"Shadowland
The leaves have fallen
This shadowed land
This was our home
The river's dry
The ground has broken"—Shadowland, from The Lion King: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Nata gaped at us in shock. "Return?" she demanded, her voice taking on a harsh pitch. "Return to that horrid place? Never. This is my home now! Why should I go back to a place when I have no family left there?"

I shook my head sadly. Llewellyn and I had tried to break the news to her kindly, butg Nata just refused to listen to reason, turning back into the slave. "Then, Nata, you stay here in Redwall. I think you'll be happy, won't you?"

Nata's upper lip curled in disgust and she turned away from me, folding her arms tightly over herself. "So be it, Princess," she snarled, her voice full of bitterness.

Llewellyn coughed uneasily, taking a step back. Obviously, our argument was disturbing him. I glanced over at him and he looked ready to bolt out of the room.

"Goodbye then, friend…" I replied, trying to keep the tears out of my voice. I turned away from her, unable to bear it anymore. Llewellyn hesitantly followed after me, probably casting another glance in Nata's direction.

When the two of us were far down the hall from Nata's room, I let off a string of curses. Llewellyn first stared at me with his mouth open, then he started laughing. "Where did you learn all those words, Stri?" he asked when he stopped laughing.

I glared at him, irritated further by his laughter. "What do you expect? I lived for a long time on a slave ship with vermin to teach me," I growled.

Llewellyn frowned. "Sorry…I forget sometimes…" He bit his lip. "I have to tell you something… Remember Grijalva?"

I frowned. "What about him?" I asked softly.

Llewellyn swallowed hard. "Well, you see… He isn't dead. We left him and most of his crew alive on their ship," he said quietly.

I found myself smiling at him. "Good, then. This way it will be much more satisfactory when I kick him clean off of Phuri Dae."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

"Good bye, Llewellyn," Eoduin said warmly, hugging him. He blushed deeply under his fur but didn't protest. She turned and gave me a hug as well. "Good luck, Princess Angustri!"

I smiled. "Thank you, Abbess…" I said.

A chorus of farewells arose from all the Redwallers about us as we walked away. Llewellyn and I were at the head of our little band, which consisted of ten Redwallers—the crew of the ship.

When I had made it outside the gates, I turned around to look once more at the magnificent Redwall Abbey. Some swift movement caught my attention and I saw Nata; she was dressed in travelling clothes and had a small pack slung over her right shoulder. She didn't look at me once as she fell in next to me. I remained silent and continued walking, smiling lightly.

Llewellyn smiled in Nata's direction before waving a final goodbye to his home. He threw an arm about my shoulders. "We ready?"

I laughed. "I've been ready for this day for years now…" I said softly.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

The voyage itself was unimportant; a time that each day felt the same as the last. The only thing that lifted the dull monotony was being with beasts I cared about and that cared about me. Llewellyn and I had grown very close with the passing of each day. We would wake early just to sit together as the sun rose.

That all changed on a bright and sunny day, though. Land was spotted and, as soon as I heard the shout, I ran to the deck and to the front of the ship.

All I could see was a dim lump of something on the horizon and couldn't help but feel disappointed that I couldn't see it clearer. The Northeastern tip of my homeland… I felt joy welling up in me, followed closely by dread. What was I supposed to do once I set foot there? I wanted to free my people…but I had no idea how to go about that.

The land grew larger and time passed. Soon, I could make out individual trees…or stumps of trees and dead trees. Tears were falling wildly from my eyes. Not greeted by the beautiful greens of my homeland, but dead browns! There were some greens, but not like those of my memories. I felt someone walk up behind me but I didn't have to turn around. "Nata… Look at what they've done!" I said softly.

She moved to stand next to me and I looked towards her. Her eyes glistened and I could see a dampness under them. "I always knew it… So many years without someone to properly take care of the land… These vermin abuse it horribly… And the land doesn't have its Heart."

"Heart?" I asked, familiar with the term.

Nata nodded, looking at me for the first time. "You don't remember, do you? The legend of your family…of the Rune Blades."

"And I'm the last one in my family. But I’m almost home. I don't know if I believe the Rune Blades part of the legend, though… I've never seen one."

"You forget," Nata replied, "that the only times Rune Blades can be found is during crises, times of need."

"This definitely qualifies as one of those times," I agreed quietly.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

The ship landed on a small shore, one that was most likely not known by the vermin that had overrun the entire island. It was a hidden shore—one that could only be seen from the sea, and even then you had to know what to look for.

As I walked toward the trees, most of which looked healthier than those we had first seen, I heard rustling. Rustling in the bushes; not a good sign. I pretended not to hear and continued my walk.

I was ready for the attack when a flash of brown came hurtling at me. I managed to lay my assailant flat on his or her back, holding down with one of my feet. I looked down, growling. As I recognized the beast as a mouse, I began to let up. Well, until I was surrounded by twenty arrow tips.

"Let him go," a voice growled. I looked up to see an old badger.

