A/N: This the is FINAL version of Chapter Four

Condemned to a self-imposed exile from Redwall Abbey, Dann Reguba wanders south where he discovers woodlanders held in slavery by wicked pine martens. However, the pine marten Regolith's cruel green eyes are not only focused on his Castle, he also yearns to venture into Mossflower Country. Dann is forced to venture back to a home he swore never to return and to embroil his friend Thalweg, a ferret, into a nail-biting cat and mouse game with the devil himself. Immerse yourself in Dann's fantastic adventures together with a group of Long Patrol Hares lead by Major Peony Laminar, an otter named Cinnabar Shellhound and the ferret Thalweg as they all discover the true meaning of duty and loyalty.

From the South

A Redwall Fanfiction

By Lady Eowyn of Ithilien

Book One

The Castle

"You shouldn't have come so far south. There's

nothing but suffering and slavery here now."

Chapter Four

Beech lay as quiet as he could, welcoming sleep that wouldn't come. His mind was so awhirl with thoughts and changes and impossible hopes. It was all so overwhelming, so amazing. If only Willow was-

The movement and rustle triggered his attention. His lungs and muscles ceased altogether while his heart pounded. And then Dann mumbled something about music, turning fitfully in his sleep, completely unaware of the scare he'd just caused.

The younger squirrel let out a relieved breath, turning his musings to the sky, staring up at the moon as the thoughts whirled around in his brain. These scenes playing out in his mind weren't so wild and adventurous anymore. Not when he'd realized that his first instinct was to freeze at danger instead of draw a blade. If it wasn't for Dann, Beech was sure his hide would be drying in front of Regolith's fireplace by now. Regolith…

They had traveled for nearly the whole day, Dann urging him far away from the Castle, wedging their distance from danger. Beech sighed heavily again, blinking back up at the thin sliver of moon as the cool night breeze ruffled his fur and the crickets played their symphony to the stars. Even so, the lonely, gently illuminating display offered neither light nor joy to the young squirrel's musings. To think this was only the first night that he had been free from the castle. It seemed as if so much had happened.

Yesterday afternoon, Dann had taught him all manner of techniques of sword play and tricks to improve his accuracy in slinging and javelin throwing. The warrior was forever correcting him on his stance and parries and ever reminding him to take notice of his surroundings and how he could use them to his advantages while attacking a foe. Dann was also immensely curious about Regolith's Castle and Beech's enslavement. What manner or creature was Regolith? How many beasts did he have at his command? What was the general health of the slaves? Could they be fit for travel? Yet the other squirrel was mum when it came to his own past. As much as Beech pressed him, Dann would shake his head and change the subject.

Beech could feel his eyes drift closed, seemingly through some other power. A vision came in front of his eyes, a mouse. He was dressed in gleaming armor, wearing a red cloak and a kind smile. He unsheathed a magnificent sword from a scabbard oat his hip and pointed its keen tip at the young squirrel. The flawless metalwork gleamed like a fallen star. The blade seemed fresh from the smith's forge, yet the hilt seemed to be bound in leather well-worn from generations of good use. Even more wondrous still was the dark red pommel stone on the sword's hilt.

The young squirrel felt a chill run up his spine, part in fear and part in anticipation. Who was he to be visited by such a magnificent warrior? The mouse radiated comfort and Beech felt as if he had known him all his life. How was it then that he could not think of the creature's name?

"Don't let the fear of failure consume you, Beech. You're stronger than you may have realized, you will soon discover your inner strength. The key to the liberation of your friends lies under the earth. Strike north with your new companions and bring my warrior to his beleaguered home. Those warrior born will finally be one."

CCC

His footpaws hanging down from the tree, Dann inspected the new buds that had begun blooming in the orchard that early spring. Abbess Song was on the bough above him, her head resting in her paws as she gazed unseeingly out towards the walls and the swaying trees of Mossflower wood.

He swung up to join her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She sighed and glanced over at him, the spell broken. "I just don't know what to think. Cypress and Hawthorne have been here for so long, three seasons! Why would they want to move out of the Abbey? And why would they leave it up to me to choose?" She pouted. "Either way somebeast's bound to be sulking."

