Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Author's Note: See Chapter One
Chapter Two
The blood. Dark. Thick. Red. Blood all around her. The smell of death hitting her nostrils. The adrenaline in her veins. Bodies. Dead. All dead. Blood in her eyes, on her fur. So sticky. So thick. Everywhere.
----
Darkstar woke up in the infirmary again. She quickly sat up in bed and looked at her paws and the rest of her body expecting to find herself covered in sticky blood, but she was surprised to find herself just covered in sweat.
She breathed heavily. What dream was haunting her? Part of her past? Part of someone else's past? Part of her future? She knew not to take dreams lightly, but what could it be?
She turned her dark head around the room, but saw no one, only the rays of the bright sun shining through the windows sending shafts of light scattering across the floor.
She stretched. She felt much better actually and her injuries seemed to be mostly healed. Her large lump on her head seemed to be mostly gone as well.
Sister Aurora came bustling in and seemed to be pleased to see Darkstar awake. She even smiled a bit at the fox. "You slept for a good three days, young foxmaid. Feeling any better?"
Darkstar nodded her head.
"Good! Now, if you would give me the clothes you are wearing we can mend them, and while we fix them you can clean yourself up and wear a spare habit." Darkstar nodded again.
Sister Aurora checked over the fox's wounds and seemed a lot more amiable than Darkstar's first encounter with the healing mouse. "My, you surely do heal fast, Darkstar."
Darkstar just nodded once more. She soon was lead away to get a bath and to get her clothes mended.
After Darkstar bathed she donned on the green habit of Redwall. Finding it a bit long on her, she rolled the sleeves and hitched up the bottom with a cord. Combing out her fur in a presentable manner she decided to see what else this Redwall Abbey held.
Seeing no one around the infirmary she slipped out the door and immediately saw a large badger lady about to bump into her.
Without thinking the young fox easily flipped backwards out of the way of the beast.
The badger stopped walking and stared wide eyed at the new beast. Darkstar also saw that the abbot was with her as well.
"Quick reflexes." The badger commented in awe.
Darkstar shrugged and nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess.seemed natural to me."
"Ah! Darkstar Ripclaw, meet my good friend, Rosestripe the badgermum of this abbey." The abbot introduced. "She used to be quite a warrior in her prime." He said with a wink.
Rosestripe held out her paw to the fox. Rosestripe was a regular large badger with a red stripe from her nose all the way to the end of her tail. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you. You're the young, black fox with amnesia, no?"
As Rosestripe's paw shot out, Darkstar took a step backwards, almost acting as though it was an attack. The fox shook her head sadly. "My apologies." She muttered. Darkstar took the badger's paw and shook it. "Yes, I am the fox with amnesia.and I wish I could remember my past."
"So you don't remember anything new?" Abbot Etherwood inquired.
"I'm afraid not, Father. I keep having disturbing dreams though.dreams that haunt me."
"Oh? And what are these dreams about?" The abbot asked very interested.
Darkstar shook her head. "I can't remember enough to explain.and I wouldn't want to ruin this fine day with my unsettling dreams."
She had a look on her face that warned the abbot to ask no more about it and the abbot obliged.
"Ah! Rosestripe knows a bit about weapons. Would you mind if she took a look at yours?" Abbot Etherwood asked.
Darkstar shook her head. "Of course not. Maybe that would give me a clue about where I'm from."
The three headed back into the infirmary and looked over Darkstar's curious weaponry.
Rosestripe held up the blade in the sunlight, and weighed it in her paw. "My, what a piece of work this one is, strong, light, and razor sharp. Very nice." She laid it back on the table and took a look at the sickle attached to the chain and the throwing weapons.
"These are new to me. The daggers are not, but the other small throwing weapons are. I have not seen weapons with these star like shapes before. This is also new to me." She picked up the sickle and chain. "I would not even begin to know how to use this without hurting myself." She lay the weapon back down on the table.
Darkstar ran her paws over her weapons and got this tingle of excitement inside of her.
