Hello! Sorry about the late update last week. I had the update sitting in my doc manager and for got to put it up. XD

No guest review today, so thank you to Species Unknown for being my one reviewer this chapter!

Disclaimer: me, own Redwall? *scoffs* haha, yeah no. But Brian Jaqcues owns it, and that's why it's so completely awesome.

Chapter 36

Rowanoak watched Fuffle as he conducted a training session. The young mouse had a knack for being able to make the peaceful creatures of Noonvale understand the need to fight. He was also good at whipping them into shape.

Right now he was teaching them how to throw lances correctly, and most of the creatures at least managed to hit the targets, if not a direct bullseye, it was always close.

The few creatures in Noonvale who knew how to fight were working overtime. Rowanoak even counted it a success that she got one hour of sleep the night before, because she was so busy trying to keep them all alive that she often forgot that she should try and get some rest.

Fuffle, Celandine, Trefoil, and the moles had been great helps, along with the few creatures from Noonvale who had either participated in the siege at Marshank, or been enslaved there, but they had no tactical commander.

Rowanoak had never realized how useful Felldoh, Ballaw, and Martin were when it came to making the battle plan, but now she knew.

It was hard. They'd pulled off a couple of small raids since losing Fernlen, but not many, and they hadn't actually caused much damage. Rowanoak doubted if Raxil cared that they no longer had firewood, seeing as the weather was warm, and very unlikely to turn sour so early in the warm season.

But Rowanoak was trying, and she knew that was what counted.

She was relieved that Fuffle actually knew what he was doing. Just by the way he moved you could tell he had trained himself well. Rowanoak smiled as the young mouse took aim himself, managing to toss his lance further than any of the others.

So far in fact, that it sailed right into the trees. There was a sudden cry of surprise, and suddenly Fuffle had grabbed another lance and was running forward to confront the group of creatures as they walked out of the bushes, one of them holding the lance in one paw.

"Good throw Fuffle ol' chap, but next time, please use your peepers to see who you're aiming at, wot!" Rowanoak started moving the instant she heard the voice, and ignored the rustling of weapons as they were pointed at her.

"Ballaw de Quincewold, where have you been?" She said gruffly, standing over the hare and narrowing her eyes as she took in the sight of her best friend. He looked relatively well for somebeast who was supposed to be dead.

He grinned at her, looking entirely unashamed. "Rowan old oak! It's good t' see you m' dear. Rosehip players not doin' too well without me eh?" Rowanoak couldn't help the smile that broke over her face.

"Get out of here you rascal." She muttered, but neither of them moved until Rowanoak felt a light touch on her arm. Brome was standing beside her. He looked rather distracted.

"These creatures here have come to help us, and Emalet says that there are more on the way." Brome hesitated, and one of the new ones, a mouse, stepped forward.

"I am Gonff the mousethief, from Redwall Abbey in Mossflower woods. We're here to help." He said politely. Rowanoak looked at him. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and his title wasn't encouraging, but even the way he stood suggested he was a warrior.

The others in his group looked just as ferocious, a muscular otter seeming particularly war like, while a female squirrel was examining a sword, and talking quietly to Grumm. Both the squirrel and the mole looked concerned, and the sword looked familiar, but Rowanoak wasn't entirely sure why.

Brome cast a glance at the sword as well, and Rowanoak saw a flash of sadness and worry. An idea popped into her head, and she looked closer at the sword.

It looked a little different than it had before, as though someone had repaired it, but fundamentally it looked the same.

"Is that Martin's sword?" She asked before she could stop herself. Silence fell over the field, and Fuffle, who had stayed quiet after almost skewering Ballaw, started a little.

Gonff, whose expression tightened slightly, nodded. "Aye. Martin and another friend of ours got captured after they, along with Amber," here he gestured towards the squirrel, "were ambushed. Martin sent Amber with the sword. They were badly outnumbered."

Rowanoak groaned, and closed her eyes. "That would be almost comforting news if we knew he could make contact with Keyla and the others. They could cause some heavy damage from the inside."

Brome smiled slightly. "True enough." He murmured. Gonff and Rowanoak exchanged calculating glances, and then a minute later they were exchanging tactics and battle strategies. They were going to win this war.

~~O~~

Sharpscratch wondered how much longer it would take before the constant torture sessions broke the mouse and the otter. So far they were holding out, and had revealed nothing, not even screaming in pain.

But a few more days, and would their secrets spill? Sharpscratch was just glad that he was not in charge of the torture, which he found to be barbaric.

Strangely, over the past couple of days, Raxil had seemed calmer and calmer, and even a little dazed. In contrast, he had ordered almost constant watch over the three creatures in what used to be the rabbit's pen. Every few hours or so, Bludd would come and torture them again, asking the same questions over and over.

Sharpscratch was beginning to wonder whether the mouse and the otter even knew anything about this war torn valley and the creatures in it. And if they did, how they were still resisting.

:) I am enjoying these chapters. Unfortunately, because of NaNoWriMo, I haven't been writing as much in fanfiction as I should, and I'm not as far ahead as I was before.

But no matter, you guys have your weekly chapter.

Please REVIEW :) :)