The Fallen Star
A Tale of Redwall
{5}
Adrian looked up and down all the dormitories for Rosaline, but couldn't find her anywhere. It was rather strange that she wasn't in one of the girl dormitories where she would have gone after dinner; all he found there were Marigold and Jarda, who were rather indignant about being interrupted by a boy they had just chided earlier. She wasn't in the dormitories where the dibbuns slept either; nor was she in Badgermum Morwen's room, though it was obvious that Morwen could use all the help she could get with Barm and Twill, who were currently using one of her shelves as a climbing tree.
"OUCH! Come here, you little vermin rascal," Morwen had managed to prick her finger on one of Twill's spines, "As you can see, I'm too busy right now to know where Rosaline is. Try looking in the Infirmary. She could be there helping Nursemaid Ursula with changing the bed sheets again. OW!"
Adrian didn't bother sticking around. Knowing very well that the two dibbuns were in trouble, he quickly exited through the entrance, doing his best to stifle his laughter as Morwen began raving at the two little ones. Of course, Barm and Twill both saw it all as a fun game, and, even as Adrian made it up to the Infirmary, the bickering and shouting of the Badgermum could be heard.
Slightly chuckling as he opened the door to the Infirmary, Adrian immediately spotted Rosaline tending to the sheets. Opening the door all the way, he got to take in the clean room and spotted Nursemaid Ursula, Danfur's wizened mother, lying asleep on her rocking chair. Careful so that he didn't disturb the old Otter maid, he gently knocked on the door.
Rosaline jumped, caught off guard from the noise. She turned and smiled when she saw that it was Adrian; her hand over her breast as a result of her fright.
"Oh, Adrian," she said, "You frightened me for a moment there. Things were so quiet that I didn't expect anyone coming up."
"Sorry about that," Adrian said, "Hey, Bellringer Grenwick managed to spot a new star in the sky. He's been asking the young 'uns to come and have a look. Care to join in?"
Rosaline sighed and stood up. "Well, I wouldn't mind," she said, "It would be nice to look at the night sky for a change instead of spending most of the night in a dusty, old dormitory like I usually spend my evenings. Care to walk me down?"
Adrian bowed. "Any knight of Redwall will not pass up the opportunity of escorting his lady in waiting," he said cheekily.
Rosaline giggled. Hand in hand, the two friends made their way downstairs, enjoying the time spent between the two of them as they made their way to Great Hall, and from there to the abbey grounds outside. Adrian secretly enjoyed holding Rosaline's hand. He only wished that he could do it more often.
He suddenly felt rather awkward for no reason at all. The silence between the two of them was starting to feel staggering. Not knowing whether or not she felt the same way, he decided to spark up a conversation between the two of them.
"So…uh…that was some party, wasn't it?" he asked.
Rosaline nodded. Her gaze had turned away for the time being. Not seeing her face made Adrian feel rather nervous; not knowing her look or her mood at all. He wasn't sure what to do next, or what was wrong. All that he knew that he felt rather nervous and awkward for some strange reason, and he couldn't pinpoint the cause of it.
"Well, now. Would you look at those two lovebirds wandering down the hallway?"
The mood had changed from awkward to downright embarrassing. Both Adrian and Rosaline recoiled when they heard Marigold's haughty words. The squirrelmaid tossed her hair to one side and smiled rather cheekily as she walked between the two of them, her tail flickering impishly.
"You would think that the two of you would at least get a nest…and not let the rest of us notice your foolish antics," Marigold sneered.
Adrian growled. Rosaline stayed silent. Marigold simply smiled and fluttered her tail before wandering off towards the entrance to the abbey grounds outside.
The two friends stood in the hallway next to the Tapestry of Martin the Warrior, completely silent and rather embarrassed at what just happened. Adrian didn't know what to do at this point; whether it was a good idea to say something to cheer Rosaline up or not. Finally, after a few more tense moments, he spoke.
"Why can't that Marigold leave us alone?" he asked, "I swear…the way that cheeky little—"
"She happens to be my friend, you know," Rosaline countered before Adrian could finish, "She may have her…downsides, but there are some good things about her too…you've just got to get used to her. That's all."
