One more chapter to go after this one. It will probably contain the traditional recorder's epilogue, as well one final thing I want to address before I end the story. I think you'll like it. Anyway, in this chapter, Matthias makes a complete recovery (finally), Mattimeo and Weylan discuss recent events in brief, and Cornflower and Matthias chat. All in all, a peaceful chapter. :)

Chapter 37

As the sun rose the next day, it's light fell upon a very cheerful Redwall abbey, the dwellers within working hard to restore everything to normal. Damage inflicted by Toka's horde was being repaired. Families being reunited. The usual chores getting done once again. And the usual three meals of the day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, not counting tea times, were being served on schedule once again.

Mattimeo remembered all of this as he awoke, and grinned at the thought. He rolled over in bed and surveyed the room. His room, occupied once again after being empty for probably several days. He patted one paw against his bed, feeling how soft it was, glad to be able to use it again.

Grinning broadly, he got up, dressed, and exited the gatehouse cottage and crossed the grounds to the main abbey building. The remains of the previous night's feast still remained in Great Hall, but it had long gone cold, and was slowly being cleared. No one remained enjoying the feast, save two. And they were both sound asleep.

Basil Stag Hare still sat upright at the table, head resting in one paw while the other held an empty spoon (the soup it had originally contained having long since dribbled out) halfway up to his mouth, snoring slightly as he slept. Nearby, Cheek's head rested in a half-eaten pie, cream plastered onto his fur, but slept onward, oblivious to everything around him.

Mattimeo laughed at the sight. "Typical of those two to not be able to leave a feast, regardless of how they felt." he said aloud.

"Yes, they were still eating even after everyone else had gone to bed." Tess said, suddenly appearing at Mattimeo's side. "Obviously, they ignored the need for sleep until it simply could not be ignored."

Mattimeo grinned at Tess, and held her paw. Tess leaned her head on Mattimeo's shoulder as they watched the hare and the otter sleep for several moments.

"Oh yes," Tess said, as if just remembering something. "Matti, Sister May wants a word with you in the Infirmary."

Mattimeo glanced at her. "The last time I was told that, it wasn't good news." he pointed out.

"It is this time." Tess assured him.

Curious now, Mattimeo parted from Tess and wandered upstairs to the Infirmary, where Sister May waited for him outside the doors. She grinned as she saw Mattimeo approach.

"There you are." she said cheerfully. "I was starting to regret sending Tess to get you. I should've known she'd provide more distraction to you than anything."

Mattimeo blushed, but did not address the subject. "Tess said you had news." he stated, changing the subject.

"Indeed I do." Sister May replied. "Your father has recovered. He is awake and has been asking for you for quite awhile now."

"He is?" Mattimeo asked, brightening. "I can see him now?"

Sister May nodded, placing one paw on the doors in preparation to open them. "One thing you should know first, though." she said. "He doesn't seem to remember anything since he fell sick to now. Thus, he doesn't know what has all happened at the abbey while he's been ill."

"Nothing at all?" Mattimeo asked.

"No, and I haven't told him anything about it." Sister May replied. "I thought he probably wanted to hear it from you."

She then swung the doors open to admit herself and Mattimeo. Sitting up in the bed directly across from the doors was Matthias, nibbling at some food that sat on a tray before him while watching Marigold and Swayner chat across the room. He looked back when he heard the doors open and grinned when he saw his son.

"Father!" Mattimeo exclaimed immediately and raced up, embracing his father in a hug.

"Hello to you too, Matti." Matthias replied with a chuckle, returning the embrace. "I take it you missed me?"

"More than you know." Mattimeo replied, letting go and sitting down on the neighboring bed. "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Do you..."

"Whoa, slow down, there son." Matthias said, then continued, "I feel fine. I little achy still, but it's fading. Almost my normal self again, which is good. Sister May has indicated that I got pretty sick, but oddly enough I don't really remember it." he glanced around the room. "Still, doesn't seem like I missed much." he said.

Mattimeo laughed, helping himself to his father's meal. "Well, there are a few things you should know, anyway." he said as he bit into a celery stick.

Matthias gave his son a sly grin and adjusted his position, leaning back onto the pillows placed behind his back. "I better make sure I'm comfortable." he explained. "I have a feeling I'm in for a very long tale."

And the tale was indeed long, and by the time Mattimeo had finished, it was time for lunch. He found everyone in Cavern Hole eating. Gathering himself some food, he sat down next to Cornflower and Tess and chatted as he ate. Eventually the subject fell onto the matter of harvesting the summer's crops, a time that was rapidly approaching.

"See, the abbot has declared that the storerooms be cleared for the food, but also for basins of water." Cornflower was explaining to her son. "Since this summer's crop looks as if it will be as large and plentiful as last summer's, Redwall is going to have food to spare once it's harvested, probably more than we know what to do with."

