Ephedra's Travels
Part 1
"True Dreams"
The young squirrel maiden overlooked the small vermin camp. She could take them, she thought. Not only that, but they had something she didn't have… Food. She slowly climbed down from her tree, careful not to alert the two rats. She softly landed on the ground, and drew her dagger. Cautiously, She crept around the tree, until she was directly behind the one that appeared to be the leader.
With dagger in hand, she lunged at the rat's unprotected neck. With a quick slash, she ended the creature's life. The second rat turned to face her, and drew his cutlass. He slashed outward and the blade end barely touched her paw… but it touched her enough to slash through her skin. Enraged, she threw the dagger. The rat stood there, dumbfounded, staring as the dagger just seemed to grow out of him. He collapsed over, and pool of warm red blood slowly began to form around him.
Walking around the two bodies, she reached into one of their packs, and pulled out a flask of Dandelion cordial, and a piece of bread. Hungrily, she began eating the bread. A deep voice sounded from the woods. "Halt where you are!" Looking up, a look of fright spread across her, as a huge white badger came out of the woods, with a crossbow in hand, the huge bolt aimed straight at the squirrel. "What is your name?" asked the badger, the bolt still aimed at the squirrel. "E… Eph… Ephedra" replied the squirrel. "Greetings. My name is Snowbrush. I didn't mean to scare you like that… I thought you were one of the rats. I'm heading to salamandastrom".
"The mountain of the badger lords?" asked Ephedra. "Yes, are you heading there also?" asked Snowbrush. Ephedra replied, "No, I'm heading to Redwall Abbey… Um, do you know where it is?"
"Yes, I can take you there"
"Thanks, but aren't you going to Salamandastrom?"
"Well, yes, but I need to pass by the Abbey… An army is getting ready to go to war with the mountain, and the mountain is short warriors, so the current badger lord has sent out word to all warriors, mostly badgers and hares. Most are heeding this call to arms, and are heading to the mountain. I'm going to make a stop at Redwall, and ask the resident warriors if any would like to assist in this war to the west of them." Replied Snowbrush, and then she asked, "Why are you going to Redwall, anyways?"
Ephedra shrugged off the question, and said, "It's getting late… I'll take the first watch, and you take the second." Then climbed back into her tree and began overlooking the area. Snowbrush laid herself on the ground, making sure to get a set distance away from the two rat bodies.
Well into the night, Snowbrush woke up, and looked up, into the tree. Ephedra had fallen asleep, a peaceful look on her face. Turning, she began her watch.
An arrow flew in thru the window, colliding with the back wall. The Male squirrel looked up and said "Zella, take Ephedra into the other room, and lock the door, now!" The female Squirrel, Zella, grabbed the small dibbun by her side, and ran into the next room. "Mommy, Wha happenin?" asked the small squirrel, too young to Comprehend what was going on. They heard arguing from the other room, and a scream. The mother squirrel looked out the window, and, as dibbuns will, mischievously opened the door. The young squirrel saw her father lying in a pool of blood on the floor. There was a figure standing over him, yanking the blade out of the lifeless squirrel…
"AAAHHH, Father, nooo!" yelled Ephedra and tumbled out of the tree. Snowbrush, standing near by, ran over and caught the young squirrel, and laid her on the ground. "Ephedra, wake up!" Yelled snowbrush, shaking the squirrel made. "Huh… Wha… Wha happen?" said Ephedra, repeating the words from her dream. "You fell from the tree… I only barely caught you," said Snowbrush "Look I made breakfast. Lets start eating. I think we can make it by nightfall!" They ate in silence, and set off towards Redwall.
South of Salamandastrom, a ship anchored at the beach. Out of a large tent nearby, surrounded by clusters of smaller tents, came out a mouse, draped in a red cape. His black fur shined, the black fur that set him apart from every other of his kind. He strode over, until he came face to face with the ferret captain of the ship. "You Dark Mouse?" asked the captain. "Yes, who are you?" asked Dark Mouse.
"I'm Deathtrap, and this here's my ship… me and my crew want to join up with your army, 'cause we hear you gonna attack Salamandastrom… that true?"
"Yes, I am."
"Alright then, then we want to join ya, alright?"
"Fine, but I need to do one thing…"
Then with a quick movement of the sword he had so cleverly concealed beneath his cape, he stabbed Deathtrap, killing the ferret before he knew what hit him.
"I will be the only leader within this army," and with that he climbed on board the ship, as every one of the crews members stared at the mouse, and now dead captain, a simple show of dominance to the crew and the rest of his army.