Young Warriors' Quest: The Prologue
"Mama, Mama, tell us a story!"
"Go on Mama, please!"
Lady Rosalaun of Salamandastron lifted her two young ones, Snowstripe and Melanius, onto her lap, chuckling as she did so. "Oh, go on then, you two great frauds! This weather's so bad, there's not much else to do anyway. Call the leverets, they may as well hear it too. And tell the kitchens to send food up at dinner time, as well. This story of mine will take a while." The two young badgers were already down and on their way to the door.
While they were gone, Rosalaun crossed to the window. The wind moaned and howled and blizzards raged around the great fire mountain of Salamandastron. She stared outside, remembering another night, in another blizzard, a very long time ago. Remembering…
Her reverie was broken by the return, or rather the stampede, of young creatures dashing in through the door. The still young Badger Lady turned from the window and smiled at the group of just over two score of young ones, most of them Dibbuns, though there were a few a little older. She sat back down in the easy chair she had occupied before, lifting her pair of young menaces back onto her lap. Suddenly just over a score of hares, mainly the younger element, peeped round the door. A few trundled tea trolleys along with them.
"I say, marm," began Captain Cheeva. "How come it's only the young 'uns who get a story? We bally well want one too!"
Rosalaun snorted. At once her husband, Lord Russano, stuck his massive head around the door too.
"What about me?" he asked. "I want a story too!" Rosalaun chuckled properly this time.
"All right, you lot of great dibbuns, come on in!" she laughed. "Snowstripe and Melanius have asked for a story, and so I'm going to tell you one. It happened a very long time ago- or at least, that's the way it seems. And it all started with a dream…"
"Mama, Mama, tell us a story!"
"Go on Mama, please!"
Lady Rosalaun of Salamandastron lifted her two young ones, Snowstripe and Melanius, onto her lap, chuckling as she did so. "Oh, go on then, you two great frauds! This weather's so bad, there's not much else to do anyway. Call the leverets, they may as well hear it too. And tell the kitchens to send food up at dinner time, as well. This story of mine will take a while." The two young badgers were already down and on their way to the door.
While they were gone, Rosalaun crossed to the window. The wind moaned and howled and blizzards raged around the great fire mountain of Salamandastron. She stared outside, remembering another night, in another blizzard, a very long time ago. Remembering…
Her reverie was broken by the return, or rather the stampede, of young creatures dashing in through the door. The still young Badger Lady turned from the window and smiled at the group of just over two score of young ones, most of them Dibbuns, though there were a few a little older. She sat back down in the easy chair she had occupied before, lifting her pair of young menaces back onto her lap. Suddenly just over a score of hares, mainly the younger element, peeped round the door. A few trundled tea trolleys along with them.
"I say, marm," began Captain Cheeva. "How come it's only the young 'uns who get a story? We bally well want one too!"
Rosalaun snorted. At once her husband, Lord Russano, stuck his massive head around the door too.
"What about me?" he asked. "I want a story too!" Rosalaun chuckled properly this time.
"All right, you lot of great dibbuns, come on in!" she laughed. "Snowstripe and Melanius have asked for a story, and so I'm going to tell you one. It happened a very long time ago- or at least, that's the way it seems. And it all started with a dream…"