Chapter 3
Snowflake, also known as Snow, sat down in the shade of her favorite tree. It was midsummer. The trees and bushes were filled with fruit and the garden's vegetables were nice and big. A bee buzzed among the flowers, which were in full bloom. She smiled a little smile and sang to herself.
The beauty of the summer is a grand wonder
With such sights to behold.
There's color everywhere, so throw away your cares
Just like in summers of old
Here at Redwall, there's peace and joy for all
In summer, winter, spring and fall
So enjoy the wonders of these lovely days of summer
Here at Redwall, before it turns to fall.
When she finished, she sighed in contentment. She'd lived in Redwall Abbey for ten seasons and had come to love it with all her heart. Even better was that the Abbey dwellers loved her. She helped out as much as she could with anything that needed doing. She'd become quite versatile. She was a cook, a healer, a drink maker, a bell ringer, a painter, nursery mum and had recently become an apprentice recorder and the library keeper, which was her favorite occupation.
The sound of splashing made her look to see the Dibbuns swimming the shallows of the pond. Her smile grew at the sound of their laughter and shouts, even as mousewife Drulia, scolded them.
"Furgel, don't swim out so far! You two, stop playing the mud! Bol, don't you dare eat that watershrimp!"
Snow sighed as she stood up. She'd best help the mousewife. Though sometimes it wasn't so much the Dibbuns as it was Dru, who felt that children should be seen, not heard.
"Could you use some help?" she asked politely as she approached the pond.
"Oh Snowflake, thank goodness!" Dru said as relief spread over her face.
"Snow!" the Dibbuns cheered.
"Wanner swoim?" molebabe Furgel asked. "The water be noice today."
"A little," Snow replied. "But not very far. We rabbits aren't very good swimmers. Neither are you moles for that matter. So why are doing so close to the deep part of the pond? A grayling might come and eat you up!"
Furgel looked around and his beady eyes widened. He swam back into the shallows.
"Very good," Serena said. She next to her attention to the mousebabe Bol, who was holding a wriggling watershrimp in his paw over his mouth.
"You shouldn't eat that," she told him. "Raw watershimps will swim around in your belly and give you a tummy ache."
"Theyz will?" asked Bol.
"You just put that thing down and wait for it to be caught and cooked with other watershrimp."
He did.
"Aren't you going to do something about them?" Dru asked, nodding her head and the young squirrel and bankvole playing the mud.
Snow shrugged and shook her head. "It's too late to stop them, so may as well let them have fun. We'll give them a bath later."
The two Dibbuns actually cheered at this and got out of the pond.
"Can we has it now if you do it?" the little vole asked.
Snow laughed. "Sorry, but I'll have to help Friar Gordon in the kitchens and I'm on a special project."
The two Dibbuns gave an "Aaaahhh…" of disappointment.
Dru shook her head. "How it is they like it when you give them a bath I don't understand."
"She'm soing to us!" Furgel cheered, throwing up his digging claws.
"And she doesn't scrub so hard…" Bol added.
"She had such soft paws," Frilda, the little hogmaid said with a dreamy smile.
Snow could only shrug at the mousewife. She had the two muddy Dibbuns wash off as best they could and helped Dru dry them off and send them in.
"How is that project coming along?" Dru asked. "You've been working on it for some time."
"I'm almost finished," Snow said proudly. "I would've gotten done sooner, but I stay so busy helping everybeast. Not that I mind of course. I knew from the start it would take time, but I really wanted to do it. You'll see soon. I'll share it with all of you! But right now I better head to the kitchens."
As she went to the kitchen's she passed a group of shrews wearing headbands, kilts, and short rapiers. Members of the Gousim who'd come by for a visit. Snow immediately felt uneasy. There was something about the little warriors that made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was their gruff personalities, raucous speech or combative instincts, but they had a way of making her nervous. Whenever they came for a visit, they would often do something to startle her. There were times that she wondered if they did it for their amusement.
"Good afternoon," she told them taking several steps to the side.
"Afternoon, missy," a young shrew named Armus told her with a wave. "We'll be shovin' off now."
"Oh? You're leaving? Well, come back soon."
"Actually," Armus told her. "We was hopin' you could come with us."
"How come?"
"We was thinkin' we could use a fine creature like yaself around the Guosim camp. You'd be a the best cook we ever had, be a big help in keeping the place tidy, and you have a way with babes that would be of great service to us."
She shook her head. "No thank you. My place is at Redwall. The Abbey is my home."
"That's another thing," Armus said in annoyance. "You've been locked away in this abbey like a princess in a tower for far too long. Is it true you've never been outside the ramparts?"
