THE SWORD OF THE EASTERN SEA
The mousemaid was tied to a tree. She ignored the cuts and bruises that she got from her last beating from trying to escape. She only concentrated on the sword, her sword. The whole camp was a sleep, huddled under blankets and what every they could find. The mousemaid ignored the storm, and cold snow that lashed out. She only saw the vermin, the huge rat, that held her sword as he slept. She finally broke thru her bonds, she was free. She ran over to her sword she picked it up and ran. She didn't care where just to be away. Her foot prints disappear as the snow swirled.
Gonff carefully opened the east gate. He didn't know what brought him out here in this cold, but he came anyway. When he opened the gate he was surprised to see a mouse lying there. Gonff heisted then ran back to the Abbey. He returned shortly with Bella, the badger mother. She saw a sword in the mouse's paw. Bella tried to take it away but the mousemaid held on tight. Bella deiced that it wasn't hurting any thing, yet. Bella picked the mousemaid up and went inside.
"Gonff what where you doing out there?" Bella asked as the nurse mouse started to fuss over the mousemaid.
"I'm not really sure, but for her sake I'm glad I was." Gonff smiled cheekily.
"Oh my. The poor thing." the nurse mouse said, "I need warm water. Quickly." Gonff immediately left to fetch the water. Bella looked over to the mouse that was lying on her stomach, the sword still tightly held in her right paw. On the mousemaid's back, arms and legs was scars, old mixed with new. The scars where from a whip.
"Who could have done this?" the nurse mouse asked.
"We won't know till she tell's us." Bella said quietly.
The mousemaid awoke, to an empty room. Her sword was lying on another bed. She picked it up and started out the door. Bella came in as the mousemaid opened the door.
"Good evening, I bought you some villtles. How are you felling?" Bella said ignoring the sword that the mousemaid held threateningly in her paws. The mousemaid heisted then pointed to the food, then herself. Bella understood, "yes it for you." The mousemaid quickly started to shove the food down, as if she was afraid it might get taken away. She still held her sword in a ready position.
"Calm down, you will make your self sick" Bella said as if she was talking to a dibbun. After the mouse maid had eaten her fill Bella said," My name Bella, you are safe here at Redwall. What is your name?"
the mousemaid thought about it for a while. Finally in a ill-used voice she said, "I think. . . I think it tis. . . Moon Stalker. Ja, my name tis Moon Stalker." she fidgeted with the habit she had on.
"That is a pretty name, where are you from?" Bella question gently.
"I came. . . from the east. . . by the sea, the eastern sea. A village, called Katema." Moon Stalker voice seamed to grow stronger as she talked.
"What brings you to Redwall?" Bella asked.
"I left to prove my warrior abilities, taking my mothers sword. It tis a right of passage, when I got back my village had been destroyed, those not killed or captured, fled. I wander for a season, looking for these villains, I was captured one day. . . they. . . were not the same ones that had killed my family. I scared a lot of them with the old stories from my home. And then I was forbidden to talk. If I did I was beat. I was beat for nearly anything I did, I survived for three seasons. Then I took my sword and fled." Moon Stalker leaned forward, "I do believe we have company, there tis a jumble of little'uns over that a way,"she said her head motioning towards the door. Bella was about to ask what a jumble of little'uns where but was stopped by Moon Stalker placing a paw on Bella.
"It was an accident, really. I did mean to call a Loup, but I forgot that the Ulv always travel with them. I had hoped that the spirt that ride on the Wolf, the Loup, would help free I. Ja I do hope your little'uns are safe in there beds, twould be a shame, there tis an Evil Sprit that rides on the back of wolf as well, the Ulv so like the taste of little'uns." after Moon Stalker said that they herd a pattering of feet. Bella smiled, "a jumble of little'uns?"
"Ja tis a jumble of little'uns."
Moon Stalker was sewing a skirt. She had been there over a week, she had tried to help. But was mostly told to eat and get better. So she sat and sewed a lot. Moon Stalker herd a light pitter-patter, the ones that little'uns make when they tried to sneak. Moon Stalker smiled and looked at the door.
"Tis all right, I don't bite." she laughed. The little mouse walked over to her.
"We wanat know 'bout Luop." He said. Another voice said form the hallway, "burr, an' Ulv."
"Come in all of you, I'll tell you about it I will." Moon Stalker said putting her sewing down. The little'uns giggled.
"What tis so funny to you Little'uns?" Moon Stalker asked. They laughed more, till finally the mouse that came in first said, "you talk funny, waht is little ons?"
"Little'uns be you." she said.
"No me be Dibbins." a surlily baby said.
"Where I come from we call you little'uns. Now hush a little and I will tell you about the Loup." the little'uns quite down as they found places to seat. Moon Stalker smiled as she told them.
"Now I come from beside the eastern sea. The wolf tis a huge creature, they travel in bands called brotherhoods, occasionally you will find one by its self. Now the wolfs they are neither good nor evil. They sometimes visited our village, but mostly they keep to them self. But they where cursed to be the carrier of good and evil. You see you can never have one with out the other, you may not notices the other but its their. Now the Loup, you should not fear it, it tis the good sprit. That was the one I was trying to call, to get ride of the villains that had captured me. Now the Ulv, that is an evil sprit, it often tries to steal little'uns. But don't worry you are safe here, I have banished the Ulv. And I will show you how to make Medisinsekk. They help keep evil spirts away." Moon Stalker picked her sewing back up, "now run along."
"Tell us another story." one of the dibbuns said.
"How bout I tells you a pome instead." the dibbuns nodded.
"Ja, very well. Here it tis.
Hark my young'uns tis time,
Gather round thay fire warm,
Hear thay fated story of warrior lovers.
