Redwaller: Thank you for the compliment on the characters! After all, the whole of the story is going to be more character driven than plot driven, so it's great that you're liking them so far. By the by, no I have not forgotten my old buddy Silent Sam, and I made plans to include him, among others, sooner than you think, but not too soon unfortunately.

Virginia Davis: Despite having to take 20 days to update, I have no intentions to discontinue this. So, I'll continue!

Azure: Thanks for your review. It's always nice to have a fascinating storyline I suppose. And don't worry, I'll hopefully get around to revealing it... someday.

Jade: Could you specify what kind of re-cap? Do you just want a summarization of events or else? I can send it to you via PM. If it's more, I can include a much more detailed one in.. two chapters seeing as the next one will be uploaded tomorrow. Though you'll have to be patient if you wait until this coming monday, my access to the internet is very limited at the moment.

Jarrtail: Yes, I hope you'll think this chapter exciting! However, I'm sorry for not having updated soon. So yeah. Read the end of the chapter for details.

Scyphi: Yeah, poor bell. I'll have to do something with it, seeing as I now have to power to do it.

Enough! On with the story!

Ash was scanning the Abbey Courtyard, sniffing, surveying. He interwove his way around the brush, taking cautious glances around him so he knew when to run to the next hiding spot.

And as he was doing this, the feeling he was being watched kept popping up in his mind, tempting him to become nervous than he usually was, but he tried his best to shake it off. It was probably nothing, after all, he was the watcher, not any other beast. "Why, I'm the one sneakin' round 'ere" he assured himself. "Not anyone else. 'Sides, if'n they would've sees me, they'd raise the alarm. An' let me say, any other beast would've been caught, I'll tell you right now. Oh, but not ol' Ashfur, no surrie. Why, when I report back to Orion about this he'll re.."

His speech was cut short, as a fist had suddenly materialized in midair and collided with his snout. He fell to the ground, grunting in pain. He felt a furry paw thrust over his mouth. He opened his eyes to find a most unwelcoming sight – the prisoner he had tied, gagged, and whipped during the trip to the abbey. And now, the mouse was glaring at him with a malevolent look laced through his countenance, and a deviant smile plastered to his face.

"Listen to me, you brute," Martin began. "I'm not like these Redwallers. I'd soon run a dagger through your heart than hesitate... but," Martin broke off, his expression turning increasingly softer, though clearly fake. "I'm feeling a little pity for you at your current position, so what do you say you tell me Orion's plan quietly, or I'll follow through with that promise I just made, hmm? Yes, or no?"

Ash nodded vehemently, both his eyes and mouth becoming more dilated. Martin lifted his paw from the ermine's mouth. "Orion wants the money, nothin' else. We've already taken out most of the guards, and he wanted me to find a clear path into the Abbey, so he could take negotiations with your lord."

Martin grimaced. He gazed at the sky and slowly closed his eyes while shaking his head dejectedly. "What? He didn't learn his lesson and leave? Well, he seemed like a semi-intelligent beast. I just don't understand your incentive to have that gold so bad."

"We want it for our families, to buy food for them from others. We're living... no... dying in a swamp. The group here today stole out at night one day, and we're plannin' to take the money

Martin looked back down, surprised at the ermine's answer. All he could manage after was a half-hearted, "What?"

"'Sides that, we're killin' ourselves in our own civil war. Though Orion; he stepped up and gathered our best. In less than half a season he convinced the tribe to make peace with each other. While he may appear a vermin to you, he's the only reason I'm alive right now. And all he wants is the treasure here, so our tribe doesn't have to do no more sufferin'. Please mate, le'me go."

For a while, Martin wasn't sure of what to do. His experience told him that the beast he had suppressed to the ground was a vermin, bred only to kill. Though, this resolutive experience sparked a revolution in him. Perhaps... he didn't want to kill. Maybe he just wanted to survive? Maybe. This advocation raced through his mind, and for the slightest moment, his grip on the ermine's neck weakened...and it was all Ash needed.

He quickly clubbed Martin in the neck, causing him to fall to the side while coughing and sputtering. Martin, as agile as he was, jumped up on his feet just as Ash managed to stand. Martin passively massaged his neck, finding he was lucky. The blow had buffeted the side of his neck, and his breathing was only inhibited slightly through a small lump in his throat.

