Aaron
Species: Mouse
Age: ~22 Harvests (years)

Bio:
A wandering adventurer, Aaron travels across Mossflower and the surrounding countries in search of anything that can help him remember his past.

His earliest memories were of him as a youngbeast, lost and alone in the desert wastelands between Mossflower and Southsward. There he was rescued by a lone wandering otter named Phineas. Phineas looked after the young mouse, taking him along in his travels. He became a teacher and a father figure to Aaron, showing him the wonders of being a free spirit and discovering the continent for himself. He also showed the dangers of the world, in an especially hard lesson when Phineas protected Aaron from a small band of slavers, fending them off using only his walking staff. Learning of the cruelty of the slavers from his teacher, Aaron vowed to protect helpless beasts as Phineas did.

Together they traveled to nearby Mossflower, seeking the squirrels, who were the resident experts of archery. Aaron trained alongside the young squirrel students, and picked up the techniques of a bow and arrow at an alarming rate, surprising even the bowmaster at his accuracy from any range. The bowmaster gifted a shortbow to the young mouse. As he continued training, a stray arrow from a particularly careless young squirrel nearly struck him, however, he managed to dodge the arrow without thinking. This was the moment he had discovered what he calls an "instinct." When a life-or-death event happens to him, he feels an itch or tickle in his nose, and his ears stand straight up. He then acts without thinking, dodging the danger.

As the years went by, Phineas decided to retire from his wandering ways. He parted ways with his dear friend, now in his teens, and traveled to Southsward to return home. Aaron sought out the hares of the Long Patrol at the mountain fort of Salamandastron, to master the bow and arrow, before returning to Mossflower, where he joined a group of adventuring woodlanders, who called themselves the Mossflower Patrol, based out of Redwall Abbey.
Aaron grew to a young adult while adventuring with the Mossflower Patrol, defending against and pursuing raiders all across the country. He befriended two members of the group, an ottermaid named Streamstar, and a hare named Duncan. His skills as a bowbeast became known to the vermin raiders, and he gained a nickname based from the arrows he felled so many vermin with: “Greenfletch.”

One night, Aaron had a dream he thought had given him a hint to discovering his origin. Fixated on the thought of finally discovering his past, he separated from the Mossflower Patrol and set out by himself, letting only his instinct guide him. He would be led to the house of a mousemaid named Ilona, who was terrorized and trapped by an insane mad owl called Morice. The two mice were forced out of their shelter, and worked together to survive against the mad owl, killing him. Aaron nearly died in the attack, his arm injured, and bow broken. Ilona joined Aaron in his travels, and the two mice left for Redwall, rejoining the Mossflower Patrol, where a new bow was made for Aaron. As his wounds healed, he now has a bald spot on his upper right arm, which is covered by his tunic.

Aaron and Ilona grew close and would eventually marry, and would continue to wander Mossflower and the surrounding countries.

Characteristics:
Aaron has a usually mild-mannered demeanor. Upon first meeting, Aaron presents himself as humble. This is especially true when he meets beasts of nobility, such as the badger lord of Salamandastron, or the Abbot/Abbess of Redwall. He is much more relaxed around friends, the longer he knows them, the more casual he becomes. He holds Phineas' life advice in high regard: "Be firm in what you believe. Be kind to all you encounter. Be grateful for what you have."

His fighting discipline is entirely centered around the bow and arrow. He's an expert shot with the longbow, but prefers the shortbow for its mobility. But where he excels in ranged combat, he very much lacks in close quarters. He has no set battle cry, opting to use the cry of the faction he fights with.

Art by  marymouse , with a small edit by Vyx