This part of time, this place was just some seasons after the events of 'The Rogue Crew.' The badger lord, Russano the Wise II, had made some kind of peace treaty with a tribe of mice, rats, stoats, foxes, and weasels living together. He had promised to protect them from corsairs and pirats.
It was a beautiful settlement in which the tribe lived on. Lush green grass covered the ground and crops sprouted from fertile soil. All around was quaint cobblestone cottages and houses. The tribe was populated with mice farmers, rat blacksmiths, and weasel cooks, though the jobs where plentiful and not just limited to those. It was the perfect settlement, and indeed, these kind of things where targets to hordbeast who would love to take over the land and enslave the inhabitance. And, in fact, an attack would happen soon after the peace treaty was made.
But on this beautiful day, attack was the last thing on the mind of anybeast. The sky was sunny and clear, casting bright light on the garden filled with yellow and blue flowers. A pair of butterflies danced over the garden as a bee landed on a flower. A rat named Braveheart Strongpaw strode through this wondrous place, enjoying this perfect day.
"Ah, g'morning Braveheart!"
The rat smiled and tipped his hat at the mouse gardener.
That was the last event that took place before chaos struck like lightening.
Nasty looking corsairs flooded through the tribe, about fifty of them armed with sharp cutlasses and daggers. The tribesfolk wouldn't go down without a fight. They used what they had, scythes, hammers, and fishing spears, to fight the best they could.
The chief, an older stoat, called out, "All able bodies, fight! Give time for the children, elderly, and weak to escape. Then run away yourselves!" Then the chief ran into battle himself with an old fishing spear.
Braveheart was about to charge into battle when he felt a paw on his shoulder. It was the gardener mouse.
"Braveheart Strongpaw, you need to get help. Go, get the badgerlord. Don't worry about us, the vermin won't burn down homes, they want them for themselves."
The rat nodded and ran toward Salamandastron.
The garden mouse watched the retreading figure for a moment, then charged into battle himself.
The dusty colored sky told Braveheart Strongpaw it was dusk. It was at this time he arrived at the foothills of Salamandastron. He knew the attack was over, the corsairs would be in the little cobblestone homes by now. He just hoped everyone escaped and that not too many were injured.
Two older hairs stood with impeccable posture a little off. Braveheart slowed his step and walked up to then unthreateningly.
The hairs where named Spearback Fleetpaw and Dewnose Runner. They were veterans soldiers of the Long Patrol, and their trained eyes saw the rat trek the foothills toward them a long while ago. They knew that the rat was part of a tribe of mice that lord Russano had made peace with, so they didn't attack.
Braveheart could tell the hairs still didn't trust him by the exchange of glances they gave each other. He didn't fully understand the reason why. It was true that his ancestors had served King Mortspear Greeneyes.
After Mortspear's death, and since his sons and grandchildren were in distance lands, a good bit of his soldiers decided that they didn't want to terrorize other creatures anymore. They threw away most of their armory, only taking food and a few weapons to protect themselves, then they deserted the hordbeasts who where still loyal.
Shortly after the desertion, bandits had attacked them mostly with threats, thinking that the rats were just wayfarers. They didn't know that they were trained soldiers. The rats easily defeated them, but left them alive in exchange for a promise to never rob again. They did not want to needlessly kill another creature. They continued their travels until they came to a valley called Peace Valley. This was an area lived in by mice. Knowing that the mice probably wouldn't trust them, they took up residence in a cave.
It was mostly unknown what caused these hordbeast's sudden change in heart. A popular story is that since they where treated so badly by King Mortspear, getting beaten and killed over simple mistakes, that they promised to never let another beast feel that same pain. Some believed that they never supported the King in the first place, that they where forced into the hord with threat of death.
But that was many, many seasons ago. Now, the mice and other creatures lived together in peace, and that peace was in grave danger.
Braveheart looked Dewnose strait in the eyes. "Peace Valley is under attack."
