"Beautiful sunset." commented Sliver lightly.
"Yup." agreed the otter beside him, also gazing out the window.
"Th' end o' a long, rather uneventful day." spat the brawny otter in distaste, the sudden change in mood surprising his friend.
She gave a weak smile, "It wasn't that bad, was it?"
"I dunno, Slim. Lately things are growin' too dull. Life here's growin' repetitive. It's the same every day... Wake up, do somethin' or another involvin' work, eat, 'ave a feast... I jus' can't stand it no more." muttered Sliver.
The young female nodded, "Aye." she said, slightly hesitant.
"Well..." he searched for an answer to his problem, "I'm leavin'. That's that. How 'bout you?"
The sudden question startled the ottermaid, "I dunno..." she said, a faraway look on her face. She was thinking, Slimclaw thought more then he did.
"C'mon! It'll be great, aye. You can see things you've never seen before. Hear sounds, smell scents... Slim, you can't stay in this abbey forever." he waved his paws enthusiasticly as he spoke, grinning from ear-to-ear. He just knew she would come with him, he could always convince her.
"I can't, Slivvy... I have a family here. Friends, you're not m' only matey, y'know?" she said weakly, "I gotta stay here. I'm not goin' t'change m' mind... I- I like it here." she finished.
The male otter had a large frown his face as he gazed sadly at the female otter, "Well... Enjoy yer... yer time at the abbey... Forever... C'mon, Slim," he started, turning his frown upside-down in one second, "Yer foolin' with me, arentcha? Yer comin', right? We're mateys, the best mateys y'could ever fin' on land or inna water! Y'gotta be kiddin', pullin' m'tail, playin' a prank..."
"No." said Slimclaw with a shake of her head, "I'm not goin', Slivvy. M'family needs me... Redwall needs me! An' I'm not changin' m'mind."
The brawny male otter sighed and shook his head slowly, "Fine, Slim... I-I won't try t'convince ye anymore." he lied. He would try too. Early in the morning, when she was tired and basically unable to hear anything he was saying through her sleepiness. He would agree with her for the present, "I see... Fine, Slim," he sniffed, "You dun' 'ave too... Jus'... Jus' dun' tell anybeast 'm goin', aye?"
"Aye." said Slimclaw with the weak smile she had worn through a good percent of the conversation, "That's a promise I can keep." They had always promised they would go adventuring together, since they were small dibbuns being chased by the badgermother, Melodi... She had broken that promise, "Of course, they'll eventally find out."
"Naturally." said Sliver with an ear-to-ear grin, "'m leavin' termorrow. If y'change yer mind..."
"Aye. Kitchens." said Slimclaw, remembering the old, often talked about plan they had for wandering off, "I'll go if I change m'mind."
Sliver nodded, "Think 'bout it..." he said, then began to leave, "I'm goin' t'bed early t'night."
Sliver walked down to his room, the door opening with a creak and shutting with a thud. It was just like any average day. The otter felt that everything should've been different, but it wasn't. He sighed and landed with a thud on his nice bed. There was no noise after the creak of the bed, and he slowly drifted to sleep. He had a dream, of course, he had a dream every night. This one was different.
"Hello." said Martin, smiling thinly at Sliver, "You're finally leaving? No, don't answer that- it's rhetorical." he paused a moment, "Do you recall our last meeting?"
"Meetin'? Oh. Aye, aye..."
"Good. You must find a few of the vermin and two of the woodlanders from that day."
"How c'n somebeast be from a day?"
"You know... The memory..." insisted Martin.
"Yeah, I know whatcha meant. It's jus' somethin' for me t'think 'bout."
"Yes, yes.You have to find them; it's something about destiny, hordes and them. Don't ask me any questions about it, I probably won't know. It has to unfold." he paused a moment, "There might be some things I'll tell you later on."
"Y'know, a list o' names would 'elp me fin' 'em." said Sliver, grinning. This was nice, an adventure all nice and ready for him. Now he wouldn't have to search for one.
"Right. Deskel and Lekdes- they're rats. Brothers. Scribbles- he's a stoat. Wexler and Bickler are two weasel brothers... Sprague, he's another stoat. Dafer is a brown-furred squirrel... I almost forgot these last three... Um, Fievly, a rat... Reedle, a vole... Lastly is Skelf; he's a ferret."
"Aye." said Sliver, storing it in his mind until he had a piece of parchment to write it on to.
"Bye." said Martin, fading away like last time.
"Good-"
---------------
Sliver woke up, and, it was indeed the morning. He scrambled over to Slimclaw's room, stumbling as he finally managed to reach her door. He then rapped it lightly, "Hello?"
A sleepy-looking otter opened the door, "Hurr?"
Sliver entered the room and snatched up a piece of parchment Slimclaw owned and her favourite quill, "Mind if I keep this piece o' parchement, Slim? No? Yer a real matey, you are. Hey, Slim, c'mon, we're leavin'." he let a grin come onto his face, "'Member y'promised ye'd come."
"'m not stupid, Slivvy. 'Twas when we was dibbuns. G'night." she said and flopped onto her bed.
Sliver frowned and finally gave up, when he was a hero she would go with him adventuring. "Slim, tell everybeast 'm on a quest fer Martin."
"Huh?"
"Ferget it." he said, and then headed down to the kitchens where he had pilfered many a pasty, pinched many a pudding, stolen slurps of stew. He used as sack to hold the items until he could get a pack. Thus, Sliver started his adventure.