Chapter 2:

Martin entered the Gatehouse, as the rain started to pour outside. He had just accompanied Teralose to the Abbot, and showed her where she would stay for the time being.

Teralose…..what a strange maid, not to mention the name. It sounded familiar, as did her laugh. From a dream, long ago, a memory that he could not unearth….from when his father's sword had been stolen from him by the tyrant stoat, and forced into slavery.

He blinked. He hadn't known that before. Why was he now finding these facts out? Why not in the past, or in the future? Deep down, he understood that it had to do something with the mousemaid's arrival at this time.

The door, previously closed, banged open again, and in hurtled a wet Prince of Mousethieves. Martin grinned a little.

"How is it going, my Prince of Soaked Fur?"

"Fine, my sword-juggling warrior. Mate, I have a question. You seemed frozen up since you saw Teralose. Why?"

"I don't know." Martin shook his head. "She seems….familiar."

"Well, I haven't seen her face afore, have I? Not to mention the fact that she seems to come from a valley where there is always peace…..Her words exactly. Almost."

Martin looked at his friend curiously. "Did she say what this place was called?"

"Yes. Why you interested?"

"I don't know, really. It's….it's….a bit complicated." Martin shrugged his shoulders a little.

"She said it was called Noonvale." Seeing his friend freeze up, again, his voice became concerned. "Martin? Are you alright?"

"Noonvale…." He whispered, staring at one paw. The name….he remembered a bit more now. He had loved a maid who came from there, one called….he couldn't remember that.

"Do you know that place?"

"I was there, once." He whispered softly, looking up into the Mousethieves' eyes. "I was there. Once, long ago…" he trailed off.

"Hey, if this helps you…… She seemed to trip over her name a little when she told me. Seemed caught unawares. Said her name was Roteralose. Most likely the 'R-o' was the first part of another name. Perhaps Teralose isn't her real name. Perhaps she has a different identity."

"Did she tell you how to spell her name?"

The mouse beside him shook his head silently. "No. I can ask her, though. A time that it doesn't seem suspicious."

"Thanks, Gonff. I would appreciate it if you did."

"You're welcome. Besides, perhaps one day, you can help me with somethin'. Like finding my family heritage. Somehow, I believe that my parents are still alive. Not left to rot in the dungeons of Kotir."

"I will. Shall we go and steal some early dinner?"

Gonff looked surprised. "You're offering to help me steal some dinner? How unusual!"

"Perhaps we can fit in a pie or two." Martin grinned. "They'll never think of you sneaking up onto the windowsills and stealing them in the rain."

"Shall we invite Miss Teralose?"

The warrior gazed off into the distance, where he had hidden his mighty sword, and had substituted it for another-well made, but not as good as the one with the star-metal. "Somehow I believe that she would enjoy that immensely. I'm not sure why, but I think that that is the truth."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gonff had his hood up, underneath a windowsill where pies were cooling off, despite the rain going on. Swiftly, he grabbed a partially-cool one, put it on a plate, and snuck off. He was in charge of stealing most of the food, but Martin would, no doubt, help enlarge the amount that they had in the end.

He pushed open the front door to the Great Hall, exchanging the pie for a large sack on the way in, and went around the tables, already set up, to the kitchen.

The kitchen was filled with beasts of every size, including dibbuns who were constantly trying to steal the treats, like Gonff was.

Trying to look inconspicuous, he made his way around the busy room, pausing slightly at sweet tables. Nobeast, until later with momentary confusion, saw any of the treats go missing; a couple of strawberry scones, a large bowlful of trifle, quite a few pawfuls of fruit of every kind there, slices of cake, pieces of cherry pie, and many flasks of a diversity of drinks, plus more.

His pack a little on the bulging side, he made his way carefully out, to make sure that the soft treats were not too squashed. Silently, he made his way out of the Hall, and, when nobeast was looking grabbed the pie in one paw, and set off towards the orchard, pie in one paw, sack held in the other.

