1.1.1 A Warriormaid's Quest
Chapter 2:
The Beginning
Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own Redwall, never have, and never will. All characters belong to Brian Jacques.
My characters are all the names that you might not recognize. The only ones I don't own are Deyna, Nimbalo, and Abbess Mhera.
2 seasons after Prolog…
The bright autumn sun beamed down on the Abbey of Redwall. A light breeze passed through the Abbey causing the grass to sway back and forth. The grounds of the building were deserted because it is suppertime at the Abbey and every beast is inside enjoying a warm meal in Cavern Hole. Everyone was happy and content… but that was all about to change, trouble is heading for the Abbey.
"Yum that was that was a great supper Friar Maple." Said Swiftleaf. She wore a green tunic over her dark red fur, with a black leather belt, around her waist. A sling, a pouch full of river pebbles, and small dagger were attached to it.
"Why thank you Swift." Said the old mouse cook, nodding his head in appreciation at the squirrelmaids' compliment. The Friar was a chubby little mouse who wore a white apron over his brown habit and a chef's hat on top of his head.
"Well I got chores to finish. It's autumn so you know what that means" said Swift Looking at the mouse.
"Harvest, harvest, harvest." The two beasts coursed together grinning.
"I'll see y' later Friar. Bye." She called as she took off toward the orchard.
Swift was up in the boughs of one of Redwalls many apple trees picking only the biggest apples and leaving the smaller ones to grow more.
As she dumped her load of apples into a basket below the tree she could hear the sounds of her fellow Redwaller's singing lustily as the harvested that years crops. She was about to move on to the pear tree next to her when her sharp ears picked up another noise coming from the other side of the north wall. Stopping what she was doing she jumped down out of the tree and took off to the north wall stairs. She whizzed past other Abbey dwellers as fast as she could, all she was to them was a red blur. She took long jumps up the stairs reaching the top in seconds.
When she reached the top, Swift slowly lifted her heads over the battlements until her deep brown eyes could see over the top. What she saw just about turned her dark red fur white. In front of her materializing out of Mossflower were vermin in 5 ranks of 10 wide and a 100 deep.
Swift snapped out of her trance and flung herself from the ramparts. She landed in a tall oak that was close to the north wall. Jumping from the leafy boughs of the tree she hit the ground and ran to the gatehouse as fast as she could to find Deyna. But whom she ran into instead was Nimbalo.
"Whoa, wot's the rush young 'un?" asked the warriormouse looking down at Swift. He was quite small for a mouse. He wore a yellow tunic and a red bandanna tied around his neck. A sling and a sword were at his sides. Seeing the look on her face he became serious "Swift wot's wrong pal?"
"Nimbalo, there's vermin. Thousands of them, heading towards the Abbey. Where's Deyna?" The young maid gasped out in one breath.
"In the gatehouse. Come on lets go an' get 'em." Said Nimbalo already running ahead of the squirrel towards the west side of the Abbey. Even though she was exhausted she kept pace with the warrior.
"Deyna!!" the two creatures cried as they burst through the gatehouse door. Swift collapsed against the doorframe trying to regain her breath.
Deyna whirled around to face them. "Wot's wrong. Nimbalo, Swiftleaf?" questioned the otter looking from one creature to the other with confusion written on his face.
Nimbalo nodded at Swift. "You tell'em mate."
"Vermin, coming towards north side of Abbey. Thousands of the scum." Swift said still trying to regain her breath. Deyna growled menacingly and bounded over his two friends. "'Ere we go again." Swift said grabbing a longbow and a quiver full of arrows, while Nimbalo grabbed two javelins. After Swift stringed her bow, they followed after Deyna.
Abbess Mhera was just walking out of the Abbey building's main doors when she saw her younger brother, Deyna, charging up the north wall stairs followed by Nimbalo and Swift. All three where carrying a weapon. Deyna had the great sword of Martin the Warrior, Nimbalo had two javelins, and Swift had a bow with a quiver full of arrows over her left shoulder.
Mhera sensed that something was amiss and quickly called out, "Dibbuns. Come here quickly please."
All the Dibbuns that were out side came running at her call. "You Muvver Abbess." The abbey babes chorused together.
"Yes my little ones. Head inside we're going to play indoor games for a bit." The Dibbuns looked like they were about to object. One of the ringleaders, a mousebabe named Simon, piped up, "Wot kind of games?" he asked.
"Hmm how about a maze made out of empty barrels and at the center is a prize." Suggested the abbess.
"Wot kind of pize?"
"Candied Chestnuts."
"Hooray!" Cried the babes as they ran inside the Abbey.
Back on the wall top Deyna was crouched down behind the edge of the wall viewing the army down below.
He was about to sit down and discuss the situation with his friends when a voice hailed him from the ground below, "I wants to talk wit the beast in charge." Swift and the others peered over the edge and down at the speaker, a weasel. The young squirrel was notching a shaft to her bow when the Abbess came up and put a restraining paw on her shoulder.
