"If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant a tree; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people." ~Chinese proverb.

"Hyah! Hai! Huah!"

After finishing their chores, the teenagers gathered in the Orchard. Some Elders too came out with the Dibbuns to observe and supervise.

The Sandeyes and the shrews led them through a variety of basic stretches and warm-ups. Now they practiced standard forward punches.

"Wungkan is more than a fancy term for martial arts." Jared paced in front of the assembly. He sidestepped Diana's whipping fist. "More than punching and kicking, grappling and blocking, flipping and spinning; and all that cool, flashy, acrobatic stuff in between."

He held a fist to his heart. "Wungkan is our pamumuhay-our lifestyle."

"But Wungkan doesn't have to be exclusive to unarmed fighting, either." Madeline approached from the pear trees and strawberry patches. She briefly stopped to help Bethany with the proper alignment of her fist. "Armed combat can pack as much of a punch as any strike from Kōnōtash, Tuah Mann, or Lunkuthwo."

"An' Wun'kan can apply t' any part o' life, too," Antonius leaned back against a tree. Its shadowy amber-tinted canopy partially hid him. "Anythin' that requires 'ard work, dedication, an' study can be Wun'kan."

"Aye, that be true." Laurel practiced with the Redwallers. "Whatever you pursue with study, training, and time; any discipline achieved through training and practice-that is your Wungkan. Ai-yah!" She socked the air in front of her.

"Blacksmithing, botany," Madeline kissed Jared on the temple; he returned in kind. "Cooking, writing, art, carpentry, healing, herbalism, theatre, fencing." She swung their joined paws back and forth. "The things you dedicate your life to can be your own personal Wungkan."

"Excuse me, Miz Mad'lin," piped up Dorothy. She bounced in Sister Amelia's lap while they sat on a log. "Can swipin' vikkles from da Kitchens be W-Wu-Wun-?" She scrunched up her face to concentrate on the word. "Wun'kan?"

Madeline smirked and leaned down to the squirrelbabe's eye level. "Of course, Dorothy!" Her smirk grew into an ear-to-ear grin. "You just gotta plan well in advance. Work together and be courageous. Then when the time is right-"

She snapped her fingers. "Strike! You'll swipe those vittles right out from under Reylia's nose!"

All the Dibbuns cheered and bounced in the laps of the Sisters, who all rolled their eyes. The siblings shared a high-five.

"Yeah, we'll steal da vikkles from Fwiaw Weylia!" Caleb on Lunafreya's shoulders pumped his fists in the air. "We gunna be sneaky Wun'kan beasts!"

"We be like foxerbeasts, burr aye!" Grinding tugged at his snout. "We baint gunna get caught by da Fwiaw or da Farver H'Abbot, burr no!"

"But Wungkan is more than a simple hobby to casually engage in," Jared carried on. "It's a commitment. A lifetime of study, discipline, and training. To learn Wunkgan," he held up an emphatic finger. "You have to first think about why you want to learn it. And no, impressing fair maidens doesn't count," he swiftly added in a disciplinary tone when Anthony opened his mouth to ask. The young mouse instantly closed it. His fellow teens all grinned and laughed.

"What in Martin's sacred name are those shouts ye lot are doin'?" Mack asked from the upturned wheelbarrow. "They soun' almost feral!"

"Kiai," Jared explained to the almoner otter. "From the Senshaan word meaning 'emphatic energy'."

"It's a way to channel our hangaw energy into our attacks." Madeline nodded her approval at a punch from Rudmir at the same time. She kissed her brother again, then broke away to walk down the line.

"Well, it's bloody intimidatin'!" Mack shuddered and shifted backwards on the wheelbarrow.

"This is fascinating!" Fernleaf standing behind him exclaimed. Indeed the ferret seemed captivated by the Wungkan display.

"Ain't it?" Arland beside him grinned and folded his arms. "I'm certainly learning a lot!"

"How's everyone doing?" Jared asked the group.

"Feeling pretty good about this!" Anthony bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Yeah, this is fun!" Bethany threw out a final punch with each fist for good measure.

"Nowhere else I'd rather be than 'ere doin' this, mate!" Rudmir hit his fists to his chest.

"I think they're getting the hang of it, kuya." Madeline called to her brother midway up the line.

"All right!" Jared clapped his paws. "Everyone, partner up! Let's work on those blocks Maddie and Laurel taught you."

Everybeast found a partner and chose a space for themselves. One partner punched while the other defended.

"Remember, keep your fists up at about your eye level." Madeline demonstrated for Wyatt and Antonius.

"Aye, arms vertical, elbows close," Laurel added. Both maidens watched Wyatt position his elbows close to his ribcage. "You want to protect your ribs. There you go!"

"Good show, Wyatt!" Antonius praised the mouse's block of his attempted punch. It hardly got through the Gatekeeper's arms. The confident mouse laughed. "Now 'ere comes me other paw, ready yerself!"

"Ouch! Anthony, take it easy! Seasons!"

In stark contrast to the disciplined approaches of his fellows, Anthony barraged Avacyn with punches. The squirrelmaid yelped and pulled her arms tight in front of herself. She shut her eyes and turned away from the mouse's hail of strikes. Her arm muscles and bones tightened.

"Ano ba'yan-Huminto ka!" Jared swooped in and pulled the two apart. "Stop it, what's going on? This is not what we practiced!"

