"I can see the outside! We're on the lower slopes of the mountain at the far side. Stay back and I'll see if I can widen this hole with my sword!"
He stabbed at the hole and was immediately rewarded. A big chunk of rocky earth, with grass growing on it and a sprig of heather, tumbled inward. Dippler and Burble moved it out of the way, and sunlight flooded in. They laughed and cried at the same time, letting the warm sun beam in on their dust-grimed faces.
"Yiss yiss, that's the good ould sun all right. Go on, Dann, give it a good dig wid yore blade!"
Several more stabs of the sword brought soil, rock, grass, scree and mountain herbage tipping in upon them.
Spitting soil and grit, they climbed out into the sunlit afternoon and sat blinking in the unaccustomed warmth and brightness. Behind them the mountain reared, high and forbidding; below was a woodland with a broad stream running through it.
Dippler' pounded Dann's back, raising a cloud of dust from him. "We did it, matey, we did it! Now fer some vittles. I'll stake me name there'll be fruit an' berries growin' aplenty amid those trees down there. Wot d'you say, Burb?"
"Oh yiss yiss, an' they'll still be there while we're sittin' about on our tails up 'ere lookin' at 'em. Come on, let's eat!"
Stumbling, rolling and scooting on all fours, they bumbled their way down from the lower mountain slope into the peaceful green canopy of quiet woodland. Dann made a little camp on the streambank. He found flint in the soil and used dried moss with his steel swordblade to get a small fire going. Dippler and Burble were soon foraging about.
"Haha! Apples an' blackberries, loads of 'em!"
"Yiss yiss, I've found wild strawberries an' a plum tree too!"
They bathed in the warm stream shallows, getting all the dust and dirt of their ordeal out of their fur, drying off around the fire. Dippler shouted out with the sheer joy of being alive, his cheeks swollen with a great mouthful of apple and plum.
"Good ole Mother Nature.Thanks for the feast, marm!"
With the fire in front of them and the summer sun on their backs they gorged themselves shamelessly on sweet ripe fruit. Soon eyelids began drooping, and they tossed the mess of apple cores and plum stones into the stream and lay down gratefully.
"Dann mate, I'm glad you never died an' yore still talkin' t'me," murmured Dippler.
"Oh, are you, Dipp? Well, that's nice. But let's remember there's someone missing. Poor Song. Will we ever see her again?"
For a moment the two friends were silent. Eventually, Dippler put his arm around Dann. "Don't worry. She's a real warrior, that'n. I wouldn't be surprised if one bright morning she doesn't just come strolling by ..."
Just then they were rudely interrupted. "Will youse both be quiet. Yiss yiss. An' if y'don't go to sleep I'll kill the two of yer an' never talk to either of you again."
Lying on their backs in the peaceful noontide the three weary travelers snored uproariously. It was the snores that betrayed their presence to a creature roaming the woods. Fenno!
************************************
Dippler was wakened by the point of a rapier pressing against his throat. The Guosim shrew opened his eyes to be confronted by his hulking former comrade. Fenno's brutal features split in an ugly grin, and he leaned close to Dippler, keeping his voice low. "You an' yer mates snore too loud, Guosim. I 'ad a feelin' we'd meet up again someday. Quiet now, one peep outta you an' yore dead. We've got a score t'settle, me'n'you."
Despite Fenno's warning Dippler managed to whisper, "Promise you won't harm my mates?"
Fenno stared into Dippler's hard, unfearing eyes. "I ain't promisin' nothin' to you, Dippler. Log a Log's liddle pet, 'twas you started all this trouble fer me. Now get up on yore paws. Make one false move an' I'll slay yer friends!"
Dippler rose slowly. Behind Fenno he could see Burble, still snoring loudly. But Dann had one eye open, and he winked at Dippler. Fenno kept the rapier point pressed to Dippler's throat, so Dann had to be careful of his next move. Rising silently behind Fenno, he suddenly grabbed the big shrew by both ears and pulled him roughly backward. Fenno could not keep his balance and fell flat on his back. Dippler's footpaw was speedily on Fenno's rapier paw, stopping him from wielding the blade. The bullying shrew sneered up at him. "So it takes two of yer, eh? Why not wake the other one, then all three could gang up on me, cowards!"
Dippler looked across to Dann, his eyes bleak. "Stay out of this, mate. 'Tis my fight!"
Dann nodded his head, then drew his sword and tossed it over. "So be it, friend. Here, borrow my blade."
Burble sat upright, rubbing his eyes. "Can't a beast get a bit o' sleep round here? What's goin' on?"
Dippler caught the sword, cautioning Burble, "Nothin' t'do with you, Burb. Stay out of it. This is personal."
Dann and Burble moved away from the two shrews, and Dippler took his footpaw from Fenno's rapier. The big shrew sprang upright, swishing his blade.
"Now I'm goin' to slay you like I did ole Log a Log!"
Dippler was unused to the heavier weapon, but he leveled it at his enemy. "You can't kill me like you murdered Log a Log. I'm facin' you, Fenno. You stabbed Log a Log in the back!"
They circled each other, blades flickering, each looking for an entrance. Fenno was a skilled swordbeast. "I'll chop ye t'ribbons afore you can swing that clumsy thing!" he taunted.
Dippler parried his strike awkwardly and stood waiting for the next thrust, trying to accustom his paw to the blade. "Yore a bully an' a murderin' coward, Fenno, you always were!"
Fenno swung and feinted. Bringing his rapier slashing down across the young shrew's footpaw, he grinned nastily. "Bit by bit, I'll carve ye nice an' slow, young 'un!"
As he spoke he leapt forward, swinging sideways, aiming across his adversary's eyes. Dippler was ready this time, and he swayed backward, chopping the heavy blade down and breaking Fenno's rapier into two pieces. Fenno was quick; he jumped with both footpaws on the flat of the sword and headbutted Dippler. The young shrew saw stars, and fell flat on his back. Fenno grabbed the sword and dived at Dippler. Desperation and a quick turn of speed aided the younger shrew. He rolled over to one side, seizing the broken rapier and leaping upright. Fenno hit the ground in a cloud of dust. Dippler brought the broken rapier down forcefully with both paws as the hefty shrew rolled over. Breathing heavily and hardly able to lift his head, Dippler stood over the body of his enemy. "Shouldn't 'ave let yer turn over, Fenno. I should've got you in the back, the way you killed Log a Log!"
Dann retrieved his sword. Kneeling, he examined the hilt of the broken rapier protruding from Fenno. "Dipp, this is your sword. I recognize the hilt."
The young shrew took a glance at it. "That's my blade, all right. How did that scum come t'be carryin' it? I lost it back in the caves."
Burble pondered a moment, then held up a paw. "Ah, I've got it, yiss yiss. Yore rapier wasn't a great heavy blade like Dann's, 'twill have been swept straight through yon mountain by the river into that stream. I'll wager that's where the big shrew feller found it, on the bed o' the stream shallows, yiss yiss!"
Dippler picked up the bottom half of the blade and flung it into the stream, where it sank and went rolling away with the current. "Aye, per'aps yore right, Burb. Doesn't make much difference now though, does it? No rapier could stand up to the steel in Martin the Warrior's blade."
Dann slung his sword over his back, into the belt that carried it. "Right y'are, Dipp. The sword ain't been made that could best this blade!"
Later that afternoon they followed the streambank away from the mountain. The going was easy and they covered a fair bit of ground by nightfall. Dann was about ' to suggest they make camp when Burble gestured for silence. They stood quiet while Burble listened. He pointed to an ash. "Stay there by that tree. I'll be back soon. Keep quiet now an' keep yore heads down while I take a look around."