The Matthias and Methuselah bells rang out over Redwall Abbey. Today was not just any day, for it was the birthday of Matthias the Warrior! He was quite old, completely grey of fur and hard of hearing, but he thought he was still as powerful as in the days when he fought Cluny the Scourge. Cornflower sat in Matthias's chamber with him, arranging the festivities.

Cornflower shuffled about with scrolls and plans written up by the Redwallers in Cavern Hole. Matthias was not happy. He said in his slightly squeaky old voice to Cornflower, "I'm not that old! I don't see all the fuss, dear!"

She tut-tutted and said, "You are that old, mister warrior! And so am I! We're not going to be around for many more birthdays, and this one's special! You should be thankful that the creatures of Mossflower would honur you like this, Matthias."

Matthias started to walk out of the room, with the assistance of his sword, which he now used mostly as a cane. Just before he opened the doors, he called back, "I'm off to see Mattimeo and his little rascal of a son! Goodbye, dear!"

Not looking up from her papers, she said, "Have fun with them, Matthias! Now shoo! I've got to finish the arrangements!"

Matthias shut the door and stepped out into the grass. Creatures hustled and bustled about on the Abbey grounds like ants. The chefs from the kitchen, accompanied by Basil Stag Hare and Log-a-Log Flugg, carried elaborate cakes and other delicacies up onto tables. Cheek the otter followed along, desperate for attention from Basil.

Constance, Orlando, and Auma walked about, maintaining order as Dibbuns ran and yelled playfully. Ambrose Spike and Jabez Stump carried various wines out of the cellar, accompanied by Jube, who had taken a large interest in Ambrose's cellar work. Jess and Sam Squirrel, accompanied by Rollo Bankvole and Winifred Otter, set the silverware and glasses on the long tables situated in rows across the Abbey ground.

Abbot Carnlo stood in the middle of it all, on a bench with Martin on his lap. As usual, Martin was talking away, probably another one of his wild stories. Matthias walked over to them.

"Is my grandson causing you trouble, Father Abbot?" Matthias asked, laughing. "He's probably relating some more crazy tales, the little rogue!"

Abbot Carnlo looked up at Matthias. "Why, yes, he is!" Turning to Martin, he said, "Aren't you, Martin? What is this about a giant rat you encountered?"

Martin's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes, 'twas huge! N' its teeth were this big!" he said, pressing his paws on his face as if they were giant fangs. "But ole Martin took care o' him, ho ho! I had me daddy's great sword, and hacked th' beast somethin' good!"

Matthias laughed. "Just like his father!"

The Abbot piped up as well. "And his grandfather, I'd bet! Hee hee!"

Amid the laughter, Matthias asked Martin, "Now, Martin, I'd like to speak with your father. Could you tell me where he is today?"

The young mouse puffed up his chest and said, "I won't just tell ya, I'll show ya! Follow me, granfer!" He took off running to the Abbey gates.

"I think he might have picked up a few things from the Foremole, Father Abbot!" Matthias said with a chuckle as he began to follow his enthusiastic grandson.

"Wait, Matthias!" he heard the Abbot say.

Matthias walked back to him. "What's the matter?"

"For one, there's no need to call me Father Abbot, Matthias, you know that! You're older than I am! Ha!" Carnlo said.

Matthias smiled. "Alright, Carnlo." He looked towards the gate and saw Martin jumping up and down with sheer excitement of the festivities and who knows what else. "I had better get going! Looks like someone's ready for me!"

Just before he could turn, the Abbot grabbed hold of Matthias's habit and whispered, "You might not want to talk to Mattimeo right now. He's standing outside the Abbey, looking out into space. He's been acting very strange ever since Sister Bhriina left!"

Matthias nodded and walked as fast as he could to Martin. The doors of the gate swung open and grandfather and grandson walked out together. Matthias spotted his son standing a short bit away before Martin could point his finger and say, "There he is, granfer!"

"Go back and play with your friends, Martin. This is grown-up talk," Matthias said, and Martin rushed back into the Abbey, skipping as he went.

