A Dark Journey

[Nightfire]

Okay, guys. I have finally decided to get serious about writing a fanfic about my all-time favorite RP-ing character. I've been mulling this idea over for quite a while, but now I'm going to actually write it. Here goes:

Prologue

The moon shone down from high above, washing the snowy cliffs with a silvery glow. The rugged terrain of the northlands was lit with nighttime splendor as yet another midwinter's night came and went. However, one creature was not aware of the beauty. A russet-coloured female squirrel groaned in pain as she gave birth. After many hours of pain and struggling, two small bundles were born, and the squirrel reached over and took them in her arms. One of them, to her grief, was stillborn, a tiny silvery creature who had never seen the light of day. The other, however, was as black as night, and it looked up at it's mother with gleaming emerald eyes, whimpering for milk. She gave in to it's needs, and as the tiny creature fed, she spoke softly. "A pity your father is not here. His son will join him in the Dark Forest, I suppose. You, I will call Night, for it was in the night that you were born, and it is in the darkness that you took first breath. You will be raised to be loyal, and honorable, and you will never be alone." Together, the mother and her newborn daughter curled up and slept.

Chapter

Nightfire hurled herself over a chasm in the cliffs, whooping with exhilaration. She looked over her shoulder, and saw the homely face of the mole far behind. "Come on, Urthflyer, keep up!"
The mole hauled himself wearily over a rock, shouting after her. "Urr, missie, slow ee daown a bit!"
"Hah! Why would I want t'do that?" She ran ever faster, bounding over rock ledges and cliffs. She finally was force to stop when she nearly collided with her mother.
"Whoa!" Russetpetal said, glaring at her daughter. "Why are you dashing about like a hare with 'is tail on fire? Are you mad, girl?"
"'Tis to nice o' a day to spend it inside a rock cave sewin' tunics an' mending belts. Why can't I ever join the warriors? I can fight just as well as any of them!"
The old squirrel gazed sternly down at her adolescent daughter, pursing her lips grimly. "'Twas warfaring that got your father killed. I don't want to lose you as well!"
The black squirrelmaid was about to send back a sharp remark, when Urthflyer came gasping over the rocks. "Hurr, 'tis 'ard to keep runnin' loike a mad 'arebeast when you live 'ere in the noirthlands!"
Nightfire sighed, then walked away, going for a few miles. She bounded up a nearby fir tree quickly, and once at the top, she saw the whole of the mountain plains. How she hated staying behind when the others left! She sighed again, then flopped over onto her belly on a branch, staring into nothing. Suddenly, her quick eyes caught movement over in a southeast direction, and she peered harder. About fourscore vermin were headed fast towards the camp! They were nearly upon them! Nightfire chirred in surprise, then turned and ran in the direction of the camp. She heard screams, and a loud wail that spurred her on even faster. She burst through and into the camp, and what she saw there chilled her to the bone.

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The bodies of the tribe were scattered about, and Nightfire gave a loud wail as she saw the still form of her mother. She staggered over and knelt beside the pitiful form, weeping when she saw the manner of the wound. She lay there beside her for many hours, then stood up dry-eyed as she picked up the fallen forms of her tribe one by one and buried them. Then she glimpsed the tracks of the vermin. She stared, her emerald eyes becoming suffused with blood. Then she hurtled down the path after them, yelling wildly at the top of her lungs, giving vent to the warcry of all black squirrels. "Yayalahooooooooooooo!!!!" She was nearly upon them, when she felt a hard thwack against the back of her head, and she fell backwards, the light of battle dimming from her eyes. She saw a honey-furred face looming in her vision, then she blacked out, hearing a voice.
"Och, ye're either insane, else ye're madly courageous. Though mayhaps ye be both."

***************************************

Nightfire awoke to the warmth of a campfire and the sound of some beast singing.

"O'er yon dale an' o'er yon hills,
Ah tra'el wherever mah free spirit wills.
Trekkin' through snow an' oft through hail,
There's nothing' so better as tae be ah red squirrel!"

