Book II: The Life of Simon and Life Beyond the Wall

[Captain Tammo]

Praise for The Life of Simon (by forum members):

"Amazing!"

"This actually is my new favorite fan fic out there."

"You...must...write...ANOTHER!"

Special Thanks to Leatho Shellhound for the Amazing New Cover Art!

This is It! Thank you all so much for the incredible support on the first installment. It's been almost a year to the day since i posted the first chapter of The Origins of Simon and now it's become one of the most popular fanfics on the forum! You guys are the greatest and I'm absolutely thrilled to have the next installment ready for you guys!

Set out on a journey with three groups of creatures: One to defend an abbey, one to find a home, and one to bring peace to an old myth. The Life of Simon is bound to keep you in suspense with every new chapter! Delve deeper into the mind of a madbeast, learn the legend of the evil Sazaar, and discover the land of Hooded Ones in Book II of this award winning fanfiction!

If you haven't yet read Book, I highly suggest that you go do so now (Osu has also made an absolutely incredible cover for Book I, so i suggest you go check that out, too!). Then come back here when you're caught up to speed

If you have already read Book I, but could use a quick refresher, take a look at this super-abridged version...

Super Abridged Version of Book I

Super-Abridged Version of Book I

In Part I, The Origins of Simon, we meet a tall mouse named Leonardo, who is sailing the great Western Sea in search of the elusive villain, Deamal the Menace. Leo was brought to Salamandastron when he was a babe and was raised as the badger lord's son. Leonardo and his friend Dassiter, who was introduced at the beginning of this story, served as scouts in the Long Patrol during their younger years and did many missions. On a routine mission, the two discovered a razed coastal village and learned that a creature called "The Menace" was responsible. Leo began having night terrors that the Salamandastron would be taken by Deamal and one night Leo killed a Long Patrol hare thinking that it was "The Menace". As a result, Leonardo was exiled from Salamandastron by the badger lord. Dassiter asked to join him and together the two set out aboard the Seaspark, a ship that would take them on a search at sea for some nineteen seasons to hunt down Deamal The Menace.

Eventually, the crew, including Dassiter, get fed up with the search and ask Captain Leonardo to discontinue the hunt. However Leonardo was not about to let go and he pressed them all onward. Eventually the crew plans for a mutiny and Leonardo overhears them. Rather than acting, Leonardo slowly gets driven insane. He navigates the ship into the waters of "The Monsters of the Abyss" in a last-ditch effort to locate Deamal the Menace. Unfortunately, the Seaspark gets caught in a battle with the Saberfin, a great swordfish. Leonardo's insanity becomes apparent to the crew and he is stripped of his rank as captain by Dassiter. Leonardo attempts to fight back but in his madness he accidentally kills one of his crewbeasts, Runty Simon Lamour. Horribly ashamed, Leonardo escapes on a lifeboat and both the ship and the sea-monster go down defeated. While the remaining crew row to the nearest island, Leonardo rows out to sea full of regret.

Leonardo finds himself on a tropical isle, Amijowi, and there his insanity reaches it's full power. He begins to hear a voice in his head named Simon, who Leonardo quickly becomes victim to.

After some time, Deamal the Menace and his crew arrive on Amijowi, their ship nearly in pieces. Leonardo begins picking off the crew one by one but is ultimately caught and left horribly wounded on the beach not far from Deamal's camp.

Leonardo's former crew (who had thought Leonardo was killed when the Seaspark went down) mourn for him, knowing that it was not truly Leonardo who killed Runty, but rather his madness. After making an escape from the island in the waters of "The Monsters of the Abyss", Leonardo's former crew find their way to Amijowi and find Leonardo by chance.

A great fight ensues and Leonardo kills Deamal, but not without great consequence. Many of Leonardo's former crew are now dead, one of whom being Bellus, a beautiful mousemaid who Leonardo was going to marry after Deamal and his crew were killed. Additionally, Leo now has Simon (his insanity) to deal with.

Part I then ends with Leonardo and the remaining crew (who are all on good terms again) journeying to Redwall to spend the rest of their days in peace. Leonardo plans to see if the healers there can help him get rid of Simon before he and Dassiter make a return to Salamandastron as the heroes they hope to be.

[close]

There is also a character chart arranged in order of appearance in Book II on the third page of this topic. Also be warned that reviews may contain spoilers!

So without further ado, here's Book II, The Life of Simon (and Life Beyond the Wall)

Chapter 16

The Forest of Mossflower was a very mysterious place of the world. It was a region that covered an area so large, it would take years to roam entirely, and several lifetimes to discover all of its secrets. In the heart of the forest, built on a great path (which was more like a dirt highway) that ran from north to south, was the jewel of the countryside: Redwall Abbey. Redwall sat surrounded by heavy woods on three sides and pointed to the west, looking over the great plains outside of Mossflower's border, only being separated by the wide, dusty path and an equally large trench, whiched served as a gutter and drain for the local area.

Redwall was a symbol of peace and abundance during calm times, and a refuge and impenetrable safehaven during the old times of war. The thick sandstone walls that stretched around the abbey's perimeter were stubborn and immutable, never giving way to the evil that pressed from the outside every few generations. There were only four entrances into the abbey: three small oaken doors on the north, south, and east sides of the wall, and a grand portal which stood facing the western plains.

Just next to the western gate was a relatively small gatehouse. This building housed many of the abbey's most ancient tomes and records and served as a library of sorts. Most commonly, the abbey recorder could be found sitting up for days on end reading forgotten accounts from yellowed pages with smudged ink on them.

But the gatehouse was only one of the immense features that Redwall had to offer. Just outside of the gatehouse were the abbey lawns, gardens, orchard and the pond, all expansive and producing consistent outputs each harvest season. Set aside from the main abbey building was the belltower, which dwarfed even the walls in height, and in turn was dwarfed by the main building's central tower.

Redwall's main structure was also constructed largely out of red sandstone bricks and wooden supports. The far upper levels of the abbey remained empty with the exception of a few birds that founded their nests in the hidden attics. They were available should an overflow of refugees ever show up outside of the gate. There were hundreds of creatures that made the abbey their home. They all lived lives of peace and purpose to the community and operated with limited exposure to the outside world. Many creatures had never even ventured beyond the walls of Redwall and into the surrounding wilderness, and for what need? Everything that one could ask for was already provided within the confines of their four sandstone guardians. There was always enough space, and always a quiet place to go to if needed. Being naïve was simply a side-effect to a utopian life.

The main entrance to the abbey's building, set directly across from the western vomitorium and gate, was the Great Hall. Great Hall served as the hub of the abbey and a dining area for feasts and special occasions. It was the largest single room in the abbey. A high, pointed roof with neatly planted wooden rafters sat almost as high as the belltower and stretched a fair distance along its length. Iron-cast candelabras stood evenly distanced from one another down the full length of Great Hall, illuminating the night-time hours with a gentle glow. For the day-time, stained glass windows kept the area well lit. An ancient colored tapestry of Redwall's founder, Martin the Warrior, hung on its wall and stretched several fathoms in each direction along the length of the open space.

Across from Great Hall's entrance was a staircase that lead down into Cavern Hole. Cavern Hole served as one of Redwall's lobbies. It was filled with tables, fireplaces and various halls and exits jutting off of it which lead to the kitchens, store rooms, abbey lawns, upper floors and the like.

The floors above Cavern Hole were where the dorms were located. Those served as the fourth, third, and half of the second floor (the other half of the second floor being dedicated to the infirmaries). The next few floors were still furnished and ready for overflow crowds, but not in use. Floors higher than that served as the attics, which were deemed structurally unsound for large numbers of creatures and remained abandoned. Very few beasts who were not also the builders of Redwall had ever ventured beyond that threshold. Nobeast knows what secrets still lay locked away in those unexplored rooms. Perhaps it was treasure? Perhaps it was only a collection of bird droppings and feathers. It could very well be either until one discovered it. In the end, it just came down to what creatures chose to believe.

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Kiril set aside his pen and let the parchment dry by the windowsill. A knock came at the door of the gatehouse, "Come in!" Said Kiril. The door glided open and Maximus walked in with Ronar.

"How's packing coming along?" Said Maximus.

Kiril paused, "It's, erm... Nevermind that, I have some great news!"

"Hm, sounds like you're making an effort to shift the topic of conversation. What are your thoughts, Mr. Maximus?" Said Ronar in a mock-proper tone. Maximus caught on to the fancily-accent act,

"I do believe you would be right, master Silverthorn. He does seem to be a bit flustered."

"I just finished writing down the last of our adventure in that book, I think it came out nicely. Some parts were tricky to fill, but it wasn't impossible to close the gaps..."

Maximus interrupted, "Hm, quite nice if I say so, but you still have not answered the question, have you finished packing for the journey, sah?"

"I am beginning to question whether or not he has even started, my good fellow. Laziness will get you nowhere, brother!"

"Don't you want to hear the story?" Said Kiril.

Dropping the accent, Ronar replied, "Sure, I guess. I mean, I sort-of lived the story, I already have it logged in here." He said pointing to his head, "And so does Maximus."

The otter nodded, "Right, now it's time for us to go on another adventure. We need to get to the North coast as soon as we can. We could've used the airship, but I don't think it's gonna be flight worthy anytime soon."

Kiril looked out the gatehouse window at the mongoose and his mole friend scratching their heads by the airship. "Well, we didn't exactly have the soft landing we all expected..."

Ronar tapped his footpaw impatiently, "You still never answered the question, Kiril."

"Hm? Oh packing! Well, er, ye see..."

"I knew it! You haven't even started! Kiril we're leaving at dawn tomorrow and it's no small journey. What have you been doing?" said Ronar.

Kiril pointed at the book drying on the windowsill "That! You were supposed to help me with it too, you know."

"I did!"

"Not as much as you could've!"

"Hold it!" Said Maximus, stepping between the two squirrels. "I don't care that you haven't started packing or how far you are, so long as you're ready to leave by dawn tomorrow an' don't keep us waiting. We have a tight schedule and are gonna be moving pretty fast if we're to reach the North coast before the new moon."

Kiril and Ronar exchanged faces of confusion over Maximus' shoulder. "The new moon, as in the one a seven days from now?" Said Kiril.

"Yes." Said Maximus.

There was a pause before Ronar pressed further, "Lemme see that schedule of yours." Maximus produced a parchment from inside his tunic and handed it to Ronar, who went over it carefully. "Er, Maximus, you have us making camp every other night, what are we supposed to be doing in between then?"

Maximus shrugged nonchalantly. "Walking."

"Erm, what about supper?"

"And lunch?"

"And breakfast?!" The twins had expressions of horror on their faces. To think that proper meals would not be a given throughout the journey would simply be unbearable!

"We don't have time to break for any of that, we need to get to Vydra as soon as we can— what if my family needs me?" He exclaimed.

Kiril and Ronar looked at each other solemnly. They sat Maximus down by the window and tried to express what they felt was nearest to the truth.

"Maximus there's something Kiril and I have been wanting to talk to you about. You know what kind of creature Deamal was, you were right there with us. He, well, he..."

"What Ronar is trying to tell you is that Deamal was merciless. He never left... any creature to tell the tale. In our time at sea, we saw scores of communities destroyed. Maximus, I don't think that there's gonna be... anything left of Vydra. We're sorry."

The young otter was taken aback upon hearing those words. He did not say anything for a while, only sat by the window and looked at his paws. Then he sniffled and looked at his friends, "But if Deamal never left anybeast to tell the tale, how are you two alive?"

Ronar shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His brother continued the talking. "There were... exceptions on rare occasions. Most of us survivors were away during the attacks or were found by travelers, some of us even sharing similar stories as yours. But—"

"Stop. If any of you could survive, so could my holt. Who are you to say that they're already gone? You're concerned with breaking to eat while tomorrow they could be dead!"

"Maximus listen to us! We're trying to prevent you from getting hurt, not shoot you down." Said Kiril. He reached out to grab Maximus' paw. "It's just the way it is. Why else do you think we could wait a full season before heading up to the coast, Maximus? The only kind of creatures who survived the raids were either picked up immediately after or were never affected at all. We could have waited ten seasons before starting out and there would probably still be the same number of survivors." Maximus stood up and pulled his paw away. He had hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

"No. You lot may be trying to do me some good, but in the end you'll just slow me down. Well, I'll tell you what. I'm leaving for Vydra tonight. And don't you try an' stop me because it'll only end poorly for you. I have my map an' I've got a spear to defend myself. So just stay outta my way, will ye?!" With this, the little otter stormed out of the gatehouse and ran towards the abbey building.

"Maximus!" Cried Ronar. Looking at Kiril, "What should we do?"

"Let him go. He knew this all along, just give the poor lad some time to think a while." He replied.
Maximus pushed the towering door to Great Hall open and ran inside. The stone floors were cool to the touch, yet the sunlight that passed through the stained glass windows bent at every angle and made it look fiery hot. They cast rainbow patterns on the pillars, walls, and even the great tapestry of Martin the Warrior. Maximus stopped in front of the tapestry and looked at the figure in the center. Though he had already spent almost a season at the abbey, never once had he questioned who the figure was. All he knew was the name, Martin the Warrior. It was a mouse, tall and bold. He wore a shining suit of armor and was wielding a glimmering sword. All around him, vermin fled from his wrath. That tall mouse seemed so fearsome yet his features were so very gentle... It was a true work of art. Maximus stared deeply into the mouse's eyes, it looked so real! Sitting on a mantle just above the tapestry sat a sword which appeared similar to the one depicted in the picture. Maximus recalled overhearing that it was forged from a falling star and would stay sharp forever. Only appointed champions of Redwall were aloud to carry the blade. But it largely remained sheathed and cloaked in dust, serving as a symbol and precious relic of Redwall more so than a weapon.

"In need of some guidance, I see?"

Maximus was startled to hear a voice, he nearly believed that it was the mouse in the tapestry speaking. He turned about to see none other than Leonardo walking towards him, presumably on his way from the infirmary. Though stubborn about it at first, Leonardo had recently adopted the abbey-style and wore a green habit wherever he went. He looked sharp and clean; the nurses appeared to have been getting somewhere with him. Maximus looked at the tapestry and then back to Leonardo. "Guidance?"

"Aye," said Leonardo, "The abbey folk think that that silly hanging pile of yarn is a source of all things good in times of trouble. They call him Martin. He was the founder of Redwall many seasons ago. See that sword hanging there above it? That was his. The old mouse said that it had been forged by the badger lord of Salamandastron many seasons ago. And that it has slain more vermin than any other single weapon ever. They say that sometimes Martin speaks to creatures, even if they're far away, and guides them to victory. I think the concept is wonderful, but probably just a bunch o' rubbish... Funny how we still hardly know anythin' about 'im after spending this much time at the abbey. It's usually one o' the first things visitors learn about." Leonardo jeered.

Maximus looked at Martin then back at Leonardo again, "Has anybody in the abbey ever been visited by him? Maybe it's true."

"The nurses in the infirmary said that the abbey hasn't been threatened in seasons. They said that Martin spoke to somebeast during that time, but he was old and died quickly after the conflict. 'Natural causes' they said. I think he was jus' a crazy ole creature that got lucky with the advice he gave."

"Hm... Maybe. But how many times has the abbey been saved by Martin? It seems like it's happened too many times for it to be a coincidence if the abbey has really been attacked as much as they abbey folk say."

Leonardo gave that some thought and looked at the mouse on the wall. "Well, if Martin is a savior, and he can talk to creatures that are far away, where was he when I needed him? I waited twenty blinkin' seasons an' he gave me no bloody help at all!"

"Maybe you have to believe in Martin for him to help you? Maybe bad things happen just because they do, and Martin will only help if you believe in him enough to let him do something?"

"Okay, how about this." Without warning, Leonardo grabbed Maximus and threw him on the ground. Jumping on top of him, Leonardo drew out a concealed knife and held it against Maximus' neck. "Alright, Martin. I believe in you, now save him!"

"Agh! Help! Help— he's crazy! Somebeast, help!" Shouted Maximus. He struggled to break away, but Leonardo kept him pinned down hard.

"Huh, maybe I'm not doing it right." He raised the knife high up and waited.