"I'll say! Hmph!" Avacyn breathed a sigh of relief and smoothed out her tunic. "Can't hold my blocks up thanks to chestnuts-for-brains over here!"

"We have chestnuts?" a curious Jacob asked over his shoulder.

"But this Wungkan stuff is so freaking cool! Hyah!" Anthony attempted a roundhouse punch. Avacyn cried out and tried to throw up her block-

Jared caught the punch in a basic Kōnōtash deflection maneuver. He turned his left arm inward to the right from his guard position. His closed fist turned towards his face.

Anthony scarcely had a millisecond to react. The squirrel had already sidestepped to swing his feet out from under him.

He flipped flat onto his back in the grass and dirt. Avacyn exhaled again.

"Hay nako, Anthony!" Jared barked at the incapacitated mouse. "You are out of control! Where is your discipline? I thought you were better than this, púpiló!"

"Come on, Jared, I'm having a little fun!" Anthony propped himself up on his paws. "Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same thing!"

"Against a deserving adversary trying to take me down," Jared reprimanded the mouse very matter-of-factly. "But not against an innocent sparring partner in a training dojo!"

"What's the difference?" Anthony furrowed his brow at the squirrel. "Take this!"

He stood up to swing a punch straight at Jared. But he'd already ducked underneath and lunged into Anthony's torso.

Whoomph! He sailed a Hoskinyuk hook into the mouse's diaphragm.

"Whoof!" Anthony crumpled and returned to the ground.

"The difference is that one is wanting to learn and sharpen their skills." Jared planted a footpaw on the winded mouse's stomach. "The other is trying to stick a dagger in your unblocked gut. Blind overconfidence won't protect you against Nagrig Deathblade's vermin."

He removed his foot. "You and Avacyn try again, and with more restraint this time." He didn't move on until the two had resumed their drill.

"So when do we get to learn all the real gnarly punches?" Anthony asked while getting into position. "Like jabs and hooks and cross punches and roundhouses and uppercuts!" He made small various demonstrations of each punch to illustrate for Jared. Avacyn flinched at each one and withdrew slightly from Anthony's reach.

"One thing at a time." Jared again put his paws behind his back. "You have to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. Besides, never underestimate the basic punch. Falling back on your training may mean the difference between victory and defeat."

"He really knows what he's doing, doesn't he?" Laurel watched Jared walk past the other sparring duos. The squirrel had his paws behind his back. He walked with a seemingly unshakable authority and confidence.

"Jared takes Wungkan very seriously." Madeline punched Laurel's elbows and arms one after the other. "It's his whole way of life. He defines himself by it. He's not trying to force the dogma on anybeast; just teach them what they need to know. Whether the creatures of Redwall decide to follow him down that path, well, that's their choice."

"Mark of a true leader, that is." Laurel's eyes sparkled.

"Didja say our thumbs go on th' outside or inside o' our fists, Jared?" Weonsia showed her thumbs resting on the inside of her fist, over the top knuckle of her index finger. "I'm all miffed over 'ere."

"Outside, Weonsia." Jared showed his thumb laying on the lower knuckles of his fist. "Between your first and second knuckles here. And do you remember why we do that?"

"T' avoid breakin' our thumbs when we punch, aye," Weonsia stated.

"Correct. Now give Rudmir a good hit."

Weonsia set up her fists, thumbs outside her knuckles. Rudmir readied his block.

"Hyah!" Weonsia punched straight into his elbows.

"Oof!" Rudmir recoiled with a surprised laugh. "Cripes, that was a good one, Weonsia! Yer best yet!"

"Aye, I've got this!" Weonsia jumped up and down and pumped her fists.

"You can feel the difference, can't you, Weonsia?" Jared smiled proudly at the two otters. Weonsia nodded back. Jared gestured for them to carry on. "Remember, your thumb stays outside. Great work, you two! Keep it up!"

"Go on, Bethany!" Jacob held up his guard. "Hit me with all your strength!"

"Are you sure, Jacob?" Bethany seemed rather timid and reserved. "I don't wanna hurt you!"

"Nah, I'm a big tough wolf!" Jacob grinned to reassure the mousemaid. "I can handle it! C'mon, punch me!"

"Eee-yah!" Bethany launched a full-strength right-pawed punch into Jacob's undefended abdomen.

"Oomph!" Jacob instinctively pulled in his stomach to contain the air escaping him. "Hey, good hit, Bethany! You caught me! Atta girl!" He held up his palms.

"All right, haha!" Bethany laughed and high-fived him. "I got this Wunkgan stuff down!"

"Great punch, Bethany!" Jared nodded his approval. "Although, in a real fight, you never want to use all of your strength."

He whipped the air in front of himself. "Or else you'll find yourself out of energy to use for the rest of the match. So use just enough…Huah!"

His cuff sliced the air in half. Disciplined, snapping forward, well-restrained. "...to make your opponent feel it. Does that make sense?" Bethany nodded, then she and Jacob began again.

"Care for a spar, Arland?" Fernleaf pretended to shake his fists at the Cellarhog.

"Against the likes of you? I wouldn't stand a chance!" Arland let out a hearty laugh. He used the same block the others had been practicing. Fernleaf threw fake playful punches at him. The hedgehog dodged left and right or blocked with his elbows.

"Aye, I'm still scared," Mack shuddered at the two's sparring. "Ye all would probably be loads be'er at Wun'kan than me." He brought his knees up to his chest to perch his chin on them.

