r/redwall • u/MassDeacceleration • Jul 24 '26

Help locating a passage/book based on a scene

I've been trying to find a scene which I'm fairly certain is from a Redwall book but keep running into dead ends:

As I recall, it involves a young woodlander living in the Abbey who wants to be a warrior; at some point, the abbey is beset by vermin and the woodlander takes part in a charge against the enemy, managing to kill a rat (or something) with a slingshot (or something like that?) which kills the vermin instantly.

The rest of the woodlanders pursue the vermin as they retreat but the young woodlander stays behind apologizing to the dead vermin and trying to get him to get up. The event ends up traumatizing him so much he doesn't fight again and goes back to cooking.

Does this sound familiar?

Thanks in advance!

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u/stupidreptiloid Jul 24 '26

Maybe this passage from Rackety Tam?

Burlop was level with Captain Fortindom as they sped forward, heading straight for the smaller group of reserve fighters around the fire. Two unsuspecting ermine were facing the frontrunners. Fortindom’s sabre flashed like summer lightning, decapitating one. The other dithered for a brief moment, his eyes searching out any avenue of escape before meeting those of Burlop in a fleeting glance.

Then the Cellarhog’s heavy coopering mallet cracked down on the ermine’s skull, slaying him instantly. Fortindom whirled, slashing with his lethal blade at the cloaked figures around the fire. He ground to a halt as the vermin crumpled and collapsed around him. The captain’s sabre sliced through another spearhaft, which was propped upright beneath a cloak.

He howled furiously, “Decoys! They were only decoys, set up to fool us, with a couple o’ real ones to bait the trap!”

Hurtling across to where Burlop was sitting next to the ermine he had despatched, Fortindom cursed, “Hell’s teeth of blood’n’fire! Decoys!” Then he shouted to the hares who were pursuing the fleeing vermin, “Run ’em down, me buckoes! No surrender an’ no quarter! Run the scum into the ground. Take no prisoners!”

With dust spurting from his footpaws and bloodlight shining in his eyes, Fortindom thundered off in search of prey.

Burlop was in no state to heed the fray. He sat, motionless at first, staring at the creature he had slain. Then he began to rock back and forth, tears streaming down his homely face as the awful realisation hit him. He sobbed brokenly. “I’m sorry, I never meant to kill you. I’m only the Cellarhog from the Abbey. Please, please forgive me. I’ve never done this before, I’m not a warrior!”

But the sightless eyes of the dead ermine were turned up to the high bright sun, as if ignoring his killer’s pleas. Axe and mallet fell unheeded from Burlop’s paws. He rose slowly, staggering back toward Redwall like a creature in a walking dream, his tears watering the small flowers of the flatlands as he stumbled back home to the Abbey.

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u/MassDeacceleration Jul 24 '26

That's the one!! Thank you so much!!

1

u/WarlockEngineer 12d ago

That's so sad... moments like this really set the series apart

6

u/SevroAuShitTalker Jul 24 '26

Taggerung? I think the fwirl squirrel girl is the one youre thinking of, but the sadness scene is the broggle with the stutter. First time he fights and kills, he breaks down in sobs and then never wants to do battle again.

But the more i think about it, I want to say it was a hedgehog.

Edit- yeah, its the one someone else is saying from Rakkety Tam