Chapter One

Five years later

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The sun rose over Salamandastron to find Abbey Warriormaid doing what she did every morning- her morning exercises. 

Clad in only a pair of tight mid-thigh length shorts and some strips of cloth tightly wrapped around her breasts in a bra-like fashion, Abbey spun, flipped, and stabbed at imaginary foes with her knife. Her waist-long hair was loosely tied back, but a few locks still hung in her face.

She had barely broken a sweat when she finished up her routine and bathed. 

Wrapped in her small towel that barely covered her, Abbey extracted a new set of shorts, a new breast wrap, her green kilt, and her green torso wrap that covered her from waist to armpit and tucked into her kilt. Over that, she put her thin bark belt, witch she tucked her sling and bag of slingstones into. Finally, she slipped her knife into its sheath and strapped the sheath to her thigh, where it was hidden by her kilt.

Abbey then grabbed her hair tie and using the pool of water she had bathed in as a mirror, Abbey combed her hair and tied it back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.

She had just finished when Joy rolled off her bunk and groggily stumbled to the bath pool to bathe as well. 

Joy wore the same shorts and breast wrap as Abbey, even though she was only eight and hadn't developed yet. Joy's soft brown hair, witch was just like Abbey's, hung in tangles halfway down her back, as usual.

While Joy splashed around in the bath, Abbey gathered new underwear and a new brown tunic for her sister. 

Abbey walked in on Joy trying to comb her tangles out and failing. Abbey chuckled and took the comb from Joy. She turned the younger girl so Joy's back was to her and started combing out the tangles.

 

"I don't know how you do it, Abbey," Joy commented, running her fingers through her now soft and smooth hair. "It's like you're magic or something."

 

Abbey smiled and replied, "Of course I'm magic! Now get dressed or I'll turn you into a fish. Sharpish, now!"

 

Joy saluted and shouted, "Yes ma'am! Right away, ma'am!" Abbey rolled her eyes and flicked her sister's nose playfully. Joy giggled.

 

"What am I going to do with you?" Abbey sighed and walked out to the main room.

 

Joy called after her, "Maybe you should send me off with the Long Patrol and make me stay there until I learn to be a proper soldier!"

 

Abbey called back, "Don't give me ideas. Now hurry up, or we'll miss breakfast."

 

Joy soon exited the bathing room and turned her back to her sister again. Abbey immediately picked up Joy's hair and braided it in a tight French braid.

 

Joy then added the last bit to her costume- her set of thin, sharp stiletto knives tucked into her belt.  

 

Thus prepared for the new day, the sisters walked hand-in-hand to the mess hall for breakfast with their closest friend, the badger Seaeyes.

 

 

Jimmy Fallows ran down the dark city street, the sounds of the street gang he had double-crossed chasing him and the slap of his own sneakers on the wet pavement pounding in his ears.

 

Please, God, or whatever deity might be listening- please don't let them catch me,

Jimmy prayed in his mind.        

 

He chanced a glance back as he raced around a corner into an alleyway-- and fell. He cracked his head on the pavement and passed out, dead to the world. The last thought he had before he sank into unconsciousness was a simple F**k.

 

But when the gang rounded the corner two minutes later, Jimmy Fallows was nowhere to be seen.        

 

 

At Redwall Abbey, The day dawned as well, bringing with it the usual hustle and bustle of breakfast and preparing for the oncoming day.

 

Old Abbot Downsey sat at the head of the table as usual, trying to ignore the Dibbuns, as the young babes of the Abbey were called, who were running about and shouting, as they did every morning.

 

After everyone had arrived for the morning meal, Downsey nudged the Skipper of Otters, whom was sitting next to him. "Skip, would you be so kind as to get me everyone's attention? I have an announcement to make." 

 

Skipper nodded and answered, "Sure thing, Father." He then set aside the scone he was about to eat, stood and banged his rudder on the tabletop, shouting, "Lissen' up! Your Abbot wants a word!"

