Dark smoke rising form the remains of a village. It was becoming a commonsight in the far south. The land was plagued by vermin, thousands of vermin, vermin that seemed to live for nothing other than killing and destroying.
This village seemed no different from any other, the inhabitants had been murdered; their homes looted and then burned. Usually in such vicious raids, there were few, if any survivors, for the vermin struck at nightwhen all were asleep.
It was dawn now, the smoke column contrasting with the brightening sky,tainting the landscape as the hot southern sun reared its head above the horizon.
But the morning rays revealed what the nocturnal destructiveness of the vermin had missed-a small, reddish-brown creature scurrying across the open ground between the village and the nearest woods, desperately seeking shelter from the hostile world.
Closer inspection would show that this odd-looking creature was, in fact, a guinea pig, running with a somewhat waddling gait as fast as his short legs could carry him. He had a small bag slung across his back which made it even more awkward for him to run.
The guinea pig's name was Gip, a young country pig who had lived in the village. He was the only survivor of last night's raid, and, though neither he nor any other uninformed observer could have guessed it, the object in the burlap sack that he had been entrusted with was a thing that could
decide fate of many creatures, including himself.
Chapter 1
Streak
Gip the guinea pig could feel his heart thrumming hard against his chest, yet he kept running, away from that village, away from the heartbreak of losing his very family. Although simaliar scenes could be scene all over, none were quite the same as his village.
His paws were hot and sweaty from gripping that bag, it was slowing him down, yet he must not put it down, or the entire earth could be destroyed. No, he must take it with him, never leave it, nor entrust it to anyone but himself, no matter how friendly.
Gip's footpaws splashed into a stream, so he decided to stop for a drink and wash. The tips of some of the fur were burnt off, and what was left in those areas was charred and black. He washed some ash and soot from his body, then drank deep.
The guinea pig was not weak, he was rather the strong sort. He carried no weapons, but he however considered whatever was in that bag weapon enough. His features were rather handsome, though half of it was lost to worry and fear. Gip was not scared easily, but if anybeast brave had seen what his eyes beheld last night, they might've been a bit shaken also.
He finished and crossed the small stream, not running, but walking. His ears were pinned to his head, he felt as though the world were against him. The rodent swallowed, his mouth felt cool now and that encouraged him some. Suddenly a chill shot through him, he heard voices!
They were ruff voices, but not evil voices. He couldn't think of what beasts they might be! He walked toward the sound silently, gripping the bag hard. He parted some ferns and saw a large male otter speaking to some others. He did not know quite how to acknowledge his prescense, so he just strode in.
"Hello? Am I safe from those vermin here?"
The otters all jumped, except their obvious leader.
"Of course yer safe from those villainous crooks 'ere, mate! What's in yer bag?"
"I'd rather not tell you, that is not for a little...it's very dangerous."
The otter blinked and shook a claw at Gip.
"You better not 'ave summat in there that would make us angered!"
"Well I don't know if it would anger you, but you can rest assured that I won't use it against you!"
The otter raised an eyebrow.
"Um, have...a seat."
Gip sat down, putting the burlap sack on his lap as he listened to the otter talking. He was telling of battle plans, something the pig would've expected. Before he knew it the meeting was over, and the warriors all began to socialize. The lead otter, Skipper, as Gip had heard him referred to, came over to the pig.
"Matey, yer gonna have to show what's in there sooner or later. We're all like brother an' sister here."
"I'm willing to show you! Look."
The pig untied the rope that tied the sack shut and pulled out a glowing orb of blue rock. Skipper backed up.
"Whoah, matey, I ain't never seen nothin' like that! What is it?"
Gip blinked and mumbled a word in another language. The stone lit up, and illuminated their faces, the otters noticed shafts of light beginning to shoot out, they all came over.
"What is it?"
"How did it get here?"
"Ekani!"
The stone went back to it's normal azure glow. The otters stood
petrified, open mouthed.
"It's a wizard!" Gip quickly shook his head.
"I'm not a wizard! This is a family heirloom. When my village was burnt, my father told me to get it and get out. I had to obey him, it was his dying wish. I am the lone survivor. This stone holds the power to destroy all on earth, or whoever the owner pleases. If the vermin get this, we will all die. And I must keep it in my possesion. There are other's there who know the language of Sanka, and they would take this stone and kill us!"
"How did you come to know it, pig?!"
"My ancestors drew it from a sparkling pool of blue water long ago. Instantly the knowledge of it was bestowed upon them, and they taught their children upon children the launguage. But some of their children were not wise, they told others, and many evil ones know Sanka, you all must know this! I was chosen from my brothers and sisters to be the Keeper. I could kill you all right now with one word."
