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Post by taggle on Mar 11, 2007 20:38:04 GMT -5
The winter winds sighed fitfully, blowing the last of Fair Autumn's leaves off of the deadened hollow trees. Snow continued to fall, as it had for hours, draping the landscape of rolling hills on which the forest lay in a peaceful blanket of snow. An owl hooted far off, snuggling down into its nest to escape the winter winds. The sound of silence was broken only by the bare, frozen paws of a traveler, out braving winters icy rage. The traveler was a mouse, and a very young one at that. His tail hung limply at his side, making a line next to his tiny paw prints in the snow. His whiskers drooped down wards, as if to emphasize his small emaciated form. The homespun tunic he wore had become old and tatty, and his cloak did precious little to keep him warm. The small mouse, who could have been no more than 4 summers old, fell face down into the snow, unconscious. The snow, pitiless to his plight, continued to fall, covering his body with a soft blanket of snow, and filling in his tracks
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Post by benon on Mar 11, 2007 21:24:39 GMT -5
Meerak was cold. The wind's chill cut into his bones as he trudged through the snow on the winding path south. Meerak huddled deeper into his cloak, the fur on his face that he has forever tried to grow into a mustache was frozen. Meerak was just thinking about stopping for the night, when he fell. The small bundle he had disturbed was a small mousebabe, scarcely four seasons old. He felt a wave of pity for the small mouse, snow had frozen around his fur and he was shivvering. The little dibbun was unconscious, his tattered habbit, muddied from play was all that kept him warm, and that was quickly running out. Meerak picked up the babe and ran to the cover of the trees, he set the baby down and wrenched his swords from thier sheaths. He bagan feverishly hacking away at the rotting brantches. He lit a fire and began to melt the snow that had stuck to the dibbun's fur. He began to rub the life back into the frozen limbs, knowing that he would have to make the journey to Redwall with all haste on the morrow.
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Post by taggle on Mar 11, 2007 22:12:26 GMT -5
The mousebabe began to come aroud slowly, looking about him ad he did. His eyes looked lost, alone. "w-w-who are yoo?" he asked, his teeth still chattering as cold. "w-where am i?" he asked, looking around him. This was a strange country, yet the snow made it look familiar. He had come from the Northlands. How long he had walked, he did not know. A small blood-red stone fell out of his habbit pocket, and he bent quickly to pick it up. Papa had told him not to lose that stone. No matter what. THe mousebabe studied the other mouse's twin swords, gleaming as cold steel does. They fascinated him.
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Post by benon on Mar 13, 2007 18:01:09 GMT -5
"We're on the edge of Mossflowed little one." Meerak said, "I am Meerak, you were buried in the snow." Meerak had prepared some flat little cakes and offered one to the tiny mouse. "Where did you come from?" he asked.
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Post by taggle on Mar 13, 2007 18:31:29 GMT -5
"fanks, my name be's Dwopple!" the mouse dibbun said, eating it quickly. It was if he had not eaten for a long time. " i comed from da norf!" the mousebabe said, looking out towards that direction. All looked flat and barren, even though it wasn't.
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Post by benon on Mar 13, 2007 21:21:38 GMT -5
"Hmmmm. Well you must be hungry, here have some more." He piled the small cakes next to the little dibbun, and watched him devour it with relish. "Would you like to go to Redwall? It has lots of food there and plenty of other baby mice and other animals, I was going there when I found you." Meerak said. He noticed the little mouse's huge eyes fixed on his swords. He drew the swords and performed a few tricks then slammed them into the ground in front of the astonished mousebabe. "Now don't touch the edges, they're very sharp."
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Post by taggle on Mar 14, 2007 13:18:11 GMT -5
The mousebabe ate the cakes, watching the mouse perform sword tricks. He gently reached out, and touched the sword. " ooh, dey shark!" he said, pulling his finger back quickly. " whas wedwall?" he asked, looking puzzled. He took another cake and began to eat it.
