NORTHLANDS

The stars twinkled brightly around a crescent moon, a dark contrast to the night sky. Beth Redpaw lay quietly under a large sycamore tree trying to fall asleep, but was finding it difficult as she tossed and turned, struggling to get comfortable in the humid air. She quickly rolled over onto her side and mumbled as a fly buzzed loudly by her ear.

Beth couldn't help but think about how comfortable the beds at home had been in the far away in the Black Mountains where she had come from. Her father, lord Nightwrath, was the ruler of the great mountain. Being his daughter, she had always had the utmost care and protection from his guards, leaving her hungry for adventure. So, with a lot of persuading she had finally convinced her father to let her go and travel the world, armed with nothing more than her long sword and a pair of red steel gauntlets.

She slapped at a mosquito that had landed on her nose. Does every pesky bug have to make its bed on me? She grumbled inwardly.

Suddenly she heard a sound as a twig made a loud snapping noise. She sat up and grabbed her long, two-handed sword she had lying beside her. She could see a cloaked creature dimly in the darkness. It was quite small compared to her, and it seemed to be alone. Setting her weapon back down, she waited until the beast was busy diffing into her haversack, then leapt forward and grabbed it by the shoulders.

"Get you filthy paws outta there!" She called out gruffly, her paws clamped on the beast like steel. She flung the hood covering the creatures face off. He was a young male squirrel about sixteen seasons old. He stared back at her with terror filled in his wide eyes. "P-please don't kill me!"

Beth relaxed her hold on him momentarily as she got a good look at his face. He looked far more like he belonged out here in the wilderness that she did. A scrawny looking lad, dressed in a worn-out-looking blue tunic, with brown eyes that matched his fur. It seemed that he knew better than to try to struggle free. Instead, he went limp.

"What were you doing with my vittles?" She tightened her grip again on his shoulder.

"I…I was just going to take a little, honest! I haven't eaten in two days and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to fill up my poor, starving stomach."

Beth didn't doubt the thin squirrel's words, his face looked too frightened to tell a lie. "Did you ever think of asking?" She released her hold on him and gestured to a spot on the soft ground.

The squirrel looked at her warily before sitting down on the spot she had indicated. "You're not from around here are you?"

"That's none of your business." She snapped as she dug around in her bag and pulled out some cold scones. "Here," –She handed him two– "You can start off with these."

The young squirrel eagerly took the food and started to gobble it down.

Beth poured him a drink from her canteen. "So, what's your name?"

The squirrel wiped some of the crumbs from the corners of his mouth. "My name is Beckett. What's yours?"

"Beth Redpaw."

Beckett nodded curtly. "Hmm." And then went back to eating.

"So…" Beth put the drink back in her haversack. "You live around here? And you haven't eaten in two days?"

Beckett swallowed. "I'm uh, traveling you might say, going that way." He pointed east.

"Me too…" Beth's voice trailed off as a faraway look crept into her eyes.

"Hey, I just had a grand idea!" Beckett jerked her from her thoughts. "We should travel together!"

Beth narrowed her eyes. "And why would I do that?"

"Well…" Beckett scrunched his forehead. "I obviously would be an asset to you. I'm great at directions, I've been many places, and have great survival instincts!" he added proudly.

"Like stealing other creatures' food?" Beth raised an eyebrow, still slightly suspicious of the scrawny squirrel.

"Uh…well." Beckett cleared his throat. "I'm still alive aren't I?" Not waiting for her to comment, he continued. "It's safer to travel in pairs too."

More like you need me to make sure you don't get eaten. Beth thought humoredly. She had decided that in the short time that she had known him, she had already started to like him. And after being by herself as long as she had been, she would enjoy the company. Besides, it wasn't like he could do her any harm. She doubted that with his scrawny arms, he couldn't even begin to lift her double bladed sword.

"Alright," She said as she plucked a stray thread off her green tunic. "That's fine with me."

"It is?" Clearly Beckett hadn't expected her to agree so readily. "I mean…of course it is!"