The otters' mouths gaped as they realized the power this little pig held, and they began discussing plans of using the stone instead of getting friends and family killed fighting.
Chapter 2
Shreike
High in the Southsward mountains, not far from where Gip's village
had been burned, was a castle. It was Deepthorn Castle, a place of evil.
It's tall spires rose into the night sky. It sat nestled between four
mountains. The only pathway that led to it was impossible to find unless
you knew exactly where to look. It's maze of tunnels led deep into the
heart of the mountain beneath it. It was here, in a room of silver and
ebony, that Arama Teranight sat. She was the master of the castle, and of
the shadowy Night Riders, the raiders of the village. She had two children,
the commanders of the two forces of Night Riders. Her children were Kier
Teranight, her son and Lara Teranight, her daughter. Besides the foxes who
were the Night Riders, she had a great army of weasels and ferrets to serve
her. She knew she could not trust her children, but she had confidence that
her cunning would outwit theirs when they made an attempt at her life. She
had riches beyond belief, but she still could not be happy. She and her two
children knew the Sanka, and they could not rest until they had acquired the
Klir, a beautiful blue stone with unfathomable powers.
Kier Teranight rode out of the main gate of the castle with an army
of cloaked riders following behind him. They rode along the mountain path
until they came to a tunnel which led through a mountain. After they had
ridden through the tunnel, they came to what was seemingly a solid wall.
Kier's servant dismounted and swiftly ran over and switched a latch on the
wall in front of them. It slid open, and after all the riders had gone
through, he walked his horse out of the tunnel, pushed it shut again,
remounted, and they were on their way again. As darkness fell, a special
juice of the nightshade and wolfbane plants that had been rubbed into their
cloaks and masks began to glow, giving them an eerie, ghostly look that
would terrify and victims. They rode further into Southsward, following a
river, looking for something to destroy or someone to kill or capture. They
heard noises up ahead. Kier urged his riders on. Otters, from the sound of
it. They would have many victims tonight.
Gip looked up at the sound of riders approaching. They glowed an
eerie green. They were the riders that had destroyed his village and killed
his family. Terrified, he yanked the stone, Klir, from his bag and
screamed, "Aerin-sol!" The blue stone flared up, flashing a blue glow over
everything. The otters stood boldly behind him. Kier, the head of the
party of Night Riders, recognized it instantly. He knew he would be
destroyed if he did not protect himself. "Atasak!" he cried. He knew the
Sanka, and he knew that now he would be safe from Klir, for a time. But his
Riders did not know Sanka, and he could not protect them. "Retreat!" he
called. "Harimad!" called Gip. The stone flared a bright blue. Half of
the Riders clothes floated to the ground, their bodies having disappeared.
Their steeds dashed away wildly. The remaining half of the Riders
disappeared into the horizon, on their way back to Castle Deepthorn.
Chapter 3
Snitter
"Half of your force gone, just in one night! And defeated by a little
guinea pig!" Lara Teranight smirked cruelly at her brother's misfortune.
"There was nothing I could do." Growled Kier. "That guinea pig had Klir."
"So? You know Sanka, don't you?" Demanded Lara.
"Yes, but my Night Riders don't! That's why I had to call a retreat before
any more of them were destroyed." Kier was pacing back and forth across the
room. They were in the antechamber to Arama's throne room, Kier waiting to
inform his mother that he had found the Klir, and Lara to poke fun at Kier.
Kier was spared from more of Lara's malicious teasing by the sudden
opening of the large doors before them. A ferret poked his head out and
announced: "Her Highness will see you now."
Kier walked confidently into the room and stood before Arama's throne."I
have good news!" He said, without waiting for her to speak first.
"I have
found Klir!" He paused, waiting for that to sink in and get a reaction.
Arama sat up, her attention was caught. "Where? How?" She demanded.
"It is in the hands of a young guinea pig. We met up with him at an
encampment of otters."
"Well, why didn't you take it from him then?" Hissed Arama.
"Because, he knows Sanka. He-" Kier faltered, wondering whether it would
be wise to tell her about the lost Night Riders....
"He what?" Snapped Arama.
"He destroyed Half of my force of Night Riders." Muttered Kier.
Arama was not pleased with that news. "You will get that stone for me."
She said. It was not a request. It was an order.
"Yes, ma'am." Kier said, rather unenthusiastically.
Arama waved her paw. "Dismissed." She said.
Kier left.
Lara was waiting for him in the antechamber. "Well?" She inquired.
"Arama wants the Klir. And we are going to get it for her." Growled
Kier.
"We?" Said Lara as they walked down the hall. "And why such a sudden
desire to serve that old coot?" She asked curiously.
