Chapter 7

Matthias, Cornflower, Tess, Tim, Auma, and Rollo were eating a late lunch outside in the orchard. The meal of the day was summer salad, mulberry muffins, white cheese, candied chestnuts, and a medly of fried mushrooms and steamed potatoes. As the dwellers were dining on their meal, Julian the Poet flew down and did a curtsy to them.

"Why hello, Abbot Matthias.

I see you and your creatures are having a bit of a feast.

May I sit down with you and have some,

Once my stomach is filled I'll fly back up to Warbeak Loft,

And see who or what is coming our way.

It's the thing I can do, at least."

Matthias chuckled at Julian and offered his owl companion a few mulberry muffins. The owl clacked hos beak in wonderment. Matthias set the plate down and Julian started wolfing it down, as if he was in a famine. Matthias shook his head and chuckled.

"Like father, like son."

"More like Basil Stag Hare."

Said Cornflower, but behind her was the old retired hare himself. Walking with a cane, he whistled and took a bow.

"Did somebeast say my name?"

He asked the much younger beasts. Cornflower gave the hare a warm grin and spoke.

"No Basil, we were just saying that Julian is like you when it comes to food."

Basil sat down, his cane in his lap. The hare squinted his eyes and watched the owl engorge himself on the muffins.

"Hmph, that's not like me at all, I'm a well know glutton, that's for bally sure, but I don't have a beak, feathers, or talons. And I certainly don't eat like that. I am more dignifed in my ways of tasting the culinary arts."

Matthias scoffed at Basil's remark and gave the retired Foot Soldier a smug grin.

"Right, Basil, right. I've seen you stuff your cheeks like a squirrel storing nuts for winter."

"That's because, ol' bean, I was very hungry, very famished."

Matthias crossed his arms and scoffed again.

"You're always very hungry, if you had it your way you'd make sure you had a meal every five minutes."

"No I wouldn't I'd make sure everyday would be a feast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

Cornflower wanted to get in the conversation.

"Yeah, for you."

Basil's ears perked him.

"My word, I may be a glutton, but I can't eat all that bally food, even if I tried."

"Oh Basil, if you found a way to, you would."

Matthias said chuckling. The beasts all shared a laugh with each other. Then Basil had gotten serious.

"Any word on Mattimeo or the rest?"

Matthias shook his head and asked their owl friend.

"Not yet, but I think Julian or one of the sparrows might have some incite."

Licking the last crumb from his beak, Julian looked down to Matthias and Basil.

"Well, I can sat this.

Danger is drawing near to them,

The fox, Nikos is lusting to bring fear in them.

He commands an army called the Reavers

A group of vile ruffians and heathens

They'll be on their way in a matter of days or seasons.

They drawing closer to Mattimeo and his friends.

If someone or something doesn't help them,

It will be their end."

Matthias scratched his chin and stood, he ordered Julian to take a small flock of sparrows with him and go to warn Orlando and the Long Patrol hares. Julian bowed and took to the air, the monarch of the sky and rounded up a few sparrows to fly to Salamandastron. Matthias tucked his paws in his sleeves and watched as the birds flew west.

Nikos and a small score of Reavers slunk through shadows of the thick foliage, determined to put the bolt that rest on his crossbow in the brain of Mattimeo. Nikos couldn't contain his excitement, his cloak flutter as he ran woth his Reavers. He imagined what the looks of shock and surprise on Sam, Cheek, Elmtail, and Honeycomb's face whencthey saw their beloved Redwall Warrior quickly get slain by an unsuspecting assassin. Srawing nearer and nearer to Mattimeo's location, Nikos and the reavers stopped running and slinked through the woodlands as quietly as they could. Surrounding the warriors, five to twenty, Nikos and his Second-in-Command, a tall and muscular rat named Djano, clad in a dark blue cloak and adder belt smiled at their prey. Nikos licked his lips and chuckled under his breath. Djano carefully drew his sabre and looked at his Chief in wonderment. Nikos whispered to himself.

"Goodbye, mousy warrior."

With his index claw hovering over the trigger, he was about to pierce the bolt right through his adversary's eyes, but suddenly a shower of small arrows rained down on them, killing at least three Reavers, and wounding five including Djano. Djano was taken by surprise as a small arrow protruded from his left paw, then the Reavers heard many voices cry out.

"Logalogalogalog!"

About twenty, no thirty Guosim shrews stampeded through the woods to get to the Reavers, in the lead was Balah who was running faster than any of the shrews. Raising his short rapier up high he shouted out.

"Death to all vermin!"

More tiny arrows flew through the trees and killed and wounded even more Reavers, Nikos slung the crossbow over his shoulders and drew his curved sword. The fox gritted his teeth in anger, those stupid shrews ruined everything for him! Diano pulled the arrow from his paw, and winced in pain, he turned to Nikos who was stewing in his anger.

"Chief, Chief! We gotta get out of here!"

Nikos finally came back to reality and looked at his rat. He nodded and shouted out.

"Everybeast, retreat! Back to the camps!"

With the remaining Reavers fleeing for their lives, Nikos and Djano stayed behind for a short awhile to make sure that the surviving Reavers were making it back. Then they saw Mattimeo and his band pick up their weapons, Mattimeo saw Nikos and ran after him. The anger and determination in Matti's eyes was far greater than Nikos', The two began clashing swords! Zing, cling, shang! The swords rang out through the forest, Mattimeo jumped up and slashed through the bandages around Nikos' eye, cutting it even deeper than before. Cupping a free paw around his wound, Nikos staggered back and growled at Mattimeo.

"You haven't seen the last of me, mouse. I will have my revenge upon you and Redwall. You will all burn in Hellgates!"

He growled right before retreating with his comrades. Mattimeo held the sword in both paws and shouted out.

"Come back and fight, you yellow hide coward! I barely even scratched you!"

Djano was in the middle of a fight with Sam, the two danced around each other, blades flying through the air. Djano smiled devillishly. He knew he'd get praise if he brought in the head of one of Mattimeo's friends. As rat and squirrel fought, the butt of a spear handle came flying through the air, and it knocked out Djano cold. The one who threw it was Elmtail, he smiled in satisfaction, Sam waves to him and Elmtail ran towards Sam and his fallen enemy.

"Thanks, but I could have gotten him."

"I know, I wanted to keep him alive, for questioning."

Mattimeo put his sword back in his scabbard and looked down at the unconscious figure. Elmtail explained that keeping him as prisoner might come in useful, see how many beasts Nikos commands, and see how many are after them. The five beasts all tied the the heathen to a large sycamore and then thanked their Guosim brethern, Balah gave Mattimeo a high five and chuckled.

"Just doin' our duties as Guosim shrews."

He said blushing red and pink.