The Beginning

[Promatera]

Summer was in its final days in Mossflower. Very soon the surrounding forest would take on a rustic, orange hue with the onset of autumn. The once warm climate would grow cooler and crops would soon be harvested.

Enjoying the last rays of summer heat, Leander sat on the dock of the pond, cooling his feet in the water. It had been some time since the otter Cross arrived at the abbey with Koa. He had been grievously injured and was very near death. Thankfully he had managed to reach the abbey in time. After saving Koa, the least the abbey could offer him was help.

Koa was also returning to his old ways. After he returned, the young otter seemed almost traumatized by whatever conspired outside the abbey walls and would not leave Cross' side. It was also difficult for the weasel to leave because of Koa. Bon Vaygan had left once he saw that Cross was given proper care. Almost every beast was surprised by how civil the weasel who had escorted them was. Before he left, he did tell them of what happened in the forest to a point.

It seemed the weasel was honest too, but something else about the creature stood out to Leander. There was something about Bon Vaygan that Leander was sure he had seen before. What solidified the weasel in nearly everybeast's mind; however, was when the weasel had to promise Koa that one day he would return to visit him.

Stirring from his spacious thoughts as a noisy dibbun splashed into the water beside him, Leander remembered today was his task in the infirmary. Cross was still recovering and perhaps today he would be conscious. Ever since the otter arrived, Leander was curious as to what this beast was like. Perhaps today would be the day to find out?

Having headed straight for the infirmary, Leander arrived right on time as usual. The nurse was not in at the moment so Leander decided to check on the patients. His friend Travi, was not in bed at the moment, but Cross lied just across from his bed. Although the otter's eyes were shut, the otter suddenly stirred. Was he feeling better?

"A-are y-you alright?" he asked.

[.:Fawn:.]

Like a cork shooting out of a bottle, a little, furry brown head seemingly popped up out of nowhere, the otterbabe's nose level with the mattress upon which Cross's bandaged form lay. Koa's eyes gleamed with hope, the dibbun having crawled out from under the bed the second he'd felt the disturbance from above, the obvious sign somebeast, at least, had moved.

No amount of bribary, food, stern or soft words had been able to bring Koa out of the infirmary for long. In fact, he only came out when a Redwall helper would announce that dinner was ready, in which case he'd scramble downstairs, gather up enough food for two (just in case Cross woke up while he was gone) and scamper upstairs as though his rudder was on fire. Even though Cross was still unconscious when he returned, the otterbabe had not lost hope, and was by his side constantly, much like a faithful dog unable to abandon their master when he needed them most.

To pass the time, Koa drew pictures -- many of which were of himself, Cross and Bon Vaygan, sometimes playing in the Abbey Pool, exploring outside, or fighting off hawks together -- or read aloud to Cross from one of the books the Librarian let him borrow (even though his pronunciation was always off, he unconscious Cross didn't seem to mind).
But mostly, he just talked to Cross.
Even if Koa knew the unconscious otter couldn't really hear him, it made the otterbabe feel less lonely if he filled the silence with the sound of his own voice. He liked to think that somehow, Cross could hear him, and he was interested in everything he told him.

Cross would laugh at the funny parts, comfort him at the sad parts, and smile at him gladly when he told stories with especially good happy endings.

As for his sleeping arrangements, Koa refused to go back to the dormitories until Cross was well, and from the second Cross had been placed in the infirmary, Koa had snatched up his pillow, blanket and stuffed animal from his little truckle bed and set up camp next to (or occasionally underneath) Cross's bed.

The stuffed animal, a cute little homemade otter plushie, now sat beside Cross where Koa had left it, the otterbabe figuring his friend needed it more than he did.

"A-are y-you alright?" he asked.

The soft stammer of Leander was heard by Koa, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Cross, his little webbed paw reaching up to gingerly touch Cross's arm -- as though afraid if he pressed too hard Cross would fall back asleep again.

