ever tater'n'turnip pie came out hot onto the tables. That wasn't all; a few kitchen helpers came in holding several bowls of steaming maize'n'tomato soup, the newest and most revered dish made by the Abbey's Friar.
The Dibbuns were up to their old tricks; sneaking some vittles into their small habits and acting all innocent. Fortunately, Friar Coylan saw the mischievous antics. "Hoi, ye lil' nippers! Put 'em back!" he barked, tugging at a mousebabe's paw.
"We gets too likkle vittles! We take more fer ourself; we're still likkle Dibbuns!" the mousebabe retorted, stuffing more food into his pockets.
Foremole and Cellarmaster Brilly happened to be rolling a barrel of pennycloud cordial into the Hall when the Dibbuns were stealing away with the food. Foremole gave a chuckle and approached the arguing pair.
"Hurr, youse stop bein' such villyuns and put 'em vittles back where thurr beloong. Be noice t' Friar Cooylan," he coaxed the mousebabe. He patted the mousebabe with a digging claw, smiling a little slyly. "If youse doan't put et back, oi'll have t' foind a noice vermin to help me wit' tha'. A noice vermin wit' shorp teeth'n'claws that deal wit' nought Dibbuns!"
Fearing that Foremole would really bring in vermin to the table, the Dibbuns emptied their pockets and returned the food to where it was, hands shaky with fear.
Fleet had overheard Foremole's threat and growled to himself. Why did he had to use the vermin threat? He felt insulted whenever that was used, because he himself was a vermin. Fleet never really wanted to know his true heritage, but sometimes, the daily words of Redwallers regarding villains and vermin and hordes constantly reminded him of his genes. Fleet's father was a fox, but he never knew who it was up 'til now. From what he learnt from Brother Nathan, his father was a heartless fox who never spared a thought for others; traits of a typical fox. His mother was a wolf; Fleet only saw her once, but that was seasons ago, when he was still in that ragged pouch that lay on the cold snowy ground. A shiver went up his spine as he remembered the biting cold that clutched to his fur. (A/N: For me, wolves are goodbeasts )
"Fleet? Are you ok?" Fleet turned to see a young hedgehog looking at him. He blinked rapidly.
"I'm fine, Vivian. Just… thinking," Fleet stammered.
The hedgehog smiled and patted him. "Well, wotever it is, Mother Aniu wants t' see you in the Infirmary."
Fleet stared at him, complete bewildered washing over him. But seeing the look in Vivian's eyes told Fleet that he wasn't to argue. He nodded and started to run for the staircase, calling, "Tell Father Abbot tha' he needn't wait fer me!"
…
"I'm really getting worried about the young'un, Niru," a small voice murmured.
"Snow, my little dearie. There is no need to worry about Fleet. Not when he's such a strong fellow," Mother Niru soothed the dormouse in the seat next to her.
Snow stared glumly at the carpeted floor, thinking deeply about Mother Niru's words. Still, she was doubtful. "But see, he's a foxwolf. Foxes are vermin, Mother Niru, everybody knows that. They can be cold-hearted slayers, thieves, robbers… anything that makes them vermin-like! He may even turn on us when he has the chance!"
Mother Niru nodded understandingly, her striped head rippled by the breeze outside. She was chuckling inwardly, realizing how innocent Snow really was.
"Yes, dearie. Vermin a fox is, but pray tell, have you seen him do anything like so?"
"Not really."
"And has he ever been suspected of all felony you can think of?"
Snow thought about it, tilting her head to one side. Then, she shook her head.
"Well, there now. How can you determine what he'll end up as?"
Snow didn't want to give in just yet. She stood up and walked over to Mother Niru. She gently took the badger's massive paw into hers and looked at her with wide, pitiful eyes. "But if you recall, Mother Niru, what happened many seasons ago when a vermin was brought into the Abbey, then I have reason to fear his future," she continued slowly. Snow remembered the story told to her by her grandmother; the story of a ferret who had grown up in Redwall Abbey and was named Outcast in the end, for he had attempted murder on the Friar of that season. She had shivered upon hearing how he tried to hide his misdeeds, and how he chased away all those who tried to help him.
Mother Niru took her paw gently from Snow's grip, smiling. "Veil, yes I remember him. But think again Snow; he saved his caretaker in the end, instead of following the father he knew little of," she whispered softly, having heard footsteps nearby. Snow apparently didn't catch her cue.
