Swartt's lifespan

[Jukka the Sling]

Okay, so Bella said in Mossflower, when Martin was alive, that Sunflash had been missing since he was a kid, years before. In Outcast of Redwall, Sunflash finally gets to Salamandastron, wayyy after Martin died. Yet, Swartt Sixclaw had apparently been alive about the same length of time as Sunflash, 'cause at the beginning of Outcast it says they were about the same age. And badgers are supposed to live longer than anybeast! Any thoughts?

[Leatho Shellhound]

Fair point, I have to say I never thought of it before. I really don't know at the moment.

[Jukka the Sling]

Well, one answer could be that they're the same age in maturity for their species, not in seasons (or years, whatever). Skarlath was supposed to have been born just a few seasons before. It absolutely said Sunflash and Swartt were about the same age, though, so I dunno.

[The Shade]

Well...Sunflash must have been really young when he left brockhall. Also, Bryony was Gonff's desendent, so at the very least she was Gonff's grand daughter, or even great grand daughter, so it clearly shows that a decent amount of time has passed. In other words...I have no idea. 

[Tam and Martin]

Sunflash was definitely young when he left Brockhall so he would need to be even older when he was captured by Swarrt.

[Jukka the Sling]

Yeah, but didn't it say at the beginning of Outcast that Sunflash & Swartt were both young?

[Shadowed One]

Yeah,but that doesn't necessarily mean they were teens/young adults.

[Jukka the Sling]

True. But my whole point is that Swartt seemed to live as long as it took for Bryony to be born, and she was quite possibly Gonff's great-granddaughter. Only badgers live as long as that (with the exception of Breeze and Starbuck, but they lived really long 'cause they had a mission to fulfill.)

[Leatho Shellhound]

True. But my whole point is that Swartt seemed to live as long as it took for Bryony to be born, and she was quite possibly Gonff's great-granddaughter. Only badgers live as long as that (with the exception of Breeze and Starbuck, but they lived really long 'cause they had a mission to fulfill.)

Yeah, this is kinda off topic, but I felt really really sorry for those two hares. All thoughs years, alone.

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Dinnae forget Abbezz Germaine. Zhe lived quite a long time taae!

[Tam and Martin]

Yeah, but didn't it say at the beginning of Outcast that Sunflash & Swartt were both young?

Yes it did.

[Redwaller]

I know!

Remember how Sunflash, when he met Skarlath, escaped and helped other beasts for many seasons before being involved with Redwall.

Before he went after Swartt, they were both quite old!

[Jukka the Sling]

That could be. But during this time Martin the Warrior got old and died, and Bryony was  born. Only badgers live that long, right? But Swartt seemed to live that long too.

[Ungatt Trunn]

It might have been a mistake on BJ's part. Sometimes big mistakes that have little way of being spotted, like this one, sometimes get through.

[Redwaller]

Or he was a rather old ferret. Brian did not mention the exact age of the characters.