Disclaimer: Redwall doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Brian Jacques, the songs, poems, riddles, plot, and character's that aren't from the books, are mine.
Prologue
Otterbabes and other young otters gathered around a fire in the middle of a camp. They were all chattering to a much older otter with a book to tell them a story.
"Peas! Peas tell a story!" One said.
"Tell us a story or I slap ye wiff me ruddar!" Another, slightly older, one said.
"Oh ho, you don't think you'll get away with it would you, eh?" The one with a book said.
"But we jus' wan' a story!"
"I never said I wouldn't" The otter opened up his book. "I'll tell ye a story, but if one interrupt… I'll close the book!"
The young otters knew what to say. "Couse we won' innerumpt!"
With this, the otter began.
Chapter 1
It was a cool autumn day in The Autumn of the Silver River.
Abbess Falkir walked past the Abbey's pond to the orchard, where mice, squirrels, and a badger were picking cherries.
The badger greeted her.
"Good day Abbess." The large female badger said.
"Good day to you, Gabriella." The Abbess replied, "Have you seen Pansy? Alko said she wanted to see me."
The badger pointed. "Over there marm, picking cherries."
The Abbess walked in the direction Gabriella pointed.
Pansy, a young squirrelmaid, had filled three baskets with cherries. As the Abbess approached she stopped, then spoke when the Abbess was close enough.
"Hello Abbess, I'm guessing Alko told you." Pansy said.
"Yes," the Abbess said. "What are the details?"
Bern walked toward the river ahead of him. He had been walking for days. The otter sat on a rock next to the river and opened up his haversack. He had berries, fish, and some greensap milk that he hadn't eaten yet. He sighed, thinking of his old home, about when his tribe was enslaved. He and nine others otters were the only escapers, but they escaped only to be separated.
He thought, with vengeance in his eyes; he wanted to get back at Rerthan the Great! Ha! Rerthan the Coward more like! Bern thought, typical hordeleader, he would run away from a young mouse if it had a sword! He continued thinking.
The otters that could defend themselves and their families were probably slayed, including Bern's brother. Bern had a very unpleasant frown on his face. His mother and father were probably still alive, he hoped. At least he knew his sister was still alive, she went out to forage with two other otters before Rerthan came, and she could sense danger a mile away, she was one of the ten escapers.
He thought of his friend, the pretty ottermaid named Kemma, before any of Rerthan's beasts saw him, he saw her taken to Rerthan himself. That was a sad thought, who knows what he would do to her?
Bern had absent-mindedly finished his meal. He looked at the river. He smiled, and dived in.
Oh, how wonderful the water was! It was such a wonderful refreshment from all his troubles. After a short while, he heard the sound of a bell; it was even more refreshing. He now knew there was some place near-by that he possibly could go!