| Subject: I found this great story and wanted to post it |
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Southpaw
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Date Posted: 16:59:14 02/23/03 Sun
He can hear gentle sobs surround him as he lay in Cavern Hole of the great Redwall Abbey. I am in no physical pain, yet feel a slight sensation surge through me, painfully, starting around my heart.
I can hear Bella’s soft murmurs in my ears, telling me to hold on.
“Brother Martin, please, hold yourself together my friend, oh please…”
I smile meekly at her and open one eye to look at her. She has a worried look upon her face, tears staining her black fir cheeks. I cautiously open yet another eye and gaze about me, setting my eyes upon my other friends.Gonff and Columbine stand off in the corner with their son, Gonff Jr. now at age 14, he is acting more like his father by the day. Trimp and Chugger also stand, a little ways back from everyone else, behind their adopted parents. Trimp, now being a full-grown female hedgehog rarely considered Gonff and Columbine to be her adopted parents anymore, but more like companions and advisors.
Martin smiled at them, glancing over the other familiar faces before shutting his eyes once more.
“Gonff…” he whispered quietly, ordering his friend to his side.
“Martin…”
Martin laughed lightly and tore his eyes opened one more time to look into his eyes, full of tears and sorrow for his friend.
“Why are you so sad?” Martin asked smiling. “I’m not going anywhere!”
“Martin…”
“I shall live again dear friend, through the eyes of Am That Is.”
“What?”
Martin laughed lightly once more, a laugh with bitter pain seeping through it.
“My friend I have grown old, my age has caught up with me, finally pulling me towards the Dark Forest Gates.”
“Are you scared?”
“I have no regrets.”
“But my friend you will leave us…you will be lonely there…please don’t leave!”
“I have someone waiting there for me.”
“What?”
Martin turned his head away form his friend for a moment, to grasp his thoughts. His smile greatened as his thoughts and memories collected, so many years worth of lost memories, seeping back in a time of which they mean the most. Finally after a time of thinking her spoke once more, his voice becoming raspier and raspier.
“I have lived so many years in Mossflower, with no memories of my past. When I first came, I was full to the rim with horrid memories. Something I never told anyone was that I was running away when I came.”
“Running away from what?” Bella cut in slowly and gently before Gonff could get out the question.
Martin just continued on with his story, as if not hearing his poor friend, who knows, maybe he didn’t, for his voice just carried softly over her words.
“In the battle against the wildcats I lost my memory, I guess I got knocked on the head a few to many times…anyways now thinking deeply about it, I remember. I can remember a place they call Marshank, a tall fortress on the coast, and one called…now what was his name? Budnam? No…that wasn’t it. Badrang? Yes, I believe that was it. Anyways he was a stoat, a commanding stoat. He was commanding a powerful army of woodlanders to build his great fortress of Marshank. One day he came to our caves by the sea, when I was just a little runt. He captured my grandmother and I, driving us, along with many others on a long journey, lasting months, to the building site of Marshank. My grandmother died on the way. When I was there many things happened, leading me to meat a young Mouse maiden, named Rose, from Noonvale. I cannot go into much detail, for my last moments should not be spent telling a long story which I shall never finish before my death. All I can say is after a long journey for freedom we battled against Marshank, defeating Badrang and taking back the captured woodlanders. But while I was battling Badrang, with the sword I battled to retrieve back form him, my father’s sword which he stole form me while I was still I runt, He was defeating me. Rose jumped on his back to help me but was thrown off and against the wall she was instantly killed. At least she died painlessly, or at least I hope. I had fallen in love with her, and when the battle was over and we were marching off to Noonvale, I went my separate ways from my new friends, heading god only knew where. I didn’t even go to her funeral, I just can’t help but think if I had just tried harder I could have saved her…but if I had I would have never met any of you, and in so many ways I long for Rose and the life I could have had, but am happy for I know this is the way she wished my life to be, peaceful and away from war.
