Okay, so, I know it was a long time since this updated, and I don't know how may, if anyone, is still following this story. Still, I haven't given up. This is one of those stories that just take a long time to finish. Anyone remember "Old World"? Same thing there. It's somewhat due to the way I work with original plots. Because I'm a flow-writer/write stream of consciousness, it means I'm a bit reliant on my subconsciousness to take me through the plot. It's not a reliable way to work since I need to be in that state of half-awareness, but it makes for the best writing experience in my opinion.

Thus, this story is quite out of my control, and I hope you still enjoy it. I will finish it, that's a promise to anyone still reading, it will just take some time ^^;

Enough with my excuses, on with the story!

Worrying thoughts

The white mother's little adventure was only the first notion that something was changing. Yuuri couldn't tell what it was yet, but he too had woken up this morning feeling like something was different.

Rising from his place curled into Beppo's body, the monster reached for a piece of wax and scraped it against the wall until it lit. He didn't need the light to find his way, but rather to find what wasn't as it usually was.

The little niche that Yuuri used to sleep in, which doubled as a place he liked to treat patients in, showed no signs of change.

Crawling out into the tunnel system created by the Stone-biters, Yuuri stood straight and listened, looking in all directions. To his right the tunnel opened into the big hollow that was the katsu's hearth and storage. It was basically what he considered his space, even though Beppo probably considered it hers, and Yuuri was her baby of sorts. He wasn't really sure. The goat was just hanging around even though she was free to leave and reunite with her family.

To Yuuri's left the tunnel forked and went further into the mountain. The floor was uneven everywhere, sometimes rising to reach for the roof and sometimes dropping almost vertically into a new hollow. Because of the Stone-biters the whole mountain was full of these tunnels. As a child Yuuri had thought Stone-biters ate entire mountains until there was only flat ground left. Now he knew the Stone-biters built mountains as much as they fed from them.

After all, since they ate rocks, it was rocks that came out of the other end.

Yuuri checked his own cave and storages first. It had been a bad year, so there really wasn't much in terms of food, but what he did have was untouched since he last checked it. The fire was properly covered with ashes to keep the embers alive. Nothing was out of place.

From here the katsu had several exits to head through. The Stone-biters, when Yuuri had gone to sleep, were further into the heart of the mountain, the white mother busy feeding her young. The father was in the middle of his hibernation and wouldn't wake up for yet another moon-cycle at least.

Indecisive, the monster went to the tunnel that would lead him straight outside. It hadn't snowed since he left with the sleeping human child, so the hole at the top of the entrance was still there, with frozen edges, so Yuuri didn't have to dig another hole to stick his head out.

The cold nipped his bare face. It was night-time, which showed by the bright moon and stars. The valan hunted both day and night-time after season, but bright nights made things hard. That's not what he thought about right now. The feeling that something had changed was still nagging him. Not to the point it made him restless and anxious, just perplexed. So it wasn't a storm.

Yuuri studied the forest. The entrance to his cave faced south east. The humans had a trail around the foot of the mountain where travellers came and went, which was hidden under waves of snow and other things now. Even in the dark Yuuri could spot a nest of Frostballs. Nasty little critters, but highly nutritious. Other than those, Yuuri spotted a movement between the branches. A Bark-lizard searching for frozen bugs and parasites on the trees.

A flutter of feathery wings caught the katsu's attention. He sat perfectly still, searching for the birds with his eyes and sharpening his ears.

There it was. A Snatcher. Those weren't uncommon, but normally they called out to each other when they were awake. This one was just jumping from tree to tree, looking around in all directions.

Yuuri wasn't the only one who felt something wasn't quite right. But just like the Katsu, the Snatcher seemed more perplexed than nervous.

Pulling his head back inside, Yuuri first went to see if Beppo was still asleep before he trekked further into the mountain to check on everything else that lived here.

