User blog:BallyHare/Fessel and Co

This is my first fanfic on here. I have written before, but I didn't post anything until now. It's set in Mossflower Country a long time in the future.

Chapter One
Thalliope Fessel had no idea what had been going on in Mossriver. The small city which was situated near the ancient Redwall Abbey had been feeling the tight economical times as well as anybody else. The Fessel & Fitzmond Company had taken one of the largest hits, but what shocked the tall, auburn-furred squirrel the most was the disrepair most of the company buildings were in when he returned. Granted, it had been twenty seasons since he had left his hometown to grow the business, but he thought he had left it in good paws.

Thal stuck his paws in his pockets as he walked the grounds, a half burnt cigarette smoldering in his teeth. Since the invention of the self-powered cart, life had been looking up in Mossflower Country. That hadn't lasted too long before Prohibition, where laws were passed, ending the selling of liquor at most places. With it had come an economic slump, which left the whole country to struggle. This didn't seem to bother those who had already had money and influence, however. They continued to rule, whetting their appetites with fine wines and delicacies, while sapping the land dry.

He knocked lightly on the door to the main office, and an old mouse shuffled to open it. He looked up at the tall squirrel with a shocked expression.

"Well I'll be! If it ain't Thalliope! You've got mighty tall since I last saw you, boy!"

Thal smirked.

"Gestel! You look a lot older than when I last saw YOU!" "Heh, well, a beast doesn't get any younger, you know!" the oldster waved him in. "Tea or coffee?"

Thal sat down in the small room, which had a small stove in the corner and two chairs and a table. Gestel Ableton used the office as his home as well.

"Tea, please."

Gestel put a pot on the stove, then turned back to face Thal.

"You've been gone a long time. You were just a boy when you left! I didn't expect to see you again!"

"I came back to see how things are going with the original factory. Our projects overseas and outside of Mossflower haven't done too well since the Prohibition and overall economic slump. But I'm not sure if this factory is even running anymore! Have all of the employees left? And Culbert? I left him as manager. Does he even work here anymore?"

Gestel dug his paws into his pockets and shook his head sadly. "Nope. All of them left a long while back. I've stayed on 'cos there's not many places for an old geezer like me to live. Factory's been shut down for almost fifteen seasons now!"

"Ah, I see. That's too bad. However, it's not like I haven't started from scratch before." Gestel set out a cup and poured the hot water into it, dropping some tea leaves in.

"Do you take anything with your tea? Honey? Meadowcream?"

"A little honey would be nice." he said. Once Gestel had poured honey in his tea and was seated sipping his own cup, Thal leaned toward the oldster.

"I have a plan to get back into business..."