Martin, inside the Great Hall, saw Gonff come and go. He smiled slightly, and sighed. He made a promise. Time that he started to keep it.

As carts rolled by, he snatched things off of them when the drivers were looking somewhere else for a split second, slowing the cart down momentarily. If it was a liquid, like soup or stew, he ladled a few quick times into a canteen ready at his side. Vegetable pasties he swiped quickly off.

A few minutes later, he decided that he had enough. Cart rollers were looking at his suspiciously, and didn't stop when he was nearby at all.

Silently, he crept out of the Hall, and went where Gonff was at the moment, or was supposed to be-in the orchard.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rose sat on the bed, watching the rain fall to the ground, splashing a little as it made contact with the earth below.

Her cloak was discarded, and the Abbess had given her another tunic, this one a deep blue.

The mousemaid took a deep breath, and let it out, pawing the dagger, running her claws down its' barely decorated hilt. She heard pawsteps outside of her door, and quickly slid the dagger in a spare pocket just in case. Her cloak she put on her lap hurriedly, and gazed out the window.

The door handle jiggled a little bit and a voice hailed her from outside of her room. "Teralose? May I come in?"

"Sure, Gonff."

The mouse ran in, and gave a mighty leap onto Rose's bed. Teralose jumped off in order to avoid being hit by the large missle.

Gonff hit the bed hard, and was sprung up into the air-into the wall, head first, because of the angle he had hit the bed at.

"YOWCH!" he yelped as his head made full contact with the stone wall. Rose cringed, remembering what had killed her in the first place.

"I'm alright, I'm alright. A bit dazed, though." The mousethief sat up, rubbing his head ruefully.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup. I'm a tough egg to crack. But Martin," he shook his head admirably. "He's even tougher."

Rose agreed with him in her head, but asked the question anyhow. "How so?"

The mousethief grinned. "Well, he was in that fight with the wildcat, Tsarmina. So many scratches from her claws, it was a miracle that he survived. Though he nearly was killed in the process-right outside the Dark Forest's gates at one point."

Rose remembered that. She was so excited to see him, but then, Boar, nearly arrived, had told her that it wasn't his time, and went to talk with him. Martin hadn't seen her at the time.

She nodded, physically, without even knowing it, and muttered, "You don't know the extent of it."

"Huh?" Gonff's head snapped up, his attention caught. Rose blushed, and quickly told him that it was 'nothing'.

"Alright. But," here the mouse smiled at her. "would you care to join Martin and I in a feast in the orchard?"

Rose looked at him. "Its' raining, and I thought that the feast was still in the making."

"They don't call me the Prince of Mousethieves for nothing."

Teralose grinned at that, and looked outside, and then again at Gonff, who she noticed for the first time, was soaked through. "I'll need to wear my coat."

Gonff nodded. "Of course!"

"You'll need one, though."

He waved his paw in the air, as if pushing something away. "Nonsense! Mousethieves have naturally water-resistant fur!"

Rose picked up one water-soaked arm, and looked at him. "What do you call this, then?"

Gonff withdrew his arm from Roses' grasp. "Erm……That's my arm?" He looked sheepishly at her.

"Soaked arm."

"Fine. Let me get a cloak, and we'll go." He ran out of the doorway, and disappeared.

Teralose stood and donned her cloak, pulling the hood up. She was jumpy, strained a bit, and let things loose because of it.

You don't know the extent of it……She hadn't meant to say it, but she did. And Gonff was already probably suspicious of the 'Ro-Teralose' incident.

But he didn't. She had seen what he hadn't, yet she had also not seen what Tsarmina had really done to him.

Gonff came bounding back, a black cloak waving behind him. "Coming, Teralose?"

"Of course I am!"

"Well then, let us go, O-" he paused, searching his mind for a phrase to describe her.