"Remember what we taught you at the start, everyone," Jared resumed his patrol. "Wungkan is first and foremost for meditation, self-defense, and defense of others. Never for aggression, offense, or violence."

"Apparently, Deathblade an' his cronies don't understan' that," Antonius' remark sounded deeply bitter. He rubbed his throat and stomach with a pained wince.

"I'm still confused about exactly what Deathblade did." Larina had sat down with the Elders. "He corrupted a sacred Wungkan style?"

"That's the idea of it, yeah," Jared turned to her with a nod. He again held his paws behind his back. "In Bevidred, they call it Pagmumuni-muni ng Ahas."

"'Meditation of the Snake'," Madeline translated.

"So, similar to Halichit and Hangaw Daloy?"

"You could say that," Jared shrugged and put his paws in his tunic pockets. "You know how in Halichit you're only hinting at the Snake? In Lonxai, you're becoming the Snake."

"But Deathblade took that meditation and twisted it into a combat style." Madeline now defended herself from Laurel's punches. "You're supposed to be respecting the snake, not enslaving it!"

"Still can't believe he'd go to those lengths!" Jacob threw delicate punches at Bethany's blocks. "It's unthinkable!"

"A righ' foul git is what Deathblade is!" Weonsia called out.

"Aye!" Rudmir prepared a punch. "Th' world's bigges' tosser!"

"So he exploits this sacred style to serve his own villainous purposes," Larina thought out loud.

"Just like how he enslaves Mossflower's innocent vermin to fight in his army to bring down Redwall." Jared completed her thought for her. "Which is why we need to fight back against him. Why we need to bring him down for good."

"And you will lead us, Jared!" Sister Falmur beamed at him. "Martin's great Abbey Champion!"

"Wielder o' ee gurt an' legendurry Sword o' Martin, burr aye!" Sister Amelia marveled at the thought.

"Will yew weally 'ave da Sword o' Martin, Mistah Jawed?" A volebabe stared at Jared with the widest, roundest eyes. She hugged Lunafreya's right leg. "Will yew goo an' save da H'Abbey?"

"We'll see, Charlie." Jared patted the Dibbun on the head. "We'll see."

"Yeah, go get da Sword, Mistah Jawed!" A hedgebabe hopped up and down on Sister Falmur's right knee. "Go an' fight da evil villyun!"

"When the time is right, Tummil." Jared knelt to take the hedgebabe's paws in his own. "When I feel I'm ready."

"But when will yew be weady, Mistah Jawed?" An otterbabe slipped down from Falmur's left knee to scamper up to him. "Innen't a longa time sinze Martin said yew was H'Abbey Warriah?"

"You know, Holly, you're absolutely right." Jared nodded at the otterbabe's words. "Tama ka, salamat. It has been days since Martin visited me. I know I have to go pick up his Sword eventually." He rubbed Holly's headfur between her ears.

"Procrastination won't get you anywhere, Jared." Timms tapped his cane on the grass. "The sooner you take up Martin's Sword and embrace the mantle of Abbey Warrior, the sooner you can end this terrible threat of Nagrig Deathblade."

"Timms is right." Lunafreya held Caleb's ankles to keep him in place on her shoulders. "Deathblade won't wait. So neither should we."

"The Warrior is your calling, Jared." Fernleaf ceased his "fight" with Arland and now put his paws in his breeches pockets. "Martin knew what he was doing when he chose you. It's now or never."

"I couldn't agree more," Arland nodded, then turned to leave the Orchard. "Think I'm gonna go get meself a drink. Anyone want to come with?"

"I'll join you, Arland." Fernleaf fell into step beside the hedgehog, who nodded. "I've a mind for a good cup of Dandelion Cordial." They left the Orchard side by side.

"Goo get da Sword, Jawed!" A red squirrelbabe hugging the Badgermum's left leg stamped his feet on the ground with excitement. "We wanna see yew 'old da Sword!"

"I'll get it before the end of the day, Paule," Jared winked and ruffled the little squirrel's headfur. "I promise." He held a paw to his heart and bowed his head.

"I never knew Jared had such a way with Dibbuns." Larina observed to Sister Amelia.

"Burr no oi, eitha!" Amelia chuckled deep in her throat. "But ee's be gunna be a gudd fada soomday!"

"Do you believe they can learn the ways of Wungkan, Jared?" Timms asked when the squirrel came up to his side.

"With diligence and perseverance and hard work." Jared stood beside Timms' chair. Paws on his hips, he proudly watched the sparring. "But believing in yourself is even more important."

"Never wiser words said." Timms nodded in agreement.

"Look at this way, guys," Jared called out to the others. "Every great master of Wungkan started out as nothing more than a student, an apprentice, a pupil. They had exactly what you have: a passion, a drive, a determined enthusiasm to become something greater than themselves."

He beat his fist on his heart. "If they can do it, then why not us?"

Later, Jared and the others taught the Redwallers a basic front kick. This too they drilled by themselves and sparred with partners. They spread out around even further around the Orchards to gain more space to kick and defend ("Oy!" Sister Amelia disciplined them. "Treat moi trees koindly, if'n ee pleeze!"). Timms and Mack had earlier excused themselves to go wash up for dinner.

Jared spun away from Weonsia's overenthusiastic kick. In his peripheral vision, he noticed Larina climbing up a step ladder. She picked figs and dropped them in a basket.

