A/N I got reviews for my other stories! I'm happy. Also, I think a season is a year to them, because in Taggerung, fifteen seasons made Tagg an independent, and skilled teen. At fifteen years old, you are independent, and go against your elders, (or so I've heard.) Like Tagg. At seven seasons, you act seven years old, three season, three years old, and so on and so forth. Also, in my prologue, the bolded and italicized things didn't work. ,,,,, So I am not doing those any more. Also, I forgot to mention the kingfisher in the first chapter. Well, he was there, and got attacked by the magpies.
Disclaimer: Well, let's see... I own the title Seven Axes, Darkeir, and my random rats in the story. I don't own Redwall. If I did, then I would be writing the new book, not sitting down at my laptop making up fanfictions.
Twelve seasons later, seven foxes strode down the halls of Castle Marl, robes sweeping the corridor. All them clasped axes, except one. She looked much like her siblings, but looked delicate and more cunning then the rest. Lantur had no weapon, but had many rat guards at her side. She walked far behind the other six, conferring with a rat.
"Gelltor, is this really necessary? The Queen hates being disturbed." Predak, a young vixen, held her silver axe in her right paw. She rubbed her claws on her left paw with anxiety with her snout. "And you know she will refuse."
Gelltor, a sturdy, more hotheaded Marlfox then the rest stamped his footpaw down. "She must! We have been coped up in this castle for weeks!" To emphasis this, he sliced the air in front of him with his gray-silver axe.
Ziral stepped forward, along with another female Marlfox, Vannan. Ziral knocked on the carved, oaken door of the Queen's chamber. "Mother- er, Queen?"
A raspy, hoarse voice sounded. "Who is there? Ziral? What are you doing here?"
A male Marlfox, Ascrod, replied, "Our brother Gelltor has a request, O Queen."
The Queen spoke in a throaty voice. "Come in, but immediately shut the door!"
Her brood of seven cubs, along with about ten guards, rushed into the room. Mokkan, a sly, clever Marlfox brother, slammed the door hastily.
The Queen was in her bed, enclosed by a thick, silk sheet and guarded by rats. She hissed out, "What is it, Gelltor?"
He bowed, still knowing that she couldn't see it, but just in case. "O High Queen, I have requested that my siblings come with we on an expedition out of the confines of Castle Marl."
The sheet rumpled, and the rat guards parted. A weak and frail looking paw pulled the sheet aside.
The Queen was old, her fur set deep with wrinkles, her once beauty gone. Hollow bags hung under her eyes. She whispered with a croak in her voice. "Why? Do you wish to escape, run away from Castle Marl?"
Predak, the more soft-spoken of the Marlfoxes, added to help her brother. "Rather, O Queen, we wanted to explore, and perhaps seek out plunder."
The Queen thought about this. She paused, her pallid eyes trying to find a solution. Finally, she rasped, "Go, but with three rat guards each! And...." She thought with a greedy look on her withered face. "Bring beauty back for your queen. I must be surrounded by beauty!"
Lantur stepped forward. "Queen, I have decided not to go with my siblings. It is they who wants to go outside- I, do not."
Silth snapped, "Well, then, my daughter. You will stay here. You all may leave here, except for you, Lantur!"
Gelltor, Ascrod, Mokkan, Vannan, Predak, and Ziral bowed and left. Lantur stayed, a rat behind her. Lantur, too, bowed, and nodded towards a door. "A minute, Mother."
Silth shut her curtains, saying, "I am High Queen of the Marlfoxes, Queen Silth! Call me Queen!"
Lantur bowed again, replying, "Yes, O Queen." She motioned for the female rat behind her to follow. She went into a corner, far out of any rat guard or the Queen's hearing. "Wilce, is everything set?"
The rat, Wilce, nodded feverently. "Yes, marm. The sheet is covered in fresh scales, and the charcoal is new from the ovens. All I need is a place."
Lantur patted the wall. A hollow thumping came from it. She grinned. "There. Where is it?"
Wilce bobbed her head. "It is in the storage room. I left it under a sack of grain."
Lantur looked outside- it was nearly midday. "Right. My sisters and brothers will soon be gone, and I will be free to use my... weapon."
Wilce smiled, showing yellowed teeth. "Indeed!"
Mokkan strapped his cloak tightly about him. Gelltor rubbed his ax (I re-read Marlfox, and they spelled it 'ax', not 'axe'. If I spell it wrong, just ignore it! ,,,,,). Vannan was checking and rechecking the rations. Everyone else was putting the needed materials in the boat, along with the eighteen rat guards.
Ascrod was setting a small bag of nails, thin pieces of wire and other thieving items under a small seat. Only two large bags were being brought on the outing; Ascrod's bag was small enough to be ignored.
Predak settled in a boat; there was two. Wriggling down into the seat, she asked the rat sailor, "When are we going?"
He replied hastily, "Soon, Lady Predak."
About five mintues later, the two boats had left the dock of Castle Marl and were halfway across the prodigious lake when they clashed with the pike shoals.
Gelltor had been lounging near the left edge of the boat when his tail drooped over the side. A pike, seeing the furry, dangling object, leapt out of the water and bit him.
The Marlfox roared and swiped at his tail, missing. The fish clung on with determination.
Vannan, on the next boat, saw this, and lashed out with her ax pole. It slammed into the fish, and was slapped off.
Gelltor snarled with anger, making a cry like a wounded wolf. Mokkan leaned back, and asked with a smug attitude: "Well, brother, how do you like the outside?"
Gelltor hit out with his ax pole, catching his brother in the hindleg. Mokkan yelped, and was about to strike his brother, but Ziral stepped between them. "Stop it, you two. Ignore each other. Wait until a real enemy comes."
A/N Well? How was it? I'm super tired, it's nine o'clock on a school night, and I'm so used to writing earlier, but my sister had the laptop... ugh. Sorry if it stinks.