"You're the Abbess. This is your Abbey."

Song continued pouting and put her paws into her wide sleeves. She wrinkled her nose at him. "That's the same thing mum and Cregga said." Leaning back against the trunk of the tree, she sighed heavily. "Even so, I don't see why they want to leave. Have we done something to offend them?"

Dann plucked one of the flowers and twirled it between his fingers. "You've been more than welcoming towards them! You've allowed them to become truly contributing members of the Abbey. But blood is thicker than water. The story and history of this place has always made it uncomfortable for creatures of their species to live here. We tell scary stories to the Dibbuns about Marlfoxes and pine martens with hypnotic eyes. You can see how they'd start to feel a little… awkward." Dann made a funny face at her. "Cypress's twins Milkwort and Mugwort are always asking me to play Marlfox with them!"

Song tried to hold in her merriment, but burst out laughing. "Those two are little devils. They always know what to do to make me laugh!"

He followed her previous gaze out into Mossflower wood. "But things aren't always as black and white as we might wish them to be. But you don't have to exile them from the Abbey." Dann winked at her and said in a false falsetto fluttering his eyelashes at his friend, "As Abbess Songbreeze of Redwall, I'm sorry to say that you four will have to leave here, effective as of… well right now. Pack your things and scoot. I realize that we have dozens of empty beds in the dormitories and vast grounds here at Redwall, but they're not for the likes of you. Leave today or I'll have Dann chase you out with the butt of his sword!"

Song giggled at her friend's terribly inaccurate impression of herself and whacked the squirrel warrior over his head with a paw. "You villain! I don't talk like that!"

Widening his eyes goofily, Dann shrugged. "What I'd do?"

Song laughed as she berated him, "This is serious business, Dann! Stop goofing around!"

"Well in my serious and professional opinion…"

"Very professional, yes," interrupted Song.

"Yes in my very serious and very professional opinion, I proclaim…What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal! Dann you're no help at all! I guess this is why I'm the Abbess and you're not!"

"Yeah, I suppose I would make a terrible Abbess," Dann agreed.

Song couldn't control her laughter this time. She leaned in and tweaked him on the nose. "I'm not sure why I asked your help at all."

"So now us warrior types can't give advice?"

"As long as it's not the terrible advice you usually give. Don't worry Song, that table isn't too heavy. You and your mum should be able to move it up a couple of measly stairs and into your room."

"It wasn't that heavy," Dann said in his own defense. "And there weren't that many stairs."

"There was a whole flight of stairs!"

"I think this is just another instance of you say ta–may-to, I say ta-mah-to."

"Well let's just agree to disagree. And what was your advice this time?" She mimicked his voice, "What's the big deal?"

"What is the big deal? Why don't they live just outside the Abbey in a cute little cottage, have some privacy from the uncomfortable stars and come to visit as often as they like! I even know a lovely quiet glade only about a days walk west of here that would be a great place for them. We could help them build two little cottages..."

Song merely gaped at him.

"Well say something, mate."

"I'm shocked. That's actually a good idea!"

"I know! Wait, what do you mean you're shocked?"

Song shrugged at him with an amused expression.

"It'd be lovely. Imagine. We could build each of them a cute little cottage in the glade. They can have some space from the curious and disapproving eyes of some of the Redwallers. The distance will afford them to have the luxury to really be themselves." He leaned toward her, his voice soft, "They would no longer have their decisions made for them; they wouldn't have to live the life someone else dictated for anymore. They would finally be free to…"

She closed her eyes leaning towards him as well…

"Do you need some help up there?" said a voice approaching them.

Song's eyes snapped open. The spell was broken.

Looking horrified with herself, she muttered an apology and then jumped down into a lower bough just as another squirrel climbed up to join them. It was Sinon. Song didn't waste any time. She scurried off to the kitchen. The red squirrel looked at Song's quickly retreating form and frowned at Dann accusingly. "What did you do to her? She looks really upset."

