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

[The Skarzs]

Great chapters! I feel sad about the loss of Marius; he was awesome. Yeah, I saw a few mistakes in there, but I'll choose to look over them. Can't wait for the next chapter!

[Captain Tammo]

Here it is, the last chapter before the epilogue is released! Please enjoy

Chapter 31

Queen Serarraptas gave a raspy hiss and stretched her hood further, blocking the sun from where Xoer stood. He never kept his eyes off of her black silhouette swaying back and forth with a dangerous rhythm. The only sound that could be heard was the emptiness of the desert and shifting of sand grains beneath Serarraptas. Nobeast nearby, sheltered behind their shutters and locked doors, dared to add their breath to the sound of the silence.

Serarraptas opened her mouth and exposed two long and narrow fangs. She lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, too quickly for any of the onlookers to follow with their hidden eyes. Just like that, so many would-be heroes had fallen, dead before they could even react. However, this one was different because even though the great Hooded One struck, they were still standing! Xoer the mongoose had dodged the strike with an ever so slight leap backward, just skimming the burning ground beneath him. This filled the onlookers with hope, for if this serpent-slayer could dodge the first strike, he could dodge another.

Again, Serarraptas struck and was met with nothing but a mouthful of dust. She wriggled with anger and brought her head closer and closer to Xoer. She hissed, flexed her hood, stared deeply into the mongoose's eyes with her hypnotic stare and struck, all to no avail. Each time Xoer danced just out of reach of the venomous fangs and swayed back in forth as if to mock his foe. He bounced to and fro and made a 'tikki-tikki-tikki' sound and snarled, revealing his ivory-white teeth from behind his thin lips.

Serarraptas struck again and this time rather than backing away, Xoer moved to the side. He leaped in the air and aimed for the back of the foe's head, but she was too quick and moved out of the way. Using this as an opportunity to strike, Serarraptas lunged forward and only just missed Xoer's figure. How could she be so close every time and not hit once? She hissed again with rage and raised her head high and out of Xoer's reach. He stayed low, panting and out of breath, but still primed for battle.

"It's over Sararraptas." He said, "You've lost and your reign of terror is finished!" said Xoer.

The cobra swayed to and fro again, slower this time and replied. "You are a fool to think that you can besssst a Hooded One! Sssserarraptasssssss will put an end to your missssserable exisssstance!"

She quickly struck again and this time found her mark right on Xoer's torso. The momentum carried him back several paces and he let out a shout as the spear-like fangs cut deep. Xoer was pinned down. He looked up and around the cobra's head to see coil after coil coming forward like reinforcements coming into battle. It would be of no use to try to pry open her mouth and he did not have the time to try squirming out of it. Without another moment to lose, Xoer lashed out with his sharp claws at Serarraptas' eyes. Like magic, the great serpent withdrew her fangs and retreated a few paces back, her right eye visibly very damaged.

Xoer saw that the advantage was now his but did not waste it on a risky move. He stuck to Serarraptas' right side and out of her view. He was quick but would still need to wait for a strike before he could make his move, especially now that he was wounded. The venom was something that would not be a problem. After all, he was a mongoose!

Now creatures ventured forward to their windows and cracked their doors open to catch a closer look at the unfolding scene. Nol stood anxiously with a family of short, dark mice on the upper floor of a saloon and watched through a large window that was slowly being unbarricaded. The fight was lasting for quite a while, but it appeared as if the two creatures were moving at super-speed. It was all happening faster than any other could comprehend, so it was never clear what had just happened until seconds after it disappeared into the past. Every strike and every counterstrike were nothing but blurs like two bolts of lightning trying to strike the other down.

Serarraptas' mouth opened and she feigned another strike. Xoer did not move from his spot. Only half of the reason being was that he was a fearless creature, the other being he was growing too weary and his reflex speed was draining fast. Serarraptas, on the other hand, appeared to be maintaining a peak performance, even with the absence of her eye. Unless Xoer could land a hit again, he would certainly fall within a matter of time.

