"'Scuse me, y'lordship, but I think the way to Redwall's a bit south o' here."
Rockleg the hare watched as Sunflash the Badger Lord of Salamandastron strode slightly ahead of himself, ever the proud leader of his troop of hares. The golden-striped badger nodded to his captain and kept on his way.
"Yes, I believe so as well," he said in his commanding tone. "But I want to see if there are anymore interesting plants to be found this way. We'll make it to Redwall soon enough, all the same."
The throng kept on with their steady, relaxed pace, enjoying their travel through Mossflower and letting their wounds finish their healing. The war against the dreaded Swartt Sixclaw was finally over with the ferret warlord having been overcome in the battle under Bat Mountpit. Sunflash had him cornered near the higher portions of the caverns within the great mountain, and, having slain his lackeys and knocked the ferret down with a hefty blow of his mace, tossed Swartt down into the darkness. It was surely his end, though Sunflash couldn't help but feel some worry. He later wished he had never threw down his body in his bloodwrath, as the idea he someone might've lived every now and again flickered in the back of his thoughts. He shrugged such silly notions away, but it unnerved him from time to time to think that his hated foe could still be.
That thought fortunately did not bother him in that moment, however. The trek through Mossflower county was peaceable, refreshing to the war-weary travelers, and the thought of reaching Redwall had all excited, especially the badger lord. Even then, thoughts of his mother filled his dreams when he slumbered, and they seemed to grow stronger as he neared her. He wanted nothing more than to look upon her face, but he knew his loyal hares were still taking their time to recuperate and were not all well and healed, though they did their best efforts to hide it from their lord. And he couldn't begrudge the winding path they took to the abbey, as he very much did relish the beauty of the forest and the variety of flora he found within.
It was on their looping path that they forded the River Moss and could see a clearing in the oaks up ahead. Sunflash's sharp eyes could make out the cabin that sat within, a homely little abode, plentiful moss upon the roof and smoke puffing up through a stone-lined chimney. The badger lord and his legion had encountered a number of similar dwellings and had a pleasurable time meeting and befriending the woodland inhabitants they met, many of whom joined up on the march to Redwall, eager to hear more of Sunflash's story and eager for a potential feast.
Sunflash motioned for the larger body of his hares to remain back a ways at the edge of the clearing; such a large number of anybeast was bound to worry most woodland creatures, though the hares were sure to make themselves conspicuous and at ease so as not to appear as if they lay in wait for ambush, not that any hares would do such a thing. Rockleg and Fleetrun walked alongside Sunflash with a few other hares, proudly accompanying their lord to meet whatever friendly creature lived in the cabin. They were about halfway to it when the door opened and a mouse stepped out, shutting the door behind and turning to see them with a start. Sunflash came to a halt, his hares matching him right on queue.
"Greetings," Sunflash spoke gently with a bow towards the much smaller creature. "I am Sunflash, Lord of Salamandastron and these"—he waved his paw towards his hares beside him and those that had remained behind—"are my hares that serve under me. We've come this way to journey to Redwall Abbey."
"The abbey?" the mouse said excitedly, looking almost straight up at the towering badger. "Oh, I know where Redwall is! I could show you all there, if you liked."
"That would be very kind of you, and you would have my thanks," Sunflash replied, bowing his head once more.
"If you don't mind my asking," Bryony started. "Do you know of Bella, the badger that lives at the abbey?"
Sunflash's heart began to race at the mention of her name, and he nodded vigorously.
"Yes, though I haven't met her since I was but a babe. She is my mother, and she is the reason we are headed to Redwall."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" the mouse said, clasping her paws together. "I've heard others mention that Bella lost her son long, long ago, though she never spoke of it. She'll be so happy to see you, sire!"
"As will I, my dear," Sunflash said as smiled down at her. "Ah, I don't think I've caught your name!"
"My apologies, lord Sunflash, I didn't give it in my excitement," she said with a curtsy. Looking back up at him, she smiled proudly. "My name is Bryony Sixclaw."
