Disclaimer: Yeah, it's still not mine. But some of it is so: ¡No Tocas
Nada!
A/N: Welcome back Gentle Readers! Ahh, I love the smell of new fiction in the morning!
Chapter Ten: A Dream of Hope.
Young Marcy may have still been a young squirrel maid when the wolf had taken over the helpless Abbey but she still remembered the sweet taste of freedom. And she found it preferable to bitter sting of the slavery she had become accustomed to. Wise beyond her years Marcy had sat down to bid her; despots rarely were able to hold their thrones. Many of the others, even the elders looked to her for support; if Marcy still had her back straight and her jaw set then there would still be hope.
Alas, the weeks were passing and even Marcy felt the strain. Doubt was a constant follower who bit ruthlessly at her heels. Where was Martin? Had his spirit been thrown away with the shadowed sword? She carried herself like she always had, the whip hardened slave that all the overseers secretly feared. But within she was on the verge of collapse. It was hard to be everyone's pillar of strength when you have no support yourself.
So, it was with a heavy heart that she fell breathlessly into her flat cot in the Abbey cellars. For a moment she simply lay there quietly listening the breathing of the friends who had become her family once she had been left at the abbey as a babe. She fell asleep with the wish there was something, anything that she could do to help them in any way.
She found herself standing in the Abbey orchard bathed in a balmy sunlight. Unbidden a smile crossed her thin face and she breathed deeply the fresh clean air. Looking down the path she could see a mouse walking towards her; even from this distance she recognized the strong gait and benevolent feeling of her Abbey's guardian. "Martin!" she cried happily and took off down the path to greet him. Without a thought to the respect she had been to show her elders she simply threw off years of necessary maturity and flung herself into the warrior's waiting arms. "Oh Martin it was horrid! They killed so many of our warriors and the old Abbot. Oh and then the Sword and the Tapestry!" Marcy found the memories far too painful and she dissolved into tears with her face buried in her hero's shoulder. For a time Martin simply held her quaking form making quiet noises to sooth her.
At length he spoke softly to her, "You are truly a brave squirrel have survived so much. My poor friend, fear not; even now a warrior from the seas is journeying North to bring a mighty army to crush the wolf entirely. You must be strong for a little longer my dear. Can you do that for me?" he asked. Marcy nodded slowly. "Good, I'm sorry that I failed you all; can you ever forgive me?" he asked suddenly.
Marcy stared in shock, "You failed us? Oh no Sir! We failed you by being unprepared for any attacks! Can you ever forgive us?" The warrior pulled back and stared at the young squirrel maid; she swore that his eyes were moist as they shone in the sunlight.
"Oh sweet one! I have truly left my Abbey in the hands of strong creatures! Remain strong and spread hope. A great army will descend like a tidal wave onto the evil which has infested our home; and then we all will be free," he told her resolutely. And with those words ringing in her heart, Marcy watched the beloved orchard fade back into the dark embrace of a deep restful sleep. And for the first time in many years she didn't dread the morning; rather, she welcomed it with a purpose reborn. Their Warrior was still a strong presence at their side and he had chosen her to be the herald of his message of the freedom to come.
A/N: Not long I know but I realized that I was neglecting one of the main factors of the story: REDWALL. So review and we'll get back to the action; if you don't we'll just sit here and wallow in suspense.
A/N: Welcome back Gentle Readers! Ahh, I love the smell of new fiction in the morning!
Chapter Ten: A Dream of Hope.
Young Marcy may have still been a young squirrel maid when the wolf had taken over the helpless Abbey but she still remembered the sweet taste of freedom. And she found it preferable to bitter sting of the slavery she had become accustomed to. Wise beyond her years Marcy had sat down to bid her; despots rarely were able to hold their thrones. Many of the others, even the elders looked to her for support; if Marcy still had her back straight and her jaw set then there would still be hope.
Alas, the weeks were passing and even Marcy felt the strain. Doubt was a constant follower who bit ruthlessly at her heels. Where was Martin? Had his spirit been thrown away with the shadowed sword? She carried herself like she always had, the whip hardened slave that all the overseers secretly feared. But within she was on the verge of collapse. It was hard to be everyone's pillar of strength when you have no support yourself.
So, it was with a heavy heart that she fell breathlessly into her flat cot in the Abbey cellars. For a moment she simply lay there quietly listening the breathing of the friends who had become her family once she had been left at the abbey as a babe. She fell asleep with the wish there was something, anything that she could do to help them in any way.
She found herself standing in the Abbey orchard bathed in a balmy sunlight. Unbidden a smile crossed her thin face and she breathed deeply the fresh clean air. Looking down the path she could see a mouse walking towards her; even from this distance she recognized the strong gait and benevolent feeling of her Abbey's guardian. "Martin!" she cried happily and took off down the path to greet him. Without a thought to the respect she had been to show her elders she simply threw off years of necessary maturity and flung herself into the warrior's waiting arms. "Oh Martin it was horrid! They killed so many of our warriors and the old Abbot. Oh and then the Sword and the Tapestry!" Marcy found the memories far too painful and she dissolved into tears with her face buried in her hero's shoulder. For a time Martin simply held her quaking form making quiet noises to sooth her.
At length he spoke softly to her, "You are truly a brave squirrel have survived so much. My poor friend, fear not; even now a warrior from the seas is journeying North to bring a mighty army to crush the wolf entirely. You must be strong for a little longer my dear. Can you do that for me?" he asked. Marcy nodded slowly. "Good, I'm sorry that I failed you all; can you ever forgive me?" he asked suddenly.
Marcy stared in shock, "You failed us? Oh no Sir! We failed you by being unprepared for any attacks! Can you ever forgive us?" The warrior pulled back and stared at the young squirrel maid; she swore that his eyes were moist as they shone in the sunlight.
"Oh sweet one! I have truly left my Abbey in the hands of strong creatures! Remain strong and spread hope. A great army will descend like a tidal wave onto the evil which has infested our home; and then we all will be free," he told her resolutely. And with those words ringing in her heart, Marcy watched the beloved orchard fade back into the dark embrace of a deep restful sleep. And for the first time in many years she didn't dread the morning; rather, she welcomed it with a purpose reborn. Their Warrior was still a strong presence at their side and he had chosen her to be the herald of his message of the freedom to come.
A/N: Not long I know but I realized that I was neglecting one of the main factors of the story: REDWALL. So review and we'll get back to the action; if you don't we'll just sit here and wallow in suspense.