Ash glared at him, a rancor glint in his eye. He pulled a worn looking iron dagger with various scratches loitered about it from a pouch hidden beneath his black vesture; His cruel smile displaying his stained teeth. "Everythin' I told ye was true, but ya see, I'm also willing to kill ye to save me kin."

Martin chuckled, wiping a small splatter of blood that had surfaced on the edge of his bottom lip. "You're right, if you don't kill me now, they'll be in much more danger!"

In the twinkling of an eye, Martin was under the ermine. Ash instinctively stabbed at Martin, who thrust his paws to combat the dagger which had made for his heart, and was successful, knocking the dagger away, then spun back, grabbing Ash's paws with a tight hold. He twisted them until he heard a loud pop, causing Ash to sink to the ground, screaming in pain. Martin picked the dagger up of the ground and pressed it against Ash's neck while cuffing his paws over the ermine's mouth once again; however much his intuition told him that they'd already been spotted. Martin grappled the ermine's shoulders tightly and began to pull him closer to his face. Ash's pain subsided when he saw Martin's deadly red eyes edge closer to his. The feeling of eternal terror coursed his way through his body. Martin's naturally long nails, coupled with his deathly grip on Ash's clothing, ripped through the fabric as he was pulled even closer to the mesmerizing eyes.

Ash recalled later in life that it was like glaring into the eyes of a demon straight from hellsgates. Though at that moment, he couldn't procure any word for this sensation of pure terror. "You're... n-not...mortal."

"You're going to tell me..." began Martin as both of their heads collided, though neither felt the pain;. "You're going to tell me where Orion is!"

Orion's ears flickered to and fro when he heard his name called out from afar. The other beasts in his group quickly began to panic. Orion silenced them with the flash of his paw. "There's nothing to be worried about. No, not until you see it." However, this was a lie. Orion felt the same sensation of panic his comrades felt, but as a natural leader, he knew that in order to calm the group he was going to have to appear unconcerned.

He peered through the dense foliage, for the first time cursing the fog. In seconds, it had gone from their greatest advantage, to their worst enemy. He held up his paw to garnered the attention of the others. "We'll all go. And the first prisoner we find, we take. There isn't any other option." He stood up and was about to leave, but then realized that the others weren't following. He turned back to them, questioning the sudden disobedience. "What's wrong; why are you hesitating?"

"We don't like your decision makin' no more." A stoat of medium build stood up to address Orion. He wore a simple blue shirt and had a black tattoo of his tribal sign plastered to his face."

Another stoat stood up, this time of smaller build, but of a larger profundity. "You're getting us killed, just to protect these abbey beasts who don't know the first thing about fightin'. We want to take this whole abbey for ourselves. Don't you see Orion? We could gather the rest of our tribe, and bring them here and kill them!"

Orion's eye twitched when he realized that Greengrove, the stout that latter stood, must be the ring leader of the quirky rebellion. He realized that he had to reason with them; to make sense of the groups actions. "That's where you're wrong," He quickly cornered. "They've taken on hoards much bigger than them, and came out with just a few casualties. I don't know how they do it. From what I've heard, they're helped by... others... higher beings who instill the fighting prowess in them. Now don't tell me that a small village like ours will be able to take control of such a large abbey."

Greengrove stepped toward Orion confidently, chest puffed out and arms akimbo. The rest of the group took an inward step in his wake, as if to clarify their positions as well. "No I'm telling you Orion, as the spokesbeast for the rest of the group, we're tired of your peaceful ways. I know of this Abbey, and how the beasts here obtained it – by force! They killed a benign old wildcat. I know, that's rare, but she was the first ruler of Mossflower. And originally, Mossflower was filled with many different types of beasts: Stoats, rats, mice, owls. All working in peaceful harmony. But then a group of mice came from the north, their name lost in legend. They gathered the species they deemed worthy: Mice of course, squirrels, moles, voles, badgers... and they conquered the Abbey. After the war, they drove the other types out of this fertile land, and into the swamps of the north, where we live. What do you think of that Orion? Peace doesn't work. Never had never will."

