Bombing Smurfs

[Zevka]

Never before had Zevka truly appreciated what a wonderful thing it was to take a deep breath of fresh, clean air. That first step out of the tunnels had felt truly wonderful for a few seconds, before the heavy weight on her shoulder had driven home the fact that Gashrock would never enjoy this experience the way Zevka could. The poor rat had never gotten to see the sunlight again before dying.

It was a profoundly sobering thought, and it made Zevka appreciate the fact that she got to see how the sun refracted brightly off the newly fallen snow.

The party had emerged from the tunnels to find themselves in an unfamiliar area. The moles had kept their distance from the group ever since seeing that they had acquired a molebabe. The tunnelers had at least kept the group in sight while underground, but had allowed them to slip out of range altogether once the party reached the surface. A heavy blanket of fresh snow covered the earth, although there wasn't any more coming down at the moment. They had buried Gashrock in that snow, wrapped in the silk the rat had found. They had done it a bit more hastily than Zevka would have normally wanted, but at least their companion had not been left to the elements. A few times, Zevka was sure she had caught Nyika giggling quietly to some unheard joke. Zevka didn't say anything to this, but it made her smile.

The group that had gone into the tunnels had reunited with Poko, Noonahootin and most of their supplies on the surface. As glad as Zevka had been to see their companions -- not to mention their goods -- the look on Poko's face when she had seen Gashrock's body had been heartbreaking. The ferret and the owl had managed to bring most of the important supplies with them, and nobeast was particularly eager to walk over the top of the moles' domain to fetch anything the pair had neglected.

The travelers had only managed to press on for a little bit over an hour after reuniting. They were all tired and injured, and Noonahootin had looked positively exhausted, collapsing in a heap almost as soon as the party had stopped to rest. The rest of the group had settled down for a bit to attend to their own needs, mostly in silence.

Zevka knelt down, picked up some snow and rubbed it on her exposed forearms in an attempt to get the worst of the dirt and grime out of her fur. It was a very mixed success. The marteness took stock of her clothing, and scowled at the discovery that her left sleeve was barely connected to the rest of her tunic, and that she could see her fur through a hole in the knee of her pants. To make matters worse, the strain in her arm from catching Risk was back with a vengeance, probably aggravated by being wrenched about by moles. Worst of all was her tail, which had swept up dirt and dust like a broom as they had dragged her through the tunnels.

It's bad enough that they wanted to kill me, but did they really have to do that with my tail?

The marteness looked around at the rest of her companions, of which she now had one less.

Poor Gashrock and Risk..dying underground, not even getting to breath fresh air with their last breaths...you both deserved so much better than that.

Zevka would not have expected to miss either the ferret or the rat as much as she did now, but miss them she did. Amazing how well attached you could get to a beast in a short time when in a situation like this.

"Burr, Oi be turrible 'ungered, Miz Poine Marten. C'n Oi 'ave summat t' eat?" Gypsumfur, the young mole that Nyika had rescued, chose this exceedingly inopportune moment to waddle up beside her. 

Zevka felt sour bile rising in her throat as a pair of strong, invisible paws gripped her guts and squeezed. Her lip curled back in loathing. ?No, you can't have something to eat, you miserable little wormeater!? she snarled, teeth bared.

Gypsumfur seemed taken aback. The little mole backpedaled away from the angry marteness. ?Please doan't yell at Oi.?  He sniffled a little bit as Zevka continued to glare daggers at him; if anything, she looked even more predatory than before. His eyes watered. ?Oi doan?t want t?be yurr wi? you?m. Oi want moi ma!?

Zevka glanced up. Noonahootin seemed to be asleep, and Nessa and Nyika were standing around him looking concerned. Everybeast else was attending to their own concerns, and so nobeast was paying much attention to her. The marteness threw an arm around the molebabe in a way that could have almost been mistaken for affection. She leaned in close to Gypsumfur, her fangs close to his face. The little mole squirmed to get away, but her grip was much too strong.

