The Newcomer of Redwall

Book 1 The Stranger (or Heaven, interrupted)

Chapter 10

--Basil Stag Hare--

"He's going to die," Rallah murmured in a matter-of-fact manner.

Kilel put her paw on the hedgehog's shoulder and said, "Shh, stop that nonsense. He'll live." She shook her head and pulled away from the otter, wandering to the edge of the road.

Basil crawled over to Simon's pack and began to paw through it. His paws encountered clothing, rations, several stacks of bound paper, a few bright orange sticks, and other odds and ends. He took out a small, rectangular device. It was no bigger than his pawpad, and made of some semi-clear, blue solid. It was divided in half on the inside and held some form of liquid. On the top of it was a metal platform, with an opening and a metal wheel. He fumbled and fiddled with the thing, thinking of what to do.

--Simon Gilnom--

"Hell."

This was met with a small chuckle. Simon turned, the edges of the dreamscape blurring at the edge of his vision. The other one sat on a stump of a tree that had to be millions of years old. The new creature raised its paw and pointed at Simon, who sat heavily in the soft grass with a "Whuff."

The new one chuckled again, setting back in on itself. Simon couldn't make out any features of the intruder, for it was covered in a deep green cloak. It had a sword laid across its lap and was running its fingers over the metal slowly. "Simon Gilnom," It said, its voice defiantly male and holding some form of amazement...or amusement. He chuckled and said it again, "Simon Gilnom. The human. The Newcomer of Redwall."

Simon attempted to stand and failed, quickly learning that it was hard to be threatening if one's ass was attached to the ground. "Who are you?" Simon asked in a low voice.

The creature dropped the hood of the cloak to show that he was a very old mouse. "I," he said, "am Martin the First, defender of Redwall Abbey. And you, good lad, have a bit of a job laid out before you."

Simon decided that if he couldn't stand, he'd make the best of it, and relaxed. "I do, do I? What sort of job?"

Martin unfastened the cloak's clasp and let it fall off, reaching behind him to pool the fabric in his lap. "You'll need both of these, and I can only give you one now." He looked up into Simon's eyes and laughed. "You want to know what is going on." Martin's voice was millennia old and dry. "Where you are, what I am saying. You will learn all its meaning in good time, lad."

Simon found that the voice was soothing him, making him more relaxed. "Isn't it ironic?" Martin said, offering the cloak to Simon, "That the safest place you can be right now is the dark forest..."

Simon's hand faltered when he reached for the fabric, and the mouse shook it gently, causing a wave to flutter through the dark fabric like quicksilver. "Take it. It will be your greatest protection for seasons to come." Simon's hand touched the cloak and drew it in a ball against his chest. Martin smiled like the world's oldest, most understanding father, saying, "The wolf seeks you, seeks to kill you, but you will win. We have always won, in the end. You..."

He stopped, his head snapping around to one side. "No!" he growled, "She's found us." He turned back to the human. "Our time is short. You must find Garwind when she is born and keep her from Melgath's clutches, do you understand?"

Simon looked at him dumbly, as if he had begun speaking Greek. "Do you understand?" Martin roared at Simon...and the forest was burning, the trees were bleeding red sap, catching like pitch and dripping fireballs onto the dark ground, Simon nodding frantically...

Smoke

Venom

Water

Fire

Blood

Lightning

"You're awake!"

Kilel. That hurt… What hurt? Why, thinking hurt. Thinking wracked his brain like a marble launched into his skull. He rolled over and vomited and felt a paw on his shoulder. Rallah. More pain. "No, don't touch him." Kilel. She was the one that gave him the potion. Why? It hurt...

"Why not? Look at him, he's worse than he was before!" Rallah again, with an exclamation that felt like a bat hitting the side of his head.

"He's purging the virus from him!" Bullshit. Whatever she gave him was turning him inside out. Thankfully, it didn't hurt as bad to think. "Muth." He grunted. The two females looked down at him. "MUTH!" He said again, rolled to one side, and had a painful set of dry heaves.

"You're killing him!" Rallah shouted.

"Rraah.." Simon moaned. "Rallah..."

"Yes?" She said, "What?"

"Please...Stop yelling." He used a tree to stagger to his feet. "Why is it dark?"

"It's night." Kilel said. Simon looked up at the moon and grunted, "The wolf?"

Kilel heaved a sigh. "Less than a day."

Simon looked at the road. "We're going back to the Abbey, aren't we?"

"Yes," Rallah said, "Basil says we need to get the Abbot before the wolf does."

Simon staggered to the road and stopped, leaning weakly against a tree. "Smoke, venom, blood, water, lightning, fire. Do those mean anything to you?"

Rallah shook her head and Kilel followed suit, but slower, giving Simon a closer look. Good, he thought, I know something she's keeping from me.