IMPORTANT: I'm looking for a proofreader! Please email me about it if you are interested!

Note: This story begins in Noonvale, chapter 35, just for the record. Lyn, Josephine, and Alexei, as minor characters as they are, belong to me. Everybeast else, even those like Gulba whom no one remembers, belong to Brian Jaques. SR has an optional sequel (you can have this story end here, if you prefer), SR2: Journal of a Hope, which is loaded with much more M/R romance than this ever will. Lastly, since Saving Rose overlaps on the events in Martin the Warrior, at some points I'll just be repeating what the book says, but it can't be helped.

"I am a warrior! Martin son of Luke! I will live, I will not give in and die up here! Do you hear me, Badrang? I will live to take back my father's sword and slay you one day! Badraaaaaang!"

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SAVING ROSE

Chapter One

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"You are an early riser, Martin."

Martin did not look up from his reflection projected by the pool branching off the waterfall. "A roof does not suit me, it's too stuffy, I had to move about. Yet I see you are also up early." As he spoke, he took his sack from his left and put it on his opposite side to make room for the speaker.

His visitor, Aryah, sat down beside him. She dipped her paw in the water, disturbing their reflections, making them dance then settle again. "I was having a word with Boldred about Brome. What troubles you?" As she spoke, she wiped her paw upon a patch of grass.

Martin said nothing, but examined the fish swimming about lazily. He turned to look at Rose's mother with troubled eyes.

"Is it related to Marshank?" Aryah cocked her head, trying to urge Martin on.

"As a matter of fact, it is," he said slowly, watching the waters once more. Aryah took a stab.

"And Rose?" She had a feeling her daughter was important to him in a special way.

Martin sighed and nodded. "I was meaning to talk to you. She…" Martin looked down, unwilling to meet Aryah's eyes. "Here, see for yourself." He reached deep within his bag and handed her a crumpled piece of parchment.

It was written in neat script, with a few stains from food. Aryah's eyes widened as she read;

Doomed is the rose that follows the warrior, faithfully through the conquest of the tyrant. Never to see the next morning, she shall perish to save a friend. For it is the destiny of the warrior to found the place with walls of red, no obstacle must stand in his way.

She looked up at Martin, scandalized. "Surely it doesn't mean…?"

He sighed, frustrated. "Who else would it be? I've tried to convince her not to come with me. You understand that destroying Marshank is a task I cannot put aside – so simply not going is no option. She's stubborn – she insists that where I go, she goes."

Aryah looked at the parchment again. Her paws shook slightly as she asked, "Who gave this to you?"

"Polleekin. You know her?"

Aryah nodded. "Urran must know of this. We shall show him this… prophecy tonight. Here," she said as she handed it back to Martin. He carefully put it back in his sack.

Evening came. Martin, Urran Voh, and Aryah quietly escaped without drawing attention to themselves from the Council Lodge and made their way to Rose's family cottage. Once they settled down inside, Martin and Aryah showed the Chieftain the parchment, and he blanched. "What is this?"

"It's no riddle – just blunt fact. Simply put, Rose will die if she comes with me to Marshank," Martin said wearily.

Urran Voh stared at him sternly. "You believe this piece of paper?"

Aryah said quietly, "We believe Polleekin."

Urran trusted his wife. He sighed. "How can we prevent this?"

All three mulled this over. "We could –" Martin began.

The door opened suddenly, forcing Urran to swiftly cram the parchment between his side and the chair. Aryah and Martin tried to change their expressions from troubled to carefree. Rose's head poked out from the doorway. "Is everything alright? I was so worried when I noticed you weren't still at dinner!"

Urran looked pained as he racked his brain for an excuse. "Why yes, we're fine. We were simply, erm…" He looked to his wife and the warrior for help.

Thinking at lightning speed, Martin smiled nonchalantly at Rose. "I mentioned to your parents that I was interested in the layout of Noonvale's land, so we decided to talk here since it was quieter. We did say we were leaving, you simply mustn't have heard." He inwardly flinched at laying the blame on Rose, but he had to cast the suspicion away from him at all costs.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Grumm accidentally took a bite from a spoon, I-" Rose blushed at her so-called rudeness.

Aryah held up a hand. "Don't worry dear, we're not offended. Go back to dinner, now."

Rose looked about the room. "Erm, if you wish. Did you all finish eating, or do you want me to send over some food –"

All three looked panicked and simultaneously said, "No thank you!" Rose blinked at them.

"Er, we're quite full, thank you," Urran chuckled, still feeling uptight. "What a helpful daughter I have! No, you go back and enjoy yourself."

Rose blushed again and left.

Once the door closed, Martin, Urran, and Aryah all sighed with relief. "How close was that?" Aryah said as the wiped her brow. "Quick thinking, Martin."

He shrugged unhappily. "Quick thinking is what we'll need to keep Rose safe."

As he spoke, Urran Voh took out the parchment and smoothed out the crumples. "So what was your idea?"

Martin sat with his head on his knees. "It's not much, but…"

Urran Voh and Aryah listened carefully as they hatched their plan.

It was early morning, only one hour past dawn. Martin feel his body nag him from lack of sleep – his conversation with Noonvale's patriarch and his wife had taken them many hours into the night. He sat by Rose's door and waited for the others to carry out their part of the plan.

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