Chapter 2
Five or so seasons had passed. Luckily for the squirrel family the adopted ferretbabe posed no real threat to their small family. The young ferretbabe had been named Autumn for it had been the season when Beechfarl's family found her. Seasons had passed and it became autumn again. she held no similarities to a vermin ferret for she had been very young when she was brought up by squirrels. Thus, she acted like a squirrel would. Autumn and her bother and sister were up in a tree giggling. They had been waiting for their mother to come back and it was Twigg's idea to pick fruit and surprise Peachrose with the sacks they had filled with apples, plums, peaches, and ripe berries for maybe a thank you pudding. Maybe even a pie from Mum! The leaves in the tree shook as the three struggled to hold their bulging sacks of fruit chuckling merrily at each other as young ones do.
"Rooty don't drop the sack!"
"I'm strong enough Twiggs!"
"Quiet you two, Mum is coming baaack!"
"Shhhh!"
Peach rose neared their home that was a hollow tree trunk with a burrow underneath. Her paws felt lightly about since their door was craftily hidden in moss. She smiled. Peachrose had heard her young ones in the tree and indeed knew what nice surprise they had for her. They deserved some lovely desert for lunch. They leapt down from the tree with their sacks.
"Surprise Mum!"
"We picked these for thee!"
"Can we have pudding? Pie? Cake?"
The three looked imploringly at Peachrose and she acted as if she were surprised. She smiled broadly looking in each sack of fruit.
"Oh my, what nice children," she said, "Indeed! Thee need something to fill thy stomachs up after all that work for thy mother."
"Yay!"
It was dinnertime and the sun had began to set. Peachrose had certainly baked each child's favorite desert and set it all before them after they had eaten their onion 'n leek stew. Rooty wiped his bowl of stew with a chunk of bread and licked up what was left. Beechfarl was finishing his dinner slowly like his wife while the young ones did all the fast scoffing.
"Rooty! Don't eat so fast! Ye'll get a tummyache!"
"Autumn I betcha I can eat this pie up before thou does!"
"Thy tummy is doin' all the thinkin' for thine head Rooty!"
Oh what a merry and cheery time this was!
The family was very much loud and vermin were lurking about listening in. They were watching and they lurked quietly outside.
They could hear and pinpointed out where the squirrelfamily was. They hung about at a good distance in the bushes and trees. A stoat sniffed the air for the scent of food.
"Aahh, do yeh smell that? They're havin' pies while we poar beasts tuck in only grass!"
"Yeeheehee! They are rather mean beasts eating well while we dun't!"
"Yah, let's teach'em a lesson!"
The stoat Grektooth who was obviously the leader brought down his fist on a rat. The rat fell back stunned from the surprised blow from Grektooth.
"Quiet ye fools! They'm squirrels be awakes! We'cin get 'em in the mornin' whilst they sleep an' dream!"
"Why don't we gettem now an' eatty up their vittles? I be starvin'!"
Grektooth slamned a short sword through Fitchy the weasle who spoke and pulled back out his sword wiping it on the grass. He shot a sharp warning look at any of his group that looked as if to speak. All of them looked away.
"Good, now yeh all shaddup or I'll run yeh over wiv me blade," Grektooth whispered hoarsely, "Now we're gonna kill'em squirrels inna the mornin', anybeast who has a better idea can c'mere with Fitchy an' have a nice chat wiv him behind Dark Forest gates!"
Grektooth spat at the roots of a tree and whispered instructions to his small horde that night.
That early morning Rooty, Twiggs and Autumn set out again to pick berries with grass woven baskets each. None were aware of what would happen back at their beloved home. They we far enough into the woods when the blissful silence of Mossflower were broken by screams and laughs. The young ones' heads snapped up from their berry picking at the shock. They were at least a mile from home because they had wandered around so much. Weapons cracked the air sending the sound of death. Rooty shouted and ran back to the home straight into the midsts of evilbeasts. Autumn grabbed Twiggs and hauled her into a bush making sure they were well hidden. Twiggs struggled and shivered crying. There was no need to see what had happened they knew what had occurred. Autumn swallowed hard and kept her paw clapped over Twigg's mouth and her arm around Twigg's waist.
