"Hey, Matthias. Come look at this." Twilight called Matthias over to the wall where the tapestry of Martin had hung.

"What?"

"I found this writing carved into the wall where the tapestry was. It looks like a poem."

"What does it say?" Matthias asked.

Twilight read it out loud.

"Who says that I am dead

Knows naught at all.

am that is,

Two mice within Redwall.

The Warrior sleeps

Twixt Hall and Cavern Hole.

am that is,

Take on my mighty role.

Look for the sword

In moonlight streaming forth.

At night, when day's first hour

Reflects the north.

From o'er the threshold,

Seek and you will see.

am that is,

My sword shall wield for me."

"It sounds like a clue to the location of Martin's sword!" Matthias said excitedly. "Maybe Martin carved that verse himself!"

"That's what I was thinking," said Twilight.

"But how do we solve it? It looks all mixed up to me."

"I've seen riddles like this before," Twilight said. "You have to look at it bit by bit. Let's take the first two lines: 'Who says that I am dead, knows naught at all.'"

Matthias waved a paw. "But we know that Martin is dead."

Twilight pulled a wry face. "Ah, but if we suppose that he is dead, then the words tell us we know nothing at all. So, let us assume that he is alive."

"What? Do you mean Martin, alive and walking about?" said Matthias. "We'd recognize him! Unless, that is, he was disguised as someone else."

"Hmm. Maybe the answer is in the next two lines. 'I- am that is, two mice within Redwall."

Matthias repeated the words, but he could make no sense of them. "I am that is. That's not even proper grammar."

"And it's the only phrase in the rhyme that keeps being repeated," said Twilight. "Do you think that could be important?"

Pinkie Pie came bouncing up to them. "What are you guys doing?"

"We're trying to figure out this riddle," Twilight said.

"Mind if I help?"

"Sure. Three heads are better than one."

Pinkie read the writing on the wall. She was silent for a long moment. Then she started muttering to herself, "I am that is. Mat… hat… sit… this…"

"What on earth are you doing?" Matthias asked her.

Pinkie laughed. "It's a game! See how many words you can make from a sentence. You just juggle the letters around. See? Hit, sat, matt… Matthias!" An odd look appeared in her eye.

"What is it, Pinkie?" Twilight asked. "Did you figure something out?"

Cackling with glee, Pinkie pointed her hoof at Matthias. "I know something that you don't know… am that is… Matthias!"

"Pinkie Pie," the young mouse said kindly, "do you need to lie down for a while?"

"Hahaha! Silly, it's your own name, Matthias! If you mix up all the letters in 'am that is,' it spells Matthias!"

"She's right!" Twilight said. "So, then it would read, 'I- Matthias, two mice within Redwall.'"

Matthias was staggered. "He knew about me! Martin the Warrior actually knew my name! Can you imagine that?"

"Matthias, do you realize what this means?" said Twilight. "It means Martin somehow knew that one day he would live on through you. You might be the reincarnation of him!"

"Me?"

"I said you looked like him, remember? I should know, because I went back in time and met him once," Twilight said. (See OUTCAST OF EQUESTRIA.)

Matthias couldn't get over it. "I'm Martin the Warrior. I'm Martin the Warrior!"

"What about the next line?" said Twilight. "The Warrior sleeps twixt Hall and Cavern Hole."

Matthias thought about that. "Hmm. Cavern Hole is the smaller dining room down in the basement that we use when there aren't as many people here. But the only thing between Great Hall and Cavern Hole is a flight of stairs."

Pinkie Pie bounded past him. "Well, come on! Let's go give 'em a look!"

Between Great Hall and Cavern Hole there were seven stone steps, with letters carved into them that spelled out the word "Redwall." The problem was, which one held the answer?

"Thinking caps on again," said Twilight. "Let's make a close inspection of these steps."

Pinkie Pie walked down the steps. Her hooves clopped on the stones. One of the steps, the one with the W carved into it, made a different sound than the rest.

"Do that again," Twilight said excitedly.

Pinkie stomped on the step again. "It sounds hollow. Not like the others."

Matthias pointed at the stair in question. "Look! That step is the fourth one, no matter whether you're going up or down. It's right between Great Hall and Cavern Hole. And if you turn the W upside down, it becomes an M. M for Martin."

"And for Matthias," said Pinkie.

"You're right," Twilight said. "Let's see if there's anything hidden under here."

They tried to lift up the stone, but it was stuck fast. "It… won't… budge!" Pinkie panted.

"Hurr, that's because you'm standing on it!"

They all turned to see a group of moles coming towards them.

"Good day to you, Mr. Foremole," Matthias said politely to the leader. "Can you help us move this stone?"

"Yurr, that we can. Et bees the same as moi old grandmum do foind when she'm rootin' about olden toim fortication."

"What's he saying?" Pinkie Pie whispered.

Matthias translated. "He said the step is just like one his grandmother found when she was exploring an old ruined castle."

Foremole nodded his velvety head. "Aye. Moi grandmum found lots o' them. Never diggin' or breakin', just turn 'em after dustin'."

"Huh?" said Pinkie.

"He says he can turn the step over without breaking it," Matthias said.

The moles gathered round the stone. "Yurr, set your diggin' claws in um crack," Foremole called out.

The mole team dug their claws into the gap, chanting together as they heaved with a will.

"Hurr she come, if'n you please,

Movin' boulder, sloid on grease."

They lifted the stone up to reveal a dark opening with a downward flight of stairs running off into the blackness below.