"We attack at dawn! Into the passage!"
Nearly a week had past since the redwallers reached Salamandastron. In that time, the vermin had marched to a hidden place, where a tunnel lead into Salamandastron. It was the same one used by Lorc Stownpaw and his hares, countless seasons ago. The army would be split up, one group coming in, another creating a diversion. It was all going well. The rat smiled. With the last non-vermin strongholds out of the way, it would not be long until he ruled the world, and had all its riches.
"How does molten lead feel?" Asked Waterflash as they discussed ways to defend the mountain. "Just have enough so that thescum can't jump over it and they won't be inside." Cries of agreement arose, and Arryo pounded the table to get order. "Okay, Okay, good idea. I'll melt some down as soon as possible. How do we deal with the others? I'm sure they'll use slaves as protection."
An old hare suggested, "Lay in wait. Hit em from behind."
So, now the mountain was defended.
Dawn came, and the vermin rushed into the mountain, on a piece of Metal. Rootpaw was on one end, and he yelled "Die Scum!" and jumped off. Two rats got off, on Rootpaws side, and ran him through with a spear, and threw the body into the lead. Swiftly moving, they started to get behind the defenders.
Outside, the attack went bad. Seeing he couldn't win, he surrendered. Slowly he pulled out a dagger as Tam came over to take his sword. Waterflash had been watching him, when he saw the dagger. "Tam! No! Its a trap!" Too late. A flash of a dagger, and the abbey warrior hit the ground, never to move again. Then Waterflash lost it. Filled with rage, he charged the over hundred Vermin, and picked up the sword of Martin. "Scum! Murderer! You'll kill no more!" Rushing the vermin, he fought against spear and sword, getting severely wounded. The other fighters rushed in to help, but would not get to him in time. Then, from the direction of the woods, Vermin guards were flung away, as the captured Redwallers broke out and charged, somehow having weapons. The rat backed out but Waterflash jumped on him. Stabbing, he tried to kill the mad otter, and knocked him out. About to come in for the kill, a spear ran through him, and the last thing the rat heard was, "I'll never do it again... scum!" Skipper, scarred from the escape, stood there, and dragged Waterflash out of the fight. Bringing him near the broken slave chains, he ministered to Waterflash's wounds, talking the whole time. "I'll never listen to them again. I'm sorry I lied to you brother. I thought about what you said, more had a dream, really, when they left me for dead. When I woke, I tried to set it right. I freed the slaves, gave them weapons." Finishing the job, he put Waterflash behind a tree, and said, "I know you probably can't hear me, but I have to go. They'll never let me be in redwall after what I did." Then he left, leaving his senseless brother. Going north.
The fight continued, and as one hare looked down at the nearly defeated vermin. He had become good friends with Tam, hopeing to go back to redwall with him.Then, he suddenly saw Tam, not on the battlefeild, but reflecting in the window. Turning, he saw Tam was not there, but the two rats were there. Quickly moving away from a spear thrust, he grabbed a crossbow, and fired, slaying one rat. The other advanced. He flung a stone, and missed for his last time. He was stabbed with a spear, and was knocked senseless as he bled to death. In his mind, he saw three figures, a hare, a squirrle, and a mouse. He knew the hare and the squirrle, they were Rootpaw and Tam. The mouse, however, he did not know. The mouse had a kind smile, and wore armor. He also had the same sword that Tam did. Then Tam spoke. "Looks like we'll be together, though not at redwall."
Rootpaw spoke. "The blighters surprised me. I'm sorry for what I've done."
Then the mouse spoke. "The battle is over. You are the last one to die. Come with us." and held out his paw.
"N-n-no! I'm not dead! Neither is Tam, are you?"
Tam replied, sadly. "The scum said they surrendered. Their leader got me with a dagger."
The hare began to run, away from the madness, but was pulled in towards them. Tam held out his paw. "Come with us."
Then things went black.
