Fall

[Skipper]

((This is it. All threads henceforth will be part of the main plot.))

---

Lachie wasn't one to be fooled. The weasel was playing some sort of game. He knew that it had been caught trying to steal four ships, but something just seemed off about it. There was something more to this than met his eyes.

The weasel couldn't have been trying to steal four ships by himself? That would require more than one beast. He had to have accomplices, but Lachie hadn't seen anybeast else in the area when he scanned the area. It just didn't add up. . .

Lachie stared thoughtfully at the ground as he walked back and forth. The was clear of creatures but for the young sea otter pacing to and fro near the waters.

. . . Then again, Barr was bound to have thought of this all ready. Lachina herself, saw that the weasel was lying when she asked if he was with anyone else. They would probably both tell him that he was over-analyzing things, and they were probably right. After all, it wasn't like the...

Lachie stopped suddenly in his tracks, and merely stood there, as if frozen. There, a good distance away from Lachie, stood a dark figure, identity obscured by the setting sun behind it. Was it watching him? It simply stood motionless in the sand. Lachie tilted his head. It was definitely looking at Lachie.

Wait.

Was it tilting its head?

Lachie straightened his stance. The figure did the same. His heart beat a little harder.

He raised his right paw. The figure raised its left.

It was like a mirror. Every move Lachie made, it copied it exactly, except backward. Two minutes went by.

Lachie raised his other paw. The figure did the same. The figure's reaction wasn't delayed, but each movement was made exactly as Lachie moved. Another minute went by. He lowered both paws.

The figure did not.

It raised its paws higher, and swung them over its head, as if it wanted Lachie's attention. Lachie was frozen stiff. The figure's waving became more frantic. His heart was racing now.

"HEY!"

Lachie jumped.

"HEY!"

The figure was waving its paws faster now. It was almost unnatural. Was it calling him? What was happening here? Sweating profusely now, Lachie forced his eyes closed. He then ran for the door of his home, slamming it closed behind him. He locked it quickly.

After a short moment, he peered out the window. It was still there.

---

Barr Stromness, Warrior of Redwall Abbey, could not defeat the night. The otter rubbed his eye with a big paw sleepily as he felt the north walltop with his right paw. For some reason or another, he simply could not sleep. He looked to the sky, hoping to see the orange or pink light of the morning reflect off of a stray cloud. Nothing. It was still too early. The moon peeked out from behind a particularly tall tree as he rounded the corner and began walking along the west wall. From here, one could catch a glimpse of the dirt path beyond the ditch, except that... there was no light!

Barr shook his head, and leaned against the walltop. He sighed deeply, and looked up to find himself staring into the face of a darkly-coloured mouse. It was difficult to make out the mouse's expression from Barr's height, but he guessed it was waiting for somebeast to greet it.

"Hi, mouse!" Barr called.

The mouse looked up slowly, but did not otherwise acknowledge Barr's greeting.

"D'ye want sumthing?"

Its gaze moved back to the direction of the gate. Barr tilted his head. What in the world was going on here? He rubbed his eye with a large paw to make certain he wasn't mistaking himself. He still saw the mouse. Uncertain as to what to do, he simply continued to watch.

---

((Cue Glassmaker.))

[The Glassmaker]

The mouse lifted and extended both paws on either side of him, as a dibbun does to exaggerate the size of a fish seen in the pond. It brought both paws together forcefully. Fire engulfed the paws. Suddenly, the mouse cast his paws toward the gate. The fire followed, and soon the wooden gate was alight.

As the Glassmaker made his way to the north gate, several small barely perceptible dots of light appeared in the distance. The mouse was certainly aware of the sea otter's presence atop the wall, but it did not bother him. By the time the otter wakened the Abbey's inhabitants, it would be too late. Baldur's army will have reached the west wall. Too bad for Baldur...

