Russa Nodrey

Gender: female

Species: squirrel

Appears In: The Long Patrol




Russa is a wanderer who has no home (hence her surname, as a squirrel's den is called a "drey") and travels throughout Mossflower. She has red fur, wears a green tunic with a pouch sewn into the back, and carries a hardwood stick that also doubles as a weapon. While her exact age is unknown it is mentioned that she does look young or old, and she is an expert at surviving condition in which others would perish. She is a skilled warrior and often visits her friend Mem at Camp Tussock, and it is during one such time that the harewife secretly asks her to take Tammo to the Long Patrol. She initially hesitates but agrees after Mem offers to give her some of her famous pancakes, and at one point they are attacked by Gromal and Skulka who nearly kill Tammo until she intervenes. She almost slays them but doesn't as the young hare begs her to spare them, and the two ferrets attempt another attack later that night. Russa anticipates their move and kills Gromal (Skulka is later slain by the Long Patrol). The two friends eventually run into Perigord's group who are traveling to Redwall to warn the inhabitants about the Rapscallions army. She and Tammo join them as she wishes to visit her friend Tansy, however the band is ambushed by vermin led by Rinkul who are attacking an old female badger and her infant; the badgerbabe is named Russano in her memory. She is killed by the ferret in the scuffle and he takes her stick, leaving Tammo to swear revenge. He eventually fulfills his promise when he slays Rinkul during the Battle of the Ridge of a Thousand, and an adult Russano wields her stick.