"Leo, Leo jus' calm down a moment. W-w-we can still talk this out there's no need for senseless violence!" But Leonardo was not listening, he was looking at the tapestry on the wall,

"Come on Martin, there's a creature in your abbey who's feeling threatened, do something!" Still nothing from the mouse on the wall, "Very well," Leonardo brought the knife down hard, but it never touched the young otter. A shiny white blur launched Leonardo off of Maximus and on to the floor. Maximus sat up shocked, expecting to see none other than Martin's spirit, but found that it was Dassiter who had done the deed, his medals clanked around on his jacket as he wrestled the knife out of Leonardo's grasp and pinned him down.

"Leo, what the bloody hell were you thinking? You nearly killed somebeast!"

"Agh, gerroff me! I was ne'er gonna kill him, jus' knick his ear a little s'all."

"Are you—"

"Mad? What do you think!"

Dassiter pulled Leonardo up and bounded his paws with his habit string. "Maximus, are you alright?" Said Dassiter.

Maximus dusted himself off but said nothing.

"What's going on? I heard shouting, is everybeast okay?" Abbess Hannah, a mouse who was a bit late in her age, ran into the Great Hall with the skipper , an otter named Thomm, and his crew of otters. Dassiter marched Leonardo over to the stairway where they stood.

"Ah, mother abbess how kind of you to show up." Said Leonardo. The neatly combed hair and green habit that once shielded his madness now seemed to amplify it. He looked like any other one of her creatures, but this one, this thing surely could not be one of hers! He was a normal abbey beast in every aspect of appearance, but something made his sight sickening to the abbess. What was it? She looked away in fear, Leonardo said nothing.

"I'm taking him back to the infirmary. Skipper, can you make sure Maximus is okay?" Said Dassiter.

As the two descended into cavern hole and up the opposite stairway to the infirmary, Leonardo's voice echoed through to the Great Hall, "Don't worry, mother abbess. Madness ain't contagious, hehehe!"

As the otters were checking over Maximus, who still would not speak, Skipper Thomm approached the abbess. "Hannah, what's wrong? Mother Abbess?"

Abbess Hannah clenched her paws and blinked back tears, "I want that mouse out of my abbey!"

<><><><><>

Dassiter and Leonardo entered the infirmary in silence.

"Great seasons what's going on?!" Said Ellyvin. "Why are his paws bound, why are your faces bruised, Captain?"

"Ellyvin can you give Leo an' I but a moment? There's nobeast else in here, is there?"

"No, Marius took the patients out for some air a few minutes ago, you must've just missed him. Is everything alright, Dassiter?"

"Yes, we're fine. I jus' need to talk to 'im, Simon made an appearance."
Ellyvin didn't question any further, "Very well. I was looking for a lunch break, anyhow. I'll be back within the hour. Do either of you want anything while I'm down there?"

"No."

"Actually yes, would you kindly get me a nice blueberry scone with honey?"

"Sure, Leo."

Once Ellyvin was gone, Leonardo sat with his paws bound in front of him. His friend untied them and they sat there quietly for a moment before Leonardo broke the silence. "She called you captain."

"She called me Dassiter."

"Yes, after seeing that I was with you."

"She cares about you Leo, we all do! Look I'm leaving tomorrow at dawn on this trip for Maximus and I know I said that you could go, but I can't do that anymore."

Leonardo was stunned, "What? Dassiter it's me, Leo. I'm fine– I can control Simon!"

"No, you can't! You just nearly killed Maximus and you expect me to believe that? No, you're staying here to get better. The trip will be a little over a full cycle  and then we'll be back."

"You think I'm going to kill somebody, don't you?"

"I don't want to Leo, but I do! You are simply too unpredictable. My convincing and the abbess' duty as a healer of the abbey are the only things that are keeping you at Redwall. You're making incredible progress, just stick with it for a little bit longer and I promise you'll feel better."

"Very well, but I have a request of you, too." Said Leonardo, looking at his paws.

"What's that?"

"Maximus seems determined to achieve his goal."

"Of course, this is his home we're looking for, after all!"

"... A bit too determined. His determination has made him blind, I can see it in him. Dassiter, he is much like I was when we started our hunt. Look after him and at all costs do not let him follow the same path I did. That is unless you want another madbeast at the abbey."

Dassiter looked at Leonardo curiously, "One moment you were going to stab him and the next you're trying to save his life."

Leonardo snorted and gave a half smile at his friend, "That's madness for ya."

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And we're off! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of The Life of Simon as much as i enjoyed writing it! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below I'd love to hear what you have to say no matter the format

I'll be posting a new chapter every 48 hours, so stay tuned and enjoy the story!

Thanks for all of your support, everyone. It means quite a lot!

EDIT: this story is continuously updated for grammatical errors. If you find any areas in need of corrections, feel free to PM me the spot where you found it! Latest Read-through: 6/20/15

[The Skarzs]

A SPELLING MISTAKE!!
This is a great beginning to an already amazing sequel to your award-winning story. I can tell how much thought and planning has gone into this so early in te story, and I can't wait for more!

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 17

The next morning, Maximus, Kiril, Ronar, Gorm, Ellyvin, Marius, and Dassiter all gathered by the front gate. Many creatures came to see the travelers off and wish them good fortune on their journey to the coast. Maximus tied his haversack to the end of his spear and slung it over his shoulder. Leonardo emerged from the onlookers and approached him (now dressed in a red habit). "Looking for Martin again?" Said Maximus with a hint of sting in his voice.

Leonardo shook his head and put his paws in his sleeves, "No mate, I'm here to apologize. I hope you can understand me when I tell ye that that wasn't me yesterday. Simon's been kicking up a lot o' dust in th' ole noggin and he's got me concerned. It's a good thing that I'm not goin' with you all, though I wish more 'n anything that I could. It would be best that I stay here an' keep getting some treatment from the kind brothers and sisters in the infirmary. Perhaps I'll be well enough to join you all on the next adventure, eh?" He winked.

Maximus couldn't help but smile at the odd figure. He had so many contrasts to his personality, but he knew that Leonardo was trying to keep the good always facing up. "Apology accepted, pal. I hope you get everything that you need here an' are all ship-shape when we return. I trust it won't be too long of a journey. Maybe I'll even come back with some new friends for ye."

"I hope that you find what you're looking for, Maximus. But take it from a creature who knows first-paw: you must think about other things, no matter what they may be. Don't let the single thought of your holt an' Deamal dominate your mind. It turns a creature into something they're not, an' no good comes o' that. Always talk to the others if you need to let it all out, that's why they're accompanying you. They are your supports, so use them. Understood?"

Maximus looked into Leonardo's hazel eyes. Despite the fact that they had clouded like a veil of fog in madness, there was still a light that shone through. At that moment, Maximus could have sworn that the light at that moment nearly destroyed the fog and Leonardo was speaking from the heart. "Thanks, Leo. I'll be sure to remember that."

"Wwwwwaaaaaaaahhhhurrrrhurrrhurrr! Whoi do yee 'ave t' go Mr. Mariuz? Boo, hurr, hoo..." A mole babe and several other young-uns clung to the giant Marius' footpaws in defiance of his leaving. The gargantuan otter tried to coax them in his great bass voice.

"Now, now, dibbuns. I'll be back by the time the moon is full once more. Be sure to behave whilst I'm away. An' if you're really good, I just may bring some new stories back with me. But only if you're nice an' good for sister Meridee!" Almost instantly, the dibbuns' tears turned to smiles and squeals of excitement.

"Yah, yah, a thtory, mithtah Mariuth!"

"Hurr, oh boy oi do loves me a gudd story ferr bedtoime, hurr!"

"Don't you forget to bring yer story back, else I'll never talk to you again."

Ellyvin stepped in, "Alright young ones, we need to go now, so run back to sister Meridee an' she'll make sure you have lots an' lots of fun while we're away." And so the dibbuns ran off and the rest of the creatures said their goodbyes and promised for a celebration upon their return. Just as the travelers were pulling out of the main gate, Dassiter took the abbess aside.

"Mother Abbess, I can't thank ye enough fer helping out Leo. You must understand that it wasn't him yesterday with Maximus. There's a full-fledged war goin' on inside o' that head of his an' sometimes it... it..."

Abbess Hannah held up her paw, "It's alright, captain. I understand the situation and we all want to see him make a recovery. I just hope that he can contain his conflict at least until you are back. Sister Jul has been devoted almost entirely to his cause and she claims to have recently devised a new treatment which she will be implicating later today. She said that it may prove to be the most effective by far!"

<><><><><>

"Hurr, oi doant know, Xoer. If'n we make ee incision yurr an' yurr, et wudd loiten ee load boi aboot foive percent if moi calculations be roight. But with th' weight lost, we'd need nearly three more bags o' ballast an' we won't 'ave any room fer that if'n we implicate yurr plan fer a furnace." Said Nol the mole as he coughed into a red polka-dotted hanky. He and Xoer had been working on modifying the airship in preparations for their own journey. Xoer was making a second attempt at obtaining the medicine from the hooded ones. Even though Nol had beaten the sickness, Xoer said that he wanted to try again so that the crew he lost in his first expedition would not have died in vain. Nol immediately jumped onboard with the plan, claiming that he was not about to let Xoer go off alone, so the two began preparing for their voyage to the land of the hooded ones. They would make their journey together and unaccompanied by anybeast else, seeing as it would be very lengthy and dangerous. In order to make it easier for them both, they were dismantling the old, broken Nol and Runty, and building a new, much smaller airship that could be piloted by only two creatures. In addition to this, the new airship would be more comfortable, though the details were still in the works.

Xoer eyed the spot that Nol was referring to carefully, "Well, what if we deflated the balloon when we landed? Then we wouldn't have to weigh it down so much."

"Aye, but what if'n we was in a smidge o' trouble, an' we needed to get agoin' quickly? Y' never know wiv ee adventures."

"Ooh, I see... Maybe we could use an anchor o' some sorts to keep us in place. Not with its weight, but with its shape."

Nol nodded his head lightly, "Hurr, that be's a gudd oidea. We cudd toi a spade an' a pick to th' end of a rope an' use that. If ee shafts be made o' wood, it'd loighten ee load quite a lot!"

The quirky mongoose laughed heartily and rubbed his paws together, "Great idea ole pal! I think I know just where I could find them..."

<><><><><>

"Can you tell me about what happened yesterday in the Great Hall?" Sister Jul (pronounced 'Jewel'), the abbey's new lead infirmary keeper was trying to learn more about Leonardo's ailment. Jul was a young mouse, stunningly gorgeous and wonderfully talented in the art of healing despite the lack of experience under her belt. When Abbess Hannah asked her to work on Leonardo's case after his arrival to the abbey, Jul willingly accepted. It was an incredibly difficult task, as such a condition had never before been recorded as a happening at Redwall, but Jul was determined to be the trailblazer that others in the future would follow.

A common procedure that she would often do is learn more about Leonardo's condition through his memories. When she heard about what had happened with Maximus, as the whole abbey did, she was both worried and filled with hope. Of course, such behavior was dangerous because she was working with a mad mouse who had tried to kill somebeast just a day before, and inside the abbey at that!

Word traveled quickly throughout Redwall about the event and creatures developed a new fear of Leonardo overnight. Though he himself did not seem to notice this morning while seeing the travelers off, Jul saw mothers ushering their little ones away from him and whispering amongst themselves about banishment and exile. She saw the way that they looked down their snouts at him and turn away when he looked at them. The scarlet habit did not help him any better. Since nearly every creature at Redwall wore the traditional green garb, Leonardo stood out like a beacon. The Redwallers were good creatures and they had a right to be afraid, but Jul believed that there were better ways of handling cases with unusual creatures. Then again, perhaps that was simply because she was a nurse and Leonardo was a patient. A dangerous patient.

However, she was hopeful because she was working with something still very fresh in her patient's mind. She wished that she could have questioned him the day before, but when the friar fell ill she had to take care of him first and before she knew it, the day was over. Even still, working with a memory that was only a day old was far better than one a season old. So she pounced upon her opportunity to learn more about the madness scratching at the inside of his head.

Leonardo was laying on a bed in his habit and stared at the wooden ceiling. "I wanted to learn more about Martin. How can his magic be real? I've never seen it and he was never there for me when I needed him, so I wanted to find out once and for all if this 'guardian of the abbey' was really... real. So Maximus and I talked about it and then Simon jumped in. He showed me that Maximus looked down on me, saw himself better than me because I was mad and he wasn't. He hardly listened to a word I said because he knew about Simon— it's true! Jul, I knew that I didn't want to kill him, really! But Simon yelled at me and shouted and he seemed to be so right about it all and his claws are so sharp— I could feel my brain bursting with his noise and tearing at the seams. I had to do something before he escaped completely, and so I did what he said.

"There's something amazing about Maximus, though, Jul. This morning at the gate I apologized to him and he forgave me like nothing had happened! I don't know if he did it because he doesn't have to see me for a full month or it was out of pity for a mad mouse. Still, to hear those words was really helpful. I could feel Simon's grip loosen up a bit."

"Can you tell me the exact feelings that you felt when this happened?"

Leonardo paused for a moment and sat up. He looked straight into sister Jul's almond eyes and said, "It gave me a glimpse at a feeling that I haven't experienced in over twenty seasons: peace. It was not absolute and it only lasted for a brief amount of time, but I'd know that feeling anywhere!"

Jul scribbled down more notes before continuing, "Interesting. This'll tumble into a new treatment I discovered recently and I want to try it out on you. I have a piece of parchment here and I want you to write down what you are thinking, like I always have you do, but really dig deep this time."
Leonardo gave a snorted laugh as Jul kept talking.

"If forgiveness is what gave you peace. What regrets do you have that would give you peace if they were resolved?" She handed Leonardo the parchment and pen. "Oh, before you start, I want you to drink this. It's a new medicine I've brewed up and it should help you stay focused and get us farther than ever..."

Leonardo's smile died and he took the materials. He looked at the syrupy concoction with that Jul handed to him and gave a discusted look. "Surely you're not serious."

"I am serious! It will help you focus so that we can get you healed quicker. Just trust me, I wouldn't lie to you." Leonardo drank the medicine and was pleasantly surprised that the taste was not as bad as the smell. Jul smiled, "See, not so bad! Do you need anything else before we get started?"

Leonardo looked around the infirmary. "This place is drab."

"It's the infirmary."

"It's a drab infirmary. How could I write in a place so dull?"

This was not the first time that Leonardo's mood shifted during a session. Sometimes he was as happy as ever, then the next moment he would be knee deep in depression (though it was still an easier situation to deal with than Leonardo's somewhat common waves of immense nausea. Those could last an entire day despite standard nausea treatments and normally yielded, to say the least, 'unpleasant' results). "I need you to be able to focus on your task." She said. She was not about to let another mood swing get in the way of a possible cure.

"I need to work someplace nicer if I want to focus. It's not hard to fight a medicine."

Jul sighed, "Well, how about we take a trip down to the orchard? It'll be nice and quiet there since it isn't quite time for harvesting."

Leonardo gave a smile, "That'll do just fine."

Down in the orchard, Leonardo sat down at the base of a knotted apple tree with his parchment. Sister Jul sat a little ways away and studied an old tome. Being one of the few creatures that he saw during the day, Leonardo began to notice a few details about Jul. She was a scholar from birth, always wanting to figure out puzzles and riddles. Discovering medicinal treatments was the natural path for her. She always had a certain posture when she was in deep thought. Her whole body would be stiff: her back would be straight, paws together and in front of her, and footpaws planted firmly on the ground (if she was standing). She always had to eat at the same time every day and was well organized. She always went to bed at the same late hour each night and got up well before dawn every morning. If she ever missed a meal or was a half-hour late with one thing or another, the whole day's schedule would be thrown off-beat. In this regard, Leonardo always compared Jul to a militaristic overseer. "Because seasons help you if so much as a dust mote isn't in line." he would say to himself. Getting to work in the orchard was a first while getting treatment. Leonardo assumed that it was due to the previous day's events and Jul wanted to get the best possible response out of him rather than a series of pages  with "This room is drab" scribbled a hundred times on each side without spaces. So, as if to reward Jul for giving into his wishes, Leonardo wrote down what he was thinking...