Adrian cocked an eyebrow. Why did she speak in Marigold's defense? He knew better than to ask. Hey may have been young, but he did have some pretty decent common sense, which told him that it would only spark up an argument. From the look of Rosaline, that argument was not needed.
"Why don't you go on ahead without me," Adrian said, "I'll…catch up in a bit."
Rosaline nodded her thanks before silently leaving, taking one last look at Adrian before she turned the corner into Great Hall and made her way to the entrance to the grounds outside. Adrian silently cursed himself. It was too plainly obvious that he fancied Rosaline, though it didn't take Marigold's arrival to cause the moment that they had to collapse. Why did he get so nervous? Was it normal to feel that way when one fancied another? So many questions were reeling around in his head, and the speed at which each one moved was enough to give anyone a headache.
He sighed. Leaning against the wall, he looked up at the tapestry that hung on the hallway that led to Great Hall. It was the famous tapestry sown by ancient hands, depicting an even older tale that involved one of the greatest founders of Redwall Abbey; Martin the Warrior.
Any boy, be he mouse, squirrel, hedgehog, or even mole was fascinated by this legendary figure. Adrian himself knew much about the hero that helped build Redwall Abbey with his own two paws. Martin was once a mighty warrior of the north, whose ancestors were legends of the sword who lived by honor and freedom. When he first came to the region of Mossflower, he found a land enslaved by a horde of monstrous vermin; the entire countryside under the grip of a mighty wildcat brood. With the help of many of the woodlanders, including the infamous Gonff the Mousethief, Martin soon embarked upon a journey that granted him alliance with powerful Badgers, earned him the respect of many a countryfolk, and also granted him a mighty weapon; his legendary sword, Ratdeath. Martin swiftly defeated the wildcat queen, Tsarmina, and her horde of rats, stoats, weasels, and ferrets, and his freedom fighters brought the monstrous vermin fortress of Kotir to the ground, building up Redwall near the remains.
Of course, like all stories, Martin's seemed doomed to come to an end once he decided to forsake the ways of the Warrior and hang up his sword. However, such was not the case, for his legacy was swift to live on in many forms. From the great Dandin down to the mighty Mattimeo, from Triss to the Taggerung, many a soul was touched by the shade of the fallen hero, and soon became the legendary Warriors of Redwall; powerful guardians forever entrusted with the care of the noble mouse's great sword. However, there was such peace in Mossflower country that no one had ever come close to holding the sword in a hundred seasons…well, save for cleaning it of course.
Adrian stared admiringly at the beautiful weapon, which hung on an iron rack just above the picture of Martin the Warrior. Such a beautiful blade it was; truly a dazzling sight regardless of its duty to take away the lives of others. Adrian could easily see his own reflection in the silvery metal; its polish proving well to ensure that the blade withstood the test of time. Adrian was tempted to reach up and touch the hilt of the mighty weapon, but he knew better, instead letting it rest upon the rack from whence it sat.
"Oh, Martin," Adrian said aloud, "I bet you never had any girl troubles, did you? Knowing your history, just about any mousemaid would simply fall into your arms without another care in the world, wouldn't they?"
Martin's figure in the tapestry kept its smile, its eyes staring up at the young mouse. Adrian knew that it was rather silly to speak to a tapestry of a long-forgotten warrior, but he felt that doing so was rather calming; as if he was actually speaking to the warrior in person. Sure, the tapestry didn't reply back, but, somehow, Adrian always felt better after saying a few words to the hero of the abbey. Tonight was no exception.
"Thanks, Martin," the young mouse sighed, "Your presence alone is enough to make me feel better. Perhaps I'm still just too young to worry about girl troubles for now. Oh well…See you later, friend."
Martin was as silent as always as Adrian left the Tapestry to return to the others outside. However, as Adrian left, he did not notice a loose pebble from one of the abbey stones fall and strike Martin's blade. The resulting sound that echoed through the halls was like a tiny explosion of thunder, like the distant felling of an oak tree or a lightning strike on a rock in the open sea.