The voice halted abruptly, and Nightfire was aware of a cheery-looking squirrel standing above her. She was honey-colored, with red-furred paws and twinkling dark eyes. She spoke. "Ah dae 'ope ye're nae goin' tae try fightin' thaem vermin agin. Ah'd 'ate tae knock ye out agin!"
Nightfire sat up, groaning. "Who are ye? Why'd ye knock me out?"
The lightly-colored squirrel grinned. "Well, ah did nae want tae see ye git yerself killed, so ah gave ye a quick bump o'er yer 'ead. Ah'm Zara Lightfur, by thae way." She held out a paw.
Nightfire grimaced as she felt the bump on her head, and then she shook the otherbeast's paw. "I'm Nightfire. Whit makes ye think that I'd end up dead agin that lot?"
Zara chortled. "Ye, agin the wearat? Harhahaharhahahar!!! Ye must be mad!"
"Where are my weapons? Nightfire asked suddenly..
The other squirrel chuckled. "Well, ah found yer bow, but nae arrows. 'Ere 'tis." Zara went over to the other side of the campfire and picked up Nightfire's longbow. The black squirrel took it, looking it over for damage. The true weapon of a northern squirrel, the longbow stood a little shorter than it's owner, and it was mad of dark mountain ash wood. Along the course of her life, Nightfire had engraved small images into it, and these images depicted her life. "May I have some type o' knife?" she asked Zara.
"Ah suppose so,"  the highlander said, tossing a dirk lightly at the other. Nightfire caught it cleanly by it's tip, then set to work, carefully placing the point against an unengraved spot, she lightly tapped the pommel so that thin  lines would be etched into the wood. Zara watched curiously as the skillfully done image of the camp's massacre took shape. The black squirrel was a master of art, and the image looked as realistic as if it were taking place on the wood this very moment. "Och, so that's why ye went intae the bloodwrath an' tried tae go after thae vermin. Well, there's no use arguin' about it. Ye'll ne'er be able tae kill thaem vermin on yer own. Ye'll need some 'elp."Huh. I don't suppose ye would help me?"
Zara chuckled. "Mayhaps ah will. But two squirrels are nae enough agin fourscore vermin, plus the wearat."
"Then I'll find more warriors," Nightfire said, finishing her carving. She slung the bow over her back. "Here's yer dirk back, mate."
"Och, keep it. Ah have two more besides that 'un."
"Fine, if ye insist." she shrugged and tucked the blade into her belt. "I'll need to make some new arrows, but aside from that, I'm fully armed an' ready to fight vermin."
Zara took one look at the determined squirrel and said, "Ah don't doubt ye, mate!"

