What if Shadow had lived?

[Luftwaffles]

I'm honestly fascinated by this character.

I mean, for what I read on the book and seen in the TV Series, he seemed like one amazing, brave and kind of epic soldier (probably the best on Cluny's army). He was also able to pull off some really interesting tricks that most characters said were impossible to pull off (like climbing the abbey walls and sneak past all the soldiers -despite the fact that they were sleeping on the job-). Heck, he even was tough enough to "survive" the combined strength of a really great drop and the attack of a badger without perishing immediately (the sole fact that he was able to be standing and talk a bit after that says a LOT).

I won't say that his presence would have changed the outcome of the war, because that was a doomed effort from the very start, but I can definitely see him as some kind of "moderately insane" advantage to Cluny's side, sneaking into the abbey at will and probably killing random inhabitants of that place... definitely being a mayor concern to the redwallers.

So, what if he did have lived?

[The Skarzs]

Yes, Shadow is quite an interesting one, and if he had survived, I think he would have been smart enough to foresee that it wouldn't be worth his presence, and eventually leave. The way he said his last words to Matthias didn't seem like he had anything against the abbeybeasts, so I feel he was rather neutral about the whole thing. Perhaps he would have pulled an Ashleg (the pine marten from Mossflower) and just left to find a better life.

[Luftwaffles]

Yes, Shadow is quite an interesting one, and if he had survived, I think he would have been smart enough to foresee that it wouldn't be worth his presence, and eventually leave. The way he said his last words to Matthias didn't seem like he had anything against the abbeybeasts, so I feel he was rather neutral about the whole thing. Perhaps he would have pulled an Ashleg (the pine marten from Mossflower) and just left to find a better life.

To be fair, I think that, by the time of his failed incursion on the Abbey, no one on Cluny's army would have had anything against the abbeybeasts (well, aside for that henchmen who entered the facility alongside him and was attacked by Constance... I wish I remembered his name ). It happened way too early on the story.

That said, I'm very interested on your theory about what would have happened. Cluny's reaction upon finding out that one his closest men just deserted would have been priceless. Besides, I don't think that our weasel/rat was scared of his boss in the slightest, so he could just have done that.

This is really interesting.

[Hickory]

The assistant was Redtooth.

[Gonff the Mousethief]

I think after that one attack from Shadow, they would have better guard and more security around things like the tapestry and the dormitories. He would still be a great weapon to use, but the Redwallers would catch on to what he had planned. But, BJ could have him do something like that one assassin on Salamandastron that got killed in the window while about to kill, except Shadow would have killed much before.

[The Mask]

I seem to remember a very similar character doing similar things. He tried scaling Salamandastron I think. Not sure of his name though. Perhaps they'd make a gang

[clunylooney]

Are you talking about Farran the Poisoner? Funny, both the spies are Melanistic. I don't see why people think that Shadow wasn't loyal to Cluny. I think your reminded of Farran, who wasn't officially a part of the horde, but Shadow was and his last dying words were to tell the abbey beasts that they had just lost their most precious thing. I wonder what would've happened if he had lived.

[Sanddunes]

I'm honestly fascinated by this character.

I mean, for what I read on the book and seen in the TV Series, he seemed like one amazing, brave and kind of epic soldier (probably the best on Cluny's army). He was also able to pull off some really interesting tricks that most characters said were impossible to pull off (like climbing the abbey walls and sneak past all the soldiers -despite the fact that they were sleeping on the job-). Heck, he even was tough enough to "survive" the combined strength of a really great drop and the attack of a badger without perishing immediately (the sole fact that he was able to be standing and talk a bit after that says a LOT).

I won't say that his presence would have changed the outcome of the war, because that was a doomed effort from the very start, but I can definitely see him as some kind of "moderately insane" advantage to Cluny's side, sneaking into the abbey at will and probably killing random inhabitants of that place... definitely being a mayor concern to the redwallers.

So, what if he did have lived?

Brian seem to kill off the capable varmint to give the woodlanders a chance