User blog:Ox Rookbane/Conflux Of Time

Sequel to "Light in the Dark". ''Dedicated to those friends of the past, and those friends I will meet and make in the future, and to those present with me now. Dedicated to my good LegendTeller again, for inspiring me to write Redwall Fanfictions. Thank you for the support, all of you!''

Perforated Heart (Prologue)
Seasons after Ox Rookbane, Slayer of Ravens, Lord of Salamandastron, had told his story... Problems with his family brew. Being the Badger Lord of Salamandastron had fed the fire of the relationship that was meager and barely floating on the sea.


 * Lady Victoria of Salamandastron, wife of Ox, had started to distrust him. He would promise something to her, and it would never be executed; something always got in the way as his duty of being Badger Lord. It frustrated her, and she could not take it.

She confronted her husband and had a heart-breaking conversation between him. She stated she would leave, and take one of their two twin sons, Lekota. She would head to Redwall Abbey and stay there for the rest of her days. She had planned it in advanced, and Log a Log would support her as a travel aide to Redwall- all in that day.


 * After the conversation, she had left Salamandastron. Ox would accompany her and his son, Lekota (who was only still a babe) to Log a Log. A trek that would stab a hole in Ox's heart every step of the way.

On arrival, he gave his goodbyes, and held his son one more time. His first words were spoken that day, "Daddy". It would be the first words Ox had heard from his son, Lekota, and it would be the last he will ever hear-- until later.


 * "She just... Look, when I promised one thing, it would deteriorate. Whenever I had my exotic free-time, it would be with her or with my sons. I feel she used me, but... I'm too stubborn to realize. A cockamamie love I've had for many seasons. I guess it wasn't enough for her, and now I'll miss my son I have loved, Lekota. Lekota... Lekota..."
 * - Ox Rookbane

Chapter 1
Many seasons after the departure of Victoria, Ox had lived and cared for his only son now, Kenai. Kenai was sixteen in seasons, while his father was old. His fur had started to become grey as he grew old.


 * The Badger Lord nowadays would wear a simple brown tunic with a brown cloak. He had started growing a beard, but insisted on not having one. It would be trimmed whenever it started growing back. He didn't mind being scruffy, but he would not have a beard like his father, Blitz.

Kenai was a young and a fighter. If there was a chance, he'd fight his father to go against his words. To live with him at Salamandastron for this long was quite a feat in Ox's eyes. His only salvation was from the morning walks his son would take. He would walk as far out, all the way until he reached Mossflower Woods.


 * It was the same thing this morning, Kenai would take a walk and enjoy a fresh spring morning. Ox watched him depart from a window in his bedchamber, and sighed. A friend of Ox's, one of the hares of the mountain, Dandy, came to his side. She rested her chin in her paws, and set her elbows on the window ledge, and looked out. This did not go unnoticed by the Badger Lord. "Thinkin' of something, young lady?"

She sighed, and continued to stare out the window. "No, nothing in particular, Ox."


 * Dandy scooted over and allowed his massive arms to rest on the window ledge. He laid his chin on his arms, staring out over the sea. Letting off a sigh, he spoke a thought of his. "It's been sixteen seasons since I've seen my son other son, Lekota. She never visited like she said she would..."

Dandy thought about it, and sighed once more. None of them spoke a word, but continued to stare out over the sea. A beautiful spring indeed. Ox had planned many times to go to Redwall to see Victoria and his son, but he never came around to it. It was either he was busy, or his body becoming heavier with seasons would not comply. Kenai might be one of his sons, but he missed Lekota, and Kenai wanted to see his brother at least once.


 * Peace and quiet lasted for a short few minutes. The Colonel of the Long Patrol, Whiscut, barged in on the two. Neither two turned to look at him. "Beautiful spring day, chaps! Go out, sniff a pretty rose or somethin'! Stop mopin' about, wot!"

Neither of the two bothered, and continued to gaze out. The Colonel showed disapproval, but none of them could see it. Ox took a great sniff on the air, and breathed out heavily. Turning around, Dandy followed him out of his bedchamber. The two went down to the kitchens to grab tea, and went out to their spot they always sat at. A ledge on Salamandastron that had once been cultivated by a previous Badger Lord of long ago, Sunflash the Mace. Grass grew there now, along with some wild flowers.


 * Ox took a great sniff of the air again, and sneezed this time. Taking out a kerchief, he blew his nose, and muttered to himself. "Not my allergies again..."

Dandy kept silent, and the Badger Lord fell silent, joining her. The two sat and took in the spring, and spoke nothing. For some reason, Ox had a feeling something might not be right about the day, but he did not say a thing about it, for he knew not of what would happen, or if anything would happen.