User blog:Sham De Fflorian Braybuck/The Siege Of Redwall Chapter One

''Ahhh summertime a time of peace and plenty wot! Being a retired regimental hare and resident hare here at Redwall has its ups and downs (Especially when the flippen friar won’t even let a poor bod come in to his kitchens for a small midnight nibble!) Our Abbey recorder Brother Marcus has agreed to let me record the events of last summer a time which we now call the Summer of the Great Siege! I was still patrolling at the time. I have collected all the memories from the creatures of this time and am just now starting too record it. With a plate of food at my side I will not leave this spot until all is told!!''The Siege of RedwallA Tale of Redwall

Written By Kyle A. Jenkins

Based on the books by Brian Jacques

Chapter One

Slippy the ferret was running for his life! Through the scrublands of the great southern plateau he raced, keeping his mind set on one thing... to get back to his village.

A mole was standing guard on top of the walls surrounding the tiny village of Loamtown. The little village had been built around what was left of an ancient abbey known as Loamhedge. Many different creatures lived here, moles, mice, hedgehogs, shrews, otters, and even foxes, ferrets, weasels, and stoats. All the creatures lived in Loamtown peacfully as farmers farming the scrublands around the walled in village.

The mole, who’s name was Burgy, was just about to doze off in the pleasent morning sun when a shout from below made him start. He looked down and saw Slippy at the gate.

"Open up Burgy mate, afore I’m slain!", the ferret pleaded.

"Oi’ll be right thurr zurr Slipp! Do ‘e old on!"

Burgy raced down the wall steps to the main gate and unbarred it swiftly but before he could even open the gate Slippy had already barged in.

"Close that gate up Burgy, and be quick about it its old Longblade and ‘is crew!"

With the help of the ferret, Burgy managed to get the gates closed and barred.

"Coom on zurr! We’m best be a telling zurr Arfclaw!"

Halfclaw the stoat, was the leader of the little village and everybody looked up to him with great reverence. He had taken over from Frederick when the venerable old fieldmouse had passed five seasons hence.

Halfclaw was just sorting out how much of each crop would be stored for the winter when Burgy and Slippy appeared at his side, panting laboriously.

"Ha ha!" the stoat laughed, "What’s got you two all excited?"

Burgy pointed at the main gate with one of his huge digging claws, "Yurr zurr it be Longblade a comin to slay usins!"

The laughter in Halfclaw’s eyes suddenly vanished and was replaced with worry "Come on you two," he said, "lets see what he wants."

Krika Longblade was a powerfully built fox. He took his name from the weapon he carried, a sword with a blade so long, he could easily slay creatures ten paces away. He was sly, cunning, and most of all evil to the core. Until only recently he and his group of followers had lived in Loamtown under the same laws of peace as everybeast. One day though Krika had had it! He had challenged halfclaw for the rule of the village under the idea that the woodland creatures shouldn’t live equal with the vermin but be slaves to them.

Krika and Halfclaw had engaged in a jousting match, a custom that was used in the village to settle disputes. Both creatures would mount a sand lizard, a large healthy reptile which belonged the every warrior of the village, and arm themselves with large poles. They then preceded to continuously charge each other, both trying to knock the other off his mount.

In the end Halfclaw had prevailed, he banished Krika and all his followers which consisted of most of the foxes in the village to the scrublands.

Krika saw Halfclaw standing on top of the walls and gave a low chuckle

"Heh heh heh, so you actually had the courtesy to talk with me ‘eh stoat."

"What do you want from us," Halfclaw said, "you aren’t welcome here any longer!"

"We’ve come back for our mounts," the fox barked, "and if ya don’t give them up we’ll have to take them by force."

"Your mounts are waiting for you at the back wall take them and go from here"

"Very well stoat we shall go." Krika said then mutterd under his breath, "Until tonight."

That night a feast was being held for Halfclaw’s fifth full season as the village leader.

"Thank you my friends but I do not really deserve," but he was cut off by a loud cry for over the wall.

"Loooooooooooooooooooongblllladddeeeeeee!" Torches were thrown over the walls at the poor little farmers cottages.

"Quick organize a bucket brigade!" Halfclaw shouted to Slippy.

"Right sir, um what should we do about Longblade?"

"Leave him to me." Halfclaw said with a look of absolute hatred on his face. He took of to his longhouse at full speed and went to the small paddock behind it. Well well Tanock me old beauty its been ages since we flew together.

Tanock was a large falcon who had arrived from the northlands four summers before. Though he never spoke he had allowed Halfclaw to use him as a mount and lived in the village.

Halfclaw strapped on Tanock’s saddle and mounted him. Away Tanock flew out over the wall. Halfclaw looked down and saw Longlblade standing on top of a dune laughing mirthlessly.

"LOOOOOOAAAAMMTOOOOOWN" Halfclaw screamed as he and Tanock dove at the unsuspecting fox.

Longblade looked up quickly and dodged away just in time, slicing off one of Tanocks wings. The two creatures plummeted into the sand, one of them screaming with pain, the other crying out with concern for his friend.

Krika Longblade moved his lizard over to the fallen duo.

"I’ll be back tomorrow night, and if you don’t surrender I really will burn this place to the ground," he spat.

With that the attackers left, disappearing into the dunes

Slippy ran out of the gates and over to his fallen leader with Burgy right behind him.

"Sir are you all right?"

Halfclaw’s normally placid face was contorted with grief.

"Go. Tell e-everybody t-to start packing. We leave in th-three hours."

"Where to zurr?

"Anywhere but here, now go! I must give my old friend a p-proper burial.