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16

As summer wore on, the days got longer and a lot more humid and hotter. Sandokhan had settled in well with abbey life, although some abbey-dwellers found him a bit odd they still accepted him nonetheless. Nothing went missing or stolen and a trust in the strange fox was growing, except Mattimeo. The abbey warrior was still very distrustful of Sandokhan but he respected the Abbots' wishes of letting him stay. One summer afternoon, Sandokhan stood in great hall admiring the grand Redwall tapestry. It was the first time he had a proper good look at it. He recognised the mouse at the centre, it was the mouse from his vision. His concentration was broken by the sounds of heavy pawsteps behind him, the fox looked round to see Auma. Sandokhan bowed respectfully to the badger as she joined him at his side. "It's a nice day out there, what are you doing skulking about indoors?"

"I'm still trying to find my way round this place," Sandokhan smiled. "At times I still get lost."

"I'm surprised the good sister isn't with you today,"

"Oh she had some duties to perform in the kitchen and storeroom. That was when I walked past your tapestry and saw this image." Sandokhan explained, pointing at Martins' picture. "Is he one of your household gods?"

Auma laughed, "Hehehe, Oh heaven's me! That's Martin the Warrior, first warrior of Redwall Abbey. He helped drive out the wildcat tyrants and brought peace to Mossflower. If you want to know more about him, speak with Tim. He has all the old legends in his study somewhere."

"I would like to know more, actually."

"Take a good, hard look at that image, fox! If he were still here today, he'd chop you up for crow meat," a gruff voice called from behind them. The pair turned round to see Mattimeo. Sandokhan bowed politely, Mattimeo was unimpressed and unmoved. "I must speak with you," said the fox. Mattimeo sighed with impatience, "Very well, what is it you want?"

"Your help. This is why I came to Redwall. My homeland..."

"Don't insult me," Mattimeo snapped back.

"I meant no offence. I speak truth,"

"Your kind wouldn't know truth if it bit on the tail! Why won't you leave?"

"I came here to seek your help and I shan't leave until you agree to help me," Sandokhan argued. "Fine, then stay," said Mattimeo in a scornful tone before storming out of great hall. "Wait," Sandokhan called. Mattimeo paused for a second. "When you were in Southsward fighting the corsairs, did you encounter a ship known as The Lion's Mane?"

Mattimeo spun round suddenly intrigued, "Yes. Everybeast aboard that vessel was dead."

"They were dead because they tried to board my ship. Luckily my crew were hardened veterans of the sea and we brought the fight to them. They got me ashore and are now possibly back in Jima by now. I and my friends were the reason why the corsair flotilla was one ship short. I travelled a long way north to reach here."

"How could you do that? It's like killing your own kind. Then again, I never would've expected more from the likes of you," said Mattimeo.

"Do not mistake me as a thief or murderer. I am not here to rob you! I am Samurai, I live by a strict code of honour," the fox replied sternly. Mattimeo shook his head and continued out of great hall.

*

Feeling somewhat incomplete without his katana, Sandokhan had the idea of making himself a new bokken. The Abbot said nothing about wooden weapons, at times Sandokhan would see some abbeydwellers carrying staves when walking the ramparts. All of the abbey infants, known as dibbuns, envied it and some begged Sandokhan to make some for them. But Sandokhan would trick the dibbuns into finding suitable wood to make them from. Time and time again they would give Sandokhan dead branches from old trees in the abbey orchards or when they were out in Mossflower Wood. The only beast he would make a bokken for was Martin, Mattimeo's son. Though there was doubt that his father would allow it, "The sword of Martin the warrior is the only weapon you will need to wield. Now enough of this katana nonsense," is what Mattimeo would say.

One day, while out in the orchard, Sandokhan was out walking with two of the ten Stump sisters. All three of them carried baskets laden with fruit from the orchard and allotments as they conversed light heartedly, "Tell me, what do you young hog-maids know about love?"

"Erm, Olga's in love," said one of the sisters. Olga stamped her footpaw, "Fibber, I am not!"

"Yes you are, I've seen you flirting!"

"I've seen you flirt aswell,"

"Who is it?" Sandokhan asked turning to Olga. But the hog-maid remained silent and blushed, "You can tell me, I'm a warrior!" Just then, their conversation was interrupted by a group of giggling dibbuns on their way to raid the strawberry patch. They all stopped and bowed politely to the trio, "Konichiwa Sandokhan san!" They all said in unison. "Konichiwa dibbuns," Sandokhan replied as he let the infants take their pick of the freshly picked fruit, before following the sisters down to the kitchens. The fox returned to the orchard and sat underneath a cider apple tree, the shade bringing relief from the summer heat. He closed his eyes and started to meditate just as he felt something heavy pressed into his lap. He opened his eyes to see Sister Stephanie sitting next to him placing a book in his lap. "Take it," she said. "Badgermum Auma said you were interested in reading about Martin the warrior. This is the first chapter of his saga and legacy. It's about..."

"Hehe, don't spoil it for me," Sandokhan chuckled.

"I think you'll enjoy it,"

"I think I would enjoy it more if... you read it to me," said Sandokhan, as he touched Stephanie's thigh and squeezed gently. Stephanie fixed him with an angry look. Sandokhan quickly withdrew his paw, "I, I, I'm so sorry - YOWCH!" Sandokhan yelped as Sister Stephanie slapped him hard round the muzzle. She rose off the ground, "Well I never!" With that she stormed off in a huff leaving Sandokhan nursing a stinging snout and bruised feelings.

*

Sandokhan didn't attend supper that evening, he decided to retire to his dormitory to meditate and read the book Sister Stephanie had given him. The book was bound in leather with the picture of a rose embossed on the cover. He sat on the edge of his bed and started reading the ancient tome.

It all begins with Martin the Warrior, first defender of Redwall Abbey. The corsair Badrang dreamed of his own empire. He collected slaves to build him a fortress on the eastern coast named Marshank, a foreboding place whose name will never be forgotten. And Martin's sorrow began when, at a young age, his mother was killed by the corsair Vilu Daskar. His father Luke left his tribes' caves to pursue Vilu Daskar. Before he left, Luke gave his son his most precious thing; the sword of his forefathers. "Defend the weak, never strike in anger and become a shield for the ones you love," Luke said unto Martin. The son of Luke held the sword aloft in a warriors' salute as his father sailed off into the distance in search of Vilu Daskar...