Georgi wasn't back yet. Not that it was very surprising, these expeditions could take a month depending on how far they travelled. But a month was too long living with the tension that had settled between Viktor and Inna last night. That left Viktor's options limited for how to set his plan in action.

He was outside, walking Makkachin and nodded at the guards.

"This is the second time you pass me, Viktor. Don't you think Inna is lonely?" one of them teased him playfully.

"I'm working on solving that in a different way," the dancer smiled and moved on before the man could comprehend what he'd said.

Makkachin looked up at him and whined.

"I know. This would be a lot easier if Georgi was here. Now we have to figure this out ourselves."

The Plisetsky household came into view, but Viktor just glanced at it. Veronica was a whore because that was the only way she could provide for a family consisting of a child and an old man who couldn't hunt. Their yak had died so Veronica had had to go to people who had animals for milk and cheese, trying to trade. Viktor didn't know who had first asked Veronica to share their bed, but everyone had agreed that's how she was most useful, and thus she was kept away from her family in order to feed them. That left Nikolai and Yura sharing a bed with that cat, and a cat just wasn't big enough for a human to stay warm. If Yura left, someone else would have to move in with the Plisetsky, and Viktor couldn't think of anyone who would willingly move in with the whore family.

Except for himself.

Which led him straight into two obstacles; Inna and Maksim.

"I really miss Georgi," Viktor muttered helplessly. "I really can't face both of them at the same time."

Makkachin barked, startling Viktor out of his thoughts.

"Good morning, Nikiforov," Nikolai said politely and closed the door to his house behind him.

"Mr Plisetsky," Viktor nodded and noticed the axe and lantern the man carried. "Are you going out alone?"

"Yurachek will join me in a minute. It hasn't been a pleasant night for anyone with that Babicheva woman living with us."

At Viktor's side, Makkachin whined and made a forwards movement, only to jerk back when the cat hissed and growled angrily at him.

"See, even Potya can't stand her, and she's usually such a friendly creature."

"That's true. I haven't seen her reject Makkachin like that before."

Nikolai grunted. "I wish we could have gotten the Georgi boy instead. Veronica seems to have accepted him.

Viktor frowned in thought. "Has Veronica been with Georgi?"

"No, but he's stayed with me and Yurachek on occasion. You know the rules."

"Oh, yes, makes sense."

Three people per house, or two people and a big animal. Makkachin counted as a big animal.

Yura tore out of the house and slammed the door behind him. Viktor heard a snippet of voices from inside, so he figured Mila and Veronica were having an argument.

"Let's go, grandpa!"

The child took off without looking at anyone or anything. He looked like he hadn't slept at all.

"Mr Plisetsky," Viktor spoke before the old man left. "Would you agree to exchange Mila for me?"

The old man set the axe back down and studied the dancer with calculating eyes. "You're engaged."

"I'm breaking it off with Inna. There are two families living with their in-laws, one of those could move into our house while Inna and myself move into the single houses."

Nikolai was definitely not a fool. If it had been anyone other than Viktor making this suggestion the old man would have sent him running right away, but there was something in the silver dancer's eyes that Nikolai wasn't sure he liked. It wasn't lust, he knew what that looked like. No, this man was up to something else.

"I will ask for Yura and my daughter's opinion," was all he said before nodding goodbye.

Viktor watched him leave before hurrying on himself in case Mila or Veronica decided to come out as well.

"I just realized another problem," the dancer whispered to his dog. "If I leave with Yura and come back without him, I will definitely get executed."

Either way he would still take the fight with Maksim to separate with Inna and if not with the Plisetsky, move into the boy house; one of the two "single" houses where Georgi lived with other young men who had either come with travellers or just wanted to move out of the house.

Inna would kick up a fuss. Viktor leaving her would be a hard blow to her position in the pecking order and she would definitely bring up the case of Viktor being influenced by something other than his own waking up from his crush on her. While all that was going on, Viktor needed to have another private talk with Yura and find out where he'd gone to find Yuuri.

Viktor glanced at the mountain in the south.

