The Mysterious Stranger

[Rainshadow]

  Author's Note:

 This is my first Redwall Fanfic, so be prepared for it to not be the best.  If you would like to comment on my Fanfic, please do so in The Mysterious Stranger Discussion.  Thank you.  I may not be able to write this very often, so this will be one that you will have to wait a while for the story.

 Chapter 1

 Fear was the only thing on the mind of the young creature as she ran screaming through the woods.  She knew what was coming, and she was very afraid.  It was the worst creature she had ever met.  She knew that if she stopped running, she was dead.  With that on her mind, she ran with all of her might.
 I need to get to Redwall, she thought.  I have to get to Redwall.  The good beasts there will be able to help me.  They must help me.  She ran until she thought she could see the ancient Abbey in front of her.  The young creature couldn't see very well in front of her though.  It was the middle of the winter month, and it was midnight.  She was stuck in a blizzard and was freezing.
 Not being able to see in front of herself was the poor beast's downfall.  She ran into a large branch of a great oak tree.  She fell into the deep snow, unconscious, just a few yards from Redwall Abbey.

 The Skipper of otters wasn't able to sleep that night.  He had gotten up from bed and was wandering on the wall top.  His ear twitched.  What's that sound?  It sound's like screaming!  Skipper looked out into the woods and saw a creature off in the distance.  That's where the screaming is coming from.  What's that beast screaming about?
 Skipper saw the beast hit the branch and fall.  He ran down from the battlements and opened the gate, running out to the poor animal.  As he came up to it, he realized that it was a wildcat.  Skipper gasped.  A wildcat?  What was a wildcat doing at Redwall?
 Skipper knew that the wildcat was going to freeze to death if he didn't get her inside.  He picked her up and carried her back inside the gate, closing it behind them.  He rushed inside the Abbey and to the infirmary.  He then proceeded to put the wildcat on a bed and put covers over her.  "Brother Asp," he said, waking the squirrel from where he slept.  Brother Asp slept in the infirmary because he had always said that if he slept there, he would know when a patient came in.
 Asp woke up, grumbling.  "Why did ye wake me up?  I almost caught the fish."
 Skipper hushed him, saying, "We 'ave a patient.  This 'ere wildcat knocked 'erself silly on a branch and nearly froze 'erself."
 Brother Asp gasped.  "A wildcat?  What is a wildcat doing in Redwall Abbey?"
 Skipper replied, "It didn't feel right leavin' 'er out in the cold."
 The brother sighed and set to work on the young creature.  He first shooed Skipper out of the infirmary.  "Go on, if'n I get her to wake up, I'll call ye."
 Once the large otter was out of the infirmary, Asp started tending to the wildcat.  She was shivering and her teeth were chattering.  Asp took blankets off of other beds and covered her with them.  He checked to see if the water he had heated earlier was still warm.  Luckily the brother was one who liked staying up late.  He always had a cup of tea before bed and, since he had only gone to bed a little while earlier, the water was warm.
 Asp took a rag and got it wet.  He then wrung it out and placed it on the wildcat's forehead.  As soon as he had done that, she bolted upright, screaming.  He screamed in shock, causing Skipper to run in.
 "Wot is it?  Wot 'appened?"  He saw the wildcat staring at him in fright and said, "Don't worry, ye're safe 'ere."
 The wildcat shook her head.  "N-no!  They're coming, they're coming!"
 Brother Asp leaned closer.  "Who's comin', missy?  Who?"
 She replied, "They are!"
 Skipper tried to calm her down.  "Shh, no beast's comin' for ye.  Wot's yer name, miss?"
 The young wildcat opened her mouth.  "I-my name?  M-my name is... I don't know.  I can't remember!"

[Wisteria Wild Cat]

Ahh! Why did you end it like that? This is awesome! 

[Rainshadow]

  If you could please post in the discussion thread instead of this one, that would be appreciated.  And I ended it like that because I like having cliffhangers.