Another hiss sounded and this time she went in for another full attack. However, the mongoose anticipated her move and was already a split second ahead—nearly all the time in the world! He deftly leaped over the great hooded head and turned about in the air. He then bit down with his razor ivory teeth into the back of Serarraptas' head and held on for dear life. She let out a mighty hiss of agony and she pulled her head back with Xoer hanging onto the back of it by his mouth. She swung back and forth but to no avail; the mongoose was latched on tight. Her head fell back to the ground, but she was not defeated yet. Serarraptas twisted her enormous body like a corkscrew and began rolling around. At first it appeared as if Xoer himself was the one twisting her about, but in actuality he was the one taking the full beating and was taking heavy hits from all angles. Around and around she spun him, desperately trying to shake the foe off. Xoer could only just hang on. His head was twisted around against the direction of his neck and body and the coarse grains of sand filled his wounds like thousands of small needles.

Xoer could feel himself fading yet bit down harder and harder against the beating that was going on around him. He let his body limply flop around. All that mattered was that his jaws remained closed and locked. Small dark dots began making their way around his field of view and his head was beginning to feel lighter. The sand in his wounds was not helping the situation the least bit. Even if they were hot enough to burn any infection, Xoer would have given up all of his possessions just to get the sand out. Out of his wounds, eyes, ears, nose, mouth and fur. He cursed the sand and all that it stood for: the desert, the heat, arid atmosphere, bland color, unstable foundation, endless expanse of death, time moving too quickly, time not moving quickly enough, the greedy inhabitants of the desert, the existence of the Hooded Ones, the existence of Baala...

Another twist. Another brief moment of being crushed by the serpent's full weight and small second of being strangled. His teeth sunk deeper into the back of Serarraptas' head but she seemed to only get stronger with every hairsbreadth of digging into her hood. It was only when all hope seemed lost for Xoer: his vision blurred, senses dulled and visibly weakened, did the great Serarraptas give one last hiss. She laid her head down, gave one final squirm and was no more.

Many minutes were passed under the crushing weight of the cobra before Xoer released his bite and felt himself being pulled from underneath Serarraptas. Still conscious, he managed to feebly get himself up on all fours. Two small paws pushed some bread into his field of view. Xoer looked up to see that it was the little, dark-furred mouse that he and Nol had given food to earlier the previous day. He gave a warm smile and hugged her in thanks. Creatures flooded into the streets like a desert rain to see the enormous figure of the hooded one lying dead in the sand. They crowded around Xoer and hugged him, patted him on the back and kissed his brow.

Nol found his way to his friend's side and greeted him warmly, "Hurr, oi knew ye cudd do et, zurr! They don't call ye ee snakeslayur ferr nothin', hurr nope!"

Uru the Horn also emerged from the crowd and gave the new hero a hearty hug. "You have done eet, my sahn! You have freed ahs from de terror ahf dee Mokaba Desert! Oh, ah believe dat dis is yours as well." Uru handed Xoer his snake-fang necklace with a smile and gave him another pat on the back.

Xoer took the relic in his paws and returned to Serarraptas' limp form in the sand. Then he held up the necklace for all to see, one new fang dangling from the center as a trophy. "Uru, hand me a knife, will ye?"

Uru the Horn bowed low, "Ahf course, my friend... Somebeast please give dee serpent slayer a knife, please... What do you need dat for, pray tell?" He asked curiously.

Xoer wiped his mouth off with his dirty arm and gave a smile towards Nol. "Heh, the legend says that the Hooded Ones carried special bags that could cure diseases, and that they guarded them with their lives. I hadn't any idea what it meant at first, but when I saw that the Hooded One was a snake, it all made sense. It was talking about their venom glands in their head. Snake venom can be used as a medicine, when prepared properly. I guess cobra venom is set apart from the ordinary... We gotta get this stuff back across the sea to Redwall Abbey, they'll be able to mix it up there.

"Our ship was ruined in the sandstorm and we need supplies. You don't think Baala could help us out any, do you?"