Matthias spoke loud enough for Mattimeo to hear him. "One day he will be a great warrior. Just like his father."

Mattimeo did not move.

Matthias walked up and stood next to him. "What's the trouble son? Is this a family matter? Are you worried about Martin? Or Tess?"

He remained completely still.

Matthias sighed. "Mattimeo. Is this about Bhriina?"

Mattimeo drew a long breath. "The Abbot told you, didn't he?"

Matthias nodded.

"How could one not be concerned? She is reckless, father! And she is very opposed to out Abbey now, and everything we stand for!" Mattimeo said.

"Bhriina chose her own path. This place was not right for her, son." Matthias answered.

Mattimeo sat down cross-legged and sighed deeply. He whispered to Matthias. "Father, I think she may be evil."

Matthias stabbed his sword into the ground and adopted a commanding voice. "Now, Mattimeo! We cannot just accuse people who do not see our ways as we do to be evil, or anything of the sort!"

The son of the great warrior looked up. "Then you have not seen it."

Matthias shook his head. "Seen what?"

"This way, father," Mattimeo said as he walked back to the Abbey.

Several minutes later, Matthias and Mattimeo were in the library, high up in the lower levels of the attic. Mattimeo clutched a small notebook and began to flip through the yellowed pages by candlelight.

"This is Bhriina's diary," Mattimeo explained. "Only the Abbot, Constance, and I have seen it. Constance found it while supervising the cleaning out of Sister Bhriina's old room in the dormitory. She brought it straight to the Abbot."

"Why haven't I seen this?" Matthias insisted. "I'm the Abbey warrior!"

Mattimeo sighed. He had tried to explain to his old father many times that he was not the warrior any more. "First off, I'm technically the Abbey warrior, and secondly, the Abbot felt it would be better not to show it to you until after your birthday! He didn't want to ruin the party for you. Constance and I were overruled; we wanted to show it to you."

"Alright, son. But what does this thing say? What's in it that's so horrible?" Matthias asked. In response, Mattimeo flipped back to the beginning and began to read aloud.

'I have just joined the Abbey of Redwall. I am glad to have found a place to relax after the big chase from the pirates, but I will not remain here long.'

Matthias interrupted. "So? She was only a northern wanderer escapee from a band of pirates who was looking for a temporary home! Is there something wrong with that, son?"

Mattimeo was growing impatient with his father. "No, there wouldn't be, but this is not the case! Let me continue, father!"

Matthias sat back in his chair and listened.

'The denizens of this place are extremely kind. Too kind. These creatures are soft. They are not hardened by the north whatsoever, and have never seen a bad day. They have probably never even met a corsair or vermin. The Redwallers will be extremely easy to conquer. I will depart soon to gather my army and take over. My goal is to kill or enslave all the residents and then take over the fortress.'

Matthias sighed. "This is Cluny all over again."

"No, father! This is worse! We allowed this mouse into our home! She was here for over a month! She knows everything about us, and about this Abbey! She will be unstoppable!" Mattimeo yelled.

"Who knows, Mattimeo. She may be bluffing. Or, she might not be able to gather an army. After all, how many corsairs and vermin can there possibly be that are willing to serve a mouse?" Matthias said.

"No, listen to this!" Mattimeo exclaimed, reading on.

'My army will crush the peaceful Redwallers! I was once worried over whether I would be able to gather enough forces, but with Covodre's allies, it will be easy!'

"Who is Covodre?" Mattimeo asked, glancing at his father.

"Probably a friend of hers. I should ask Constance if she has ever heard of anyone with such a name," Matthias said.

As if on cue, Constance entered the library, accompanied by Orlando the Axe. The two were the happiest of couples, and Auma had accepted Constance as a mother immediately. Constance and Orlando kept peace in Redwall and managed many things in the Abbey, and were trusted by the Abbot as two emergency members of a Council of War, if one were necessary.

"You called me, Mattimeo?" Constance said.

"Yes, Constance," Mattimeo said. "We're looking at the diary."

Constance looked over at Matthias and gasped. "The Abbot will not be happy, Mattimeo! We were supposed to wait!"