Morwen poked her head out of her room with Barm and Twill squirming between both of her mighty arms, completely immobilized by the girth of her limbs. She gazed long and hard for the source of the noise, though all that she caught sight of was the pebble at the bottom of the tapestry.
"Gorath's stripe," she said, "Either a storm is coming early this summer to Redwall Abbey, or my mind is growing old and I'm hearing things."
"You bee's hearin' t'ings alright," Barm squeaked, "You's hearin' two likkle dibbuns fightin' for fweedom!"
"Aye!" Twill shouted, "Fer fweedom!"
"By the time I'm done with you both, you'll be wishing for freedom from your dormitories for at least six seasons," Morwen growled.
Morath the Moors gazed down upon the young hares that all gathered around on the peak of the mountain. All around him, young Salamandastron hares; potential recruits and suitable warriors-to-be for the Long Patrol; sat eager to watch the mighty Badger Lord tell them the great tale of the founders of Salamandastron. He sighed and treated the young hares with a great big smile. They all beamed back, taking the smile as a good sign and that the story was soon to begin.
Bragus, the young hare from earlier that day, waved a paw at the Badger Lord and patted a spot beside him where he could sit down, right next to the fire. Morath smiled and promptly approached the young hare, sitting next to him and causing all of the other young hares to feel downright jealous. Bragus merely beamed; it was quite an honor getting the chance to sit next to a Badger Lord.
Morath cleared his throat, causing everyone to turn their heads in his direction. Glad that he caught their attention, he began to speak up in his mighty Badger voice, his words capturing the gazes of all who sat and listened to the great Morath.
"Salamandastron is as ancient as the earth itself," Morath said, opening his arms wide to give emphasis to his words, "Long ago, when our world was young, Salamandastron was once a fiery mountain that belched ash, flame, and molten rock; like a mighty dragon! Though it has long ceased its great rumblings, the fire within the great Salamandastron Hares and their Badger Lords has always been kept as strong and as bright, and has yet to waver even to this day.
"The warriors of Salamandastron always had one goal in mind; protection of the coast. We always have lived here for the sole purpose of defending the coastlands from our enemies, be they as dim-witted as Toads or as cunning as the Searat Pirates who hunt in the west, across the sea. Salamandastron has been our fortress home even before the days of Lady Sable Brock, our thus far earliest recorded Badger Lady of the mountain. Salamandastron has had many foes, and has been besieged many times in ancient days past; very few is the number of times that Salamandastron has been so much as penetrated by enemy forces, and thus far only once has it ever been recorded to have been taken by enemy hands. However, in every case the forces of the Long Patrol Hares, alongside the defenders of our great ally, Redwall Abbey, with other combined forces of good and the righteous, have managed to take Salamandastron back, and have proven time and time again to never be beaten or back down from a fight.
"My ancestor, Gorath the Flame, proved also that Badger Lords are loving and tender creatures as they are mighty warriors. The great Tung, his powerful pitchfork weapon as well as the item he used for his constant farming across Salamandastron, which we still do today, still sits in my armory. When he first came to Salamandastron, he proclaimed that Tung was foremost a tool of tilling; of peaceful times. However, should the need arise, it could just as easily become a powerful weapon of war that could easily kill any vermin that stood in his way.
"Badger Lords are not the only great warriors that make this mountain proud, but also the Hares that fight by their side. The Long Patrol has had many a hero; many more so than even I could count. From the great General Dorothea Dillworthy; commonly known as Dotti, founder of the Long Patrol; to Mad Eye Maudie Thropple, boxing hare and companion of my great grandfather, Gorath the Flame. What made them heroes was their determination, their fighting spirit, and, most of all, their absolute refusal to give up hope. As potential recruits, it is these three simple principles that I ask you to follow. Sure, you may not become a hero in your lifetimes; in this day and age, I can't guarantee that you will even see any action on the field. However, you should never assume the worst; always look on the bright side of things, obey your trainers, and as you learn the skills of the warrior you should always be sure to remember what you are fighting for. Remember; a warrior's strength does not come from his skills, but from his courage and his determination to do what is right."
