BooksBarbecue
Back Mattimeo
Chapters (64)
  1. CAPTURED!
  2. Other Books
  3. Title Page
  4. Map
  5. Introduction
  6. BOOK ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. BOOK TWO
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. BOOK THREE
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. What’s next onyour reading list?

She opened her eyes and sat up, as baby Rollo climbed on the pallet.

“Wanna waterdrink, Rollo firstee,” he pleaded.

Cornflower hurriedly threw on a habit over her nightgown. “Come on, little one, we’ll take water and bread up on the wall. Let’s have a picnic breakfast. The sun will soon be up.”

Rollo skipped beside her happily. “Water’n’breads, pickernick on wall.”

*   *   *

The sun rose over Mossflower like a ball of red fire, lighting the treetops, and dispelling the long grey and purple rolls of cloud. The sky was soft pink tinged blue. Birds heralded the day as a light mist rose from the forest.

Cornflower looked out eagerly over the still woodlands. Not a leaf moved or a blade of grass stirred. There was nothing out there. She set Rollo’s breakfast out upon the stones. Then, clenching her paws in determination, she waited. Still nothing.

*   *   *

The morning brightened as Redwall Abbey came alive with the sounds of creatures going about their daily chores and pursuits. John Churchmouse sat next to his wife at the breakfast table. He looked up from the maps of Mossflower he was studying.

“No baby Rollo this morning, dear?”

Mrs. Churchmouse passed the cheese to Ambrose. “No, that’s strange. Cornflower’s missing too. I wonder where they have got to.”

John finished his October ale at a single draught. “Top of the south wall, of course, where they go with you every day. Come on, I’ll take you up there and we’ll stand with them for a while.”

*   *   *

When they arrived at the south ramparts, Rollo was hurling apple cores over the wall at imaginary rooks.

“Morning, Cornflower. Glad to see you’ve got a warrior to protect you in case of invasion,” John remarked.

“Oh, good morning to you both. Sorry I didn’t give you a call, but we decided to come up here early and bring breakfast with us.”

John chuckled. “Good job it wasn’t porridge, the way that young scamp is chucking stuff about. Here, Rollo, why don’t you try throwing a pebble with your little sling. It’ll go further.”

Rollo tried, but the pebble kept hitting the top of the wall and bouncing back. Half preoccupied with watching the antics of the little one, Cornflower turned away from her vigil. Constance joined them, and as the mice played with the baby bankvole, she looked out across the south reaches, casually at first.

Then Constance froze as if she had been turned to stone. She remained rigid, staring southwards and slightly west.

Cornflower looked up as she retrieved Rollo’s stone. “Constance, what is it?”

“Dust!”

“Dust? Where from?”

“Seems to be from beyond that bend in the path, behind the trees. I can’t tell yet. Wait a moment. . . . Yes, it’s dust all right, and it’s coming this way!”