"But Niru! What if he doesn't turn out as what everyone in the Abbey would want to see him as? He may have the good nature of a wolf, but in the event where he follows the steps of Veil… what'll happen to him? What'll happen to us?" Snow rambled furiously.
The silence that suddenly engulfed the room prompted Snow to spin around. Her lower jaw tightened and her mind went blank. Fleet was standing there, his blue eyes wide with disbelief. "F-Fleet…" Snow stuttered.
Fleet had gone up to the Infirmary as Vivian had instructed. While he approached the Infirmary, he heard someone talking, but he wasn't near enough to hear. Unfortunately, he had heard Snow's uncertainty of his bloodline.
Mother Niru stood up slowly, holding out a paw to the foxwolf. "Fleet," she began carefully.
"I knew it! One and all the same!" Fleet hissed, pointing a finger accusingly at them. "All you ever do is look down on the vermin breeds! And because I have a fox's blood running through my veins, you look down on me as well!"
Snow hid behind the Badger Mother, frightened of the young Fleet's sudden hostility.
"We'll talk about that later, my little dear. Please calm down and sit next to me," Mother Niru coaxed gently, waving towards a chair opposite Snow's original seat. Pointedly, she added, "Mayhaps you go down for lunch."
Catching on to the hint and frightened of the situation, Snow scurried out the door and practically ran down the stairwell. Ensuring she was gone, Mother Niru turned to look at Fleet. "I called you for something else, Fleet. Not about what Snow said."
Calming himself down, Fleet gave a nod to the badger.
"Sister Lina worries that a book which was not meant for young minds has been read by one. But she is unable to figure out who it was. What puzzles her even more is that the "reader" managed to unlock the door which she had locked up firmly before leaving to the garden," Mother Niru explained the matter with a story-telling fashion. Tilting her muzzle slightly upwards, she continued, "So, Fleet. Which one was it?"
Fleet jerked his head up upon mention of his name. He was listening to Mother Niru distractedly, having thought about what he was planning to do after lunch: Go back to the library and find that particular book again. But it seemed he had been watched.
He shook his head, hoping Mother Niru would understand. But the badger wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. "Fleet, I need to know which book you read. It'll help us know how to prepare for any… "problems" that may arise after you have read it," she pestered.
"I don't know! I never saw the cover, nor did I see the contents! I just flipped a random page and read it, that's all!" Fleet snapped. He cringed, realizing that he was being rude to an elder. Mother Niru raised her brows at him, appearing to be suspicious about his answer which, in reality, she wasn't. Growling to himself, Fleet made his way out the door, remembering to excuse himself from the badger before he made his exit.
Mother Niru sat in her armchair, her mind clouded with thoughts and worries. Fleet was acting almost the same way Veil had seasons and seasons ago. Moreover, it wasn't like Fleet to snap at anyone, even if he was in the wrong. She was starting to wonder whether Snow was right about having to worry regarding Fleet's future. Some creatures just couldn't escape their nature of a vermin. But then again, Fleet had displayed such fondness and kindness towards everyone within the Abbey, that it was hard for anyone to believe he would become evil, even with his half-blood origins. Now with the recent incident, her mind began to trouble itself with the thought of Fleet following a real fox's nature.
"Pray that he doesn't…"
…
Fleet lumbered down the stairs, hesitant on whether to hurry to Great Hall. Half of him wanted to go, as everyone would be worrying about where he vanished to. Plus, he was really hungry. But the other half refused to go. He was afraid that the others had heard about the hostility he displayed towards Snow and Mother Niru and would be talking about him. Fleet halted and sat on the steps, leaning on the wooden rail. Hungry or not, he felt like staying where he was and miss out on lunch. He closed his eyes, feeling more sleepy than hungry.
The moment he closed his eyes, images started flashing in his mind; images that portrayed violent battles, cruel bloodshed and horrid deaths. Each image brought out the feeling of terror into Fleet's heart, and each agonizing sound he heard made him shiver and shake uncontrollably. Something caught his attention; a dark, lone figure standing up high on a hill, raising a curved blade into the air and cackling maniacally. Fleet whimpered, terrified of what he was seeing. Before anything else happened, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, gently rocking him… to sleep?... He wanted to find out what the person was doing, but he was too tired to bother, and he was being soothed calmly until the terror that had invaded his thoughts dissolved away.