Uru the Horn gave a wide smile, "My sahn, you have restored Baala to eets rightful place as de jewel ahf dee desert. De last Hooded One ees dead—and weeth et her would-be leetle ones. You are now de ruler of Baala and reech as a king! All ahf de treasures een dee house ahf Serarraptas ees yours. Eef dere ees someting dat you would like done, jus' say de word and Baala ees with you to dee end! Noble serpent slayer, you and your friend shall never be forgotten!"

<><><><><>

At long last, the travelers to Vydra finally reached their destination. "There it is, lads, Vydra." Said Maximus. Together they stood at the top of a steep, rocky cliff and looked down on the soft beach below. There was an outcrop of black rocks growing to the North with one singular column rising up above them all. Further, up on the cliffs, there was a marked off area that appeared to be an unkept farm of red berries. The sun was just beginning to stir light back into the jet black sky and visibility was still slightly limited. The others stood by him in silence and waited for him to speak first. "Let's climb down."

The descent was dangerous but uneventful. The cool rocks began to warm up in the dawn's heat and shake the cold off of their stiff bodies. The salty air of the Western Sea was brought about with a mix of feelings for the sailors. Though bittersweet, the sea was where they spent most of their lives, and it was home. They said very little on the descent other than giving advice on the occasional foothold. Maximus was the first one to reach the sand, but waited for the others to join him. Upon doing so, Dassiter simply gestured the young otter forward, "Lead on, lad, we'll follow behind." He then turned to the others and whispered whilst Maximus walked ahead, "Stay on guard, everybeast, you never know when you're this far North."

Immediately following Dassiter's comment, Maximus called back, "Hey, I think I hear something moving inside this cave! Hello in there!" The otter vanished into the cave.

"Maximus, don't!"

<><><><><>

"He's making progress and will make a full physical recovery, but I would like him to get some more rest before he's ready to see anybeast. I hope you can understand." Said Jul. It had been two days since the final confrontation with Zane Crowley and this was Jul's first time outside the abbey's building since then. She had been working on many patients who had been wounded during the prior battles, Leonardo in particular, and had not had a chance for herself yet. Now she walked along the orchards with Lord Barbourn of Salamandastron and was discussing Leonardo's condition to him.

"Thank you for sending the letter through Poppearl. I was saddened to hear of his condition, but it could not overpower my joy to hear that he was still alive. I had heard stories from visitors to the mountain and passing ships about the Seaspark and its valiant crew. But nobeast ever mentioned that Leonardo was the captain."

Jul laughed lightly, "He's certainly full of suprises... In fact, he played a much different role in the battle than what we saw him do. He mentioned it to me and it all made sense."

"Oh?"

"Leonardo said that in the days following his absence from Redwall, Simon had full reign over him for nearly ten days. It's terrifying to think about, really, to have another creature living up there and in full power for that long! He's a brave creature to say the least. But where was I? Oh, yes, Simon. It's not clear what exactly happened during those days because he doesn't remember them. What he does remember is that he kept Leo going until his body shut down from exhaustion. During his unconsciousness, he says that Martin the Warrior paid him a visit and suppressed Simon, then convinced him to go save Redwall from Zane.

"He needed to do something that would convince both us in the abbey, who no longer trusted him for the most part due to his instability, and Zane's crew of killers if his plan was going to work. So he convinced Zane that he was now against us Redwallers because they tried to kill him, and he presented himself as an utter maniac to us, so we too believed that he was fighting for the vermin. Once he was in full control of Zane's crew, he ordered them to do an assault that would destroy their own ranks, as well as set up a diversion so that he could slip away. Then he snuck into the abbey and opened the gates for the very small number of vermin that he knew would be left and he fought them himself."

Barbourn began to see where this was going and rubbed his chin. "So he kept the Redwallers far away from the main gate such that they wouldn't be able to attack Zane's crew. He knew that the defenders were inexperienced and that they would only be killing themselves, so he took on all of the attackers on at once... He was trying to save as many lives as he could!"

Jul nodded, "Right, minimizing the enemy's force until there were little to none left and even we could finish them off. He would have died for us, but with the exception of giving him treatment, none of us ever gave him the time of day... What makes a creature give so much when they have received so little in return?"

