A very different epilogue from the original, but one I feel works a lot better. I missed the eleven-year mark by a day, but oh well. More author's notes at the bottom.

Epilogue

Martin The Warrior recovered from his wounds. Though complicated by a post-operative infection and failure to properly follow instructions during traction, the warrior's tenacity never faltered, and he was soon back on his feet. When he saw the freed Mossflower he had been so instrumental in creating, he wept and hung up his sword.

Alas, Martin could not resist the call of the warrior for long. A few seasons after the fateful battle with Tsarmina, he journeyed north on a quest to discover his own origins. He had recognized his father's name in a traveller's song, and that was all the onus he needed. He returned with an incredible story and a tapestry that he claimed was of himself.

Even that quest could not sate his restless spirit. He was last seen leaving Mossflower on a quest to find Rose and the Dark Forest, which he believed was an actual physical place. Legend has it, however, that Martin's spirit remains in Mossflower, and inspires worthy warriors in times of need.


Gonff courted Columbine, and eventually, they were married and had a son, who he named after himself. They lived a simple, happy, and surprisingly honest life. With the vermin vanquished, there was no one Gonff could bring himself to truly steal from, and that suited him fine… for a time.

But the mousethief could never truly settle down, and after assisting Martin on his quest, disappeared on his own journey. Not coincidentally, millions of dollars of diamonds were stolen from a jewelry store in London a few nights later, and his family and close friends began receiving mysterious deposits from a numbered Swiss account.

Though many denied the allegations and hoped for his return, Gonff continued his life of crime, heisting everything from banks to office towers to luxury car dealerships. Eventually, an international team was formed to catch the infamous caper, and they caught up with him in a bank robbery gone bad in Tokyo. He was sentenced to many lifetimes in prison, but mysteriously disappeared before he could be locked up in jail.


Dinny never returned to his native Michigan. Instead, he settled down in the now peaceful land of Mossflower, which despite the complete and utter devastation of the war he felt had greater economic opportunities. He tried many occupations, such as tunneler, carpenter, plumber, software engineer, and a disastrous stint as Foremole, but could not settle on any of them.

Through a series of events lost to time, Dinny turned to studying linguistics and traditional mole culture. It is in academia where he found his awakening, and constructed a language now known as Molespeech. Panned by its critics as incomprehensible nonsense, proponents of Molespeech argue that it has unmatched clarity and expressive power. The language was quickly adopted by eager moles, and sales of learning materials and an autobiography quickly made Dinny a very wealthy mole indeed.

Ironically, though he had hated water for most of his life and never could properly swim, Dinny bought a boat with his newfound fortune and announced his attention to sail around the world. The trip was the subject of intense media attention, but quickly went awry. Many theories exist; everything from rocks to pirates to aliens to a valve accidentally left open- but no one truly knows what became of Dinny and the Wuddship.


Lady Amber and Skipper of Otters lead their bands into a new age of prosperity. Along with the other woodlanders, the squirrels and otters prospered. They continued to hone their warrior skills, but now for friendly sport rather than out of necessity. Their numbers grew, and they became staples of Mossflower life.

The two leaders spent a great deal of time together. For both of them, it was a strange new world. They had never known peace, and now were not quite sure what to make of it. To them, a warrior without a war was like a door without its handle; useless and left flapping in the breeze. They were not the only ones who struggled to find meaning in their new lives, but they were the most publicly known.

Still, they managed. Despite raising several mutant squirrel-otter hybrid children that could only be theirs, they continued to insist that, in fact, nothing was going on between them. The two even married, ostensibly as a tax dodge recommended by an accountant neither of them could name. In their old age, they retired in the same house, but told others that it was to save money, nothing more.


Abbess Germaine's dream, with the help of the freed goodbeasts of Mossflower, became a reality. Built on the ruins of Kotir of fine red sandstone from the same quarry, the stalwart abbey would represent everything the wretched castle did not. It would stand tall not as a symbol of brutality and oppression, but as a symbol of hope and freedom.

The abbey was to be known as Haven, but due to a botched zoning application, instead was named Redwall. For the same reason, it is also legally a shopping mall. After the initial snag, construction went smoothly. There was still a great deal of fear, and woodlanders were eager to contribute to the project. It took nary a season to complete the construction, and this was accomplished with few deaths and fewer grievous injuries.

Redwall became the hub of Mossflower, always ready to welcome travellers and traders, help goodbeasts in need, and well known for its incredible feasts. Though the inhabitants were peaceful, they were not afraid to defend themselves. A few vermin dared to journey into Mossflower after the fall of Kotir, and were swiftly dispatched. So far, Redwall has stood strong against all enemies.


And so ends the tale of Martin The Warrior, his heroic deeds and courageous exploits. But though this story is at an end, his will not be the last.

For all this has happened before, and all this has happened again.

Sooner or later, the vermin tides will once again return to Mossflower. And when that day comes, another warrior will rise, journey on an epic quest toward their destiny, and become a hero by defeating the evil hordes and winning freedom for goodbeasts once again.

Because war, war never changes.


"That's not what mister Abbott taught us, miz Bella," the little mouse complained, poking the old badger in the snout.

She smacked the paw away and downed the last of her whisky. "I like my version better. Didn't you?"

"Well… I guess," he reluctantly admitted. Then, suddenly, as youngsters did, he asked eagerly, "Do you have more stories?"

"I have many, about Martin, about Boar, and so many others," Bella told him. "But it's getting late, and I'm old and tired. So, I think those will just have to wait for another day…"


So… that's it. Honestly, I thought I'd have more to say at this point, but… that's kind of it. I'm not entirely happy with how this version turned out- the jokes aren't great, and trying to follow the original really broke the flow- but it was still a really interesting project to tackle.

I have a few projects in the pipeline, but I'm not really planning and big fanfics right now. That might change in the future, for now, I think this is it.