"Sleep if you must, young one. You should never be frightened of decisions, and must never let its troubles take over you," a voice, strong and firm, whispered in Fleet's ear. The foxwolf mumbled incoherently, sensing something familiar about the voice, but he had fallen into a deep slumber…
…
"I say, if the young half-breed doesn't brush up on his manners, I'll be more than happy to do it for you, wot!"
Brother Nathan shook his head despairingly, concern evident in his small beady eyes. "No, oh dear, Forty! Don't you call Fleet a half-breed, especially within the Abbey walls! Father Abbot forbids such atrocity, and you are making it worse!"
Fortallamus turned to Brother Nathan with an expression of shock and disbelief. He spun on his heel, facing the mouse with his paws akimbo.
"Good Lord! Making it worse is not my specialty, wot. And I'm stating a fact of what that verm- err, I mean, young'un… is!" he answered with a flick of his long ears.
Brother Nathan knew what Fortallamus intended to say, and quickly smacked the hare's left paw with his own. His eyes were taut with burning fury, and his whiskers quivered with rage.
"Fleet is not a vermin, Fortallamus! He is good at heart, fond to elders and youngsters and kind to those he loves even if they have harmed him or others! How dare your mouth speak vile of the one I raised? I've seen him with my own eyes, and he shows nothing that vermin do! Nothing! As for his origins, never – and I mean never – dare call him a half-breed! That term is viewed as the villain's way of saying 'weak and unworthy', and Fleet is nowhere near that! He's strong! He's worth the love and care Redwall Abbey provides. Could he help being the child of a murderous slayer and an honest warrior?" he challenged the hare with such a firm voice that Fortallamus could only glance at his own footpaws.
"Err… I say, old bean… Ah…
Calming himself down, Brother Nathan shook his head slowly. "Forgive my outburst, friend. Come now. We must not impede lunch."
Fortallamus' features brightened at the mention of lunch, and he was instantly tugging the Brother's habit sleeve eagerly. "I say, lunch sounds good! C'mon old chap, off y'pop!"
A young hare sat on the rock, watching his companion doze peacefully under the yew thicket. He was dressed in a tattered blue coat with a rope for a belt, and a red-and-ginger bandanna was tied around his neck. His left ear had been stubbed to half its original length, something he wished he'd never think about. Beside him, his younger sister tossed pebbles into the narrow stream, giggling with delight when some displaced water onto her whiskers. He smiled, knowing that he needn't bother too much about making her happy for the time-being.
"Lufius, where are we going?" the younger hare asked as she tossed another pebble.
The older hare remained silent for a while, before suppressing a sigh. "Honestly, Lilip, I've no bally idea. I heard of a place called Salamandastron, where hares like us thrive and be fed well and even stay with the kindhearted Lords there. But we've no clue where it is or how to get there, wot!"
The sun reached its peak and its light shined through the thick canopy of trees, dappling the ground with golden patches that seemed to dance whenever the wind blew. Lufius felt a sensation of loneliness all of a sudden, and turned to look in the general direction of the stream. Where the stream goes, the sea shall wait. The words of his long-deceased mother rang in his ears, precious beads of wisdom rolling slowly back into his mind. Where was he to go? Not towards the sea, where Corsairs and other watery dangers lurk and thrive. That would be dangerous for his small company. But then, he couldn't be travelling deeper into the forest without any ounce of direction to guide him. Untold dangers could be waiting to ambush them, trap them, or even rob them of their valuables and necessities. Lufius was so deep in thought, that he didn't see his sleeping companion jump on him.
"Lufius, move! Vermin! Vermin are attacking!" his friend hollered, picking himself up.
Half-score of stoats and weasels charged towards them, brandishing daggers, scimitars, knives and long curved blades, and shouting at the top of their lungs. Some of them broke away from the main group and rushed towards the stream, straight where Lilip stood horrified! Bounding to his paws, Lufius grabbed a nearby stone and flung it as hard as he could. The stone whizzed through the air and found its mark on a weasel's temple, knocking him flat. The hare bolted forward, outrunning the charging group and scooped up his sister before turning back towards his other friend.
"Grab the packs and run! Hurry!" he ordered while trying to calm his sobbing sister.
Nearby, the fox Warlord looked at the meager camp gleefully, his cruel, dark eyes shining with mirthful malice. Turning to a band of rats, he gave a single nod to them. The rats surged forward, raising their pikes and heading in the direction of the fleeing travelers.