Barbourn's giant paw patted Jul's back lightly and he smiled, "I suppose that's how life is when you're mad."

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Stay tuned for the conclusion of Book II: The Life of Simon.

[The Skarzs]

Great near-ending for this equally great story! (Seems editing in transfer isn't as much trouble now. ) I can't wait for the ending of this, as well as what is going to become of the characters.

[Captain Tammo]

Chapter 32
(Part II Epilogue)

The following is from the journal extracts of Sister Jul Song, infirmary keeper of Redwall Abbey...

Second Waning Crescent, Spring of Recovery

Where to even begin... So much has gone on in the past two seasons without me writing even a single word! It has been a long and difficult road, but I believe that I've finally made the breakthrough I've been working for! Of course, I'm talking about the cure for Leonardo's ailment. This one isn't like the other failed treatments that I've had in the past, though. I tested it on a visiting Salamandastron private dealing with severe Battle Trauma and, miraculously, it worked! I can hardly believe it myself!

Currently, Leonardo is back at Salamandastron with Dassiter. They left at the start of Spring, as soon as Leo was fit to travel again, though not yet fully recovered from his battle. I leave him with the best medics at the far mountain fortress... and with an overwhelming stack of instructions for them to follow with Leonardo's current treatments. I hope that the visit proves to be therapeutic and helps him let go of his past a bit. I get regular updates from Poppearl the raven on his current status, as well as some news from the mountain now and again.

Speaking of news from the mountain, Dassiter has been appointed admiral of the Salamandastron Navy! He commands the flagship, the Seaflame, and, from what I am told, it is a stunningly large galleon with nearly five score onboard at all times! Leonardo will be joining him as soon as he is deemed fit. I just hope that they're following up with his treatments over there. I'm certain that this new solution will solve all of Leonardo's problems once and for all!

It was a great surprise to see who was returning to the abbey after the initial search party to Holt Vydra. Sadly our good friend, Marius, was not among them. However, there were multiple newcomers— three survivors from Maximus' holt! They are two of his young cousins, Eric, and Emma, and an old friend of his mother named Tera. From what I understand, Tera was injured when Deamal raided the coast and she played dead. Meanwhile, Eric and Emma had snuck out that night to pick berries at the top of the cliff and missed the entire ordeal. With Tera unable to walk and the little ones not old enough to do much themselves, they were unable to move away from the immediate area. Fortunately, Ellyvin was able to treat her wounds and they left soon after, sticking to the beach rather than climbing back over the mountains. Once they reached Salamandastron, they were able to get more help and came back to the abbey through the flatlands.

Osu also seems to be doing quite well. She decided to hang up her longsword for now and quit wandering. She has since taken up residence here at the Redwall and it has been found that she is an artist! Her room is covered from floor to ceiling with the most fantastic sketches and paintings—some of which have been hung on the walls of Cavern Hole and Great Hall! Creatures from the abbey have consistently been flocking to her dorm with requests of all sorts. Word has also spread throughout the local region and there have been beasts traveling from as far away as the settlement of Molguvar to learn from her! It's really brought a whole new piece of culture to Redwall that has always been rather dormant.

I believe Osu and Dassiter continue to keep in touch via Poppearl, as well. Thank goodness that bird is flying so far for each trip. Otherwise, I'm afraid that he wouldn't be able to take off at all with all of the candied chestnuts that we've been giving him!

Only last week there came a knocking at the abbey's main gate. When Sid the gatekeeper opened it up, he was greeted by a horned lizard and a tall, dark furred mouse who beckoned the creatures of the abbey to follow, particularly the healers, for there were royals waiting for us at the River Moss (which has since returned to its natural state) who needed our help! When asked who these creatures were, they replied in a heavy foreign accent, "Xoer the Serpent Slayer and Nol the Ivory Hammer, Desert Princes of the land of Mokaba." What titles! Naturally, knowing that they were friends waiting for us, there was a large group from Redwall who followed the two messengers. It took less than an hour to reach the river. When we did, we were greeted by a long, very oddly shaped boat with a single square sail on its mast. It was beautifully crafted of a rosy colored wood and adorned with a fully guilded ship rail, prow with the brass mold of a serpent's skull at the end, several rows of oar ports, which were each carefully carved themselves, a polished teak deck... All the way down the brass doorknobs, this ship was built for royalty to travel in. The inside of the vessel was even more impressive: deep blue and purple silks, more gilded chairs and tables, pillows stuffed with the feathers of an exotic bird that I am told is called "peacock", a kitchen that was bursting with food, even after their long journey, there were even portraits hanging on the wall!