[Skipper]

Barr's eye widened. "HEY!" he roared as he made his way toward the stairs, still glancing back at the mouse, who, at this point, was walking away, though, it was probably making its way to the northern gate. There were lights in the distance, no doubt an army, and a large one at that. He ran across the abbey grounds as quickly as he could. He would have to wake the abbeydwellers -- all of them. . .

. . . There was no way they could win this. . .

Barr began shouting the moment he reached the Great Hall. He turned to enter the dormitories. He ran left and right, waking as many as he could. "C'mon, wake up! We're under attack! Wake up! The gate's on fire!" The Otter Crew were the first to awaken. Barr quickly informed one of them what he had seen, then immediately resumed waking the sleeping beasts.

The Otter Crew immediately left to use the Abbey pondwater to douse the flaming gates, except for a young otter named Chab, who was left to informed the Brothers and Sisters what was happening. Many other beasts aided Barr's awakening of the Abbeydwellers.

---

((Anyone can join in now. The more the merrier.))

[terg]

Bryric stumbled down the stairs from the dormitory as he hauled his his jerkin on over his tunic. HIs gray eyes where bleary from sleep and his gray fur stuck out at odd places. Even though it was very early Bryric usually would have been ok with getting up. Today (or tonight) was an exception. Last night had been a jumbled mass of helping to wash Dibbuns and get them into bed and then going down to the forge to work on a new doorhandle that had been requested. He had stayed up later than he should have.

Stumbling across the floor Bryric came to a stop infront of Chab. He glanced out the open door and saw the orange light of the leaping flames. Shaking his head to wake himself fully he ran forward and took up a position in the bucket line. The cold water that slopped over the edge of the bucket spilled on his paws and down his chest causing him to shiver slightly despite the roaring fire at his back.

Bryric worked quickly, pressing himself to pass faster, to work harder. The loud noise of voices almost drowned out the crackling, and hissing as water was thrown on the fire. Was it working? Bryric aloud himself a quick glance over at the gate. He could barely see anything through the thick choking smoke. Coughing he turned back to his work, straining despretly to put the fire out.

[Tirael]

The commotion outside on the Abbey grounds was nearly equaled by that inside the building. Between the urgent yells of those rousing others in the dormitories to the frightened wails of Dibbuns, it was impossible for chaos not to take over. The resultant din carried through the ancient stone walls into Tirael's small room next to the infirmary. Rising, the young otter shook his head confusedly, trying to regain full consciousness so he could figure out what was going on.

However, he wouldn't have to find out for himself; one of his friends, a mouse named Enyo, burst into the sickbay and began yelling his name. "En? I'm in here, what i-" He was startled fully awake as the mouse grabbed his shoulders and began to chatter in terror. "Tir, the gates, they're burning the gates! Oh horror, they'll kill us all, I just know it!" Even though the revelation sent fear lancing through him, Tirael did his best to remain calm. Telling his friend to do the same, they went out into the corridor to try and get control back over the frightened crowd.

A few minutes later, things weren't much better, but they were good enough that Tirael decided he might be needed elsewhere. Slipping back into the sickbay, he grabbed his medicine bag and practically sprinted down the stairs and into Great Hall. Passing the tapestry, he slowed for a moment and looked at Martin. Somehow the image didn't comfort him as it usually did.

"Keep us safe," he murmured, then ran out into the grounds.

[The Glassmaker]

The Glassmaker quickly extinguished the flames engulfing his paws. Gloves or no, it would be unwise to do otherwise. And now he had reached the northern gate. He could hear the otter hollering like a madbeast from within the Abbey. They would be waking up soon.

The mouse once again clapped his paws together, igniting the powder covering his left glove. He set the northern gate to flames, and was on his way to the next. Why did he inflame the gates this way, one might ask? Why not with a torch, or some other, simpler means?

It's more fun this way.

* * *

In the distance, to the north, Teresta, lizard commander of his own horde comprised mostly of reptiles, saw the flames from the northern gate of the Abbey. It was time. He signaled to his army to march forward.