"Lady of the Roses?" She blurted, and then nearly smacked her head against the wall beside her, only the facts that she died by being thrown against a wall and that Gonff was there.

"Alright then, O Lady of the Roses, come now! We venture into the orchard, to face the beast, The Warrior of Redwall."

Rose laughed again, and, catching Gonff off guard, ran out the door into the hall. Gonff grinned again, and ran after her.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Teralose?"

"Yeah, Gonff?" They were outside, rain falling gently on their hoods.

"How do you spell your name? I think that it is T-e-r-a-l-o-a-s, but I'm not exactly sure."

"No, that isn't totally correct-it is spelled T-e-r-a-l-o-s-e. There is an 'e' after the 's', and an 'o' before the 's'."

"I stand corrected. Do you know any ballads from your home?"

"Yes, but I'd rather not sing it. I'm afraid that I do not have the best voice."

"Well then, I'll sing something!

My grandmother's tarts were like rocks,

That's how grandpa lost his teeth.

My father used to take those tarts,

And practice throwing them.

Soon one day some vermin came,

To rob my grandparent's house.

But Grandma was pre-e-pared,

She baked scores of those tarts.

When the vermin came,

My father was waiting,

He offered,

Some of those tarts,

To the ver-er-min,

And they accepted them.

A stoat went down first,

He swallowed a fang.

Then three rats writhed on the floor,

Half their teeth on the ground.

Well the rest caught one,

But before they could,

Hack him down,

Hit him down,

Father threw all of the tarts,

At the ve-ermin,

They went down,

Collapsing,

Onto the-e floor.

And that is how the day was won,

With the tarts,

Thrown at the,

Silly little vermin.

My grandmother baked tarts as hard as rocks,

Weapons a-plenty!"

"Where did you hear that? I haven't heard anything like that song."

"I make them up. They come to my mind and out of my mouth in a second, and I really don't remember them afterwards."

"Ah."

"Now you sing one! I've sung one, you sing one."

Rose blushed. "Oh, no, I couldn't."

Gonff stopped, and held her back. They were a few yards from the orchard. "I'll take off your hood!"

"You wouldn't!"

"I would, Teralose. Just ask Martin."

Rose threw her paws up. "Fine, fine! But you had better put your paws over your ears."

"I'd rather not. Besides, I've heard your voice before. It would be a shame to miss it."

Rose sighed, but broke into a song.

"The Corsair Rangbad,

Was a little stoat.

One day his boat,

Crashed upon the sand.

Driving oarslaves,

Out onto the land,

He captured others,

Peaceful woodlanders.

One he took,

A little bird,

Whom carried a great sword.

The sword he took,

From the little bird,

And shackled the bird,

Amongst the others.

Soon they had to build a mighty fortress,

For their cruel captor.

The little bird,

A warrior born,

Escaped,

With two,

And help,

From outside.

A squirrel and a mouse,

Escaped with him.

A mouse and a mole,

Released them.

They went and gathered,

An army,

Traveling,

To a place,

Of peace,

For help.

They separated,

Into three and two,

Torn apart,

By a storm.

The squirrel and the mouse,

Met some players,

Who helped,

Free the rest,

Of the slaves.

Well the little bird,

The mouse,

And the mole,

Came with an army,

To help.

Against Rangbad,

The squirrel died,

By treachery,

One Rangbad's,

Side.

There was an epic battle,

Between the Woodlanders and Vermin.

The mouse died,

The little bird hurt,

But the vermin,

Were,

Vanquished.

And the little bird went,

Away,

From the place of Peace,

And promised,

To keep it,

Secret.

And the little bird locked,

The mouse in his heart,

And ne'er spoke of her,

Again."

They were well into the orchard by now, and Gonff applauded her. "Quite good, Quite good! Where did you ever learn that?"

Rose looked off into the distance, and replied softly, "I made it up as I went, but was based off of a real event. You may figure it out later."

