Chapter 2

After discovering the untimely and violent demise of her family Adrin could only sit in the cupboard her mother had pushed her in only hours before and wept. She sobbed uncontrollably for an unknown amount of time and ended up slipping into the welcome darkness of sleep while the sun was still up. The light shone through the jagged edges of the broken windows onto the wooden floor—but the light eventually faded into the darkness of night.

It was during the middle of the night that Adrin was jolted from her sleep by the creaking pawsteps of some creature roaming through the remains of her house. She tensed visibly and slowly opened the door to peer into the black of the night. The mouse couldn't see anything! Her body trembled as she looked around, but no light reached into the depths of the house to help her night vision—she was completely blind!

Swallowing in fear as softly as she could she began creeping out of the cupboard in hopes that she might be able to make a bolt for the forest. Adrin glanced around to get her bearings in the house then began making her way across the floor. It was thanks to her tiny stature and otherwise light body that would've contributed to an easy escape—her light weight kept the floorboards from screaming her presence—if she hadn't stuck her paw into the metal pot that had been thrown to the floor and tripped over into other metal items. The musical racket it made nearly stopped her heart from the freezing fear. 'I'm dead, I'm dead! I'll see you soon, mama,' the mouse thought cynically to herself, assuming her end was near.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A strong baritone voice said before the creature reached down to pick the mouse up by the scruff of her neck. Adrin froze stiff when she felt the creature's grip on her fur. She'd never been picked up in this way before and the strange sensation only proved to heighten her fear. The mouse was turned around to face the stranger and began squirming and squealing shrilly upon seeing it. It was a wildcat!

The female wildcat bared her teeth and flattened her ears against her head as the mouse shrieked her desperation. It was then that Adrin thought her own death was at hand, but the wildcat merely shouted, "Stop that! I'm not going to hurt you! Stop!"

When Adrin's screaming did not cease the wildcat took her second paw and placed it firmly over the mouth, silencing it with plenty of force that would also keep the mousemaid from digging her incisors into the paw. The cat immediately relaxed once the noise stopped and she said, "There. Now I promise I won't hurt you, so don't run away."

The wildcat slowly removed her paw from the mouth only to find the young mouse panting rapidly in fear; her throat was too locked to utter any other sound. The wildcat examined the mouse with her luminous green eyes carefully appearing as though she were trying to figure out who Adrin was by physical identity alone. After a time the cat, just as she promised, put the mouse down on the floor and stepped several feet back from her.

For a second Adrin stood there shaking then she teetered dangerously on her paws before falling over sideways and curling up into a ball. She was still convinced the wildcat meant to hurt her. With her back to the cat she could only distinguish what it was doing by her movements on the floor and when she heard it coming toward her after rummaging around her house and her pants became desperate and terrified gasps. Adrin was surprised when the cat draped a heavy blanket over her, wrapped her up in a ball, and took her in her arms.

"It's alright, little one. I presume this is your family, hmm? I'm surprised those sorry excuses for soldiers didn't kill you. Must've given them a piece of your mind, I'm sure. I'm Baresck and I'm currently hunting to kill that band that murdered your family," Baresck said as she rocked Adrin in her arms, trying to comfort her.

Adrin heard these words and was immediately soothed by them. Justice would be handed out. But….Why was this cat chasing them? Working to unlock her throat Adrin managed to stammer, "W-why are y-you hunting them?"

The green eyes turned down to her in contemplation before she said, "They took my family from me, too. I have vowed vengeance for them, though, and I will not rest until that rat and his crew is wiped from the memories of good creatures."

Adrin relaxed in the cats arms and buried her head into the soft interiors of the blanket. She rolled one shy eye up at the cat before saying, "I-I'm Adrin."

"Well, Adrin," the cat began, "I suggest you get some more sleep. Direct me to your room—I'm sure a familiar place will be easier to sleep in than a cupboard." So the little mouse motioned directions to your room and sighed when she walked into the familiar space. She was surprised to see that it was mostly intact considering the torn and ruined state of the rest of the house.

Baresck gently set her down on her bed then said, "Sleep well, little one. If you need anything just call. I'll come to you." Adrin nodded to show she understood then turned over and closed her eyes.

Almost immediately her exhausted mind was assaulted by nightmares of the event. She imagined her family's death in a dozen horrible ways. Her mind seemed to refuse to wake up for her sake, though. Not until she'd seen the entire dream and the leering, ugly face of the Muskrat laughing.

Adrin woke sitting up and screamed long and loud before she collapsed back on her bed and pulled her blanket over her head, shaking. The sound of soft pads from cat's paws hitting the wooden floor came closer until the warrior came in with an alarmed expression. Baresck slowly crossed the room and sat down on the bed doing her best to keep from disturbing Adrin. She knew the mouse would only cringe from something she had taught was always evil.

