A few hours had passed before Strider and the rest found their way out of the passageway. The entire time the dibbun's would ask him questions like "What else did Martin tell you?" or "Did you know who each warrior was when they showed up?" Strider always answered them, and they would always answer back with and large sigh or other type of surprised word.
After a while though, Strider was getting tired of answering so many questions and was about to tell them to be silent for a while, but before he could, he saw a light at the end of the passageway, they were almost out.
Strider ran toward it and quickly squeezed out, the others quickly followed. Strider listened for any sounds coming from the abbey; in an instant he could hear Skipper calling his name. But Skipper was not the only one looking for them, Catspaw, Abbot Walter, Sister Cecilia, Tobias, and Lucky's mother Valerie were also searching.
"Oh dear, how will we get past them wot?" said Lucky.
"We can't, we have to face them," said Strider.
"Too bad you don't have the sword yet then, huh Strider," said Lucky.
"Hpm, yeah too bad," said Strider.
Strider then walked in the direction of Skipper's voice, the rest slowly followed but were still a little worried about meeting the adults.
Strider quickly found Skipper right in front of the tapestry of Martin, and he seemed to be talking to him. Strider quickly ran up to Skipper and tapped him on the shoulder. Skipper turned and looked at Strider who then gave him a mischievous grin.
"And where have you been young man?" asked Skipper.
"Uh..." said Strider, but before he could finish Skipper began to speak.
"Did you know that we have been looking for you, since dinner time and I believe that was six hours ago, who knows what could have happened to you all during that time. You all could have wandered in the woods, got captured by vermin, or even fell down a cliff," said Skipper.
"Not to mention drowned in the nearby lake," said Abbot Walter who had just showed up with Catspaw who just shook her head at how dirty Strider was.
"My, my, look at you, and I bet the rest of the dibbuns suffered the same dirtiness as you," said Catspaw.
She was right because at that moment, Tobias, Sister Cecilia, and Valerie came running over with the rest of the dibbuns each one covered from head to toe in cobwebs and dirt.
"My goodness they must have been through a very dirty place, where did you go exactly?" asked Abbot Walter.
"Through a..." said Milly
"...secret passageway," said Billy.
"Yeah and Stwider, saw Matin," said Nathanial who then started to suck his thumb and clung tight to Tobias who was holding him.
All the adults looked at Strider in astonishment.
"Is this true, did Martin speak to you?" asked Skipper.
"I was going to say that before you told me what could have happened to me but yes I did see Martin where he was buried, not his body but his ghost," said Strider.
"What did he say?" asked Tobias.
"He told me that it was my turn to wield his sword," said Strider who then looked up at Martin's sword that was hanging over the tapestry. Everyone else did the same. No one said anything for a long time, they were quite shocked by what they had heard, even Skipper who had already been told about this.
The silence finally broke when Nathanial started snoring. Tobias looked down at his son and smiled. "Perhaps we should talk about this in the morning," he said.
Everyone else looked at the young ones; all their eyes were drooping except for Strider who was still staring at the sword wide eyed.
"I guess the children can wait to get a bath in the morning just as long as they do it before breakfast," said Catspaw.
The dibbuns all nodded except for Strider who still had his eyes on the sword. Skipper looked at him and then turned to everyone else.
"I think you all should go, I need to talk to Strider," said Skipper.
Everyone nodded and began to walk off except for Abbot Walter who put his paw on Skipper's shoulder.
"That dream you had was true then," said Walter. Skipper just nodded. "Well one thing is for sure, Martin never lies. I hope Strider will be a good warrior, able to withstand many foes at once with those bloodraths badgers receive," said Walter.
"I bet he surely will," said Skipper. Walter nodded and then walked slowly back to his room to leave the two in peace.
Skipper then put his paw on Strider's shoulder and began to talk to him. "You know Martin came to me a few days after I had met you saying that you shall be our next warrior, that's why I saved your life and that is why I have been your guardian," he said.
Strider turned and looked at Skipper. "And I thank you for that, if I did not survive, then it would be many seasons before another warrior steps up Martin told me, which would have been bad because he told me that in a few seasons from now a foe will come to try and take over Redwall," he said.
"Hmm I don't think he has ever told any one that before, usually the villains are a few days away when he comes to someone," said Skipper.