She nodded. "Not since I first came here ten seasons ago. And I never will."
"Have you ever even been up on the wall?" another shrew, Bringal, asked.
"Of course. The can be quite lovely. I've made etchings and I'm thinking I might make paintings of the landscape, one for each season."
"You go up there often?" Armus asked.
"Not very. I like the view, but otherwise I have no reason to go. In fact…it's a little embarrassing, but I'm a little nervous about being up that high. When I was little, I was so scared of going that high or seeing what was out there I wouldn't let anybeast take me up there."
"I don't doubt that," Bringal said with a note of contempt in his voice. "I bet you wouldn't let them take you outside the abbey either."
"I wouldn't even let them take me to the gate! Shoot, it was a long time before I went near the gatehouse."
"You really are timid little thing aren't you?" Armus asked. "Well, how about we help you get over your fear of the outside?"
"How?"
"By taking you out of the Abbey for a while. Just a short walk or to step outside the gate for a few minutes."
Snow started shaking her head. "No, no. I'm staying right here. I'm never leaving the Abbey as long as I live unless I absolutely have to. And I hope that day never comes."
The frowns grew on the shrew's pointed faces.
"Well boys," Armus remarked. "Looks like this calls for drastic measures."
Before Snow could ask, Armus grabbed one arm while Bringal took another. Serena shouted in protest as they dragged her toward the main gate. Her cries became louder and shriller as they got closer and some of the shrews opened the gate.
"NO, PLEASE! I CAN'T, I JUST CAN'T! NOOO!"
"Stop acting like some sheltered babe and just come outside!" Armus snapped.
"It's for yer own good!" Bringal added.
They were just about to step outside when a figure came sailing at the group. It was Skipper Sammen. He thwacked Armus with his rudder and the shrew let go of Snow. She bite Bringal's arm and he too let go with a shout. She became a white blur as she ran into the Abbey.
"You liddle idjits!" he shouted at the Guosim members before heading in the direction Serena had run in.
"What is the meaning of this?" Abbot Alphonse asked with a frown he approached the shrews alongside other elders, including the Guosim's leader, Log-A-Log.
"That's what I'd like ta know," he said, glaring at his crew members.
"We was just tryin' to get the rabbit outside the Abbey," Armus said defensively.
"Without her permission?" Alphonse asked in annoyance.
"It's not our fault she's such a coward," Bringal grumbled. "She hasn't even been out of the Abbey in ten seasons and didn't even go up the wall for a long time."
"Chief," Armus said to Log-A-Log, "surely you don't like how she's always keeping her distance from us or avoiding us or giving us those looks like we're a buncha brutes."
"We ARE a buncha brutes," Log-A-Log told him matter-of-factly. "A delicate little flower like her would naturally be timid around us. Ya just have to give her time. Took me a few visits to for her ta warm up to me."
"She's always timid for a while when she first meets someone," Alphonse told them. "With good reason."
"What reason could she have for treating everybeast like they're going to attack her at any moment when she's grown up here of all places?" Armus asked.
Alphonse paused before sighing, then telling them the story of how the young rabbit had come to live in Redwall. "Can you imagine what it must be like to grow up as a slave? To have many of your earliest memories to be of cruelty and abuse? Instead of the playing games, she was made to do work too hard for one so young. Instead of the sounds of laughter and chatter, she grew up to the sound of groaning and whips mixed with screams and vermin jeers. Was it even possible for her to get any comfort or a kind word from other beasts living in the despair with pain and death hanging over them and ready to strike at any moment? When she first came here, she was as quiet as a Dibbun could possibly be. More like a sad old lady than a child. Always scared and sad; easily frightened and made to cry. For the first week or so she would wake up the Abbey with screams and sobs caused by nightmares…no, memories."
His frown grew and he clenched his paw into a fist. "You Guosim should know better how dangerous the world outside Redwall Abbey can be. Over the seasons the tribe as suffered many losses at the paws of foebeasts."
"Aye," the shrews all said solemnly, bowing their heads.
"So how can you begrudge a creature who experienced the full brutality of the vermin firstpaw at a tender young age for being afraid of the outside world when you know just how dangerous, unpredictable and frightening it can be out there?"
Armus was wiping tears off his face while Bringal blew his nose, their heads hung in shame.
"I-I'm sorry," on the shrews with them said. "We didn't know…"
"Well now ya do," Log-A-Log told them. "And you logheads are gonna make it up to 'er. Armus, Bringal, since it was your bright idea, you're staying behind to do everything you can until she forgives and accepts you. The Abbeybeasts love that rabbit and upsettin' 'er like that could make things bad between them and us after generations of fellowship."