"They haven't attacked us yet young one." Said the Abbess. Swiftleaf nodded and lowered her bow. "Let me speak with them Deyna." She said turning to her brother. Deyna looked back and down at his older sister and stepped aside giving her some space.
"Can I help you?"
"Yeah, ye can. Us un's want yer Abbey." Called up the weasel. His remark was followed by sniggers from his vast horde.
The Abbess shook her head as she answered, "I'm sorry but I can not do that. This Abbey does not belong to me it belongs to every creature within these walls.
"Then we'll take yer Abbey by force and use every creature that we don't slay as our slaves. Wot do ye say to that Abbess." He said bowing in mock respect.
"Plenty, but I won't. What I have to say is not proper for an Abbess. I'll let some of this Abbey's defenders say it for me." She called back as she headed down the stairs.
"After you, Swift, mate." Deyna said allowing the young squirrelmaid to berate the vermin first.
"Thank you Deyna." She hopped up and stood behind the ramparts. She pulled the sting taught and called down to the Weasel leader and his army. "We'll never let you take our Abbey, snotnose. Not you or any of your vermin idiots."
"Ha wot happened to the other two creatures that were up there with you. Did they run and hide?" Called up a rat that was standing beside the weasel.
Deyna and Nimbalo stood up and hefted a javelin apiece. "Get lost mangefur or ye won't live to see tomorrow." Called down Redwall's Champion raising his javelin a little higher to emphasize his point.
"Ha I doubt that a streamwalloper, a squirrelmaid, an' a runt mouse like you could do us any harm." Called up the rat. His comrades in arms nodded their heads in agreement.
"Wot do ye say, buckoes. Shall we show them wot three helpless Abbey beasts can do?" said Deyna barring his sharp pointed teeth in a malicious grin.
His friends nodded and loose their shafts of destruction, and calling out the Abbey battle cry, "Reeeeeedwaaaaallll!!"
Three members of the horde lay slain all had been standing around the weasel leader.
"Leave now fishbait. Or my next arrow will go straight through your black heart Cap'n." Swift called down mockingly.
"This means war Redwaller's. Ye'll all be dead or my slaves before the seasons through." Called the weasel as he and his horde disappeared into Mossflower Wood.
Deyna's sharp eyes watched as the army dissipated into the trees. "Look like we'll need some help." He muttered to himself. "Swift, I need you to go an' find Log a Log, the Guosim, an' the rest of Holt Streambank.
"Aye, aye Deyna." She said getting ready to jump into the woods.
"Be careful Swift. With those vermin out there, you can't pull none of yer tricks. Understand." The young squirrelmaid nodded her head and jumped from the wall top and disappeared into Mossflower.
Chapter 2:
The Beginning
Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own Redwall, never have, and never will. All characters belong to Brian Jacques.
My characters are all the names that you might not recognize. The only ones I don't own are Deyna, Nimbalo, and Abbess Mhera.
2 seasons after Prolog…
The bright autumn sun beamed down on the Abbey of Redwall. A light breeze passed through the Abbey causing the grass to sway back and forth. The grounds of the building were deserted because it is suppertime at the Abbey and every beast is inside enjoying a warm meal in Cavern Hole. Everyone was happy and content… but that was all about to change, trouble is heading for the Abbey.
"Yum that was that was a great supper Friar Maple." Said Swiftleaf. She wore a green tunic over her dark red fur, with a black leather belt, around her waist. A sling, a pouch full of river pebbles, and small dagger were attached to it.
"Why thank you Swift." Said the old mouse cook, nodding his head in appreciation at the squirrelmaids' compliment. The Friar was a chubby little mouse who wore a white apron over his brown habit and a chef's hat on top of his head.
"Well I got chores to finish. It's autumn so you know what that means" said Swift Looking at the mouse.
"Harvest, harvest, harvest." The two beasts coursed together grinning.
"I'll see y' later Friar. Bye." She called as she took off toward the orchard.
Swift was up in the boughs of one of Redwalls many apple trees picking only the biggest apples and leaving the smaller ones to grow more.
As she dumped her load of apples into a basket below the tree she could hear the sounds of her fellow Redwaller's singing lustily as the harvested that years crops. She was about to move on to the pear tree next to her when her sharp ears picked up another noise coming from the other side of the north wall. Stopping what she was doing she jumped down out of the tree and took off to the north wall stairs. She whizzed past other Abbey dwellers as fast as she could, all she was to them was a red blur. She took long jumps up the stairs reaching the top in seconds.
When she reached the top, Swift slowly lifted her heads over the battlements until her deep brown eyes could see over the top. What she saw just about turned her dark red fur white. In front of her materializing out of Mossflower were vermin in 5 ranks of 10 wide and a 100 deep.
Swift snapped out of her trance and flung herself from the ramparts. She landed in a tall oak that was close to the north wall. Jumping from the leafy boughs of the tree she hit the ground and ran to the gatehouse as fast as she could to find Deyna. But whom she ran into instead was Nimbalo.
"Whoa, wot's the rush young 'un?" asked the warriormouse looking down at Swift. He was quite small for a mouse. He wore a yellow tunic and a red bandanna tied around his neck. A sling and a sword were at his sides. Seeing the look on her face he became serious "Swift wot's wrong pal?"