Her voice was a whisper. ?You know who also wants her mati? The ferret kit that your miserable little tribe just orphaned. Lots of other beasts died in your avalanche, too. That's a lot of kits and mates and friends who want a lot of beasts they can't have any more. So no, you can't have your ma. You're never going to have your ma again, because your ma killed a lot of beasts we care about, and so we probably gutted her like a fish.?

Gypsumfur began to sniffle, and then to sob quietly as Zevka's words percolated into his head. Zevka got up and walked away, leaving Gypsumfur curled up in a little ball in the snow. The marteness paused for just a moment as she walked off.

I really shouldn't have... a little voice in her mind started to say.

SHUT UP! another part of her mind cut in savagely. These things are a menace to every living thing they come across. Who gives a damn if you make one of them cry?

Zevka turned and stared at Gypsumfur. Snarling into his ear hadn't made her feel any better.

But I'll be damned if I apologize to a mole after this.

"They'll burn you?m, all o' you'ns. The Screamers Unnerground will make you?m all surry." The little mole was trying to glare at Zevka. The effect was more unsettling than it should have been, even if Zevka wasn't really sure what he was prattling on about. The marteness just growled and shook her head.

Zevka started to amble over to Nessa to see if the irrepressible lutrine could raise her spirits any, but paused as she walked past Istvan. The tattooed otter was sitting on a boulder, sharpening his knife with a whetstone. Zevka grimaced a bit.

Oooohhhh...I really don't want to do this.

Zevka walked over to Istvan and plopped herself down next to him. The otter didn't look up. Zevka hesitated, then forced herself to start speaking.

"So, Istvan. I, uh, just wanted to say..." The pine marten's original words got bogged down somewhere between her brain and her tongue. "That, uh, I really love these trees! They're the right color, they, uh, they're...um...they're exactly the right height! And I'm a pine marten! So obviously, that means that I really like trees! Especially pine trees, but that doesn't mean I don't like firs...or...or spruce."

Istvan gave her a very strange look, clearly wondering if she had hit her head on something down in the tunnels. Eventually, the otter shrugged. "The Mother has given life to many beautiful things."

Zevka took a deep breath.

Let's try this again.

"What I actually wanted to do, Istvan, is thank you for saving me, and for trying to save Gashrock. You didn't have to do that. I know it would have been easier to just give the two of us up for dead and keep on walking, and that a lot of beasts would have done just that."

Istvan's face was hard to read. "You and I have had our differences, but an unconsecrated death far below the surface of the earth is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. As a representative of the Mother, I would consider myself to have failed in my duty if I allowed such a death to occur."

Zevka tilted her head a bit. "I would have almost expected you to think the opposite, at least where I'm concerned."

"Ah yes, you and Vanessa both seem to have come to the conclusion that I would like nothing more than to watch you all die. I find the idea both insulting and amusing."

"I DID think that before, but if that was really what you wanted, I don't think you would have rescued me," Zevka replied.

"Exactly." Istvan shrugged. "You are not by any stretch of the imagination sinless in the eyes of the Mother, but neither are you unredeemable. I would not doom to eternal punishment when you have not nearly lived out your allotted days. There are many choices left for you to make. I pray they will be the right ones."

Zevka nodded. "So do I, although I don't know if we're using the same criteria." The marteness switched topics. "Even if Gashrock didn't make it out alive, rescuing her was not a waste. At least this way, she didn't have to die thinking that nobeast cared about her enough to try to help her. And what the moles had planned for us was probably a lot worse than...well..." Both beasts fell silent for a few moments.

"Anyways," Zevka said with a hint of amusement. "I guess this means I'm going to have to save your life as soon as possible. Make sure we're even."

"You really shouldn't. You do not owe me any kind of debt; I am only doing my duty." If anything, Istvan looked a tad embarrassed at Zevka's words.

