h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Day 22:

To travel lighter, all saddlebags are put on the two horses that have no rider, so that every horse has only luggage or a rider, but not both. From last night’s encampment, Pato, Aryna and Yusna start riding up the pass in single file. Pato is counting his blessings for having his own horses back. Their return is proof that there are more ways to travel around the foot of the mountain. He suspects that after finding that taking the way back through the gorge was impossible, the horses must have crossed a watershed and come this way. He tells Aryna that she is now riding Bora’s horse.

They quickly pass the pass and decide that the rounded grassy ridge behind it looks more inviting to ride than the valleys next to it. Not long after that they start to hear a rumbling noise in the distance. As they close in Pato starts to recognise features in the landscape from the start of his journey. He doesn’t recognise the river though. What he has known all his life as a wide but gentle stream, a bit more rushing and gushing in spring, has now turned in a monstrous torrent, gauging out chunks of the riverbanks, carrying lumps of ice, trees and floating rocks with it at high speed.

Following the river downstream, at a safe distance, they observe a path of destruction that indicates the river has been much worse than it currently is. Pato is getting a bad feeling about it. Apart from pointing out specific bits of carnage to each other, they follow their way in silence.

Finally, the village comes in sight. Pato is relieved to see it is still intact although one of the lower lying pastures shows signs of flooding.
Entering the village Pato finds that the atmosphere is moody and quiet at the same time. He is welcomed by his aunt, who leads them directly to his house. There she tells him of the problem that needs to be dealt with immediately. After the eruption of the volcano, none of the men and women working on Uri’s tomb were able to cross the river back to the village so far, thus splitting the clan in two. The continuity of the food supply starts to suffer too, without enough people to tend to the harvest and the animals. Hearing this, Pato understands the grieving mood completely. His uncle is on the other side too. He suspects that if there is any competition for his Chieftainship, it is probably happening on the other side of the river, where he cannot oppose it. Sorting things out quickly will strengthen his position, failing to do so will cause no end of trouble.
Now that his aunt has made her plea, he can finally introduce his wife and sister-in-lore properly, before discussing further options with the three women. A beginning of a plan emerges, but since it is nearly dark, surveying the details of the situation has to wait till tomorrow. They still need to see to the horses and unload their belongings. In the meantime Pato’s aunt arranges some food and warmth in the house.

I see that even back then, political thinking was necessary. Thank goodness they didn't have the ones we've got now - they'd be yelling that volcanos were 'fake news'.

I suppose a lot of communities would've been divided by natural disasters, forming new Clans etc.

It certainly happened over here - Native American nations were fluid entities.

You can't sue a volcano, can you? The original break of clans in my story was caused by a previous eruption.

Perhaps they need to move...

Is the volcano a real one with a history of erupting?

It is. Last known eruption 50 BCE.

Mount Elbrus.First registered summit climb in 1874.Since it isn't actually a hard mountain to climb technically, apart from risks of altitude sickness, I found it an interesting notion that it could have been climbed much much earlier.

But it's the highest mountain in Europe.

All the more reason to worship that one.