They can't leave me unsupervised any more. They're afraid, I can see it in their eyes. I bet they hate me. Dassiter's gone and he was the only thing keeping 'em away from me. They wouldn't care if I died tomorrow. Except maybe Jul would. She's trying to make me better and I think it's working. She's trying to pick me up, but I can feel the eyes of the others pushing me back down. They want to end me, but I'll be one step ahead. One step ahead. Always one step ahead...
NO!
This territory of my mind is too familiar. It is Simon's breeding ground, I can't stay there! I've managed to fence off a tiny portion of my brain for me and have used every square inch of its cramped space. But Simon is on the other side frolicking in the meadows of my mind and digging up old memories. He's so close that I can hear his breathing—no— his heartbeat!
Go find your sword.
No.
I said get your sword!
I won't! This is Redwall, I should be safe from evil in here!
Then what am I, Leo? I couldn't be evil if I'm right here inside of the walls. What does that make me?
Go away.
What does that make me?
You may have breached the walls of Redwall, but you're still evil. You may have breached my walls but now I'm trapping you in them! Look at this, now I'm in the meadow and you're crammed in there where I was!
I will get out!
I'd like to see you try.

Leonardo put his parchment down and smiled at the success of his plan. Very rarely had he been able to submit Simon like he did with relative ease. When it did happen, he felt like he was on a holiday. When Jul later studied these fast-paced (and usually confusing and undescriptive) dialogues that Leonardo wrote with 'Simon', she found that this 'mental wall' was a reoccurring element. She noted that this is what Leonardo referred to as quite literally blocking off segments of his mind. Such practice had never been recorded at the abbey and seemed to be a very temporary solution to his ailment at times. Leonardo would avoid all thoughts that could somehow relate to Simon or give him a lever to pry on. The consequence however was not thinking properly and resulted in poor problem-solving and decision-making. This way of metaphorically describing the process seemed to be the quickest and easiest way for Leonardo to describe. Though there were still parts that Jul did not understand. For example, it was not yet clear if Leonardo quite literally saw himself as a being inside his mind, which he adapted into a great field, and Simon was like a hazard that would show up in some unpredictable places, or if there was much more to this illustration that Leonardo was not writing about.

An apple fell down from the tree and landed next to Leonardo.

"Psst! Leo, up here!"

Leonardo looked up to see Xoer and Nol in the tree with a spade and a shovel. "What are you doing up there?" He said.

"Sshhh! Do you wanna give us away?"

"We be's hoiding frum ee angry farmers, zurr. Xoer said ee was gonna get us sum supploies, but ne'er bothered to arsk for 'em! Now we 'ave t' hoide frum ee farmer an' 'is woife oop yurr."

"Er, you don't happen to see them, do you?"

Leonardo looked around before replying, "The coast is clear, you can come down, mates." Xoer hopped down and Nol tossed the supplies to him.

"Thanks, mate. Those farmers are really protective o' their stuff. Can't take any chances y'know!"
Nol was on his way down and was hanging from the last limb when he said, "Er, Xoer? This be's awful hoigh oop. Oi don't wanna fall an' get 'urt, hurr no zurr!"

"Nol, look at me. You're not two paces off the ground."

"Yes, but those be badger paces!"

"Nol I'm at eye level with you. Really, how am I supposed to expect you to fly in an airship if you can't let go of a low hanging tree branch?"

"Et be's differunt!"

"You've never flown an airship before!"

"So? Oi can do et jus' foine!"

"Heads up, you've got company comin' your way." Said Leonardo. Xoer turned about to see the farmer and his wife making their way into the orchard.

Xoer gasped, "C'mon Nol it's now or never! They'll see us at any moment! Let go, I'll catch you."

"Hurr, okay... Oi'm agoin' t' let go on three."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah hurry up they've practically seen us!"

"One... Two..."

"Hey, there they are!" Cried the farmer's wife.

"Run fer it Nol, we've been had!" Xoer grabbed the spade and pick and ran off, leaving Nol dangling from the tree branch. Nol looked behind him to see the farmer and his wife running towards him with very angry faces. He frantically kicked his stubby legs and tried to pull himself back into the tree but could only hang there in despair.

"Hurr, this be's it, Leo. Oi'm finished!"

Leonardo wrote and spoke at the same time, "Nol, have you forgotten how silly of a situation this is? You stole two rusty farming supplies from a pair of farmers at Redwall, you didn't double-cross an assassin! The worst you'll get is a scolding and then they'll feel bad and let you keep them."

"That is if'n oi survoive ee fall oot of ee tree!"

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There we go! I liked writing this chapter in particular because it has a bit from everyone. We learned a little more about Leonardo and Simon, as well as what Dassiter is doing behind the scenes to keep his friend at the abbey, then a bit of Xoer and Nol's quest.

Let me know what you thought down below or what you think is going to happen in the future and stay tuned for chapter 18 in two days

[The Skarzs]

This chapter was great; it gave great insight as to what went on in Leo's mind, as well as showing a light in the murky darkness of his inner dangers, hinting of a. . . recovery, shall we say.
The last half made me smile, so you can count that as a huge compliment: I rarely break from my deadpan face.

Please, keep up the awesome work!

[Captain Tammo]

Thank you very much for the kind reviews, Skarzs!! I'm really happy to see that you're enjoying the story so far

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 18

The next day found the travelers journeying to Vydra in a miserable situation. They had made camp late the night before and Gorm had cooked them supper. Maximus had them up before dawn and they were exhausted.

"C'mon, you slowpokes! At the rate you lot are traveling, it'll be autumn again by the time we hit Vydra." Maximus was far ahead of the others and bursting with energy. The others however were not. They were used to the seafaring life, not marching all day on solid ground. It was a comical sight to see them all trudging through the still-warm forest of Mossflower on the path. However, Maximus had been pressing them hard.

"How about we break zis famine, Maxi? Noon was two hours ago!" Said Gorm in his thick, raspy voice.

Ellyvin chimed in agreement, "Aye, my paws are about t' fall off! We should stop, if only for a little while. We won't be getting to Vydra today."

Maximus hesitated but decided that it would be better for everybeast. "Okay, I guess a break wouldn't hurt, but not too long! We shouldn't waste any time. We've a lot of ground to cover before nightfall."

Dassiter seemed to be the only one besides Maximus who had some energy left. "Heh, this reminds me o' the old days when I was a runner in the Long Patrol. Jolly good days they were, wot!"

"Oh, look out, now he's gonna go all Salamandastron lieutenant on us!" Said a very cranky Kiril. His equally irritated brother got up and stood at a stiff military salute.

"Permission to eat, sah! Permission to blink, sah! Permission to breath, sah! Spit spot an' cheerio, wot, wot, blinkin' bloody wot!" The others laughed hard, even Dassiter. Marius turned and addressed Maximus, who had been looking over his map carefully.

"Maximus, may I see your map? I know a place that we could stay at tonight if it is close enough." Maximus handed Marius the map and he studied it carefully for a moment. "Hm... We should visit our friend Tarsl in Molguvar tonight. It'll be directly to the East of where we are now. We could probably get there just after dark. I hear that he's created quite the community!"

"Molguvar? You mean the settlement he started?" Said Maximus

Marius rolled the map back up and handed it to the young otter, "Well, I understand that it's still being built, and most likely will be for a few more seasons, but I'd love to see it regardless. He always was the crafty one."

Dassiter added what he had to say while munching on a blueberry scone, "It'll be nice to see Jacques an' Brian again, too. I miss those rascals dearly. Haven't seen 'em since we landed." The others nodded in agreement.

"Then it's settled," said Marius, "we'll make for Molguvar."

<><><><><>

Back at Redwall, Nol and Xoer were putting the finishing touches on their new airship. Nol was busy removing his name from the bow of the vessel. "Et be's bad fortune t' 'ave a vessel that be's named after yerself. Hurr, et should only be t' honor ee passed, zurr." Is what he said when Xoer questioned the purpose of his actions. Meanwhile, Xoer was also busy with getting the anchor sorted out. Leonardo approached the pair in his scarlet habit whilst munching on a shiny red apple,

"I told ye they'd feel bad an' let you keep 'em." He said, then took a big bite and leaned on the hull. "You really think this thing 'll get off the ground?"

Xoer hammered a nail in place and replied, "Of course it'll fly! You've been on one yerself! This un has a much better chance at gettin' up than that old brick we initially used. An' if that one could fly, then this one can soar!" The new airship was significantly smaller than the last. It had a round, nearly circular wooden hull that still resembled that of a basket and had a slightly flat bottom to allow easier stability when landing. On top of the deck was a very small cabin that looked like a little house. Directly connected to the roof was a big hole where a furnace would puff hot air into the balloon. The operating system was just about the same in every aspect to that of the Nol and Runty, but on a smaller scale.

"So when're ye leaving for the West?" Said Leonardo.

Xoer kept working without looking up, "Tomorrow. I dunno how long we'll be gone for, but I'm guessing it'll be a long while. Hsif-Drows was pretty far west to begin with. The land of the hooded ones could be just a little bit over the horizon from there, or it could be another thousand leagues. I suppose we won't know until we're there."

Leonardo was intrigued. He had never really talked with Xoer too much about his journey since most of the time he was confined to the infirmary. "How do you even know where to look and how to find them?"

Xoer paused for a moment and sat in the airship' shade. It had been a very warm autumn. "Well, that's where the legends originated, so that's where I'll aim for."

"You mean to tell me that you don't even know that it exists?"

"Ooh, it exists alright, I can feel it in me bones."

Leonardo flashed back to his journey to find Deamal. Memories poured through the meadows of his mind. He could feel Simon getting his strength back, but he pushed it aside. "What do they look like?"

"Huh, to be exact, I'm not too sure. The legend says that the solution the hooded ones carry has the power to cure the incurable. They say that they carry the solution in these bags that they guard with their lives; that they're ruthless and those who've gone out to find them almost never return. An' when they do, it's empty pawed an' forever in shock. I dunno what they look like exactly, but they're dangerous to get tangled up with. Nol an' I ain't worried none, though. Right, Nol?"

"Aye, Xoer! They'm be's no match fer a foremole an' a serpent-slayer, hurr no zurr!"

"Hey, Nol that reminds me, who's gonna take your spot as foremole when you're gone?" Said Leonardo.

Nol finished nailing the plank in place and wiped a heavy digging claw across his brow, "Nobeast, Mr. Leo. Once a foremole, always a foremole. But ee secund in command be's Gwen, moi niece. She may be young, but she really knows 'er diggin' an' craftin'!"

Suddenly Leonardo heard from behind him, "There you are Leo, I've been looking all over for you!" Sister Jul came across the abbey lawns. Leonardo rolled his eyes.

"Sorry pals, that's my cue to head back to the nuthouse. I'll be sure to come out an' see y'all off tomorrow morning." Before he could turn around, Jul was already there.

"There you are, did you not hear me calling?"

Leonardo, embarrassed by her mother-like tone, chuckled and looked down. "What's wrong, miss your star patient? Thought I was gettin' in trouble again?"

"This is serious, you need your treatment."

"I don't need it."

"You almost killed Maximus two days ago. I think you need it." Nol and Xoer watched awkwardly.

"Go on, mate. We'll be sure not to leave without sayin' goodbye." Said the mongoose.
Leonardo, now even more embarrassed, nodded and put his head down. Jul ushered him back to the infirmary and had him write another journal entry.

This place is a prison. Leonardo wrote, The walls that once served as divine protection and sanctuary now are the barbed walls of red. Everyone is leaving and I'm finding no peace in this abbey where silence and emptiness echo. I may have the meadows of my mind to myself, but in the physical world, I'm trapped on the inside... Still nothing from Martin. Jul's been telling me that he doesn't speak unless there's danger. Well, if I'm not mistaken, Simon's a pretty [darn] big danger to me! Now let's see some miracle work!

Xoer will have to watch himself. He's acting just like I was... Exactly how I was. I'm scared for him and Maximus. It's shocking how things have changed in just a season... I'll talk to him tomorrow before his launch. Meanwhile, I'll be stuck here in my sandstone dungeon and watch the sun rise and fall a few more times. If I hadn't promised Dassiter that I'd stay to get better, I would've been long gone by now.

Simon's been locked up for a full day now. I think he's working on something big, but I'll be ready for him.

<><><><><>

Night fell and the wind blew the warm colored leaves far and wide in Mossflower woods. The travelers making their way to Holt Vydra stumbled around in the darkness of the forest in hopes of finding Molguvar.

"Can't be much farther now, mates. Chins up!"

Gorm trailed far behind the group, "Bagh, you have been saying zat for almost an hour! I cannot take much more of zis marching stuff today, Kaptain. Jus' a wee little rest to get my paws healthy again."

Dassiter gave it some thought, then agreed. "Well, it would be nice to look over the map again. It's so blinkin' hard to see in all this dark! It'll jus' be a moment, gang!" They all stopped to rest for a few moments while Dassiter leaned heavily over the map and mumbled to himself quietly. As if from nowhere the map and surrounding area became illuminated with light. Dassiter perked up in alarm and saw that it was Maximus who was holding a lantern. Dassiter's ears turned bright red with frustration. "Maximus?"

"Yes?"

"Have you had that lantern this entire time?"

"Yes."

"And you only now thought to use it?"

"Hehe, sorry cap'n. Forgot I had it in all the excitement o' the journey. I only remembered I had it jus' now."

The hare sighed and looked at Maximus, "I think the lack o' sleep must be gettin' to you, too. Shine it o'er here, jus' like that. Perfect!" He looked at the map closely and started mumbling again. Suddenly there came a shrieking noise from the South. All of them froze and looked in the direction from which it came.

"What was that?" Said Ellyvin? The shriek came again.

"Sounds to me like zere is a beast in trouble!" Gorm whispered hard. The shriek sounded again, louder this time.

"C'mon everyone, let's go see what's goin' on, an' keep at the ready. I've no blinkin' idea whose shoutin' bloody murder, but I ain't gonna sit about an' hear it happen! Hand the lantern over here."

"Wait!" Said Maximus. They all turned and looked at him. He paused to think for a couple of seconds as if to reassure himself. "When I visited Raoul's family this past summer, they told me about a shortcut to Redwall through the woods." He paused again as another shriek came, followed by a second. "They–they said that I shouldn't take that route because there're these barbarians that inhabit that area– about the same area where we are now."

"Barbarians?" Said Dassiter.

"They call themselves Flitchaye." Replied Maximus. "They're magic, appear from the ground an' can knock you out jus' by being around you! They said that nobeast survives meeting 'em head on."

They all stood about for half a moment and then Dassiter spoke up, "That's ridiculous, Maximus. Magic is jus' illusion an' the audience's imagination. They wouldn't be able to fool— yagh!" A savage-looking creature seemed to materialize out of the ground and made a go at Dassiter with a sharpened stick. Dassiter dodged the sudden attack, but only just. He fell backward and landed on his back. The ground beneath him then came alive and a pair of paws emerged from underneath and grabbed him tight. However, Kiril and Ronar were upon the creature in no time and Ellyvin took care of the first attacker with her bow.

"Run!" Shouted Marius. Dassiter, Kiril, Ronar, Ellyvin, Gorm, and Maximus all agreed without another thought and darted through the brush. The shrieking became louder and louder as the travelers stumbled through the dense woods in an effort to escape their unseen foes. Dassiter held the lantern up as a beacon for his friends to follow, but, unfortunately, that beacon also glowed brightly for the enemy.

"Keep running, mates! They can't follow us forever!" Shouted Dassiter. He ran as quickly as his paws would carry him. He leaped, ducked and slid over, under and through all obstacles that presented themselves to him. Suddenly he realized exactly what was happening. His mind flashed back to his young seasons at Salamandastron.

Dassiter was only about ten seasons old but was one of the quickest learners at the fortress. His grandfather, Colonel Wilbour de Fformelo Tussock, had said multiple times that he would make general by the time he was half his own age. His great skill in militaristic arts had given him special privileges. On one specific occasion, Dassiter recalled standing in on one of his grandfather's meetings with many other high-ranking officers. There was a large map of a wooded field of battle on a stone table. The whole thing was dotted with blue and red flags. Dassiter remembered the conversation the officers had.