All throughout the speech, the young hares listened to every word with wide eyes and dumbfounded looks. Morath's deep voice, combined with the dancing light of the bonfire in the center of the peak, mesmerized by his words. They took in every single detail, every single syllable that the great Badger spoke to them, and they all began seeing dreams and visions of mighty battles of ancient days past, where mighty Long Patrol Hares drove themselves headlong into the fray; fighting monstrous Toads, deadly rats, and freeing goodbeasts from an all manner of nasty vermin that slunk about within the dark crevices of the world. When Morath was done, everyone breathed a sigh of astonishment, and some of the young hares cheered the mighty Badger. Morath took a light bow, and directed one of the Long Patrol sergeants to start taking the hares back down into the mountain.
Bragus approached Morath as the Badger got up to leave. "Sire," he asked timidly, "Uh...about joining the Long Patrol, sah. Do you think that I can really beat my ol' pap and become one of the youngest officers evah?"
Morath smiled at the young hare. "Anything is possible," he said, "However, that's not going to happen if you don't get top marks and do as you are told. Following orders to the letter and doing extra on top of all of that is tough; my own father continuously pushed me to the limits when I was a lad like yourself, and now look what that made me. In the meantime, enjoy your young life while it lasts, because it's not going to get a chance…to—"
Bragus looked up curiously at the Badger Lord once he stopped talking. "Mi'lord?" he asked, "What's wrong?"
Morath put a hand up on his head. He looked like he was in great pain. The badger felt as if a very cloudy mist had encircled over his eyes; like the Bloodwrath, but much less red. The mist seemed to envelop his whole senses, and soon he found himself very disoriented and about to go unconscious. Pushing Bragus aside so he wouldn't land on top of him, Morath felt his knees buckle and his whole body fall to the ground with a thud, his entire mind going black.
Bragus was a very bright lad, and he knew very well what to do when anyone, Badger Lords especially, were to fall over and lose consciousness.
"Help!" he shouted, "Lord Morath is in trouble! Help! Quick, get a physician over here! Help!!"
"What up, lad?" a sergeant quickly came up to Bragus, "What's the bally matta—Good grief! Jerome! Get six Hares over here and make it snappy! Bring the bally doctor here too, or I'll have your whiskers for mah bowstring!"
With a quick, "Yes, sah!" one of the Hares quickly ran down the stairs to get some help. The sergeant turned his attention back to Bragus.
"What happened, lad? How'd he get hurt like this?"
"I don't know," Bragus replied, "One minute he was talkin', and the next he started actin' dizzy and then keeled over. Maybe it was somethin' he ate, wot?"
The sergeant knelt down and examined Morath, lifting his head and opening one of his big eyes to get a good look. "Nah, m'boy," the sergeant said, "He's out cold, but it wasn't something he ate. His vision's a bit cloudy. I've got a hunch what it could be, but until we get the doc up here I can't be sure. In the meantime, young Bragus, go get yer' pap and tell him what's goin' on. Quick's the word, and sharp's the action, wot, wot!"
"Yes, sah!" Bragus saluted. Without another word, he dashed like a speeding arrow down the steps, bolting through the corridors and flying past the other young hares being led to their dormitories. All around him, people were whispering and asking themselves what in the name of fur and freedom was going on. He couldn't help but ask himself the very same question.
Guldar Deadeyes sat upon his throne, smiling proudly as he examined the captives at his feet. Three so-called 'freebeasts' were bound by their paws and kneeling on his bearskin rug. Two of them looked as terrified as ever; two squirrels, as a matter of fact. Guldar knew right away that the manner that they were dressed suggested that they were both of royal, or at least rich, lineage; perhaps a father and daughter or niece travelling together. The third individual he knew very well, though he hadn't seen him since the war had ended so many years ago.
"Grimfeather," Guldar growled, "Report; how many others managed to survive?"
"These t'ree along with a' least two dozen others, sir," the weasel said, "We've got 'dem all tied up, just like ye ordered."
"Get the others below," he ordered, "Have the boatswains prepare them for slavery. It's high time we had extra oar slaves on board."