Dann looked at Song running away as well and spoke to hopefully distract Sinon from the true reason of the Abbess' distress. "She's just doesn't know what to do about our guests. She's having trouble reconciling a way that they can be part of the Abbey while not being in the Abbey."

Sinon's blue eyes were ice cold, tainted by a memory of his past that he was never comfortable to discuss. "It's dangerous keeping them too close to us. They volunteered to leave."

"But Redwall's mission is to be a welcome haven to all creatures regardless of their species or experience. As the Abbess, she doesn't want them to leave in this manner: as if they feel obligated because of the Redwaller's prejudice. It would go against everything Redwall stands for and everything Song is trying to achieve as the Abbess, to have them leave because of hate and misunderstanding, with such a bad taste in their mouths."

"Sometimes out opinions about other species can be justified. How many other foxes and martens have caused harm to woodlanders, some might even do so with their same faces. I say we should just kick them out of the Abbey and be done with it. They bring danger to all of us just by being here. As the Abbey Warrior, you should be the first to show them the boot. Vermin don't understand anything but evil and don't enjoy anything but other creatures' suffering. Nothing can change that fact. We should kill them before they have a chance to do the same to us."

"Now, Sinon," Dann started calmly, "I really must…"

The other squirrel interrupted, full of ire, "Just because you get to wear Martin's sword doesn't make you better than me, Reguba!" he spat. "I'm just as capable and I bet if I was here before you that…"

Dann rolled his eyes when he sensed the familiar tirade about to ensue. "O stuff it, you windbag," he grumbled, pushing Sinon off the branch.

Dann jumped down himself and stormed back to the Abbey. If anything left a bad taste in his mouth, it was his interactions with the red squirrel. He was glad at least that Song wasn't here to see this one. He could still hear Sinon's belligerent voice yelling, "Don't walk away from me, Reguba!"

"Dann! Dann!"

Dann shot up and looked around. It was only a dream, a memory. Rubbing his head, he looked around a second time for Beech. He finally noticed his friend hanging from a lower branch as he tried to regain his balance and swing onto the branch.

"What are you doing hanging there, mate?" Dann teased.

Beech huffed and jumped up next to Dann. "Some creature pushed me out of the tree! Do you always push creatures trying to wake you from trees?"

Dann laughed and pushed Beech off the branch again. "Only the annoying ones!"

After breakfast they climbed to the ground and Dann put aside all his accoutrements and weapons from his thick leather belt and from the fastenings across his back. A short sword, two knives and a scimitar were hidden beneath his quiver. He put aside his haversack which was strung across his chest in the same manner as his long bow.

The squirrel warrior unsheathed the broad sword from his belt and tossed it to Beech. He then picked up the scimitar and tested its balance.

"Let's fence," announced Dann.

The lesson was quick, as Beech anticipated. It seemed as if Beech only got to swing his sword once before Dann disarmed him.

"Sorry, sir," the young squirrel muttered apologetically. "I'm not the best at swordplay…armstrength…or balance for that matter."

"That's rubbish!" Dann frowned and for a second Beech thought it was from anger. The warrior continued, "Your swordplay is first rate. But your real strength is archery. You're much better than I am. You can see your target very clearly."

"Thank you," Beech exclaimed, both surprised and overwhelmed by the strong praise. In his eagerness he swiped at his bow, fumbling with the position before looking back at his mentor. "What would you like me to hit?"

"How about those chestnuts on the high braches." Dann squinted up at the tree and indicated them with a paw. "They'll go nicely in a salad for lunch."

The squirrel warrior was also increasingly impressed at how far his new friend could throw a javelin or sling a stone. There was a sort of burning intensity in Beech's eyes whenever he held a weapon.

He had latent potential. Plenty. But what Dann didn't gauge was Beech's unfailing stamina and tenacity. Dann may have disarmed the younger squirrel thirty – no more along the lines of fifty – times, but each time Beech would snatched up the short sword in his paws and say, "One more time."

Soon it wasn't long before the warrior felt the dull ache in his muscles, the sweat stinging his brow, and then most importantly the feeling of empty paws as his sword was smacked into the air before landing in a bush.