The devastation was horrific. Only fifty redwallers were actually alive, the others lay dead. Arryo was in the forge room, hearing reports from his hares. "We took twenty casualties, sah. Most of the enslaved Redwallers were killed, the others are senseless. Their warrior is slain, and that otter is missing, presumed dead."
Another hare rushed in. "Two rats got in. They got a cadet, and Rootpaw is missing. We killed the rats, the cadet died later."
Waterflash awoke. There was pain all over his body. Two hares were nearby looking for him. He tried calling out, but failed. Then , he moved his paw down. It was on top of a twig, which snapped aloud. Before the hares could come over, blackness took him again.
He awoke again, this time somewhere warm. He tried getting up, but was held down by a paw. "Stay down. You need your rest."
"Did Tam make it?" Waterflash asked, his voice weak sounding. The hare shook its head sadly.
"No, I'm sorry. He went during the battle. You need your sleep."
Soon, he was asleep.
Extract from the personal writings of Waterflash Arrowotter of Redwall Abbey in Mossflower country.
I've always held back from having friends. Tam was one of the few I did have. I feel like Its my fault that Tam is dead. If I had seen the dagger earlier, he might still be alive.
The Salamandastron hares helped us rebuild the abbey. I sit on the new wall now, contemplating life. I cannot fight anymore, for I was injured too badly. It pains me to move, and I can't even move my legs. Being paralyzed they call it. There is a ramp, so that I may get up and down.
It has been ten seasons since the night that redwall fell. I have one friend though. Someone like me. Shobin, the abbey recorder, was also badly injured. He can walk, but not much. I hope that someday, I will meet my brother again. I don't think he's dead now. I have a dream each night of the battle, with him and Tam by my sides. Tam, he always dies, but my brother goes north. I only wish I could go there, If only to see him alive.
Waterflash Arrowotter Redwall Abbey in Mossflower Country
WA: Well, Its done, but I will use this as a guideline to rewrite, along with your reviews, a longer, better version.
Nearly a week had past since the redwallers reached Salamandastron. In that time, the vermin had marched to a hidden place, where a tunnel lead into Salamandastron. It was the same one used by Lorc Stownpaw and his hares, countless seasons ago. The army would be split up, one group coming in, another creating a diversion. It was all going well. The rat smiled. With the last non-vermin strongholds out of the way, it would not be long until he ruled the world, and had all its riches.
"How does molten lead feel?" Asked Waterflash as they discussed ways to defend the mountain. "Just have enough so that thescum can't jump over it and they won't be inside." Cries of agreement arose, and Arryo pounded the table to get order. "Okay, Okay, good idea. I'll melt some down as soon as possible. How do we deal with the others? I'm sure they'll use slaves as protection."
An old hare suggested, "Lay in wait. Hit em from behind."
So, now the mountain was defended.
Dawn came, and the vermin rushed into the mountain, on a piece of Metal. Rootpaw was on one end, and he yelled "Die Scum!" and jumped off. Two rats got off, on Rootpaws side, and ran him through with a spear, and threw the body into the lead. Swiftly moving, they started to get behind the defenders.
Outside, the attack went bad. Seeing he couldn't win, he surrendered. Slowly he pulled out a dagger as Tam came over to take his sword. Waterflash had been watching him, when he saw the dagger. "Tam! No! Its a trap!" Too late. A flash of a dagger, and the abbey warrior hit the ground, never to move again. Then Waterflash lost it. Filled with rage, he charged the over hundred Vermin, and picked up the sword of Martin. "Scum! Murderer! You'll kill no more!" Rushing the vermin, he fought against spear and sword, getting severely wounded. The other fighters rushed in to help, but would not get to him in time. Then, from the direction of the woods, Vermin guards were flung away, as the captured Redwallers broke out and charged, somehow having weapons. The rat backed out but Waterflash jumped on him. Stabbing, he tried to kill the mad otter, and knocked him out. About to come in for the kill, a spear ran through him, and the last thing the rat heard was, "I'll never do it again... scum!" Skipper, scarred from the escape, stood there, and dragged Waterflash out of the fight. Bringing him near the broken slave chains, he ministered to Waterflash's wounds, talking the whole time. "I'll never listen to them again. I'm sorry I lied to you brother. I thought about what you said, more had a dream, really, when they left me for dead. When I woke, I tried to set it right. I freed the slaves, gave them weapons." Finishing the job, he put Waterflash behind a tree, and said, "I know you probably can't hear me, but I have to go. They'll never let me be in redwall after what I did." Then he left, leaving his senseless brother. Going north.