"Well, all the same: thank you," Zevka said before switching gears. "Istvan...Gashrock and I recovered the letter that she saw before the mole killed her. Gashrock died getting this letter, and it's a damn important one. Could you gather up Nessa and Noonahootin? All of you need to see it. And Istvan? This is not going to be easy for any of you to hear. While you're doing that, I'm going to make sure that Poko is alright. Call me when you're ready." With that, she slid off the boulder and went to go check on the ferret kit.

Zevka walked up behind Poko, who was currently in the process of determining the tallest point of a tree that she could hit with a snowball.

"So Poko...I heard that you thrashed the stuffing out of a certain snowy owl with...a hat?"

Poko grinned. ?Yeah! The harfang was coming right for us. Mister Noonahootin wanted to fight it by himself, but I wasn?t about to hide and not do anything while he got shredded up.? The ferret was talking a mile a minute.  ?So I thought about how I could make a snare, but I couldn?t think of what I could use ? and then it hit me!? Her paws gestured animatedly as she described the scene, ?If I unraveled the hat, it?d be one long string that I might be able to use. So I did! And it worked! That bird flew right into it and you never SAW such a surprised look on an owl?s face! She must?ve lost about half her feathers up to her chin!?

The heavy black cloud around Zevka's heart suddenly felt somewhat lighter and farther away. The marteness pulled the little ferret into a hug. "Poko, it sounds like you were just fantastic!"

The sprite beamed. "Yeah!" Suddenly, her face fell a bit. "But now Cookie's hat is mostly just thread. I was going to ask Gashrock to fix it but...but..." Poko's previously ebullient mood vanished. "Why did Gashrock have to die? She never hurt anybeast!"

Zevka set her jaw. "I'm sure she didn't. I didn't know her that well, but...I would have liked to have known her better. And I would have liked to have seen her in a play. That one was born to be a star."

?She was,? Poko said sadly. ?And?and they killed Cookie! I don?t know how. He was the toughest beast I ever met ? nobeast could ever win a fight against him. But he was always nice to me! He an? my papa did lots of shows together. They always made everyone laugh.? She smiled at the memory. ?Cookie always took the falls. Even if it meant landing on his head!? Her smile faded as she recognized the significance of this observation. Her face contorted and she turned from the pine marten to hide her expression. ?I?I need to go?? She turned away, one paw to her mouth.

"Poko..."

Poko turned back to look at Zevka, but as she did so, her eyes went wide with fear, and she flung herself to the side. Zevka instinctively did the same, and gasped in surprise as talons gashed into the snow where she and Poko had been standing. The harfang landed hard in the snow, the awkward landing presenting a sharp contrast to the utter silence of her approach.

Zevka swore. ?A little help here, anybeast?!?? she shouted.

She drew her saber and tried to charge the owl, only to catch a blast of wind and snow to the face as it took off again. Nessa and Istvan both dropped what they were doing and bolted towards Zevka and the owl.

Would it be too much to ask to have SOMEBEAST in this group who can use a bow?

The harfang divebombed Zevka again, but rather than land a second time, she took off towards the vulnerable Noonahootin, flying low and fast. The captain seemed to be struggling to rouse himself, and it was not hard to predict what the results of a fight with the harfang were likely to be. She might have made it there, if Istvan, who was traveling on the same path in the opposite direction, had not hurled himself into the air at the owl. The otter's knife missed its mark, but he crashed into the owl, who barely prevented herself from crashing hard to earth with her lutrine assailant. This was all the time that Nessa needed to fling herself at the now-grounded owl in a flurry of punches and kicks that drove the bird back a bit.

Zevka ran towards the owl and the two otters, taking note of Poko running towards some sickly-looking trees. She could see the owl's back, which was covered with deep, oozing cuts. The harfang had to have been in agonizing pain.

Istvan made another attempt to slash at the owl as Nessa moved out of the way, but the harfang suddenly charged into him, headbutting him solidly in the chest. The otter was lifted off of his footpaws, and his knife went spiraling through the air, landing in a large pile of snow a good distance away from its owner.

?Guardsbeast! Hold off the owl!? Istvan immediately went for his knife, as Nessa charged in towards the owl. However, this time her avian nemesis was prepared. The owl struck Nessa full across the face with her wing, sending her sprawling.