"Go 'elp 'er out, loverboy!" Rudmir's kick to his thoracic spine sent him reeling forward.

"Dangit, Rudmir!" But he was already careening towards the fig tree. He threw out his paws to stop himself colliding with the ladder-

"No-!"

Larina had only a second to notice his impact. The step ladder rocked back and forth. Then-

"Whoa! Jared, look out!"

"Larina!"

Everything came falling towards him. The sheer weight threw Jared flat onto his back.

Larina landed right on top of him.

They gasped aloud in unison as they stared appalled at each other. Their bodies were perfectly aligned from head to toes. Figs rained and scattered all around them. The step ladder flopped onto the tree roots.

All the teenagers exploded into full-blown laughter. Rudmir and Weonsia high-fived. Anthony doubled over on all fours pounding the ground. Jacob clapped and roared. Diana leaned wheezing against a tree. Laurel sat on a stump and slapped her knees. Antonius covered his snickerings with his paws. Bethany was on her knees holding her sides. Avacyn pointed and laughed while Wyatt wiped tears from his eyes. Madeline immediately dashed over to help her brother up.

Jared only gaped at Larina. A blood-red blush filled his face. He dared not lay a finger on her.

"Aaahhh! Oh, my goodness!" Larina immediately scrambled to her feet. She stepped and turned away from her male counterpart.

"I'm sorry, Jared! I'm so sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Her face too was filled with profuse blushing. "Oh, no, that was the worst thing that could've possibly happened!"

"Larina!" Sister Amelia hopped off of her step ladder and rushed up to Larina. "Are yew all righ', choild?"

"I dunno, I feel so humiliated!" Larina turned to set a strong look at Jared. "I'm more worried about him, to be honest…Are you okay, Jared?"

"Yeah, I'm all right," Jared let her and Madeline pull him up. "Ayos lang ako."

"Oh, my goodness, I'm so, so, so sorry for landing on you like that, Jared…" Larina tried in vain to hide her blushing. "I'm so mortified!"

"It's okay, it's not your fault, Larina." Sheepish, Jared rubbed the back of his head. "Rudmir kicked me into your ladder." He spun round to storm up to the otter.

"That was so uncalled for, Rud!" And he gave the otter a nice disciplinary smack on his brow.

"Ow!" Rudmir yelped. "What gives, mate? I was jus' wantin t' 'ave a little fun!" He grimaced while rubbing his brow. Jared responded only with a dark scowl.

"Having fun, my bushy tail!" Madeline retorted in Rudmir's face. The taller otter seemed to shrink and wither under her gaze. Weonsia couldn't help but giggle. "Jared and Larina could've gotten seriously hurt!"" She too smacked him upside the head.

"Yow!" Now Rudmir rubbed his cranium. "Bloody 'ell, that smarts!" The others now turned their laughter on him, albeit more subdued and calmed.

"Maddie's right!" Lunafreya put Caleb on the ground before hurrying over to pry the two apart. She towered over the squirrelmaid and otter. "There'll be no more funny business like this for the rest of the night! The last thing we want are accidents. Understand?"

"Aye, Badgermum," Rudmir nodded. Madeline did the same. Lunafreya let them go.

Amid this exchange, Jared had taken Larina's paws. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am." Larina shuddered, not even trying to hide her blushing face. Nonetheless, she gave Jared's paws a comforting squeeze and smile. "I'll be okay. Just…shaken up."

"It's just an innocent little accident. We'll be fine." Jared rubbed his thumbs on the backs of Larina's fingers. But the unsure squirrelmaid bit her lip. He leaned in to whisper to her behind his paw. "Hey, at least we weren't in our underwear."

Larina burst into a short fit of giggles. Jared grinned and chuckled. Then they pulled each other into a hug. Larina relaxed in his embrace; he rubbed her back up and down.

"See?" Bethany assured them after they'd broken apart. "It all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"Yeah, whatever," Jared waved a dismissive paw. "Get back to your training, will ya?"

He helped Larina and Amelia gather the fallen figs. Thankfully, none had been seriously damaged and all would still be usable. Madeline, Laurel, and Antonius supervised the sparring. Afterwards, the Sandeyes called it a night.

"How's everyone feeling? Think you've got the hang of it?" Jared rubbed his palms together. He high-fived or fistbumped everyone. "I encourage all of you to practice in your own time. This is just the tip of the Wungkan iceberg! I'm proud of each and every one of you, and you should all be proud of yourselves, too!"

"Give yourselves a pat on the back, you've all earned it!" Madeline patted herself on the back. "Well done! Everyone did a phenomenal job!"

The Orchard rang with the teenagers' cheers. Everybeast began to file out, chatting away and complimenting each other. Amelia, Falmur, and Larina took the Dibbuns with them. Jacob, Laurel, and Antonius merged in with their fellow teenagers. Jared and Madeline made their way into the Great Hall.

"Ah, Sandeyes!" Jonathan came hurrying up to them from the seven stairs. He held a roll of parchment and a quill. "Just the creatures I wanted to see!"

"Is everything all right, Jonathan?" Jared helped the Recorder unroll his parchment.

"What can we help you with?" Madeline came abreast of her brother.

"While you were away at Brockhall, I took the liberty of studying the Eastern Prophecy." Jonathan pulled back the last furls of the parchment. The same one upon which he'd written the Eastern Prophecy days earlier. "Brainstorming, mostly, but I've formulated theories of sorts. It's all very intriguing."