As protesting wasn't an option if I wanted to remain alive, I let the mouse regain his feet. I sniffed disdainfully in the badger's direction. "He did attack—" I stopped dead, recognition hitting me full in the chest. "W-wait… Is that you, Robert?" I asked, shocked. My weapon's trainer from so long ago?

The badger snarled. "And who are you that knows my name? I don't know you!"

At this point I just stared at him. Of course he doesn't recognize me! I berated myself. I couldn't find my voice, though.

"Speak up before you turn into a scarred little pincushion," he said threateningly. He meant it, too, but that wasn't what set me off.

Either it was the expression on my face, or the string of curses that came out of my mouth, but he started in shock at me. I got to the point of saying something unpleasant about his great-great-great-great-grandfather when he stopped me. "Did you say 'Angustri'?"

I thought back. It was quite possible. "Who else would I be, you over-stuffed pudding head?" I demanded of him.

He made a motion with his right paw and the arrows were taken away from me. He grabbed me and hugged em tight against his chest to the point where I thought he was using some death-grip on me. "We were so sure you were dead! When I helped some of the castle beasts escape, I went back for you but your parents… And I couldn't find you anywhere!" he rambled.

"If you don't…let go…I will be dead!" I gasped. He dropped me and I fell on my bottom. "Thanks, I'm sure." I managed to stand up again and dusted myself off.

"Stri!" I heard Llewellyn shout. I had been too caught up in what was happening to remember him. He stood there, with most of the Redwallers, sword ready. "Are you alright?"

I heard Robert gasp. "Tad? But you've been dead for so long!"

Llewellyn growled. "I know nobeast by that name. Let Angustri go."

"Don't be such an idiot, Llewellyn. He's a friend!" I exclaimed. Men…so stupid.

I turned back towards Robert and realized he was still staring at Llewellyn. "Robert?" I asked, poking him in the belly. "Who's Tad?"

"A friend from a long time ago. He was out fishing with his son one day when one of the small villages on one of our southern beaches was attacked. We found him killed by vermin in his boat…but his son was gone. We assumed he was dead, as well, but we had no idea." He stared intently at Llewellyn. "His son's name was Llewellyn."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

We sat around a fire in a small camp in the woods. The Redwallers had left for home with the promise to return and we had gone with Robert's band. Llewellyn stared into the fire and, getting tired of his moping around, I punched him in the shoulder.

"Why'd you do that?" he yelped, rubbing his shoulder and scowling at me.

"You're being obnoxious," I replied, sniffing disdainfully. When he opened his mouth to protest I continued. "So what if you found out who your parents were and where you are from! You shouldn't let it make you sad."

"But they're dead! And I only just learned about them."

"Who said your mother's dead, hmmm? She might still be fine, numbskull!"

He stopped whatever he was going to say before it got out of his mouth and stared at me. "Do you think it's possible?"

"Robert said nothing about her death—she might very well be alive somewhere. Ask him; he'll tell you," I encouraged.

Llewellyn moved quickly towards where Robert stood talking to another beat on the other side of the camp. I couldn't hear his words, but I knew he was asking about his mother. I walked towards them.

"—Kate?" Robert asked softly. "Oh, yes… She's alive and well as she can be… She never was the same after your father's death, and your disappearance. Always insisted you'd return to her, though. I think seeing you will lighten her spirits and bring life…" He stopped. "But… She's one of the prisoners at the castle. I took her there soon after that raid and she's lived there since. I saw her during the attack by Grijalva, being shoved into the dungeons. A recently escaped captive had shared a cell with her."

Llewellyn swallowed thickly. "We'll just have to be sure to free them, won't we?"

I hugged him, knowing how much effort those words had cost him. "I led him back to the fire and we sat there. He fell asleep, his head resting on my lap, much before I did. I fell into a deep sleep, though.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

"Angustri…" a soft voice whispered. The name echoed on the wind, among the trees. It was followed by two other summons; Llewellyn and Nata.

I looked around. Llewellyn and I stood atop a misty hill, alone. Nata walked up behind us, putting a paw on my shoulder. No words were uttered as the three of us walked towards a well-lit cave.

It was a cave full of flickering candles, their shadows dancing on the stone walls. My attention focused on three magnificent blades—one in particular called out to me.

I stepped towards it, reachign out. Everything shattered…

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

I woke up with a jump and nearly chopped my foot of with the sword I held tightly in my paw. I stared down at it, trying to figure out how it came to be there.

"Stri?" Llewellyn whispered. I looked up at him; dumfounded expression, sword in paw.

I looked back down at my own blade and studied it. A beautifully crafted weapon, with an emerald pommel stone, intricately worked hilt, and long silver blade. I saw writing on it in an ancient language, but it was easy for me to work out what it said. "Destiny," I declared.

Llewellyn looked up from his own blade, identical to mine in every way except a garnet pommel stone. "Protect."

"Loyalty," Nata said softly, padding up behind us. Sapphire pommel stone.

"What does it mean?" Llewellyn asked.

"Angustri must seize her destiny with you to protect, and me to give my loyalty," Nata said.

"My destiny…" I whispered.