"Cross?" he called hopefully, brown eyes as wide as candied chestnuts.

[/font]

[Cross]

Cross lay sprawled on one of the infirmary beds, plagued by an all-too-familiar nightmare. He held a spear out before him, having received it from a vermin. His father stood in front of him, smiling sadly. The next moment, Luca the otter was dead, pierced through by the spear in Cross's paws.

"Dad . . ." Cross murmured in his sleep. He then awoke with a start, his eyes fluttering open. Where was he? He lay on a bed, which was strange. He hadn't slept in a bed for over a year. Red stone walls surrounded him on all sides. Where was he?

Closing his eyes, he tried to remember. His most recent memories were of a little otter babe, a falcon, and a weasel. What was the otter's name? Kora? And when had he encountered a falcon? Rubbing his aching head, Cross stifled a groan. That's right. Koa had been on a quest for the river Moss. A falcon attacked, and a weasel led them to Redwall.

A surge of relief washed over him. He was at Redwall. And apparently, he wasn't dead. He couldn't really recall if he had ever awoken before this day while at the abbey, but he was pretty sure he hadn't. What day was it, anyhow? Had it only been a few hours? Or a few weeks? He gently placed a paw on his middle, where a thick swath of bandages covered the fur. So he was still wounded. Keeping his eyes closed, he let out a deep sigh. At least he was alive. He had kept his promise to Koa. Where was Koa, anyhow?

"A-are y-you alright?" he asked.

"Cross?"

Cross groaned quietly, rubbing his tired eyes. Opening them, he swiveled his head around to find the face of a little river otter babe peeking up at him, one small webbed paw on his arm. "Koa," Cross murmured happily, smiling at the lad. Had Koa been waiting here for him? For how long?

Looking past the boy, Cross noticed an unfamiliar otter standing in the doorway, as if unsure of entering the room. Trying to get himself into a sitting position, Cross grunted and doubled over in pain, holding his torso. Lying back down, the big otter looked back at Koa. "Good to see you," he said softly.

[Promatera]

It was amazing! The otter had finally awoken! Excited by the moment Leander slipped into otter slang.

"Glad t'see yore awake, mate!" he smiled. "Need anythin?"

It looked like the otter, Cross, was very close to Koa. He wondered what they went through on the day Koa left the abbey, but Leander wouldn't dare ask.

"Koa Ah'm not so shore y'should be botherin' Cross right naow," he spoke with a stern note in his voice. Although, the two were reuniting, the nurse could be back at any minute and would not want Koa to be disturbing the injured otter while he had just barely recovered.

[.:Fawn:.]

"Koa," Cross murmured happily, smiling at the lad. Had Koa been waiting here for him? For how long?

Lying back down, the big otter looked back at Koa. "Good to see you," he said softly.

The little otter's face lit up with watery-eyed delight, Koa giving Cross a smile the likes of which the Abbey hadn't seen since the youngster had gotten back. "Cross!" He squeaked, voice cracking with the overwhelming rush of relief and pure, unbridled happiness.
Cross was okay! Cross was alive! Cross was...still on the mend, but that didn't matter. Koa would make sure he got all better soon. Standing up to his full height now (he'd previously been kneeling by the edge of the mattress), Koa gently but affectionately hugged Cross's arm, eyes squeezing shut to block out the tears.

"Koa Ah'm not so shore y'should be botherin' Cross right naow," he spoke with a stern note in his voice.

Leander's suddenly stern tone tore his attention from the injured otter to the one standing in the doorway, and his eyes instantly took on a pleading look. "m'not bothrn' Cross!" He wailed softly, hoping Leander wouldn't try to kick him out of the infirmary -- even though Koa would be sorely tempted to raise holy hell if it meant he could stay by Cross's side.
"I drew yew pichurs, Cross," chimed Koa, trying to change the subject, purposefully avoiding Leander's eyes.