Zevka swung at the owl as hard as she could, but the bird leaped out of her way and to the side, then took off again. The pine marteness yelped as the owl gripped her arm and lifted her into the air by her sword arm, the owl's talons digging in painfully. She dropped her saber. The owl carried Zevka for a few terrifying seconds. However, even as she struggled, Zevka could hear the owl wheezing and see the strain in its muscles; it clearly was not accustomed to carrying adult mustelids. Suddenly, the owl's head snapped to the side, as somebeast else caught her attention. The harfang abruptly dropped Zevka.

The marteness fell to earth in deep snow. The fall knocked the wind out of her a bit, but the snow cushioned her well, and the harfang had not been flying very high.

?Please doan?t yell at Oi agin,? said a familiar voice from next to her.

Zevka snarled as she righted herself. Gypsumfur was the last beast she wanted to see right now. The marteness immediately set to work locating the harfang. Her blood ran cold as she saw what had stolen its attention: Poko.

The frightened sprite was in a tree, struggling to use the meager cover it provided as the owl attacked. Zevka looked around frantically. Nessa was only just starting to struggle to her footpaws. Istvan was digging through the snow, still looking for his knife. Her sword lay far out of her reach. She probably couldn't reach the owl in time, and even if she could, she wasn't Nessa.

Zevka winced as Poko stepped on a brittle branch and fell out of the tree. The owl screeched in triumph. Poko pulled out Zevka's dagger and pointed it at the harfang, but the avian menace wasn't afraid of her, and advanced rapidly.

?POKO!!!? Zevka screamed, ears flat againt her head. But suddenly, her eyes fell on Gypsumfur, and a sudden thought came into her mind.

The owl is just hungry; that's all this is....so let's give her something else to eat instead!

The marteness leaped to her footpaws, just as the owl prepared to tear into Poko with its wicked beak. She grabbed Gypsumfur, ignoring his shouts of panic. The pine marten took a running start, spun around in a circle and threw the molebabe with all of her strength.

"Snack on this!"

The mole flew through the air, and crashed straight into the owl. The harfang whirled around, its wicked beak lashing out. Blood sprayed across the snow, and Gypsumfur screamed. The harfang backpedaled, and then stared at the writhing mole for several moments, as though utterly stunned at witnessing the results of her actions. Poko seized the moment to put some distance between herself and the owl, while Zevka ran for her sword. Before she could retrieve it, however, the owl picked up the mole and took off, flying away as quickly as her wings would carry her.

?Poko!? Zevka ran over to the ferret kit as soon as the owl was gone, and pulled the sprite into a crushing hug. Poko seemed taken aback by the gesture for a moment, but made no immediate effort to try to escape.

"Errfff...I'm alright, Zevka."

"What have you done?!?" a voice demanded from behind Zevka. Zevka turned around, and felt a pronounced chill run up her spine at the mix of fury and utter disgust on Istvan's face. The otter had not sheathed his knife, and Zevka suddenly realized that there was a very real chance that Istvan might try to use it on her. She reached for her saber. It wasn't there.

SCAT! No weapons, and Istvan is much stronger than me. I could actually die over this!

"I saved you from death in the tunnels to give you a chance to repent and become a better creature, not to become a worse one, and certainly not to throw away the  life of a kit!" Istvan's fury was etched on his face, but he made no further moves towards Zevka, and his knife paw remained at his side.

The marteness bristled. "I did what I had to do, Istvan! My sword was gone, Nessa wasn't going to get there in time, and you were still fumbling around in the snow looking for your knife. It was the mole or Poko, and that's not a decision at all."

"And does it not worry you at all that your first instinct was to sacrifice the most defenseless member of our party? Children are a precious thing, Zevka. No matter the species. You should have been willing to sacrifice yourself in his place!"