[Rainshadow]

  Chapter 2

  The young wildcat maiden stared at the strange otter and squirrel.  "Wh-who are you?  Where am I?"
  The muscular otter was the one to reply.  "Me name's Skipper, an' this be Brother Asp.  Do ye remember anythin' afore ye 'it that tree?"
  "What tree?  I hit a tree?"  The black wildcat stared at Skipper in confusion.
  "Yeah," said Skipper.  "Ye 'it a tree an' knocked yerself out.  Ye nearly froze yerself to death."
  The maiden rubbed her head, which had a large lump on it.  "I can't remember a single thing before waking up.  Wait!  I do remember one thing."
  Brother Asp leaned closer to the maid.  "Wot do ye remember, marm?"
  "I remember running from something... something horrible.  I had a horrible fear, but I don't remember what I was running from."

  Just then a knock sounded from the open doorway.  All three of the creatures turned to look at an old mouse who was standing with a paw on the door frame.
  "Father Abbot!"  Brother Asp cleared his throat, feeling slightly ashamed that he hadn't thought to tell the Abbot of their visitor.
  "Who is this?"  Abbot Kay walked up to the young maiden.  "Hello Miss, I am Abbot Kay."
  "Hello, sir," said the wildcat.
  Skipper quickly explained the situation to the Father.  "This young marm don't know 'o she be.  She 'it 'er noggin on a tree out in the woods.  She said she was runnin' from sumthin', but she don't know wot it were."
  Abbot Kay immediately felt sorry for the girl.  "I'm so sorry for what happened to you, Miss.  Is there any way we can help?"
  She shrugged.  "I don't know what can help me, besides some rest and maybe a bite to eat.  Hmm, I should probably come up with something to call myself, seeing as I might need a name."
  Asp let out a short laugh.  "Huh!  Yes, ye might wanna get a name for yerself, Missy.  We can't just keep callin' ye Miss for the rest o' yer time 'ere."
  The girl smiled for the first time.  "Yes, I don't think I'd want to be called Missy all the time.  How about Shadow?  Yes, yes, I think I like that name."
  The three older beasts all nodded their heads and agreed.  Shadow was a black wildcat after all, and she did look quite a lot like a shadow!
  "Alright, Miss Shadow," said Father Abbot, "why don't we go get something for you to eat?  You just stay there and rest.  Who knows, maybe you'll remember who you are after a quick nap!"

  (More to be added later)

[Rainshadow]

  Shadow nodded.  "Yes, maybe I'll remember.  Thank you."  She lied down again and closed her eyes.  She quickly fell into a deep sleep.
  Brother Asp smiled at the young wildcat.  "I wish I were 'er age again.  Young 'uns these days just fall asleep so quickly!"
  Father Kay nodded.  "Yes, if only we were young again.  Now, we should leave her to her sleep."  He walked out, quickly followed by Skipper and Brother Asp.

  Shadow tossed and turned in her sleep, muttering, "N-no.  Leave me be!"  She was being chased by... something.  Something horrible.  What was it?  She could hear yowling and felt claws sinking into her flesh.
  She bolted awake, shouting out, "NO!"
  A young mouse Dibbun had been walking by.  It was well past dawn, and almost everybeast was up.  He ran into the room and stared wide-eyed at Shadow.  "Who're you?" he demanded.  "Whatcha doin' at Redwall H'Abbey?"
  Shadow stiffened.  "M-my name's Shadow... I think.  I was injured and an otter brought me here.  Who are you?"
  The Dibbun blinked and stuttered out, "Um, why're you 'ere?  Yer a wildcat, a vermin!"
  Shadow was beginning to be impatient with the mouse.  "Yes, I know I'm a wildcat.  I was injured and somebeast brought me here.  I mean you no harm."
  The young mouse sighed.  "Fine.  My name's Sam.  I'm one o' the Dibbuns at this H'Abbey."
  Shadow nodded and smiled at the young mouse.  "Nice to meet you, Sam."
  Just then, Brother Asp walked through the open doorway, carrying a tray laden with food.  "Ah, Shadow, I see ye've met Sam."  Asp set the tray down on a small table by the wildcat maiden's bed.
  "I brought ye some vittles.  I expect yer pretty 'ungry."
  Shadow only answered by taking food and starting to eat.  Brother Asp laughed.  "Apparently ye are pretty 'ungry.  Do ye want some company, or would ye like ta be left alone?"
  Shadow opened her full mouth.  "Lef' 'lone.  I wanna be lef' 'lone."
  Asp nodded and took Sam's paw, leading the young mouse out of the room.  "I'll come back in a liddle while to check on ye, Miss."