"Quite strange indeed," said Strider who continued to look up at the sword. Finally he decided to take the sword off its stand. It was a little high up and he had to stand on his tip paws to reach it but once he did, he felt a source of power going through him.
Skipper watched as Strider moved the sword back and forth in small wave motions. Strider's paws were quite large, but some how they seemed to fit nicely onto the hilt. Even though Strider was only seven seasons old, to Skipper he looked like he was fifteen seasons with the sword of Martin in his paws. He even had a dangerous look to him that even caused Skipper to shudder; he did not want to see that badger in a bloodrage one day.
After about an hour of testing the sword, Strider put it back up above the tapestry and then turned to Skipper.
"It will not come off again until I am ready," said Strider.
Skipper smiled and patted Strider on the back. "I guess that exploration thing you did was meant to be done, how did you find the passageway any way?" he asked.
"I didn't Nathanial did, he was playing with a marble and it rolled into the passageway," said Strider.
Skipper looked up at the tapestry and smiled. "Martin you sure are clever," he said.
Strider then let out a big yawn and his eyes started to droop.
"Well I guess it is time for bed, we will walk back to your room together and we will talk more in the morning," said Skipper.
Strider nodded silently, he never felt so tired so suddenly before, it must have been the feeling of fighting the vermin the other warriors fought. Either that or having to carry Nathanial back to civilization. Whatever it was, he was tired, so tired that when he arrived to his bed, he did not even take off his tunic.
That night, as the six slept each one had a dream with Martin in it, and each of those dreams showed what their purpose in life would be.
Spring saw herself following Sister Cecilia around the sick bay.
Lucky saw himself helping Strider in need
Billy and Milly saw themselves fighting alongside Strider
Nathanial would have no recollection of his because he was so young, but his dream was the most fascinating. He saw himself walking along a sandy beach staring at a large mountain with Lucky, Billy and Milly, Strider and another badger beside him. The sword of Martin would be traveling one day.
Yes I know that kinda was a boring chapter but I just wanted to tell what happened with him and Skipper. Don't worry the next chapter will be better it will feature the wolf you met in chapter one. It will also be up once I finish, now that school is over I have all day to write. Also please review, I did not get any for my last chapter but I would love to get some for this even though it was boring. If you have any ideas too please feel free to give me some. That's all I have to say for now though so I will hope to see you all soon and have fun writing.
After a while though, Strider was getting tired of answering so many questions and was about to tell them to be silent for a while, but before he could, he saw a light at the end of the passageway, they were almost out.
Strider ran toward it and quickly squeezed out, the others quickly followed. Strider listened for any sounds coming from the abbey; in an instant he could hear Skipper calling his name. But Skipper was not the only one looking for them, Catspaw, Abbot Walter, Sister Cecilia, Tobias, and Lucky's mother Valerie were also searching.
"Oh dear, how will we get past them wot?" said Lucky.
"We can't, we have to face them," said Strider.
"Too bad you don't have the sword yet then, huh Strider," said Lucky.
"Hpm, yeah too bad," said Strider.
Strider then walked in the direction of Skipper's voice, the rest slowly followed but were still a little worried about meeting the adults.
Strider quickly found Skipper right in front of the tapestry of Martin, and he seemed to be talking to him. Strider quickly ran up to Skipper and tapped him on the shoulder. Skipper turned and looked at Strider who then gave him a mischievous grin.
"And where have you been young man?" asked Skipper.
"Uh..." said Strider, but before he could finish Skipper began to speak.
"Did you know that we have been looking for you, since dinner time and I believe that was six hours ago, who knows what could have happened to you all during that time. You all could have wandered in the woods, got captured by vermin, or even fell down a cliff," said Skipper.
"Not to mention drowned in the nearby lake," said Abbot Walter who had just showed up with Catspaw who just shook her head at how dirty Strider was.
"My, my, look at you, and I bet the rest of the dibbuns suffered the same dirtiness as you," said Catspaw.
She was right because at that moment, Tobias, Sister Cecilia, and Valerie came running over with the rest of the dibbuns each one covered from head to toe in cobwebs and dirt.
"My goodness they must have been through a very dirty place, where did you go exactly?" asked Abbot Walter.
"Through a..." said Milly
"...secret passageway," said Billy.
"Yeah and Stwider, saw Matin," said Nathanial who then started to suck his thumb and clung tight to Tobias who was holding him.