Beech stared at its landing spot, and then looked at his sword. He gaped at his mentor, and then looked back at his blade again.

"If you leave your mouth open much longer a bird will mistake it for a promising nesting site," Dann joked.

Beech's arm slackened. "Ha. My mom used to say that about my tail," Beech chuckled at them memory. "Surprised no birds ever made a nest in this tangle. Er… is it alright if I take a break sir?"

"Was just about to say the same thing," Dann replied, slumping down against a fallen log. Beech nodded and ran to the bush, beating back thorns and stubborn twigs before he retrieved the weapon.

"Here you are, Dann," Beech beamed, not realizing that the blade tip was pointing at his mentor.

But Dann didn't take it immediately. Instead he furrowed his brow in a few seconds of contemplation. And then he smirked at bit. "You can keep that one. It's about time you had your own blade anyway." He saw Beech open his mouth and another question spilled out – if only to the prevent the younger's overly grateful thanks. "So what do you plan to do with your new found freedom?"

Beech hesitated for a moment, the fear and uncertainty he contemplated last night again creeping into his mind. "I'm gonna free my friends from the Castle and make Regolith regret taking us captive." He searched the squirrel warrior's eyes for approbation

"Ah," said Dann solemnly. "This should bring about the most important aspect of your training as a warrior. You must always remember to fight for justice, never revenge or jealousy. Protect the weak and the helpless and never fight in anger. In losing control, you will also lose all that is dear to you. "

Beech furrowed his brows at the slightly enigmatic wording of the commissioning Dann gave him. Why shouldn't he fight for revenge? Dann hadn't seen the horror's Regolith committed. All the families torn apart: parents murdered before their children, children cut down before the faces of their parents. All the friendships and loyalties splintered, all their freedoms stripped from them.

"But I want to free all my friends from slavery and prevent Regolith from committing any more atrocities. Isn't that revenge?"

"That's justice, my friend."

"Like the justice you brought for the slavers who were chasing me? The bodies you left at that tree?"

"Yes," was Dann's certain response.

"But why not fight with your anger and vengeance? Wouldn't they give you strength? Why not use it?"

"They are to be used very carefully. It can give you inordinate amounts of strength but it can also be your downfall. It can blind you to your surroundings and be ignorant of the pain you feel, make you behave as you hadn't planned. For some it can be much too dangerous to unleash it, a feeling I know all to well."

"What do you mean?" Beech pressed him.

Dann chose to ignore the question. He patted Beech on the shoulder. "So I see two squirrel warriors. What's your plan, general?"

Beech looked uncomfortable. "Promise you won't laugh? I had a strange dream last night. A mouse in armor spoke to me and instructed me to free everyone by going underground and then going north to save someone's home."

Dann blinked quickly in shock. He didn't speak for nearly a full minute and when he did, his voice was pained. "A mouse in armor?"

Beech looked at him strangely, "Yes… Why is something wrong?"

The squirrel warrior pursed his lips together and glared out into the forest. "No. That just reminded me of something. A bad memory."

Beech opened his mouth and exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that I had spoken wrongly."

Dann smirked at the younger squirrel's ever enthusiastic response. "Don't worry it about, Beech. Go on. What did the mouse say? What did he look like?"

"Well he had armor on," Beech continued as before, he felt like he was grasping at sands falling from his paws trying to remember the dream, but one vivid detail jogged his memory. "He had the most beautiful sword I've ever seen. Gleaming like a diamond with a well-worn leather hilt and pommel stone. It must have been the most magnificient blade I've ever seen. Regolith would kill to have something like that."

"Yeah, the sword really is marvelous," Dann murmured to himself.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing important. I think you spoke to Martin the Warrior last night."

"I spoke to…What? How is that even possible? I thought he only spoke to the warrior of Redwall."

Dann shrugged, not saying a word about it. Beech tried to question him again, but the warrior cut him off saying, "Well I think we should go find those blueprints you've hidden away. And it's about time I returned to see Hamath."

"Who's Hamath?"

"It's not a person, it's a place. Remember that settlement where I got those delicious scones? It's about a week's walk or a two day run from here."