One of these paintings, simply titled "Raine" was of Nol and a little mousemaid with dark fur standing next to him. I was later informed by a crewbeast that she was once a slave in the settlement of Baala who, despite her difficult situation, thought about others first. When Nol and Xoer acquired their wealth after slaying this "Hooded One" (which is a creature I still do not fully understand), Nol's first and only purchase was setting Raine free. Now he is looking after her as if she were his daughter, and she's even begun adopting his form of molespeech! Hearing that little one say "Hello, Zurr an' marm, moi name be's Raine!" is shocking and hard not to smile at.

Speaking of Nol, as soon as we arrived at the ship the catwalk came down and out came that quirky mongoose, Xoer, clad in an enormous snakeskin cloak and jeweled to the teeth. "Jul, you gem, great to see you again! Can you believe I managed t' teach these sand-box dwellers how t' sail?! Me neither! Don't even get me started on how we got this thing across a desert, either. Anyway, I need to ask a favor of you..." He explained to me Nol's condition and bestowed upon me a jar full of a snake's venom. Nol was soon after assisted off the boat and we treated him back at the abbey. It took a bit of time, but Meridee and I were able to create Nol's medicine and he's expected to make a full recovery and never suffer a relapse again, in time. Let us hope that our expectations match the outcome.

The rest of the crew seem to be doing well. However, the absence of Marius has had a strong effect on the little ones especially. He never was able to tell them the story that he had promised, so Ellyvin decided to tell them his story so that they could remember him forever. It brings a tear to my eye not seeing him around anymore. But I know that he's watching over the little ones from beyond the seas of gold.

The entire abbey seems to be recovering from this past autumn's war. There was much loss and many a tear shed for our loved ones. But we still have Redwall and in time things will return to how they once were before Zane Crowley showed up with his motley crew. Having some of the Long Patrol staying here with us has really brought about a sense of security while the abbey recovers. However like every great wound, it heals but leaves behind a scar. That seems to be what I've been working on most these past several weeks and it has greatly improved my research and has given Redwall an entirely new way to treat creatures for generations to come. It's an honor to have been a part of it.

Well, this about wraps it up in terms of the news of late. I must go now, for I have an appointment to speak with Osu about a certain surprise for a few special creatures in our abbey. But I'll say no more on it until it's official!

Until next time,

~Jul Song

<><><><><>
One Season Later...
<><><><><>

Sister Jul was sipping a cup of tea on the wall top with Abbess Hannah. "I used to take all of this for granted because it was the only life that I'd ever known." Jul said. "Now not a day goes by where I don't think of how lucky we really are to be here."

Abbess Hannah closed her eyes and let her fur take in the warm spring sun. "You're right, my dear. We truly are fortunate to be blessed with this abbey."

"It's a good thing that he came along." Said Jul, looking at her paws and then at the abbess.

"Who?"

"You know who I'm talking about. Leonardo."

The abbess gave a half smile. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were beginning to develop feelings for that creature just before his departure. Would I be wrong in saying so?"

Jul felt her cheeks turn red and she looked at her paws in her lap. "He did have a certain charm about him. One really gets to know another when you spend every day with them, especially with the recovery he was making... However, his heart belonged to another named Bellus. He talked about her often.

Hannah leaned forward and patted the good sister's paw, "Oh cheer up, will you? A pretty maid like you will have no trouble finding someone who is much more suitable! Hehe, you've got every male in this abbey lined up just to talk to you and you fall for the sailor. You're a difficult one to impress, Jul..." She said with a smile and filled her teacup. "How did you cure him in the end?"