"That's not possible, right?"

"Viktor instead of Mila?"

"Yes, I suppose he finally woke up to realize two self-centred people can't live together."

Yura choked a laugh and didn't argue. "Inna was born here, right?"

"Yes, but her father came with travellers. That's where those brown eyes and hair comes from."

"Did he die?"

"Who knows, he left with another nomad group," Nikolai shrugged. "Suppose it hurt the pride of Inna's mother, so I shudder at the thought of how Inna might respond to this."

The two continued walking, hoping to find a fallen tree to chop off some wood from. Among the people who had come to do laundry with them the day before, only Viktor had really paid for it by giving them wood.

Thinking about it, Yura had never thought anything about Inna. Veronica tolerated her, but then again she "tolerated" everyone. Doing so made living easier, she'd said. But Yura did know Inna was considered beautiful with her exotic looks, and a beautiful woman is more desirable and therefore has a higher status. That's why Veronica, with her common blue eyes, blonde hair and a bad reputation since her teenage years, had rarely been bothered by Inna since she wasn't competition. Or something.

But Viktor instead of Mila? "I'd take Viktor over Mila any day, I think."

"I'll believe you when you can look me in the eye while saying that," Nikolai huffed. "You ever felt like he was looking at you funny?"

Yura shook his head. "It's not that."

The elder grunted. He agreed that Viktor wasn't after Yura, and he had never "needed" Veronica for anything either. There'd always been a big, fluffy dog accompanying him and every unmarried woman had swooned over him when he'd arrived.

No the real problem was different, just like Yura said, and Nikolai hated the fact he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I need to ask Veronica too," the old man grunted. "I'm not sure I'm happy about this."

The child agreed, but for a different reason. He wanted to go back to Katsuki. Wanted it more and more every passing day. And he'd told Viktor he was going to the monster.

That's why he wanted to trade places with Mila! Viktor wanted to stop him! So Yura just had to run away before the silver dancer could do anything about it!

The two Plisetsky moved on, neither noticing the small tremor in the earth, and dismissed the rustling of the trees as the wind.

Yuuri stood flat against a wall inside the mountain. All around him was deathly silent. Even the constant dripping of water was holding its breath. Yuuri was unmoving in the compact darkness, and in the absence of all the other sounds that normally filled the caves, the katsu picked up the gurgling of gases.

He heard a frightened little whistle. A Little Wing was fluttering through the tunnel, disoriented and lost.

Yuuri started chirping at the small creature, hoping to attract its attention. Both of them were blind in the darkness, but had equal means of finding each other. The katsu kept whistling and also moved his tail, since that's what parents did to call their children, and while wobbly, the Little Wing came closer.

It was the smell coming from the other creature that had Yuuri silence and stiffen.

The Little Wing hit the wall right beside Yuuri's tail, and fast like a viper he reached for it, a scent gland on his hand producing a smelly fluid. The Little Wing screamed when it realized it was caught, but quickly fell unconscious.

Yuuri hurried back to his own cavern with his catch. He'd dropped the wax candle when the earth trembled and he needed light.

"Viktor instead of Mila? Yes please," Veronica said with a scowl on her face. She was sitting by the fire sewing patches of animal hide and fabric in places where their blanket was thinning.

Yura looked around the house.

"She's out on patrol," his mother answered the unvoiced question. "Had to remind her why she's here at all."

"And you're not worried it'll be the same with Viktor?" Nikolai asked.

Yura carried in the wood they'd managed to find and started arranging them on the floor so they would dry. Veronica's eyes followed his every movement, taking in just how aware he was of her gaze.

"Viktor has never bothered me, never needed me. He's desirable to the other women here," the whore said. "If a man like him; who has no shortage of beds that would welcome him, full of more… acceptable women… says he wants to be here instead of with one of the most beautiful women in town; he certainly has a reason that doesn't involve his manhood."

Yura nodded along with his mother's reasoning, because while he really didn't want Viktor to stop him from leaving, he wanted to spend another night with Mila even less.

