Here's chapter one.

Disclaimer: Brian Jacques owns these awesome people :)

Chapter 1

Columbine sighed in exasperation as she watched her husband and her son slip one of the cooling pies off of the windowsill.

Maybe she had prepared for it by making extra, but she still wished her mousethief would stop teaching their son his stealing habits.

Bella had enough to deal with at Redwall without that.

"Gonff! Gonflet! We need to leave or else we'll be late for the feast! Go find Trimp and Chugger!" She called, pretending she hadn't seen them.

Her attempt at that failed when Gonff walked around the corner of St. Ninian's looking guilty. There was a dark blueberry stain on his tunic.

Columbine sighed. So much for that.

"Gonff, get everyone ready. Trimp and I are going to start on our own." She said, rubbing her forehead with her paw.

Gonff nodded, giving her a quick peck. "Yes, oh my dearest flower of spring! We shall follow immediately after, and arrive in time to help open the doors!"

Columbine felt her annoyance melt away, and she heard Trimp giggle as the young hedgehog maid came out into the sunlight.

The two started to walk along the path towards the Abbey.

Trimp place her paw on Columbine's shoulder. "Your Gonff is quite the charmer Columbine. I still don't know how he does it."

Columbine laughed. "Yes, he has me wrapped around his little paw. Him and my little scamp Gonflet steal those pies. I'm sure they know I do it just so that they can steal something."

Trimp smiled. "Aye, and they're making Chugger almost twice as bad as he was before."

Columbine sighed. "Yes they are . . . that little rascal." The young squirrel and Gonflet ran off at least twice every day, and stole the strangest things from random creatures, before giving them back, saying gallantly that the creature had dropped it.

And of course, they never did it more than once to any creature, so no one except Columbine, Trimp, Gonff, Martin, and possible Abbess Germaine, noticed.

"Mawnen to 'ee bowth." The quaint sound of molespeech caused the two to stop walking.

An elderly mole was standing on the side of the path. He was wearing a threadbare cloak, and carrying a traveling pack and an ancient looking ladle.

Columbine smiled. "Hello sir."

"Do you'm luverly ladies moind if'n oi cum with 'ee?" The mole asked, tweaking his nose politely.

"Of course you may come, as long as you wish to go to Redwall Abbey. There is a feast there tonight, and there is plenty of space for you if you wish to rest." Trimp said gently.

She and Columbine both knew when a creature had traveled a long distance. And this one looked old and weary.

"Oi thankee mizzy. Oi'm gurtly in need o' rest." The mole said. He fell in beside them as they walked onwards.

Columbine bit her lip. She wasn't sure why, but this traveler made her think that something horrible was going to happen.

Maybe not to her in particular, but his arrival would hurt someone at the Abbey.

But being a mouse from the old order of Loamhedge, Columbine could never turn a traveler away.

"My name is Columbine, wife of Gonff, the Prince of Mousethieves." She said cheerfully, bobbing a little curtsy.

She knew that Gonff thought it funny when she introduced herself that way, but it was the truth.

"And I'm Trimp Hedgehog. I've been adopted into Columbine and Gonff's family." Trimp said happily.

Columbine squeezed the hedgehog's paw.

The mole smiled. "Moi name be's Grumm Trencher. Oi'm come frumm Noonvale far frumm 'ee North t' foind a wurrier. Moi 'ome's unner attack, an' we bain't no wurrier's."

Columbine gasped. She and Trimp exchanged glances. "Well Grumm Trencher, we have an Abbey warrior who will probably help you. And my Husband is always willing to help another creature in need." Columbine said gently. "I'm sure we can rally the creatures to help you."

Grumm relaxed. "Thankee koindly. That'd be gurtly 'preciated marm."

Columbine nodded. Her mind was buzzing. They'd had several seasons of peace, even when Martin and Gonff left the Abbey to find out about Martin's Father there had been no great trouble.

So she shouldn't be surprised that a creature would come asking for help.

Wasn't that what the order of Redwall was all about? Assisting the creatures who were in need?

Yet still, Columbine felt sadness that the time of peace had ended. At least this time it was not close to home.

Redwall appeared in all it's newfound glory. Columbine could hear the sound of Lady Amber pounding on the hollow tree inside, calling everyone to the feast.

There was, of course, the empty belltower, but they were lacking a bell.

Hence it being empty.

Columbine laughed as she felt a paw reach into her pocket and place something there. She turned and threw her arms around her husband. "Thank you Gonff." She said, kissing him quickly. She picked up the flowers he had put in her pocket and smelled them.

"They're Columbine, the prettiest flower there is m'dear." Gonff said, putting his arms around her.

Gonflet and Chugger made coughing sounds. They were both still at the age where they thought that the romantic antics of Gonff were disgusting.

Grumm chuckled. "Gudd day to 'ee zurr. Moi name be's Grumm Trencher. Oi'm assumin' tha' you'm be's Gonff."

Gonff nodded politely to the mole. "Aye matey, Gonff, the Prince of mousethieves, at your service."

Gonflet and Chugger showed interest in the traveler, asking why his ladle wasn't packed away. Immediately Grumm became very serious.

"Because young Maisters, et be's moi weapon. Oi keep et out so oi c'n knock 'eads with any villyun 'oo trie t' 'arm a creature."

Columbine stifled a laugh as immediately the two young ones started clamoring for stories.

The old mole cheerfully obliged as the reached the gate. "Who goes there, wot wot?" A cheerful voice rang from the wall top.

"Well matey, depends on who's askin'," Gonff replied cheerfully. "Although, t' me, it sounds like my mate Beauclair Fethringsol Cosfortingham."

"Oh by the fur, that is my name! Thank you sir Gonff! Er, I hope by your presence that you've brought young Chugger, and young Gonfflet, and the rare flower, Lady Columbine?" The hare said hopefully.

Columbine giggled as Trimp responded. "Why you forgot me you old tub! And of course it's us? Who else'd it be?"

"Oh, er, sorry old chappess! I forgot you of no fault of my own, doncha know! I'm forgetting pretty much everything lately, wot!" Beau responded awkwardly.

There was the sound of a whispered conference on the walltop. "Friend Beau here says we should keep you all locked out so as to save some food for him." Vurg's amused voice was suddenly heard. "But I sent him down to unlock the gate and let you in. Sorry Columbine, Gonff."

"Aye mate, that's alright." Gonff said, chuckling.

Grumm had watched the entire thing calmly. Columbine almost wondered if he'd seen something similar before.

Beau opened the doors and let them into the finally completed Redwall Abbey.

And Columbine prayed that no lives would be lost because of the visitor they brought to their Abbey.

Review!