| This is the 2nd collection of life stories of our brave warriors, written by their own hand. Enjoy their stories! Write your own biography for 5-10 food. Send it to Irongrip. |
| Rockjaw Grang I, Rockjaw, was born in the far Northern Lands. My father, Granite Grang the Giant, lived only long enough to name me and my younger brother, for he had fallen ill some seasons earlier. My mother, Goodwife Grang, raised me and my brother, Rockpaw. Out father named us alike because we were twins, me born first by minutes. Travelers that stopped at our home, Fort Grang, always brought tales of the famous Long Patrol, protectors of the west shore of Mossflower. The more I heard the more I came to admire the Long Patrol. Eventually, I began to train to join them. I tried several combinations of weapons, but I favored the spear and sling the most. Finally I was ready to leave, and my brother became leader of Fort Grang. I traveled south through blizzards and near starvation. The day came, five seasons later, when I sighted the great mountain of Salamandastron! When I reached the door, two hares, dressed in uniform, welcomed me. I was lead to a room by a senior officer. After a good night's sleep I felt refreshed. Teh same hare lead me down to breakfast. What a sight! Scones, tarts, crumbles, cakes....my mouth started to water like a stream. Then Lady Cregga entered the room and sat down at the head of the table. She was an awesome sight for a hare who has never seen a badger before. Soon a hare rang a loud bell that echoed through the halls. The senior I was with said, "We'd better sit down afore all the young'ns take the seats, wot." He never spoke a truer word, what sounded like thunder turned out to be hundreds of young hares racing at full speed down the halls. Every space was taken. I had never seen so many hares in one place before! Then everybeast dug into the delicious food. Chatter broke out among the hares. "Pass me that platter of scones please," "I love these little tarts, wot," "More ale please!" Lady Cregga stood and all talk died away. She spoke, "Today we have been honored by a guest, who if you hadn't noticed is seated right there." She pointed at me with her gigantic paw. I was not hard to miss, being a giant hare of the Northlands. I felt the tips of my ears turn pink as every head turned toward me. "I do believe that this feller 'ere," piped up the senior hare next to me, "wants to join our flippin' Patrol." I was astounded at the perception of the hare. Winking at me he said, "Me name's Perigord, er, Captain Perigord," Lady Cregga boomed, "Well that's obvious, considering he dragged himself this far. What's your name?" I replied, "Rockjaw Grang son of Granite Grang the Giant." A young hare down the table from me piped up, saying, "Well you couldn't be called giant too doncha know, wot." Perigord called out to another senior by the young hare, "Oy, Major, give young Bobear a nice thump please, fer bally impudence to guests, wot." Young Bobear recieved a hearty whack from the Major. Cregga said, "Back to business now, Rockjaw, of course you can join!" Those were the words that set off my career. I progressed through the ranks, fighting searats and vermin. One day a Rapscallion army faced Salamandastron, the leader Gormad Tunn and his sons, Damug and Byral. We vanquished them but not without losses. Lady Cregga sent a patrol which included me an' my good friend Major Perigord, now. We tracked a group wot had gotten lost. That's where we met Tammo and Russa. Together we march to Redwall Abbey, I had visited once before and was glad to go back. On the way we found the rest of the lost Rapscallions torturing an old badger and a baby. We rescued the baby badger but the old one was slain, and we sadly also lost Russa. I was given the baby becuase I could carry him with little effort. I named him Russano after Russa Nodrey who had died saving him. When we finally reached Redwall, we found the south wall under repairs. We decided to act as protection until the south was rebuilt. Unfortunately, Damug Warfang, new leader of the Rapscallions, was marching stright for Redwall. One member of our patrol, Midge Manycoats, master of disguise, was sent with Tammo on an infiltration mission. Midge acted as a Seer and planted ideas in Damug's head. They were discovered and I had to cover for their escape. I took a spear in the side and was forced out into Mossflower woods. Tammo and the others believed me to be dead. I treated myself