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Seasons passed. Nightfire grew from an inexperienced, teenage squirrelmaid to a hardened, battle-ready warrior. As she and Zara traveled, they realized that there were many squirrels around who hated the wearat, and it was those squirrels who joined up with them. Soon, they had fivescore squirrels with them, who elected her Squirrelqueen. They stopped one night on the shores of the great sea. Nightfire looked at the tall mountain that was glowing in the distance. "Salamandastron, eh? The place o' badger lords an' hares. Hmm. What do ye think o' payin' them a visit?" She asked the two squirrels that were sitting nearer to her. One of them was Zara Lightfur, but the other was a red squirrel called Ambriya, who was Nightfire's second-in-command.
"Och, ah suppose we kin dae that. Though ah don' see why."
The other, Ambriya, chuckled. "Well, at least there's food there, mate. Hares tend tae scoff ev'n more'n we do. Och, I wonder who is in charge o' the mountain this time? Ye ken, Nightfire, 'tis been a long time since ah was 'ere last."
"Well, then, let's find out." Nightfire stood, and buckled on her belt made from adderskin. Then she pulled on her gauntlets, which were also made from that material. Her vest was made from adderskin as well. She had killed the adder that the effects came from. She quickly checked that the slim bamboo pipe was safely lodged inside her left gauntlet, then she slung on her longbow and quiver. Her dirk was already in the belt. "Come on, mates. Let's go meet a Badger Lord!" She threw back her head and gave a long, ululating cry. "Eeeeeeeeaaaaaayyrraaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!" All of the squirrels immediately leapt to attention, and stood there waiting. Her strong voice rang out. "Friends an' fellow warriors, tonight we visit Salamandastron!" The squirrels chattered back their approval, and Nightfire continued. "Let's march! Double pace!" She whirled around with Zara and Ambriya flanking her, and headed straight for the mountain. The band of fivescore squirrels fell in to step behind them, and the band gave the impression of a dark shadow heading towards the mountain.
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Up high on the mountain of Salamandastron, a hare called Jjenth was on lookout. He spotted a dark mass coming at a rapid pace towards the mountain, and gave a yelp. He whirled around and dashed through the halls, bumping into other hares as he went. He screeched to a stop in from of the forge room, and called out in a shaky military voice. "Sah! Fifth Night Guard reporting, sah! Spotted a disturbance on the southern beach, sah!"
The heavy stone door opened, and huge brown eyes stared out at him. "Come in." The face retreated, and Jjenth went through nervously. The massive badger lord was hunched over a red hot sword blade, hitting it gently with a tiny hammer that looked like a toy in his paw. "Make you report, Jjenth."
The hare babbled out a stream of words. "Lord Stoneoak, sah! Spotted a dark mass coming in south over the beach, sah! Couldn't jolly well tell what it was, sah, but it moved very fast!"
"Could it have been vermin?" Stoneoak asked in his booming voice.
"Difficult to say, sah! If it was, there was about fivescore of the blighters!"
"You can stop shouting, Jjenth." the badger rumbled at the hare. He looked amused. "If 'tis only fivescore of them, then we have the numbers to deal with them. Have the Long Patrol ready, but don't attack until we actually know what they are."
"Sah! I also noticed that they were moving in perfect military precision, sah!" Then the hare caught himself. "Sorry, sah."
"Nay, nay, you are only doing what the sergeant has drilled into you since you were a leveret. Perfect military precision, eh? Doesn't sound like vermin. Even the horde of Ungatt Trunn in Lord Brocktree's time were not like that. Show me where you saw this dark shadow, Jjenth."
"Yes, sah!" The hare wheeled about and darted out of the forge room with Lord Stoneoak following at a much slower pace. When they reached the window, Jjenth pointed down. "There they are, sah. They're just standing there now though. Just bally well watching us. What are they?"
Lord Stoneoak peered down. "They look like squirrels to me. See the bushy tails? I can't make out whether or not they have a leader though."
"Sah! Look!" The young hare pointed at the front of the squirrels. What looked like a dark shadow being cast by another squirrel, was actually a living creature. It walked boldly up to the doors of Salamandastron and knocked.
Lord Stoneoak turned. "Signal for Sergeant Ripscuff to let them in. Squirrels are good beasts, we have nothing to fear from them."
"I should bally well say not!" Jjenth said indignantly at the though of the Long Patrol being scared of something. Then he realized who he had just spoken to. "Oh! Sorry, sah, force of habit, doncha know."
The badger lord was not listening. He was headed down to the dining hall, where the Sergeant had brought the squirrels.
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Nightfire gazed calmly at the Sergeant. He seemed uncomfortable by her and her band.
"For the last time, marm! Why're you and your squirrels come to Salamandastron?!" Nightfire felt like rolling her eyes. The old hare had asked her that same question ten times in the past minute.
" 'Tenshun! The Lord Stoneoak the Just h'is present!" A corporal shouted out. The mighty badger lord entered the room with a young hare by his side. The corporal adjusted his introduction. "With the Fifth Night Watch, Jjenth!" The younger hare snickered at the corporal, then stared in awe at Nightfire. She was well aware of the presence she had, and was aware of how she looked. She stood as high as the badger lord's waist, which was a great feat for most squirrels. Her limbs were muscular and sinewy, and she was well trained to use her bare arms as weapons. All in all, the black squirrel was very intimidating to most. Lord Stoneoak approached her, looking her and her band up and down.
"Why do you come to Salamandastron?"
"My band and I have been travelin' for a long time. We were wonderin' if ye could spare some vittles."
The badger stared at her. "And I suppose you will want to spend the night here as well?"
"Nay, we like to sleep under the stars. We'll not trouble ye with requestin' to stay."
Stoneoak was wondering about this squirrel. "Hmm. Very well, we'll feed you. I assume you will be gone by morning?"
"Yes, we'll be gone by then," the squirrel replied.
"May I ask who you are? I have never seen squirrels that act like you."
She chuckled. "I'm Nightfire, Mercenary Squirrelqueen o' the Northlands. The rest o' my band kin introduce them selves if they want. We're all from the Northern regions. Some even came from the highlands."
"I don't suppose you and your band have come across any vermin lately?"
Nightfire clenched her jaw. "A few scraggly packs o' them have crossed our trail. They all were sent to the Dark Forest though. I have a question to aske o' ye, Lord."
The badger stared down at her, surprised at how informal she seemed in his presence. "If you wish."
"Have ye or any o' ye're hares e'er seen a wearat lately?"
Stoneoak jolted slightly. "I was not aware that there were any wearats still living in my time. They were all killed a long time ago."
"Nay, ye are wrong there, Lord Stoneoak. There is a wearat. And 'e is my sworn enemy."