"You're not worried about Yurachek?" Nikolai asked.

"From Viktor? Not at all. Haven't you seen his eyes?"

Both Yura and his grandfather looked at Veronica in question.

"Every time anyone mentions Yura making rounds, Viktor's eyes become dark and disgusted."

"I know," Yura said quietly. "Georgi too."

Veronica's eyes were now fixed on her work, and she'd relaxed into her seat. Yura got the sense that she knew something, but since she didn't share, prying wouldn't help.

"Why not Mila?" Yura asked instead.

"She lacks the experiences of her friends," Veronica said. "They didn't travel with the same group at first. Also…" the whore sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I suspect she's never been rejected and denied before. That might be why she's such a pain."

Yura finished with the wood, picked up his mother's coat to see if it needed any mending. Nikolai sat beside them making thread from some wool; Inna's payment for Veronica's body.

As they worked in silence, Yura's thoughts were spinning. He was glad for his mother's insight, but it didn't change the fact that Viktor was going to stop him from leaving. If Mila caught wind of his plans Yura didn't know what would happen to him or Katsuki. Georgi was already out hunting for him and the mountain was full of monsters.

And a goat that bullied them, Yura reminded himself. He still really wanted to tell someone that just to see their reaction.

"There's going to be a whiteout soon."

Viktor stopped and looked to the women who were shovelling snow around the perimeter around the village.

"How can you tell?" the dancer asked and looked to the clear sky. The sun hadn't come up, but it was light enough for the stars to have mostly faded.

"My tailbone is tingling," the woman, a respectable elder, explained. "Always happens before a storm."

"We should go warn Maksim," the other woman said, not doubting her mother for a second.

"Please do. It's a lot easier to prepare for a blizzard without having to simultaneously fight it," Viktor smiled.

"That only happened once, when Maksim had just taken over the position," the elder woman scoffed. "Glad he listened to me ever since."

"Indeed. Good day," Viktor nodded and moved on.

Whiteout.

He had to make sure the Plisetsky were properly warned this time. It would be really bad if Veronika wasn't home for it and Mila was still at their house.

Viktor's eyes once again strayed towards the baby mountain. Yuuri lived inside a mountain, so a whiteout wouldn't bother him until he wanted to go out after one. But maybe he didn't go out much during the winter? They'd never caught any tracks of him after all…

Tracks.

If there was going to be a whiteout, there would be no tracks.

Viktor shook his head. He needed to go to the pond and ice-skate. It would help him think clearly, and keep him away from home. He really didn't want to see Inna if he didn't have to. But he was getting hungry. And he didn't have his skates with him, meaning he'd have to go home if he wanted to hit the ice.

Avoiding someone in a small village where everyone knew everyone, Viktor was surprised the gossipers weren't all over him and Inna already. And that Maksim hadn't hunted him down to lock him away again.

"You look like you're lost."

Viktor turned around and grabbed Makkachin by the scruff of his neck when the dog started barking like mad because he was startled.

"Michael, out on patrol?"

"Just got off," the teenager said and gave Viktor that look of curious suspicion that only Michael knew how to pull. "You aren't actually lost, are you?"

Viktor paused, then sighed and decided to get it over with. Michael lived in the boy house, but spent most nights with his twin sister in the girl house, and Sara was the worst gossip around.

"I'm breaking it off with Inna, but she disagrees, and I don't want to see her right now."

Michael stared at him and the surprise made his face more youthful. He was actually quite pretty, this boy, when he wasn't frowning.

"That's going to get messy really quick," the teen commented, then narrowed his eyes. "And why don't you want Inna anymore?"

Viktor smiled. "We are disagreeing on the treatment of Yurachek and Makkachin," he explained honestly. He wasn't going to touch Sara, not even verbally. "She says Yura should, and I quote, get over himself. I suppose that's easy for someone like her to say. And she threatens to cook Makkachin."