"Shhh Twiggs, if they'd... do that to Mum... and Daddy...Rooty too...they'd would to us."
There must have been a large group traveling by. Autumn's home had been in their way. Vermin were never friendly with no vittles. Even so, they would have raided the innocent home anyway. Not long after Autumn had spoken, the blood flecked vermin passed the bush they were hidding in.
"Chief! Weren't there more o' them squirrels?"
"Naaaaw I dun't think so, but 'oo cares, we got our loot an' vittles! No young beast 'ere can stand against me, Grektooth!"
"Good, save the best fer our smug lord Arrio. We gotta report back now."
There was a hint of a sneer emphasized in the word lord. Grektooth snapped and gathered his foraging group and they headed past. Twiggs never saw such atrocity in her life as the vermin party passed with some carrying blood laden weapons. Slavebeasts trailed behind with branches to sweep away the tracks and to kick dirt over any dripping blood. Autumn's paw was now wet with Twigg's tears. Autumn didn't grieve like that. Instead she felt angered. What did her family ever do to them? Though Autumn fought down the urge to come out of the bush and try to fight Grektooth. She knew she'd never stand a chance. So what was there for them now? The two waited there until an hour after noon. Twiggs had fallen asleep, probably to wake up and hope it was a nightmare. Autumn lay her sister aside under the bush and crawled out. She began walking back to the home she used to live in in order to bury her parents and her brother Rooty. She then walked faster and faster until she ran. Her eyes were watering. Why did her family have to die? She tried not to stare at the broken remnants of her home as she walked to it. Rooty and Beechfarl lay sprawled dead on the ground. She let out one silent dry sob and picked up her father's shovel from his hand. It had been the only weapon like object he owned and yet all the vermin had much more wicked things and companions to defend themselves. Peachrose, Beechfarl, and Rooty were surrounded. With her father's shovel she began to dig a grave at the right of the ruined home. For perhaps an hour she dug and dug. No separate graves, a family had to be together. It was as deep and wide as she could make it. She dropped the shovel aside and with her shaking aching paws she dragged her father into the grave. His blood was cold upon her paws. Her tears dropped upon his fur as she lay him gently into the grave. Next was Rooty. She dragged his heavy limp body into the grave and lay him next to Beechfarl. Then with her heart tightening hard she walked into her home. Furniture broken, broken pottery, and there on the floor lay her mother slain and beaten. She fell on her knees and cried. Autumn gathered the still cold form to her. Peachrose was a kind loving mother and Autumn and Twiggs never got to say good bye. No one did to each other. Slain one by one. She wept into her mother's apron, splotched with blood and pie batter. Peachrose had been readying for pie. Autumn heaved and strained to half carry and half drag her mother to the grave. A hole in the dark deep earth. Autumn positioned all three together as if they had been sleeping. Peachrose and Beechfarl's arms were around Rooty and Rooty's paws touched theirs. Autumn took what good flowers there were left from her mother's trampled garden and threw them into the grave. She was about to turn around to gather more flowers until she saw another set of paws dropping flowers into the grave. It was Twiggs. Her eyes were tear filled like Autumn's.
"Dost thee think they would've liked the flowers Autumn?"
"Yes Twiggs, I think they would."
"Why did they have to die?"
"I don't know Twiggs, but we should leave soon. There is nothing here for us now."
Twiggs helped Autumn scoop the loamy earth into the grave. The two were both silent and uncertain of what would happen to them next. At the foot of the grave that contained their family, Twiggs said an elegy for the short melancholy funeral.
"There is no magic
To bring thee back
Now our lives will always lack
Our mother, our father, our brother
Perhaps there will be a way
When I meet thee again some summer day."
They began traveling from there. They carried with them their baskets of berries though they left Rooty's basket at the foot of the grave. The two had heard of many stories of Redwall Abbey and so that was where they were bound with nothing but their hope to guide them.