with all the herbs I could lay my paws on. Eventually, I got better and started out for Salamandastron again. When I reached the mountain I noticed the graves of Russano the Wise and his mate. Remembering the little babe I had helped to raise, I wept. Then I noticed Tammo walking down the beach. When he saw me his jaw dropped like a vermin hit by an arrow. "Rockjaw...you're....alive!" He stammered. "Of course I am alive, only injured when last seen." Tammo smiled and invited me into Salamandastron. On the way he told me of Russano's story. From then on I've been with the Long Patrol, wallopin' weasels, sockin' stoats, and you know the rest. Perigord Habile Sinistra I was born many great seasons before our Lord Tammo, boy, when he was a young'n he was sure a fighter... Well anyway, born many seasons before our league I was a young reckless hare always causin' trouble until this one day when searats and corsairs raided me town. Everybeast, from the most elderly to the youngest bloomin' babes was taken prisoner. The vermin burned and destroyed everything in my town. I had been playin' in the bally ol' woods by the town and watched helplessly everthing being torn and burned. Afterwards I searched every nook and cranny of the burnt mess lookin' fer anything to salvage. The only thing I found was a metal rod which I had used as a toy sword earlier in my life. Everything I loved and had besides a blasted metal rod was destroyed. Later that night I cried myself to sleep. The next day I found some swamp root and cooked it on the still hot ashes that once were my house. I walked and walked until I found shelter. It was a small cave with weeds over the entrance. I stumbled over some root and tumbled in. Unfortunately it was a frog den that was still in use, so I was trapped an' captured by a gang of 13 frogs and taken into a deeper part of the cave. I was thrown into a cage with a hedgehog named Ponder. He had also stumbled into the hole. We had a daily basis to run outside so we would be nice and "Tender." We planned to run off one day in a spot that would be hard for the frogs to get to. So we ran through the gap into the pond. I lost Ponder immediatley. He sunk and drowned but saved my own life. I ran and ran until I met a group of 20 hares that called themselves the Long Patrol. I was amazed at their fighting skills and expertise. I was in pure awe. Their performance they showed me was wonderful. They showed me a giant mountain that is a kingdom of hares and badger lords. The Long Patrol was scouting north and I was headed to the mountain so we parted and moved on. I was welcomed into the mountain and asked to stay fer a season or two. But instead I joined the Long Patrol. I was given armor, a sword, food and shelter. Now I live my life as a hare fighting for those who can't fight even to save their own skins. So I believe I've made up for the deaths of my family and the old ones of my town. Kailia Silverstreak Well, I'll say right out, matey, that I don't know if I'm an orphan or not. Could be. Or, could've been my parents just didn't want me. Either way, I was found and taken in by a good ole' otter named Frenel Heatherfur, wife of the leader of Holt Stailatra. She was a mighty fighter, that 'un, as was her husband, and they taught me almost everything I know about the scimitar and bow 'n arrows. After I'd grown, though, I started getting restless. I remember clearly, one night, when everyone was asleep or hunting for crayfish, walking out into a clearing in the woods, and just standing there, looking at the moon. It was a silver color, and its light washed everything in the grove until it matched the moon, so I was standing in a silver world. Frenel found me there the next morning, still watching where the moon had been. Only one thing had changed. I was a completely dark otter, at first, a shade of deep, deep, night washed sienna. But then, around my eyes and trailing down my neck, she found strange, silver markings. That's where I got me name. I left that afternoon. Just packed what I had, strapped on me scimitar (an heirloom of the Stailatra Holt), and walked away. I wandered for a year, until I came upon a group of vermin in the woods. I fought them. I won. And that's when I realized what my restlessness was. I wasn't satisfied just living. I had to fight for the good of something. I wandered a few more months, and came upon a patrol on their way back to Salamandastron. I went with them, and the rest is in the making. |