A Second Chance (Redwall Fanfic)

The Abbey's Abbess

"I think that we have as many questions as you do."

Delbert motioned for the two to take a seat. Bella raised an eyebrow before heading to the large door to wedge it shut. "I think I'll find a bench that will actually hold my weight. This place is in need of some major repairs."

"Yes, well... there are only us four old ones and a young hog named Collum who hides down in the cellars when those from Mosstown comes around."

One female who smelled like herbs shook her head. "Collum also hides down in the cellars when storms come."

"Now, now. It isn't as if that young un is afraid of the storms. He just... likes napping through them." The other female spoke up

"My question for you is how the two of you came back to being alive." Delbert watched as the two looked at each other. The few others that were with them simply shook their heads.

Germaine took a deep breath. "We honestly don't know why we're alive again. We just appeared with rain pouring down on us, which in itself was a shock. The biggest shock was to see the abbey like it is. It is in need of some serious repair. This means a lot of time has passed since we have died. What can you tell us?"

Delbert took a deep breath himself. "What can I tell you? Well, there is a lot I guess to tell. One of the important things you need to know is that since you've passed a town has come to be called Mosstown. The other thing you need to know is that for many turn of the seasons the town has had this division among the good beast species."

"The mole folk are treated like dirt and are completely disrespected." The second female mouse shook her head.

"This by the way is Sister Majium. She is in charge of the orchards here while Sister Karina is in charge of the infirmary."

"I am no healer though." The sister that smelled like herbs shook her head. "The most I've ever done is care for a simple cold."

Her companion piped up. "She is just being humble as there is only colds pretty much now to heal. This means that she can help me when the fruit goes to rot in the orchards."

"As a healer myself I should say one should be grateful for not having anything else. I've seen war, plagues and more in my life time. I mean, my former life time. I wonder if the wars will come again. I certainly hope not."

"And there is one other." Karina pointed her paw at the recorder who was busy recording down the meeting. "I believe Brother Jupi's happy to have more to record. You'll likely meet Collum later when he wakes up."

"Have any others come back?" Majium frowned.

"I don't know... Bella, could you go and look around?" Germaine watched as the badger nodded her head before speaking up again. The other mice that had come in with them went to look for others as well. "I'm surprised that you aren't in bigger shock at us existing."

"Truth be told I was hoping for a miracle. Those of Mosstown wish to take over the abbey for a market place. While it is true that the abbey would likely be in better conditions if we had given in to them a long time ago in reality we don't know what they'll do with the culture and we don't like the segregation that is going on as it goes against what the abbey has always stood for. It's not exactly what we were expecting."

"And what were you expecting?"

"For the ghost of..."

There came a sudden yelp from the cellars and a young hog came running up. "There are ghosts down there!"

Germaine's eyes widened as her paws remained folded on the table. Delbert's eyebrow raised up. "This would be Collum."

The young hedgehog skidded to a stop. "Who are these people?"

"Well... ghosts is an apt name for them." Jupi continued to write in his book. "This is Abbess Germaine."

The small hog let out a squeak before diving under the table. Karina shook her head. "I'm not sure if you can call them ghosts though as they are obviously physically here. Plus, we've told you Redwall's ghost stories."

"While Sister Karina tries to get Brother Collum from under the table I'm going to ask what you meant by ghost. If I recollect carefully you said something about turns of seasons. What exactly did you mean by that as well."

"Turn of seasons is when the four seasons come and go. Good beasts are actually living longer, but then that may be in part because we haven't seen vermin for a very long time." Friar Delbert then folded his arms into his sleeves. "The ghost I'm speaking of is Martin the Warrior."

"Our Martin?" Germaine shook her head.

"Martin had a way of appearing in people's dreams when the abbey was in need of being saved. It wasn't always from vermin. One time it told us where we had to go to find a particular herb to cure a major illness that came to the abbey."

"That honestly is news to myself. Then again I suspect that there were many things Martin always hid from us. Can I ask if possible that this not be spread among the abbey beasts that have come back to life? I'm honestly not sure how they will react to this news."

Two hedgehogs came up from the cellar. "Abbess Germaine... what is going on exactly."

"Those are the ghosts!" Collum shook under the table. "Now I'm afraid of storms, but I certainly am afraid of ghosts!"

"We won't bite." The female hedgehog shook her head.

"Ben, Goody. It's good to see that you two are all right as well."

"Perhaps old ones would be a better name for you."

A sudden laugh came from the hedgehog then. "You kidding me! They look younger then you old mice!" A sudden realization came to the hedgehog. "You know, they're not that scary. I certainly don't get what is going on but I don't care so long as I don't have to go back to Mosstown. Things are nasty there, the way they treat everyone else. The old hog's one of the worst."

"We can't find our little ones."

Germaine's muzzle twisted up into a frown. "I've noticed that we're all much younger then when we met Martin."

Ben looked at his wife. "Now that I think of it Goody and I are around the age when we took Gonff in as an infant."

"I wonder if any of them ended up in Mosstown." Majium's words caused the other mice who had been trying to figure out the odd occurrence.

The young hedgehog frowned. "You know... that's not a good thing. Perhaps we should help them look for them? I'm not quite sure what to look for as I'm only slightly familiar with the stories. I mean, I've been here less then a season while the old ones have been here for many turns of the seasons."

"Turns of the seasons?" Ben shook his head at the foreign term. "I'd think that you would be less trusting of us."

"Well... as I told the abbess there are only a few of us now. Ghosts is mild compared to what we've gotten from Mosstown."

It was then that Bella returned with many other Redwallers, dripping on the floor. Karina stood up quickly. "I must get towels as everyone is dripping."

"Someone care to explain to me why the young mouse and squirrel that were staying in the gatehouse took off when I peeked in.

A grin spread across Majium's muzzle. "Serves those two right. They ran off because nobodies seen a badger in such a long time. Serves them right it does."

"Something I need to ask while you're here. This abbey has been without an abbot or abbess for well over a hundred turns of the seasons since we had one. Would it be too much to ask that Abbess Germaine take on the position?"

"I think that is something we need to discuss after we find the little ones as well as work on mending the Abbey. It is quite worrisome that some of ours may be dibbuns and infants."