"Listen carefully now, I'm only going to say this once, wot! Our central force is here in a single clump and the enemy has nearly all of the west field under their scummy paws. They have a force of ten-score, an' for simulation purposes, we will have eight-score. What is the most efficient plan of attack?"

"Well, if I know anything at that, general sah, it is that we should throw the ole ant-panic movement, wot!"

"Elaborate, Officer."

"Well sah, this is a move used universally. The majority of our force, let's say all but twenty, breaks off on both sides, here, an' here." He said indicating specific areas of the map. "Then they bob n' weave around an' behind the blighters while the majority o' the enemy force waits unsuspecting of anything. Once our lads have reached the rear o' the enemy camp, we have th' remaining score o' troops make as much noise as possible an' charge the blighters. Now if the vermin had any wits about them, they'd think they were outnumbered an either run or be overrun. If the vermin run, they'll fall right into our trap an' be greeted by the rest o' the force. If they stayed and fought, our front ranks would only have t' do minimal work afore the main force starts their charge from behind the villains an' takes 'em by surprise, sah!"

Dassiter flashed back to the present and groaned in fear for his friends. "They've got us surrounded, mates! Keep on going, our only hope is to be faster than they are!" Just as he finished saying this, three Flitchaye sprung up in front of him and he was forced to stop dead.

Thud, Thud, Thud!

The three enemies fell without making another sound. "Coom on zurr, we be's over yurr! We'll cover ye!"

Dassiter did not question the undeniable voice of a mole and he ran forward and into a circular clearing. There was a massive square, stone archway at its center with a large iron barred gate underneath. He saw several moles pop out of the tall grass, hardly tall enough to stand above it, and loose their slings into the woods behind him, which were met in turn by a flurry of sharp spears entering the clearing. Dassiter looked back to see where his friends were, however he only saw darkness before him. The tall hare stopped and raised his lantern high to try to give them a more obvious spot to run to. But only the glowing eyes of the enemy seemed to be visible in the lantern's light. "Gorm!" Dassiter yelled, "Ellyvin! Marius! Are you there? Kiril, Ronar! Maximus! Are you beasts there?" His heart sank to hear only the sound of shrieking and moles shouting. Purple smoke drifted just above the ground like a fog coming from the woods and he knew what had happened. The smoke clung to the ground and plumed into his nose. He could feel the ground start to sway beneath him as if it were jam. Several moles grabbed Dassiter and pulled him back towards the arch. The more he breathed in, the more his vision became blurred. He saw himself kicking and felt himself shouting for a reply from one of his friends, but his words only echoed back to his deafened ears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Do you have an idea as to what you think is going to happen next? What character do you want to see more of? Let me know down below!

[The Skarzs]

Awesome!
Every time a chapter comes out, I'm like "Hooooo boy!"
(No spelling mistakes, this time )
To answer the questions you charged us with: I think I can guess what might happen. Simon is going to make another, strong appearance and cause a large disturbance at Redwall, possibly urging Nol and Xoer to bring him along to be cured by the hooded ones. Dassiter will attempt to find his friends.
Exceptional chapter!

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 19

The Runty was now just a dot on the edge of the horizon when viewed from Redwall. As it disappeared, almost everybeast returned to their daily chores around the abbey. Up on top of the main western gate, Sister Meridee could be found trying to get a group of naughty dibbuns off of the wallops. The dibbuns had snuck up there to watch the airship leave and refused to come back down. Meridee raced about frantically trying to keep them from scrambling around. The dibbuns thought of it as a game of keep-away, and squealed with laughter and delight. As soon as one was caught, they would make their way to the stairs and sit still, cheering the others on. Meridee, though wishing to scold them, did not argue about it too harshly, seeing as they were sitting still. Eventually, there was only one of them left, a little squirrel named Arnold. He danced around the battlements playfully as sister Meridee had hot steam pouring out of her big ears.

"Lookit me Sista Meridee, no paws!"

"Arnold you get back here right this instant, you'll fall!"

However, Arnold was not listening. He leaned dangerously over the edge of the wall and sang, "Tweedle lee deedle lee bop! Wagh!" Arnold's short paws slipped and he fell off of the wall. But he was only in the air for a split second thanks to the quick actions of sister Meridee. She held on to the end of his bushy tail as Arnold giggled and laughed. Meridee had so much to say, but bit her tongue hard and started pulling Arnold back up. "Et's okay Meridee. You can drop me because those beasts 'll catch me, right sirs?"

"What beasts?" Meridee did not think that she could be any more scared than she was, but her face must have turned three shades even whiter. There, coming down the path to Redwall was an enormous band of vermin, all armed to the teeth with red-stained weapons. Meridee yanked Arnold back over the wall top and ducked behind the battlements with him.

"What're you doing missus Meridee? They could be friendly beasts like you an' me, you just gotta look at 'em upside down and all o' their frowns turn into happy smiles!"

"Quiet, Arnold! They're not here to be friendly. Quickly, we need to inform mother abbess... Come on little ones, down to the abbey right now!"

Abbess Hannah had just entered the Great Hall when sister Jul was on her way out. "Good morning, mother abbess, how are you doing today?" Said Jul.

"I'm doing just fine, my child, thank you. Are you in a hurry?"

Jul motioned with a basket she was holding, "I'm going out to the gardens to get some strawberries for Leonardo. He seemed a bit glum today so I figured this would help liven him up. Hopefully nobeast has beaten me to them, I had no idea that they ripened early this year!"

"That's wonderful my dear. I actually wanted to talk to you about Mr. Williams. Would you care to take a stroll before going to the gardens? I promise, there'll be no shortage of berries for you to pick, this is Redwall after all."

Jul smiled sweetly, but she had a feeling that this was not going to be a very pleasant walk at all. "Of course." She said, "What's on your mind?"

As they walked towards cavern hole, Abbess Hannah faced forward when she spoke. "How is he doing? Has any progress been made yet?"

Jul was a bit offended by this remark, but she knew that the abbess meant her no harm. "Yes, he's improved by leaps and bounds. He is able to make rational decisions when I present him with sample problems, I took him off of the sleeping medicine just last week, and now he's learning to write down his feelings in a journal and I'm getting some useful information from it. He's by no means cured, but I think he is going to make a recovery." It was not entirely a lie that Jul told, but it certainly stretched the truth to the limit.

"He tried to kill Maximus, Jul. I am beginning to doubt that he has made any progress at all."

"That wasn't him, it was Simon." Jul struggled to bite her tongue. How could the abbess say such a thing? This was her patient that they were talking about. Had Jul's view of the situation been so skewed that she did not see the danger of the situation?

"Murder is murder, Jul. Just because he is mad does not mean that he is to be exonerated. He needs to be contained. Could you keep him in the infirmary a bit more? I saw him walking about for nearly an hour yesterday completely unsupervised. He is a dangerous creature and I will not risk the safety of many for the pleasure of one. We know of how he got here, but we don't know anything about his past. The stories they tell speak almost nothing of his origins. Even Dassiter would not say! I don't think this is Mr. Williams' first time putting innocent creatures in danger, otherwise why would he be so secretive about it?"

"I've learned a lot about him, mother abbess. He's been writing about it in his journal and I've done some research. He was one of the most successful sea captains to date! I discovered records of his ship in the gatehouse from travelers that he'd saved! He's saved more lives than live in this abbey; he's a military genius. He's taken on multiple barbarian ships at once and come out unscathed. It's the shame of his fall from power that is keeping Dassiter and the others from telling us these things. We've only heard the small things compared to what's really happened, and they're withholding the information for his sake." She pulled the abbess aside and whispered to her so that no others would overhear. "Mother Abbess, he's the fostered son of Badger Lord Barbourn!"

Abbess Hannah's eyes went wide with amazement. "That was Mr. Williams?! How long have you known about this?"

"A couple of days, I didn't know how to tell you."

"Have you sent word to Salamandastron about this? I'm certain Lord Barbourn would wish to hear that we have him."

"I already took care of that yesterday. Poppearl the raven is delivering it for us. I promised her a jar of candied nuts in exchange."

"Wonderful. The sooner the badger lord hears of this, the sooner he can come get his son." These words stung Jul horribly. She was at a loss for words for a brief moment. The abbess noticed. "I'm sorry Jul, but he cannot stay here. The abbey isn't the proper place for a creature like this. Especially if he has the fighting experience you say he does."

Jul wanted to scream, "But mother abbess, he needs to stay if he's to get better. Salamandastron doesn't have healers like we do! This is a creature who has held an immense amount of power and responsibility. He needs to be restored if not for his sake then for his father's!"

"Please Jul, calm down! It's for the safety of my abbey."

"We have seasoned warriors stay here all the time whenever the Long Patrol visits. Great seasons, he grew up with them! He needs to be helped, it's our duty as creatures of Redwall to do so."

"The days of treating every creature who needed it left when Cluny came to the abbey. It nearly killed everyone. My answer is still no, Jul, even if it means Lord Barbourn loses his foster child. Mr. Williams is a danger to the abbey."

However, Jul would hear nothing of it. She raised her voice louder, "You know what it is like to lose your child!"

"Jul!"

"All those seasons ago before you came to Redwall you were a traveler with your husband and babe. You lost your family to something horrible and so has Leonardo. You must understand and see things through his perspective!"

"How dare you bring that up, and to convince me to house a killer!"

"He's not a killer!" Jul cried. Those in the Great Hall stopped and looked at the two in shocked silence. Before anybeast could say anything else, sister Meridee burst through the doors with a group of frightened dibbuns behind her. She saw the abbess and called out to her completely out of breath,

"Mother Abbess, there's a band of vermin at our gate!" Again there was a stunned silence all around.

"Vermin, at Redwall? But that hasn't happened in over a full generation!" Said Hannah.

"How many were there?" Said a mouse.

"At least two-score of them. All armed." Said Meridee between heavy breaths.

Abbess Hannah tried to keep her composure, "I'll get skipper Thomm."

"No, you can't. He got hurt moving some barrels and is in the infirmary. I gave him some really strong sleeping medicine and he won't be awake for at least another several hours." Said Jul nervously.

"What about he rest of his crew? They can talk to the vermin for us!" Somebeast said.

"Maybe, but they don't have any experience with vermin like skipper has. And even that isn't much!" Said another.

Jul realized her opportunity and smiled inwardly. This could be a good thing! She thought. "What about Leonardo? He has more experience with vermin than any of us!" Abbess Hannah's face went white as everybeast else nodded in agreement. "I'll go get him, but in the meantime I need all of you to spread word of the situation. Keep the little ones inside and clear the grounds." With this, they all went about with new tasks and left Abbess Hannah standing in the middle of the Great Hall alone. She looked at the tapestry of Martin the Warrior and sighed,

"Oh Martin, what am I to do?" She stood there for a while waiting for a response, but it never came.

"I got him, mother abbess! Quickly, we need to get to the wall top." Said Jul. Leonardo followed behind her in his red habit. Hannah joined them, but kept Jul in the middle. They made their way across the lawn and up to the silent battlements. All the way, Leonardo was watched by hidden sets of abbey beasts' eyes. It was an eerie feeling indeed, three creatures crossing the deserted abbey lawn with synchronized steps. Just as they reached the top, Jul grabbed Leonardo's paw and stopped him. "Wait! You need a weapon."

"He doesn't need a weapon, Jul, he's not going to be doing battle." Said Abbess Hannah.

"That doesn't matter, it's the image. They'll want to see some sort of proof that he's a real warrior." She said. "Don't worry, I'll be back in just a minute!" Jul ran back across the lawns and disappeared into the abbey building. Meanwhile, Abbess Hannah was left with Leonardo. He smiled at her,

"Don't worry, Hannah, I'll take care o' this." He said

"It's abbess to you. I know you may mean well, but you still tried to kill a creature in my abbey. And though you have gained my forgiveness, you still have yet to gain my trust. Now your job is to see what these vermin want and find a way to make them leave us alone. Is that clear, Mr. Williams?"

Leonardo replied but did not look directly at Hannah, lest she felt threatened. "Understood, Mother Abbess. But what makes you sure that just because they're vermin, they're evil. I've met more than one searat who turned out to be an ally in the heat of war."

"Yes, and I've met creatures that should be good, but aren't."

"I suppose I'll take that in the way it was intended. What I mean to say is sometimes the rules of nature don't apply." Hannah did not reply. "Hannah–er, Mother Abbess, I am well aware that you do not look at me very highly, and I can understand. I know I almost killed one of your creatures, and I know that it would've caused you quite a lot of pain." When he still did not get any sign of acknowledgment from the mouse, Leonardo began to babble. "Sister Jul said you lost your family and you obviously don't want to relive those moments again. I can relate—"

"You can not relate!" Hannah snapped and stared into Leonardo's cloudy blue eyes, "What else has she told you? Did she tell you that I saw them take my child, kill my husband and I ran? Or did she tell you that I could've done something instead of run away while I heard my little one crying above the wind and snow? You know nothing of the pain I've gone through, and you never will. As soon as you make a recovery I want you out of my abbey for good! It's bad enough that I sit up every night wondering what became of my little one, now I have to worry about if somebeast will be dead the next morning because I'm housing a maniac!"

Now it was Leonardo's turn to say nothing. They stood in silence until they heard footpaws behind them. Sister Jul came running up the steps with skipper Thomm's crew and Nol's moles. In her paws was none other than the sword of Martin the Warrior. "Here," she said, "it was the first thing within reach. That's Martin's sword. You won't have to wield it, but it'll look good hanging from your belt when you talk to them." Leonardo nodded in appreciation and walked up to the edge of the ramparts. He could hear Abbess Hannah sniffle back her tears. Jul, assuming that she was crying for more obvious reasons, tried to comfort her. "Don't worry mother abbess. Leonardo's the best at what he does, you've nothing to worry about."

Leonardo looked down at the band of vermin on the path. They must have stood at about fifty beasts in all, all armed and looking fierce. But this was not Leonardo's first time serving as a defender. A skinny little rat emerged from the pack and yelled up to the wall top, "'ey, mousey! Why don't ye open yer pretty lil gates for a couple o' hungry trav'lers—"

"Stow it you piece of filth an' stand up straight when you speak to a superior. Now march your little tail back to your band o' vermin and send your leader forward because I know for certain that it ain't you." Was Leonardo's reply. The wind was immediately removed from the rat's sails, but he kept up his act. He spat at the gates and waved a cutlass (which was far too large for him) at Leonardo with two paws.

"Why, you little twit! You should know better than to speak daggers at a crewbeast o' Cap'n Zane Crowley, terror o' the High Western Sea. He'll gut ye an' leave ya t' the buzzards!" Leonardo's eyes went wide. He leaned dangerously over the wall.

"Zane Crowley?" He said. "Did you say Zane Crowley, captain o' the Devil's Star?"

The skinny rat smiled wickedly and revealed two rows of scurvy infected gums and jagged teeth. He wiped a tattered sleeve across his brow and looked at Leonardo sideways. "Oh, you've heard of 'im, have you? Then stand down an' open yer gate an' we'll let ye keep what miserable lives you've already got!" He spat again.

Leonardo remained standing on the battlements. A smile crept its way across his clean face and he leaned forward again, speaking to only the rat on the path before him in a hushed tone. "You don't know who I am, do you rat?" His voice dripped with danger on every syllable. The rat on the path seemed to be unfazed by this and shrugged it off.

"It don't matter any who you are. If ye know what's... Huh?" A large paw was placed on the rat's shoulder from behind, silencing him. A tall weasel walked past the rat. He was tall, much taller than Leonardo, and strong. His bulky muscles bulged in his legs and arms. His face was narrow and his teeth were as white as pearls and had rubies and emeralds encrusted in them. Long golden hoop earrings dangled from each of his perky ears and a long beard hung down to his chest, which was protected by leather studded armor. A long poleaxe was slung across his back. He stepped past the little rat and looked up at the tall mouse at the top of the wall.

"Captain Leonardo Velox Williams." He said.

The rat's face went white with the sudden realization. "The Prince o' Privateers." He said astounded.

Leonardo nodded to the weasel, Zane. "At your service."

