Timballisto's sudden death

[General Ironbeak]

Does anyone know why Jacques killed Timballisto in Legend of Luke? He was a cool character, and pretty young, yet they appear to kill him off of old age. Well, we know he lived to old age because of Barlom's existence. Yet...Timballisto told Barlom stories about Martin, which Barlom remembered, yet admits he never knew Martin. This indicates T.B. outlived Martin.

I know this loophole has been brought up before and I admit I am a little frustrated with Jacques for never explaining it. The most common answer seems to be that Timbal was as old as Matthias and Cornflower when he got married, and had a grandson young.

[Ungatt Trunn]

I've actually never noticed that. I guess that Timballisto just lived to a great old age, outliving most of the people before him, such as Martin,. Gonff and the rest. 

[Jukka the Sling]

Timballisto died fairly young. It says so in The Legend of Luke. As for Barlom saying that he remembered T.B. telling him tales of Martin, maybe Barlom was a very small Dibbun at the time. And the mouse telling him stories wasn't actually T.B.,, it was someone else that Barlom mixed up with T.B.

[General Ironbeak]

But it's never even explained how he died!

[Jukka the Sling]

Well, it says in TLoL that he died in the winter following the Kotir siege. So maybe he got sick or something. And died.

(Oh, and actually it never really outright said in TLoL that he died young. Sorry if my previous post misled. I just figured that, since he was only 3 seasons older than Martin, he'd died rather young.)

[General Ironbeak]

They could have at least said he got sick. Really, I'm a little shocked at Jacques for being so vague.

[Jukka the Sling]

It might have said he got sick. But don't quote me on that - I'm not absolutely sure.

[Ungatt Trunn]

Sometimes, BJ will just leave some stuff in his story's for your imagination to decide.

[WildDoogyPlumm]

I hated Timbal's death - of all the minor characters in Redwall, he was probably my favorite.  I always interpreted the whole thing about "dying after a hard winter" as that he probably got really sick and passed away.
How old is Martin supposed to be during TLoL? If he was middle-aged it would make more sense for how Timbal could have kids & grandkids.

[Gonff the Mousethief]

im and currently reading TLol it said that He was still weak from being a slave and he died from a sickness during the winter.
The thing that I did not get was that he was called Timballisto because he made ballistas.
He was called Timballisto at the cave when he was very young. He then was captured and Martin found him in Mossflower.
In the books, he only made one Ballista.
IT MAKE NO SENSE!

[Tam and Martin]

I always questioned this also. It seemed his death came suddenly and, almost seemed like there was no reason for is death. I mean, he could have at least died in a different way in that book. As Jukka (and maybe Doogy) said He did die froma hard winter. As we already know, he was a slave for many years so that weakened him greatly hence he died because the winter came and he couldn't last through it.

[clunylooney]

Everyone is saying he must have got a sickness but it says in the book that he died after a hard winter. Why is no-one thinking that he died of the cold of winter? Sickness isn't the only way to die naturally other than old age. Timballisto might have just not been strong enough to survive the cold of winter after being a slave on Bloodwake.

[Sebias of Redwall]

It's been a little while since I read the book, but I do feel like I remember reading that he had died in a hard winter.

Everyone is saying he must have got a sickness but it says in the book that he died after a hard winter. Why is no-one thinking that he died of the cold of winter? Sickness isn't the only way to die naturally other than old age. Timballisto might have just not been strong enough to survive the cold of winter after being a slave on Bloodwake.

I'd say that this is probably the case. But then again, he didn't seem *that* weak in Mossflower.

[clunylooney]

It's been a little while since I read the book, but I do feel like I remember reading that he had died in a hard winter.

Everyone is saying he must have got a sickness but it says in the book that he died after a hard winter. Why is no-one thinking that he died of the cold of winter? Sickness isn't the only way to die naturally other than old age. Timballisto might have just not been strong enough to survive the cold of winter after being a slave on Bloodwake.

I'd say that this is probably the case. But then again, he didn't seem *that* weak in Mossflower.

Touche. But maybe he got weaker later on, because TLOL takes place a few seasons after Mossflower (although it still doesn't make much sense).

[Sebias of Redwall]

You're right. Maaaaaaaaybe not that likely, but it is possible to a degree.