Author's note: I still don't own the corn kids, darn. There will be others in the Redwall-COTC series; Micah is the next one. If any Micah fans want to be in it and be in love with Micah e-mail me with a Redwally name and what kind of animal you want to be, the first one to get an e-mail to me gets the part.

Malachai of Redwall

                It was late in the afternoon when they stopped for a quick snack; it was right next to the stream that they had been following since they left the original spot they camped.

                "I think we have company sire." A lanky hare named Matt said. A beautiful squirrelmaid dropped out of a tree.

                "Hello Lord Solarblade." The squirrelmaid said bowing.

                "Hello Leafpaw. I take it you're here to tell us how far it is to Redwall?" Solarblade said handing Leafpaw a beaker of cordial.

                "Yes, not even a days walk from where we are now. Thank you for the cordial." Leafpaw pulled out a kerchief and wiped the cordial droplets off her whiskers, "Who is this handsome creature?"

                "This is Malachai, he's human whatever a human is." Solarblade said, "Malachai say hello to the pretty maid."

                "Hello." Malachai said trying to hide his embarrassment by eating a salad.

                "Hello I'm Leafpaw." She said as she smiled at Malachai and leaned over and touched his hair, "You have such beautify strange fur."

                "It's called hair where I come from." He said as he put every piece of food and drink down and stood up, "When do we leave?"

                "Let's go everybeast!" Solarblade stood up full height. After everything was packed up they left with Leafpaw as the guide.

                "If we march at double pace sire, we can make it to Redwall by midnight." Leafpaw said as she climbed up a tree.

                "Right, march double pace everybeast!" Solarblade said as they picked up speed.

                "I don't think I can do this for a long time." Malachai said he was already starting to pant.

                "Sure you can" Leafpaw said as she jumped out of the tree and landed next to him. She took his hand in her paw, "Come on hold on to my paw so you don't get lost."

                "Okay." He held her paw tight.

                "I smell spring fever wot wot." Matt whispered to Solarblade.

                "Yes me too." Solarblade said as he looked at Malachai and Leafpaw.

                It was a little before midnight when they strode up to the main gates of Redwall Abbey, Leafpaw bound up a tree and over the wall. Shortly after the gate slowly opened, she and an elderly hedgehog walked out.

                "Everyone this is Abbess Samantha." She pointed to the hedgehog.

                "Glad to meet you all I'm sure." Abbess Samantha said.

                "Hello Abbess." Everybeast said.

                "I think you beasts need some sleep, you look very tired." Abbess Samantha said, "Follow me."

                "Is she taking us someplace where we can sleep?" Malachai said.

                "Yes" Leafpaw tried to hide a yawn but it came out. After Abbess Samantha showed everyone where they would be sleeping Solarblade sent everyone off to go to bed so he and the Abbess could talk.

                "So what do you make of Malachai?" Solarblade said.

                "Nothing really." Abbess Samantha pulled out a small scrap of paper and gave it to Solarblade; "Martin came to me in a dream last night, so I had it written by the recorder."

                "Let's see here:

                                Two days after he comes a battle will take place,

                                Our western wall it will face.

                                The beloved maiden will fall,

                                But he will bring glory to us all."

                "The poem is talking about Malachai and a maiden, I just can't figure out who the maiden is." Abbess Samantha said as Solarblade handed her the scrap of paper.

                "We'll find out when the time is right." He said, "Now I must be getting to bed I'm very tired. Good night Abbess."

                "Good night Solarblade." She said as she looked at the paper some more.

                It was early in the morning when Malachai was awakened by lovely food smells.

                "Morning to you sir." A mouse said she was making beds and tidying up.

                "Morning to you too." He said.

                "How rude of me, I'm Sister Casey." The mouse said, "Get up and get some breakfast before those gluttonous hares eat it all."

                "Okay." Malachai got up and went downstairs to the dinning hall.

                "Good morning." Solarblade said as he pulled out a chair for him.

                "Good morning, thank you." He sat down and accepted a plate form a hare next to him. An otter came running in.

                "They're coming!" The otter named Watertail pointed outside. The food was forgotten as they ran outside and up on the battlements, the rat Deathsong and her horde was coming from out on the open plain.

                "Surrender Redwall or we shall crush you!" She shouted, as they got closer to Redwall. Matt fitted an arrow in his long bow and aimed.

                "This is gonna end it right now wot!" He said as he let the arrow fly, it hit right in front of Deathsong.

                "You do not scare me rabbit." She said coolly.

                "I'm not a rabbit!" Matt yelled as he fitted another arrow in his bow, but she had moved in to the center of her horde so she wouldn't get hit.

                "Matt, don't waste your arrows." Solarblade said as he knocked the arrow from the bow. Malachai took the bow and arrow from Matt and fitted it on. He pulled the arrow farther back than any badger; he let it fly. It took out four of the horde beasts standing right in front of her, she squeaked in surprise.

                "I almost got her." He said as he handed the bow back, everyone just stared blankly at him.

                "You're the finest bowbeast I've ever met." Solarblade said still staring at the four dead beasts that were taken down with one arrow.

                "I tell you what stripedog, we can battle right here two sunrises from now." Deathsong said.

                "Fine rat." Solarblade said, "Now get away from here 'til or I'll give this beast some more arrows to shot at you."

                "Move out." She looked back at her soon to be prize, Redwall.

                "Watertail get back to your Holt and get every otter there and come and help us two sunrises from now." Solarblade said.

                "I'll do better than that sir, I'll get the Guosim shrews too." Watertail said as he left out the back wicker gate.

                "Now it's time to hold a Council of War." Solarblade said.

                "All the elders and fighting beasts cone with us to the Cavern Hole, Sister Casey could you watch the Dibbuns?" Abbess Samantha said.

                "Yes." Sister Casey said as the Dibbuns drug her to the orchard for a story.

                The Cavern Hole was packed full, Solarblade stood up, "My hare and I have brought enough weapons from Salamandastron to keep everybeast in good supply here."

                "That's great, now who's going to teach us how to use these weapons?" Andy the cellarhog said.

                "My hares will." He said.

                "Let's get started on weapon training." A vole named Alex said.

                "Aye" Everybeast said.

                "Okay let's get go." Solarblade said.

                Malachai sat alone in Cavern Hole after everyone had gone to be alone with his thoughts of the war to come.