The fight continued, and as one hare looked down at the nearly defeated vermin. He had become good friends with Tam, hopeing to go back to redwall with him.Then, he suddenly saw Tam, not on the battlefeild, but reflecting in the window. Turning, he saw Tam was not there, but the two rats were there. Quickly moving away from a spear thrust, he grabbed a crossbow, and fired, slaying one rat. The other advanced. He flung a stone, and missed for his last time. He was stabbed with a spear, and was knocked senseless as he bled to death. In his mind, he saw three figures, a hare, a squirrle, and a mouse. He knew the hare and the squirrle, they were Rootpaw and Tam. The mouse, however, he did not know. The mouse had a kind smile, and wore armor. He also had the same sword that Tam did. Then Tam spoke. "Looks like we'll be together, though not at redwall."
Rootpaw spoke. "The blighters surprised me. I'm sorry for what I've done."
Then the mouse spoke. "The battle is over. You are the last one to die. Come with us." and held out his paw.
"N-n-no! I'm not dead! Neither is Tam, are you?"
Tam replied, sadly. "The scum said they surrendered. Their leader got me with a dagger."
The hare began to run, away from the madness, but was pulled in towards them. Tam held out his paw. "Come with us."
Then things went black.
The devastation was horrific. Only fifty redwallers were actually alive, the others lay dead. Arryo was in the forge room, hearing reports from his hares. "We took twenty casualties, sah. Most of the enslaved Redwallers were killed, the others are senseless. Their warrior is slain, and that otter is missing, presumed dead."
Another hare rushed in. "Two rats got in. They got a cadet, and Rootpaw is missing. We killed the rats, the cadet died later."
Waterflash awoke. There was pain all over his body. Two hares were nearby looking for him. He tried calling out, but failed. Then , he moved his paw down. It was on top of a twig, which snapped aloud. Before the hares could come over, blackness took him again.
He awoke again, this time somewhere warm. He tried getting up, but was held down by a paw. "Stay down. You need your rest."
"Did Tam make it?" Waterflash asked, his voice weak sounding. The hare shook its head sadly.
"No, I'm sorry. He went during the battle. You need your sleep."
Soon, he was asleep.
Extract from the personal writings of Waterflash Arrowotter of Redwall Abbey in Mossflower country.
I've always held back from having friends. Tam was one of the few I did have. I feel like Its my fault that Tam is dead. If I had seen the dagger earlier, he might still be alive.
The Salamandastron hares helped us rebuild the abbey. I sit on the new wall now, contemplating life. I cannot fight anymore, for I was injured too badly. It pains me to move, and I can't even move my legs. Being paralyzed they call it. There is a ramp, so that I may get up and down.
It has been ten seasons since the night that redwall fell. I have one friend though. Someone like me. Shobin, the abbey recorder, was also badly injured. He can walk, but not much. I hope that someday, I will meet my brother again. I don't think he's dead now. I have a dream each night of the battle, with him and Tam by my sides. Tam, he always dies, but my brother goes north. I only wish I could go there, If only to see him alive.
Waterflash Arrowotter Redwall Abbey in Mossflower Country
WA: Well, Its done, but I will use this as a guideline to rewrite, along with your reviews, a longer, better version.