Prologue
As the sun rose, a young squirrel hobbled out of the smouldering wreckage
of a once thriving village. She sat down on a rock and buried her head in
her hands. Why had she been so stupid? Why had she walked out in front of
an entire vermin horde when she knew they were there? She gripped the
handle of the Stick she had by her side. This was the very stick that her
namesake, Russa Nodrey, had once carried. It had been passed down from
squirrel to squirrel until it had finally reached her. She stood up and
yelled, "I'll tell you why." Her voice trailed off. As soon as she had
walked in to the secret mountainside cave she had known something was
wrong. Normally, she would have seen her friend and trainer, Allory Eji
Stick sitting in the armchair by the fire. This time the armchair was
empty. On the desk there was a note and the Stick. The note was short. It
said this:
'Dear Russa
I have gone to try and distract the vermin from destroying
our village. I have left you the Stick. Don't be surprised if you
never
see me again,
Allory
After reading this letter, Russa had gone crazy. She had grabbed the stick, run all the way down the mountainside and straight in front of a horde of waiting vermin. She didn't remember much of the fight. She had been hit on the head and when she finally came round everything was over. She had searched the village for her family but there was no trace of them, or anyone she knew. A tear trickled down her face. Her father had never approved of the battle training she had been given. He didn't like Icefur and didn't want his 'precious daughter running off with that squirrel and getting herself killed in some battle or another' She didn't know where he was now, but she did know that she would never return to this place. Maybe she could travel south. Maybe she could visit the place the tales called 'Redwall Abbey'. Only time would tell. She got up and began to walk away.
*
7 Seasons On.
It was a stormy day. The rain poured down on a tall squirrel, who limped down the forest path miserably. Her fur was matted, and her eyes were dull. Finally she slumped down on a log. "Stupid squirrel, I am. Really stupid." She kicked the ground and the log rolled over, depositing her in a pile of leaves. She picked herself up moodily and started to walk. She was halted by the sound of a small voice. "Hey! Wait! Russa spun round and, sickle in paw, approached the tree that the voice had come from. Seeing no immediate danger, she walked round to the other side. What, only a second ago, had been a leaf covered mudball, now seemed to be a moving creature. "Well, what are you waitin' for? Untie me!" Russa stared in amazement at the small mouse lying at the bottom of the tree. It seemed to have been tied up with rope and dragged through the marshes. She sliced through its bonds. It struggled for a bit, and stood up. Now Russa could see it clearly, she could tell it was female. The mouse held out a muddy paw. "Name's Aubrie. Wots yore name? And be quiet. You don't want to wake up the- " She stopped in mid sentence. A small weasel popped up out of the ground in front of her. "FLITCHAYYYEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" They were instantly surrounded by small weasels. Russa instinctively leapt forwards, only to find Aubrie pulling her back. " No! They have poison! Don't fight them, RUN! Russa found herself running in front of Aubrie. The young mouse wasn't a particularly fast runner, and she kept tripping on potholes. Russa knew it would only be a matter of minutes until the weasels caught up with them. Thinking fast, she pulled the mouse sideways into a bush. She put a paw over her mouth. "Don't say anything." She hissed to the mouse. "Don't even move." (I'll finish this soon..)
Allory
After reading this letter, Russa had gone crazy. She had grabbed the stick, run all the way down the mountainside and straight in front of a horde of waiting vermin. She didn't remember much of the fight. She had been hit on the head and when she finally came round everything was over. She had searched the village for her family but there was no trace of them, or anyone she knew. A tear trickled down her face. Her father had never approved of the battle training she had been given. He didn't like Icefur and didn't want his 'precious daughter running off with that squirrel and getting herself killed in some battle or another' She didn't know where he was now, but she did know that she would never return to this place. Maybe she could travel south. Maybe she could visit the place the tales called 'Redwall Abbey'. Only time would tell. She got up and began to walk away.
*
7 Seasons On.
It was a stormy day. The rain poured down on a tall squirrel, who limped down the forest path miserably. Her fur was matted, and her eyes were dull. Finally she slumped down on a log. "Stupid squirrel, I am. Really stupid." She kicked the ground and the log rolled over, depositing her in a pile of leaves. She picked herself up moodily and started to walk. She was halted by the sound of a small voice. "Hey! Wait! Russa spun round and, sickle in paw, approached the tree that the voice had come from. Seeing no immediate danger, she walked round to the other side. What, only a second ago, had been a leaf covered mudball, now seemed to be a moving creature. "Well, what are you waitin' for? Untie me!" Russa stared in amazement at the small mouse lying at the bottom of the tree. It seemed to have been tied up with rope and dragged through the marshes. She sliced through its bonds. It struggled for a bit, and stood up. Now Russa could see it clearly, she could tell it was female. The mouse held out a muddy paw. "Name's Aubrie. Wots yore name? And be quiet. You don't want to wake up the- " She stopped in mid sentence. A small weasel popped up out of the ground in front of her. "FLITCHAYYYEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" They were instantly surrounded by small weasels. Russa instinctively leapt forwards, only to find Aubrie pulling her back. " No! They have poison! Don't fight them, RUN! Russa found herself running in front of Aubrie. The young mouse wasn't a particularly fast runner, and she kept tripping on potholes. Russa knew it would only be a matter of minutes until the weasels caught up with them. Thinking fast, she pulled the mouse sideways into a bush. She put a paw over her mouth. "Don't say anything." She hissed to the mouse. "Don't even move." (I'll finish this soon..)