The rat tried to find the words to say, but he was lost. Running forward he fell on his knees, "Forgive me, your majesty, I did not know it was you who owned this mighty fortress."
Leonardo snorted, "This lot's pathetic, Zane. Where'd ye pick 'em up?"

Zane dismissed the little rat with a wave of his paw, "Eh, we picked him up along the way after we landed. Decided to give 'im a shot to prove himself today... I see that that may have been a mistake." Zane turned about to two stoats and made a motion across his neck.

"Aw, don't kill the poor creature, Zane. He's probably ne'er even slain a beast. Must've stolen the cutlass off a carcass."

"He's weak. I'm saving him a painful death in the future."

Abbess Hannah's voice came hushed from behind Leonardo, "Don't let him kill the creature! I won't allow it!"

Leonardo murmured to the side. "I don't think you're aware of the danger we're really in, Mother Abbess." Readdressing captain Crowley, he shifted the topic, "What are you doing this far inland, this ain't no place fer corsairs?"

"I could ask you the same, mate. We searched the Southern waters about a thousand leagues South o' Southsward. Nothin'. We came back up north and asked about. They all said that he hadn't been seen 'round in ages. So we'd decided to have a go at heading inland to see what we could find. I kept some creatures in charge o' the ship until we got back. So what's the mighty 'Pince o' Privateers' doing here?"

"Same reason as any other would be. I was decommissioned after completing my task." Said Leonardo. He tried to keep it as simply put as possible.

Zane gasped, "You don't mean–"

"Aye mate, I got 'im. He was in the North."

Zane squinted his eyes and put his paws on his hips, "You can't pull a fast one on me, Williams. I'll know. What proof do you have that the ole traitor's dead? Privateers have a tendency to lie to get their ways." He said.

"I keep his whiskers in my pocket. I'll show you them, but not now."

"In the fortress, then."

"Heh, not a chance, pal. Let me come down an' we'll take a little walk up the path or something, so long as you don't pull anything funny now." Leonardo narrowed his eyes.
Zane agreed and bowed low, "You have a corsair's word, my friend."

"That ain't worth the dirt your standing on, Zane. Swear on your own blood an' I'll come down."
Zane hesitated and threw a sour face. He made an X over his heart and held his paw up. "I swear on me own blood that there'll be no funny business."

"Very well, I'll be out at noon. Until then, mate." Leonardo turned away from the wall and began making his way down the stairs. He spoke to everybeast present, "Post sentries at every wall an' reinforce the gates. Get any weapons you can find out and ready, then take all of them inside the abbey unless you're on watch or on the grounds. Send creatures out to start harvesting the crops now in case war erupts and they breach the gate, and keep the little ones inside and safe."

"Leonardo, what's going on?" Said Jul anxiously. Leonardo noticed that not a beast had stirred nor taken their eyes off of him. He tried to speak as calmly as he could but was struggling even with that.

"This creature, Captain Zane Crowley, is a cruel and wicked creature. He's well known throughout the seas for his extensive record of plundering and killing. I chased his ship down many seasons ago whilst I was still searching for Deamal. We agreed on a truce, but we were really doing it to save ourselves from killing each other off. It turns out that he was also looking for Deamal– something about being double-crossed– so we decided to continue our hunt as a team. I was desperate for a lead so it appeared to be the best option. He searched the Southern waters and I searched the North. We would send updates every couple o' seasons, but that was it. He's a dangerous, sly beast and with the others gone, the only thing standing between him and seven-hundred new pelts are these walls. I'm going down there to negotiate with him and buy us as much time as possible. There won't be an attack without him there, so we're safe for now. However, I'm afraid that this is going to ultimately lead to a major conflict. We're in nothing but a hiatus."

One of the otters tried to ignite a bit of hope in everybeast watching. "Well, he may be the terror of the high seas, but he said you're the Prince of Privateers! You can't get a title like that for no reason!" They all nodded and murmured in agreement.

Leonardo shook his head. "You don't get it, we need warriors or else we are going to die."

The abbess butted in. "Then make us into warriors, Leonardo. Train us and we'll be able to fend them off until help arrives. We'll go about doing what we must until you return. Then you can start teaching us."

Leonardo sighed but then perked up a tad. "You know something, mother abbess?"

"Yes?"

"That was the first time you've ever called me Leonardo." He said. "Alright then, I need every able-bodied creature doing what I had asked. And make sure it's done quietly. The last thing that a band o' killers should hear is you lot singing about feasts an' autumn leaves." He then turned to sister Jul and beckoned her to follow him.

As the abbey dwellers set about doing their tasks in a slightly panicked fashion, on the path before Redwall, two and a half score killers waited patiently for high noon.

Chapter 20

Dassiter woke up with a groan. He looked about at his surroundings and saw that he was in a small cavern. He was in a bed that was a stone slab cut into the rock walls and covered with a layer of soft moss. Glowing mushrooms illuminated the area in splashes of blue light. He did not hear water dripping or see it sliding down the walls, however there was a clear pool of stagnant water off to one side. It looked dream-like with the light of the mushrooms refracting through its smooth, glasslike surface. It was a hospitable cave and Dassiter felt himself in no real danger. He stood up, stretched his muscles and cracked his back. There was only one doorway, which was wooden and sat under an arch made of many small stones and a large wedged stone at the top, so he figured to give it a shot to see where he was. He opened the door and nearly tripped on a small figure standing on the other side. It was a dark furred mole wearing a pair of overalls fashioned out of an old flower sack and a hard hat that was made of half of a very large nut shell. About his waist, Dassiter could see a heavy belt with a series of hammers of various sizes, a small, crescent-shaped wooden horn, and a lantern.

"Er, hello." Said Dassiter. The mole looked up at him with his beady eyes and spoke to him in his heavy mole speech.

"Hurr, doan't go tellin' me that ye can't remember yer ole pal Tarsl Grudd, naow!"

Dassiter was caught off guard, but leapt with excitement and hugged his friend, "Tarsl! You look so different, I could've sworn you were somebeast else! How've you been? I haven't seen you in a full season, and, by the way, what is this place?"

The little mole laughed and beckoned him to follow. "Oi heard that there wus a new creature in ee 'firmary, so oi came down t' see who et was. You be's in Molguvar, zurr. A truly wunnerful place indeed! Work's been busy, ee city 'as grown rapidly an' et's fun t' be diggin' an' buildin' all day long."

Dassiter looked about at all of the moles marching about with different building materials in their giant digging claws. The tunnels were pleasing to look at. Tarsl had done a good job at keeping the area from being a dirty hole in the ground. There were tall, carved stone support pillars on either side of the tunnels and they created grand archways. The blue mushrooms were everywhere in an organized pattern and gave off a beautiful, constant light source that was easy on the eyes. Elaborate stone statues and carvings of moles hard at work surrounded Dassiter as he trailed behind Tarsl. The tunnels were not narrow nor short, either. They were wide, like the path by Redwall and they were tall enough for a creature twice Dassiter's height to walk through. The floor was not dirt, but rather carefully placed cobblestone. Not a single piece jutted out of place or made the path uneven. It was all perfectly smooth and measured out. "You've really done a great job here, mate. How'd you manage to get all o' this built in jus' a season?"

Tarsl laughed, "Well, zurr, we moles all be's familee. An' word can travel quickly across ee land in a familee. This be's a unifyin' force for uz moles an' we're 'appy to be workin' on et day in an' day oot. There be's places fer otters n' squirrels n' mice n' shrews, but this yurr be's ee first place special fer ee moles. Coom on, you've seen not'in' yet. Get a load o' this!"

The two of them turned a corner in the tunnel and were met with a breathtaking sight. They emerged into a cavern that must have stretched the span of Redwall's Great Hall in every direction. Everywhere, moles were mining away at the deep rock, smelting ores of colors that had never existed before, and crafting tools and contraptions of every shape there must have been. In the center was a massive stone block that rested at the top of an elevated platform. It appeared that it was being carved into an oak tree with gems for leaves. The floor was solid rock with walkways carved into it. All around the cavern, tunnels broke off in each direction, leading to a new and ever-expending network of more tunnels and caves. High up there was a second floor wrapping around the cavern. It was cut clean into the side of the rock in the form of a long, circular balcony. Mole maids and their little ones walked around the pillars and looked over the delicate railings.

"This is magnificent, Tarsl, you've built a palace!" Said Dassiter. "By the way, where are Jacques an' Brian, they came with you too?"

Mayor Grudd gave a smile, "They be's off leadin' an expedition t' survey a group o' deep tunnels we 'ad come 'cross earlier whoilst we was a-diggin'. Oi think them tunnels 'll be qouite useful fer when we expand ee city sum more in ee future. They'll provide a gurt system t' let in sum fresh air, hurr if they go to ee surface loike we be's thinkin' they do."

Dassiter thought back to the seasons spent at sea with the crew and gave a chuckle. "Hehe, those two 'ave always been a funny pair. How long will the party be gone for?"

"Hurr, 's difficult t' say fer sure, zurr. But oi be's a-thinkin' a couple o' days at least. Et be's a vury big system. They think et's an ole series o' Flitchoie tunnels that them varmints used t' use fer getting' 'round ee forest without bein' seen, hurr, aye. Not t' worry though, mate, them flitchoie's doan't use 'em anymore. But they still be's a problem fer ee local area 'bove our noggins, hurr, that be a fact!"

"Ugh, I can't stand those flitchaye, either! They nearly got me last nigh— oh no..." Recollection of the run in with the Flitchaye the previous night flashed through Dassiter's head. He struggled to hold back his panic as his ears turned scarlet red. "Tarsl, the Flitchaye have them! I wasn't alone last night when I came here. Gorm an' Ellyvin, Kiril, Ronar, Marius an' Maximus– they were all taken by the Flitchaye! We have to do something, they could still be alive!" Tarsl was startled to hear such news.

"What? You mean t' tell me that them varmints be's holdin' moi friends?!"

Dassiter quickly regained his cool. If there was anything he had learned in his few seasons at Salamandastron, it was to keep calm when faced with a threat. Not simply for show, but to clear the mind and let it work how it should in war: smoothly. Regardless, "Aye." was all he could muster up.

Tarsl took a deep breath and adjusted his hard-hat. His small eyes narrowed further under the heavy brow that he furled. He clenched his enormous digging claws tightly and grit his teeth. "Those rapscallions 'ave caused far too much trouble fer moi citizens. An' as ee mayor o' Molguvar, oi will not sit aboot an' do nothin' whoile there be's good beasts a-dyin'!" Tarsl unhooked from his work belt the short wooden horn and blew it. A stunningly loud noise blasted throughout the entirety of Moguvar and perhaps even beyond. Three times the long note sounded and echoed through the tunnels and caverns. When he was finished blowing, Tarsl wiped a heavy claw across his face and returned his horn to his belt. Almost instantly, moles began flooding out of the tunnels and filtering into the giant central cavern and yet, not a single one of them spoke. It sent a shiver up Dassiter's spine to see such a large group of creatures march in such utter silence and it reminded him of Salamandastron. The floor did not shake under the many pairs of footpaws, but Dassiter did feel slight vibrations in his feet.

The moles packed in shoulder to shoulder and waited patiently for mayor Grudd to say something. He stood on the elevated platform under the stone oak tree and spoke loudly so that all could hear. "Citizens o' Molguvar please 'ear moi plea ferr your 'elp! Jus' last noight moi gudd friend, mistur Dass'ter, entered our gates ferr sanctu'ry from ee Flitchois. 'owever those narsty hooligans captured 'is an' moi comrades an' still 'ave 'em naow. Oi call oot to moi brothurs an' sisturs ferr yer 'elp t' bring 'em back yurr safe an' sound, an' rid Mossflower o' these villuns ferr gudd! Who be's able t' 'elp uz march t' save ee day?"

A large roar sounded from the moles present and all, even the little ones, stuck their massive paws in the air and shouted. When the noise died down, mayor Grudd bowed to them, and they in return. Dassiter, who watched from the bottom of the platform, assumed that this was simply mole culture and he bowed, too. Tarsl then stood up and said, "Oi thank ee, zurrs an' marms, ferr yur sacrifoice. Naow, let uz make our stand against ee evil beasts who 'ave taken our gudd friends. We will march not jus' t' liberate ee beasts that they be's holdin', but t' liberate all o' Mossflower frum ee flitchoie. Molguvar, prepare fer ee battle!"

The group broke up and set to work like cogs grinding in a machine and spitting out puffs of steam with whistles and hums. Tarsl Grudd's deep voice echoed through the caves and above the din as he too began to march to the armory, "Let this be th' last march of ee moles t' end th' evil hoidin' in ee woods, an' pray that ee seasons 'ave mercy on 'em, because oi'll not! Aye, let 'em feel th' full wrath of ee moles!"

<><><><><>

Dassiter stood with Tarsl Grudd and five-score armed moles in the noonday sun. There was an overwhelming number of volunteers to march, but Tarsl wanted only creatures who had experience in order to prevent as much bloodshed as possible. Dassiter wore his blue coatee and tricorne hat with his cutlass sheathed at his side. The moles wore heavy armor plating and wielded mostly short swords, which, compared to their small stature, were full sized. Tarsl Grudd was in a full suit of bronze armor and had a hammer used for smashing rocks at his side. Carved into his shining breastplate was not a coat of arms or even a flag for Molguvar. Rather, it was a short rhyme that read:

I am a mole of Molguvar,
I am a mole of peace,
But if my friends you have threatened,
The thuds of my spade will cease.
In its place my hammer I'll wield,
Molguvar I'll defend,
And when I find you in the heat of battle,
My force will not bend.

Dassiter could not help but admire the courage of the moles. Here they were, exactly one-hundred in all, willing to sacrifice their lives for a group of creatures whom they had never met. But Dassiter knew that this force was not only to win this particular battle. It was to win every battle after this day against the Flitchaye.

Tarsl approached him and cut off his train of thought. "We be's ready, zurr. Coom on, we may not 'ave a lot o' toime!" With this, the entire group began their march into the thick woods. Tarsl called out over his shoulder, "Close yurr helmets an' cov'r yer mouths. Watch oot fer ee gases an' stay t'gethur, zurrs. Yurr we go!" He then turned to Dassiter and handed him a larger close helmet. "Oi hoighly suggest ye wear this jus' loike us. On ee insoide of ee visor there be's sum cloth with charcoal in et. Et'll filter oot ee flitchoie gases an' keep ye movin'." Dassiter accepted the helmet and the moles marched on into the dark woods of Mossflower.

<><><><><>

First, she heard chanting. Then, she felt her arms and tried to wiggle them. Next, there came the headache, nausea, and faintness. Finally, she was able to open her eyes and look around. There were many creatures of a species that was not quite clear. It seemed that there could have been anywhere between one and two score of them, all wearing grand cloaks of sod, grass, even saplings. But she was not one of them. Osu was a hare. A traveler that had made her way down from the Northlands to explore what the lush forest of Mossflower had to offer. It was true what other wanderers had said, 'The South is much more hospitable.' But they had failed to realize that it was hospitable for all creatures, which included bandits and vermin. She had hardly been there a third of a season when the Flitchaye found her. Now Osu was convinced that she had seen enough of the South and wanted to journey back to the rugged North where she belonged. But the likelihood of such a thing did not seem too probable. She bobbed her head around and tried to shake off the toxic gas' effects. She found herself to be hanging a few paces off of the ground with her paws tied to four corners of a board.

"Oh, thank heavens you're awake!" A light voice said.

"Wha sai dat?" Osu replied.

"I felt you wiggling around. Do you know what's going on here? Have you seen any o' my friends?"

Osu blinked her eyes several times and her vision came back into focus. She tried to look around to find the voice that was speaking to her. But it was to no avail. "Ach, ah doon't see anybeast... Where are ye?"

"You can't see me; I'm tied up behind you on the other side o' this plank. I could feel you pulling on the beam. Say, you wouldn't happen t' be a squirrel or a mouse, would ye? Anything with a long tail?"

"Whoot are ye talkin' aboot? Ah'm jus' a hare! All ah got is me wee bobbeh. Whoot do ye need a tail for anyway?"

