Outcast of Redwall

Outcast of Redwall

UK first edition cover
Author Brian Jacques
Illustrator Allan Curless
Cover artist Chris Baker
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Redwall
Genre Fantasy novel
Publisher Hutchinson (UK) & Philomel (US)
Publication date
 1995
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 375 (UK Hardback) & 360 (US Hardback)
ISBN 0-09-176721-0 (UK Hardback) & ISBN 0-399-22914-0 (US Hardback)
OCLC 33010820
Preceded by The Bellmaker
Followed by The Pearls of Lutra

Outcast of Redwall is a 1995 fantasy novel by Brian Jacques. It is the eighth book and chronologically fifth book in the Redwall series.

Plot introduction

While ferret Swartt Sixclaw and his arch enemy Sunflash the Mace plot to slay one another, a young creature is banished from the safety of Redwall Abbey. As he grows, he seeks revenge on the citizens of Redwall and battles his demons as he tries to understand who he is and what he has become.

Plot summary

In the howling, snowy north, a young badger is captured and bound by the cruel ferret Swartt Sixclaw and his group of vermin, who torment him mercilessly. When the vermin also capture a kestrel, Skarlath, the two young beasts help each other escape from the vermin camp. In the scuffle that ensues, the badger uses a massive hornbeam limb to severely injure Swartt's sixclawed left paw. The ferret and the badger both vow to extort revenge, each declaring the other to be his mortal enemy.

As the young badger could not remember his name, Skarlath dubs him Sunflash after the distinctive golden stripe running down his snout. The two young beasts quickly become inseparable friends and travel throughout Mossflower Woods together, defending the weak and helpless and quickly growing older. Sunflash's reputation quickly spreads throughout the land. He eventually molds his hornbeam limb into a fearsome, stone-spiked warclub, calling it his mace.

Meanwhile, Swartt also grows older, stronger, and wiser. He travels the northern lands with his vixen seer Nightshade and his horde and eventually ends up at the camp of Bowfleg, a fat ferret with a large horde who has settled down in a plentiful land. As an earlier leader of Swartt's, his captains are suspicious, and rightly so: with the help of Nightshade, Swartt executes a cunning trick that kills Bowfleg. Swartt takes over his large horde and marries his daughter, Bluefen.

At this point, Sunflash and Skarlath have spent several seasons in the Lingl-Dubbo cave, the home of the families of Tirry Lingl the hedgehog and Bruff Dubbo the mole. Sunflash is eventually called to the mountain Salamandastron in his dreams, and so he travels there to become Badger Lord. He and Skarlath part ways, and Sunflash becomes Lord of the Mountain; this section quotes Sunflash's arrival at Salamandastron from the epilogue of Mossflower.

By this time, Swartt Sixclaw and his large horde have passed through the Redwall region of Mossflower, which is efficiently defended by the resident squirrels and otters. However, the nursemaid of Swartt's infant son was trampled, and the infant ferret is dropped in a ditch. He is retrieved by the good-hearted woodlanders and taken to Redwall Abbey.

At the abbey, the young ferret's fate is determined. Abbess Meriam and Bella of Brocktree decide to entrust the baby to the care of Bryony, a young mousemaid, and Togget, her sensible mole friend. The ferret is named Veil, and as the seasons turn he grows into a young adult in the abbey. As a youngster he is naughty and mischievous, but as a young adult his true vermin nature begins to show through, as the ferret would steal, lie, and be generally unpleasant to all, especially his adopted mother, Bryony. He is eventually banished, by Bella, from the Abbey when he attempts (and fails) to poison Friar Bunfold.

Bryony, feeling his banishment was unjust, leaves the abbey to track the ferret down. Her molefriend Togget accompanies her, and together they follow Veil as he wanders through Mossflower. The young ferret, remaining unapologetic and as mean as ever, makes life difficult for the mousemaid and her friend.

Leagues away, Swartt comes upon Salamandastron and launches an attack. Together with a smooth-talking ferret corsair named Zigu, an attack is mounted and war begins. Zigu is eventually killed by a skilled hare of the Long Patrol named Sabretache, and Swartt's horde grows once more. With the help of neighboring woodlanders, the vermin attack is deflected. Sunflash and Skarlath go hunting after them, and Nightshade lays an ambush with poison arrows. In the ensuing attack, Nightshade kills Skarlath with a poison arrow, only to be slain by Sunflash seconds later. Swartt and his depleted horde flee to the mountains east of Salamandastron.

Veil, Bryony and Togget reach the same mountains from the east, and Veil meets his father for the first time. Neither is impressed by the other. Sunflash is stunned and captured by Swartt, and Bryony encounters the evil Swartt Sixclaw. The ferret warlord tries to kill her by throwing a javelin; Veil, in a moment that portrays his true emotions toward the mousemaid, saves her life by taking the javelin, dying in the process. Sunflash then kills Swartt by throwing him from the mountain.

Sunflash, Bryony and Togget return to Redwall. Bryony, unsure if Veil really meant to save her, accepted that the young ferret she always defended had always been evil. She is later made Abbess and Togget is made Foremole. Sunflash meets Bella, his mother, for the first time since he was a child. He stays with her until her death many seasons later, and he then returns to the western coast to rule at Salamandastron.

Characters in Outcast of Redwall

Book divisions (English)

Translations

References

    Preceded by
    The Legend of Luke    		 Redwall Series
    (chronological order)     		Succeeded by
    Mariel of Redwall
    Preceded by
    The Bellmaker    		 Redwall Series
    (publication order)     		Succeeded by
    The Pearls of Lutra
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