 

Gradually, the Great Hall quieted. "Thank you," the Abbot said. "Now, as most of you know, I have been over the last few seasons thinking of retiring from the position of Abbot." He paused while he let the Redwallers absorb this. "I wish to announce that I will be withdrawing from the position of Abbot, at the end of the season." There were exclaims and murmurs all around the table.

 

Finally the Abbey's Cellarmole, Grig, called out in his curious mole-speech,

"Hurr,who'm beein' replacin', you, zurr?"

 

After a few minutes of letting the Abbey-dwellers call out suggestions, Abbot Downsey finally answered. "I have selected young Brother Ransbee to succeed me. He will be offcialy named the new Father Abbot at the Fall Feast." 

 

Many of the Redwallers called out support for the decision, other cried out congratulations to Ransbee. The Brother, however, simply sat there, stunned. For once, his mouth, witch usually poured words like a jug poured water, uttered no sound.

 

After breakfast, Downsey approached Ransbee and asked him, "Walk with me, would you Brother? We have much to discuss."

Badger Lady Mazurka walked into the mess hall, looking for her children and the Warriormaid sisters, her second-in-command, Brigadier Starbuck, at her side.

She saw all four of them- Abbey Warriormaid, Joy Warriormaid, Seaeyes, and Boar- sitting at one of the tables together, surrounded by a crowed of hares. The hares were cheering on either Abbey or her eldest, Boar, as they raced to see who could eat a colossal salad the fastest. She smiled as she watched them, and couldn't help but remember when the two human girls first came to her mountain....

Mazurka sat in her study with her twin sons, Seaeyes and Boar, listening as they recited their lessons. Both her boys were already half-grown and stood to her shoulder, making them about the same height as many of the full-grown fighting hares, and twice as heavy. even at this age, it was clear which one would succeed her- her eldest son, Boar. Seaeyes, so named for his sea green eyes, had already expressed a disinterest in ruling and a penchant for healing instead.

Suddenly, as Boar was in the middle of reciting his arithmetic lesson, there was an urgent knock on the door! 

"Enter," Mazurka called out. In walked a young Brigadier Starbuck, followed by a young runner and two curious creatures- they were thin, strangely shaped, fur-less beasts. They had slightly pinkish skin; wore strange, colorful clothing; and on the top of their heads had a patch of extremely long fur. The taller one had large, brown eyes and the smaller one had large, blue eyes. They carried with them a large, blue bag with strange lettering on it. The taller one held the smaller close and looked around furtively, while the smaller just seemed curious. The taller also had a serious looking cut on her cheek that was at least a day old. 

Over the course of the rest of the afternoon and late into the evening, Mazurka learned many things of these two creatures as they ate and rested. 

She learned that they were human girls, sisters in fact, the taller thirteen years old, the smaller three, and they were named Abbey and Joy Brown, respectively. They came from a land where only humans spoke called America, more specifically Oklahoma. They had no idea how they got there, but Abbey had, before she woke, been visited by Martin the Warrior. When she relayed the message, Mazurka was able to figure out what most of the poem meant in moments. 

Eventually, Seaeyes asked, " Where'd you get that cut, Abbey?" 

Both sisters froze and looked at each other. Joy curled into a little ball and her frame began shuddering with small sobs. Abbey's face hardened with a mix of rage and fear as she picked up her baby sister and held her on her lap, stroking her hair.

She replied in a harsh voice, "Can... can we save that story for later? Please?"

Mazurka quickly started telling them about living there at Salamandastron, but it still took them at least twenty minutes to calm down and relax again. 

Over time, the girls got used to living at Salamandastron, and the residents of the mountain got used to them. They proved to smart, witty, friendly creatures whom everyone liked. They also became very good friends with Boar and Seaeyes, both of whom Abbey eventually told their story to. 

Now, they were both Warriormaids and her sons were full grown. Ah, where had the seasons gone?

