After a nice long break, I now take up my pen (or keyboard) once again to tell you of how to properly defend Redwall Abbey, a paradox of peace and war. Quite frankly, you abbeybeasts are catching on quite quickly; I do not believe that I need to write much more. This lesson, and the one after this, should be quite enough to properly teach you.

Lesson Six: Use Your Head

Thankfully, you are not as dumb witted as some vermin I've known. You have a head. You are literate. You can cook jolly good tasting feasts. You have the ability to become expert weaponsbeasts in mere moments.

Then, why may I ask, do you do such incredibly stupid things such as forgetting to store weapons, not closing doors, and falling asleep at guard due to eating too much? (But now, of course, you shouldn't be doing those particular things anymore, yes? If so, bad you!)

Please, USE YOUR COMMON SENSE.

Doors are open? Close them.

Food left about? Store it.

Some vermin is crawling over the battlements? Kill 'em. Yes, because if you don't, they will kill you. And lots of other abbeybeasts.

Dibbuns are running about when Redwall is under seige? Stop them. Lock them up in the nursery or something. Bop them over the head to make them fall asleep if you have to. One too many dibbuns have gotten into one too many problems, distracting and stressing Redwall defenders, giving vermin time to attack or nasty ideas of catching a dibbun and doing nasty things to him or her.

Somebeast is missing? Find them ASAP, but go in rescue parties, not some lone mousemaid with a sack of food on her back. By the fur, how many have been captured as well that way?

Again. Use your head, not your paws. Or mouth. Actions speak louder than words.

USE ALL OF YOUR OPTIONS. Otters may be good fighters, but moles have the ultimate sneak attack-- underground. Frontal assault is not always the best. Remember, look up previous times of similar events. Use the library; that's why you made it. Use that wonderful ingenuity of yours as well-- any defense that involves window poles and honey has got to be unusual enough that it works.

Think. Do not wail, "WHHAAAAA!! [Insert missing object here] IS GONE!! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!?!" Likewise, do not reply to above statement with, "Martin will protect/guide us" or "Don't worry marm, [insert missing object here] will be alright." Paws should not be idle. If Martin is going to help, it's kind of hard to help physical beings if you're a disembodied spirit. All Martin usually does is give advice and/or encouraging words, but that's usually once somebeast gets the notion to do something sensible.

Consider every possibility. For once, be pessimistic. If you think that vermin cannot possibly harm you on the top of the abbey tower, think again. It'll probably happen. (Such has fire bombs, an alliance with flying birds, catapults, sneak attack…) I know it's not in your nature to think of the worst possible scenario, but try it anyway. This way you can defend for that scenario, and that possibility will not happen. The more possibilities you cover, the less possible options vermin have of attacking you.

Remember, you have a head. Vermin do too. However, while all of you can use your head, vermin as a group do not. Usually only one or two vermin actually do; any more and they will quarrel with each other. This is where numbers come into play. While vermin may outnumber you in numbers, you will undoubtedly outnumber them in sheer genius as you use your common sense to outsmart them at their every attack.

* * * * *

And so what have we learned today?

That you should use your heads. There. That's simple enough; it's just common sense. Good thing vermin don't use theirs.

~LoneWolf16, Recorder of Redwall Defense in Mossflower Country