"Aye, cap'n," Grimfeather saluted. He quickly scurried out of the throne room and headed out onto the deck, where several bounty hunters were currently making sport on a couple of the prisoners. The poor beasts were being used as targets for whips. Though the hunters didn't attack to kill; Guldar would have their heads if they dared to kill any potential slaves; they did give the helpless sailors hell. The screams and shouts of anguish made by the two dormice being picked on at that current moment caused the two squirrels to tremble even more. The squirrelmaid actually started weeping.
That's quite a pretty maid, if I do say so myself, Guldar thought.
The mouse sat unmoving, gazing up at Guldar with pure hatred in his eyes. The Pine Marten snapped his fingers once, causing the two squirrels to immediately stop trembling. Guldar was rather disappointed that he didn't get a reaction out of the mouse, though he knew that the mouse would soon find him a true creature to fear.
"So," Guldar said, "Captain Floret…or should I say 'former Captain Floret?' Your ship had once caused me quite a bit of trouble back when I was a part of the Dark Horde. You almost cost me the fur on my back when my superior discovered that you had stolen all of our cargo and our latest shipment of oar slaves. Personally, I'm glad that I found you now that the war is long over…it means that I'd be the one to decide your fate, not my so-called 'masters.'"
"Whatever fate you decide of me, Pine Marten, get it over with," Floret growled, "I'd rather not get into unnecessary chit-chat."
Guldar laughed. "You can tell if someone's a good mouse if he sticks to the point," Guldar said, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to deny you the torture I have planned for now…you see, you are my guests on this ship. You and I know each other, but I've not had the priviledge of being introduced to your two…friends."
At these words, the squirrels began trembling again. Floret glanced fearfully at them for a moment before returning his gaze back up at Guldar, his face set in a seemingly emotionless expression.
"They are…passengers of mine," Floret said, "They have nothing to do with you. They were heading over to Port Timberfurrow for merchant business. They aren't even rich folk; down on their luck, I heard. I only took them in out of the goodness of my heart."
"I'm sure you did," Guldar sneered. He gazed at the male Squirrel, who was crouched low but had moved over to protect the Squirrelmaid from the vicious pirate king. Guldar lowered a claw and held it dangerously below the Squirrel's chin, causing the beast to swallow hard and follow the claw with his head as best as he could while being tied.
"State your name, Squirrel…if you want to live to see your child grow old," the Pine Marten growled.
"I-I-I am S-S-S-S-Sir Gustof Oakkin. This is my daughter, Selene. I am a merchant, as the captain rightfully says. If it would please you, sire, I have cargo aboard the Turquoise that I am sure you would greatly appreciate. I am willing to grant all of it to you freely if you just spare the lives of myself, and my daughter."
Guldar smiled widely. He heard this name before. If he remembered correctly back during his time in the Dark Horde, the Oakkins were once a proud, noble family of Squirrels that lived in the lands conquered by his former masters. Back then, the Oakkins lost their estates and kingdoms to the Dark Horde, and those who survived were registered as beasts to keep an eye on when patrolling the Horde's lands. Though he had been out of touch with the registry for a while now, he knew that there had to be someone out there that would find their family valuable…especially if they had some sort of family heirlooms stashed somewhere.
"I accept your offer," Guldar announced, his smile still intact.
Everyone's eyes widened; most notably the other crew members. The few that were privileged enough to be in the throne room with the great Guldar were rather shocked that their captain or king would show mercy to weaklings. The only one who wasn't shocked was Shadran, who simply closed his eyes as he leaned in the corner and allowed himself a very rare smile off of the corner of his mouth.
"Greenfang, Rashnak," Guldar barked, "Announce to the crew to start loading his lordship's valuables onto the ship. Anything of extremely high value goes straight to me. The rest can be divided accordingly. Dismissed."
The two bowed low to the King of Bounty Hunters before they left the throne room. Gustof was on his hands and knees, his heart overjoyed from the sudden turn of luck. Floret just sighed. He had already interpreted the true meaning of Guldar's words, and he knew that the Squirrel wasn't going to like what would happen next.