"But Chief-" they started to protest.
"But nuthin'. Yore stayin' here until you've redeemed yourselves, and that's final. You two r' always gettin' inta trouble an maybe some time here of all places will put some sense inta ya," He turned to the Abbot and held out his paw. "Thank you for letting us stay here, Father Abbot. Sorry ter leave ya with these two, but it wouldn't feel right if they didn't at least try to make up fer what they did."
"We appreciate the gesture," Alphonse told him as he shook Log-A-Log's paw. "The Guosim have long been great friends and allies to Redwall and are always welcome here. It is but an unfortunate misunderstanding. I'm sure they will make it up to Serenity in time and rejoin you soon enough."
With that the two leaders exchanges farewells and the shrews left minus two members.
It was a joke among the Redwallers that Snowflake had spent over half her young life in the library. One that was rather accurate. The white rabbit loved reading stories of heroes and adventures of old. The stories had been an immense help to her when she was younger and whenever she got upset, she'd often go to there to read a story she liked in an attempt to cheer herself up. Sammen quietly entered the library, looking around for her.
"Snow?" he called gently. "You in here?"
He could actually see her, her white fur sticking out in the darkened room. She was huddled in a corner, sniffling. He carefully approached her and sat down beside her. She jumped, looking up to see who was there with wide eyes.
"Oh, Skipppyyyy!" she wailed as she embraced him, sobbing.
Sammen had taken his father's place as Skipper of Otters a not long after Serena had come to live in the Abbey. Thus, she'd thought Skipper was his given name and nicknamed him 'Skippy'. Sammen had never minded though. He loved the rabbit like a sister. She rubbed her soft fur and put his rudder around her.
"There, there," he told her. "No beast is going to take you from the Abbey or hurt you. I made that vow long ago and I'm going to keep it to the end of my days. Don't you worry about a thing. Yore big brother Skippy won't let anythin' happen to you."
"I was so scared!" she said as she shook. "I know I was being stupid, but as they took me to the gates I could already imagine rats and weasels coming out of nowhere to attack. That I'd be a slave again and they'd hurt me and make me work and work until I dropped dead!" She shuddered before continuing. "...I-I saw him! I saw the fox!" She wept with renewed energy.
"Shhh…" Sammen told her. "That fox is long gone. Nobeast's seen him since he attacked Salamandastron. His bones are bleaching in the sun somewhere or lying in a bigger creature's gullet. Even if he was alive, no beast has ever attacked Redwall and lived ta tell of it." He put a claw under chin to hold her face up and brush her tears away as he quietly sang to her.
Nuthin's gonna harm you, not while I'm around
Nuthin's gonna harm you, no marm, not while I'm around
Vermin are prowlin' everywhere nowadays
I'll send 'em howlin', I don't care, I got ways
No beast's gonna hurt you, no beast's gonna dare
Others can desert you, whistle I'll be there
Bad uns will charm you with a smile, for a while
But in time, nuthin's gonna harm you,
Not while I'm around
Not to worry, not to worry, I may not be smart, but I ain't dumb
I can do it, put me to it, something I can overcome
Not to worry mum
Bad uns will charm with a smile, for a while
But in tiiiime…nuthin's gonna harm you, not while I'm around…
Sammen usually wasn't much of a singer, but he used a quiet, gentle tone in an attempt to placate Snow. She sighed and relaxed against his lithe body.
"Skippy?" she asked after a pause. "Could you please do something for me?"
"Anything."
"Get a letter for me. It was written by a sea ottermaid named Sleeve long ago. I even put it on boards so I wouldn't wear it out folding and unfolding it. It's on that shelf over there."
Sammen got up and went to the shelf she's point out. Sure enough there was a group of boards with pages of a long letter stuck to them.
"You want me to read it to you?" he asked.
Serena thought about it before nodding with a small smile. "I guess that would be nice."
She rested against the otter's body as he started to read.
"My name is Sleeve. I'm a slave born and bred in the fortress of King Aguinu at Riftgard. I know no other place. It is a hard and cruel life. My mother and father died here when I was very young. We bend our backs to the whips of ratgaurds, working from before dawn to long after dusk…"
At first Sammen wondered why Serena would want to hear such a tragic, melancholy tale. But then the letter went to tell of three slaves, led by a squirrelmaid named Triss, who escaped Riftgard and eventually returned to liberate the enslaved creatures.
He felt his eyes water as Sleeve thanked creatures she'd never met or never would for playing a part in helping her gain her freedom, including those of Redwall, and how Redwall's way of life would now be that of Riftgard.
