Thanks muchly to Rosabel and WritingChick1321 for reviewing!
Young Warriors' Quest
A/N: Just a note: this is set at the end of The Long Patrol, before Russano has grown up. How the heck there is a Badger Lord for them to help if Russano's still young and Cregga's at Redwall will be explained later. And yes, if you've been wondering, I DID name Danmar after a combination of Mariel and Dandin, since he's related to Dandin, anyway. And Mariel's one of my favourite characters! She ROCKS, people. Apologies for my attempts to write molespeech. Oh yes, and Elmjac is a predecessor of Janglur and Song Swifteye- a grandsire or great grandsire, I think.
Part 2- Discussion on the Steps
It was midday; and ten young Redwallers sat on the steps outside Great Hall. They were talking about the dreams they had all had last night- dreams that were oddly similar.
"Mousetwins, Martin said, didn't he?" asked Sarra, a badgermaid who had been found alone by Arven the Abbey Warrior on a wander several seasons ago. She was being brought up to become Badgermum after Cregga, and she did not like the idea one tiny little bit. For the same reason she hated the second name she had been given: Dreameyes, for Sarra was the archetypal tomboy and hated anything too soft or girly. Everyone nodded. "Well, that could only mean you and Danmar, Rica- you're the only mousetwins in this Abbey!"
"So it looks like we're in on whatever Martin wants us to do, then," said Danmar.
"Presoisely," said Brulla Diggbowl. She tapped the parchment they had written all the riddles Martin had said down on with a heavy digging claw. "An' this bit 'bout ee molers, this'n's us'n's, that be for shore!" She indicated the other mole is their party, a strapping mole named Burrdigg Diggum, who also happened to be her cousin.
"It's got to be, Brulla," agreed Elmjac, a young squirrel who was a dead shot with a bow and arrow. "The thing that puzzles me is the bit that he said to Rica, about 'You alone shall bear my sword,
In service of the badger Lord'. Surely Martin's chosen warrior has always been a malebeast? And besides, there's always only one Abbey Warrior Warrior at a time. Arven's still alive and kicking!"
"Aye, I'm puzzled an' all, mate!" said Seapryde, a young ottermaid. "What we'll have to do, see, is put the thing to Arven, Cregga, Abbess Tansy an' the rest. Mebbe they'll know what to do about it!"
Garllo Spearback, a hedgehog maid, disagreed. "Shorely they'll stop us from going?" she said. "I mean, we're on'y young, like- Sarra's the oldest amongst us, an' she's only had sixteen seasons. An' you know what they'll think about us goin' off an' fighting battles and the like!"
"What, go gallivating off on the say-so of a dream that you say you've had? I've never heard the like!" mimicked Marsa, a shrewmaid who was a first- class mimic. Her party of Guosim had arrived at the Abbey last week, and she had lost no time in chumming up with the other nine, who were roughly her age. "I 'spect Sister Viola'll faint right out at the thought!" The others chuckled.
"Well, we'll jolly well have to risk it, won't we!" Morio de Fformello Tussock, Tammo and Pasque Valerian's only son, added his piece. "I mean, they can't keep us trapped in here the whole bally time, can they? If we put this whole thing to 'em and they agree, then all the better for us. But if they flippin' well say no, then we'll have to run for it, wot wot!"
Rica thought hard. "Log a Log might be on our side, and your mama and papa, Morio- I mean, your dad said he ran off and joined the Long Patrol when he was our age, and it's done him no harm, has it? But it'll be difficult, running away from the Abbey, if we have to. Not to get out, I mean- that's no problem. But it'll be hard to filch all the supplies we'll need and, besides, although Morio's dead certain it's Salamandastron we're bound for, none of us have ever been there. How'll we know the way?"
"Martin'll show us the way, that won't be any problem," said Danmar confidently. "But Arven's not going to like releasing his precious sword to a fifteen season old mouse- and a girl at that! I think Martin's got that bit wrong, Rica- it must be me he meant!"
Sarra was doubtful. "Martin's not known for getting things wrong, Danmar. Does it really matter whether a warrior's male or female, anyway? I mean, look at Cregga Badgermum- she was the ruler of Salamandastron not so very long ago, and a mighty warrior too!"
Danmar disliked creatures disagreeing with him. He huffed, and Morio spoke to him. "Don't start huffin' and puffin' old lad, it doesn't do a bit of bally good, does it?" he said sharply. "That isn't going to jolly well help matters, some of us disagreeing on what the old boy Martin meant. We've got to present a united bally front to all the elders if we want to have any chance of getting them to believe us!"
Elmjac agreed with him. "Aye, lissen to the hare and get some sense in your thick skull, Danmar! Martin meant Rica, not you, and that's all t'be said about it!" Danmar thought of sulking, but decided that the other two were right, for the moment anyway. He would save that particular argument for later.
~*~
That night at dinner, Sarra spoke to Abbess Tansy. "Erm, could you arrange an elders meeting after supper, please? Me and my- that is, my friends and I have something important to tell you all. It's about Martin."
The young badgermaid looked so solemn and serious that Tansy agreed to her request, announcing it before she said grace for their meal that night.