"There's an arrowhead beneath us. But it's too far away for me to reach it with my rudder. Since it's on your side I was hoping you'd have a tail long enough to reach it. But I guess we're stuck here until somebeast finds us... What's your name?"

"Osu. An' ye?"

"Maximus. You sound like you're from the far north, what are you doing all the way down here?"

Osu tried to work her way out of the bindings without drawing too much attention to herself, but her efforts were in vain. She leaned her head back against the board and decided that she might as well talk to the creature. She hated the thought of polite smalltalk. "Ah thought that da Suuth would be a break from th' harsh North. Buut ah was wrong. Et's way worse, even fer a warrior with ah broadsword!" She started working at her bonds again.

"Huh, the South hasn't exactly been what I'd thought it'd be, either. I left my holt almost two seasons ago and it hasn't been going too great lately. It's the stupid vermin!" Maximus jolted forward and they started to sway. "Hey... Hey, that gives me an idea! Osu, I need you to help me swing the platform– I think I'll be able to reach the arrowhead."

"Ach, that's noot a good idea at th' moment. Ah, think they knoo we're awake! One of 'em is coomin' over this way... Aye, ye wee scrawny scarecrow! Yeah, ah'm talkin' to ye! Why doon't ye let me doon so ah can teach ye a thing 'r two aboot messin' with Osu the Highlander!"

"Osu, what're you doing?! You'll get us killed. Don't you know who the Flitchaye are?"

"Ah doon't give a rat's bottom aboot who they are. They took mah sword an stung me oop here t' die. I ain't too keen on flatterin' them after that. What d' ye want ye lilly-livered, crossed-eyed, flea infested accident o' nature?"

The Flitchaye creature cocked his head to the side and laughed in a high pitched, squeaky tone. "Yukyukyuk! Weya maka yumyum outta yousah yukyukyuk. We d' Flitchaye. We d' Flitchaye. Yoo d' yumyum!" The creature rubbed its stomach and licked its lips. Then it began to make its way forward and withdrew from its cloak a disgustingly terrifying instrument, undoubtedly some form of torturous device. As he crept closer to Osu, he yelled, "Ooka takta malla waki!" more creatures crawled up out of the ground behind the first Flitchaye and began chanting,

"We d' Flitchaye. We d' Flitchaye. Yoo d' yumyum. Yoo d' yumyum!"

"Osu? Osu what did you do? Is everything okay– I-I can't see what's going on!" Cried Maximus.
Osu looked at her bound paws and frantically began tugging at them. "Ach, ah should've jus' kept mah mouth shoot! Ye little rikers , why doon't ye cut me doon an' then I'll show ye some... some..." Something in the trees beyond the sight of Osu's paw appeared to be rustling. It was more Flitchaye. But there was something else that they appeared to be sorting and crawling around. Something unsettling. Osu looked harder and went red. They were the remains of past Flitchaye victims.

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EDIT: ooooh wow I messed up. I can't believe it took me several months to realize that I forgot to post chapter 19 of this story (advice for other fanfic writers: don't post a story late at night), which is kinda one of the key chapters of the story! *facepalm* ok, everything is all set now... 2,000+ views later... *harder facepalm*

Original Post-Chapter thoughtYou may see a familiar name pop up in this chapter! If you don't know her already, Osu is a longtime member and moderator of the forum. She was the one who made the newly added artwork for Book I, The Origins of Simon (which you can see in the first and last posts of that fic. I definitely suggest checking that out!). So I thought it'd be fun to put her in the fanfiction as a character!

(what's a "riker", a fictitious, common insult among highlanders)

I especially had fun writing about Molguvar's appearance in this chapter, as well as making a little bit of mole culture up. It was a chance for me to describe my own creation in full and make it sound as fancy as I wanted because of the reputation of the craftsbeastship of the moles in the Redwall series. Tarsl Grudd was initially the main character of the fanfiction when I first started! I wanted a mole to be the main character and warrior of Redwall, since that was something that never happened in the original series. He and an older otter named Maximus, who had a diamond-tipped spear, were going to go on a major journey  after Redwall was taken over. But in the end, I decided to go with two background characters named Leonardo and Dassiter, who were Privateers on the Western Sea. And voila! The fanfiction you know was born!

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 21

The noonday sun hung like a molten gold coin over the quiet walls of Redwall Abbey and provided a tolerable heat for the world below. Zane Crowley and his crew waited patiently on the side of the ditch opposite of Redwall. A young rat with the build of a rag doll watched the rosy wall and rubbed his sword's pommel. What life lay beyond that wall? He was a killer, pillager, plunderer, a thief, and wanted criminal. But on the other side of the divide was a life unknown to him. He had all of the world to roam and explore, which was far more than any creature could ever see or do, but he wanted to see what lay beyond the walls of Redwall. He wanted to walk on the ramparts and lean from the spire as he had done at other fortresses and castles. He knew that it would not be anything brand new to him and he would quickly tire of this location. But for now, it was the life beyond that dusty gate cloaked in ivy that kept him wanting to stay, even if the entire world lay around him ripe for picking.

He watched as a single rope fluttered over the side of the wall and stopped just inches above the ground. Leonardo repelled down nimbly and began to make his way towards them, dressed in his coatee and boots. The young rat watched as the rope slid back up and over the battlements like a snake retreating into its nest. Could it really be that easy?

Zane Crowley was alerted of Leonardo's approach and he met him before he had crossed the ditch. "Do you have them?" Said Zane eagerly. His crew of equally excited creatures stood behind him, rubbing their paws and licking their lips.

Leonardo looked at the pack of creatures and nodded, "Aye, I do. But I won't do it here."
The large weasel smirked, "Come with me, we'll talk in my tent." Two vermin captains assisted Leonardo across the ditch like royalty. He knew they would not kill him. After all, it was thought to be the worst of omens to kill the creature carrying your enemy's whiskers. It was an odd seafaring tradition and superstition, much like shattering a mirror or spilling a shaker of salt. Once on the other side, the weasel and the mouse, accompanied by some fifty patchy corsairs, walked across the plains to a large tent made of a black sailcloth. The tent flap was lifted and they made their way inside. Meanwhile, the crew of the Devil's Star leaned in closely on the outside of the tent to catch some snippets of the conversation.

The tent was large and would have been very dark had it not been for the single lantern hanging over a table in the center. Beneath it on the table was a little chess board. Stepping into the illuminated area, Zane expressed his impatience. "Enough waiting around, Lee, show me the whiskers." He said coldly.

Leonardo reached into his pocket and produced roughly two dozen long pieces of hair. Zane gazed upon the sight with wonder and delight. He licked his lips and smiled happily. "I don't know how ye did it. I've been wanting t' kill that filthy scum fer seasons!" He said. Leonardo could feel Simon getting stronger in his mind, but he kept him at bay and smiled at his accomplishment. "C'mon, mate. Let me hold 'em an' lay to rest what the scoundrel did to me." Leonardo let Zane delicately pick up the whiskers and let them twist around in his paw.

"What was it that he did to you, Zane? All this time I've known you and I still don't know the details."

"We was workin' together on a coastal raid. I'd keep th' privateers at bay an' he'd raid the shores— 'twas a bustlin' area so they 'ad some security. Anyhow, we'd agreed t' regroup at a nearby isle an' divvy the profit. But that theivin' scum had made a deal with the townsfolk an' set up a sting t' bring me in. That double-crosser fled with the loot while I had three ships on me tail. Lost many a creature, but more importantly me gold! I knew it was useless chassin' that part down since he prolly spent all it. So I decided t' track th' [darn] ship down, takin' down as many privateers as I could 'long the way. Sure feels good t' know that thievin' scum's rotting in hell." There was a long pause and Zane asked, "Tell me about how ye found him. Gimme the gory details o' how ye made 'im suffer!" Zane twisted his face when he said 'suffer' in a way that made half of Leonardo want to vomit and the other laugh along at the same time. But he could not pick one, so he kept a straight face and sat down in a chair. He moved his first pawn into position, challenging Zane to a game.

"For the whiskers?" Said Leonardo.

Zane laughed, "Yer a fool fer challenging me t' chess, mate. How 'bout we do this: if you win, you can keep 'em an' I'll leave your fortress be. But if I win or draw, I get the whiskers. Deal?"

The light from the lantern sparkled in Leonardo's eye. "Deal." He said and recounted his tale. However, he did not relay the events as they actually happened. He replaced spots of mutiny and madness with words of heroics and unlucky separation. Even the Nol and Runty was left out. When he finished, Zane was about to lose and was now trying to spend the small remainder of his twenty allotted moves staying alive. He moved his black, stone king, the only piece he had left, and stopped, speaking with sympathy and a sliver of joy in his voice. "I'm sorry for your losses, my friend. But lookit yerself, you escaped with the only thing ye really needed: yer own hide unscathed!"

Leonardo did not dare hint at his psychological damage. If he wanted to avoid a war, he would have to appear as formidable as he could. Madness would only rush the conflict and lessen his image, which was the only thing that was keeping Redwall from under Zane's boot. So he simply nodded and took the whiskers back in his own paws.

"But I do have one question for you, Lee." Said Zane.

"Go ahead." Leonardo replied.

"Is it yours, the red fortress?"

Leonardo, without thinking, replied simply, "Aye t'is. What makes ye bring that up?"

Zane stood up and cracked his paws and laughed, "It's funny really. Some o' the stragglers I picked up in this area said that that's no fortress, but an abbey!" The large weasel stared straight into Leonardo's eyes and dropped his friendly tone, "Ye wouldn't be lying t' me, would you Mr. Willaims?"

Leonardo cursed his stupidity inwardly but kept his composure on the outside. "Surely this isn't the same creature whose throat you slit for failing to recognize me?" He stayed seated.

"On the contrary. It seems that everybeast knows of the existence of Redwall Abbey in some way or another. It's only unknown to us corsairs an' islanders. Tell me this, how do the brothers and sisters feel having taken in a creature whose murdered enough creatures to dam up a river? It'd certainly explain why I haven't seen anybeast but you on top of the wall. Where are the others from your crew really hiding?"

Leonardo stood up straight and lowered his brow, "Careful Zane, you don't want to get yourself into a situation you can't get out of." He said as he rested his paw on the hilt of Martin's sword.
Zane looked at the sword and softened his glare. He replied, "I ain't looking for a conflict, Lee. I'm looking for your help. They may be peaceful creatures, but they haven't done anything for you other than their sworn duty. They only want you to stay because I showed up with a pack of killers behind me. If I were to leave, you'd be out not a day later and you know it. They don't care about you—"

"You're treading on very thin ice, Zane."

"—We could rule from the abbey as kings!"

"If you try to take the abbey it'll only get you killed. Have your runts told you about the bones of the warlords you were standing on when you were at the gate? Redwall has never been conquered and I highly doubt a force such as yours would be any different." Leonardo's voice was like ice and hit the weasel with force to be reckoned with.

There was a heavy pause for a few seconds. Zane stroked his beard gently and sat down. "Maybe... But what if I had the Prince o' Privateers on my side? A strategic mind such as yours would be able to take the abbey in a single day."

"Being obsequious won't get you anywhere."

"It's not fawning, it's the truth! Sometimes to get the best outcome, you need to work for the other team. It worked at sea, din't it?" He motioned for him to sit and he did. "At least consider what I said."

"I am not turning on Redwall. There are too many creatures in there counting on me to drive you away before you make your first move. They've done too much for me to turn my back on them."

"Then just think o' what I said. You'll come to yer senses soon enough, heh heh." He then shifted the topic, "Let's finish the game. You need t' check-mate me in one shot, else you'll have used yer last turn and it'll be a draw." The large weasel leaned back in the chair, put his boots on the side of the table, and grabbed a bottle of grog.

Leonardo looked at the board carefully for a couple of moments. He snorted lightly and said. "No matter how I move my queen, rook, bishop or king I'd still need another turn at least. However, you've forgotten that my pawn can become anything."

Zane guffawed and almost fell back in his chair. "Go ahead, then! Promote it to anything. Even if you made it another queen you'd still lose because it'd be your last turn!"

Leonardo rested his slim arms on the table and looked Zane in the eyes. "You weasels are the best creatures there are when it comes to weaseling your way out of a situation. But you've miscalculated."

Zane leaned over the table, frustrated with Leonardo's talking and delaying of his prize. He grabbed the pawn and showed Leonardo the possibilities. "Pawn turns into a knight, rook, bishop, or queen. Then I'd be able to use my last turn and squish 'im! Yer jus' runnin' in circles– mice are always like that. No matter what white piece ye put there, it's a draw. Now fork over my whiskers!"

Leonardo remained calm and kept his composure. "You've overlooked one detail Zane, and that's that I can promote my pawn to anything that I want. You said no matter what white piece I promote my pawn to, it'll still end up a draw. But who said anything about promoting my pawn to white?" Leonardo moved his pawn to the end of the board and replaced it with a black knight. "Checkmate. Looks like what you said was right." He said and reached for the whiskers. "Now what was that you mentioned about mice?"

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So sorry about the delays with posting! There were a couple things in later chapters that really needed to be resolved before I could post earlier chapters like this one. I hope you understand! We should be back on a regular schedule now so the next chapter will be up in two days. Hope you're enjoying everything so far!

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 22

Gurmbal the mole examined the end of the tunnel and called back to Jacques and Brian, who were close behind. "Hurr, oi think we be's near ee surface naow!"

"Nonsense, Gurmbal, we're still a good ten paces below at the least!"

"Hurr, oi think that oi wudd know, Jacques. Oi 'ave mole intunishun!"

"Oh, here we go again, and it's 'mole intuition' by the way. I tell ye, most moles 'ave 'em, but I think yours 's been broken since we set off mapping this maze!"

"Et's not broke, et's been roight a few gudd toimes."

Jacques rolled his eyes and dug into his haversack, "Och, even a blind squirrel could've told us where we were then. An' when et's wrong, et's ne'er just wrong, h'oh no! Oh— what ho, hold on a minute, lads... Who's taken all me bloody mole cakes?! I've been looking forward t' eating those all day!

"Warn't me, zurr."

"Mm wavn't me meiver..."

"Brian, I swear on our mum, if you've eaten my mole cakes I'll give you a right rumble!"

"mmut I faid it wavn't... *gulp*... I said it wasn't me!"

"Then what the devil are you eating?"

"Oh, these? They're our mole cakes."

"Our mole cakes?"

"Yeah, I took them from one of our bags."

"What, you mean my bag? The one that's slung across my shoulders?"

"Hey, we're brothers. So what's yours is also mine!"

"Said who?!"

"Said our pa!"

"Don't ye know how long I've been savin' those fer?"

"Yes, but it was so nice of you to be a good brother and share your stuff with me considerin' I already ate all my food."

"Already ate your... Ye call takin' all the desserts sharin'?! Why, you little theif, c'mere! I'll show you a thing er two 'bout sharin'!"

Gurmbal rolled his beady eyes. This many days spent underground can be hard on non-moles. He jabbed at the roof of the tunnel lightly with his digging claw and licked the dirt. "Hmm... we be's near ee surface, oi knows et!" Whilst the two mischevious mice wrestled each other for the last of the mole cakes, Gurmbal began to dig up the wall at the end of the tunnel carefully (the mole cakes were fairly simple in creation. To start, some heather honey is placed in a bowl and cane sugar is poured evenly into it and mixed. Then, the concoction is heated to a boil while a cake base, made of flour, salt and almond butter, is prepared. The cake is placed in the oven and cooked through and the honey is set to cool down. Once the cake is finished baking, the honey is quickly poured over it and the topings of choice [usually nuts or sometimes berries] are pressed into the top of the cake).

Gurmbal only had to push up a little bit before the roof of the tunnel opened up and sunlight poured in. He shielded his eyes and peaked his head up out of the hole and looked around. It was a wooded area, but no place familiar. There did not seem to be anybeast nearby at first glance. But as his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he turned about and found himself facing a giant otter bound to a heavy oak with a blanket of taut vine. Gurmbal could not help but gawk at the creature, who in turn craned his massive head downward and appreared equally as surprised to see somebeast.

"Hello, there." The giant said quietly.

"Ah-ah-ah-gudd day, zurr."

