Cornflower looked up at the beautiful blue summer sky and smiled to herself as the sun shone warmly on her face. Closing her eyes, she smiled to herself and then turned to look at Matthias, who sat beside her in the grass outside the Abbey walls. The warrior mouse was nearly asleep in the warm afternoon sun. Cornflower lay down on her side and whispered in her husband's ear.
"Matthias, wake up."
Slowly, he opened his eyes and was presented with the sight of his beautiful Cornflower. A smile played across his lips, his face softening.
"Good morning to you, too, dear," he said softly, sitting up. He stretched and looked up at the sun. "Oh… sorry. Afternoon, isn't it?"
Cornflower smiled and placed a paw on Matthias' shoulder. "Sorry to wake you, sleeping beauty, but I thought we should go in. It's going to rain soon."
Giving the mouse a puzzled look, Matthias looked up at the sky. A few fluffy clouds drifted by lazily. The warrior mouse looked back at Cornflower.
"Doesn't look like rain, does it?" he asked her in a challenge.
"No, but smell the air, Matthias. Smells like rain," Cornflower answered.
After a half-hearted sniff, Matthias settled back into the grass. His slightly stubborn nature and his annoyance at being awakened had convinced him that Cornflower was simply playing a joke. "Your sense of smell must be going, my love. If it were going to rain, my tail would already be back in Redwall."
Cornflower stood up, straightening her dress with a knowing look in her eye. "Well, do as you like, Matthias. I'm going to go start supper." She strode off, leaving him alone.
Minutes later, Matthias came running into the gatehouse cottage with a loud slam of the door behind him. Cornflower stood by the wood stove, baking bread loaves for the supper. When she heard Matthias rushing in, she turned and laughed out loud. The warrior mouse stood before his wife, dripping from head to toe with rain. At Cornflower's amused laugh, Matthias grinned sheepishly.
"I'm going to, er, change," he mumbled as he slipped past Cornflower. She smiled, shaking her head.
"I swear I love him, but sometimes I just can't help but wonder about that mouse."
Her soft chuckle was interrupted by a knock at the door. Turning from the stove, Cornflower made her way to the door, but there was no need to open it. Martin came bursting in from the outside with Tess calling to him, "Martin! Get back and wipe those paws!"
Paying no attention to his mother's command, the young mouse leaped into his grandmother's arms, muddy paws and all. They shared an embrace before Cornflower set her grandson back down. Mattimeo set down a large leaf that had served as an umbrella, walked over to Cornflower and shared greetings as Tess took Martin back to wipe his paws. As they came back, Matthias entered the room. Martin rushed to his beloved grandfather and was welcomed with open arms.
"Papa Matthias!" he shouted with joy as the warrior mouse picked up his grandson and twirled him around effortlessly. Martin laughed and continued laughing as Matthias set him down to greet Tess and Mattimeo. Martin was terribly fond of his Papa Matthias and loved hearing him tell old stories of Mossflower. He also loved Grandma Cornflower's infamous cinnamon cookies, especially when hot from the oven. He noticed the stove was baking and a smile lit his face.
"Grandma, are you making cinnamon cookies?" he asked.
"No," Cornflower replied, "they're loaves of bread for the supper."
Martin's face fell and his whiskers drooped. "Aww…" he said softly.
But Papa Matthias came to the rescue. "Never fear, little one! I happen to have one from the last batch tucked away somewhere." Matthias pretended to search his body, and then looked at his grandson, whose eyes had gone extremely bright with hope and anticipation. "By the fur, Martin, what's that behind your ear?" he exclaimed as he reached for Martin's left ear. He pulled something out back from behind it – a cinnamon cookie!
"Yay! That was cool, Papa Matthias! Thanks!" Martin eagerly bit into the cookie.
Tess tried to hide a smile behind her paw while trying to look stern at her father-in-law. "Matthias, right before supper?"
The warrior mouse smiled warmly at them all. "You're only young once, Tess."
The moment was interrupted as Tarnell the otter came bursting in the door.