Jul laughed lightly, "I didn't. He left Salamandastron before I could finish treating him and he never came back..." Her smile faded, "I really hope that he's doing alright. There's no way of knowing what the consequences of leaving midway through will be."

The abbess turned her head, "I thought he left after it was all completed. I had no idea this whole time!" She paused for a moment and thought hard about what she should say next. "Regardless of how Leonardo's doing, dear, you've done a great deed. You've saved many creatures from following in his path and that's something to be proud of!"

"He was unique, though. Did you know he was visited by Martin?"

"Martin, as in Redwall's Martin?

"Yes. I heard him mumbling two creatures' names as he was coming about after his battle with Zane and one of them was Martin."

"Well, do you know who the other creature was?"

Jul shook her head, "No, that one's still an enigma."

The abbess set down her tea. "What was their name?" She asked curiously.

"Pallin."

The abbess' face both scrunched with confusion and opened with sheer amazement. "How peculiar." She said with a hint of disbelief.

"What is it? Do you know who Pallin is?"

"Yes." Said Hannah, "He was my husband."
?

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There you have it, everyone, Book II is finished! I really do hope that you enjoyed reading it! I tried sticking to the classic Redwall ending of using a journal entry, but wanted to add one last twist before finishing it off!

Thank you so much for the kindness and support you've given me so far! I had a lot of fun writing this one and hope that you had just as much fun reading it!

Please let me know what you thought of Part II as a whole down below! It means the world to us fanfiction writers to log on and see that someone has left us a comment, question or review! Also, how do you think this part compares to the first one? Was it better, not quite as great, the same? I'm curious to find out!

In the meantime, I'll be posting things like cover art, character charts and explanations for people to look at as they please!

So until next time, I wish you all the best and happy adventuring!

Your pal,
~C.T.

What Happens Next?! Enter The Court of the Damned!

[The Skarzs]

You. . . must. . . write. . . ANOTHER!
So, it is complete! Another most interesting tale by your good self. This last part was very good, and tied up the loose ends well, without seeming crowded. Although, I'm curious as to where the natives of a desert would acquire such a finely made exotic boat and learn to sail it. . . I'm thinking too hard? Oh.
You left this open for another; I'm hoping you are planning on writing a third book of Simon.
Thank you for writing this! I found it more exciting than the first, and I'm looking forward to seeing the cover art and other things you have planned for this.

[Captain Tammo]

Well I'm flattered! haha

I'm very happy to see that you enjoyed this installment of the story-- especially because you enjoyed it more than the first part!!! I was a bit nervous about branching out the way I did, but it seemed to come together nicely in the end.

As for your questions/hopes, I'll respond to them in order:

The desert natives --> sailors?
I know, it sounds a bit wacky, and I knew that it was a bit wacky when I was writing it. I tried my best to make Baala appear to be a once thriving trading center called "The Jewel of the Desert". So that is how I justified where all of the materials came from. The house of Serarraptas was full of riches that were traded, and remember that Xoer and Nol arrived in Mossflower an entire season after I left them in the Mokaba desert. A lot can happen in that time, such as trade beginning to flock back to the town (though this may appear to contradict myself on an earlier chapter in which I mention that the other settlements died out, but that was just speculation and rumor. Characters don't always tell the truth you know, especially ones you've just met. It was what they thought, not knew, and was simply meant to put the reader in the same state of unkowingness as Nol and Xoer.), which is where extra materials were gathered from. So that explains where it all came from, but how did a bunch of desert dwellers learn to sail?! That answer is something called "Cultural Diffusion" in which visiting travelers/merchants (who did sail to the desert's edge) leave behind pieces of culture over time. So some citizens of Baala may have somewhat known how to sail, and Xoer simply gave them pointers. Heck, maybe he was the one who designed it? If he could build an airship, it's no wonder that he could direct the building of a luxurious sailboat!

