Mattimeo and his companions race to the landslide beneath where their parents are buried. They are seen by Slagar who send rats to recapture them. Within the cave Matthias and the pursuers are close to suffocating while above them - unknown to them - Mattimeo digs frantically. Beneath Redwall Abbey, John father of the captured Tim and Tess helps decipher the ancient Loamscript - but it contains more questions than answers. They work on, aware that solving the riddle will give them an answer to where their young ones are being taken. The answer indicates the South - and Warbeak and her Sparra squadrons take copies of the partly solved riddle and fly South to try to find Matthias. Mattimeo is recaptured by Slagar and cruelly forced to abandon his dying father. It forces the last step in his transformation which chills even Slagar. Mattimeo has become a warrior. Matthias is then rescued by Log-a-log and his shrew army.