Author's Notes: Ahh… what's wrong with me? I've lost my touch…. (sniff) Geez, I'd appreciate any reviews telling me exactly what's wrong with this fanfic. (deep sigh) I'm lost… I need to go on vacation, get my creative juices flowing again. Well, to all the people who like reading my fanfics, happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Redwall in any way. It belongs to Brian Jacques.

Zale's POV

Ow, ow, ow…

Leave it to an idiot like me to stumble right into a thorn bush. I'm positively lost, probably should have brought a map with me.

I cut my way out of the thorn bush with Martin's blade. I uttered a deep, exhausted sigh. I had promised to take good care of the sword, and here it was, reduced to a gardening tool.

I slapped my forehead. Great, I need to find some shade. The sun is cruel, after all. I just don't get it. The same star that gives us life is now torturing me. Not fair.

I slumped down against a tree trunk. While doing so, I cut my back against the rough bark. I howled in pain. Idiot. I carefully opened my still full water canister. I took a small sip and wiped the sweat off my brow.

I should probably get going. Problem was, I had no idea where I was heading. Maybe it wasn't Martin who sent me the dream, after all. Maybe I just went crazy. Well, can't find my way back now, so I might as well continue, wherever I was heading. I just obeyed my instinct, and look where it got me.

That's definitely the last time I trust a stupid, misleading dream, I decided, before the world went dark around me.

Original POV, Guosim camp

Logalog Damon pawed his food uncertainly.

"Uh, you sure this gunk is edible?" he asked the cook.

"Course it is! 'Tis the best I could manage with the petty resources given!" muttered the cook with all the dignity he could muster.

Damon stuck out his tongue in disgust and he watched the green gunk fall back into his plate. "Uh… you know what? I'm not really all that hungry…" he declared.

The cook only stared at him, obviously offended.

Damon was quite young to be the chief of the Guosim, but the shrews still gave him their respect. His father was Logalog before him and he had inherited his leadership skills.

The young shrew leader promptly stood up and went to admire his longboat. It was made from the finest wood found, and there wasn't a dent in sight. Damon smiled but his admiration of the fine piece of wood was interrupted.

"Logalog! Logalog!" shouted a short shrew from the distance.

Damon creased his brow in irritancy. "What now?" he asked calmly.

"You'd better come sir! We just found an unconscious white fox in the forest!"

Original POV, Redwall Abbey

Brother Galen was sputtering at the Abbot frantically.

"I'm telling you, that fox is up to no good! We have to go after him!" he practically shouted in the Abbot's face.

The Abbot was a mouse who had seen many seasons. His grey fur was somewhat battered and his whiskers drooped. His vision was poor, but he kept a stern look nonetheless.

"Galen," he pronounced calmly. "I understand your frustrations. However, I trust Zale. He has shown great potential here and-"

"What?" asked Galen, interrupting the mouse. "Potential? But never before, and I do mean never before has the blade of Martin been carried by a fox!"

The Abbot kept his calm gaze, and for a moment, Galen felt guilty for interrupting the grey mouse. "Never before? Fine, then this shall be the very first time."

Galen was practically red with fury. "This is an outrage! Disrespect for Martin himself! You have blackened Redwall's name! The fox should not be allowed to go any further! We have to send out search parties! We just have to! With all due respect, I wish to pronounce my disapproval towards your decisions! I... I…"

Galen would probably have continued shouting if he were not out of breath. The Abbot fixed him with a stern look. But Galen could have sworn he saw a twinkle of amusement in the mouse's eyes.

"Brother Galen, are you aware that this if about the tenth, no, eleventh time you requested search parties? And if I declined your request so many times, what makes you think I will change my mind? Trust Zale, Galen. Trust Martin." said the Abbot, still in his calm tone of voice.

Jason's POV

I watched the Abbot and Brother Galen bicker while sipping my hotroot soup. Well, it wasn't really bickering, because the Abbot was still as calm as ever. Amazing how he always keeps his cool. Galen was really losing it. I mean, he confronted the Abbot during supper!

I drained the rest of my hotroot soup, and demanded another bowl from Skipper. However, the later refused to lift the ladle and instead, fixed me with an alarmed look.

"Another bowl? The pepper has gone to your head, or what? Don't you think you've had enough?" he asked.

I chuckled. "Enough? You don't know me that well, do you Skipper? I once drank three cauldrons of the stuff!"

"What? You're bluffing, no one can drink that much! That's more than a fully grown Salamandastron hare scoffs down a meal!"

I merely grinned. "Don't believe me? Come, just serve me another bowl. Oh, and please add extra pepper this time!"

&&&

After I had drunk my fill, I stretched contently and felt all the satisfaction of seeing Skipper's bewildered expression.

"I don't believe it…" he had said. "You finished the whole thing… with extra pepper…"

I laughed, and then reached for a tiny lemon pastry. While savoring the delightful pastry, I observed Galen and the Abbot. They were both eating, and Galen seemed to have cooled off a bit, even if he still seemed grouchy.

I shrugged and my thoughts strayed to Zale. I hope he was doing okay. Did he have enough to eat? What about water? What he sleeping comfortably?

And more importantly, was he safe?

Author's Notes: And that's another chapter for you, folks! You know, the chapter turned out a lot better than I thought it would. So what do you guys think Jason's going to do now? And Zale, how do you think he'll cope with the Guosim? The situation at Salamandastron ain't so good, either, hun? Ah… and we still have ol' Deatheye's problem to resolve, don't we? Oh... and Brother Galen is talking back to the Abbot… Not good. Hehe, what do you think of Jason and his ability to make hotroot soup disappear? LOL. Wow, I've created so many problems… and if I continue typing away like this, my ANs will be longer than the chapter! LOL. Later, folks!