Brian's dirt-covered face popped up to the surface beside Gurmbal, mole cake in paw, "Huh, I guess you was right, Gurmbal, we really were close to the surface— Marius? Es that you, matey?
Jacques' voice echoed out of the ground and he too came to the surface, "You little hoarder, come back here! I'll show you one for— Marius? What the devil 're you doin' tied t' that tree?"

"What are you doing in a hole?" Replied Marius.

"We're explorin' some abandoned Flitchaye tunnels that we found comin' out o' Molguvar. Tryin' t' see where they all lead to an' such."

Marius shook his head to rid himself of his weariness. "I think you've found it. We were on our way to Molguvar when the Flitchaye got us. 'Don't know where this place is or where the others have got to, but we need your help getting out of here!" He said.

Jacques and Brian each shot a square salute to the great sea otter, their previous argument tossed away in the wind. "Ye got it, matey, we'll have you out o' those bonds n' right as rain in no-time! Jus' leave the job t' yer ole pals! C'mon, Gurmbal, don't jus' stand there, lad, up an' at 'em as pa always said, there

As Brian and Jacques set about releasing Marius from his bonds and searching for the rest of the old crew, a single Flitchaye burst out of the brush and began leaping about the camp, yelling and howling all kinds of confusing dialect to the other Flitchaye. Before the creature's alarm could spread far, there came a rumbling from the North that grew until it surpassed him. As it grew louder, a horn sounded and an army of warriors burst onto the scene.

"Molguvaaaaaar!"

"Eulaliaaaaaa!"

The moles of Molguvar, accompanied by Captain Dassiter Tussock, struck the Flitchaye camp like five-score bolts of lightning! The Flitchaye went screaming in every which way in the utter chaos that ensued. Dassiter, merely by chance, stumbled across Maximus, who was still hanging from the tree on a stiff board.

"Maximus! Are you alright?"

"Dassiter you came just in time, they were gonna kill us!"

"Do you know where the others are? Gorm, Kiril, Ronar, Ellyvin—"

Suddenly there came a roar like thunder, mighty enough to freeze any villain's blood. "Come to me you murderin' thieves. I will crush your bones!"

"That'd be Marius." Said Maximus. Even he was terrified to see him in the heat of battle.

"Here, I'll cut ye down, hold still now!" Said Dassiter.

"No, get Osu first. She's strung up behind me and I think they hurt her." Said Maximus.
Dassiter dashed around the hanging board and was met by a club to the stomach. He fell onto his back and saw an enormous creature towering over him, more wearet  than Flitchaye in appearance. The creature raised its club again and swung it down with a shriek.

<><><><><>

The battle soon ended and the clear victors were the moles of Molguvar. Without the advantage of being able to use their smoke, the Flitchaye stood little chance and thankfully there were no casualties among the travelers. That is with the exception of some force feeding to fatten them up, to which Gorm said he had nothing to argue against. Nevertheless, they were wonderfully pleased to have been rescued before things got too far out of hand. Tarsl wiped his battle hammer off with a tuft of grass and took off his helmet. He then found his way over to Maximus, who was still tied and hanging from the tree limb.

"Et makes me vurry 'appy t' see this part o' Mossflow'r rid of ee Flitchois. But et makes me so sad t' think aboot all of ee creatures who ne'er made et to see this day, hurr. Do ye know where Dass'ter is, oi cuddn't foind 'im?" He said to the otter.

"Oh, hey, Tarsl. Say, would you mind cuttin' me down? I've been up here for almost a full day now.

Tarsl looked at him bemused, "Oh, o' course, what be's oi a-thinkin'! Whoi 'asn't anybeast gotten yer doon yet, zurr? Ee battle's been o'er fer a whoile naow."

Maximus did not appear the least bit amused. "Ask Dassiter. He said he'd come an' get me down, then he just disappeared."

Tarsl was stunned to hear such news. "Oh moi, ee disappeared?! We need t' look fer 'im, ee cudd be urt! Oi'll get ev'rybeast t'gethur an' we'll make a search party—"

"Slow down, mate, he's not dead! He got saved by that hare, Osu. See, there was an arrowhead 'neath her. An when this big wearet slammed his club on th' ground t' try an' get Dassiter, it bounced up— of all places— right into her paw. She cut herself loose and saved 'im jus' in th' nick o' time. Then they finished it off, killed some vermin together, started talking, an' I stayed tied up in a tree."

Tarsl laughed and began to untie Maximus. "Harr harr, how'd ye coom aboot t' know this if'n ye was toied oop th' whole toime?"

"Because I heard them," Then speaking in a louder voice, Maximus projected, "and I'm pretty certain that they could hear me... still hanging!"

"Aw, coom on Maximuz, let the cap'n 'ave sum fun. We ne'er came 'cross many hares when we was roamin' ee seas an' there be's only ee ole hare nanny at ee h'abbey. Oi think this be's ee first toime that Dassiter 'as met another war'yur o' th' same koind in qoite a long whoile. Ee ne'er meant ye no harm, jus' excoited s'all. Doan't ye fret Maximuz, he'd ne'er elope on ye an' 'll ne'er be able to. Et's jus' 'ow warriors be, zurr. Hold still naow... There ye go!" Maximus flopped to the ground and quickly picked himself up.

"Thank you." He said, "Now, if you excuse me, I have a thing er two t' say to that floppy-eared, puffy-tailed rabbit!" He straightened his tunic, tightened his belt and puffed out his chest, marching towards the direction of the two chatting hares.

Tarsl followed closely behind, "Hurr, this un shudd be good!"

<><><><><>

"Thank you again for letting us stay at Mulguvar, Tarsl." Said Ellyvin.

"Aye, an' fer rescuing us from the Flitchaye. I don't think we would've lasted very much longer." Added Kiril

"Well, at least ee Flitchoies won't be a-botherin' anybeast in this area no more, hurr. An' et be's a pleasure t' be able t' show moi froinds what ee moles an' oi 'ave been workin' on. Molguvar be's a wunnerful place!" Replied Tarsl.

"So, Ms. Osu," said Gorm, "what brings a highlander zis far South?"

Osu carried her large blade over her shoulder and marched along wearing a white, short-sleeved chemise with fluffed shoulders. On top of this, she wore a tartan corset and a long layered skirt of dark green over burgundy. She replied in her thick northern accent, "Ah wanted tae get away from th' harsh livin' in th' north. Buut the South doon't seem much better. So ah'm headin' back oop there where ah belong. Whoot about yoo?"

Dassiter jumped in, "We're heading north as well, to the coast. We're accompanying Maximus to his holt, Vydra, since we believe it was struck on a coastal raid by corsairs."

"Ach, that tis a shayme mah friend. How were ye goin' t' get oop there, anywho?"

"Simple." Said Maximus, "We're gonna cross the northern portion of the Western mountains. That's the quickest route there, even quicker than taking the river down the coast and cutting up since the water's so low."

"Who's yer guide?" Said Osu.

"Er, we didn't bring one... But we've got a map, how tough can it be?" Said Kiril. He said it with a bit of nervousness and rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment, as if predicting where Osu was headed with this. His thoughts were confirmed when he heard Osu snort and reply.

"Ach, now ah know ye beasts are brave, buut ah didn't know ye were all fools, too!"

They kept walking through the dark woods with the five-score moles following. Dassiter, feeling a bit foolish himself for underestimating the difficulty of the trek, explained. "Er, we've ne'er crossed the mountains before. Most of us grew up on the sea chasing corsairs. Exactly how dangerous is the trek?" He said.

"Ach, ye'd jus' be killin' yerselves wanderin' intae there willy-nilly! Only th' experts can guide ye through there an' oot the other side alive."

Maximus was especially disappointed upon hearing this. "How long would it take to go around?" He said and waited anxiously for a good reply.

Osu snorted again, "Too long if'n yer searchin' foh survivors of an' attack, that's fer sure! Et's another two weeks. Minimum. There's a dense cloud cover on th' route. Y' see, et snows oop there all th' time, buut every day th' sun warms et all oop an' the snow turns intae clouds that settle in whoot's called th' Western Cloud Bowl. Et makes a fog so thick ye can't see yer oon paw in front o' yer face. At least, that's woot they say is th' reason. Ah think et's magic!"

"Magic?"

"Aye, magic. There's a tribe o' mysterious creatures called th' Sazaar, dibbuns o' th' mountain. Legend 'as it that long ago they were a group o' Northern hares like mahself. Buut then a warlord came an' slew all th' grown beasts an' left the young-uns to starve an' die tied t' trees an' rocks. Many days later they got free an' fled tae th' mountains fer sanctuary. The mountains accepted their presence oot o' pity an' taught 'em magic, lest any other creatures came tae take 'em away. A gift at first, buut a dark, dark curse in th' end. They used their magic t' give themselves whatever they woonted. At first et was jus' vittles, drink an' a shelter. Humble possessions. Buut quickly they grew dependent to 'em as they grew up, like opium. They changed, fed upon their powers an' now haunt th' mountains as madbeasts. The journey es dangerous, buut some creatures 'ave made et through before untouched. Some were nae so lucky."

Kiril, Ronar, and Gorm would not hear any more. They drifted towards the back of the group and out of earshot of Osu. Even Ellyvin gave a shudder.

"The lost dibbuns o' the mountains. Sounds a lot like the Dibbuns Against Bedtime at Redwall!" She joked. Marius laughed along. Osu said nothing.

"I agree with 'em, marm." said Jacques. "Mountain magic an' mad magicians? Sounds a bit much, donchya think?"

Osu shrugged, "Well, Ah s'pose that they woodn't be dibbuns today. An' ah've been through the mountains afore, an' once through th' fog. Once when ah was with a group o' hares– Tammy an' Olaf– they were good creatures."

"Were? What happened?" Said Maximus.

Osu kept her eyes forward as they exited the woods into the clearing and Molguvar's arched gate came into view. Before she had time to respond, Tarsl's voice cut through the ranks.

"Hurr, there she be's, folks, welcum t' Molguvar! We finushed ee task, naow oi think thurr be's need ferr a feast t' celebrate th' safe return o' Molguvar's own, an' th' arroival o' me ole shipmates. Hyargh!" The moles let out a tremendous, bass roar for a group of such small creatures. They entered through the heavy gate and were washed with cheers and pats on the back, the whole topic of the mountains had been forgotten.

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Making up the legend of the Sazaar was a bit challenging in this chapter. I wanted something that would be a little mythical and unsettling, but not too realistic. It was like making up a monster under the bed: it's probably not real, but the story is kind of freaky. If it was up to you, how would you have gone about making up the Sazaar? Let me know below and stay tuned for the next chapter (one of my personal favorites), coming up in 48 hours!

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 23

Night fell upon the land of Mossflower. A full moon hung in the air and cast a faint pale glow over all beneath. Clouds dressed in black paced to and fro across the purple sky, too tired to bother raining. The cool autumn wind blew dimly lit leaves into miniature cyclones and threw dark shadows against the dormitory windows, undoubtedly causing some little ones to believe that monsters were patrolling the abbey grounds and attics. The abbey creaked and groaned, but stayed sturdy in its slumber. Only dim lights here and there were lit in the dead of the night. From the kitchens came a warm glow from the friar's ovens as he prepared fresh scones for the next day's breakfast and warm bread for the creatures standing sentry on the wall top. Another light came through a window in the gatehouse from scholars up late studying for abbey school. One light traveled up through the floorboards of the dorms from a creature who could not sleep, and was seeking to solve his problem with a trip to the kitchens for a midnight snack. Then there was the infirmary. A single candle had been lit by Sister Jul, who awoke to the mother abbess at her bedside.

Meanwhile, there was another creature in the infirmary stirring in his bed due to what appeared to be a just a dream. Only it was much, much more than what appeared on the surface. It was a battle!

Leonardo scrambled about trying to fortify the heavy walls in his mind. Simon was growing stronger and was threatening to break loose at any moment, spilling out into the meadows of his mind like a polluting ooze. He could hear Simon, see the walls bulging under the pressure, but could not see him. He had never seen Simon before and was not keen on meeting him face to face, either. They fought back and forth for what seemed like hours, exchanging the upper paw like a baton in a never ending two-beast relay. Leonardo strained to push back and gripped the massive wall with all of his might. There were many moments in which he thought it was all over and he had failed, the last of which being when he stopped feeling Simon's push altogether and his mind fell silent from his shouts of anger. But the wall had not broken, it was still very much intact, this time. Simon had lost and Leonardo was free for another sliver of time.

Suddenly his dream changed. He was no longer in his mind but draped in a great white fog. He felt a warm presence and saw a blinding light as every water droplet in the air reflected light until they too began to look like millions of little suns. Then there came a voice, strong like thunder, yet soft like a lullaby. It said:

"Though evil plagues your head, you must persevere.
Though the good turn their heads away, you must forgive.
Though fear surrounds, you must have courage.
Though you swim in doubt, you must stand, be.
What you intend for harm I will use for good.
You, son of Pallin, suffering beyond the wall,
Shall wield my blade and fight for Redwall!"

The wind began to blow and the heavy fog began to sweep away from his view. Ahead he could see the faint outline of a figure clad in light. But just as soon as he saw it appear, it swept away with the fog and left him in the dark.

There was a loud thud and he woke up as if he had been smacked on the head. In actuality, he had been– by falling out of his bed. He scrambled up and looked around the empty dormitory room, but he was the only creature there.

Lately, Leonardo had been reading to fill the long gaps of boredom between treatments and his limited free time on the abbey grounds. He started with epics, romances, and poetry, but then moved on to the abbey history. He learned about the different buildings and structures from the weathervane's hidden sword sheath to the history of the South wall that crumbled with vermin armies only a league away. His mind immediately flashed to reading accounts of Martin the Warrior. It had to have been him in his dream; Leonardo had no doubt about it. And if the patterns of history were true, he knew what was to come: a battle. A battle that would prove his worthiness to the abbeybeasts. It would not be an easy battle, but he would win and be loved by these creatures. New creatures. Not his crew, who even then he was not entirely convinced that they cared for him truly, nor Barbourn for slaying his officer, nor Zane, not anybeast. Dassiter, maybe. Or was he just a burden that the hare was trying to take care of? He did not welcome him on the trip, after all. Though you swim in doubt, you must stand, be... 'Martin's' words echoed through his head. But he did not even know if it was Martin. He grunted in frustration and winced as he touched a bump forming on his head from the fall.

"I could use some air." He said to himself. He was uncomfortable and felt like he was slipping down a dangerously steep slope leading to nowhere in particular. Fresh air would be good for him. He donned his green habit and left the infirmary without a candle. He walked quietly down the hall past the dormitories and down the stairs to Cavern Hole, all the while moonshadows danced across the walls in front of windows and made him startle at every turn. Down in Cavern Hole, he saw two moles sitting by a roaring fire and was about to sit with them, then decided against it. He walked up the seven steps to the Great Hall and saw two mice in front of Martin's tapestry. He immediately recognized one of them as Jul from the way she stood, rigid as always. But what was she doing at this hour of the night? Had she had a similar dream? Leonardo crept forward towards the two but froze when he heard his name spoken in the abbess' voice. It was not calling him, but rather as the subject of a sentence. He sunk back into the shadows and hid behind a grand pillar. Even though sound always echoed around the hall, Leonardo had to strain his ears to listen to the conversation of hushed whispers.

"It's been slower, but I've noted... minor... changes. He's doing better."

"Well, I have yet to see any. He's still just as unpredictable as when he was admitted and not a day goes by where there is at least something that happened. Jul he is acquainted with a creature that murdered another being right in front of us just this past day!"

"He's all we have against them."

"And he's also mad. How can we be sure that he'll make the right choice? We stand a better chance without him and the other elders thinks so as well."

There was a beat before there came a reply. "How can you say that? He's a military genius–"

"He was a military genius. Why do you keep working so much at a case you know hasn't brought about any real progress? I know you want to be like your mum and make a breakthrough in healing but is it really worth putting the abbey at risk? Jul I would never do this to cause you pain, you know I wouldn't. I am making the call because he is a risk for the creatures of Redwall. I cannot afford to put the health of one before the lives of hundreds– it wouldn't be smart by any means."

"Then what will we do, kick him out of the abbey?"

