A/N: This chapter contain's the "Ka-Chunk" phrase seen being used by a ferret or something in Loamhedge. I know it's been used, so don't comment on it. On a lighter note, thankee for reading and please continue to do so! Eulaliiaaa!

CHAPTER ONE

As Edeltrak regained his consciousness, he immediately felt the searing pain in his ribs. He cursed aloud and commenced to crawl towards his tent, where the bringer of life, water, waited for him. He muttered aloud to himself the whole way. "Deserted by me own messmates! If only I could've got my claws on that cursed laughing treejumper, I'd've ripped 'is liver out an' used it fer me tentflap!"

Slightly feverish, the albino ferret grasped the water bottle with his broken claws. With a gurgle of thanks he swallowed it greedily. Once the goblet was drained he stood, some of his old strength returning to his limbs. He flexed his paws, and then cast about with his red eyes, seeking his bone-handled scimitar.

"There ye are, me beauty," Edeltrak chuckled to himself, walking over to a dead vermin soldier. He drew the blade from the back of the corpse, not caring to wonder how it had found a home in his subordinate's flesh.

"Now ter find ol' Cloddak," Edeltrak murmured to himself feverishly. "His wunnerful lord Cloddak the Conqueror. Where was 'e when I was just fightin' for me life against two squirrels, eh? Where was he when me sword was stolen by one o' me own messmates? Where was he when…"

The crazed vermin continued in this vein for some time before stumbling into a tree. He slumped to the ground, staring at the tree with dignity. Then he uttered one word:

"Ka-chunk!"

A voice broke his slightly incoherent thoughts. "Brother? Is that truly ye?"

Edeltrak turned slowly around and grinned foolishly at his sister, Edeweiss. Edeweiss was not an albino like her brother, she was a brown ferret with piercing green eyes. Her purple cloak fell to her footpaws, giving her the impression of a floating ghost. In one paw she held a staff topped with a skull, and in the other she carried a haversack of herbs. She was a Seer to the mighty Cloddak the Conqueror.

The silence grew oppressive before Edeltrak seemed to awaken and said clearly, "Ka-chunk!"

Edeweiss sat before him, her green eyes furrowed in thought. "What has happened here, brother? I see nought but dead hordebeasts here. Who has the gall and the power to overthrow ye and your soldiers?"

Edeltrak poked the staff Edeweiss held in her paw with great interest. "Ka-chunk!"

Edeweiss resisted the urge to hit him. She stood and walked to two other vermin, a rather blocky rat and a lithe stoat. The stoat was clad in silk finery, and around his neck was wrapped a white scarf. His face carried an intelligence uncommon with his species.

The rat was clad in a simple brown tunic. His dulled eyes, nonetheless, shone with some life, which belied his position as an officer.

The stoat looked disdainfully at Edeltrak, who was trailing behind Edeweiss with a blissful grin. "What's wrong with captain…er…."

"Edeltrak," finished Edeweiss resignedly.

"He looks like he had too much ale," sniggered the rat officer. The stoat nodded in agreement.

"I'm not sure what happened," Edeweiss explained, shrugging expressively. "He's only saying one thing, though…"

As if to complete her statement, Edeltrak said, grinning oafishly, "Ka-chunk!"

The stoat looked at the wreckage surrounding them. "He obviously hasn't completed his mission very efficiently," he said, curling his lip. He pointed a claw at each thing in turn as he mention them. "Dead hordebeasts, a broken cage, supplies everywhere, and then…" he looked distastefully at the wound on Edeltrak's stomach—"A knife wound." He looked at Edeweiss, grinning fiendishly. "Lord Cloddak will not be happy with the results of his scouting mission."

Edeweiss said nothing. Rather, she knelt next to the cage and looked at a dead sentry. She pulled a small assassin knife from the weasel's neck. "This is a very old knife," she murmured. The stoat, whose name was Thoril, strode curiously over and knelt next to her. He snatched the blade and smirked at Edeweiss' dismayed expression. "I collect weaponry of such finery as this. Anyway, we should be returning to the Northlands."

Edeweiss agreed grudgingly. "Aye, let's go." She looked fiercely at her brother. "Come, Edeltrak. I will treat ye at camp."

With that, the unknown group set off north, towards the cold lands that define harsh living and vermin bands.

Cloddak the Conqueror was coming!

Oren, the young squirrel rescued by Tyson and Camron three seasons hence, had grown into his new life with the mercenaries that he idolized. While harsh, he found their company comforting and amusing. They taught him the arts of weaponry, and told him tales of Redwall and its creatures. Actually, Oren was told, they would have been Redwallers a few seasons earilier had they not found him and decided to train him in the wilderness. He was under the impression that the two squirrels were his uncles, and he never questioned it. They were squirrels, and so was he.

However, Oren was a bit of a slacker. Tyson and Camron had constant struggles keeping the young lad in line. They could only hope that one day he would find the meanings of discipline and deploy them.

Presently Oren held his bow up to eye level, focusing on the small makeshift target before him. With a grunt he fired.

Thud!

Tyson applauded. "Ach, well done, wee laddie! A bull's eye!"

Oren shuffled his footpaws. "It was nothing, nuncle."

Tyson snorted. "Nothing? T'was nothing? Not many grown beasties can hit a bull's eye, laddie buck!"

Camron waddled up to them. "I dunno, laddies, looks like trouble's brewin' over yon." The squirrel's paw gestured to the north. "Passin' beasties tell me of a phantom pine marten and his ghastly ikkle vermin horde. See more vermin here then ye do leaves on the trees."

Tyson smiled and tapped a paw to his nose sagely. "I think it's time we headed off to Redwall, eh, Camron? Ach, Ah ache to see the Father Abbot again."

Camron nodded, a smile breaking out on his features as Oren hopped up and down in excitement. "Aye, Tyson. Ah think it's time we went back."

Mossflower was clouded with coming darkness, but a lantern could be seen, bobbing towards Redwall, in the form of three squirrels.