He stroked his chin. "Hmm. Well, I would enjoy helping you find this creature, but I was not even aware of it's existence before now. Now, moving on to less grim talk, Jjenth here will find you all some food." The Badger Lord turned, brooding to himself. He stalked up to his chambers, leaving the young hare standing alone in front of the squirrels. He quivered at Nightfire's basilisk stare. "Err, if you chaps will all follow me, I can bring you to the mess hall."
"That's the bally ticket, lead us to the grub, old chap! Wot wot!"
Jjenth whirled around in surprise. Nightfire smirked at him. She had imitated a hare's accent perfectly. "Err, rather! Yes, chaps, follow me!" He turned and dashed through the door with fivescore odd squirrels, unnerved by the Squirrelqueen.
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Jjenth was watching Nightfire intently. As soon as the cook had laid out supper, the squirrels had dove upon the food with an appetite that put the Long Patrol hares to shame. But the black squirrel was taking small, slow bites, careful not to eat too much. "Aren't you hungry, marm?" he asked her.
She winked at him. "I'm famished, mate. But I don't want to eat too fast or too much, because then I won't be able to fight."
"Oh! I say, you remind me of someone from all of the bally history lessons old Grempf teaches us."
"Oh, really?" she asked, watching as the young hare's ears turned pink.
He stammered. "W-what I m-meant was you r-remind me of R-Ranguvar Foeseeker. She w-was a b-black s-squirrel t-t-too."
"Ah. I see what ye mean. Supposedly, she was one o' my ancestors."
Jjenth recovered his nerve. "May I ask where you got that bally vest and belt? Looks like reptile skin, I'd say."
"Don't forget the gauntlets too," she chuckled. "It's adderskin. Killed the slimy thing myself."
The hare's jaw dropped. "You killed a rotten old adder? Must have been jolly big for you to get three items of clothing from it, wot!"
She chuckled, then resumed eating. The young hare sat quietly, wondering why nearly 100 squirrels from the north had come all this way. Surely it wasn't just for a bite to eat? He sat there, wondering what a wearat was.
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The next day, the fivescore squirrels stood on the beach waiting for Nightfire's signal. The Squirrelqueen was conversing with Lord Stoneoak. "I will keep my hares on the lookout for this wearat, and will send a runner if we find him. But I am afraid that you will have travelled too far for us to find you by that time."
Nightfire smiled. "We're planning' on travellin' south o'er the mountain range. Ye ken search in that direction."
"South, eh? Redwall Abbey's down that way. Have you ever been there before, Lady Nightfire?"
She shook her head. "Nay, though I've heard 'tis a wondrous place. Mayhaps we'll visit there. I'd like to keep contact with ye an' yer hares, though. Too bad there's not much o' a way to do that."
Stoneoak stroked his chin reflectively. "I could send one of my Long Patrol hares with you."
Nightfire chuckled. "A hare, travellin' with squirrels? I doubt any in yer Patrol could keep up with my squirrels."
The badger smiled knowingly. "Ah, but you have never seen a Long Patrol Runner in action before."
"If'n ye think ye have a hare fast enough to keep up with us, send 'im out. But if not, we'll be on our way."
He motioned to the ranks of hares lining the base of the mountain behind him. "Jjenth! Come forward, please."
"Yes, sah," the young hare said as he came up to them.
"Do you have what it takes to keep up with Northern Squirrels?"
"Oh, I say, rather!" then he caught himself. "I mean, yes, sah!"
Stoneoak chuckled. "Then you go with Nightfire and her band. You will be our link between her and the mountain. Plus you can bring back news of Redwall."
"Yes sah!" the hare wheeled about face and walked over to the squirrel band, stepping in line between  Zara and an older, grizzled red squirrel. Nightfire looked at the badger. "Well, I guess he can come if he keeps up."
Zara looked over at the hare. "Och, we'll teach ye tae be a northern warrior! Heh, we'll be callin' ye Northrunner soon!" she laughed, then fell silent as Nightfire gave the call to attention. "Eeeeeeeeaaaaaayyrraaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!" she gave the order to march south, and Jjenth leaned over and whispered to Zara. "I say, does she always do that?"
The Highlander chortled. "Och, she sure does! 'Tis thae call tae attention."
The hare shuddered. "'Tis bally well frightening, wot! Sent chills up me bally spine!"
Zara tapped him lightly on the chin with one of her two dirks. "Chin up, chest out, eyes front, an' save yer breath. Ye'll need et fer the march."
"I say, you sound like the bally sergeant!" he said, staring at her.
"Och, yes, ah do. Now get goin'!  Yer laggin' behind!" she chided him until he picked up the pace. One hundred squirrels and one lonely hare marching south.
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They had to trek over the mountains to reach Redwall Abbey, and Ambriya, Nightfire's second-in-command, had been the sharp-eyed one who spotted the mountain pass. It was little more than a cave burrowing through the mountain ridge, but the Squirrelqueen decided to take the route. As soon as they entered, all of the squirrels began chittering nervously, unable to see any more than a few whisker lengths in front of them. Zara chuckled nervously, flicking her tail. "Ah 'ope that this tunnel don't go fer tae much longer, the noo. But 'til we dae reach thae end, then we shall all be'ave like true squirrel warriors, chin up, chest out, and eyes front."
They walked on in silence after that, until there was a rumbling sound, and a ledge gave way. Nightfire shouted in alarm, rushing forward as nearly twenty of her warriors fell over into the abyss. Ambriya grabbed her, forcibly pinning her down. "Stay, yer majesty! There's nae way fer us tae reach them now! They're lost, and ye will be too if'n ye don't back away."
Nightfire bared her teeth, growling. "I must! I can't leave them in this dungeon! I must bring them to light again!"
Zara came over and helped Ambriya pin her down. "Night, lissen tae me. Ye 'ave a hero complex, an' et's goin' tae get ye kill't! Ye can't save every beast!"
Nightfire finally subdued, standing shakily and staring at her followers. "Are ye all willin' to follow me on this fool's quest?" she asked.
The squirrels all nodded in unison. "AYE!" They shouted, the sound echoing thunderously throughout the caverns.
She shook her head wearily. "Ye all be fools as well, then. Ach, let us leave this vile place before we all die in here." They continued, eventually coming out onto a sunlit ledge. All of the squirrels gasped in relief, then looked at Nightfire expectantly, as if to say 'now what?' In answer, she went up to one of the squirrel mothers, and took the infant from her arms, holding the infant high enough for all to see. "This be why we fight! Not for vengeance, not for bloodlust, but for the future of all of our young ones! Now let's track a wearat!"
The squirrels raised a great shout as she handed the child back to it's mother, who in turn slung the infant onto her back. "Treetops an' timber! EEEEEAAAAYYRAAAAHHH!!!!!!" They shouted, the noise deafening to her ears.
Jjenth looked confused, but he shouted along with them, adding the time-honoured battle cry of the Salamandastron warriors. "EEEEEULAAAALIAAA!!!! Forward the buffs, an' no surrender!"
Nightfire smiled. "Aye, young 'un, that' the spirit. Now let's march!" Moving as one, the army of squirrels, now numbering eighty, trekked down the mountainside, heading straight south.