"I will often go to the sea. There I will gaze out over the deeps and think of you all. You, who have made us straighten our backs and smile. May your seasons be long and peaceful…Sleeve."
When he was done he had to wipe his eyes.
"I know," Snow said in a dreamy voice. "It's beautiful, isn't it? It's one of my favorites." She closed her eyes and sighed. They suddenly shot open and she bolted upright. "Oh no! I forgot all about helping Friar Saunders in the kitchens!"
Sammen couldn't help but laugh at her sudden panic. "Calm down, Snow. He's got enough help as is n' I'm sure he'll understand. If I were I'd take the day off and do things I enjoyed or wanted to do. Want me to read another story?"
She thought about it. Then shook her head. "No. There is one thing I wanted to work on." She looked her otter friend over. "Come with me. I have something I want to show you."
They left the library and went into Snow's room. Inside was a large covered canvas. She pulled the cover back to reveal and Sammen gasped. Before him was a partially painted picture with the Abbey in the far background with three mice in front of it. A pair of trees formed an arch around them with beasts charging in front of it or from its sides and top as Badger Lords and Ladies towered over them.
"W-What is this?" he asked breathlessly.
"It's not too bad is it?" his rabbit friend asked.
"No, it's…amazing! Who are all these beasts?"
"They are the heroes I grew up reading the stories of," Serena said, looking at the picture lovingly. "I'm sure you recognize Martin in the center. Beside him are Matthias and Mattimeo. The rest of are the heroes of Redwall, Salmandastron and beyond. It's just that I wanted to make something for them, like Martin's tapestry. At first was just going to make several portraits, but then I…I got carried away." Her face turned pink as she blushed. "You don't think it's too much do you?"
"Too much?! I'd say it's perfect! You must've been working on this fer seasons!"
"Just this one and part of last one. I've been working on it every chance I get, even staying up late and getting up early to work on it."
"This has to be every hero known ta the world. Let's see…there's Lady Tiria and Majerr Frunk. There's Buckler Kordyne. That must be Mariel, Dandin and Joseph. Pretty sure that's Creega Rose Eyes. And I guess that's Gonff the Mousetheif playing his flute front center. Don't think I recognize all these others."
"I'll have to tell you their stories sometime."
"That you'll have too. And are those Guisom shrews in the sides of the background?"
Serena nodded. "They've long been allies to Redwall. I…I'm just not very comfortable about their raucous behavior…"
"That oughtta show 'em you don't think so bad of 'em!"
"I just hope everybeast likes it as much as you do," the rabbitmaid said with a sigh.
"Any beast with sense will like it," the otter told her confidently.
"I hope so. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to painting it."
"Aye."
Sammen turned to go.
"Oh, and Ski—er, Sammen?"
"Yes?"
She embraced him. "Thank you."
He rubbed her head. "No problem, matey." With that he left her to work on her beautiful painting.
None in Mossflower country had ever seen a lynx before. If they'd seen one, they would've thought it something like a strange cross between a wildcat and a hare, with spots on its fur, a short tail, shining eyes, and black haired tufts on its ear tips. But that would change with Lanara the Huntress.
She had not ambitions of conquest or power. She did, however, have a lust for excitement and adventure that made her strive to seek out challenges and battles. From an early age she showed signs of being a great hunter, even among her kind. As she grew, so did her desire to hunt and fight. The extraordinary hearing and eyesight of her species, as well as their incredible speed and stealth abilities, made her a great warrior. Over the seasons she'd been a bounty hunter, bodyguard, and assassin for warlords and corsairs. But she didn't share their goals for ruling or plundering and would abandon them or turn on them when she got bored. Neither did she care for working with the brutes and fools of vermin hordes. Oddly enough, she usually had a small gang of followers with her, though she'd gain and lose members regularly. She didn't want to be a horde leader by any means, but she did find it useful for others to do menial work while she saw to more pressing concerns…as well as let others die in her place. Right now she had six rats, two ferrets, a weasel, a stoat, a fox and a magpie.
She was overlooking the land before them. "So," she remarked. "This is the legendary Mossflower country. A lovely view, but otherwise I don't see anything so special about it."
The weasel, Zachariah, spoke, "Appearances can be most deceiving, Madam. This place has seen the deaths of countless of our kinds."
"Not a lynx though," Lanara said with a grin.
"Only because a lynx has never been here," the lead rat, Snarrl, said.
"True," Lanara remarked. "Luckily, we're just passing through. If we have to kill or steal we will, but let's try to keep out of trouble. And even then leave the fighting to me."