She quickly removed her paws from the weapons and shuddered. What had she done in her past that would make her feel like that?
"I'm sorry I don't know more about these weapons.but the Badger Lord of Salamandastron may know. He's the new Lord.but before he became lord he was off traveling for many years. Maybe he came across weapons such as these before." Rosestripe offered.
"Ah, yes.a weapon expert he is. He just might be the one to ask." Abbot Etherwood agreed. He turned to Darkstar. "Once you are fully healed you may want to consider a trip to Salamandastron where Lord Silverstreak lives. He might know more about you, as he is a well traveled Lord."
She nodded. "You say that I was carried here by a skipper.and otters.? Is it possible I could talk with him? Maybe something about where he found me would help to unclog my memory."
Abbot Etherwood nodded, "That's a possibility. Come with me, I believe Skipper is outside."
Darkstar followed the two abbey dwellers out to the front of the abbey. What a peaceful sight the fox encountered there. Dibbuns splashing in the water and beasts just relaxing and enjoying the sun, it was a wonderful sight.
The abbot led her over to a strong, tall and muscular otter, who was conversing with a young fox with white paws.
"Darkstar, allow me to introduce you to Skipper and Snowpaws." The abbot said pointing to the otter and fox.
Darkstar shook both their paws. "Darkstar was wondering if you could relate the night you found her by the shore. She's hoping something will click in her memory."
"Aye, surely, Father. I'd be happy to." The otter said cheerfully. "Well, it was a stormy night and me and my otters were on our way to Redwall, when we found you laying in the sand bleeding all over and unconscious. No ship or wreckage was found around you, and you looked half drowned, so we brought you over to Redwall."
Darkstar listened carefully, but none of that information helped her remember where she came from. She looked into the other beasts' hopeful eyes, but she shook her head. This was getting frustrating.
"It's ok.It'll come back soon enough." The abbot comforted her, as he saw disappointment and frustration etched across the dark fox's face.
"Come, enjoy the peacefulness of the abbey life for a bit." Snowpaws invited with a warm smile.
"Aye, come for a swim in the pond, mayhaps?" Skipper offered, leading her towards the pond where dibbuns looked to be having the time of their life.
Darkstar's eyes stared at the water while another flashback entered into her head.
Fear. Suffocation. Darkness all around her. No air. Cold. Silent calls for help. Water. Rushing. Entering her mouth and nose. Pain. Faint calls of help."Help! Darkstar fell into the water!! She can't swim! Hold on Darkystar! I'll get help! Hold on! Keep your head above the water!" Blue eyes. So bright. Pleading. Fear.
So tired, can't keep struggling. No strength. Slipping deeper into the darkness.
No air. Resignation to death. Can't hold her breath any longer. Water entering into her lungs.
Darkstar snapped out of her trance as new wave of fear entered into her body. She shook her head and stepped back away from the water.
"I think.that sometime when I was younger.I had a near death experience by drowning." She said quietly.
She turned around and walked into the shadiness of some trees to be by herself for a while. Banging her head against the bark of the tree she slid down until she sat on the cool grass. "Why can't I remember!??!" She scowled and buried her face in her arms.
Two figures appeared next to her and sat down next to her beneath the great tree. Darkstar lifted her head and saw Skipper and Snowpaws beside her. "Hey there, Darkstar." Skipper said gently. "I imagine it must be difficult not being able to remember anything about your past. but, it's ok. You're safe here in Redwall, and I'm sure you'll regain your memory back soon. Just give it time."
"Aye, Skipper's right. Don't worry about trying to push yourself too much to remember. It's not that big of a deal, you'll remember when you're ready to." Snowpaws said with his bright and cheerful smile.
Darkstar gazed at the two friendly beasts next to her, thinking over their hopeful words and pondering the dreams that have haunted her the past couple of nights. So much blood.pain.so much anguish. She was certain now her dreams were somehow connected to her past. and now, deep down inside, she wasn't positively sure if she truly wanted to uncover her dark and mysterious past.