That night, in the little chamber off Great Hall known as Council Hole, where the Abbey elders' meeting always took place, Sarra, Morio, Rica, Danmar, Elmjac, Marsa, Garllo, Brulla, Burrdigg and Seapryde faced a group made up of Skipper of otters, Major Perigord Habile Sinistra and his Long Patrol platoon, Log a log of the Guosim, Foremole Diggum, Gurgan Spearback of the Waterhogs, Abbess Tansy, Shad the Gatekeeper, Craklyn the old recorder, Viola Bankvole, Friar Butty of the kitchens and several other Abbey elders.
Sarra and Rica, who were the most used to public speaking, explained the dream that the ten of them had had the previous night. The youngsters waited with baited breath for their announcement which, from Sister Viola at least, was precisely as expected.
"What, go gallivating off on the say-so of a dream that you say you've had?" she burst out immediately. "I've never heard the like!" Seapryde elbowed Marsa and giggled, but both were silenced by a stern look from Morio. Abbess Tansy, though not as outspoken, followed suit in her reply.
"I'm afraid that you simply cannot go," she said quietly. "You're far too young to go off fighting battles, and besides, this is only one dream. We all know that our Abbey youngsters live, sleep, eat and dream Martin the Warrior. Is it not possible that this could be simply wishful thinking?" Rica bit her lip in disappointment.
Cregga disagreed. "I don't think so, Tansy," she said, rocking young Russano on her lap. He was by now about six seasons old and went everywhere with the blind Badgermum. "Martin the Warrior is well known for coming to his chosen successors in dreams, and surely ten youngsters having the same dream is too much of a coincidence."
Tammo and his pretty wife, Pasque Valerian, backed the sightless badger up. "I ran away and joined the jolly old Long Patrol before I was fifteen seasons old, and it hasn't done me any bally harm," he argued. "Didn't Martin come to me once before? And that time it gave us the idea that helped to save this Abbey. I think they should be allowed to go, Abbess- with a guide of course, wot wot."
But Abbess Tansy remained firm. "I am afraid they are simply too young to leave this Abbey. That is my final word on the subject. Goodnight all!"
The pretty hedgehog Abbess took her leave, which the others took as the signal to break up the meeting. As Morio left, Pasque Valerian whispered in her young son's ear.
"Come back here at midnight," she hissed. "We'll help you and your friends get out of here, don't worry. Tell the rest now!"
Morio squeezed past her back into the room, where he hissed her message to the others. Sarra looked startled, but nodded to Pasque and Tammo, indicating that their message was well understood. Then they all left to go to their dormitories.
Young Warriors' Quest
A/N: Just a note: this is set at the end of The Long Patrol, before Russano has grown up. How the heck there is a Badger Lord for them to help if Russano's still young and Cregga's at Redwall will be explained later. And yes, if you've been wondering, I DID name Danmar after a combination of Mariel and Dandin, since he's related to Dandin, anyway. And Mariel's one of my favourite characters! She ROCKS, people. Apologies for my attempts to write molespeech. Oh yes, and Elmjac is a predecessor of Janglur and Song Swifteye- a grandsire or great grandsire, I think.
Part 2- Discussion on the Steps
It was midday; and ten young Redwallers sat on the steps outside Great Hall. They were talking about the dreams they had all had last night- dreams that were oddly similar.
"Mousetwins, Martin said, didn't he?" asked Sarra, a badgermaid who had been found alone by Arven the Abbey Warrior on a wander several seasons ago. She was being brought up to become Badgermum after Cregga, and she did not like the idea one tiny little bit. For the same reason she hated the second name she had been given: Dreameyes, for Sarra was the archetypal tomboy and hated anything too soft or girly. Everyone nodded. "Well, that could only mean you and Danmar, Rica- you're the only mousetwins in this Abbey!"
"So it looks like we're in on whatever Martin wants us to do, then," said Danmar.
"Presoisely," said Brulla Diggbowl. She tapped the parchment they had written all the riddles Martin had said down on with a heavy digging claw. "An' this bit 'bout ee molers, this'n's us'n's, that be for shore!" She indicated the other mole is their party, a strapping mole named Burrdigg Diggum, who also happened to be her cousin.
"It's got to be, Brulla," agreed Elmjac, a young squirrel who was a dead shot with a bow and arrow. "The thing that puzzles me is the bit that he said to Rica, about 'You alone shall bear my sword,
In service of the badger Lord'. Surely Martin's chosen warrior has always been a malebeast? And besides, there's always only one Abbey Warrior Warrior at a time. Arven's still alive and kicking!"
"Aye, I'm puzzled an' all, mate!" said Seapryde, a young ottermaid. "What we'll have to do, see, is put the thing to Arven, Cregga, Abbess Tansy an' the rest. Mebbe they'll know what to do about it!"
Garllo Spearback, a hedgehog maid, disagreed. "Shorely they'll stop us from going?" she said. "I mean, we're on'y young, like- Sarra's the oldest amongst us, an' she's only had sixteen seasons. An' you know what they'll think about us goin' off an' fighting battles and the like!"
