"Like wot?"
"I dunno, maybe they was attacked."
"Attacked by who? Vallug an' Eefera are both good fighters, they could take care of themselves."
"Suppose it was somebeast who was better'n 'em. You don't know wot sort o' creatures are livin' on this mountain."
Gruven jumped upright and scattered the fire with his sword. The trio leapt back, brushing sparks from themselves as he snarled, "Yore like a bunch of ole gossipers, sittin' there arguin'. I'll tell ye wot I think, then we'll go an' do somethin' about it instead of sittin' freezin' our tails off!"
By the respectful silence that followed, Gruven knew he was boss.
"If Vallug an' Eefera was killed by otherbeasts up 'ere, we ain't stoppin' 'round t'find out. I always said climbin' this mountain was a waste o' time. That otter was never up 'ere. So this is wot we're gonna do. We'll get off the mountain an' track Vallug an' Eefera, an' I bet they'll lead us to the otter. Then all three of 'em are goin' to die, the otter 'cos that's who we came to kill, Vallug an' Eefera 'cos they're traitors, desertin' their own clanbeasts, leavin' us to perish from cold an' starvation. Come on, let's move!"
The two stoats, Rawback and Ribrow, walked behind Gruven and Dagrab, conversing in whispers.
"D'you think Gruven knows where 'e's leadin' us?"
"No, mate, but anywhere's better'n 'ere."
"Right y'are. Keep yore eyes peeled for vittles. I'm famished."
The rat Dagrab slithered alongside Gruven, warm sunlight on the hard-packed snow making the downhill descent quite difficult. She kept her eyes down, watching the ground underpaw.
"Look, Chief, prints in the snow!"
Gruven inspected the faint impressions left in the previous night's snowfall. "Hah, I was right! Vallug an' Eefera passed this way. Good work, Dagrab. We're on their trail right enough. Scout on ahead a bit, see wot y'can find!"
"Huh, 'e was right?" Ribrow scoffed, covering his mouth with a paw. "Wot 'e means is 'e was lucky Dagrab wuz keepin' 'er eyes about 'er."
Once they were clear of the snow, the going became much easier. By midafternoon Gruven's party were on the lower slopes among huge boulders, scrub vegetation and shale. Gruven and the two stoats rested by a trickling stream, gnawing on some milk vetch leaves. Gruven was feeling cheerful.
"See, warm weather, clean water an' a bit o' food. Good, eh?" Ribrow and Rawback continued eating in silence as Gruven continued, "Dagrab lost the tracks a bit back there, but she'll pick 'em up again. Don't worry, I won't steer us wrong."
Ribrow spat out a hard bit of stalk, nodding downhill. "Oh, we ain't worried, Chief, but Dagrab doesn't look too 'appy. 'Ere she comes now, see."
Scrabbling breathlessly uphill, Dagrab returned to make her report. "Looks like all kinds o' stuff growin' down there on some ledges, Chief. Proper vittles, mushrooms, wild onions, some turnips an' stuff like that. Only thing is there's a load of liddle beasts, look like shrews. Good job they never saw me. There's a lot of 'em an' they look well armed, clubs, knives, spears ..."
Gruven tossed away a pawful of vetch leaves. "Liddle beasts like shrews, eh, with plenty o' vittles too? Let's go an' take a look."
From their vantage point on a rocky boulder-strewn spur, the four vermin lay looking down. Far below were broad terraces above the foothills covered in deposits of rich alluvial soil. The pigmy shrews were farming, planting seedlings and gathering in their vegetable crops. Between where they were working and the high spur where the vermin lay was a steep wasteland of thistle, fern, scree, boulders and shale.
Gruven's smile was one of pure wickedness. "This'll probly make a bit o' mess, but we're not interested in next season's crops, just enough fer a few good meals."
Putting his shoulder to a rounded boulder, he pushed it over the edge, calling to the others, "Come on, send some rocks down that slope!"