[Skalrag of Marshank]

This looks really good! Cant wait to read the rest!

[Nightfire]

Yes. And it's about Nightfire too. I got sick of doing the one about Alenra, so I'm postponing that for now. And sorry about the molespeech. I'm terrible at molespeech.

[Tiria Wildlough]

I like it!
When can we have more?

[Nightfire]

So, I wrote some more! Give me your opinions. Please!

[Tiria Wildlough]

AWESOME!!!!

[Nightfire]

Thanks.   I'm so embarrassed. I can't believe that you guys actually like this!   At least it's explaining some more about the mysterious Nightfire, Mercenary Squirrelqueen of the North. Before I invented the RP and the character herself, I did kinda want to write about what she was like before she bacame squirrelqueen. Just so you guys know ahead of time, my story is not going to end like most stories. There is going to be no 'the end.' Rather, it will say 'The Beginning.' Just out of curiosity, do you guys like the little ditty that Zara sings?

[Skalrag of Marshank]

Nice. Did you make that up yourself? I'm terrible at writing songs...I can never find the right rhyme...

[Nightfire]

Yeah, I did. What do you think of Zara? I'm not that good at Highlander accents, but at least there's no lizardspeak mixed in!

[Skalrag of Marshank]

Heehee. Yeah, you're awesome at the Highlanders' accents...

[Nightfire]

Yay! I wrote a lot more! Did I get the hare's accents right? Give me all your opinions!

[Tiria Wildlough]

I love it all! And the hare's accents were quite good.

[Nightfire]

And I got the name Jjenth (pronounced jejenth with no e) from the Mossflower book, with Ffring. Heeheehee. Stoneoak was just a random name I made up. It seemed to fit the badger lord.

[Tiria Wildlough]

Stoneoak is a good name. Badgers need solid-sounding names, especially badger Lords.

[Nightfire]

I wrote some more! I was kinda thinking about having Jjenth join up with Nightfire's band for a while. Kind of like Russa Nodrey joining the Long Patrol for a bit. But reversed. What do you guys think about that? And what's you opinions on the small amount that I just wrote?