[Cross]

"Glad t'see yore awake, mate!" he smiled. "Need anythin?"

Cross barely heard the other otter's words as Koa squeaked his name, hugging his arm in excitement. The big sea otter rubbed Koa's head, tears of relief pooling in his own eyes. How long had it really been? Koa and the unfamiliar otter seemed overjoyed at his waking up, so it must have been a long time he was unconscious.

"Koa Ah'm not so shore y'should be botherin' Cross right naow," he spoke with a stern note in his voice.

"m'not bothrn' Cross!"

The sea otter gripped Koa's shoulder gently, quietly refusing to remove his big paw from the lad. "He is fine," Cross said, offering a smile at the other river otter. Who was he, anyway? And how did he know Cross's name? "I'm sorry, but I do not think I learned your name."

"I drew yew pichurs, Cross," chimed Koa, trying to change the subject, purposefully avoiding Leander's eyes.

"Pictures for me?" Cross replied, his attention drawn back to the little otter. "May I see them?" Shifting in the bed, he felt something small and plush in the crook of one elbow. Looking down, he saw a stuffed otter toy resting on his muscular arm. He picked it up and held it out to get a better look at it. Smiling warmly, he looked back over at Koa. "Is this yours?"

[Promatera]

"m'not bothrn' Cross!"

"He is fine,"

Charmed by Koa's innocence, Leander began to reconsider and when Cross added his opinion, he relented.

"Very well," he acquiesced, returning once more to his refined manner of speech. "But the nurse could be returning at any moment and she may be less lenient than I am."

"I'm sorry, but I do not think I learned your name."

"Oh sorry," he replied holding out his paw, "My name is Leander. Your weasel friend told the abbey about what happened the day you came."

Leander was amused by Koa and Cross' antics. Was there any creature as friendly as Koa?

[.:Fawn:.]

"Pictures for me?" Cross replied, his attention drawn back to the little otter. "May I see them?"

Koa, eager to show off his artistic skill (but he was mostly just relieved Cross was able to talk to him now), ducked back under Cross's bed, his little webbed paws catching hold of a few stray sheets of parchment. Having borrowed the Abbey Recorder's charcoal sticks and crayons, Koa had made himself quite busy these past few days sketching various drawings. One was a large picture of Martin the Warrior standing in between two adult otters -- Koa's parents -- the picture next to that one was of a more recent time frame. In fact, it was the one he'd been coloring when Cross had woken up.

It was of Cross and Koa playing in the Abbey Pond, with Leander, Alne, Bon Vaygan and several other Abbey-dwellers all around them -- Bon Vaygan able to be indentified by the big red nose Koa had given him.
"yer innit too, Leander," piped Koa, scratching behind his ear with the end of a charcoal stick, laying out the rest of the drawings all over Cross's bed.

He picked it up and held it out to get a better look at it. Smiling warmly, he looked back over at Koa. "Is this yours?"

Koa nodded instinctively when he showed him the otter plushie. "His name is Pike," the otterbabe reached over and petted the plushie affectionately, the light shining in the toy's black button eyes.
"He's got the same name as my Dad," Koa said proudly, and pulled over the picture of Martin and his parents, gesturing to the big otter with a javelin (much like the one Cross had) standing to Martin's left.

[/font]

[Cross]

"Oh sorry," he replied holding out his paw, "My name is Leander. Your weasel friend told the abbey about what happened the day you came."

Cross returned the handshake, a little weakly. "So you know about the falcon, then?" he asked bemusedly. That Bon Vaygen had been an annoying character. To say the least, but he had led them to Redwall. That counted for something.

Koa, eager to show off his artistic skill (but he was mostly just relieved Cross was able to talk to him now), ducked back under Cross's bed, his little webbed paws catching hold of a few stray sheets of parchment.

