Stones of Serg
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own the concept of Redwall, nor any characters created by Brain Jacques. I created all off the characters featured in this chapter, minus the title of Log-a-log.
AN: Thank you to all my reviewers, especially to my "faithful reviewer" Acoustical Ferret. I always love reviews, so feel free to give them! Anyway, the following chapter is where the story really gets moving along, so I'm happy! Well, read and review please!
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Quienta sat quietly beside the fire, a bowl of skilly and duff in her paws. All around her sat shrews, all of them jovial and happy. And in her own quiet way, the volemaid was happy as well. She liked the carefree life of the shrews. She wished she could live like this forever.
Log-a-log Zan and his two sons joined Quienta at her fire. They had invited her to join them for the evening, and she had readily accepted. Log-a-log smiled paternally on the young maid. "So, Miss Quienta, what brings you to this part of the North Stream? I didn't think there was any watervole villages nearby."
"No, there aren't. My family's village is about a day and a half north of here."
"But how did you get here then?"
"I walked." One of Log-a-log Zan's sons burst out laughing at Quienta's simple reply. It was the same son Quienta had beat up earlier.
"Heclu, please! Remember your manners!" Log-a-log scolded.
"I do believe that he can't very well remember anything after the beating he received earlier, Father. I'm sure our guest will confirm that he was severely knocked about. Isn't that right? Didn't some fearsome creature come here and show him what's what?" the second son said lightly.
Log-a-log Zan turned to his other son. "Yenno, you at least should remember your manners! Honestly, calling our guest a 'fearsome creature'! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
"Oh, Mr. Log-a-log, sir, I don't mind at all! Truly I don't!" Quienta spoke.
"Well, if you're sure, Miss Quienta…"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Yes, well, where were we? Oh yes. If you will give me directions to your village, my tribe and I will escort you back in the morning."
"But-"
"So get a good night's sleep, Miss Quienta. Yenno and Heclu will show you to our tent."
"But-"
Log-a-log abruptly stood up and bid them all good night, then left. Quienta sat there, flustered. The older son approached the vole. "Hello Miss Quienta. I am Yenno, and that lump over there is my brother Heclu." He spoke politely, but said his brother's name with a barely hidden tone of disgust. "I'd like to thank you for trouncing him earlier. I've wanted to do that for years.
"But you probably don't care to hear about my sibling woes, do you? You probably just want to go home and be safe with your parents, don't you?"
Quienta looked up at the young shrew before her. "Can I trust you?" she whispered uncertainly.
Yenno nodded his head. "Anyone who can pummel my brother can trust me with their life," he said with conviction.
"Well, I didn't get lost from my village. I ran away. And I never ever want to return. Will you help me?"
Yenno regarded the young vole before him with admiration. "You've got spunk, Quienta. I like that about you. Sure. I'll help you. What do you want me to do?"
"Help me escape! Before the morning comes, I've got to be gone, understand?"
"Alright, I can help you."
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Yenno and Quienta crept on the outskirts of the shrews' camp. Yenno had a large bundle of pilfered food over his shoulder, along with his rapier, which was strapped around his waist. "Well, you're on your own now, I suppose. Here's a map and a dagger, just in case you need to defend yourself. I wish you the best, Miss Quienta. I'll stay here until you are safely away."
Quienta looked up to the shrew. "Thank you so much, Mr. Yenno sir. I'm eternally indebted to you for your kindness."
"Just think of it as an exchange. You beat up my brother and I helped you escape. So we're even. Now go. Dawn is almost here!"
Quienta shook Yenno's paws heartily. "Good bye Yenno. Maybe we'll see each other again." With that, she turned and began walking south.
Yenno stood there for a moment longer, than turned back to his camp. "I hope Quienta has a safe road ahead of her."
Suddenly, something jumped upon the shrew, pinning him on the ground. "Hello brother, imagine finding you here," it said.
"Heclu!" Yenno hissed.
"Yes, it's your darling little brother Heclu. Now I wonder, what could have brought you here, and in the middle of the night too!"
"I could ask the same of you," Yenno ground out.
"Oh, that's simple. I followed you. I was hoping to get you to myself." Heclu whipped out his saber and brought it to Yenno's throat. "You know, I've wanted to do this for a long time brother. At last, I have my chance! Then nobody can stop me becoming the next Log-a-log!"
Yenno shut his eyes and waited for Heclu's sword to slit his throat. But it never came. Instead, he felt the weight of his traitorous sibling suddenly move off him. Yenno scrambled up onto his foot-paws to find Heclu pinned down by none other than Quienta.
"Quienta! What are you doing here?" Yenno asked in astonishment.
"I heard someone following us when we left camp. Then, when we were saying our good-byes, I saw this slime hiding behind a tree. I figured that he was up to no good, so I doubled back and followed you. Now, let me take care of him," she explained, and whipped her dagger out.
"Don't kill him!" Yenno cried out.
"It's nothing more than he deserves, after all, he was going to kill you. But do not worry, I was just going to knock him out for awhile." The vole used the hilt of her blade to hit the shrew over the head. "Let's go, he won't be out long, and then he'll be out for our blood." Quienta grabbed Yenno's paw and started marching south.
"I guess I owe you now, Quienta. You saved my life back there."
"Don't mention it. I know that you would do the same for me, and this debt thing really cannot go on. We are friends, and now traveling companions as well, and will help the other out whenever they need it. So no more 'I owe you' s, understand?" Quienta halted to look seriously over at the shrew.
"Sure, whatever you say Quienta. So, exactly where are we headed?"
Quienta smiled brightly. "I was thinking Redwall, if that's okay with you."
"Redwall it is then!"
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Wow, that chapter was much longer than the third one! Well, now you are all acquainted with the four heroes of this fanfiction: Rowan Stonefurl, Quienta Watervole, Nerum Lepuswold Whippscut, and Yenno Shrew. Next chapter you shall meet the inhabitants of Redwall Abbey itself! I look forward to writing it! I hope you are all looking forward to reading it! So in the mean time, please review!
Thank you,
Rowan and Sakura