Zevka did a double take. "Member of our-- that mole was NOT a member of our group! That mole is from the tribe responsible for every single bad thing that has happened to any of lately. Kit or no, I am not going to choose one of our enemies over any of us -- not over you, either, Istvan!" The marteness was aware of the shrill tone creeping into her voice, but couldn't seem to get rid of it.

"That mole relied entirely on us for protection! He was the youngest, the most innocent out of all of us -- what possible sins could he have committed? I mourn for Risk and Gashrock as much as you, but we slaughtered that mole's parents in front of him!" Istvan replied. The otter leaned forward, and Zevka started a bit, stepping backwards.

"Has he not paid enough for the sins of his tribe?" the otter demanded.

"This isn't about fairness!" Zevka shouted with a sneer that just wasn't quite up to her usual standard. "How, exactly, would you have stopped the owl, Istvan? We were all too far away."

Istvan looked genuinely frustrated. "I don't know! Mother forgive me, I don't know. But--"

"Let's not forget that I was about to get eaten!" Poko broke in, looking a little bit peeved at Istvan. "She didn't have much time."

"There is always a choice between good and evil in every action we make, and I refuse to believe that there was no other way to resolve the situation," Istvan replied.

Zevka snarled. "Well, I didn't have one, and I didn't have time to look -- Nessa, you know I didn't have a choice, don't you?" Zevka asked, a hint of pleading in her voice.

The other Yew Guard had finally made her way over to where Zevka and Istvan stood. Any hope of support from Nessa evaporated as Zevka saw the otter's face. "Zevka, what did ye do? Ye ne'er put an innocent beast in danger, least o' all a kit! Ye jus' threw him oot as fodder! "

Poko looked more troubled than angry at Nessa's outburst. Istvan merely nodded at his fellow Yew Guard.

Zevka looked as though Nessa had slapped her. "Nessa, please! I can't do this with you, too!" The marten's voice broke just a bit as she said this.

"Um ... actually, if no one minds me saying...I don't think Zevka did anything ... wrong," Nyika said, slinking up to the group. When they all looked at her to explain, she continued. "I mean, I don't think the owl was trying to kill Gypsumfur at all. Didn't you see the way she attacked us? She wasn't looking for food. She wanted us dead, and went for the healthiest and strongest first. I think the owl was trying to save Gypsumfur, not kill him."

The group took a moment to consider this information. Zevka tried to grab at the lifeline Nyika had just thrown her.

"Right!" Zevka shouted a little too loudly. "She did look like she --"

"Ye jest." Nessa scowled.

"No, I'm not, actually." There was a flash of heat in the wildcat's words. "Didn't anybeast see the way the owl struck him? It was an accident! Didn't you see her expression? How horrified she looked? How upset? If she was looking for somebeast to eat, why didn't she target him first? Nobeast was watching him! Why didn't she target me? Look at me! My arm's in a sling, and I'm covered in blood and guts! She didn't even give me a second glance!"

"What're ye railing aboot, Nyika? Didnae ye see what that beak did--"

"I did." Nyika was beginning to tremble. "I also saw the way she nuzzled him after she struck him, and the way she cradled him in her talons before she took off. I think the owl was trying to protect him ... from us."

Zevka felt a surge of gratitude towards the young seer. "That's--"

"Ye couldnae have kenned that the owl was nae goin' to kill Gypsumfur!" Nessa cut the marteness off. "Ye reckoned ye were throwin' him to be tairn tae pieces by the owl! Ye could 'ave done somethin', stopped the owl yerself, distracted her...!"

Zevka scowled. "Nessa, I'm not you! I can't pummel an owl to death with my bare paws. Those wrestling moves I showed you don't really work on birds! Besides, I don't think I could have even gotten there in time." The marteness indicated her own stocky build. "And I'm not exactly a champion sprinter."

Nessa glared angrily at Zevka. "Ye could have tried rather than do what ye did!"

"I could have tried and failed, and Poko would have been torn to pieces right in front of us!" Zevka snarled.

Nessa had already turned back towards the wildcat. "And Ah've a problem with yer theory, Nyika: if the owl was trahing to kill us all, starting with the strongest, then why did it ignore me and Istvan and Zevka and go for Poko? It could have kept thrashing us, or dragged Zevka more. Why didnae it?"