“My friends I have told you this story because I trust you all, and you all alone. None of this will ever be spoken of again, for this is not the way I wish the Abbey to remember me. Those were before my days as Martin the Warrior, and now I am not even that, I do not even have my sword with me. That is why I am known as Brother Martin.
Once he ended he shut his eyes for a moment and waved to young Trimp to come to him.
“Young Trimp, thank-you for reminding me of my father and my people. You will forever live within my heart. Columbine, take good care of Gonff and that rascal son of yours, he it a brat, just like his father. And make sure that you watch those candied chestnuts in the Abbey, we don’t need that fat little thief takin’ em.”
Columbine smiled through her tears and laughed lightly.
“Oh dear Martin, my friend, I shall.”
“Skipper, take care, my friend. I have never met an otter quite like you. You are one of my best friends and if it weren’t for you, I would be dead now, if it wasn’t in battles against the wild cats or when I went to find my father. Lady Amber, my friend, lead the squirrels well, oh champion of tree climbers. You are too one of my best friends. Good bye my friend.”
Skipper nodded his approval, whipping tears away from his face quickly. Lady Amber, being still a woman, was more emotional, throwing her strong paws about her friend.
“Oh Martin, champion of Redwall Abbey, you shall forever be missed.”
“I know.”
Martin turned his head limply towards the great badger off to the side. She had a paw whipping furiously at her eyes, trying to defend her reputation as the strongest at Redwall, but failing miserably.
“Dear Bella, why do you cry?”
“Martin, you are one of my best friends! Please do not leave!”
Martin smiled through tears that rolled down his cheeks. “My friend, tears roll down my cheeks for happiness. Remember that. I do not want tears of sorrow, I wish for tears of happiness, for you shall all know that I will soon be with loved once in the Dark Forest. My friend you have other best friends that shall replace me…”
“None of them are quite like you…”
“I know.”
“And who will carry the sword if Redwall is attacked…”
“One day, in the far future, Redwall will be placed under siege.”
“But then…”
Martin shook his head and trailed over Bella’s words once more, ignoring her pleas for the truth. “Am that is shall be the next in line, he shall find my sword, and continue to battle for Redwall. I will not be the last warrior of Redwall, but the first. My friend, I know this sounds crazy, but I can see him, Am That Is, he is young and feeble. Klutzy but smart and kind hearted. He shall swing my sword for me with the warrior’s legacy. My friend listen to my words:
I stand here in this world alone,
No kin of mine to take my sword,
No son or daughter of my own,
A bitter and sad reward,
But Redwall in its hour of need,
Will bring forth one to follow me,
To that one, valiant in deed,
I leave a Warrior’s legacy.
“Do you understand my words dear Bella?”
“One day, I know I shall dear Martin, I know I shall.” Bella answered truthfully, though scrounging through her head for the answer.
“Good, my dear friend, good.” Martin thought for a moment then turned his head to Gonff. “Matey, I have but one request, when I awoke from the battle with the wildcat you were singing a song about freedom. Will you sing it to me?”
“Aye matey, I will.”
“Let no foul beast give one command,
I’ll say ‘O no not me,
My back bends to no tyrant’s rule.
Hey, friends, this mouse is free.’
Free has a sound, it rings around,
A lovely way to be.
So dance or sing, do anything,
You’re free free free free freeeeeeeeeee!”
Martin smiled and waved Gonff to sing it again, through his kind words.
“Gonff, my friend, stay that way. Stay free; stay free indeed. It shall be long after your lifetime that I shall be seen again, through the heart of Am That Is. But do not feel distressed matey, in time of trouble, look upon the tapestry, and dream. You shall see me there. Please Gonff sing again.”
As he did, Gonff felt tears roll down his cheeks, as silent bowling interrupted his voice every few lines. But it did not seem to disturb Martin, for his thoughts were true on the words.
“Mateys, we are free at last. Free at last.”
And with that Martin’s head fell onto its side. Bella flung her great paws around his neck as he whispered his last words into her chest.