Before Teresta could do more, a strange feeling in his torso. He slowly looked down to see a javelin protruding from his chest. As he fell, he looked to his right, where Baldur's army neared the Abbey. He knew that Baldur wasn't there. . .

* * *

The Glassmaker set to fire the third gate, the sounds of abbeybeasts scampering hither and thither to extinguish the flames. They might put out the eastern gate's fire, and possibly that of the northern gate before the flames did too much damage, but it would be pointless. They were still far outnumbered, and outmatched.

Pity, though, thought the Glassmaker, that he had been seen. It would have been nice if everything went according to plan now and again.

The mouse squinted, and immediately spun around. Standing there, was Keirdj -- the final of the three warlords to approach the Abbey. Behind him stood his army. They were early.

"Yes?" hissed the Glassmaker.

The warlord gestured with his left paw, and a weasel was brought forward. It was the one intended to execute Keirdj."Explain this."

"Looks like one of your vermin didn't like you very much..." The Glassmaker smirked.

"Don't play games with me." The rat snarled.

"I don't intend to." The Glassmaker threw dust in the rat's face. "I prefer more of a challenge."

Outraged, the warlord began to draw his sword, but was met with a slap in the face. This ignited the powder covering his head, and he was immediately engulfed in flames. Taking three steps back, the Glassmaker remarked to the army's captains. "There. How hard was that?" He shook his head sadly. What was the world coming to when an entire army couldn't take out its own leader?

"Get the battering ram," he commanded exasperatedly as he walked away from the gate. The abbeydwellers were beginning to notice it.

[Skipper]

It didn't take long for the awakened abbeybeasts to begin waking the rest. Some didn't even know what was happening, but it seemed Barr's job was done here. He rushed from the room, but he didn't intend on dousing the flames engulfing the gates. No, that was pointless. Through a window, he could see the army approaching from the East. He had overheard that there were more.

The otter rushed to the northern wall. When he reached the top, he could see clearly a mass of vermin approaching the Abbey. He glanced to his left to find that Redwall was covered on that side as well by an equally-sized horde. The same went for his right. Barr almost couldn't believe his eyes.

Just then, he was practically shoved down by a half-soaked squirrel carrying a bucket. As the aging squirrel poured the contents of the bucket onto the gate as best he could, the light of the flames revealed his face. Bryric! He knew Bryric!

Quickly, he gripped the squirrel's shoulder tightly, and turned him so that the two were facing each other. "Have ye see Lachie? D'ye know where 'e is?"

Barr hadn't seen Lachlan since the surgery, but were he awake, there was no doubt he'd know something. Some form of escape, or possibly even means of defeating this threat, however improbable. Certainly a seer must be able to see a way out of something like this?

[Tirael]

Having run to the northern gate, Tirael realized his own skills were, at present, unnecessary; the only casualties so far were the gates, and he couldn't do anything for them that hadn't already been done. About to return to the Abbey building to continue keeping order there, he faintly overheard Barr over the bedlam:

"Have ye see Lachie? D'ye know where 'e is?"

Anxious to do something to help, the otter rushed off, back through Great Hall, down a short corridor, and to the makeshift bedroom assigned to Lachie. Practically throwing the door open, he wheeled his friend's chair up to the bed and said urgently, "Lachlan, wake up! It's an emergency, Barr needs you now!" Were circumstances not so dire, he might have felt bad about giving such a rude awakening, but there was no time for manners, was there?

[terg]

Bryric's paws shook as he dumped the water on the gate. Now that he was closer to the gate he could see the flames licking at the dry wood. It seemed a hopeless cause. Only so much water could be carried at a time. The otters could carry bigger buckets but he was not nearly as strong as the otters and he was limited to throwing on smaller amounts of water.

Suddenly a paw grabbed his shoulder and he found himself spun around to look into the face of Barr. Bryric had always admired Barr for his fierce appearance, strenght and skill but he left these thoughts behind now.

"Have ye see Lachie? D'ye know where 'e is?"