"M'Lord, I suspect the three to be heading the other way," a husky voice rasped from behind the fox.
The fox turned his head to look, before facing the former direction and laughed. "Run? Escape? Evade? HA! You ferrets are muddling beasts, never able to see the obvious when you're being ruled over!" he cackled, whipping around and facing the ferret squarely. The ferret was a head shorter than him, and donned a faded green tunic. The horde's symbol – a wild, savage fox crouching as if it was readying an attack – was embossed into the centre of the tunic. The Warlord smirked, taking small steps towards the ferret. "Jagclaw, Jagclaw, Jagclaw… you've must'n lost yore senses when ye lost yore leadership, eh?"
Jagclaw the ferret could only lower his eyes, embarrassed to go any further. Without warning, he was slammed into a tree, unable to move with the fox's saber at his throat.
"Who am I, Jagclaw?"
"You're Zilus Kig-Yar," Jagclaw answered hesitantly. Glancing into the fox's eyes, he added, "Warlord of the Murderous."
The fox released the ferret and turned back towards the small camp, smiling almost to himself. He shoved his stolen saber back into its sheath, eyeing his horde as they scuttled around the place, looting whatever they could find. He enjoyed terrorizing any creature that was foolish enough to camp within his vicinity. It made his heart swell with pleasure, having been released from the burden of raising a runt of a litter. Remembering that he had new slaves to capture, he rattled his head and pulled his lips back in a snarl. As if no one was there with him, he howled, "Nobeasts escapes Zilus Kig-Yar!"
Lufius' right foot connected with a stoat's jaw, sending him flying straight into the other vermin. The vicious attackers swung their blades at him, threatening to injure him or his sister. His sister… Lufius' eyes shot wide open, sudden realization reminding him that his sister was in terrible danger if she was still in his arms. Looking wildly around for his companion, he dodged and weaved through the tangle of shining metal and bristling fur, not losing sight of his friend's tail amongst the blurry scene of villainous ambushers, who was joined by an unsuspecting band of rats. His coat was wet from the tears that flowed from his sister's eyes, making him feel more apprehensive as he glanced back and forth between the vermin and his escape route.
"Lord, we can't run forever!" Lufius cried loud enough for his friend to hear.
Scartail, one of the few ferrets in the group, jeered at him. "Ye'll be our prisoner 'n' slave, haharr! Give up now, rabbit!"
He was answered with a punch in the muzzle from the strong hare, whose gray eyes were intense with fury. The hare aimed another strike, but was stopped by his friend, who came back to help him. "We have to run! Leave him!" he blurted, yanking Lufius by the paw.
Lufius protested, instead shoving his sister into his friend's arm.
"Take her and run! Far away, where it's safe! I'll hold them off," he grunted, facing the wave of armed vermin again. Panicked and unsure of what to do, his friend took to his heels and made a headlong run for the deeper parts of the unknown forest, the despairing feeling of leaving a companion behind clawing into his heart. Turning to see if he was followed, he gasped as the mass of vermin overpowered the hare, who could only cry out in hate. With that, he vanished into the thick foliage, desperate to save himself and the young hare in his arms.
Lufius struggled against the mass of weasels and stoats that tried to hold him down, hurling hateful remarks into their faces. Another rat thrust his spear, stabbing the ground next to his head. Lufius kicked out his long hind legs, catching the attackers off-guard and distracting the others. He wriggled free and grabbed the spear before pointing it at them, his eyes alight with battle. "Stay back, slime-nosed beetle-butts! I dare say you'll be roasting on the wrong side of yore own spear when I'm done, wot!" he provoked the group of villains that outnumbered him twenty to one.
"Beetle-butts! Ha, I'll slice ye t' bits, longears!" Pikeshot, a battle-scarred stoat, challenged, raising his sword. His dark eyes betrayed the surprise that was lurking behind Lufius. The stoat brought down his sword forcefully, missing the hare by a hairbreadth. Snarling with disbelief, he thrashed sideways, swinging his wielding hand left and right, all the while hoping to score a mark on the soon-to-be slave. "Ha, stay'n still ye two-ton grease-paw!"
The stoat fell forwards with a pulsating ache in the shoulder. "Watch yore hindquarters, eh matey? Never know when an enemy might bowl you over. Alright, who's next?" Lufius taunted, hopping back and forth at the vermin group.
"Leave him to me! This addle-brain'll be mine!"