All at once, a terrible hush filled the clearing. The hares, once chattering amongst themselves quietly, were unmoving, nervously looking at their lord. Sunflash paused for a moment, straightening up and staring into the mouse's eyes. Bryony looked back at him a while and then glanced around at the tense hares, suddenly aware of the oppressive quiet. Even the birds and bugs of the forest had stopped their songs and calls, the very wind seemed to have left them. She looked back at Sunflash, paws fidgeting under his intense gaze. His deep voice broke the silence, his once warm tone replaced with an ominous chill.
"Did you say . . . Sixclaw?"
"Y—yes, I did," Bryony stammered. "It's my husband's name."
Sunflash continued to stare at the tiny mouse, his stony face belying his racing mind. Bryony continued to wither where she stood, wondering what she had done to make the situation so tense.
"I could go get him if you wish," Bryony finally mentioned, hoping it would be of some help. "He's asleep in our cabin at the moment, but I could wake him for you."
"Please do so," was all Sunflash said in response, his face barely moving as he spoke.
Bryony was quick to turn around and head to the cabin door, closing it sharply behind her. The hares stood motionlessly, silently as did Sunflash while they waited. The seconds stretched on like hours until the door reopened and the mouse stepped back outside. With her paw, she lead him out, and at once a gasp went through the gathered troop, breaking the silence for a moment before it reclaimed the clearing.
Sunflash could feel the bloodwrath rising to his head as he watched the ferret walk towards him. It was as if Swartt had not just survived the fight under Bat Mountpit but had been rejuvenated after all, the ferret before him a young, sinewy creature full of life and youth; even his six-clawed paw flexed energetically in the dappled sunlight, though Sunflash had deadened Swartt's paw long ago. Sunflash's paw drifted to his mace right as his increasingly red eyes made contact with the ferret's, and then he stopped. Though his body was alike his rival's, the ferret before him looked back with eyes he had never seen before in Swartt, or even any other vermin. A look of strength and even a bit of indignation was there, that he could tell easily, but he could also see a kind warmth behind them that he had never encountered in any of the vile creatures he had fought against all his life. The couple stopped before the badger lord and waited, paw-in-paw. The ferret looked at the legion of hares and their lord, and quickly glanced down at his wife and squeezed her paw just a little. Sunflash saw the little gesture, and the bloodwrath began to slip away.
"Hm, what is your name, ferret?" the badger asked gruffly, blinking hard as he kept control of himself.
"I'm called Veil Sixclaw," he answered, staring back at him and nodding his head slightly. "My wife tells me you're Lord Sunflash. Is there somethin' we can do for you?"
Sunflash, his eyes remaining locked with Veil's, waited a moment before speaking again.
"Who is Swartt Sixclaw to you?"
"Swartt Sixclaw?" Veil said to himself, chuckling once. "He's my father, so I'm told."
A low murmur passed among the hares for a brief moment before Sunflash started again.
"Was. I have defeated his horde and slain the warlord himself with my own paws."
"Oh," Veil said simply, nodding. "Well, that's for the best then. By all accounts, he was quite the murderous beast. I imagine the world's a much better place without him, isn't that right dear?"
"Of course," Bryony said in return, patting his paw. "Anybeast that could've abandoned their young'un like he did with you is a rotten one in my book."
Silence reigned again for another pause, and then Sunflash let out an echoing laugh. The hares all breathed a sigh of relief and began to relax and chat away as they always do. Sunflash stepped forward and put his massive paw on Veil's shoulder, a smile on his face.
"Well, I seemed to have misjudged you, Veil. You look like your father, but it seems you and him are quite different beasts. I apologize for any worry I might have caused you two."
"Thank you, Lord Sunflash," Veil replied, smiling. "We can go 'head and lead you down to Redwall, if you wish."
"Let us go then," the badger said, and the troop was off, Veil and Bryony leading the way with Sunflash at their side.
"So, tell me about yourself, Veil," Sunflash said. "How did you come to find yourself here?"
Veil sighed lightly, watching the path ahead.
"It's a long story. Not a very nice one too, really."
"But it has a happy ending!" Bryony added, smiling at Veil and gripping his paw tight.
Veil returned the smile and looked up at Sunflash beside him.
"That's right. Well, I was still just a babe when I was brought to the abbey, and that was when I first met Bryony . . ."