Bryric reajusted his grip on the rope handle of his bucket. "No Barr, I havn't seen 'im. Everyone must have been awaken by yer calls though. He must be close." Though Bryric knew he should volunteer to go find the young otter he couldn't bring himself to leave the bucket line. Instead he pointed to the abbey buidling where brothers and sisters where stumbling out teh big doors in a confused jumble. "Do ya want me to get somone to look for 'im?"

[Rakingclaw]

Argyle awoke to the smell of smoke, leaping out off his cot he grabbed his swords in a quick motion as he went for the door. Through the opening he could see the slight beginnings of flame licking the top of the abbey walls, and hear the howling of an army of vermin poised and ready for the coming slaughter. Sprinting across the courtyard he climbed to the top of the battlements next to Barr
"This innet be good, no sah wot wot!" He turned to the otter his eyes hard and serious "The blighters have got us by jewels, sah wot be the plain of action!"
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Bertrum rolled out of bed and lumbered out the door "Blast' and Bloody 'ell" he roared. Grabbing his cudgel he almost ran to the wall but the sound of crying stifled his rage. He looked over and saw a little mouse babe hiding behind a stack of logs. Its face streaked with tears its eyes wide with horror.
"It beh all roit lass, ole Bert be taking ye down tah the hall he will then all wull beh guid" and he took off in the direction of the great hall.

[Rocky]

The otter's chest slowly rose and fell with each breath he took as he lay stretched out in Cavern Hole on a couch. It had been a long time since the otter was able to get a decent amount of sleep and as of now, he had finally begun to get what he desired each night. Slow breaths escaped his half open lips as he breathed calmly and slowly. Eyes were covered by eyelids and the blackened world the otter had seen when he had first fell into his slumber began to fade, only to be replaced by a scene. A scene of pure carnage. Wooden huts made of straw and sticks were being burned to the ground, otters were trying to fight, but the hooded figures kept coming, wave after wave after wave. His body began to move left and right with each violent lurch that shot through his wiry body. Words filled his ears. Words mingled with screams of terror and shouts of evil. Then, one otter's particular voice rung above all other sounds.

"C'mon, wake up! We're under attack! Wake up! The gate's on fire!"

The shout was enough to wake him out of a dead sleep and the otter's eyes shot open wide and his immediately sat up. Turning his head in pure curiosity as screams sounded, Rockrudder the Otter was completely confused. Had his dream carried over into the real world? Was he still dreaming? More shouts drifted to his ears and the form of Barr Stromness, warrior of Redwall filled his vision as a silhouette. Rocky's body shook with cold fear as light hit Barr's face and it was then and there that the otter knew this was no dream of his. Standing up quickly, he grabbed the curved shortsword he had had all his life and began to strap it on his back. Fear filled his body. Fear like no other he felt before and his fingers fumbled with the belt that slid over his chest and kept his short sword on his back. Finally tieing a knot and after what seemed like hours but was only mere moments, Rocky looked up. Barr was gone and frightened Abbey-dwellers were rushing into Cavern Hole, looking for a safe place.

"Keep calm. It'll be orright.'' Rocky said re-assuringly, though deep down he knew it wasn't going to be alright. If Barr was alarmed at something, then this was definitely something bad. Taking his curved dagger from a small round table next to the couch he so recently slept on, Rocky rushed up the stairs, leaving his long sword in Cavern Hole. "Use that if you need to!" Rocky shouted above the din of scared creatures. It was all he could give them at the moment, and he silently hated himself for having to leave them behind with one weapon and no warriors. ''It'll..." He began at the top of the stone steps that lead away from the coziness of Cavern Hole. ''It'll be just fine... I promise." Rocky shut his eyes tight as if after he opened them, he would be staring at the ceiling from the comfy couch and be just awakening from his sleep. He knew deep down he had made a promise that he couldn't keep, but right now, he just wanted to keep them calm.