"You've spent the last four days trying to interpret the Prophecy?" Jared looked more amazed than surprised.

"You know I love nothing more than a good mental puzzle, my boy." The Recorder winked at his brown counterpart. "Very stimulating for the mind. I believe this current crisis with Nagrig Deathblade holds the answers. My speculation is that he is this 'unfamiliar darkness' which 'shrouds' this 'land of light', Mossflower."

"Wait a minute," Madeline interjected with widened eyes of realization. "You think…the signs of the Prophecy…are playing out?"

"Well, maybe, maybe not." Jonathan shrugged. "As you said, the Prophecy is incomplete. Only Deathblade knows its complete form. So it's hard to truly know for sure. At best what I have is a hypothesis."

Jared cupped his elbow in his palm and rubbed his chin. "I think you might be right, Jonathan. Deathblade enslaves innocent vermin into his army-"

"-allows his troops to roam freely through the forest-" added Madeline.

"-takes poor Antonius hostage, bursts into Brockhall, thrashes the shrews, and commits blasphemies against Wungkan-" Jonathan tacked on.

"-and wants to capture Madeline and I in order to prevent the Prophecy from being fulfilled." Jared finished.

"Anything else you were able to figure out?" Madeline asked Jonathan.

"Admittedly, I'm still baffled by this line." He turned their attention back to the parchment. "'Five lights on five mountaintops.'"

"I think I have an idea, Tinarandel." Madeline held her brother's arm to get his attention.

"What's on your mind, Isidith?" Jared turned to face her, earnestly interested.

"The island beacons?" Her brow furrowed, almost as if unsure about her suggestion. Jared's eyebrows rose; a twinkle of recognition seemed to grow behind his eyes. The phantom of a memory long lost but now retrieved.

"But they haven't been lit since…Deathblade attacked the Islands." He scratched his chin and averted his gaze once more in thought. "Though I think you may be onto something…"

"Excuse me, but…beacons?" the polite Recorder asked.

"When Deathblade first invaded the Islands," Jared put his paws in his pockets. "He split up his forces to attack all five Islands at once. He didn't know who or where the subjects of the Prophecy were."

"Each island lit their beacon to signal the others of the attack." Madeline mimed holding a torch and lighting a pyre. "Eseltharis, Tutha, Maraul, Githinien, Bevidred. But we were all so…"

She closed her eyes, shuddering and trembling. Jared took his sister in his arms and held her close to him.

"I've got you, bunso…"

Madeline leaned into her brother. She shut her eyes tight.

"...overwhelmed…" she finally whispered at length. "We couldn't help each other, and all the Islands suffered for it."

"So many lives lost, Jonathan." Jared had dropped his voice to a shaky whisper. "Too many to count." The gray squirrel said nothing. He could only respond with an empathetic nod.

"'Arms cross under a banner united'...Could that refer to when the Islands are united as one against their common threat?"

"I guess?" Jared shrugged. He rubbed Madeline's back up and down. She sniffed and hid her face in his chest. "Hard to tell for sure. If we were over there and not here…Well, that's the only way we'd be able to know."

"I presume that relations between the Eastern Islands are…strained?"

"Yeah, you could say that..." Jared let out a long regretful and stressed sigh.

"'Native blood seeks foreign kin.' You sought out the aid of the Guosim and Guoraf, of course."

"Hopefully…" Madeline whimpered. She clutched at her brother's Akret tunic. "...they get here sooner rather than later."

"Even then, they might not be enough," Jared observed. His other paw rubbed Madeline's stomach and torso to soothe her. "Bloodeyes said there are seven dozen reinforcements."

"And that wicked monster Dragel is their leader," Madeline shuddered once again. She wrapped her arms around her brother's waist. Jared held her in a protective embrace.

"Oh, dearest Madeline…" Jonathan's heart sank. He placed a paw on her shoulder to comfort her.

They both waited in patient silence while Madeline soothed herself, and welcomed their soothings. She remained in her brother's arms, but when she reopened her eyes, she seemed well composed and deeply reassured.

"About the third to last line," Jonathan held up his parchment to the siblings. "'Lost ones return from a realm beyond.' I have a theory, if you'd like to hear it. I think I know exactly what 'realm beyond' the line refers to," stated the Recorder. He sounded profoundly sure of himself.

"The Dark Forest."

The siblings could only listen in awed silence.

"The transcendental realm beyond the world of the living. Now, you could argue that there's also HellGates, the place where evil vermin go after death. I have a sneaking suspicion that those poor good vermin of Mossflower, whom Deathblade have cruelly enslaved into his terrible legion, would go to the Dark Forest upon their deaths. But on that I can only speculate, sadly. My point is…"

He cleared his throat. "I believe something about the afterlife may play an integral part in the Prophecy. Whether now during the Deathblade crisis, or in the future against a new-and possibly greater-enemy, I cannot tell."

He looked at the older Sandeye. "Think back, Jared, to when Martin the Warrior first contacted you in the Library."

He gestured at the image of the warrior mouse on the Tapestry, and the siblings followed him. "Martin himself appeared to you, right?"

"Yeah, he did." Jared stared transfixed at Martin's figure. "But I don't know if he was simply projecting himself from the Dark Forest-"

"-Or if he was actually physically present?"