"So the abbot wants basins of water in the storerooms and in the kitchens so that all of it can be cleaned for use quickly and effectively, but without overcrowding either location with creatures trying to help." Tess concluded.

Mattimeo nodded in approval. "Good idea." he said. "And after everything that has happened, I think there will be several creatures who will want to help, to take their minds off of the memory of it all. I just hope it's enough, because even with it all cleared, the storerooms can't fit very many beasts. The whole lot might just have to go to the pond to clean the harvest." he chuckled. "The otters would probably enjoy that, especially Weylan."

He glanced around Cavern Hole for his friend, but did not find him. "Where is Weylan?" he asked.

After a quick search, he found Weylan in his dormitory.

Packing.

"Weylan," Mattimeo said slowly. "What are you doing?"

"Wot do ye think I'm doin'?" Weylan asked, stuffing a tunic into the haversack he held in one paw. "Doin' a jig?"

"You're packing." Mattimeo answered. "Which surprises me."

"Not me." Weylan replied. "Me an' Ma need to get back 'ome. We'll 'ave our work cut out, seein' the mess Toka made out of our dwellin', an' we need to get started right away if we plan to finish before snowfall. We'll 'ave to repair the beds, gather food, fix the oven, virtually rebuild everythin' from scratch..."

"Or you could just stay here." Mattimeo pointed out. "At Redwall."

Weylan stopped and looked at the mouse.

"You're welcome to, you know." Mattimeo stated.

"I know." Weylan replied, clearly thinking it through. "I'll think about it."

He went back to packing, stopping when he found his father's dagger. He traced a claw over the intricate patterns carved into it's hilt. He let out a sigh.

"So much 'as 'appened lately, I don't know 'ow I'll ever think the same again." he said aloud.

"You probably won't." Mattimeo said. "Ever."

Weylan looked at him. "You would know that, wouldn't ye?" he asked.

Mattimeo nodded.

Weylan sighed again, replaying the whole incident over again in his mind, starting with the night he had the first dream. "You know," he said. "When I first started havin' those dreams, I thought I was gettin' a reward. But now that reward is buried under who knows 'ow much of rock and dirt. I would've thought I would of gotten somethin' out of it."

"Maybe you did." Mattimeo pointed out. "Just not what you expected."

Weylan watched the reflections the blade of the dagger cast. "You know, it's not too late." he pointed out. "We can still get that treasure."

Mattimeo, however, shook his head. "I couldn't even think about ever touching it." he said. "That site is a mass grave now, and that's all it will ever be. Nothing more."

Weylan looked down at his footpaws, realizing that Mattimeo was right.

"Before he died," Mattimeo continued again, "Mokeet told me that the treasure should be buried and never recovered, saying that too many had died because of it."

"He was right." Weylan said, thinking it over. "And many more would die because of it if we hadn't done wot we did."

Mattimeo nodded. "That treasure is too stained with blood and the death of others for anyone to have. To quote Mokeet, 'No amount of gold and riches is worth all of the killing that has been done to get it.'"

A long silence fell. There simply wasn't anything more to say.

As the sun began to set upon Redwall once more, Matthias stood watching the various Redwallers enjoy what remained of the fading light. He leaned on a cane as he stood, the only sign left of the illness he had combated, one that perhaps may never fade. He did not mind, though, figuring that it would eventually happen anyway.

He surveyed the abbey grounds, picking out familiar faces as he went, before he stopped, his eyes falling on a particular duet of creatures.

"They've become quite close, haven't they?" Cornflower asked, appearing at her husband's side.

Matthias nodded, watching Mattimeo and Tess chat under a tree. "It's not like it was wasn't expected though." he pointed out.

Cornflower grinned. "No, it's been pretty clear that they've loved each other for some time now." she said.

"I suppose after all of this, they know it even more than they did before." Matthias remarked. "Do you suppose it's time that they enacted upon that?"

Cornflower shook her head. "They're still too young, and they both know it." she answered. "I think they will remain friends for the time being, wait until they are a few seasons older, and thus more experienced and more knowing of what the seasons hold in store for them. And even then, when they're eventually wed and a happy couple, they will take things slowly. They're both very wise, each in their own special way. They think things through before doing anything."

"But not to the point that they will deny they feelings for each other." Matthias added.

Cornflower nodded. She looked around and her eyes fell upon another couple.

"Now, Swayner and Marigold on the other hand..." she began.

Matthias groaned, to the amusement of his wife. "Don't get me started." he said. "When ever the two of them were in the Infirmary together..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "And now they go everywhere hand in hand, completely inseparable. It's like somebody poured honey on their paws and stuck them together."

Cornflower laughed. "But were we any different?" she asked Matthias.

Matthias grinned. "Good point." he replied.

They both laughed, then walked off to join the other Redwallers wandering about the grounds, enjoying what would be the last summer day of the season.