Hello, again. Still having heaps of fun, still don't own Redwall, might be a while before I have a chance to post chapter 3. Bear with me.

Votucu

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Veil was running through the forest after hearing a scuffle from deep inside, his mouth going dry as he ran hard, fearing that Bryony was in serious trouble.

What if they have Bryony? He feverishly thought. What if they hurt her? What if they killed her? If they did, I'll murder the bastards! When I'm done with them, they'll be pleading for death! They'll beg and scream and – WHAT THE??

He skidded to a halt, disturbing a whole pile of leaves as they were kicked up into the air. Bryony was absolutely fine, standing over the form of an oddly dressed vixen. Although he had not seen her for many seasons, a memory stirred inside his head. Stunned, he looked up at his beloved.

She smiled simply "She was sneaking up behind me and I heard her, so I picked up this stick –" she pulled a thick stick out from behind her back where she had been holding it and held it out for his inspection " – turned around and swung it down hard. Quite a lucky shot, actually" she was grinning impishly and her eyes sparkled at her achievement.

"You set yourself up as bait, didn't you?" He asked accusingly.

The smile broadened. "Well… we couldn't have some smelly old vixen sneaking up behind you while you were trying to sneak up on her, could we?"

Veil was fuming, his face darker than the storm clouds brewing above the odd pair. "HOW COULD YOU!? YOU ALMOST HAD YOURSELF KILLED! I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT I'D DO IF I LOST YOU! I….. I – "

"Veil…" The voice was soothing, but pleading.

"What?" he snapped.

She almost jumped back, she was obviously frightened. Veil's face relaxed and he slowly stepped towards her, muttering about being sorry and not meaning to scare her, but he had been scared himself… She stroked his face when he was near enough. The ferret's fur was rough but she found a spot where it could feel soft if she stroked it the right way. "Shhhh" she whispered, her small mouse paws helping to relax his face. He stared into her eyes… hoping… wanting… wanting… lusting. He pulled her into him and pushed his face into hers, his mouth onto hers, his tongue onto hers. She gasped in surprise but was moving with him.

There was a rush of wind which whipped their clothes around each other while rain started to disturb them and they pulled away. Bryony's eyes suddenly widened as she looked over Veil's shoulder "VEIL!" she screamed "The sword! Spin and slash!" Veil did, with a skill and strength flowing through his body that had him moving but not even feeling his limbs and the muscles in them moving, flexing. There was a scream, so horrible that both mouse and ferret froze. The vixen was lying on the ground again, clutching the stump of what had been the base of her ear only moments before.

Veil wiped the sword clean on the ground without looking; his eyes were dead still, placed on the seer he had once known, Swartt Sixclaw's seer, Nightshade! Bryony noticed that there was something in the vixen's eyes as she watched the sword swish back and forth on the grass. No. it wasn't the sword the crafty eyes were following so intently, it was the sixclawed paw controlling the amazing blade.

"So, this is what happened to Swartt's baby son, the one he ignored, thou have done well for thyself, a pretty little slave you've picked up there…" She snarled.

"Shut your miserable hole, seer!" The strength and harshness of his voice silenced her, rather than his words. Then all the blood seemed to swish straight through her to her increasingly painful head and a light cloud prevented her vision before everything went black and she couldn't see at all.

Then she saw the mousemaiden, the ferret and another mouse that, quite frankly, terrified her completely. The mouse was in shining, golden armour. A chest plate, arm and leg guards and a strong chain mail. He pointed the ferret's sword – which he now had possession of – at her and spoke, his voice like he calmness of the sea mixed with the harshness of its sands.

"Vixen! When you get up, you will have until the count of 5 to be over the hill before the ferret comes after you with the sword" he faded away and she was where she had been, on the ground staring up at the pair. Veil's eyes blazed with all the fires of Hell and the intensity bore right through her. She threw herself up onto her paws and fled, running like the keeper of Hells Gates was right on her bushy tail.

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Votucu, here. As I said before, it might be a while until chapter 3 is up, but I'll try to post a chapter a week (or less if possible). Cya.