The Maw's Fang

[Kolman]

Chapter 1: Dreams of the North.

It was the first weekend of Spring and all of Mossflower was celebrating with a feast. And Redwall's feast was the best barr none. There were Shrews in decorating in the gardens. The chefs and cooks were frenetically cooking and putting food out as dibbuns sneaked in and stole some of the pastries and were chased out squealing in delight. Songs of spring were being sung  all around, indeed everybeast was in a good mood. Except two that is, Abbess Rosemary, The wizened mouse was listening to a young Squirrel recount his dream the night before, and it troubled her to no end. Kaden the Squirrel described being in a village as a giant rat attacked with a horde of vermin. As he watched a voice told him that he must stop this rat The Fang of the Maw. But to do so he must find the Badger of the north by traveling south. "Kaden, are you sure this is exactly what you saw in your dream?" the Abbess asked, though she knew in her heart that he was telling her the truth, she could see it in his eyes, his tail and his expression. His eyes while normally bright and happy, were now fearful. His tail was drooped where it normally was straight up. His normal smile was gone, replaced by a tremble of his lips and a frown. "Yes Abbess I am sure, I wish I could forget it, but it won't leave my mind and it scares me." The Abbess sighed, if it hadn't been so straightforward she would have told the young beast to forget and enjoy the feast day. However it was brutally straightforward and what confused her was the fact that he made no mention of Martin The Warrior; the Abbey's spiritual guardian. Normally when such dreams happened it was clearly Marin's doing, but this was just off enough to make her worry. Worry for the young squirrel who had just celebrated his 16th name day who was just barely older than a dibbun in her eyes, worry about the uncertain future that the squirrel was being dragged into. "Kaden I want you to help brother Haverly he needs help with barrels for the feast, then I want you to enjoy the feast, we will talk about this after the feast." "yes Abbess." With that Kaden left to go help the portly cellarhog. Abbess Rosemary sighed she would need to consult the librarians for help on this. But before that, there was a feast to attend to and for the sake of all she had to be cheerful.

[Kolman]

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[Kolman]

Chapter 2: Choice to protect

(part I)

Lady Leina huffed a large breath to dispel the cloying heat of the south, the great badger mother was wearing only a simple dress yet still felt like she was wrapped in full winters set, and it was only Spring! "I don't know how these southlanders stand the heat; if this is Spring then Summer must be withering!" The Badger looked at the other two on the top of the boat. There was Nora the mouse maid who was acting as the navigator. Anders the shrew who was currently ensuring the boat did not run into the river banks. There was a small gaggle below deck of different beasts all had lost their homes much like the great Badger that led them. Lady Leina sighed  as she recalled the last 4 months Anzore The Maw of War, a Wolverine that had descended from the far north with a horde like a sea yet what made him different from other vermin lords was the fact that he had lieutenants who he seemed to trust with leading his horde. This had allowed him to coordinate his forces to greater affect than previous foes and had led to the death of many a good beast including defeating the army Lady Leina's son had led to oppose Anzore. Lady Leina closed her eyes to hold back the tears already starting to form as she remembered that heartbreaking day, her son did not return with the routing survivors. This group had just recently escaped one of Anzore's lieutenants  Bitter Tooth a giant rat who referred to himself as the Fang of the Maw. His army had marched on towns and razed them left and right. Lady Leina had gathered what survivors she could and had fled on a boat hoping to make for Salamandastron to contact the Badger ruling over that ancient fortress and secure the help of the Long Patrol. But the sea to the East was filled with vermin pirates so she and the group had taken a ill mapped western route. That had been 1 month ago and Lady Leina was beginning to suspect that she and her group were to far South of Salamandastron. She would have, Nora re-check the map but this area was unfamiliar, what was really needed was a guide someone who knew the region inside and out.