All the adults looked at Strider in astonishment.
"Is this true, did Martin speak to you?" asked Skipper.
"I was going to say that before you told me what could have happened to me but yes I did see Martin where he was buried, not his body but his ghost," said Strider.
"What did he say?" asked Tobias.
"He told me that it was my turn to wield his sword," said Strider who then looked up at Martin's sword that was hanging over the tapestry. Everyone else did the same. No one said anything for a long time, they were quite shocked by what they had heard, even Skipper who had already been told about this.
The silence finally broke when Nathanial started snoring. Tobias looked down at his son and smiled. "Perhaps we should talk about this in the morning," he said.
Everyone else looked at the young ones; all their eyes were drooping except for Strider who was still staring at the sword wide eyed.
"I guess the children can wait to get a bath in the morning just as long as they do it before breakfast," said Catspaw.
The dibbuns all nodded except for Strider who still had his eyes on the sword. Skipper looked at him and then turned to everyone else.
"I think you all should go, I need to talk to Strider," said Skipper.
Everyone nodded and began to walk off except for Abbot Walter who put his paw on Skipper's shoulder.
"That dream you had was true then," said Walter. Skipper just nodded. "Well one thing is for sure, Martin never lies. I hope Strider will be a good warrior, able to withstand many foes at once with those bloodraths badgers receive," said Walter.
"I bet he surely will," said Skipper. Walter nodded and then walked slowly back to his room to leave the two in peace.
Skipper then put his paw on Strider's shoulder and began to talk to him. "You know Martin came to me a few days after I had met you saying that you shall be our next warrior, that's why I saved your life and that is why I have been your guardian," he said.
Strider turned and looked at Skipper. "And I thank you for that, if I did not survive, then it would be many seasons before another warrior steps up Martin told me, which would have been bad because he told me that in a few seasons from now a foe will come to try and take over Redwall," he said.
"Hmm I don't think he has ever told any one that before, usually the villains are a few days away when he comes to someone," said Skipper.
"Quite strange indeed," said Strider who continued to look up at the sword. Finally he decided to take the sword off its stand. It was a little high up and he had to stand on his tip paws to reach it but once he did, he felt a source of power going through him.
Skipper watched as Strider moved the sword back and forth in small wave motions. Strider's paws were quite large, but some how they seemed to fit nicely onto the hilt. Even though Strider was only seven seasons old, to Skipper he looked like he was fifteen seasons with the sword of Martin in his paws. He even had a dangerous look to him that even caused Skipper to shudder; he did not want to see that badger in a bloodrage one day.
After about an hour of testing the sword, Strider put it back up above the tapestry and then turned to Skipper.
"It will not come off again until I am ready," said Strider.
Skipper smiled and patted Strider on the back. "I guess that exploration thing you did was meant to be done, how did you find the passageway any way?" he asked.
"I didn't Nathanial did, he was playing with a marble and it rolled into the passageway," said Strider.
Skipper looked up at the tapestry and smiled. "Martin you sure are clever," he said.
Strider then let out a big yawn and his eyes started to droop.
"Well I guess it is time for bed, we will walk back to your room together and we will talk more in the morning," said Skipper.
Strider nodded silently, he never felt so tired so suddenly before, it must have been the feeling of fighting the vermin the other warriors fought. Either that or having to carry Nathanial back to civilization. Whatever it was, he was tired, so tired that when he arrived to his bed, he did not even take off his tunic.
That night, as the six slept each one had a dream with Martin in it, and each of those dreams showed what their purpose in life would be.
Spring saw herself following Sister Cecilia around the sick bay.
Lucky saw himself helping Strider in need
Billy and Milly saw themselves fighting alongside Strider
Nathanial would have no recollection of his because he was so young, but his dream was the most fascinating. He saw himself walking along a sandy beach staring at a large mountain with Lucky, Billy and Milly, Strider and another badger beside him. The sword of Martin would be traveling one day.
Yes I know that kinda was a boring chapter but I just wanted to tell what happened with him and Skipper. Don't worry the next chapter will be better it will feature the wolf you met in chapter one. It will also be up once I finish, now that school is over I have all day to write. Also please review, I did not get any for my last chapter but I would love to get some for this even though it was boring. If you have any ideas too please feel free to give me some. That's all I have to say for now though so I will hope to see you all soon and have fun writing.