Beth placed her haversack beside the patch of grass where she had been sleeping. "But there's going to have to be a few rules. First; you're not going to do anymore stealing."

Beckett was clearly skeptical at that, but she continued, "Second; we must both agree to look out for each other." She stressed out the last point.

"Is that it?" Beckett asked.

"For now." Beth slapped at another mosquito. "I'll let you know if I think of any others.

"Deal." Beckett nodded.

"Okay," Beth laid her head on a flat rock she had found, "Let's try and get some sleep. We'll leave first thing at dawn."

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At the first sight of dawn Beth had arisen, ready to start the day, not because she was in a hurry but because the night was so uncomfortable she barely got any sleep. She glanced at the still sleeping form of her new companion.

Beckett was curled up in small circle, his eye's shut and his paws folded across his chest. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Digging into her haversack, Beth surveyed the meager remains. "We're not going to get very far on this," she mumbled to herself.

Beckett poked his head over her shoulder. "What did you say?"

"What the –" Beth exclaimed as she quickly snapped the flap back down. "Stop scaring me! Rule number three; don't come popping up out of nowhere!"

"You're more jumpy than I figured a badger would be," Beckett commented, ignoring the angry look on Beth's face. "Anyways, what's for breakfast?"

Beth paused, uncertain if she should tell her new friend just how much food was left. She decided to just show him.

"That's it!" The squirrel exclaimed. "That's not enough for a mouse to eat, let alone a squirrel and a badger! You know, you might have to get rid of that rule about no stealing if we're going to survive."

Beth sighed, she knew he was right. "We'll just have to eat sparingly until we come across some berry bushes or a stream that we can fish in."

Reaching out a paw, Beckett took a cold scone that Beth passed him.

"We can start off with one each for breakfast." Beth chomped down, devouring a fourth of her scone with one bite.

After their cold breakfast, the two set off in the direction the sun rose; east. A bright orange and black oriel flew into its nest, carrying a worm for its young. Life in the wilderness was alive and well. They travelled for a couple of hours before they paused in the shade.

"Whew!" Becket collapsed himself on an old fallen log. "It's so hot."

Beth wiped her brow. "Must be the hottest day of the summer."

"Hey!" Becket jumped up, ears pricked. "Do you hear that?"

Beth strained her ears and a cold fear crept through her spine as she prepared herself for the slightest hint of danger. She clenched her red gauntlets as she started to reach for her sword. However, she stopped as she heard the quiet trickling sound. "Water!"

"Yes! It's coming from over there!" Becket pointed a paw. "It can't be too far away."

Eagerly, the young squirrel tumbled off his log and ran in the direction of where he thought the stream to be.

"Wait for me!" Beth came after him, following his trail clumsily, not being as nimble as the squirrel. She stumbled on gnarled tree stump hidden by leaves. "Oof!"

"Come on! It's over here!" Beckett called excitedly.

There it was, a small river, flowing speedily along. The sun's rays reflecting off it, making it almost blinding.

"What are you waiting for?" Beckett flung himself into the shallow water. "Brrr!"

Beth could almost feel the cold water splashing on her hot skin. "Charge!" She started at a full run.

"No wait!" Beckett tried clamoring away from the female badger as she jumped in, making the water explode in all directions.

Beckett looked a comical sight, his fur plastered in every direction over his face. "What are you tryin' to do? Drown me!?"

Beth couldn't help but laugh at his appearance. "What's the matter, can't you swim?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I can't." The squirrel wiped the wet fur out of his eyes. "And I'm not about to learn either." He replied grumpily. "I'd rather dance with a snake than get in water that's over my head!"

There was a small silence until Beth felt her stomach growl with hunger. "Hey, I've got an incredibly, amazing idea!"

"What is it?" Beckett asked, confused.

"I think I know how we can get some food…"

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The badger and squirrel sat on a large flat stone right next to the river, Beckett's tail tip hanging slightly in the water.

"This is a stupid idea." Beckett protested loudly.