Five or so seasons had passed. Luckily for the squirrel family the adopted ferretbabe posed no real threat to their small family. The young ferretbabe had been named Autumn for it had been the season when Beechfarl's family found her. Seasons had passed and it became autumn again. she held no similarities to a vermin ferret for she had been very young when she was brought up by squirrels. Thus, she acted like a squirrel would. Autumn and her bother and sister were up in a tree giggling. They had been waiting for their mother to come back and it was Twigg's idea to pick fruit and surprise Peachrose with the sacks they had filled with apples, plums, peaches, and ripe berries for maybe a thank you pudding. Maybe even a pie from Mum! The leaves in the tree shook as the three struggled to hold their bulging sacks of fruit chuckling merrily at each other as young ones do.
"Rooty don't drop the sack!"
"I'm strong enough Twiggs!"
"Quiet you two, Mum is coming baaack!"
"Shhhh!"
Peach rose neared their home that was a hollow tree trunk with a burrow underneath. Her paws felt lightly about since their door was craftily hidden in moss. She smiled. Peachrose had heard her young ones in the tree and indeed knew what nice surprise they had for her. They deserved some lovely desert for lunch. They leapt down from the tree with their sacks.
"Surprise Mum!"
"We picked these for thee!"
"Can we have pudding? Pie? Cake?"
The three looked imploringly at Peachrose and she acted as if she were surprised. She smiled broadly looking in each sack of fruit.
"Oh my, what nice children," she said, "Indeed! Thee need something to fill thy stomachs up after all that work for thy mother."
"Yay!"
It was dinnertime and the sun had began to set. Peachrose had certainly baked each child's favorite desert and set it all before them after they had eaten their onion 'n leek stew. Rooty wiped his bowl of stew with a chunk of bread and licked up what was left. Beechfarl was finishing his dinner slowly like his wife while the young ones did all the fast scoffing.
"Rooty! Don't eat so fast! Ye'll get a tummyache!"
"Autumn I betcha I can eat this pie up before thou does!"
"Thy tummy is doin' all the thinkin' for thine head Rooty!"
Oh what a merry and cheery time this was!
The family was very much loud and vermin were lurking about listening in. They were watching and they lurked quietly outside.
They could hear and pinpointed out where the squirrelfamily was. They hung about at a good distance in the bushes and trees. A stoat sniffed the air for the scent of food.
"Aahh, do yeh smell that? They're havin' pies while we poar beasts tuck in only grass!"
"Yeeheehee! They are rather mean beasts eating well while we dun't!"
"Yah, let's teach'em a lesson!"
The stoat Grektooth who was obviously the leader brought down his fist on a rat. The rat fell back stunned from the surprised blow from Grektooth.
"Quiet ye fools! They'm squirrels be awakes! We'cin get 'em in the mornin' whilst they sleep an' dream!"
"Why don't we gettem now an' eatty up their vittles? I be starvin'!"
Grektooth slamned a short sword through Fitchy the weasle who spoke and pulled back out his sword wiping it on the grass. He shot a sharp warning look at any of his group that looked as if to speak. All of them looked away.
"Good, now yeh all shaddup or I'll run yeh over wiv me blade," Grektooth whispered hoarsely, "Now we're gonna kill'em squirrels inna the mornin', anybeast who has a better idea can c'mere with Fitchy an' have a nice chat wiv him behind Dark Forest gates!"
Grektooth spat at the roots of a tree and whispered instructions to his small horde that night.
That early morning Rooty, Twiggs and Autumn set out again to pick berries with grass woven baskets each. None were aware of what would happen back at their beloved home. They we far enough into the woods when the blissful silence of Mossflower were broken by screams and laughs. The young ones' heads snapped up from their berry picking at the shock. They were at least a mile from home because they had wandered around so much. Weapons cracked the air sending the sound of death. Rooty shouted and ran back to the home straight into the midsts of evilbeasts. Autumn grabbed Twiggs and hauled her into a bush making sure they were well hidden. Twiggs struggled and shivered crying. There was no need to see what had happened they knew what had occurred. Autumn swallowed hard and kept her paw clapped over Twigg's mouth and her arm around Twigg's waist.
