Muttering sullenly, they complied, and the old shrew winked at Samkim.

“I’m Alfoh the Elder. We’re a colony of Guosssom shrews—there’s tribes of shrews all along this stream, part of the main Guerrilla Union. We pride ourselves on being the most civilized and reasonable of all the Guosssom tribes—that’s why we call our group a colony and not a tribe, y’ see. But I suppose any shrew-band has its loudmouths an’ hotheads, like young Racla there. Still, I don’t suppose he’s altogether to blame after what happened here last night. A fox and five rats mounted a sneak attack here, while we were half asleep. They stole our best logboat an’ killed four of our shrews. One of the dead was Racla’s brother—that’s why he ran the rat through without stoppin’ to ask questions. Anyhow, we’ll all sit down t’gether an’ take a bite an’ a sup, then you can tell me your end of the story.”

*   *   *

Twilight gleamed on the streamwaters. Seated in a large comfortable cavern facing the bank, the three friends related their tale as Alfoh’s colony members sat around listening. Hot acorn and chestnut dip was served with arrowroot wafers, a large honeyed plumcake was brought out in their honor, and dandelion wine and redcurrant cordial flowed freely. Spriggat munched away as he longingly watched two dragonflies hovering over the stream outside.

When the friends had finished their narrative Alfoh leaned back in his deep pawchair and nodded. “I saw your sword, it was a most wonderful piece of craft-beastship—badger-made, I’d guess. Now, my friends, what to do about all this? If the fox is a good navigator he will eventually make his way down to the sea, though if he’s never sailed these waters before you can take it from me he’ll be as lost as a fish up a mountain.”

Samkim clasped his paws across a full stomach. “Do you think we’ll be able to catch him up?”

Alfoh pondered the question for a moment. “Maybe we could, but there are four ways he could go: down to the sea, into the great lake, or up one of the back creeks that leads to a dead end—all of these routes we could follow and catch up with him. The other way leads under the mountains. No creature would be stupid enough to follow anybeast that way.”

Arula blinked. “Whoi be that, zurr?”

Alfoh took a sip of wine and explained, “There are rapids, a giant waterfall and caves. Besides, nobeast knows whether you would come out on the other side of the mountain or keep going down into the earth forever.”