"Because you were fighting back! You had knives and swords and fists and she was injured! Poko was the most vulnerable!"

"No more vulnerable than you," Poko muttered.

Zevka tried again to salvage the situation. "We don't know for sure what the owl was doing, but the mole--"

"Gypsumfur!" Nessa shouted. "The lil' un had a name Zevka, and a ma and a da, and maybe a broother or sister! He had beasts who cared aboot him, Zevka! He was a real beast! And whether Nyika kens something or not, ye thought ye were tossing him to be eaten."

Zevka's tail bottlebrushed, and her ears flattened. Her voice shook. "I--I can't do this right now, Nessa. Not-- not with you! Not after losing Risk and Gashrock. Come find me when you're actually thinking straight!" The marteness stormed off into the snow. Istvan let her go. Nessa didn't. Zevka was vaguely aware of Nyika trying to follow her and Nessa, although Istvan put his paw on her shoulder and held her back.

Zevka walked for several minutes, trying desperately to ignore the otter's verbal slings and arrows. Finally, she whirled around.

"Nessa, what the 'Gates was I supposed to do?!? I didn't do anything wro--"

The otter closed the gap between them with shocking speed, and Zevka was unpleasantly reminded of just how much stronger and faster Nessa was. Nessa's face was practically touching Zevka's. "Naethin' wrong? Zevka, you just killed a kit! Gypsumfur was an innocent, and ye don' ever do what ye just did! Ye're not any different than a common murderer, Zevka?"

"Why the 'Gates are you so concerned with the moles? Do you remember what they did? They killed Poko's parents, and SO MANY other creatures! Your friend, Kent--"

Mentioning the late Yew Guard was a mistake. Nessa's eyes widened in fury, and her voice went up several decibels. "Don' ye even say his name, Zevka! He was a better beast than ye'll ever be! Gypsumfur didnae kill anybeast! HE. WAS. A. BABE!"

Zevka felt her own wave of rage bubble through her. "Well, then, maybe these things just need some culling before they grow up enough to kill anybeast!" she shouted, much louder than she had intended.

There was a moment of silence as her words seemed to echo around them. Nessa looked at Zevka with a face full of disgust. Zevka prepared herself for more shouting.

But instead, Nessa just said "I'm jus' glad Mekad does nae have to see this. He'd be ashamed to know ye."

Zevka recoiled as though Nessa had punched her. "That's not true! I --he -- we--he would--" Suddenly, Zevka's tongue felt like it wasn't working any more.

Nessa glared straight into Zevka's eyes. The marteness looked away.

"Didnae ye tell me once that what made ye be friends with him is that he was different from the other vermin at that academy o' yours? That he wasnae jus' looking to stab or throw away anybeast who would stop him from getting to to the top? That he was a beast who actually meant it when he was nice to ye? What would he think of ye now?"

The only response Zevka could think of was to just sit down in the snow.

I will not cry in front of Nessa, I will not cry in front of Nessa, I will NOT cry in front of..." The tears welling up in Zevka's eyes had apparently not gotten the memo.

"Nessa...Oh Fates, Nessa, I don't even know if Mekad is still alive!" Zevka blurted out. "Oh, sure, he was alive when he wrote me that letter, but that was...that was weeks ago!" An icy claw of panic gripped her heart. "What if they made him write the letter and then they killed him? What will I do if he's dead, Nessa? I haven't seen my parents since I was a little older than Nyika -- he's the only beast from my past that I have left!" The marteness couldn't seem to stop herself from talking now.

"They're all dead, everybeast else I knew back home at Bayguard!" The memories and the names flooded into Zevka's head. "There was Thetsa -- biggest stoat jill I've ever seen, and a lot like you, Nessa. Fiery and passionate and loved being alive. She died fighting a badger. The last time I saw her, her...her face didn't even look like her any more! I only knew it was Thetsa because of her size and her armor. And Venib, the fox who worked in the kitchens. A laughing, happy prankster, always eating but still skinny as an arrow. He didn't know one end of a spear from the other, but as the woodlanders burst in, he tried to charge them. I don't think he ever laid a paw on anybeast before he got stabbed in the stomach." Zevka, tears streaming freely now, wanted to stop talking and stop remembering, but she just couldn't.