Thay ways of warriors are know to a few,
Tis a long and lonesome road.
With blood shed and losses at every turn.
He was of thay northlands, blade by his side.
Full of honor, his word a promise.
He had friends at his back, and enemies lying in front.
She was from thay eastland, blade on her back.
Courage her training, kindness un-question.
She had children behind her, enemies at her feet.
They fought side by side, swords in paw.
Against a horde, of little proportion
Till that horde had its fill, ran off clamoring.
They were wed on Summer's first day.
A feast fit for an army.
Happy thay had found a warrior two.
Twas a cool summer day the little'uns playing.
Thay villain did steal,
Those littlen'uns from under her nose.
Thay warriors two, took thay swords,
Friends tagging along.
Fought for those little'uns to get back.
But thay warriors little'un her heart true,
Deiced she like this world,
Thay life of a wander tis her calling.
She was trained as a knight,
A warrior true,
Was cursed to wander forever more.
After she finished her balled the dibbuns left her. And Moon Stalker got back to her sewing.
Moon Stalker was once again amazed by the amount of food. She sat between an otter and a hedgehog. She was about to start eating when she saw a little mousemaid siting all by herself. Moon Stalker picked up her plate and excused herself. She smiled as she swished her way over to the housemaid. Moon Stalker was happy to be out of that restricting habit. And into her flowing skirt, and lose blouse.
"Sit here, may I." Moon Stalker asked the little mouse maid. The mouse nodded.
"My name tis Moon Stalker, what tis yours."
"Meonna," she said picking at her food.
"What tis wrong?" Moon Stalker asked.
"Nothing." Meonna huffed.
"I do not think I can eat all this you want to help me?" Moon Stalker smiled. Meonna looked at her for the first time smiling slightly she nodded. Moon Stalker helped her into her lap.
"You want to see something funny, over there look." Moon Stalker point over to a mole that had fallen asleep, his head falling in to his food, causing him too wake up. Meonna laughed, thru out the rest of the meal the two pointed out funny things to each other.
"Marten do you remember that mousemaid that was found last fall?" Bella asked her eyes on Moon Stalker and Meonna.
"Yes, the one that wouldn't talk?" Marten said.
"Yes, well I think she just made a friend." Bella smiled. Marten looked over to the two.
"Who is she?" He asked.
"That's right, you been gone. She is one Gonff found by the east gate. She was beaten and nearly frozen. The Dibbuns really like her. Her name is Moon Stalker, she is a warrior as well."
Bella said. Marten nodded.
"They found me in the forest." Meonna said quietly. Moon Stalker herd her thought.
"They found I as well. Your parents?" Moon Stalker asked softly.
"I don't know, they think they are dead." Meonna said.
"Very well. Ja, I have a solution. I have no daughter, and you have no mother, so I will be your mother. If you want." Moon Stalker said. Meonna looked amazed,
"Really?"
"Ja, really." Moon Stalker was nearly knocked of her seat, as Meonna hugged her.
"Ackk, I can not breath." Meonna loosened her grip, tears streaming down her face. "You must do I one favor thou, tell me, why are we having a feast?" Moon Stalker asked quietly.
"Oh Marten the Warrior has returned, he went on an errand of some kind." Meonna said.
"Ahh I see. You well have to let I go no. I will be back but now I have to dances." Moon Stalker stood up setting Meonna in her spot. Moon Stalker made her way to the head table where Abbess Germaine, Bella, Marten, Gonff, and Columbine sat. When she looked at Marten she nodded slightly, she recognized a fellow warrior when she saw one. Bowing to the table she said, "I am going to preform a dance that tis done in the village of Katema. To welcome home a warrior."
Moon Stalker made her way to a big open area, drawing her sword from it new scabbard at her back. She turned to Gonff, "do you know the tune, 'Around the Fire?'" Gonff smiled as he pulled out his flute. He played the first few notes, letting them die away, he waited for her to single.
Moon Stalker took up her position, her sword straight out, held loosely in her right paw. Her left paw held above her head. She nodded her head, and Gonff started playing. Moon Stalker spun and slashed in time with the music. It was neither fighting nor was it quite dancing. She thru her sword up, and spun, skirt bellowing out. Everyone watched in rapped amazement, as the sword slowly spun up hilt over blade. Moon Stalker spun three times before jumping up, and snatching the blade out of the air. When the last note was hanging as Moon Stalker fell to her knees blade held in her hand, pommel towards Marten. No beast moved, then everyone started clapping, and cheering. Moon Stalker turned red as she went to resheath her sword.
"Where did you get you sword?" Marten asked coming up next to her. Moon Stalker looked at her sword as if seeing it for the first time. "It has been in I family for ages. The story goes, that the blade was given to the Queen of the Eastern shores by the sea. The hilt was given by the very earth itself. The crosspiece was carried to them on the wind. With the pommel sprouted by fire." Moon Stalker smiled as she studied her sword. The blade was of a deeper blue with the tiny hint of green in it, it had water like design on the blade. The crosspiece was of a lighter blue, with clouds etched in it. The rope that was warped on the hilt looked like every thread was of a different shade of green or brown. The pommel had a yellow stone, with fleck of red and orange in it. Moon Stalker then sheathed the sword, "It was given to my family to protect the shores of the eastern sea. Ja, it tis the sword that will strike down those who killed my family."
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ok, bear with me. I am changing a little. One, Bella, and Gonff live at Redwall. Two, it was built much quicker that I think it would have been though it is not completely built yet.. Three, Marten has not given up his warriors ways yet. That is all. Oh one more thing, Moon Stalker is about the same age as Marten. And this story takes place about a year, four seasons after the defate of Kotir. (Note I said About). So when Marten was off at the badger mountain. Moon Stalker village was being destroyed.