The old wildcat whispered in a soft voice, "Adrin?" She paused for an answer then whispered again, "Adrin, it's alright, dear. That Muskrat will never hurt you again. I'll make sure of it."

Baresck continued soothing Adrin's mentality to gain her trust until the white mouse finally poked her head out from under the blankets staring fearfully around her and at the cat. The sun was up in its full glory shining brilliantly and brightly into the room and so the wildcat was illuminated completely and Adrin gasped when she saw her face.

It was surprisingly more pointed than wildcats faces usually are and a long scar decorated it on the left side, going from her ear to her cheek. The features gave Adrin a fierce impression and her green eyes radiated confidence and fearlessness, but there was a feeling about Baresck that was warm. This cat would never hurt her. Adrin realized this and relaxed substantially, even offering a small smile.

"I'm okay now. And a little hungry. What's for eating?" Adrin asked enthusiastically, but a shadow of her nightmares was in her eyes though she tried to paste it over. It wasn't going to be the end of them.

Baresck gave her a half-smile, "Well, there really isn't much left in the house, but I foraged outside in the garden and forest. I've got some steamed vegetables for you and a few wild berries and strawberries, but not much else."

"M'kay," Adrin said with a yawn then hopped off the bed and walked with Baresck to the vittles lying out on the table. The mousemaid was surprised at how much cleaner the place looked since she'd gone to sleep the other night. Everything was picked up and any whole object—such as the table—was set right side up.

Adrin glanced up at the cat with wide eyes and asked, "Where's my family? They're gone!"

"I…I have already buried them, Adrin. You can go and see them after lunch, though," The wildcat replied gently before she settled down at the table and began silently picking and eating her own vegetables. Her brilliant green eyes were glazed over in thought as she ate mechanically.

The mousemaid sensed it wasn't best to press the issue and settled down in her own chair eating as silently as as Baresck though she stared at the floor forlornly. Just looking at the room wrenched her heart because her heart told her that her family should be running around and living. But her mind told her they were indeed dead. She was alone.

She sniffed once and then found her eyes were blurred with tears as she thought of her murdered family. They should be alive! As much as she tried to suppress it her heart cried out to be released of its pain and she soon found herself curled up in a ball weeping into her knees.

When Baresck came over to comfort her she didn't hesitate and wept freely with the strong arms of the cat embracing her. When she had finally cried enough to use her voice she asked looked up at Baresck to find her blurry face staring at her. Adrin wiped the tears away more forcefully and sniffled once more before asking, "What will happen to me now? Will you take care of me?"

Baresck shifted on her paws slightly as she watched Adrin before shaking her head ever so slightly, "No… I cannot take a babe on a hunt for killers. I don't want you basing your life on that. No, I'm taking you to Redwall. You'll be happy there. I've heard great things about it."

"Redwall?" Adrin started and blinked questioningly, "I've heard of it, but never been there. What's it like?"

Once again the cat seemed to have become uncomfortable by the question, but answered it anyway, "I do not know. They don't typically take kindly to my species. And it's no wonder why considering the violent history there. Poor peaceful creatures."

"Violet history?" The white mouse asked, but Baresck only shook her head.

"You'll learn about it while you're there, I'm sure," She said with a half smile then set her down. "Now, do you want to see your family or just get going? I don't mind what you do."

For a moment the mouse had forgotten all about her plight, but her inquisitive and eager expression immediately darkened with sadness. She took Baresck's paw and said, "I wanna go see my family, Barsk."

Baresck then guided her to the back door of her old home—she studied the walls around her longingly—and into the garden where her mother had planted vegetables, fruits, and flowers in neat rows. Their beauty and variety of colors always stunned Adrin and it was no different this time. She smiled at the flowers and roses seeming to smile back and felt herself guided through them into the middle of the garden where she found three separate mounds of dirt; the resting place of her family.

Suddenly she was at a loss of words as she stared down at their graves. Adrin had never seen a grave before and moved her mouth to form words, but found it choked by sobs. She gulped loudly and tried to keep dry of tears long enough to say her piece.

"Mommy… Daddy… Lee…? I—hope you can hear me," She paused to take a few deep breathes and gulp again to keep the tears down. "I…just want you to know that I love you all very much! I love you! I will be with you some day. I will," Adrin stated matter-of-factly and blinked once to let tears cut lines down her face. "I promise I won't do anything bad as you would've wanted me to. I'll…Never stop thinking about you! Good bye!"

The mousemaid had practically been shouting out her words to the world as though she believed the wind could carry them to her love ones, but it was her fight to keep her tears down. Adrin finally tore her eyes and they stopped to gaze at a single white rose. Her mother had loved those roses and said that she, her daughter, would always be like one of them. Subconsciously she motioned her paw to pick a particularly big and bright one in full bloom and placed it on the middle grave. Then Adrin picked one and for a moment seemed to ponder which grave to place it on...But then she stalked out of the garden still clutching the rose and took deep breaths away from their graves to regain her composure.