"I don't know what we'll do with him! That's why I brought you here, because you know what's best for him."

"What's best for him is that he stays here and helps us get rid of the real problem outside our gates."

"You don't realize that he's a problem, too. I haven't ceased hearing reports from creatures all around the abbey about his absurd behavior. The way he scratches and claws at his head, stares at little ones with bloodshot eyes, argues with himself– even yelling spontaneously! He's frightened everybeast to death with all of it and he's a seasoned fighter, too. How do you not see the threat that is sitting in our own abbey?"

"Because I know him better than any of you and he has potential. Just give me a chance to keep working at it; I'm trying a new treatment tomorrow that I'm certain will get us somewhere."

"Which are you not willing to let go of, Jul, Leonardo or your star patient?"

There was a beat of silence. Leonardo hugged the pillar tightly and tensed himself, waiting for the reply. He looked at the eyes of Martin on the great tapestry flickering in mounted torchlight and they stared back into his anxious eyes. "Please," Leonardo said under his breath, "just one living creature." He waited for what seemed like an eternity. He was convinced that he had never endured such agony as this since his return to Amijowi. He waited and gripped the pillar tighter with his long paw claws in anticipation. Jul said nothing, only bowed her head and let Hannah hug her.

Leonardo's eyes filled up with tears and his sight became blurry. He did not need to hear any words to have gotten the message loud and clear. As the two returned to their dormitories, he slid down with his back against the pillar and wept silently. He had been so certain that she truly cared for him; she had always acted so friendly. But self-interest was proving to be a much more enjoyable companion than he was. He stayed slumped over with his back to the pillar and the center of the Great Hall for some time. He eventually turned about and looked into Martin the Warrior's eyes.

"Why did this have to happen to me?" He said to the tapestry. "I've been betrayed by every creature around me. Even with fifty vermin at their gates they'd rather turn me away and take their chances than let me stay." He paused for a moment and his anger built up. He shook his head and paced back and forth. He looked at Martin again and said in a said in a raised voice, "Fine! If I'm not wanted here, why should I bother even helping these snobs? Let them rot in here for all I care, I'm going someplace where I'm wanted!" He was half expecting a reply from the figure on the wall but finally decided that the tapestry was only that. A tapestry. So Leonardo left through the large oaken door and did not look back. Through a side gate? No, those 'll be too difficult. The main gate won't open, either. My best bet is to go over the wall. He thought to himself. His first stop was the great bell tower. Being directly adjacent to the Great Hall outside, he sneaked in unnoticed. After rummaging around in the silent tower, he emerged with a long, finely woven rope with yellow-dyed strands. Quickly, he draped it across his shoulder and chest and made his way back out, this time in the direction of the South wall.

He had decided that his sandals would only become something to trip over, so he left them at the base of the wall steps and began to climb up slowly, sticking to the shadows to avoid the eyes of the sentries. To be caught out at this hour would only mean trouble for him, and that was what he was trying to escape. He climbed the gently carved sandstone steps to the top. The night was cold and his foot paws were numb by the time he reached the top of the wall. He squatted low in the shadow of the battlements and examined the situation before him.

The sentries all had sharp eyes; restless eyes. They peered over the wall at the surrounding area, clearly anxious. They paced back and forth without talking and most did not waver from their designated zones. They were dedicated to protecting their abbey and had no desire to become infamous for falling asleep on the job whilst vermin made an attack on Redwall. They were dedicated, alert, warm in their cloaks, but not warm enough to be comfortable. They were also passionate about their duties. But above all else they were inexperienced. Leonardo saw his chance and took it without giving another look.

The yellow-dyed rope went up and over the great wall and Leonardo watched the end fall to the ground. He hesitated for a brief moment and looked back at where the infirmary was on the upper floor of the abbey. He even found his window with a forget-me-not flower shining in the moon's light.

Up and over Leonardo went. Repelling all the way down the wall and dropping the last few paw lengths until his numbed foot paws finally touched the dry ground. He looked around at the strangeness of his new environment and smiled. It reminded him of when he explored at sea and brought him fresh memories. He sniffed the cool air and tried to remember the saltiness of the wind by the sea. Letting go of his entire past life, Leonardo shivered with delight and walked into the woods ahead, eager to begin life beyond the sandstone walls.

Simon went, too.

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This was the chapter that I got the cover art from (the first one, not Leatho Shellhound's awesome new cover)! Since much of the story from both book I and book II have been leading up to this moment, i felt that it would be a fitting scene to depict as the cover.
Then there's the dream Leonardo had. We don't know if it actually was Martin but he has a hunch that he's basing off of the abbey history that he's read and building off of that. Then note how he winds up in front of the tapestry. Does that mean that it was him? Does that further mean that Jul, the Abbess, or both also had a dream from Martin? Just some things to think about

Also, I have a question for you! Are the Abbess' actions justifiable? Or is there a better way to be handling the situation?

[The Skarzs]

Finally got around to reading these!
(Vacation has been tough, ironically)
Great chapters! Chapter 20 had a doubled word, though I can't find it now. I would give more criticism if I wasn't so tired and bearing a headache.

As to your question: I'm not feeling creative at all right now, so my answer is limited. For the safety of all the creatures, Leonardo would have to be taken care of, his actions removed by one way or another. One way would be making him leave- removing the entire apple to get rid of the seeds. Another would be to remove the problem without the host, which would require the apple to be cut. (Bear with my apple analogy here) The apple would not be as it was before, but the bad part would be gone, leaving the good. It takes a knife to cut the apple, and you risk cutting yourself with the knife as you do so.

[Captain Tammo]

haha I see. But the whole challenge so far has been, as you would put it, removing the seeds without removing the apple. Jul's been trying to do that for a full season with relatively little success and time isn't exactly on the abbey's side anymore. There's always the option of just tying him up in the attics or something, but that probably wouldn't be the best way to make a creature cooperate. So the question remains: how could we essentially "get rid of the seeds and keep the apple"?

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 24

Jul woke up early that next morning thinking about Leonardo. She was worried about him, being forced to leave the abbey certainly would undo all of the progress that he had made. After meeting with the abbess only a few hours prior to that moment, she had thought of an alternate solution. She would hide Leonardo and tend to him secretly. There was an old room above the infirmary that was easy to access, but never used unless there were mass amounts of creatures staying at Redwall. Thankfully no woodlanders had come to visit due to the giant band of vermin outside, so Jul had it all to herself. It was not an unreasonable place to stay. A bit dusty perhaps, but there was furniture and a rug, enough space to house at least five creatures, even a great circular window that swung in. Leonardo would be able to stay there and receive his treatment, stay out of sight from the rest of the abbey, and, seasons forbid, should the abbey be taken he would be able to help them. Jul smiled at her own cleverness and looked over at Leonardo's bed only to find it empty and unmade. Her first thought was that something must have been happening with the vermin and he was needed to command.

Fear for the abbey's safety as well as for Leonardo's health spurred Jul through the abbey towards the western wall top. On the way, new scenario possibilities flooded into her head: he was having an episode and was running wild through the abbey, he was just in the kitchens getting early breakfast, he was negotiating with the vermin...

"Slow down, Jul. What's got ye running all willy-nilly?" A very strong-looking hedgehog said as he saw Jul running out of the Great Hall. This was Oliver, the abbey's bell ringer. He was making his way over to the bell tower with what appeared to be a long yellow rope over his shoulder. He was a gentle creature capable of performing great feats of strength and power as he demonstrated each day with the tolling of the bells. His warm smile was always out, even with the band of vermin about. He was also very hard of hearing, the result of a lifetime spent in the bell tower, and some said that was the cause for his constant smile. He had a passion for the sound of the bells. 'I say the soul of the abbey's the toll of the bells' is something he would always say with a bit of rhythm so that it rhymed when he said it, like a verse of poetry. His voice was always loud and slightly monotone. And though he was not viewed as a very smart creature, there was not a creature at Redwall that did not enjoy his company.

"Oliver, have you seen Leonardo? I can't find him anywhere!" she said with a great deal of worry. Suddenly she saw Abbess Hannah coming their way and began to panic.

Oliver answered back in his loud voice, "Oh, where's Leonardo? I dunno where he is. Say,'s everything okay Ms. Jul? Ye look quite flustered an—what? Why are you shushing me? Oh, hi mother abbess. Have ye seen Leonardo about today? Jul's lookin' fer 'im."

The alarm on Hannah's face was very pronounced and quickly dissolved into a very anxious expression. She turned to address Jul, "What did Oliver just say?"

She sighed with defeat and played with her paws shamefully, "Well I woke up this mornin' an' Leo was... gone." She cringed under the abbess' gaze when she said 'gone' like a dibbun who had been caught with their paw in the candied nuts.

"Well, where could he have got to, then? Oh, why do I even bother! C'mon, we better go find that nuisance before something bad happens. Oliver, you can come too."

"Sure thing mother abbess! I jus' gotta stop by the bell tower first. Somebeast left the new rope hangin' o'er the wall an' I have t' go put it back... What?"

"That rope was hanging over the wall?!" exclaimed Hannah.

"Great seasons, did the vermin get in the abbey?" added Jul.

"I highly doubt it. We would've seen them by now and they would not have been able to use the rope if it was in the bell tower the whole time. But I'd bet the moon that I know where Leonardo's gone off to."

"You mean to say he just up and left without telling anybeast first? That doesn't seem like him the least bit." Jul said.

"One can never tell with a madbeast, my dear. I'm just relieved to have him gone as I'm sure the fair majority of the abbey is..."

Only just as the abbess finished her sentence, skipper Thomm came bolting across the lawn, nearly running straight into them. He was out of breath and put his paws on his knees. He did not have to say anything for them to realize something was wrong— and it had to do with the vermin outside. "Jul, we need Leonardo," He said once he regained his breath, "that captain Zane wants to have a word with him. I think they mean business!"

"What do we do?" said Jul. The three of them all looked at Abbess Hannah for guidance.

"Well, we might as well see what it is they want from us. Maybe things will sort themselves out and we can all go to bed happy tonight."

<><><><><>

Unfortunately, Abbess Hannah's prediction was far from the truth. She managed to keep the vermin at bay for three days. However, upon their discovery that Leonardo was, in fact, no longer in the abbey, the vermin grew more confident. They demanded the immediate surrender of Redwall with the consequences being death. Or in the words of Zane Crowley, "I'll skin you all alive an' feed yer pelts t' one another if this gate isn't opened within thirty seconds!"

The first time Zane's crew launched an attack against Redwall, they nearly overtook it. It happened in the morning of the fourth day since Leonardo disappeared. They focused on a single point of the abbey and tried to overwhelm it. They stuck to the north wall and Zane used his archers to keep creatures pinned down while the rest of his force began ramming the small gate with a fallen tree. It was only the quick thinking of Nol's niece, Gwen, which saved them. She and her team of moles braced the gate with a massive mound of dirt and rock—a last minute reinforcement that proved to be quite strong against the onslaught of the vermin offense.

The Redwallers themselves were pathetic fighters, but with the help of their abbey's walls they managed to make it through the day and the vermin eventually retreated with the only casualty being blisters on their weary paws. On the other hand, the abbey dwellers experienced significant casualties. Sister Jul was attempting to operate a nearly overflowing infirmary with sister Meridee. Together they dashed to and fro among the filled beds of creatures with wounds ranging from multiple arrow shots to infected head wounds. Creatures lined the rows of beds and laid on the floor on top of linen sheets and feathered pillows. The open windows did very little to let the heat of all those breathing creatures out, so it remained as what some creatures called a furnace. Herbs and powdered concoctions could only accomplish so much among so many injured. The two of them worked wearily into the night, removing arrows and stones from the limbs of the same creatures that they had grown up next to. When she was asked about that night many seasons later, Meridee would come to describe the experience as the most traumatic of her life.

"Do you what it sounds like to pull a stone shot from a sling out of your younger brother's arm?" She would say. "It's a lot like pulling a stick out of the mud. You get that sucking noise as the mud doesn't wanna let go of the stick. Mix that sound with the crying of your own brother and nearly thirty others waiting to get the same thing done to them. That's what it sounded like... Creatures said it must have been traumatizing for the patients to go through such a thing, but what they don't think of is how hard it must have been for Jul and I to go through that about fifteen times each that night. Creatures forget that the nurses suffer with their patients. We experience the worst of it: holding a creature's paw as they get an arrow pulled from their leg, knowing your patient is also your friend and having to tell them that they'll be okay even though they'll be dead by the time you've moved on to the next patient, having to sort creatures based on who had a chance at living and who would die and performing surgeries in that order to be efficient... I thought that night would never come to an end. I was a nurse working in an 85-degree infirmary with so many wounded and dying that we had to walk around them because they were laying on the floor, too. Not a single tear has been shed from my eyes since then. I suppose I've already used up my life's allowance and ran out. I'll never forget that night; it's a part of me now." Meridee was never the same after that first attack.

After an entire week of fending off the attacks from Zane and his crew, Redwall was still under the control of the woodland creatures. Zane was beginning to face heavier and heavier losses and was now down a quarter of his force. He would have quit, but greed pushed him forward with every new day. Redwall, on the other hand, was also facing losses. Nearly a score were dead and at least twice that wounded. They were dwindling in strength, but the advantage was still theirs. That is until the dawn of the tenth day.

Abbess Hannah journeyed up to the wall and stood just out of view of the enemy forces. With her paws in her sleeves and heavy bags under her eyes, Hannah met with Gwen, Nol's niece, on the status of the Redwall and Devil's Star fighters.

"Et be's gettin' bettur mothur h'abbess marm. But better es not gudd per se. T'was vury quiet last noight. But even still marm, we can't keep this oop much longer. We'll keep foighten' but we be's needin' a commander naow. Tis a shame that mistur Williams 'ad t' dis'pear. Ee battle wudd be easy if'n ee was with uz."

Hannah could only shake her head and reply, "He was a danger to the abbey and could have killed somebeast. Yet had I known that this would have been the result without him I would have tried to make him stay rather than pushing him away. I didn't like him and I still don't, but great seasons where could he have gotten off to?!"

Just then skipper Thomm, who was standing on the wall top nearby, called over to Hannah, "Mother Abbess? I think I just found out. Look!"

Hannah climbed up to where skipper stood on his guard and followed his paw towards where he was pointing. "Would somebeast please get me Jul?" she said with a hint of panic rising out of her chest. "I said somebeast please get me Jul right now!"

<><><><><>

Jul immediately noticed the difference in his stature. Something was very wrong and he was in pain. His back was not straight, but rather hunched over. His habit was tattered to the point where it was nearly falling off. But it was his face that was the real giveaway: scrunched up like a big knot and twisted to the side. Jul realized that while her treatments may not have completely reversed Leonardo's conditions, it prevented them from getting any worse. The Leonardo standing there was in every way what Abbess Hannah had predicted would come of him: a dangerous madbeast; a mad genius with military experience standing at the head of Zane Crowley's band with a cutlass in his paw... that pointed towards Redwall.

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I wanted to show a gruesome scene that would add to the drama without saying something such as "the floors were covered with fresh blood and creatures screaming in bloody pain and bloody blood blood..." I figured the best way to do this was to show it through an account many seasons later through Meridee. She would be able to show the reader that there was also a mental toll on top of the physical injuries that night, but she probably wouldn't want to explain the blood. So I tried to keep that description to a minimum and focus on the atmosphere: fearful, tragic, 85 degrees, noises, low supplies, experiences without the individual details, etc. It was more of an attempt at "tell, don't show" and the result came out as one of the most gruesome parts I've shown so far, but doesn't mention blood.

Also, please excuse some of the paragraph indenting (it got a bit messy when i transferred this over from Word). Questions or comments? Leave them below and I'll be more than happy to debate or answer you! The next chapter will be up in 48 hours!

[The Skarzs]

I hate it when it does that; it happens with every chapter in Mossflower Falls.

Great chapter, unique from the others with it's content and way of describing things. Leo certainly needs helps, not to mention the abbey dwellers. Seems like they need some reinforcements. (Huge understatement.)
I'm thinking that this quick passing of time will shorten how much you have to write of the other group's journey and get to more exciting parts with less difficulty; much easier this way.
Can't wait for the next chapter!