Mazurka was distracted from her reverie when the small crowd erupted into cheers and cries of "Abbey's defeated the Reigning Champ of Salad Scoffin'!" By the time Mazurka and Starbuck had got over there, the crowd had crowned her with an empty salad bowl and she had struck a heroic pose, a fork lifted above her head like a knife or sword, looking completely  ridiculous and causing her sister and friends to literally fall over with laughter. Mazurka cleared her throat, a small smile playing about her lips. 

The group all stood quickly and saluted, afraid of getting in trouble. Mazurka said, "At ease, soldiers." Everyone relaxed slightly as she continued, "Abbey, Joy, Boar, Seaeyes? I need to talk to you in my study." The four of them nodded and she led the small procession to her study. 

There, sitting limply in a large chair, was a human youth- a boy. 

Both the girls gasped as they saw him. He had light tan skin, a thin frame, slanted eyes, and shaggy black hair with blue frosting. He had some blood on his face and shirt, and was wearing human clothes.

Everyone looked at each other with wide eyes.             

Jimmy slowly woke. The first thing he noticed was the fact that he had a splitting headache.

 

Groaning, he rolled onto his side, curled up into a ball, and clutched his fingers to his head, weaving his fingers into the bangs of his long hair.

 

Under his palms, wrapped around his forehead, Jimmy was surprised to feel a cloth bandage.

 

He tried to sit up, but stars exploded in front of his eyes and he flopped back onto his pillow.

As he curled up into a fetal position again, he heard the soft swish of a curtain being pulled back and heavy, but quiet, footsteps. The footsteps approached where he was laying, and knelt next to him. Soft, large,strangely shaped hands gently pulled his hands away from his face and unwrapped the bandage.

A deep voice muttered, "Hm. The wound's healing fairly well. You'll have a scar, though. As for other damage... well, I guess we'll see."

The hands gently dabbed at the center of the pain with a wet cloth, causing Jimmy to hiss in pain. Another cloth bandage was wrapped around his head and the wound.

Eyes still tightly closed, Jimmy heard liquid being poured into a cup and a hand was at the nape pf his neck and shoulders, helping him to sit up enough to  drink whatever was in the rough cup the person pressed to his lips.

As Jimmy drank, he suddenly realized how thirsty he was. When he had polished off what little was in the cup, Jimmy asked in a croaky voice, "Hey, you got some water or something?"

The person answered, "Let's wait for the medicine to kick in first." Jimmy was then gently laid back down and he listened to the person shuffle around and put some things away in the room.

Gradually, his headache began to lessen and his body began to relax. When his headache was a mere obnoxious thumping in the back of his mind, Jimmy risked sitting up. When he wasn't immediately knocked over again with a wave of vertigo, he tried opening his eyes.

What met his eyes was a darked, windowless room with the low bed he was laying on, a couple cabinets on the walls, a curtain in the doorway instead of a door that had light leaking around the edges, a table by his bedside with a bottle, a bowl and some cloths, and lastly, the person whom had been tending him.

The person was colossal, two legged.... badger?

Jimmy blinked several times, but his eyes hadn't lied to him. The creature before him was maybe six feet tall, with black and white striped fur, little black ears on top of its head, blunt claws, beady eyes, a little black nose... but what really surprised Jimmy was the creature's eyes. They were a curious sea-green.

Jimmy stammered out, "Wha..wha...what the hell?"

The badger creature chuckled deep in its throat and said, "Don't worry, I won't harm you. If I was going to, why would I treat your wounds, eh? My name is Seaeyes, but you can call me Sea. You're in a safe place, the mountain fortress of Salamandastron. Now, sir, who are you and where do you hail from?"

Surprised, Jimmy couldn't answer. The badger chuckled again and handed Jimmy a wood cup with water in it. "That's alright. I know this is probably a big shock for you, so I'll let you rest for a while. I'll be back soon."

The badger-thing-- Seaeyes-- walked quietly out and left Jimmy sitting there, still shocked. After a few minutes, he remembered that Seaeyes had given him a cup of water and hastily gulped the drink down.

After sitting there, wondering where the hell he was for a while, Jimmy fell asleep once more.