As for another part to the series:
I have mentioned before the possibility of a Part III. I would like to begin working on it and have it finished by the holiday season. But it's all up in the air, especially since I just recently (in fact just today moved into my college dorm) (I will be pursuing a major in aerospace engineering and a French minor)!! This is my first time in college so I'm not sure how much time I'll be having to write a fanfiction, which is a bit sad because I love doing it! So is there going to be a part III? I certainly hope so!

[The Skarzs]

Thank you for answering the questions; it was most enlightening.

Unfortunately, I cannot upload any art due to computer issues, so unless it is fixed relatively soon, I'll be unable to help you there.

[Tim Churchmouse]

Amazing! As you can see, I am a newbie to FanFic but this is great stuff!

[Captain Tammo]

Thanks Tim! I'm happy to see you that you liked them! If I may ask, was there anything in particular that you found enjoyable about the series?

Welcome to the Forum! Hope you enjoy your stay

[Captain Tammo]

New Characters to the Story in Order of Appearance
(characters who played large roles in both Book I and Book II are not included. Ex: Leonardo or Dassiter)

Abbess Hannah (mouse)- Abbess of Redwall and good friend of Jul.
Skipper Thomm (otter)- Skipper of otters at Redwall
Sister Meridee (mouse)- assistant infirmary keeper at Redwall. Also helps tend to the dibbuns.
Jul (mouse)- Infirmary keeper at Redwall and Leonardo's aid.
Arnold (squirrel)- a very naughty dibbun.
Captain Zane Crowley (weasel)- Captain of the Crooked Guk.
Osu (hare)- From the North. She also serves as the guide for the creatures ventureing to Vydra.
Tarsl Grudd (mole)- Mayor of Molguvar and former crewbeast of the Seaspark.
Pallin (mouse)- Leonardo's father.
Oliver (hedgehog)- The hard of hearing Abbey bell ringer.
Palo (mouse)- Trader in the Mokaba desert.
damn (mouse)- Trader in the Mokaba desert.
Uru the Horn (mouse)- An elder of the village of Baala.
Captain Lo (N/A)- A fictitious captain who fell from his height of power.
Gopi (lizard)- Citizen of Baala. Attacks Xoer and Nol.
Serarraptas (___)- You'll have to read to find out!
Crayton (hare)- Leader of the Sazaar.
Lord Barbourn the Scholar (badger)- Badger Lord of Salamandastron.

[Captain Tammo]

We've got some art! I made this picture a while ago and have been trying to get it right on and off for some time now. It is a scene from the end of chapter 18 in which the Dassiter narrowly escapes a Flitchaye attack!

There will be more to come (many of different styles and qualities, so you'll never feel like you're starting to look at the same thing) so I hope you like it!

"[He]... 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."

[Captain Tammo]

Here's some more artwork!

This is that "special request" we see made at the epilogue of the story, a portrait of the whole family!

Though the character in the story that makes our portrait is named Osu (named so because of the cover she made for Part I), Osu did not make this picture. This one was done by Leatho Shellhound on the forum and I think he's done a fantastic job! So here you go, I thought I'd hang the picture up on this thread so all you wonderful ladies and gentlemen can look at it
If you like this picture and want to see others like it, go check out Leatho's art request thread over in the fan art section of the forum!

There will be more art to come, so stay tuned!

[Captain Tammo]

I have news!

The Origins of Simon and The Life of Simon have become some of the most successful fanfictions on the forum and I'm absolutely thrilled to see how many people are enjoying the stories (In fact, The Origins of Simon just surpassed 8,000 views!).

So what's the news?

PART III:
The Plague
Coming February 1st, 2015

There's another fanfiction on the way! The Plague (also to be titled The Legacy of Simon) will be the third and final installment in the 'Simon' series. I also strongly feel that Part III is by far the best written of the three!

The Plague will be a stand-alone in the series, which means reading Parts I and II are not required!

Thanks for all of the support, you guys. I'm looking forward to seeing how this next story will be received

[The Skarzs]

Awesome.

[Feles]

this was the first thing i came back to after being off the forum for about a year, give or take a month or two, This actually is my new favorite fan fic out there, i am also very glad to see a possible third installment, though i am sad to hear it is the last