"Shhh Twiggs, if they'd... do that to Mum... and Daddy...Rooty too...they'd would to us."
There must have been a large group traveling by. Autumn's home had been in their way. Vermin were never friendly with no vittles. Even so, they would have raided the innocent home anyway. Not long after Autumn had spoken, the blood flecked vermin passed the bush they were hidding in.
"Chief! Weren't there more o' them squirrels?"
"Naaaaw I dun't think so, but 'oo cares, we got our loot an' vittles! No young beast 'ere can stand against me, Grektooth!"
"Good, save the best fer our smug lord Arrio. We gotta report back now."
There was a hint of a sneer emphasized in the word lord. Grektooth snapped and gathered his foraging group and they headed past. Twiggs never saw such atrocity in her life as the vermin party passed with some carrying blood laden weapons. Slavebeasts trailed behind with branches to sweep away the tracks and to kick dirt over any dripping blood. Autumn's paw was now wet with Twigg's tears. Autumn didn't grieve like that. Instead she felt angered. What did her family ever do to them? Though Autumn fought down the urge to come out of the bush and try to fight Grektooth. She knew she'd never stand a chance. So what was there for them now? The two waited there until an hour after noon. Twiggs had fallen asleep, probably to wake up and hope it was a nightmare. Autumn lay her sister aside under the bush and crawled out. She began walking back to the home she used to live in in order to bury her parents and her brother Rooty. She then walked faster and faster until she ran. Her eyes were watering. Why did her family have to die? She tried not to stare at the broken remnants of her home as she walked to it. Rooty and Beechfarl lay sprawled dead on the ground. She let out one silent dry sob and picked up her father's shovel from his hand. It had been the only weapon like object he owned and yet all the vermin had much more wicked things and companions to defend themselves. Peachrose, Beechfarl, and Rooty were surrounded. With her father's shovel she began to dig a grave at the right of the ruined home. For perhaps an hour she dug and dug. No separate graves, a family had to be together. It was as deep and wide as she could make it. She dropped the shovel aside and with her shaking aching paws she dragged her father into the grave. His blood was cold upon her paws. Her tears dropped upon his fur as she lay him gently into the grave. Next was Rooty. She dragged his heavy limp body into the grave and lay him next to Beechfarl. Then with her heart tightening hard she walked into her home. Furniture broken, broken pottery, and there on the floor lay her mother slain and beaten. She fell on her knees and cried. Autumn gathered the still cold form to her. Peachrose was a kind loving mother and Autumn and Twiggs never got to say good bye. No one did to each other. Slain one by one. She wept into her mother's apron, splotched with blood and pie batter. Peachrose had been readying for pie. Autumn heaved and strained to half carry and half drag her mother to the grave. A hole in the dark deep earth. Autumn positioned all three together as if they had been sleeping. Peachrose and Beechfarl's arms were around Rooty and Rooty's paws touched theirs. Autumn took what good flowers there were left from her mother's trampled garden and threw them into the grave. She was about to turn around to gather more flowers until she saw another set of paws dropping flowers into the grave. It was Twiggs. Her eyes were tear filled like Autumn's.
"Dost thee think they would've liked the flowers Autumn?"
"Yes Twiggs, I think they would."
"Why did they have to die?"
"I don't know Twiggs, but we should leave soon. There is nothing here for us now."
Twiggs helped Autumn scoop the loamy earth into the grave. The two were both silent and uncertain of what would happen to them next. At the foot of the grave that contained their family, Twiggs said an elegy for the short melancholy funeral.
"There is no magic
To bring thee back
Now our lives will always lack
Our mother, our father, our brother
Perhaps there will be a way
When I meet thee again some summer day."
They began traveling from there. They carried with them their baskets of berries though they left Rooty's basket at the foot of the grave. The two had heard of many stories of Redwall Abbey and so that was where they were bound with nothing but their hope to guide them.