Gonff looked at her curiously, and saw that sorrow was in her eyes, and a little thought came up-

Is Martin the little bird, and she the Mouse he locked in his heart? But another thought argued against that. But the Mouse was dead. Teralose couldn't be dead. He paused a bit. Could she?

Little known to them, Martin heard it all. He had more evidence that she was who he thought she was. But what was her name? Why was she here if she had died because of him?

He wanted to cry his heart out. He had almost never felt this hopeless

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Brome sat at the head of the table, one of the things carved out of the wood of the giant that had been felled by Martin and the rest of Noonvale. The council sat around him, waiting for him to speak. Next to him on the right sat his mother, and on the opposite side, was Grumm.

"My friends, we have almost always known peace. But there is war coming, coming from the north-east. It will destroy a place called Redwall if we do not aid it, and then move onto us. Most likely, the war-bringers will take the woodlanders of Redwall prisoner, and kill those who try to oppose them."

An old otter raised a paw, with an opinion in mind. "May I speak my peace, Brome?"

"You may, Lialo."

"Why should we aid this Redwall? We know naught of them, and the only reason we helped out at Marshank was because Martin was our friend, and Rose-keep her safe in the Dark Forest-needed the help. And how do you know of Redwall, anyhow?"

Brome sighed. "I know of Redwall because I was at the Dark Forest's gate in a dream. I was begging Rose to come back and help us. I know of Redwall because one named Boar, a great Badger Lord of a distant fire-mountain called Salamandastron, told me of it, telling me that there was danger heading there. Redwall is newly established." He looked back at Lialo. "And the reason we are helping is that Martin the Warrior helped create this place. He had to fight in yet another war to help this place, called Mossflower, named for the Mossflower Woods nearby, be free of the tyranny of this place called Kotir, ruled by a wildcat called Tsarmina, who directed a horde of vermin. And there is another reason, but now is not the time to tell you."

There were murmurs, and one pipped up, a hedgehog maid. "But what is the other reason? That isn't really all that nice if you tell us there's another reason, and then you don't tell us what it is."

Brome looked at her. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, you see. Think I lost my mind out there in the sun."

The council table was quiet for a bit, and then yelling occurred.

"Come on, tell us!"

"Try me!"

"You usually make sense, Brome. It wouldn't make sense, though, to think that all of a sudden, out of the blue, you lost it."

"Oi, thar arn' anay tharngs thart could surprois me no more, boi moi lardle oi says so. Or art least noat too marny."

Brome smiled a little at the old mole, his muzzle white with age. He looked up at his mother, and she nodded yes.

"ORDER, ORDER! I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL TELL YOU!"

Instantly, the noise boiled down.

Brome looked at all of the creatures, looking eagerly at him for the information in store. He knew that there was no way out.

"Another reason that I want to go is that……" he trailed off, looking at them uncertainly.

"Go on! Out with it!"

"It is that The Dark Forest has sent her out to help Redwall a little, to be prepared for the war coming."

"WHO?"
"Rose. My sister. I don't want to see her be killed again, so I need to have help protecting her." He looked around the room. There were wide eyes staring at him, until Grumm broke the silence.

"Rose? Laterose? Burr aye, it'll be 'ard ter baylieve, but oi trust thee. An' oi'm naot goain' ter let 'er doie aigain!"

Brome smiled at him, tears growing in his eyes. But his mother behind him interrupted him.

"What about Martin? Wouldn't they know about her, and wouldn't he think that he was going crazy?"

He looked back at her. "Martin was in a fight with the wildcat. She died, but he was wounded so deeply, that they had a hard time getting him back. He lost a lot of his memory. And besides, Polikeen told us that Rose would stay locked in his heart. And nobeast there really knows of Noonvale."

He looked at them again. "Now, who's going with me?"

There was a mighty cheer, as the members of the council, all of them, raised their paws, clenched, and started to spread the grim news.

Noonvale was going to war.