“Am that is, take on my mighty role.”
And with that, the greatest warrior Mossflower had even laid eyes upon, died.
Martin stepped forwards quietly, watching the world around him. He was in a deep pitch of green and black trees, casting great shadows over him. A deep scent of pines swept through his senses as he trekked forwards; taking in everything he was seeing. After a few moments he laid eyes upon what he was searching for. A great tall gate stood before him, at least 10 ft. high with cement walls on either side stretching as far as they eye could see. But the gate itself was large a made of black metal. It was made of many long, thick, polls coming together in new detailed designs and patterns. You could see through the gaps to the other side, but that was no different from the side he was currently on. His eyes wondered up the gate, looking at the patterns. He found that they made faces; there were hundreds of faces. Each of the greatest warriors, and the greatest creatures of all time, with the purest and kindest hearts. He smiled as he lay eyes upon his father’s and Boar’s faces in the gate.
“Father, Boar, I am happy you are here.”
“And we are happy you are here too.” Came a strong voice from the other side of the gate. There stood the great Boar the Fighter and Luke the Warrior. Boar stood, leaning against the wall, while Luke stood staring into his son’s eyes.
“Father…”
“Yes son.” he smiled. “I see you have made it finally to the Dark Forest Gates. I thought it would be soon, being in the condition you were in.”
“I am here once again Father, this time for good.”
“Than I suggest you enter, there are others here waiting for you.” Boar touched the gate slightly, pushing it open towards Martin. Martin quickly dodged out of the way and slid in the gates, shutting them behind him. He looked quietly at his father who just motioned him to follow as he trekked off into the forest.
After a few minutes they came upon a great place in the forest, bathed in a soft gold light that splashed lazily in and out of the gaps within the trees. Birds chirped happily around him, and crickets played at his feet as they hopped through the grasses. He smiled as he followed to a great open plain, surrounded by trees. They stopped there, before many a creature.
It took martin a moment to stabilize his memories as they came rushing through his head. There stood Felldoh, and the Rambling Rosehip Players, and many others whom he had seen, met, and made friends with throughout his journeys. He was greeted heartily by them all, but his eyes lay upon none of them. He waved slightly to them and stalked forwards, having sighted a pretty young mouse maiden, whom he had searched for all his life, in his dreams. But she had never come to him.
“Rose…”
“Hello Martin.”
“Rose…I-I missed you so…my friend…”
“And I you dear friend. I have watched your travels Martin, I see my death came to use.”
“Rose…”
“You know perfectly well that is I had not died you would have stayed with me, no matter what you say now. If you had you would have never rescued Mossflower and become one of the founders of Redwall.”
“You know of that?” Martin asked quizzically as he walked forwards.
“Yes. I have watched you intently all of these years Martin, I am able to you know.”
“But Rose you know we could have been…”
“Happy? Yes, I suppose we could have. But think of all those creatures that you saved! Martin as I lay dying I saw a vision of the present in Mossflower, creatures starving, crying out in agony as they were beaten to death, Martin it pained my death. But then I saw a vision of a great warrior coming to Mossflower, and freeing them from slavery. Martin that warrior was you, the greatest warrior. That pleased my death as I knew my death had purpose.” Rose smiled beside herself as tears started to flow down her cheeks. “You did not live in pain without me, nor loneliness. You didn’t even remember me after that battle, as I wished it to be. After that battle you were so happy to have defeated them, I wished you never to feel the pain of loneliness and regret again.”
“Rose, how I’ve missed you kind heart.”
Rose smiled and laughed lightly as tears of joy fell down her cheeks.
“And besides, we can begin from where we left off.”
Martin smiled at Rose’s request and walked forwards through the grasses and flung his arms around her waist, kissing her gently.
“Martin, we are finally free at last.”
“Yes my love, free at last.”
And with that loud cheers rang up from the deceased around them as the sun slowly set behind them, beginning an eternity together in death.
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