Baresck watched this display silently and respectfully waiting only a few feet from the grave then followed the mousemaid as she ran out of the garden. And she found the mousemaid fighting the need to purge herself of more tears. Her anguish seemed unbearable to the wildcat and the older one wished she would cry, but the young mouse soon turned to the wildcat and nodded. "I'm ready to leave," she said in a hoarse whisper, but her eyes were devoid of tears.

The wildcat studied her for a moment and then nodded her assent and said, "Alright, let's get you to your new home. And I am eager to get back on the track of those rogues."

Redwall was at least a two days walk from where the two companions were and—while Adrin was very young—she put up with the long hike without complaint. She mostly dwelled on her family during the trip and her mind was usually back at the home she had left behind, lingering as though it refused to give up the fact she could no longer live there.

Baresck did not seem to mind this and took up a job as a guard, always moving her head left and right alertly to find any signs of danger. They met none in their travels. One thing did change, though—the farther they got away from her home the more open Adrin became with the cat. She started asking questions about the world and about the vermin that had killed her home.

She even asked the question of why cats such as Baresck were still treated as vermin though she was good. This was one of the few questions Baresck had trouble answering, "Well, I'm not entirely sure. But I know that in the past Redwallers have accepted vermin into their homes only to have them commit terrible crimes against them a few days later. I wouldn't be surprised if it's made them cynical."

"What does 'cynical' mean?" The mousemaid asked immediately after she got the response, but Baresck only smiled and shook her head.

Finally, on the evening of the second day when the sun was sending bloodshot rays across the clouds scudding through the sky Adrin and Baresck came upon Redwall. They had seen it further down the road and the wildcat insisted that they make their way to it through the forest from then on. Again, Adrin questioned on this, but the wildcat didn't answer and just pushed her way through the thick foliage surrounding them.

They eventually found themselves crouching across the path from the titanic red stone building where Adrin found herself gazing up in awe at it. Baresck also couldn't seem to restrain herself from staring overly much and she didn't say anything for a moment. After their last quiet moment together the brown and black streaked cat turned to her and said, "Adrin, now you must go and ask them to become apart of that Abbey."

"Whoa, wait! What about you?" Adrin asked desperately. She didn't want to be alone again. Though they'd been together for such a short time she'd already taken Baresck on as a surrogate mother and had turned to her without hesitation.

The sadness at leaving Adrin was evident in the cat's eyes as she shook her head firmly, but there was still a glint of vengeance and hate directed toward the Muskrat's crew hidden within them. "No, I can't," she said, "I have to follow those murderers. But never forget me, Adrin, and remember: Not all vermin are bad."

With that she suddenly reached into her sack and pulled out a beaded neckless with a bright blue rock shaped into a dolphin dangling at the end of it and placed it over the mouse's head. Adrin looked down at the figure, aghast at the beauty of the gift, then looked back at the wildcat with a question on her lips.

Baresck answered it before she could ask, "That necklace used to belong to my daughter, but I think you'll find more happiness in it than I will. And I hope you'll remember me every time you wear it."

Adrin gulped once more and said, "T-thank you! It is pretty!"

The wildcat smiled and then gently prodded Adrin toward the gate. "Alright, you should go before darkness falls. Good bye, Adrin." The mousemaid turned to go then hesitated and suddenly launched herself at the cat to hug her fiercely.

"Good bye, Barsk," Mispronouncing the name with her infantile speech as she talked, "And I'll never forget you." After Baresck hugged her back Adrin broke her grip and with one last wistful glance she trudged across the path and hailed the gatekeeper.

"Hello! Is anybeast up there?" She hollered with her paws cupped around her mouth to carry her tiny voice. It didn't take long for a squirrel to peer over the ramparts at her.

"Hello," The squirrel said back to her and then looked around in both directions before asking, "Are you alone, little one?"

Adrin hesitated at saying this, but eventually nodded. She knew she couldn't say Baresck was right behind her. The squirrel didn't seem to notice the hesitation, but rather began opening the gates. When they were wide enough he slipped through them to study the young mouse and looked around once more as though expecting a surprise. Maybe an ambush. It never came and he picked her up in his strong arms.

"Hello. I'm Cambin the Gatekeeper. Who might you be?" His voice was strong and warm and soft. It reminded her much of Baresck, but she was still shy and tried to hide her face in his tunic, but answered his question.

"I'm Adrin."

"Well, Adrin, since you seemed to be alone I can assure you that you'll find a home and friends here in Redwall. Let me take you to the Badger Mother and the Abbot. They will want to meet you."

He turned to walk into the Abbey and Adrin used the opportunity to glance into the woods where she barely caught a glimpse of Baresck's green eyes watching her. The wildcat nodded once, blinked, and then vanished; they would never meet again.