Cross felt tears slip from the corners of his eyes as he looked at the pictures. They were by no means masterpieces. They were pretty good for a five-year-old's drawing, but to Cross they were beautiful. It may have just been how weak he was from his injuries and fatigue, but he had to wipe his damp eyes more than once.

"These are wonderful, Koa," the big otter said, holding the picture of him, Koa, and the rest of the abbey-goers. The little otter really had grown attached to him, hadn't he? Well, Cross had to admit he had formed a similar liking for Koa. It felt nice . . . to care about some beast this much. Koa reminded him a lot of himself when he was young. Carefree, innocent, playful.

Koa nodded instinctively when he showed him the otter plushie. "His name is Pike [. . .] "He's got the same name as my Dad," Koa said proudly, and pulled over the picture of Martin and his parents, gesturing to the big otter with a javelin (much like the one Cross had) standing to Martin's left.

Cross took the second picture, glancing at the two otters, but his attention was more focused on the mouse between them. He seemed . . . familiar somehow. His good eye still on the picture, he quietly asked, "Who is this mouse?"

[Promatera]

"So you know about the falcon, then?" he asked bemusedly.

"M-most of it at least," Leander replied as Cross and Koa began to interact. In all his life, Leander had never been so close to another creature as Koa was. He wondered what life would have been like if he had a friend like Cross.

As Koa showed Cross the pheotos of a reimagined scene near the pond. Leander was flattered to find himself included in the poster.

((UGH too short, but too tired xp))

[.:Fawn:.]

His good eye still on the picture, he quietly asked, "Who is this mouse?"

”Hm?” replied Koa, before he followed Cross's gaze to the picture he'd drawn of his parents. The brave warrior mouse in the middle should've been easy to guess! But then Koa remembered... Cross wasn't from Redwall Abbey, he wouldn't know who Martin was.
“Dat's Martin. He's a warrior. He's in the Great Hall!” Explained the young otter, his explanation followed by complimentary paw gestures, Koa stretching his arms out wide to display the length of the magnificent tapestry. “He built this place wiv his bare paws, din't he, Leander? He was the...ori...orig...” A confused look crossed Koa's face, clearly struggling for the right word the Abbey School teacher had used.
“orig..... He was the firs' champin!” He finished with a small, confident nod, as though this were something every goodbeast aught to know. He was doing Cross a favor by telling him about Martin now, otherwise the Redwallers here would giggle at him and tell him he didn't pay attention in school when he should've.
At least all of his fellow dibbuns would, and Koa didn't want Cross to get laughed at.
….Did they have a school where Cross came from? This far-to-the-south place?

((xD Really short, sorry guys.))

[/font]

[Cross]

“Dat's Martin. He's a warrior. He's in the Great Hall!” Explained the young otter, his explanation followed by complimentary paw gestures, Koa stretching his arms out wide to display the length of the magnificent tapestry. “He built this place wiv his bare paws, din't he, Leander? He was the...ori...orig...orig..... He was the firs' champin!” He finished with a small, confident nod, as though this were something every goodbeast aught to know.

"Martin," Cross repeated, his good eye still glued to the picture. He knew that name. How did he know that name? And he knew the mouse. He could even picture him. Clad in armor, holding a beautiful sword. A confident smile on his face. He had said something.

"Where is he in Great Hall?" the sea otter asked, turning now to Leander. "I want to speak with him." Cross was unaware that Martin had died long ago. He knew the abbey was old, but he didn't know how old. Martin could be anywhere from fifty to eighty years old in Cross's mind. All he knew was that he had to talk to the mouse somehow.

"Is he around?" the otter asked, a tone of urgency entering his voice. He was remembering . . . something. Martin had said something to him. He didn't know when, he didn't know why, but he had to remember. If he spoke with Martin, he could just get the message again.

[Promatera]

"Who is this mouse?"

“Dat's Martin. He's a warrior. He's in the Great Hall!” Explained the young otter, his explanation followed by complimentary paw gestures, Koa stretching his arms out wide to display the length of the magnificent tapestry. “He built this place wiv his bare paws, din't he, Leander? He was the...ori...orig...”