A silence pervaded the scene as Orion's eyes narrowed on Greengrove. Why did they act like this? How come they all had suddenly decided that he wasn't worthy to be their leader? After all, he had helped them survive countless confrontations with enemies. Then again - was Greengrove telling the truth? Orion hadn't studied too far into the history of the Abbey, and instead had delved into it's contemporary placement in Mossflower. In his personal opinion, the stories of the past were over exaggerated; impeccably fantasy. Truthfully, he had no clue how the Abbey beasts had truly come to obtain the Abbey. He had heard many iterations through his lifetime around the campfire; that being one of them.

"Well?" The stoat interrupted his thoughts, bringing him straight back to reality.

Still bedazzled at Greengrove's onslaught, he spat out the only thing that he could conjure, and with the whirl of his tongue, stated. "You lie."

Greengrove shook his head slowly, and looked up toward Orion gravely. "No, you're the one who's been filling every beast with lies. Fighting is the only option, not taking prisoners. That's just plain weak."

Orion's temper rose. He felt the temple on his forehead begin to throb. "I got you inside here without fighting, didn't I?"

Greengrove gestured to the larger stoat, who furtively procured a large branch that had been hidden in the brush, and while keeping it hidden in his cloth, approached Orion from the side. Greengrove couldn't suppress a malicious smile that crept upon his features. "Allow me to correct you, you got us trapped in here without fighting, and the only way out is fighting."

Orion stepped back, unsure. But he knew that if he left this copse, the Redwallers would be all over him. He closed his eyes defeated and dejected; his temper quelling. He unloosed a small dagger from his belt. "So you're just going to kill me, and get rid of me."

Greengrove shook his head. "No, that was the original plan though. But our newfound distaste for you has caused me to reconsider. So I think we'll just leave that decision for the Redwallers to make hmm?"

A sudden whirl of air penetrated Orion's acute hearing, but before he could physically react, a massive blunt object was swung vertically from an unknown source. The only thing he could do was glance upward, eyes aglitter as the object rushed toward him. It seemed to further obscure the natural veil of the upper foliage, light radiating from behind the increasingly massive club like object as it approached him. The action that had taken no longer than half a second seemed to Orion like a whole minute. He felt nothing when the object had captured all of the light, and he floated seamlessly into a world of darkness.

Greengrove chuckled maliciously as he watched Orion fall in a clump to the ground. The stoat that had clubbed him backed up as Greengrove inspected the unconscious body. Blood was pouring profusely from his nose, which had become angled unnaturally too far to the left. Greengrove spat at him, dropping some dead moss on him. "Goodbye Orion. May hellsgates have mercy on your soul. After all, you are just like me: vermin. Nothing else."

He gestured to the rest of the group for attention, much like Orion had done earlier. "We're going to attack this abbey right now while they are oblivious. We've already taken their warriors out on the ramparts. " He unbuckled a mace from his belt and held it up, beckoning for the others to unloose their weapons. They did, more confidently than when they were sneaking around. Fighting came as first nature to all of them, as they had been conditioned from the beginning to strike first, and ask later.

They ran out the copse, heading straight for the heart of the Abbey – the dormitories. As they neared, the doors to the dormitories swung open. A single mouse, clad in magnificent steel armor, and with an equally extravagant shield marked with a capital 'M', stepped out, glaring at the group unafraid. He pointed a gleaming sword toward them. "I am Mattimeo, son of Matthias the Warrior," He began. "And do not think that my age has effected my fighting spirit, for it has not. And do not once believe that your tainted selves will ever have control of this Abbey, for you will not. I'll ask once: lay down your weapons and leave this abbey immediately, never with the intention to return."

Greengrove sneered. "You and what army, mouse?"

As if on command, a dozen squirrels reared their heads from the roof of the dormitory, and a dozen otters approached from the sides: some wielding a loaded sling, and some wielding sharpened spears. Though, they all sported confident countenances.

Greengrove's sneer instantly disappeared, replaced by a vicious snarl. "Never."

Read my profile for my excuse that makes up for not having updated. A hurricane and no computer can do wonders to affect that.

Also, I'll be uploading the next chapter tomorrow which will be part three– if everything goes well e.g. no one in my family dies, someone in my family has a birthday I never knew about, ect. Yeah, I know I said there was only going to be two parts, and if this was a novel, this all would have only been a single part, but it's not so.. meh, however, three parts will be the limit here. In short, this battle ends tommorrow.

So yeah, if you will, review, and if I've already uploaded the next chapter before you read this one, please do review this chapter for things specifically mentioned in this chapter. You know, to avoid confusion.