Rushing through the doorway and sprinting through the Great Hall, Rocky made hard contact with the large wooden doors that lead to the grounds, thrusting them both open wide. Rushing out and leaving the doors to shut with a 'bang' the otter continued his run towards the stair leading up to the ramparts. Taking two steps at a time he quickly ended his ascent and he found himself rooted to the spot as he looked out towards Mossflower Wood. More then a thousand torches could be seen and it was then and there that Rocky knew the promise he had made earlier would never be kept. "Uh.." He said quietly to himself, trying to think of what to do. Barr could handle himself and he was surely busy so Rocky shouldn't bother him. Argyle the residentiary hare of Redwall was a seasoned warrior who could definitely hold his own so he didn't need Rocky's help. Who did? He tapped his foot as he tried to think, then as if the answer was there all along, it erupted from his mind like a volcano and he found himself muttering the name, "Tirael."

Tirael was a healer, not a warrior. He would need protection as there would most likely be a battle that would ensue between the, maybe one hundred to two hundred strong warriors in abbey against over three thousand soldiers, coming to destroy them all. The battle would be extremely hard, and many would need medical attention, so healers would need protection. Rushing back down the stairs, Rocky leapt the last three and sprinted back to Great Hall. "Tirael!" His voice boomed as he rushed through the large doorway. "Tirael!" He shouted once more. The otter's deep eyes caught sight of another one of his species rushing down a short corridor to a bedroom, and they were dressed in infirmary robes. "Tirael..." Rocky said with a sigh of gratitude that he had found the one he was seeking. He ran towards that very same corridor Tirael ran down and skidded to a halt at the end of it. Tirael entered a bedroom where young Lachie was. The poor young otter was confined to a wheelchair and it seemed, from Tirael's words, that he was needed somewhere. "Tirael." He said for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night as he walked into the room.

"I..." He began, pausing for a breath, "I just figured you'd need... protection of some sort.. Or help, really. Do you need something?"

[Skipper]

"Lachlan, wake up! It's an emergency, Barr needs you now!"

The previous surgery had left Lachie as tired as he'd ever been. Having somehow slept through all the commotion, it would have been impressive if Tirael's shouting had awakened him. But, of course, it hadn't.

Lachie suddenly shot up into a sitting position, laughing almost hysterically. The laughter was cut short as Lachie abruptly seemed to wake up. "What the heck?"

---

"Do ya want me to get somone to look for 'im?"

"No, er..." Barr was interrupted by the garrulous hare, Argyle.

"...sah wot be the plain of action!"

Barr took a few hasty steps backward, toward the stairs leading to the grounds. "You," he pointed to Argyle, "You keep doing, er, that. Bryric, ye're cummin' wi' me." He speedily made his way down the stairs then, his mind trying desperately to piece together some way out. Something to either defeat or escape the horde, however improbable.

Barr's first instinct was to check the Dormitories, but he hadn't seen Lachie since the surgery, which meant that the young seer might still be up in the Infirmary.

Barr chose to stop in the Great Hall to tell Bryric what to do. Promptly, he spoke. "Look, I need you to find every dibbun, every wife, every family, an' I want ye to direct them to Cavern Hole. Tell every male who isn't fighting to help you do the same." With that, he sped off to the Infirmary.

It was odd, though possibly more than coincidence, that the spot Barr had chosen to stop was directly in front of Martin the Warrior, depicted on the great tapestry...

---

Lachie didn't need to ask what was happening. He knew. When did this huge army arrive, anyway? . . . Couldn't have been that long ago. He heaved himself into his chair as quickly as he could, mind racing. His father would be looking for him.

---

((For the record, not everyone can escape the abbey. Some of the characters will have to stay behind.))

[terg]

OOC: Understood

BIC:
Bryric dropped his wooden bucket on the scorched grass and sprinted ofter Barr. He raced throught the doors of the abbey and into Great Hall beside Barr. As soon as the instructions where given Bryric sprinted off again. His breathing was quickening and his air passage was swollen from the merciless smoke.