"What, go gallivating off on the say-so of a dream that you say you've had? I've never heard the like!" mimicked Marsa, a shrewmaid who was a first- class mimic. Her party of Guosim had arrived at the Abbey last week, and she had lost no time in chumming up with the other nine, who were roughly her age. "I 'spect Sister Viola'll faint right out at the thought!" The others chuckled.
"Well, we'll jolly well have to risk it, won't we!" Morio de Fformello Tussock, Tammo and Pasque Valerian's only son, added his piece. "I mean, they can't keep us trapped in here the whole bally time, can they? If we put this whole thing to 'em and they agree, then all the better for us. But if they flippin' well say no, then we'll have to run for it, wot wot!"
Rica thought hard. "Log a Log might be on our side, and your mama and papa, Morio- I mean, your dad said he ran off and joined the Long Patrol when he was our age, and it's done him no harm, has it? But it'll be difficult, running away from the Abbey, if we have to. Not to get out, I mean- that's no problem. But it'll be hard to filch all the supplies we'll need and, besides, although Morio's dead certain it's Salamandastron we're bound for, none of us have ever been there. How'll we know the way?"
"Martin'll show us the way, that won't be any problem," said Danmar confidently. "But Arven's not going to like releasing his precious sword to a fifteen season old mouse- and a girl at that! I think Martin's got that bit wrong, Rica- it must be me he meant!"
Sarra was doubtful. "Martin's not known for getting things wrong, Danmar. Does it really matter whether a warrior's male or female, anyway? I mean, look at Cregga Badgermum- she was the ruler of Salamandastron not so very long ago, and a mighty warrior too!"
Danmar disliked creatures disagreeing with him. He huffed, and Morio spoke to him. "Don't start huffin' and puffin' old lad, it doesn't do a bit of bally good, does it?" he said sharply. "That isn't going to jolly well help matters, some of us disagreeing on what the old boy Martin meant. We've got to present a united bally front to all the elders if we want to have any chance of getting them to believe us!"
Elmjac agreed with him. "Aye, lissen to the hare and get some sense in your thick skull, Danmar! Martin meant Rica, not you, and that's all t'be said about it!" Danmar thought of sulking, but decided that the other two were right, for the moment anyway. He would save that particular argument for later.
~*~
That night at dinner, Sarra spoke to Abbess Tansy. "Erm, could you arrange an elders meeting after supper, please? Me and my- that is, my friends and I have something important to tell you all. It's about Martin."
The young badgermaid looked so solemn and serious that Tansy agreed to her request, announcing it before she said grace for their meal that night.
That night, in the little chamber off Great Hall known as Council Hole, where the Abbey elders' meeting always took place, Sarra, Morio, Rica, Danmar, Elmjac, Marsa, Garllo, Brulla, Burrdigg and Seapryde faced a group made up of Skipper of otters, Major Perigord Habile Sinistra and his Long Patrol platoon, Log a log of the Guosim, Foremole Diggum, Gurgan Spearback of the Waterhogs, Abbess Tansy, Shad the Gatekeeper, Craklyn the old recorder, Viola Bankvole, Friar Butty of the kitchens and several other Abbey elders.
Sarra and Rica, who were the most used to public speaking, explained the dream that the ten of them had had the previous night. The youngsters waited with baited breath for their announcement which, from Sister Viola at least, was precisely as expected.
"What, go gallivating off on the say-so of a dream that you say you've had?" she burst out immediately. "I've never heard the like!" Seapryde elbowed Marsa and giggled, but both were silenced by a stern look from Morio. Abbess Tansy, though not as outspoken, followed suit in her reply.
"I'm afraid that you simply cannot go," she said quietly. "You're far too young to go off fighting battles, and besides, this is only one dream. We all know that our Abbey youngsters live, sleep, eat and dream Martin the Warrior. Is it not possible that this could be simply wishful thinking?" Rica bit her lip in disappointment.
Cregga disagreed. "I don't think so, Tansy," she said, rocking young Russano on her lap. He was by now about six seasons old and went everywhere with the blind Badgermum. "Martin the Warrior is well known for coming to his chosen successors in dreams, and surely ten youngsters having the same dream is too much of a coincidence."
Tammo and his pretty wife, Pasque Valerian, backed the sightless badger up. "I ran away and joined the jolly old Long Patrol before I was fifteen seasons old, and it hasn't done me any bally harm," he argued. "Didn't Martin come to me once before? And that time it gave us the idea that helped to save this Abbey. I think they should be allowed to go, Abbess- with a guide of course, wot wot."
But Abbess Tansy remained firm. "I am afraid they are simply too young to leave this Abbey. That is my final word on the subject. Goodnight all!"
The pretty hedgehog Abbess took her leave, which the others took as the signal to break up the meeting. As Morio left, Pasque Valerian whispered in her young son's ear.
"Come back here at midnight," she hissed. "We'll help you and your friends get out of here, don't worry. Tell the rest now!"
Morio squeezed past her back into the room, where he hissed her message to the others. Sarra looked startled, but nodded to Pasque and Tammo, indicating that their message was well understood. Then they all left to go to their dormitories.