"Shaznya was the best swordsbeast I've ever known, and I've never doubted that he could have beaten the Red Warrior if he hadn't been shot by an arrow the first day and bled to death while I jammed my claw into his artery trying to stop  the bleeding," she continued, voice heavy with bitterness."

"The...the Red Warrior? Zevka, ye don' mean..."

Zevka snarled openly through her tears. "Yes, I do mean it, Nessa! Redwall's famed warriors were the ones who destroyed my home and killed all my friends except for Mekad! And it didn't have to happen!"

Nessa's anger was being visibly diluted by confusion. "Redwall doesnae conquer anybeast without a reason, Zevka! They...they wouldnae! That's nae who they are!"

Zevka bristled. "Well, they DID do that, Nessa!" The marteness went quiet for a little bit. "You know...part of what kept me going down in the tunnels is this...idea, I guess, about you, me, Nyika, Poko and Mekad all making it back to Yew together, and all of us staying around each other. Nyika and Poko would have beasts who could help take care of them, you'd be renowned in the guard as the hero who survived the mountain disaster, and Mekad and I would have a real home again."

The marteness' eyes hardened, and her voice rose again. "I have to believe that we can have that. And if I could walk through those tunnels and cut the throat of every mole living there to save you and Nyika and Poko, I would!"

Nessa's face darkened again. "That doesnae--"

"And by the way, Nessa, maybe you need to spend less time yelling at me and more at your superiors!" Zevka couldn't stop herself. She walked up to Nessa, reached into her tunic and pulled out the piece of parchment still stained with Gashrock's blood. "Because while we're out here freezing and dying and scared to death, they're laughing about how they sent us out here to die!"

Nessa growled at Zevka. "What bilge are ye slinging now, Zevka? They didnae--"

"Yes they DID, Nessa! This is the letter Gashrock died over. And I quote: 'Finish the job, then we'll talk of provisions.' Note the beautiful specimen of a Yew seal!"

The otter's face darkened, but she did not act nearly as surprised or even interested as Zevka had expected. "Wot's that? That's nae mah 'superiors', Zevka, that's the Yew seal. Ah dinnae care 'ow et got 'ere, yer jus tryin' tae mix things oop!"

Zevka blinked. "Nessa, you don't think this is pretty damn important?"

"Et's nae the point! Show et tae Noony, if ye have tae! Ah couldnae care less which traitor in Yew's tryin' tae get us killed, what Ah care aboot is ye!" Nessa's eyes narrowed. ""An' 'ow ye keep tryin' tae justify a babe's murder like some common horde vermin!"

Zevka snarled. "Some of the beasts I've loved most in this world have been 'common horde vermin!' You're sounding more and more like Istvan every minute!" Suddenly, the marten's ire vanished, replaced by sadness, her voice almost pleading. "Nessa...please. I don't want us to be angry at each other. I don't want to lose anybeast else."

"Ye already did. Yer no the beast Ah thought Ah knew, Zevka. Next time there's a fight, dinnae expect me tae watch yer back. Ye kin go tae Hellgates fer all Ah care."

Zevka held things together just long enough for the otter to retreat out of sight. And then Zevka Blackbriar just sat in the snow for a while, and cried over the fact that in trying to avoid losing one beast, she had lost another. The marteness didn't allow herself to grieve for long, however.

Nessa or no Nessa, there's still Poko, Nyika, Mekad and me. I saved Poko, and I could never want to take that back. Not my fault that she can't see that.

It was a very long, very lonely walk back to the camp.

When she finally returned, Nyika made her way over to Zevka, with the marteness' sword in paw.