"It cannot wait, Constance! This is urgent! This mouse is raising an army!" he yelled.

Constance and Orlando lumbered over to the table where the diary lay. "What do you make of this, Matthias?" Orlando asked.

"She is definitely dangerous," Matthias said, "But we cannot prove that this is not a bluff or a trick she left here."

Constance seemed unsure. "Matthias, I hate to disagree, but I do not think that this mouse would be one to bluff over something as big as this."

Matthias stood up. "I've just remembered. She mentions someone in the text named Covodre. Do you anyone by that name, Constance? That may be a clue!"

"Yes…" she said, slowly. The badger looked off into space for several moments. "Covodre was a mouse who left the Abbey when you were very young, Matthias. Apart from Bhriina, he is the only creature to ever leave the Order of Redwall Mice. He never really talked to any of us, and he was never seen out on the grounds or in Cavern Hole, or even the Great Hall. Methuselah always thought he was a recluse…most people agreed. One night, Covodre just slipped out—left completely, without a trace. No one knows where or why. I would consider him a threat, and I would consider this diary completely factual."

Mattimeo threw his paws up into the air. "Well, this is just perfect! First Cluny, then Slagar, and now another!"

"At least you didn't have to deal with Cluny, Mattimeo," Matthias argued.

Orlando interrupted their brief squabble. "No matter! Now, surely we can deal with this! Surely her strategy couldn't be any different than what I've heard of this Cluny. It's simple: gather forces, march on the Abbey, take it over, and rule it!"

"Except that the Bhriina knows the place inside and out, and knows nearly everybeast in it! This gives a huge advantage!" Mattimeo said, taking the words right out of his father's mouth. "We have to tell the Abbot what we've found, now!"

Orlando volunteered to fetch the Abbot, and within five minutes he returned with him. Matthias and Constance explained the situation, with the addition of Covodre (whom the Abbot had never heard of, for he was younger than all there but Mattimeo).

The Abbot rubbed his head with his paws, obviously in deep thought.

Mattimeo laid a paw on the Abbot's back. "When shall we tell everybeast, Father Abbot?"

"Not until after the party. Everybeast is so excited, I couldn't bear to ruin their spirits now. The day after, we'll call all the creatures of Redwall and those from the woods around us to the Abbey grounds to announce the possible attack."

They all agreed upon this. Matthias and Mattimeo remained behind in the library. While Matthias was thinking, Mattimeo was hurriedly searching the bookshelves.

"What are you doing, son?" Matthias asked irritably.

Still shuffling for the right book, Mattimeo said, "Looking for a book on war strategy, of course! I am the Abbey warrior, you know!"

Sighing, Matthias went back into his thought, which was soon interrupted once more, as Mattimeo yelled. "Aha! I found 'em!" He came walking over with a stack of five or so thick volumes of old war sagas written by badger lords and hares, and began flipping rapidly through the pages of the first one, entitled Great Wars of the Badgers.

"In case you haven't noticed, Mattimeo, this is not a badger war," Matthias remarked.

Mattimeo fumed. "I know that, father! But that doesn't mean I can't find anything helpful in these books! If it is true, and Bhriina is attacking Redwall, then I would like to be prepared!"

Matthias reached over and closed the book with his paw. He began to speak with a much softer and kinder voice. "Son, I have been in two conflicts. You can trust my advice. You don't need to flip through dusty volumes."

Mattimeo still looked unhappy. Matthias continued. "Mattimeo, if we are going to survive this, we have to work together. There will be time for fighting. But it will not be here, behind our lines, between two mice on the same side."

At this, Mattimeo began to cry, and father and son embraced in a hug. Matthias patted his son's back. "It's alright. We'll get through this."

Between sobs, Mattimeo spoke. "I…I just don't want anything bad to happen to these people…not after everything you and I have done to protect them! Why are there such evil people in the world, father?"

Matthias wanted to say something philosophical. Something worthy of a worn warrior such as himself. Something Methuselah or even Martin the Warrior might have said.

But he simply could not find the answer.