He couldn't help, but smile at Koa's antics. Leander decided to let the young otter answer Cross' question because he was sure Koa would not be happy if he couldn't help his new friend.

“orig..... He was the firs' champin!”

"Martin," "Where is he in Great Hall?" the sea otter asked, turning now to Leander. "I want to speak with him."

"W-well...yes, but y-you can't-"

"Is he around?"

"W-well he passed on years ago..."he replied his gaze averted. "Er...w-why did you want to speak with him?"

[.:Fawn:.]

"Martin," "Where is he in Great Hall?" the sea otter asked, turning now to Leander. "I want to speak with him."

"W-well...yes, but y-you can't-"

"Is he around?"

"W-well he passed on years ago..."he replied his gaze averted. "Er...w-why did you want to speak with him?"

Koa watched the exchange between Cross and Leander curiously, thrown off by the feeling of urgency in Cross's voice. Why did Cross want to talk with Martin? Did he have a question for him? Or maybe Martin had spoken to him before? Yeah, that must be it! Maybe when Cross had been unconscious, Martin had said something to him.
It must be important for Cross to react this way.

Koa studied Cross's heavily bandaged chest, his little face arranged in a look of deep concentration.
There was no way the big otter was going to walk all the way down the stairs to the Great Hall, just to speak to Martin -- he was still too injured for that.
The youngster glanced to the door, thinking.

Well then, Koa decided, if he couldn't bring Cross to the tapestry, he'd just have to bring the tapestry to Cross!

How to get it off the wall though?

Oh!
Koa's face lit up.

The cool looking stick! That was big enough to reach the tapesty, Koa was sure of it!

"Whur's the stick?" Koa asked the injured otter, gazing at him intently. It seemed a little pointless to ask about Cross's javelin, but then again, they hadn't gone through the little otter's thought process, now had they?

[/font]

[Cross]

"W-well he passed on years ago..." he replied his gaze averted. "Er...w-why did you want to speak with him?"

"D*mn," Cross muttered, getting increasingly agitated. He had to remember what Martin had said. It was important! He didn't remember what it was, but it was important, he knew that for sure. "He told me something . . . I have to remember what it was." Cross rubbed his aching head, sitting up gingerly and bracing himself with one arm.

What was it? It had something to so with . . . No, he just couldn't remember! There was a . . . no, it wasn't that, it was . . . D*mnit what was it?! Cross had never wanted to remember something this badly. Cursing aloud, he gripped his sore torso and laid back on the pillows, a frustrated sigh leaving his nostrils. What. Had. Martin. Said?

"Whur's the stick?" Koa asked the injured otter, gazing at him intently.

Cross looked at the little otter in confusion. What stick? The sea otter had to think for a moment. Then it dawned on him. Koa had mistaken his weapon for a stick, hadn't he? Most beasts did until they learned what it was.

"You mean my javelin?" he replied distractedly. "I don't know. Leander?" He turned once more to the other otter. But he would only half-listen to the reply. He didn't need the javelin now. Koa probably just wanted to hold it or something.

Suddenly, Cross had a thought. It was a strange thought, but he didn't really care at the moment. "Leander, do you have a surname?" he asked after a few moments' pause. Now that he said it, it did sound like an odd question, but for some reason it seemed relevant to his trying to recall what Martin had said.

[Promatera]

"D*mn," Cross muttered, getting increasingly agitated. "He told me something . . . I have to remember what it was."

Leander gasped. He was so shocked by this development that he didn't reprimand Cross for overexerting himself.

"H-he s-spoke with you too?"

Leander removed his gaze as he thought about the implications of this. If Martin had spoken to this otter, perhaps their messages were related. Maybe Cross could help him decipher his message!

"Whur's the stick?"