[Rainshadow]

  Meanwhile, somewhere in Mossflower Woods, the wildcat lord, Gavia, was sitting in his tent.  He was furious that the young wildcat maiden had gotten away from him, and he wanted her back.  Not one of his vast horde knew why the lord wanted this maiden, but every beast knew that he would kill to get her back.
  Gavia stood up and strode out of his tent and surveyed the camp.  He had an odd assortment of vermin, ranging from ferrets to foxes, stoats to rats, and another wildcat.  His son, Thorneye, was sitting by a fire, laughing with a few other vermin his age.
  Thorneye was a wildcat in his teenage years, and he was rather annoying.  Gavia wanted to kill him, but he knew that the choice wouldn't sit well with his horde.  Also, Thorneye was very quick thinker while in a battle.  That was one thing that Gavia knew he needed.  Most of his horde consisted of idiots, and he needed one other intelligent brain.
  Gavia watched his son, looking at his appearance.  He was a dark grey furred wildcat with one amber eye.  Gavia remembered how Thorneye had lost his left eye when he was naught but a young kit.  He had been playing with a rat, when he slipped and fell into a thorn bush.  Gavia had his healers working on his son all through the night, but they couldn't save his eye.  They gave him a patch to place over the empty socket, and gave him a new name.
  Gavia tried to recall his son's old name.  Cinder?  No, it wasn't Cinder.  Ah!  It was Tadpole.  It had been Gavia's late wife's idea to name their firstborn son Tadpole.  She left just after he lost his eye, leaving the young kitten to Gavia.  Gavia hated her for that, and renamed his son Thorneye, so he would never forget the accident.
  Walking over to his son, Gavia caught his eye and said, "Thorneye, we will be breaking camp soon.  Get ready to go."
  Thorneye nodded and turned away, his friends following him.

  (More to be added later)

[Rainshadow]

  Soon, the word had been spread through the entire vermin horde that it was time to move.  Gavia took his place at the head of the group, with Thorneye following closely.  Gavia gestured to have him come up to the front.  Thorneye hesitated for a moment, then jogged forward, keeping pace with his father.  "Yeah, Da?"
  Gavia rolled his eyes.  "You know how much I hate being called that."
  Thorneye grinned.  "Why do ye think I call ye that, Da?"
  Gavia sighed, trying to ignore his son.  "Have you heard anything from anybeast about you know who?"
  Thorneye shook his head.  He was irritated that his father always asked him the same question.  Have you heard anything about this?  Have you heard anything about that?  Thorneye had rather keen hearing, so his father always asked him about what he heard.
  Gavia, knowing full well his son's feelings about the question, continued.  "Well, have you heard anything about Gril?  He should be back by now."
  "Well," Thorneye replied, "if'n ye 'aven't seen 'im yet, then I guess 'e's not back yet."
  Gavia stopped and glared at him.  "Don't ever speak to me like that.  You've seen what I can do to others, do you want the same fate?"
  Thorneye looked at his father, hatred burning in his one eye.  "I'll speak to ye any way I want to.  Yew can't do nothin' 'bout it.  I ain't afraid of ye.  Yew just make empty, pitiful threats."
  Gavia lashed out, catching a claw on Thorneye's ear.  The younger wildcat growled as he tried to fight the pain.  "You will listen to me," Gavia said, leaning close to his son's face.  "You will listen to me, or you will suffer."
  Thorneye spat in his father's face and pulled free, walking farther into the ranks, thus freeing him from his father.  For the moment.