"Oh, thank you for sparing us, my lord," Gustof said, "I promise you that we will pay you back."
Guldar let another chuckle, before promptly kicking Gustof full in the face. The Squirrel was thrown backwards over his daughter's head before he landed hard on his head on the Bear-skin rug with a loud thud, much to the delight of the remaining vermin officers. He groaned as he tried to get himself back up in a kneeling position, so that he could better gaze at the mad warlord's face.
"Fool," Guldar hissed, "I said you could live…I didn't say for how long or whether or not you were even going to be treated as a guest, like you would if you were still a freebeast. As of now, you, along with Captain Floret, are to be placed in the brig where you will spend the rest of your days…or until I can harvest a suitable ransom for your heads. I'm sure there's at least someone out there in the world who would miss you if you didn't turn up where you both belonged…"
He soon turned his eyes to the quiet Squirrelmaid on the floor, who was still shivering and had noticeably turned even more frightened at the sight of those horrid, deadly eyes. Guldar eyed her up and down. The more he gazed at her, the more he was certain that his decision was perfect…he, after all, needed fresher meat amongst his current flock of lovelies.
"As for your daughter," Guldar said with a smile, "I'll make sure she gets much better treatment. Henceforth, she shall be one of my private slave girls; to forever obey her master's beck and call. Sure, she'll never see her father or loved ones again, but is it not better to be under the Devil's care than in his path, mate?"
The monstrous Pine Marten laughed. Selena promptly fainted, landing with a thud on the rug. Gustof could only gaze slack-jawed in horror. Floret just shook his head in resignation, knowing full well that everything was just going to keep going downhill from that point on.
Gorril waited patiently by the door to the captain's cabin. He had already seen Greenfang and Rashnak file out and begin ordering the crew to start moving the goods from the newly-captured ship. He was waiting specifically for Shadran, who he knew very well was inside and doubtlessly receiving orders from his majesty.
Finally, the other officers and Bounty Hunters began filing out, ordering crew members about. Gorril knowingly kept well out of sight, seeing as he could be unluckily ordered about by one of the other officers and lose his chance at catching a few words with Shadran.
After what seemed like forever, Shadran came out. The weasel grunted as he caught sight of the bright sunlight outside, and quickly pulled up his shadowy hood over his eyes. Catching Gorril out of the corner of his eye, he slyly made a quick movement with his hand and slunk away, revealing a dagger on the ground where his cloak had been.
Gorril waited until Shadran had dipped downstairs to his private cabin before grabbing the dagger. After carefully dodging the eyes of the other officers, he began to make his way down towards Shadran's cabin…and ran right into Greenfang.
"Oi!" Greenfang growled, "Wot'cha doin' 'ere, boy?! Ye should be out gettin' the loot like the others!"
"Shadran asked me to fetch his dagger, mate," Gorril said as convincingly as he could, "He dropped it on his way out and asked me to fetch it for him. Here; see for yerself."
Gorril showed the shadowy dagger that the Weasel dropped. Greenfang took it out of his hands and examined the weapon closely. Gorril would have loved to have shived him with the weapon right then and there, but he knew that the time was not ripe for plundering yet. He paid very close attention to the Rat officer as he examined the blade in his hands.
Finally, Greenfang gave the weapon back to Gorril, point first, as if reminding him of how treacherous he really was. Gorril accepted the weapon carefully before slipping it back in his pocket so he couldn't accidentally cut himself…or be tempted in killing his adversary.
"Be careful with things that don't belong to ye, boy," Greenfang said in a voice barely above a whisper, "It could have a habit of stranglin' ye to death."
Greenfang made his way out onto the deck and started barking orders to the others. Gorril quickly slipped into the darkness of the lower decks, making his way quickly to the back of the ship and keeping to the shadows as he did.
Shadran's cabin door was open. Gorril had to knock once and the Weasel's head poked out to greet him. Silently, Shadran beckoned Gorril inside. The Rat obeyed, slipping into the cabin and closing the door behind him. He pulled out Shadran's dagger and handed it to the deadly assassin.
"You're late," Shadran remarked, "Run into Greenfang?"
