Welcome! I invite you to read and enjoy my story. Just to let you know, this story is a cross between Redwall, The Lord of the Rings, and The Legend of Zelda. Don't leave yet! It's mostly Redwall with a dab of the Lord of the Rings and a pinch of the Legend of Zelda. In my story, there are other places where magic occurs besides Salamandastron, Stronghold of the Western Shore (that's what I call it). Let's end the jib jab and begin reading. Thank you once again for reading my story!

—Stormclouds

I have no clue what this Disclaimer stuff does, but I guess it protects your story or something, so I'll try my luck at it.

Disclaimer- I do not own Redwall, Mossflower, Southsward, Salamandastron, Martin the Warrior, Rose, and Gonff. They belong to Brian Jacques. I own everything else including: new characters and new places.

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Prologue

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The moonlight's glare made the snow under it glimmer like a white winter land. In the land south of Mossflower, the frosty breeze in the air was chilly to the two creatures watching and hiding. They watched an otter family; all bound and walking in the middle of a group of about a score of tough looking pine martins caring either bows and arrows or a spear. What appeared to be the leader of the group had a beautiful sword dangling from a matching sword belt around his waist. He carried a metal shield, painted with red, blue and yellow dies. One of the otters was bound paws to his sides, but still fought every inch of the way. He was middle aged, while two female otters and a young one were rudely pushed along.

One of the two hidden watchers, a Peregrine falcon, loved the taste of pine martin, though he was too polite to tell anyone who he called friend; like the one sitting beside him, a young colt.

"Should we help them, Sir Nightwing?"

"Of courze, Zanzibar! Doze otterz dere look like dey need help, zo 'ere'z da plan…"

Nightwing and Zanzibar followed the group noiselessly. When they reached a clearing, they saw the older male otter threw himself onto a group of three vermin holding the ropes that they pulled him along with. He knew he would die, yet for the escape of his family. All the vermin save the ones holding the ropes for the other otters, quickly jumped in to help. He shouted out orders two his family as the pine martins kicked and punched him. "Arathorn! Run now an' 'eep yer mother and grandmoth…" A spear from on of the guards pierced his side and he was unable to finish as his own sword, taken from the pine martins, point at his neck.

It was then that Nightwing made his move. He pulled his fellow companion from the ground and immediately flew in to help, Zanzibar thundering in his wake.

"Kkeeeeeeeeerr! Run otterz! Kkeeeeeeeeerr!"

Screeching aloud his war cry, the falcon plowed into the surprised enemies, killing two. The remaining otters ran for their lives, still bound with ropes trailing behind them. A couple archer martins ran after the fleeing trio. Before the martins had time to retaliate, the young horse was among them, using his head and hooves as weapons. Beak and claw plus head and hoof equal a good combination. Two vermin archers were about to shoot Nightwing when a well aimed kick from Zanzibar's hooves sent them both to their doom. A spear was launched from one martin aimed for the horse's heart, but Nightwing's strong talons caught it in mid-air and broke it over the martin's skull.

"You go after da other otterz, Zanzibar, I'll finish here!" The bird's beak nailed a martin's helmet to his head permanently as he snuck up on them. Without replying, the colt turned and dashed in the direction the fleeing mob had gone; trampling another two. When the last of the vermin saw the outcome of the attack, he took to his heals, but before he could reach woods, Nightwing zoomed in with beak at the ready. Such a hard hit could not be lived through, as was the case with this beast.

The falcon returned to the clearing and sought out the injured otter. He found him lying on the ground in the mist of pine martin corpses. The kind bird moved aside the bodies and looked into the otter's pale eyes; they were clouding over quickly.

"Take…care…o' the… little…one…" were the last words the otter ever spoke. His eyes glazed over as his spirit sailed up to the Gates of the Dark Forest.

Tears swelled in the eyes of Nightwing as he pulled the spear out of the brave otter's side. He looked around until he found the shield and sword that must have belonged to the otter's family. A strange yellow glow reflected of the blade. However, Nightwing could not find the source of the light. Studying the shield, he found a series of odd shapes and lines carved into the back of the polished metal. He could make nothing of it so he tossed it aside.

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Two arrows from the pursuing vermin killed his mother and one killed his grandmother, but Arathorn ran anyway. Arathorn, the young otter, glanced behind him only to see two more arrows following speeding straight for him with pine martins gaining swiftly. He dodged to one side and the arrows buried themselves in a tree trunk he almost crashed into.

A front runner gained speed and twirled his spear around till he was holding the end with the point. Hoping for promotion from his captain, he hopped and smashed the blunt end down on the running otter's head. With a small sigh, the young one collapsed in a heap. The martin was about to finish him off when noises behind him made him turn around. Zanzibar was hurtling in their direction!

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Seconds later, Arathorn could here cries of the dieing martins close by. He crawled over to a hollow log and cried himself to sleep despite the bitter cold.

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"Vhat do you make of dis; pine martinz with four captured otterz?" Nightwing had finished his meal and he and Zanzibar had thrown the carcasses of the slain beast upon a bonfire. Three otter bodies lay wrapped in their gray cloaks. Close by, Zanzibar inspected the warrior otter's sword and shield also.

"It looks to me like the works of the Evil One again, Sir." Zanzibar muttered between mouthfuls of grass. "He always is capturing and murdering with his band of evil pine martins. I have no clue where he got the wargs and riders though."

"Aye, we've got to find the little otter afore vargz do. Come now." The falcon and colt went searching and finding.