The Sandeyes rounded back to him. They shared a look of sudden realization.

"Physically present?" Madeline glanced back and forth at the Tapestry and Jonathan's parchment.

"You mean Martin was literally there?" Jared's eyebrows drew together. "Like, he'd left the Dark Forest and manifested in the living realm? To talk to me in the Library?"

"Martin had to have been there." Jonathan insistently spread his paws at them. "How else would he have been able to appear to you, Jared? Or touch you on the forehead to wake you up from your vision? I don't think it's a coincidence."

"Then why would he freeze time? Reach out to me in my dreams?" Jared again gazed at Martin on the Tapestry. "Why would he speak as a disembodied voice first, before showing himself to me? Why couldn't he just do it right then and there, before I fell asleep?"

"You know Martin," Jonathan chuckled and folded his arms. "Always with the dramatics."

"So that really was Martin…" Jared whispered, deeply reverent and humble.

"You mean Martin himself returned from the Dark Forest," Madeline guessed. "So he could choose Jared as his Champion?"

"Aye, and I think this omen of the Prophecy is that very principle." Jonathan tapped the very spot on the parchment. "Perhaps, in the direst, darkest, and most desperate hour of need, the Lord of the Dark Forest themselves will grant allies to bring aid to the righteous, and judgment to the wicked. In other words, my dear Sandeyes…It stands to reason that those who have departed to the Dark Forest-"

Jared's eyes were larger and rounder than the rising moon.

"-Can come back."

All eyes turned to the Tapestry.

"Mom…?" Madeline whispered. "...Dad? Edoran…?"

"Timms suspects something is happening behind the scenes." Jonathan remarked. "He believes that the Dark Forest is, to use his own words, stirring."

"The idea that our family could come back from the Dark Forest…" Jared put a paw on the small of his sister's back. "Could it be possible?"

"At this point, I'm willing to believe anything." Madeline put her paw back in her lap. "Besides, if Martin could do it, why not them?"

"I think we will need all the help we can get." Jonathan came up to them. "Deathblade's army is a great host. We need more than the Guosim and Guoraf."

"Then whatever the Dark Forest is planning had better hurry the heck up." Jared stared at the Tapestry. He cradled Madeline from behind. "Especially before Deathblade does."

"Which I think makes a rather fitting segue to my inference on the penultimate line of the Prophecy: 'Holy light banishes wicked shadows.'" Jonathan recited from the parchment. "Rather abstract, but I'm willing to postulate that it could be referring to you, Champion of Redwall."

He gave Jared a bright, encouraging smile. "If not in this crisis, then perhaps one to come."

Jared said not a word, but his gaze wandered to the Sword of Martin. It rested horizontal on its perch above the Tapestry. Moonlight illuminated the words "I Am That Is" engraved upon the blade, which pointed towards the Hall doors. Not a single speck of dust rested on the Sword.

"Martin's light is yours, Prince Tinarandel." Jonathan bowed before the young monarch. "As it was for many Warriors and Champions before you. Together, you and Martin will drive out Deathblade's wicked shadow, and restore the goodness and sanctity of Mossflower Forest."

"And I'll be there to help you every step of the way." Madeline smiled at him.

"Well, Your Royal Highnesses?" Jonathan spread his arms in a motion of formal finality. "What do you think of my interpretations?"

"They're perfect, Jonathan." Madeline removed a paw from her brother's neck and squeezed Jonathan's. "Through and through."

"From first to last," Jared stated further with a nod. "Does Father Abbot know about all of this?"

"Indeed he does, and he'd been anxious for tangible answers." Jonathan rolled up his parchment. He stuck the tip of his quill into his mouth and sucked on it idly.

"Again, all of what I've said is purely hypothetical." His quill shook up and down as he spoke. He stared up and down the length of Martin's Tapestry. "I could be completely wrong on every single account. Maybe these signs of the times aren't meant for now; but for the future." He turned back to the Sandeyes. "In any case, Timms and I will keep looking into this."

"Thank you, Jonathan," Jared squeezed the gray squirrel's other paw. "We really appreciate everything you've done, from beginning to end."

"It's always a pleasure to help Your Royal Highnesses." Jonathan held a paw to his heart and bowed low.

"Stop it," they both chastised him, though they were grinning broadly. Jonathan chuckled and straightened up.

"See you at dinner." He turned tail and disappeared down the stairs leading to Cavern Hole.

Jared turned to Madeline. "You okay, bunso?"

Madeline nodded and rubbed up and down his chest. "Yes, I'm fine. Just…a bit overwhelmed."

"I know it's a lot to take in. We'll need time to think about it. But I'm confident we can figure something out if we put our heads together."

They passed a minute or two in each other's arms.

"Wanna spar?"

"Did you even have to ask?"

They later stood across from each other by the Abbey's East Gate, between the Orchard and the Pond.

"Nakahanda!" They bowed to each other. Jared struck his Hoskinyuk ready pose. Madeline snapped into her Lunkuthwo stance.

"Uh-oh!" Rudmir bounded over to them from around the corner. "Siblin' rivalry imminen'!"

"Show yer big brother who's boss, Maddie!" Weonsia pumped a fist.

"Finally, th' siblin' exhibition match we've been waitin' fer!" Antonius dashed past the otters to sit down on a hollow beechlog.

Within a minute all the teenagers had flocked to the sparring match. The males crowded behind Jared, with the females at Madeline's back.

"Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you because you're my brother!"

"Oh, I'm counting on you not holding back!"

"Are you? We both know I'm clearly the better sparrer."

"Ha! I'll be the judge of that!"

"Yeah, show no mercy, Madeline!" Diana cupped her paws around her mouth.

"Come on, unleash your Akret, Jared!" Anthony bellowed with a fist in the air.

Antonius whacked a thick camphor stick on the hollow beechlog. "Brrooonnnggg!" he shouted in his best imitation of Saffron's gong.

"Two minutes!" announced Laurel.

Madeline attacked first with the Dragon's Claws. She zigzagged from side to side to grab any inch of her brother she could reach. Jared backed up to dodge-Madeline seized his right arm under the elbow.

With a roar she raked her claws down to his wrist. Jared seethed and bit back the pain.

"Hyah!" He retaliated with an open fist strike. Madeline released his wrist with a surprised gasp.

She staggered backwards. Her fellow maidens all exclaimed. But she leaped back in with Slothunog's Bite.

Jared ducked underneath the hook and stepped behind her. He launched a low kick into her back.

It sent her reeling forward. She flailed her arms but dug her footpaws into the dirt.

"Ai-yah!" Jared came stepping towards her.

She rounded on her brother in time to dodge a front kick. Slothunog's Bite struck him clean in the left cheek.

"Oomph!" Jared reeled into the red sandstone wall. "Okay, I deserved that one." All the maidens cheered and whooped for Madeline. She allowed herself a cheeky grin.

"Your reactions need work!" She laid her cheek in her palm, sniggering.

"Does stating the obvious make you feel smarter?" Jared rubbed his cheek.

"C'mon, Jared, she's kicking your tail!" Jacob grinned from behind the beechlog. The wolf had his arms folded over his chest. "Fight back, mate!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this your fight or mine?" Jared shot back over his shoulder at the wolf. "Whoof!"

Madeline's slant thrust kick struck him in the side. He stumbled left but clenched his toes in the dirt to stop himself. He now had his back to the wall.

Jared swatted down the same kick from her other leg. Then he grabbed Madeline by the ankle and spun round into her reach.

"Huah!" Jared pushed her in the chest with his bare palm.

The blow sent Madeline crumpling and flying backwards. Antonius and Rudmir caught her before she landed on the log. They helped her back to her feet. She kissed them both on the cheek in thanks.

Antonius turned beet red. Rudmir laughed out loud at the shrew's awkwardness.

Without warning Madeline assaulted her brother with Slothunog's Tongues. One from each fist.

Jared sensed no other option. He fell onto the defensive and retreated as Madeline advanced. One "Tongue" after the other in a relentless rhythmic torrent. Elbows close to his ribs. Arms vertical with the fists at forehead level.

Madeline punched through the space between his arms. Straight at his eyes.

Jared switched to an X-block. The fist caught clean in between his paws.

Madeline smirked and swatted his block apart one paw at a time. Her trapped fist pulled free. She threw a clawed paw towards her brother's crotch.

Jared didn't waste a second. He deflected the attempted grapple with an open palm. She laughed and threw the same curled paw towards his face.

"Urrrgh!" Jared groaned as her claws grazed the fur on his right cheek. "Urk!" She followed through with a classic side kick to his stomach.

Now he crumpled and flew backwards. He landed and skidded through the dirt to a stop at the maiden's feet. He allowed himself a sheepish grin at their tittering.

"That's my girl!" Jared praised his sister. Larina and Diana picked him up by the armpits. "You're becoming more like the water-dragon! And to think Adhuxnuo called you 'basic'!"

Madeline couldn't keep herself from giggling. "Good! I was aiming for more than 'basic!"

"One minute, forty secon's!" called Antonius.

Jared moved with astonishing swiftness. "Hyah!" His left paw lunged at Madeline.

"Eee-yah!" Then his right. Madeline grunted and grimaced at the blows to her biceps.

She ducked underneath his elbow to get behind him. Jared pivoted to jab her.

Madeline bent her arms; two paws on her shoulders. Elbows leveled and facing forward.

Jared bore down upon her. She bent her knees. Her paws divided downwards from her shoulders to her sides. She threw out a softer side kick to his nearest kneecap.

It pushed him backwards as she'd expected. Nearly disrupting his balance. The perfect distraction. He let out a grunt of pained surprise and paced away from her. Now she stepped forward on her right foot and formed a cross with her arms.

Jared advanced on his painless leg. He threw a roundhouse punch towards her.

Madeline stopped him with an entrapping step and spread out her arms. Her upwards arm intercepted his punch and pushed it downwards to her waist level. Safely out of reach.

Jared, unperturbed, threw an uppercut with his other fist. It swung straight upwards towards Madeline's face.

Madeline hopped back on her right foot. The left she upraised to knee level. Two paws clasped together as if in a prayer gesture. The uppercut passed harmless through empty air.

"Whoo, smooth dodge, Madeline!" Avacyn praised.

"Jared, you're too slow! Step up your game, mate!" Wyatt countered.

As if taking the advice, Jared leaped into a duo of spinning kicks at Madeline's chest.

But Madeline had anticipated this. She advanced on her left foot. Paws divided into fore and hind paws adjoined above her head. They stopped the twin kicks in their tracks.

Jared landed flat on his footpaws. He pivoted from one foot to the other. Left paw attacked Madeline's solar plexus. Passive right paw rested at his hip.