Scartail came running with a weasel in tow, both maddened by the Lufius' antics. The lanky hare sidestepped and stuck out a footpaw, tripping the two attackers as they shrieked in surprise. The ferret leapt to his feet, twirling his sword skillfully before charging the hare again, a wink passing unnoticed to the hare. Lufius pulled back a paw, ready to deliver another punch, but it was held back by the pike-wielding rats. They yanked him backward, before spreading him out fully like a mattress. Scartail grinned savagely, closing in on his target as he pointed his sword directly at the hare's chest.
"I must say, you are smart for vermin," Lufius managed a quick compliment. He watched as the ferret raced across the forest floor, the menacing sword gleaming in the sunlight. He smiled. "But you're not smart enough to outdo a hare! Grrrraaaaaarrrrrrr!"
It all happened so fast, that nobeast could tell what happened. Lufius spun about, taking the rats on his right as a shield. At that moment, Scartail rammed into them, his sword went straight through the rats that clung to Lufius. They howled in agony, before sliding down and crumpling on the ground.
Lufius whirled around like a tornado, swinging the remaining rats (and Scartail) off of him and into the nearby trees. None of the vermin moved, not even the deeply angered Pikeshot who glared at him with venomous eyes. Thinking that he won, Lufius slackened his stance and opened his mouth to cheer. Then, something swung out from the trees and whacked Lufius straight in the face, sending him staggering backwards.
In the blink of an eye, the hare was trapped between the strong grips of two full-grown foxes, their amber eyes like stone fire. Lufius, however, was undeterred.
"Lemme go, ye flippin' dog-snouts!" he raged, writhing under their hold.
"Well, well, what a nice long-eared rabbit ye are," Zilus appeared from the crowd of vermin, a withered smile hovering on his lips. "Welcome to my horde."
The Warlord received a mighty kick from the hare's long legs, before he felt a single drop of liquid on his nose. Enraged by Lufius' behaviour, the fox fastened his paw around the hare's throat, baring his teeth. "Insolent scum! I'm Zilus Kig-Yar, and nobody defies me!" he hissed.
Acting surprised, Lufius cajoled sarcastically, "Zilus Kig-Yar? Huh, you're a worthless fox, d'you know tha'? Leavin' family behind, what a Warlord!"
Zilus' eyes looked as if he could burn the hare right there. His paw crept towards his saber hilt, itching to cut it across the hare's throat. But he stopped halfway, a thin smile playing on his face. "You're a good one, aren't ye? Stonedrop, Sharktooth, "he pointed to two stoats respectively, "Git back to tha' camp and watch fer any rescuers! Return to yon den next sunrise!"
Watching the stoats trudge away, Zilus turned to the foxes that held Lufius. Grinning wickedly, he nodded once and made his way back to his hidden stronghold, eyes gleaming with ill-pleasure. The noon sun shone brightly through the trees, appearing as a spotlight following the deadly steps of the vicious fox Warlord.
Somewhere west of the travelers' disaster, a female wolf walked wearily through the never-ending screen of nature, limbs tired out from trekking for a day and a half. She glanced about the place, keen eyes searching for any signs of a civilization that can offer her shelter. Seeing that there was no form of building nearby, she proceeded onward, head down, one paw firmly gripping her special blade; a rare flame-bladed sword, its edges forged into a wavy pattern, rimmed with hardened amber. It bumped harmlessly against her leg, the dazzling sunlight reflecting off its brilliant surface. Giving it a short look, she chuckled to herself, sounding like a half-crazed warrior.
Trundling noiselessly through the foliage, the wolf mumbled darkly to herself, ignoring the cheerful atmosphere of her surroundings.
"I will slay you."
There we go, all nice and updated! Ok,so I didn't go to the part where Fleet was to search for Zini's mom. That'll have to wait. As y'may 'ave noticed,I've made reference to Outcast of Redwall. Do note that my story will have lots of references that are somehow connected to my story. As for the Warlord's name, I derived it from Vilu Daskar, while the word 'Kig-Yar' is from the Halo gaming series. They're known to be vicious bandits, something I want Zilus to be :) And another problem: I'm very disorganized when I'm describing battles. Again, please forgive me *bows again* I accept critique not criticism.
Zilus: Quit bowing and git back to work, Foxwolf! *raising saber high*
Silver: Nay! YAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH! *runs for cover from Zilus' blade*