Their newest member, the fox the gang had nicknamed Brushtail, spoke up. "Shouldn't we at least try to steal some treasure from Redwall Abbey while we're here?"
Lanara stroked her chin. "Possibly. That does sound like it could be fun. Though I prefer we pass through and leave with as few casualties as possible without getting into some foolhardy confrontation. We're a small gang mercenaries and thieves, not an full army."
Brushtail sighed. "Too true." He frowned disapprovingly at Lanara. "All your skill and you just flit around like a butterfly going from flower to flower. You have so much potential, yet no ambition. Back in my day—"
The rest of the gang groaned.
"Not this again!" Midge the magpie whined from a limb above them.
"Oh please, not one of these!" the stoat Cruhsha said in mock terror.
"Spare us!" the twin ferrets said in unison.
Brushtail's frown grew. "Fine, you lot of scavengers. Just know that save for Lanara none of you would've lasted a day in my horde."
"If I'd been in your horde," Lanra retorted, "I would've likely killed you myself, than slaughtered all who tried to avenge you before moving on."
"You mean you wouldn't take it as your own?" the fox said with a somewhat hurt tone.
"He who takes the mantle of leader puts a target on his back," Lanara said. "And before you say it, I don't truly see myself as the leader of this gang. Everybeast just happens to look to me for direction when nobeast has a better idea."
"Which just so happens to occur often," Brushtail said contemptuously, looking around the motley group.
"Be that as it may," Lanara said, "we're just passing through Mossflower unless something worthwhile happens. We'll just have to see, won't we?" she said with a hopeful smile.
With that she started forward towards Mossflower, her motley gang of vermin following closely.
It had been ten seasons since the night Salazar the Wicked had come to Bat Mountpit. In that time, Darkwind had grown into a fine specimen of bat. He was the best flyer the bat realm had seen in entire generations, and made clever use of his foot paws and wing claws when holding onto something or hanging from it. He became quite familiar with the land around Bat Mountpit and would often patrol the area to be on the lookout for foebeast or just to explore. He had the beast vision any bat had ever known. In fact, he'd keep his eyes closed when flying around in the caves and tunnels while opening them when he felt fresh air outside. The other bats thought him odd for going out so much, but they admitted he was possibly the best flyer Bat Mountpit had ever produced and his excursions proved useful. He could often bring back sweet smelling flowers or wonderful tasting fruit. But his best task was when he'd see approaching vermin and fly back to sound the alarm.
It was always small groups or a solitary creature. Nothing as bad as Salazar's group. Many times they would pass through or be chased away. Bolder, more dangerous vermin were dealt with with Darkwind leading the charge. He had a reputation as the best warrior Bat Mountpit had ever seen. The other bats found it unusual to have a warrior among them, but could not deny he came through when needed.
One day he had a dream. He was outside, but it was…it was day. But the glaring light of the sun didn't hurt his eyes. He marveled at how bright and vibrant everything was. He was flying towards a large structure, imposing and red. Some force was drawing him to it as he flew to it. As he flew he saw flowers, fruit trees, and gardens. Inside he landed and marveled at the red sandstone walls and floor and stain glass windows, the sun shining through them to make an indoor rainbow. There was a comforting warmth he's never felt in Bat Mountpit. On the wall he saw a magnificent tapestry of an armored mouse holding a sword, vermin fleeing in all directions. The mouse himself stood before the tapestry, the wondrous sword almost glowing in the light. The mouse pointed at Darkwind, his voice coming from everywhere.
You who have long head adventure's call
I give you the greatest adventure of all
You will protect those who live in these walls
You will patrol the night so this place does not fall
You will become champion of—
"Redwall!" Darwind shouted as he woke up.
He let go of the stalactite and flew around wildly.
"Redwall! Redwall! Redwall!"
He made a bag from spider web and gathered up as much as he could carry. He went to the door exit, watching the light through its cracks. He heard a flapping behind him and a figure landed.
"Darkwind," his mother said, "what are you doing, doing?"
"I am leaving Bat Mountpit," he told her. "I have wanted to for a long time, and now I finally will, finally will. I had a dream. A vivid dream. I must leave tonight. I go to a place I will be needed, needed."
His mother reached out and ran her wing claw over his face.
"I won't try to stop you. I always knew this night would come, would come…" She sighed. "Whatever you do or wherever you go, my son, always remember your mother and homeland, homeland."
Darkwind nodded as he hugged her with his leathery wings. "Of course, of course."
He opened the door to step out into the light of the setting sun. He turned as he felt a funny felling. He spread his wings, jumped from the ledge, and flew in the direction the feeling came from. At long last, he would have a grand adventure!