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Post by benon on Mar 14, 2007 15:46:28 GMT -5
Meerak was growing quite fond of the tiny little creature. "Redwall, is an enormous Abbey, there are lots of beasts there and maybe a badgermum. That's where we are bound. But it's late, go to sleep." Meerak turned his back to the fire, with his swords laid out in his lap keeping watch over the little camp. He was determined to set off for Redwall in the morning.
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Post by taggle on Mar 14, 2007 18:08:31 GMT -5
Dwopple laid down, and was asleep in a moments notice, dreaming of what Redwall would be like. He shivered in the snow, again. His tiny body was still fighting off the effects of being out in the snow for weeks. He was sick. In his hand, he held a small red stone. It caught the glint off of the fire, and reflected it. Inside the stone, there were valleys and crevaces, trapped air bubbles. This stone was very special indeed.
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Post by benon on Mar 15, 2007 16:02:35 GMT -5
The dawn broke lazily, the small camp was now populated by a few rats, one of the stray rat gangs roaming this time of year. The two friends had departed at the first sounds of anything. Meerak was hustling down the path in the direction of Redwall Abbey, the bell-tower loomed. He had Dwopple slung over his shoulder and wrapped in a blanket, he had heard the tiny creature coughing in his sleep, he knew that the effects of winter were beginning to show, he made all haste to Redwall Abbey. He made it to the ditch area before Dwopple stirred.
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Post by taggle on Mar 16, 2007 8:23:08 GMT -5
Dwopple awoke slowly, and looked up. "wots dat?" he asked, pointing a small finger at the Belltower. Now that they were in the ditch, the Outer walls of Redwall could be seen clearly. Dwopple coughed, and it shook his body. The sun seemed to rise reluctantly, as if it too wanted its sleep. The lazy rays drifted over Mossflower, giving it warmth and life.
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Post by raedyn on Mar 19, 2007 19:59:38 GMT -5
Raedyn sat perched in the belltower, relishing the biting cold on her nose and the glistening of snowfall across the Abbey and surrounding woodlands. She had only been in Redwall for the autumn season, planning to head south before snow fell, but the early winter took everyone by surprise. She was stuck here until the thawing, but didn't mind much. All of the Abbey creatures were exceptionally friendly, and she was happy to have pleasant company and hot meals.
She was about to descend from the tower and find a bit of breakfast when a small movement caught her eye. Looking closer, she saw a strangely-shaped figure silhouetted against the snow and making haste toward the gates of Redwall. Knowing that a camp of vagabond rats was not far away, she feared this may be a rat thief attempting to pilfer winter rations from the peaceful Abbey.
Not wanting to disturb any of her friends this early in the morning, she scaled down the tower and rushed to the battlements above the gateway, determined to stop the thief...
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Post by benon on Mar 20, 2007 18:01:09 GMT -5
Meerak saw the squirrel on the ramparts and called to her. "Hail friend. I have a sick little one here, please get him to the infirmary. I'm coming up." Meerak took out a coil of rope and lashed Dwopple to his back. Then he drew his blades and slammed them into the soft mortar of the Abbey, he began his ascent. When he reached the ramparts he vaulted over the crelenated top of a battlement, he landed next to te squirrel and presented the babe in outstretched arms. He then began th eprocess of extricating his swords from the wall.
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Post by taggle on Mar 22, 2007 7:56:06 GMT -5
Dwopple sneezed once, and it shook his body. He looked around him in amazement. Never before had he seen a building so huge! Ramparts, gates, the main abbey, orchards, a pond! It was a truly gigantic structure. Then, he noticed Raedyn. "who are you?" he asked. this time the mousebabe coughed, and it sounded as if it was deep inside his small chest
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Post by benon on Mar 22, 2007 16:05:39 GMT -5
Meerak saw the two retreating figures and heard the babe speak, but he felt a dire sense of urgency. He looked back over his shoulder, RATS! There were rats, the strange thin was that they were in uniform and in formation, he figure they were a scouting party. He fitted an arrow to the shaft, and he fired. He was rewarded with a scream, he loaded arrow after arrow and continued firing until the whole party was decimated.
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