"The dagger kept me from havin' to do much of that fool's dirty work," Gorril said.
"I expected that it would," the Weasel said, "Now…what's this all about?"
"When do I perform the blood ritual?" Gorril asked eagerly, "I am more than eager to kill off that son of a pig. He stole what was rightfully mine…and vengeance shall soon be had."
"Patience, son of Gorrahg," Shadran said silently, "Greenfang's demise will be soon, and most certainly by your hand, but he will not come quietly. Few know that your father pulled me out of that great shark that tried to kill our king so long ago, and fewer still know that he healed me and ensured my survival. Only you know of the blood pact I made in your father's name, which is why I'm here, talking to you at this very moment. Once you begin this ritual, there is no stopping it, so make sure you accomplish the deed as best as you can."
Gorril nodded his head. "Greenfang's head will be restin' calmly on the end of my sword when this is all over…this I swear by my father's blood, and by the tattoo on me face."
Shadran nodded in agreement. Neither of them liked Greenfang, though both of them hated him for different purposes than the other. Gorril hated the Rat officer because of what he did to his father and of the inheritance he denied him, but Shadran…his hatred was much more formal. He and Guldar both agreed that Greenfang was too ambitious for his own good; that his desire for power could likely lead to mutiny within the ranks if he got enough loyal followers. Shadran had already discussed an appropriate plan for getting rid of this particular loose end…and Gorril was the perfect tool for the job.
"Alright then, boy," Shadran said calmly, twirling his dagger by the point of his finger, "Here's what you're going to do. Guldar has decided to give the freebeast ship to Greenfang; he's wanting his own personal armada, and he sees the rat as a likely candidate for the job of a secondary captain. Greenfang is to select a crew tonight that he can properly use to ensure that his new ship will run in top shape…and he'll likely pick only his most loyal followers. Your instructions are simple; get to Greenfang…get on his good side, somehow, and get him to pick you as one of his crew. Once you manage to get on board, I'll give you more instructions later. Am I clear?"
Gorril gave the Weasel a hefty salute. "Aye, aye, sir."
Shadran nodded. "Good. You are dismissed…the sooner you try to get on his good side, the better. By the way…he really enjoys the elderberry wine in the captain's cabin. Get's drunk easily on the stuff. I took the liberty of leaving a barrel out for you…just tell the slaves that Shadran's tippin' tonight."
Gorril nodded, completely understanding the Weasel's instructions. Without another word, the Rat quickly left the cabin, keeping to the shadows as best as he could as he made his way back up to the deck, his mind thoroughly set upon revenge. Shadran allowed himself a very calm and very deadly smile before closing the door to his cabin and sharpening the dagger in his hand.
Kerian: It's been a little while since I updated, hasn't it? Alright, so we now know a little bit more about Shadran and Gorril, and we als oknow about Gorril's plans for dealing with Greenfang...at least for the moment. In the meantime, Morath gets knocked out, and Adrian has girl problems...all in all, not a bad chapter I should say.
Something that I'm planning on doing is getting some kind of cover-art/concept art set up for The Fallen Star. Already I'm setting up a picture for Morath the Moors. It isn't perfect, but it's better than nothing. I'm probably going to have him attempting to defend himself against Deadeyes or another vermin lord. It should look pretty cool, and since I have a Deviantart account you guys will be able to see it later!
I'm probably going to be updating this a lot more often since I've got Redwall on the brain. I can't wait until the Sable Quean comes out. I'm still kind of waiting until I get a chance to buy Doomwyte, seeing as that's the only book in the Redwall series I have yet to read. Once I do get it, I probably will be updating this fic a lot more often. I've got big plans for Adrian, Bragus, Guldar, and all of those other characters I've managed to create since this fic started.
I guess that's probably it for now, other than a quick announcement involving other fics. I'm currently still working on the next chapter to Secrets of the Lost Woods. Until I'm done with that, I'm probably not going to post anything more anytime soon. However, while I'm still kind of in the block on that fanfic I'll be sure to keep updating everything and probably post it all in one big SHABANG! Until then, me out!
-Kerian