Matthias doesn’t like everyone on his team. He clearly doesn’t like Colin Vole, for instance. But Matthias is still clearly willing to put his own life at risk to protect him because he considers Colin under his care.
Matthias wasn’t supernatural in his emotions. In fact, Matthias is particularly emotional. Despite this, his desire to protect Redwall applies to everyone there because he considers them under his care.
I’m going to move to the next book chronologically: Mattimeo.
Matthias reprimanded Mattimeo very strongly over his fight with Vitch. Mattimeo felt, I’m sure, that no one else recognized Vitch as a rat. However, although Matthias is emotional, he is not stupid. He would have recognized that Vitch was a rat and I personally cannot be convinced otherwise.
I don’t know that it’s ever identified who let Vitch into Redwall. All I know is: Vitch was welcomed in, and Matthias would have recognized that he was now under his care,despite being a rat, because he was peacefully welcomed into Redwall.
We see this again after the battle in Malkariss when Matthias told Matti to let Vitch go. Even though Vitch was explicitly involved in the kidnapping of Redwall’s children, he stillprotected Vitch from harm.
Also–even though Matthias said Vitch “has no place among honest woodlanders”–I have no doubt that if Vitch hadn’t died and found his way to Redwall’s gates again, Matthias would have opened the door.
