Redwall Abbey's Little Defenders

by Nayeri

When the threat of a massive vermin horde threatens, it is up to the youngest of the Abbey-dwellers to find out how to stop them. On the way, truths that were once hidden will be uncovered, and one poor youngling will find out what it means to be a warrior's child.

(Author's note: I have been planning this story for a long time. It is, except for the prologue, based upon an rp I did with a friend over a decade ago. It needs rewriting so that it's in a story format instead of forum format, but that shouldn't take too long. However, you came for this chapter right now, so without further ado, on we go.)

Extract from Brother Dolph, Recorder of Redwall's journal:

It has been many long seasons since Razzid and his villanous crew aboard the Greenshroud threatened the lives of our peaceful Abbey. A lot has changed in those seasons, including many creatures who would normally be considered vermin joining or otherwise befriending those of us in Redwall. I am unsure of why this is, though the Abbess (bless her soul) thinks that the life of villainy is just no longer appealing to them.

Who am I to argue with the Abbess? After all, my apprentice is a young fox dibbun by the name of Tkyert Seal. Now his family is an interesting one. If I remember correctly, his father was one of the famed Marlfoxes, while his mother was just one generation removed on her sire's side from villainy. A curious mix indeed, especially as Tkyert has taken after Laka's mother in fur coloring, amusingly.

I remember Laka, though I wasn't exactly close friends with her. She desperately wanted to be a Recorder, but the Warrior life called to her...perhaps that is why she inherited the staff. After all, each of the wielders known in the present day have been prone to beserking; what the badger lords call Bloodwrath.

The staff is a rather unknown element. It is rumored that it belonged to Russano the Wise, but that could be complete nonsense. Still, the most interesting fact is the staff hasn't been seen for a season. Laka's apprentice, a young wolf, disappeared with it into Mossflower shortly after Laka's death. Speaking of, poor Tkyert does not know that his mother is gone. It will be a sad day indeed when he finds out.

The day is getting long now, and my paws tire. I think I shall wash them of the ink and spend what remains of the day in the sun. Hopefully the rain will hold off until later tonight.

(End Author's Note: A very short chapter, but I basically wanted to set the story up with a journal entry the way the books used to be written. Hopefully I will have more chapters out in the near future.)