Michael's face had gone dangerously pale. Viktor didn't mention it. There was a reason Michael preferred to have his sister near, where he knew for certain nothing was going on, and only beside Sara was where he felt safe himself as well.

Inna knew nothing about slave-traders.

"But nobody here will hear you. They're safe here."

"True, but it doesn't change facts and I'm leaving Inna either way. Oh, can I bother you? I haven't eaten today."

The teen looked uncertain, then nodded and walked ahead. "I hope the hunters return soon. We all need to restock."

Viktor followed, gaze wandering towards the treetops and the baby mountain. Michael noticed, but said nothing.

"Well, if it isn't Viktor! Good day my friend! What brings you here?"

"Good to see you too, Chris. I'm hungry."

Chris blinked and shook his head, opened his mouth and closed it again. "Does that mean you're fighting with Inna?"

"Breaking up, actually," Viktor explained yet again and sat down while Makkachin went to play with the three cats that lived here.

"Does that mean you're going to move back in with us?"

Viktor smiled sadly at Chris's excited face. "Hm, wasn't my plan, I'm afraid."

Chris was a good guy. He'd arrived with another group of nomads who had taken Maksim's younger brother along instead. This trading of new blood was supposed to happen every time a group came around, according to the founding rules set when the village was built. But considering the village had nearly two hundred people in it and only Georgi, Chris, Michael and his twin Sara, Mila and Viktor himself weren't born here, it was a rule nobody placed too much importance in.

"So you're going to switch places with Mila?" Michael asked, causing both Chris and Viktor to stare strangely at the boy. "She's been moaning about Yura so much lately even Sara is sick of her. Not to mention you."

Viktor nodded slowly. Michael was very sharp, a trait Viktor hadn't noticed before. He probably needed to be very careful when he took Yura out of the village.

Chris poured a bit more water into the soup he was cooking, to make another serving. Viktor watched the action as yet another problem arose in his mind.

Yuuri… would take care of Yura, right?

Shit, Viktor hadn't even considered Yuuri. But he was a gentle creature. Surely he'd take Yura under his wings? He wouldn't be lonely that way. Valans were pack-animals after all.

So why did Yuuri live alone?

"Don't think so hard, you might catch a fever," Chris's teasing voice broke through Viktor's spiralling thoughts that were jumping all over the place.

"Hey Chris, did you ever encounter Valans?"

The blond went stiff.

"Just once," he said. "They killed six of our group, we killed none of them. Why?"

Viktor glanced between Chris and Michael, who luckily looked clueless. Why indeed had he asked such a stupid question. What if this put Yuuri in danger?

"Just… my thoughts are all over the place. I've been thinking of what kind of monster could have kidnapped me out of a cave if it wasn't the same monster that took me there. Who could have taken Yura out of his own home? We don't know a lot about Valans, other than their features. They like to ambush their prey from above, but they don't fly? They don't have wings."

"There are a few silent flyers," Chris said slowly. "Valans are too big to fly though."

"Georgi said there were no tracks," Viktor sighed, hoping desperately he'd managed to take attention away from this possibility.

Michael fidgeted. "Can we talk about something else, please?"

Viktor just nodded and his thoughts returned to Inna and the Plisetsky family and the whiteout the old woman had predicted.

It was a risky operation from start to finish, especially for him to do it alone. He needed to talk to Yura, he wanted to say something to Veronica and Nikolai and most of all… he wanted to talk to Yuuri.

If Yuuri really did reside in the baby mountain… would he get angry and move out if Viktor found him?

Chris poured soup for the three of them, Viktor eating from Georgi's bowl.

Potato soup with hare-meat and carrots.

The silver dancer almost laughed. "It tastes good," he smiled at Chris.

Viktor did know how to cover his tracks in snow, he knew the routine of the patrol and he had Makkachin. All he needed was for someone to cover his absence in the village for a few hours. He was going to the baby mountain, and if all went well, Yuuri would be there.