  *  *  *

  Shadow was starting to grow restless as she laid in her bed.  She sat up slowly, relieved to feel less pain.  She placed her paws on the floor and stood up, testing her paws to make sure that she wouldn't collapse suddenly.  They didn't.
  Shadow paced in circles, making sure that feeling returned to her paws.  Once she was sure that she could walk without trouble, she went to the door and opened it, stepping out.  She didn't know where to go, but she wanted to explore.
  The young wildcat walked through hallways and small chambers, rarely running into other creatures.  Whenever she did, she looked away from them as their eyes widened and they quickly walked away.  Every time a beast would do that, Shadow felt less sure that she should be out of her room.  Soon after, she would find a new discovery and completely forget about her worries.
  After a little while of wandering, Shadow came across a large room.  It was quite a bit larger than any room she had ever been in, and it was amazing.  The young maiden gasped as she saw light coming in through colored glass.  It was shining on the floor, so she ran to it and danced in the colors.  This was something that she had never seen before!
  Something caught Shadow's eye and made her stop dancing.  She turned to a large tapestry with a handsome mouse standing in it.  All sorts of vermin were fleeing in terror from him as he leaned against his fine sword.  The maiden stared in awe at this mouse.  How could one mouse defeat all of those vermin?
  She then noticed the sword hanging above the marvelous tapestry.  It looked exactly like the one that the mouse was carrying!  It was beautiful, even though it was just a simple sword.  There was something about that sword that made Shadow feel safe.  It made her feel as though nothing could hurt her.
  "Who are you?" she asked the mouse.  She then felt her eartips heat with embarrassment.  Why was she talking to a picture?
  "Ah, I see you've found the tapestry of Martin the Warrior."
  Shadow spun around to see Abbot Kay leaning against the wall.  "A-Abbot Kay, I didn't realize you were standing there.  If you want, I'll return to my room."
  "No, no," the Abbot said, shaking his head and stepping closer.  "It's perfectly fine.  I enjoy sitting here and talking to Martin, too.  There's something about him that just makes me want to open up to him."
  Shadow raised an eyebrow.  "You talk to this mouse?  Why?  It's just a tapestry."
  Abbot Kay sat down and beckoned Shadow closer.  She came, and he patted his knee.  As she sat down, he started speaking.
  "Well, see, Martin, the mouse in the tapestry, was the founder of Redwall Abbey.  He was a brave mouse, who saved the woodlanders from an evil tyrant, Tsarmina Greeneyes.  She was, well, she was an evil wildcat who forced the woodlanders to work for her.  Martin defeated her and brought peace to Mossflower."
  Shadow turned to look at the tapestry again.  "So, that mouse built this place?"
  The Father Abbot chuckled.  "He had some help, but yes, he did.  And you see that sword?"  He pointed to the sword that hung above the tapestry.  "That sword was his.  He was given that sword as a gift from a badger lord that he visited.  This badger lord, Boar the Fighter, found a fallen star on the shore and took it to his forge.  He made this blade for Martin, and now it's saved for our Redwall Champion."
  Shadow looked back at Abbot Kay.  "Redwall Champion?  Who's the Redwall Champion?"
  "There is no Champion at the moment.  We haven't had a need for one, and no one has stepped up."  Abbot Kay shrugged.  "Now, would you care to help an old Abbot up?"
  Shadow giggled and stood up, holding out a paw.  The Abbot smiled gratefully, and took the paw, standing up.  He groaned as he did this.  "Ooh, I think I'm getting old!"
  Shadow giggled again.  "You're not getting old, just wiser."
  Kay chuckled.  "I think I like that.  I'm getting wiser.  Now, what say we go over to the kitchen and get some scones?  Maybe we can sneak a few candied chestnuts as well."
  Shadow's face brightened immediately.  "Alright!"
  The two walked off towards the kitchen, both grinning like madbeasts.