Disclaimer: Really, do you think that if I owned Redwall I'd be writing Fan Fiction?? 'Twouldn't be a Fan Fiction story... It'd be one o' da bally books!! I will stop ranting now.
Summary: A dark shadow has fallen over Mossflower Wood. It is up to a young otter maid and a motly crew of other animals to save their home. Meanwhile another war is being faught, between the Long Patrol and the Lord of Salamandastron and a band of merderous wild cats.
In Seasons Passed
Prologue
Moonlight filtered through the small windows of the Gatehouse and touched the silver head of the badger sitting in the centre of a circle of Dibbuns. "Muvver? Why is you so sad?" a mousebabe asked the badger. "Well, little one, I'm just remembering my younger days, when Abbot Rilvet ruled our Abbey," the old badger mother said softly.
"Hurr, wot 'appened oi wonders, Muvver!" a mole, Diggums, exclaimed wide-eyed. "Be quiet, Diggums! Wet ve gud Muvver talk!" the mousebabe snapped. A greying squirrel wife smiled at the mousebabe, "We've got a right little terror here!"
The badger smiled. A little squirrel maid whose tail was bigger than she was spoke up, "Muvver, tell uth wot 'appened! I wanna 'ear!" Diggums nodded fervently, "Burr aye, Muvver! Tell us'n's!" The badger nodded and looked to the old squirrel, "What do you think? Should we tell the little rascals?"
The elderly squirrel put on a stern face, "We'll tell them, but only if they promise not to fidget when we are talking! I can't stand a fidgety-beast!" As she said this, the old squirrel tickled the fat little belly of a sleeping mole maid that awoke with a cry, "Hurr! Somebeastie's 'tacking, moi! Zurr, stop et, marm! You bees a tick'lin' moi!"
"Shush, Arunda! Ve Muvver's dunna tell us a 'tory!" the mousebabe cried. "A 'tory! Whoi didn't somebeastie saoi so?" Arunda said happily, "oi wakes up, and a story's 'bout to be told!"
"Well, 'twas many seasons ago now, when our Abbot was just a Dibbun like yourselves—" The Dibbuns gasped at how long ago that must have been for the very formidable Abbot to have been a Dibbun. "—A dark shadow fell over the peaceful treetops of Mossflower Wood..."