"Hey, Nyika?" The pine marten put a paw on the wildcat's shoulder. "Thanks for standing up for me. It...it meant a lot."

Nyika's eyes lit up, though she gave a sad smile. "You did what was necessary. It may not have been the best course of action, but I truly don't think he had been put in any danger. He didn't seek cover, and I noticed that gleeful look on his face during the attack. I think they're allies. The owl was protecting him, and it's not your fault if they can't see that. I had hoped?" She trailed off, shaking her head. "You dropped this." She handed Zevka the saber.

"Thank Vulpuz for you, Nyika," Zevka said, meaning it to the bottom of her heart. She made an effort to smile as she sheathed the sword.

"What did you say to Gypsumfur? He was rather upset after you left him."

"What? Oh...it doesn't matter, does it? He's gone now, safe, like you said." The marteness decided to change the subject. "Are you alright, Nyika? I mean, really alright, after having to --"

Zevka and Nyika broke off their conversation as a loud, dull rumbling suddenly arose. The pine marten swore.

"What the 'Gates is that supposed to be?"

"The moles are trying to get under us! Grab some supplies and RUN!" Istvan shouted. Everybeast scrambled to follow his advice, although Noonahootin seemed barely able to get moving in time. The rumbling followed them, and laden down as the group was, the moles seemed like they were able to keep pace.

The ground beneath Zevka's footpaws began to change. There was less and less snow, and the ground itself seemed softer. She didn't really notice, however, until the rumbling abruptly stopped, with no gradual tapering off before it completely ceased. Zevka kept running for just a bit before pausing to catch her breath. She half expected an assault to materialize at any moment, but as the minutes ticked on, she frowned in surprise.

"So...are they going to actually attack us?" Nyika asked the question on everybeast's mind.

"Could be trying to lull us into a false sense of security..." Zevka mused. "No, they wouldn't give up the element of surprise like that."

"Maybe they're just scared of these!" Poko piped in. The sprite walked over to a pair of tall structures composed primarily of the bones of many different species which had been laced together and stacked. In places, one could see where wood had been inserted to keep the bones together and upright, but otherwise, the two pillars appeared to consist of the remains of a great many unfortunate travelers.

Nyika gravitated towards the pillars, kneeling before them as she studied their designs. The rest looked upon her with apprehension. Finally Zevka spoke.

"What do you see?"

"Bones, constructed with intricacy and purpose."

"I mean do you see any ? ghosts."

"Oh. Umm?" The wildcat hesitated. "Most beasts bring me letters and possessions to see if I can summon the spirits they belong to. Fools, really. There's nobeast I can call from inanimate objects like that."

"Yes, but these ? are their bodies."

"Aye." Turning back to the bones, Nyika leaned forward and narrowed her eyes.

"This is a warning," she announced. "We should go no farther."

Zevka frowned. "Well, we certainly cannot go back! We don't have much choice but to press on. But you and Poko might be right. These do look like the kind of thing you would build as a warning to others."

"A warning about what? Some other tribe?" Istvan asked.

Zevka looked at the rather desolate landscape around them. "This doesn't seem like very good land to me. Nothing growing on it, no trees, no signs of anything useful. If I was somebeast capable of scaring the moles, I wouldn't settle for this dump."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Nyika said, pressing a paw against the sun-bleached bones. As soon as she had made a connection she drew back in alarm, her fur raising and her tail fluffing three times its size. "This land is evil. We should go back, to Yew."

"We can't go back," Zevka said. "Our destination lies in Carrigul."

"Please, Zevka." Nyika's eyes were wide, her pupils stretched to the edge of her irises. "Don't make us go."

"I have to find Mekad," Zevka replied, in a tone that left no room for debate. "Don't forget why I came on this trip in the first place. Besides, as a practical matter, we really can't go back. The way we came is pretty thoroughly blocked."

Nyika hunched her shoulders and nodded. "I'm going to need more sage."

Zevka frowned thoughtfully. "Still, I do wonder what these things are supposed to be warning us about..."

Nobeast knew it, but the answer was all around them.