"You mean my javelin?" he replied distractedly. "I don't know. Leander?"

"O-oh it's by the cupboard right by the wall," he replied absentmindedly as he chewed on his whiskers. He was so focused on his message that he failed to realize that Koa could be up to no good with that javelin.

"Leander, do you have a surname?" he asked after a few moments' pause.

"Er...yeah," he replied turning his gaze back to the otter, "it's Rivereye, Leander Rivereye."

[.:Fawn:.]

"D*mn," Cross muttered, getting increasingly agitated. "He told me something . . . I have to remember what it was."

"H-he s-spoke with you too?"

"Whur's the stick?"

"You mean my javelin?" he replied distractedly. "I don't know. Leander?"

"O-oh it's by the cupboard right by the wall," he replied absentmindedly as he chewed on his whiskers.

Koa stopped listening after the location of Cross's javelin was finally revealed, and he gave both otters a short wave goodbye -- not that they were even paying attention to him -- before he marched off determinedly.
Right, operation bring Martin to Cross was now in session! Careful not to attract too much attention to himself, the otterbabe glanced furtively around himself, pleased to see Leander and Cross still fussing over what it is Martin had said to him. He didn't quite understand why they were so intent on figuring it out... The best way to remember stuff was to do something else -- then, when you're thinking of something else, what you'd forgotten sorta drifts back to you. At least, it worked that way in Koa's mind. The best way for him to remember what he'd learned in Abbey School was to draw pictures, and then everything kind of came flooding back to him.

Carefully as he possibly could, Koa gripped the Javelin with both paws, the head of the weapon sliding against the wall as he pulled it by the bottom end, backing up as he did so. Quietly, Koa began dragging the javelin right out of the infirmary, the faint 'thunk thunk thunk', of the tip of the javelin heard as it connected with each step to the Abbey's Great Hall, Koa picking up the pace frantically as he heard the sound of footsteps nearby.

-Koa Out-

[/font]

[Cross]

"Er...yeah," he replied turning his gaze back to the otter, "it's Rivereye, Leander Rivereye."

Cross's eyes suddenly went wide. Rivereye . . . River's eye . . . Eye of the river . . . Turning the name around in his mind was bringing something back. The eye of the river . . . the river's eye . . . it had something to do with Rivereye, he was sure of it.

"Martin . . . Martin said something about Rivereye," the sea otter said. "I-I can't remember what . . . Rivereye, rivereye, rivereye--ah! D*mn, what was it?!" He rubbed his head again, still drawing a blank. He then recalled something Leander had said.

"Wait, what do you mean, he spoke to me, too?" Cross asked. He glanced over at Leader, his focus entirely on the other otter. He didn't even notice as Koa slipped out of the infirmary with his javelin in paw.

[Promatera]

"Martin . . . Martin said something about Rivereye," the sea otter said. "I-I can't remember what . . . Rivereye, rivereye, rivereye--ah! D*mn, what was it?!"

"Wait, what do you mean, he spoke to me, too?" Cross asked.

"W-well it was not too long ago," Leander replied. "It had something to do with...er leaving the abbey and finding somebeast."

The thought of doing so still made him uncomfortable. He had tried it once, but he just couldn't leave. It was a dark spot on his soul. He had promised himself for years to leave and when the time came, he ran away from it.

"I-I'm still w-working on that one..." he sighed.

[Cross]

"W-well it was not too long ago," Leander replied. "It had something to do with...er leaving the abbey and finding somebeast."

Did Martin speak to many creatures about important things? Now Cross really had to remember what the mouse had said. Maybe he had tied it in with what he'd said to Leander!

"I-I'm still w-working on that one..." he sighed.

Working on it? How was he working on it? "You mean you haven't deciphered the meaning of it, yet?" Cross asked. It seemed pretty straightforward to him. Leave the abbey to find somebeast important. Wasn't it pretty easy to find an important creature?

((Short. Sorry))