Kier turned, a cunning grin on his face. "I said we'll get the Klir. I
never said we'd actually give it to her. A weapon like that is too powerful
for her."
Lara perked up, echoing his grin. "Ah! I see. Quite clever of you, my
brother." Her tone was a little less sarcastic this time. "How are you
going to get it?"
"First," He said, "We have to find that guinea pig."
Chapter 4
Shreike
Gip slept fitfully that night. He tossed and turned, haunted by strange images. The mists of his sleep parted, and a mouse strode forward, clad in battle armor and carrying a splendid sword. Then he spoke:
Follow those who ride by night,
Leave the land where sun is bright.
Come to darkness, the thorn is deep,
Take that land from it's poisoned sleep.
Gip woke with a start. He knew this meant something, but he wasn't sure what. But he knew that he would have to find out.
Lara rode across the land, a band of mounted foxes close behind her. She was dressed completely in black, with a silver belt. A full black cape billowed out behind her. She urged her steed onward. She had a plan. This time, they would trap that little groundpig. And this time, she would have Klir.
Chapter Five
Treeflor
In Salamandastron, the fiire mountain Lord Greylance badger lord set his claws against a large slab in his bedchamber. Pulling hard he opened the corridor only knowen to badger lords. Staring at the armour that incased his ancestor lord Brocktree. He paid reverance to the dead badger.
Turning away from the figure he walked down long corridor looking at all that happened in the past.And searching for the future . He stopped following the freize wiith his eyes h noted three foxes, otters, squirrels and other woodland creature and the three that most stood out were a strong-looking mouse and a squirrel with a spectre behind them and a young Guinea pig holding up a shining stone.
"Klir!" Lord Greylance shouted. He knew of the blue stone. it had once belonged to the badgers on his mothers side. Reconizinging it's deadly powers, they hid it in a pool. It had been found now. And Greylance, fluent in Sanka was determined to help master the stone. For if it's power was in the hands of any creature but a badger it might destroy the user.
David a young mouse, lay back chewing a blade of of grass. Looking around, slyly slipped a handful of candied fruit from a pouch at his side. Smiling he ate a savored the taste.
"You could save some for me you know!"
David sat up with a start. And smiled. A sturdy male squirrel the same age as David lept down from a nearby tree, and grinned. David smiled back.
"Don't do that, Firearrow. It's not fair. Here!" David moaned offering him sone candied fruit. "Any news?"
"Yes." Replied Firearrow. "We're packing up and leaving."
"Where?"
"Redwall Abbey."
"What 'n where's that."
Firearrow grinned, "Now let me tell you about Redwall...."
Chapter Six
Treeflor
Through the dark, starry night, Kier and the remainder of his night riders urged their steeds onwards, Kier thought to himself as he went. "Lara thinks she's so smart, always beating me in everything! Arama always liked her more. Well I'll show that sister who's smarter, I'll get Klir first!". Kier stopped his stallion quickly and dismounted, followed by his two aides, a vixen named Dahlia and a rat named Ori Falconeyes. Ori walked up to his master, who was studying prints left by the guinea pig and his friends. "My lord, are you sure it was...wise to bring out your entire force?" he asked. "Shut yer trap you insubordinate little hairball, I'm trying to concentrate," Kier replied impatiently, hardly raising his head.
Dahlia joined in. "My lord, it just doesn't seem right, our hoofbeats will alert our victims and we could lose the entire force, I think it would be best to sneak up on 'em slowly and..." The vixen was cut off, as Kier rose swiftly and struck his paw against her face, his claws leaving little marks, where blood appeared. "Have I just been struck daft by a wooden club, or did the work THINK escape your lips, you weren't hired for your brainpower you little twits, Ori you were hired for your stealth, I want you to leave this instant and tell me exactly where Klir is. Dahlia, I want you to shuttup and wait for orders, do I make myself clear?" he yelled at his captains. Dahlia slunk back to her horse, while Ori Faconeyes slipped into the woods, he was now not a rat, but a dark shadow in the unforbidding night.
Firearrow closed his eyes and envisioned the tranquil settings of Redwall Abbey, then he spoke. "Redwall Abbey is a tall, red sandstone sructure. We'll find it between the idyllic mossflower woods and the main north road. The abbey has everything! a bell tower, an orchard, a great hall, a cavern hole, and infirmary, large kitchens, and a cellar! Its enourmous! Plus you can watch the dibbuns play, trade stories with the other inhabitants, and listen to the wise words of the elders" he described lavishly. David just yawned and sat back, bored. "Oh I almost forgot, They've got food," Firearrow added slyly.
David cocked his head, suddenly paying close attention. "What kind of food?" he questioned suspiciously.
Firearrow sighed, how could he describe the amazing feasts?
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