"Now," Beth said as she pulled out her long sword, "all we have to do is wait for a fish to come and bite your tail, thinking that it's food. Once that happens, I'll hop down, kill it, and then we'll have dinner!"

"How come it has to be my tail that's the bait?"

"Because," Beth looked at her reflection in her sword, "your tail is longer and looks more like fish food than mine does. Besides, I'll have to kill the fish and that's really the most dangerous part."

"Are…are you sure?" Beckett gulped, looking suspiciously at the water behind him.

"Of course!" Beth insisted, "We have to be quiet now though, or nothing will ever bite."

Beckett kept throwing uncertain glances toward the river as they waited. "Have you ever done this before?"

"Um…well no," Beth stood ready at position. "But I've heard stories about it."

They didn't have to wait long before a small fish nabbed at the squirrel's tail tip. "Ouch! Something bit me!"

Quickly, Beth jumped into the water and struck out with her sword.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Beckett quickly grabbed his tail and stroked it lovingly.

"Blasted!" Beth hacked around in the water. "It got away."

"You–you mean I did all that for nothing!" The squirrel exclaimed, astonished. "How could it have gotten away?"

"Better put your tail back in again." Beth gave a tired sigh as she climbed back into position. "We'll just have to try again… I'll be faster next time." She reassured him.

The sun had already started to sink as the two sat listening together to the quiet sounds of the river. Just as they were about to give up on the whole ordeal altogether, their luck took a turn for the better.

"Yowch!"

Beth didn't need to hear an invitation. Moving with lightning speed, she brought down her sword with precise precision upon her prey, killing it instantly.

"We did it!" Beckett jumped up and down on the rock joyfully. "We actually got one!"

Beth carried their dinner proudly out of the water. It was much larger than the one they had missed before. She nodded. "We'll eat well tonight."

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Sparks flickered up from the fire as Beth and Beckett ate hungrily with satisfaction.

"Mmm." Beckett padded his small belly. "I haven't eaten that good in a long time," he said as the two beasts cleaned their dishes and made camp for the night.

Beth had to agree. It felt good to be full and to feel the energy running back through her paws. "So...do you have a family?" she asked as a lone owl filled the serene silence around them with its call.

The young squirrel looked down at the ground. "I used to. My father, mother, and a sister." His face turned solemn and his eyes started to grow moist. "We were travelling across a wide river when our raft hit a large rock and shattered into a hundred pieces. None of us knew how to swim…" He lifted a paw to brush a tear that had escaped his eye. "Everything went black after that. I must've hit my head on a rock or something. Next thing I knew, I had been washed up on shore on one of the pieces of our raft…"

Beth felt a lump come up in her throat as she sat listening to Beckett, his voice filled with a remorseful pain. "I…I'm so sorry…" she whispered.

Beckett sniffed. "I found their bodies further on down the stream. I had to bury them there." His shoulder's now were shaking as he wept with uncontrollable sobs.

Beth moved closer and put her large paw around his shoulder comfortingly. The young squirrel leaned in to her and let his tears flow. When he had cried till he was exhausted, he took a deep breath and sat back up. "You're the first beast I've told since their death." He rubbed a paw across his nose.

There was a large wet spot on Beth's tunic from Beckett's tears, but the badger didn't even notice. "You won't be without a family anymore."

Beckett looked slightly confused for a moment.

"I'll be your family." Beth nodded.

Crickets chirped all around them as they each went to their separate patches of grass and lied down, each alone with their own thoughts. Beth prepared herself for another restless night as she glanced over at the small squirrel who shivered in his sleep against the settling dew.

She gently took her own blanket and laid it on her new companion who snuggled beneath it. She glanced down at Beckett. "Don't worry little friend…I'll watch out for you now."

Author note/ Hey Redwall readers! So this story is interlinked with The Grey Warlord, by Sebias of Redwall, but this is a stand-alone. This fanfic is more like a long one-shot. It will probably be around 7 chapters long. If u want to read more about Beth Redpaw, she's actually Sebias' original character and she makes a brief appearance in The Grey Warlord. Anyways, I hope u all liked this chapter!:)