First the old squirrel rounded up all the abbey dwellers that where standing confusedly in Great Hall. "Come on Brothers and Sisters! Git the Dibbuns and go to Cavern Hole!" Apparently a good stern command was all they needed. Nice, hedgehogs, otters, voles, squirrels, and other woodland creatures began to file down into Cavern hole. Bryric stood as the top of the stairs counting Dibbuns. He rembered how many he had been made to count last night as he put them to bed.

The last hedgehog had just stumbled into Cavern Hole as Bryric raced up to the dormitories. Two Dibbuns where missing. Hopefully a sister or brother had merely been delayed in coming downstairs. As he burst through various doors he directed everyone down to Cavern Hole. Most of the males had already joined the bucket line or where following Barr around waiting for directions.

The dormitories where now empty, so Bryric ran back into Great Hall. He was still looking for the two missing Dibbuns. Where where they? Breathing heavily The squirrel raced toward the only other place he could think of.

The kitchen doors where open and the kitchen itself apparently deserted. Some coals glowed dimly in the bottom of the ovens but the rest of the place appeared to have been left quickly. Suddenly a telltale whimper denoted Bryric to the deffinent prescence of the objects of his search. He strode quickly to a pile of potato sacks that where moving despite the fact that no breeze stirred them. Lifting the top sack he found the two Dibbuns he had been looking for, a mole and a mouse. Both of their paws where sticky, no doubt from the candied chestnuts they had been eating, the crumbs of which where scatters on the sacks.

Scopping up the two scared Dibbuns Bryric scolded them and carried them back to the safety of Cavern Hole.

[Tirael]

Tirael jumped at Lachie's sudden and loud awakening, but he took it in his stride and was about to help him into the chair when Rocky came in.

"Tirael."

"What the heck?"

"I just figured you'd need... protection of some sort.. Or help, really. Do you need something?"

The young healer feared what was coming, though Rocky's question forced him to think about it. Sighing, he said sadly, "I will soon." Once Lachie was in the chair, he wheeled it around and headed for the door. "Come on, we've gotta go!" With that, he threw his weight against the chair and rocketed down the corridor.

A few sharp turns later, the wheelchair entered Great Hall, narrowly missing several Abbeybeasts on its way to the tapestry. Seeing Barr, Tirael leaned back and set his footpaws firmly against the floor, skidding to halt a few feet away from the larger otter. "Here's Lachie," he said, leaning against the wall a moment to catch his breath. It was only then that Tirael realized he had no real idea why Barr had needed to see his son, though he thought it might have something to do with a parent's worry.

Well, before long, there'd be plenty to worry about.

[Rakingclaw]

Argyle stood tall at the ramparts his twin blades glinting in the night sky. His green eyes glinting with the coming thrill of battle.

"Come on then!!" he roared "Lets have at it!! who's barmy enough tah take one ole Argyle eh?"

The stout oak doors began to groan as the fire weakened them with every passing moment.

"Bugger and Blast! To the gates! Bloody hell the gates! Move yer Bums!!!! er they'll be havin our arse fer pudding on the quick!" Argyle jumped down in front of the flaming gates his paws twitching with excitement.
`````````````````````````````````````
Shingles had already started out the door his axe in hand "Don't ye be startin the fight wit out ole shingles!"he yelled as he sprinted across the courtyard.
`````````````````````````````
The smell of the flames brought Rith to his senses, he shot up in bed his heart pumping fire into his blood. like a black bolt of lightning he burst from his room his massive blade slung across his shoulders. Kicking the door to the court yard open he slowly walked out to join the others in what might be the end of his life.
`````````````````````````````````````
"Sparra King, Sparra King!!!" a sparra warrior chirped at his sleeping leader. Slowly Sparhawk opened his eyes "what be reason for sleep wake, speak fast!!" he snapped.
"Sparra king, abbey gate burn burn!!, abbey under attack by rat skum!!"
"What!! UP UP Sparra!! TO FIGHT WE GO!!! PECK EYES EAT FACE!!!" he shrieked and took off for the door way a handful fo sparra warriors behind him.