Stumbling through the dense undergrowth and massive sycamores, a terrified mother clutched her babe closer to her chest. Blood dripping from her face, fell onto the babe's tiny head. With one hand she held onto her child, in the other she clasped the small hand of her young son, a fear falling down his cheek. They had travelled for many miles and not eaten for a couple of days. The look in the ferret mother's eyes showed only fear, fear that no other could possibly describe unless they had met a ruthless foe.

Her legs could not carry her any longer. She fell to her knees breathing heavily, the dew on the grass from the misty summer's morning seeped onto her red tunic, dampening it. She let go of her son's hand and tightly hugged that which she had sacrificed her life to save. Her eyes clouded over and gently closed, collapsing to the ground where she lay, still and lifeless. Her babe lying on the ground next to her.

The young son looked at his mother, then the tears began to flow. He crawled round the other side and gently picked up his sister, cradling her as best he could. This was a day that he would never forget and hoped that his sister would never remember.

He sat for a long time, not knowing where to go or what to do. The sun was beginning to set in the west, dipping behind the trees, creating long shadows. Still he sat.

&&&&&

Not far away, a badger and her two cubs were heading back to their den after a long day of foraging the forest for food. Autumn was approaching and they needed to stock up. They stopped for a minute and opened their sacks. Fruits, roots and vegetables spilled onto the ground as one of the cubs turned her sack upside down and shook the contents out. Her mother looked at her and the mess now surrounding her on the ground.

"You be careful with those, Babeny." She said as she moved over, picking up an apple and shaking it at her daughter. "We'll need that for the winter." Babeny grabbed the apple and stuffed it back in the sack, and then hastened to pick up the food and place it back into her brown sack. Her mother sighed as she watched her, then glanced at her other daughter, who had her head inside the sack carefully taking count of what she had gathered. "I see you still need to learn some manners. Why can't you be like your sister?"

"Sorry mother." Babeny replied, quickly popping a small wild strawberry into her mouth in the hopes she wasn't seen. She was lucky, this time. Her mother, who's name was Maro, was busy watching her other daughter. She had moved over to some bushes and looked as though she was carefully listening to something, or someone.

Babeny began chewing on an apple and moved over. The sound then became obvious to the badger family.

"It's sounds like some beast is crying, doesn't it mother?" Her voice was soft and gentle, her eyes sparkled as she looked into her mother's eyes. Maro could not give an answer before the young badger moved off, behind some more trees and bushes.

"What's Bronya heard this time mum?" Babeny asked, a mouthful of apple.

Maro turned to her, her face in shock. "Babeny!" She shouted, her voice echoing slightly through the trees around them. "What have I told you about eating from the haversacks?" Immediately Babeny stopped chewing. "You will have to pick more tomorrow!"

The miscreant young badger looked down at the ground and slowly swallowed what was left in her mouth. "Sorry mother"

A shout from behind the trees took Maro's attention off her misbehaving child. She bounded through the trees to where Bronya stood, and came to a standstill at the sight. The first thing her hazel eyes caught was the body of a female ferret, dressed in a damp red tunic, and blood covering her fur. She was dead. Bronya slowly moved over to the two young ferrets huddled together, and crouched down beside them. "You poor little things," hearing the badger's voice the boy immediately knew that she was friendly and would do no harm to him or his sister.

"Mother." He said, sadness distinct in his voice. He let go of his sister and moved over to the battered corpse that had once been his mother. Maro looked between the two ferret children and Bronya.

"She's been slain." Babeny pointed out and as slowly moved out from behind a bush. The half-eaten apple still clutched in her paw. She studied the body for a few seconds, noting each wound she could see on the body.

As soon as the ferret boy saw the food he stood up and slowly walked over to the badger, his arms outstretched, reaching towards the shiny, green apple. Babeny took one look at the apple and the ferrets, knelt down and held it out of him to take. A small smile crossed his face as he slowly took the offered food from her. He took a bite out of it and then began walking over to his sister, breaking off a small piece as he went. Upon reaching her he placed in her mouth and she happily began to suck on it, taking out all the juices and quenching her thirst. He turned and looked at Babeny. "Thank you."

"Mother, what are we going to do with them?" Bronya asked as she moved over to stand next to Maro.

"They're ferrets!"

"They're only little. They won't do anything to harm us." Babeny exclaimed, arguing back and moving closer to her mother. "They'll die out here all on their own."

Maro thought for a second. "I guess we could take them to Redwall. I'm sure they would look after them." At the mention of the abbey the badger cub's eyes lit up, they always loved going there, playing games with the dibbuns and sharing stories. Most of all Babeny loved the food, the fruit orchards and the pond was where any beats would find her is she went missing during her visits there. Some beats could easily say that Babeny had been brought up by hares due to her large appetite.

Bronya picked up the ferret girl and Babeny scooped up the brother into her strong muscular arms. For just three seasons old Babeny had became quite strong, and was slightly bigger than her sister. Maro had just suspected it was because she was always eating whenever she had seen her.

The badger sisters began to move back to where they had left their sacks of food, when they noticed their mother not moving, just starring at the corpse in the small little clearing.

"You go on to Redwall." She said, not turning her head. "You know the way, I'll catch up later." Without a word, but just a nod, they moved away, leaving their mother to bury the female ferret where she had died.

&&&&&

It was well into evening, the stars were beginning to show in the night sky, by the time Babeny and Bronya arrived at the massive oak gates of Redwall Abbey. After Babeny knocked on the door, the sound of a large bolt could be heard sliding back. It then slowly creaked open on it's old hinges. A small brown head popped round the side of the door, peering out into the darkness to find out who had been knocking.

"Well I say." The old voice croaked out in the darkness. "It's been a while since you two were last here. Please come in." The old mouse said, stepping aside to let the two badgers enter through the door. "What brings you here tonight?"

Bronya looked at Babeny and then at the mouse. "It's what we found in the woods earlier." She looked down into her arms where the ferret babe had snuggled up and was now fast asleep.

"Their mother's been killed." Babeny added.

Reedin, the old gatekeeper and recorder at Redwall, looked at the babe asleep in crook of Babeny's arms. "You best get them inside into the warmth." He said closing the gates behind him. The three of them began walking over to the main building of the red bricked abbey.