She charged straight towards him. Shifted to a side stance and thrusted her left palm out in a horizontal block.

"Gold Dragon's Claw!"

From her azimuth stance she pulled back to form a thrust palm. Her right "claw" thrust out inclining upwards. The claw scratched Jared's face from forehead to chin.

"Ooofff!" "Oh, crap!" "That's gotta 'urt!" The males all winced and grimaced and flinched as if they shared in Jared's pain.

"Aray!" Jared yelled and retreated. He held his face in his paws. "Nako, are you trying to kill me, bunso?" he teased through his fingers.

"Hindi ka galit?" Madeline pleaded, genuinely worried.

"Hindi, I'll be fine." Jared dropped his paws by his sides. Madeline exhaled in relief. She readied herself in a side stance with her paws close together and pulled backwards.

"Are you sure you're good?" Larina reached out to him in concern.

"I swear I'm okay, Rina." He winked at her over his shoulder. "Trust me." Though still anxious, Larina nodded and sat back down on her tree stump.

"One minute, thirty seconds!" Laurel told them.

Jared barreled in with a series of heavy fists. Madeline hopped back in retreat.

She led her brother in a circular pursuit around the "ring". But he came onto her swift and persistent. They must've completed up to seven revolutions of attack and defense. Aggression and evasion. ("One minute, ten seconds!" said Antonius.)

In another azimuth pose, she pushed her palms outwards to catch his fists. The "holy dragon" pose.

She twisted to a side stance and dragged him along with her. "Claws" pulled backwards behind herself.

Jared had half a second. Then he rolled head over tail towards the log.

At this point, all the males were laughing, and the maidens cheering.

"The legendary Tinarandel getting thrashed by his own sister?" Jacob pointed his thumb at the fallen, dizzy squirrel and scoffed at the others.

"Arse over teakettle!" Anthony laughed, but helped Jared back to his feet all the same.

"Whose side are you guys on?" Jared snarked, pretending to look offended. They brushed dirt, grass, and twigs from his tunic.

"What's our time?" Madeline asked Laurel.

"One full minute, make it count!" The shrewmaid rubbed her paws in eager anticipation.

"Okay, I'll play nice for the rest of it." Madeline resigned and assumed her Tuah Mann ready stance.

"You, playing nice?" Jared snorted. "That's unheard of." But he assumed his Kōnōtash Natural Posture all the same.

They beset each other with many of the same techniques they'd used at Brockhall, much to the riveting excitement of their audience. Jared remained mostly on the defensive. He blocked or ducked underneath Madeline's "flying knee kicks" and "painter's spinning elbow strikes", and jabs and haymakers. All with a grin of pride from ear to ear. They drove each other in the direction of the Pond.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Very much so!"

"Thirty secon's!"

She seized him by the temples to attempt "Baliss the Blind". He clamped her wrists and pulled her paws apart.

Not discouraged, she put up a guard. Jared started a bombardment of Kōnōtash punches. Every single one he could think of. Madeline dodged or deflected them all.

One last resort. With the clock counting down, his Rtuyoshi backfists came whipping towards her.

Whack! To her bust. She gasped and exclaimed in mock offense.

Whack! To her stomach.

Whack! To her waist.

She stepped in to overlap his reach with hers. Pushed him back with a shoulder and elbow to his chest and collarbone.

"Take this!"

She spun into the air. Her foot rocketed down upon him.

Whump! Her heel slammed right between his shoulder blades. It knocked him straight into the dirt.

"Ano ba?" He looked up-A roundhouse fist to his face forced him down again.

"Anak ng gubat-uwak!" he laughed through his swear.

"Game over for you, kuya!" Madeline chuckled and proceeded to pin a foot on his back.

"Gotcha!"

"Aaah!"

He leaped up and seized her by the waist. She anticipated a violent retaliation, but instead-

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" She wriggled in her brother's grip. He tickled her up and down and side to side. "Jared! Tinarandel! Sto-ho-ho-ho-ho-hop! I'm-I'm gon-gonna kill you!" She flailed her arms and legs to fight and break free from the unpleasant sensation coursing through her entire body.

"Time!" Antonius and Laurel declared in unison. All the teenagers stood to their feet and broke into loud cheers and raucous applause.

Laughing harder than he had in many days, Jared released his sister. She stopped to catch her breath. Then whirled around to him in a grinning fury.

"You big cheater!" She pushed him by the shoulders into the trunk of an ash tree. "That was not funny!"

"Love you, too, baby girl," Jared teased, grinning. "'Better sparrer', my butt!"

Madeline let out a sigh of frustration and put her paws on her hips. She shook her head at her cheeky older sibling.

"Toni," she called out to Antonius. "May I borrow your stick? I need to discipline my brother."

"Make sure ya give 'im a good spankin'!" Antonius sprinted over to her, holding his camphor stick.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jared recoiled against the ash trunk when Madeline took the stick from the shrew. She slapped its end against her paw. "Hey, bunso, let's talk this out, yeah?" He had never seen her so furious before, and held out his paws to try to pacify her.

Whack!

"You can talk it out with my stick!" Whack! "And then my tsinelas!" Whack! Whack! Whack! "Hindi ako makapaniwala na ginawa mo iyon!"

"Ouch! Hey! Seasons, Maddie, take it easy! Cut it out! It was just a prank! Aray! Ow, ow, ow!"