"Nimbalo, there's vermin. Thousands of them, heading towards the Abbey. Where's Deyna?" The young maid gasped out in one breath.
"In the gatehouse. Come on lets go an' get 'em." Said Nimbalo already running ahead of the squirrel towards the west side of the Abbey. Even though she was exhausted she kept pace with the warrior.
"Deyna!!" the two creatures cried as they burst through the gatehouse door. Swift collapsed against the doorframe trying to regain her breath.
Deyna whirled around to face them. "Wot's wrong. Nimbalo, Swiftleaf?" questioned the otter looking from one creature to the other with confusion written on his face.
Nimbalo nodded at Swift. "You tell'em mate."
"Vermin, coming towards north side of Abbey. Thousands of the scum." Swift said still trying to regain her breath. Deyna growled menacingly and bounded over his two friends. "'Ere we go again." Swift said grabbing a longbow and a quiver full of arrows, while Nimbalo grabbed two javelins. After Swift stringed her bow, they followed after Deyna.
Abbess Mhera was just walking out of the Abbey building's main doors when she saw her younger brother, Deyna, charging up the north wall stairs followed by Nimbalo and Swift. All three where carrying a weapon. Deyna had the great sword of Martin the Warrior, Nimbalo had two javelins, and Swift had a bow with a quiver full of arrows over her left shoulder.
Mhera sensed that something was amiss and quickly called out, "Dibbuns. Come here quickly please."
All the Dibbuns that were out side came running at her call. "You Muvver Abbess." The abbey babes chorused together.
"Yes my little ones. Head inside we're going to play indoor games for a bit." The Dibbuns looked like they were about to object. One of the ringleaders, a mousebabe named Simon, piped up, "Wot kind of games?" he asked.
"Hmm how about a maze made out of empty barrels and at the center is a prize." Suggested the abbess.
"Wot kind of pize?"
"Candied Chestnuts."
"Hooray!" Cried the babes as they ran inside the Abbey.
Back on the wall top Deyna was crouched down behind the edge of the wall viewing the army down below.
He was about to sit down and discuss the situation with his friends when a voice hailed him from the ground below, "I wants to talk wit the beast in charge." Swift and the others peered over the edge and down at the speaker, a weasel. The young squirrel was notching a shaft to her bow when the Abbess came up and put a restraining paw on her shoulder.
"They haven't attacked us yet young one." Said the Abbess. Swiftleaf nodded and lowered her bow. "Let me speak with them Deyna." She said turning to her brother. Deyna looked back and down at his older sister and stepped aside giving her some space.
"Can I help you?"
"Yeah, ye can. Us un's want yer Abbey." Called up the weasel. His remark was followed by sniggers from his vast horde.
The Abbess shook her head as she answered, "I'm sorry but I can not do that. This Abbey does not belong to me it belongs to every creature within these walls.
"Then we'll take yer Abbey by force and use every creature that we don't slay as our slaves. Wot do ye say to that Abbess." He said bowing in mock respect.
"Plenty, but I won't. What I have to say is not proper for an Abbess. I'll let some of this Abbey's defenders say it for me." She called back as she headed down the stairs.
"After you, Swift, mate." Deyna said allowing the young squirrelmaid to berate the vermin first.
"Thank you Deyna." She hopped up and stood behind the ramparts. She pulled the sting taught and called down to the Weasel leader and his army. "We'll never let you take our Abbey, snotnose. Not you or any of your vermin idiots."
"Ha wot happened to the other two creatures that were up there with you. Did they run and hide?" Called up a rat that was standing beside the weasel.
Deyna and Nimbalo stood up and hefted a javelin apiece. "Get lost mangefur or ye won't live to see tomorrow." Called down Redwall's Champion raising his javelin a little higher to emphasize his point.
"Ha I doubt that a streamwalloper, a squirrelmaid, an' a runt mouse like you could do us any harm." Called up the rat. His comrades in arms nodded their heads in agreement.
"Wot do ye say, buckoes. Shall we show them wot three helpless Abbey beasts can do?" said Deyna barring his sharp pointed teeth in a malicious grin.
His friends nodded and loose their shafts of destruction, and calling out the Abbey battle cry, "Reeeeeedwaaaaallll!!"
Three members of the horde lay slain all had been standing around the weasel leader.
"Leave now fishbait. Or my next arrow will go straight through your black heart Cap'n." Swift called down mockingly.
"This means war Redwaller's. Ye'll all be dead or my slaves before the seasons through." Called the weasel as he and his horde disappeared into Mossflower Wood.
Deyna's sharp eyes watched as the army dissipated into the trees. "Look like we'll need some help." He muttered to himself. "Swift, I need you to go an' find Log a Log, the Guosim, an' the rest of Holt Streambank.
"Aye, aye Deyna." She said getting ready to jump into the woods.
"Be careful Swift. With those vermin out there, you can't pull none of yer tricks. Understand." The young squirrelmaid nodded her head and jumped from the wall top and disappeared into Mossflower.