The boulders hit the steep incline, bouncing and setting other boulders and shalebanks on the move wherever they struck, smashing fern beds, crushing thistles and sending huge masses of scree into a thundering avalanche. Pigmy shrews scattered hither and thither, squealing in panic as the mountain thundered down on them, crushing anybeast not swift enough to avoid the destruction.
Gruven laughed until tears rolled down his cheeks. The plan was working. "Hahahaha! It's like droppin' pebbles an' sand on ants, hahahaha! Lookit 'em, they don't know which way t'run fer the best, hahaha!"
The three other vermin caught his mood and began tipping more boulders over the edge onto the creatures below.
"Whoohoo! Looka that 'un runnin'. Hoho, 'e's tripped an' fell!"
"Watch me get those two 'idin' be'ind that rowan tree!"
"Heehee, that liddle one just vanished under a load o' shale!"
They watched until the massive landslide subsided. Gruven leaned on his sword and smirked at his companions. "That'll teach 'em, fillin' their bellies while there's 'ungry Juska warriors starvin' up 'ere. There's a good few baskets full o' fresh picked food down there that never got buried. Told yer I wouldn't steer ye wrong, didn't I? Let's slide down there an' see wot the pickin's are like."
Nimbalo jumped at the sudden rumbling and clattering that echoed through the cavern.
"Great seasons, wot's that, mate? Thunder'nlightnin' again?"
Alfik scrambled up the streambank to the curtaining waterfall that shielded the entrance. "Stay. Not thunder'n'lightnin', that rockfall, not safe. Stay!"
Nimbalo made to follow him, but was stopped by Tagg's strong paw. "Best stop here, mate. These creatures know their own mountain best. That rockfall sounds bad!"
They waited until the rumblings ceased. There was a brief silence, then the Cavemob shrews began chattering wildly and moving toward the cave entrance. Bodjev headed them off, calling for calm.
"Shushupp, shushupp, alla beast! Nogo, stay 'ere. Alfik cleverwise son, know best. Wait, wait 'til Alfik comeback!"
The wait was rather a long one. Anxious shrews who had family and friends outside chattered away interminably to one another. Nimbalo covered his ears, screwing his face up.
"The blinkin' noise that lot are makin' is worse than the rockfall."
Tagg nodded sympathetically. "Aye, but they've probably got kin out there and they're worried. I wish Alfik would come back. Hope he's all right."
Virtually as the otter finished speaking, Alfik came splashing hurriedly through the watery cascade and made straight for Tagg. "Death be's out there, lotsa death, much hurted Cavemobs. Four beasts too, biggabeasts, mebbe yore size, big knifes, spear, lookalike bad. Muchbad!"
The big otter drew his blade, his tattooed face grim. "Bodjev, you and your shrews stay here for a while. Wait a bit before you follow me. I know who those beasts must be, and I don't want any of the Cavemob hurt because of me!"
Nimbalo picked up a flint-studded club and followed his friend to the entrance. Tagg shook his head. "Not this time, mate. This is something I've got to do alone!"
The harvest mouse brushed by him. "No mate o' mine fights standin' alone, I don't care wot ye say. I'm goin' with ye, Tagg. If there's four of 'em you'll need somebeast to watch yore back, no arguments!"
Tagg flashed him a quick smile. "You're a real pal, Nimbalo the Slayer!"
Amid the devastation they had caused to the neatly farmed terraces, the four vermin laughed amid fallen boulders and dead pigmy shrews, callously feeding themselves. Gruven stuffed fresh button mushrooms into his mouth, grabbing at Dagrab as she passed with a basket.
"Strawberries! Why didn't ye tell me there was strawberries 'ere? Gimme some o' those, ye greedy rat!" He spat out the mushrooms and began stuffing strawberries.
Ribrow had a basket part filled with scallions. He munched on a bunch and belched loudly. "Nothin' like fresh-picked veggibles. 'Ere, mate, d'yer want some?" He held out the basket to a groaning pigmy shrew, buried to the chest in rubble, with blood crusting upon his brow. "Doesn't know wot's good fer 'im," Ribrow scoffed. " 'E don't want none. Rawback, chuck some of that celery over 'ere, will ye?"