Ilagon took the lead, using his solid bulk to plow a path through the mounting banks of snow. His steady gaze never faltering from the task at hand, he drove himself, shoulder first, into the raging wind, denying the vengeful mountain victory over him. Shanks followed close behind with E’enna clinging tightly to his shoulder. She had been affected the most by the bitter cold. Trembling uncontrollably, her legs wobbled beneath her as she trudged through the snow. Never lifting her eyes from her unsure feet, she whispered quietly to herself with shuddered breaths from under her ice-encrusted hood.
Kazen tried to remain resilient to the bitter cold, but the mountain was quick to wear him down. His feet were so numb it felt as if he were walking on dead wood. He had lost all feeling in his fingers, and his exposed cheeks had been beaten raw by the severe wind. Bashing his frozen foot on a jagged rock, which had been hidden by the gathering snow, suddenly awoke every nerve in his body. The pain of the blow was amplified a hundred times by the brutal cold, so much so that he dropped to his knees and cried out in absolute agony. Ilagon hastened to his side and pulled him to his feet. Kazen grudgingly stumbled on, his entire body throbbing and stinging.
Minutes had melted into one another and the hour could not be guessed by the time the trail took an abrupt turn to the north. The path veered off sharply just as they had come to a steep bluff, which overlooked a narrow valley below. The deep snow was deceitful, blending one horizon with the next. Had Ilagon not been so vigilant on his watch, they may have all plummeted off the sudden cliff.
The gorge was deep and expansive, stretching on for leagues through the length of the mountain range. Irregular boulders and rocks bulged from the sides of the steep canyon walls, which delved downward until disappearing behind the white veil of wind-blown snow.
“I see a light!” Shanks hollered over the deafening wind. Everyone’s gaze followed Shanks’ outstretched arm pointing at the valley below. Down in the deep canyon a tiny orange light flickered through the screen of snow.
“There must be a village down there!” Ilagon exclaimed. “We have to find a way down these walls!”
They all dropped to their hands and knees, peering over the side, searching for any means to descend to the valley.
“Here! Over here!” Shanks yelled.
Everyone rushed to his side and looked down at a snow-covered footpath that snaked down the face of the cliff. It was barely more than a shoulder’s breadth wide and sloped at an uncomfortably steep angle.
“It’s not much,” Shanks said, “but we have enough rope to help us down most of the way. If we are careful, we should be able to make it down.”
Ilagon wrinkled his brow. “Nightfall will be upon us soon. We have no time to search for another way. This will have to do. Kazen! The rope!”
As Kazen flung his pack to the ground he suddenly remembered what the old mountaineer had said to him. “Ilagon,” he said through chattering teeth. “That old man . . . He said it was dangerous to stray from the path. The summit is only a few hours away; maybe there is another village there.”
Ilagon put an icy hand on Kazen’s shoulder. “We will not live through another night without shelter. We cannot put our hopes on the possibility of another settlement. That light down there may be our only hope.”
As Ilagon spoke, Kazen glimpsed motion out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see E’enna collapse to the ground in a lifeless heap.
“E’enna!” he cried, rushing to her side.
Her face was pale and sunken. Black circles encompassed her eyes, and her lips had lost all color. The breath that escaped her lips was more a labored wheeze, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
“She is unconscious,” Ilagon said, placing a tender hand on her forehead. “We must get her out of this cold.”
Shanks fell to his knees beside her and cradled her head. “Don’t you worry, darlin’,” he said, brushing the snow from her eyes. “Ol’ Shanks will get you someplace warm.”
“I can carry her down,” Ilagon said, quickly dropping his pack. “I’ll set up a sling to help support her weight.”
“I’ll take her down myself,” Shanks argued, hoisting her up in his arms.
“I am stronger than you,” Ilagon insisted. “I should be the one to carry her.”
“I said I would take her myself!” Shanks snapped.
Ilagon conceded with a nod of his head, and quickly got to work on a sling.
Shanks stared at E’enna’s face with grave concern as he held her close and kissed her lovingly on the forehead. She looked so frail and small in his arms that Kazen’s own heart sank to see her in such a state. Concern for E’enna’s well being quickly replaced any fear of danger that remained in his mind. They must find shelter, and they must find it quickly.
Kazen helped Ilagon tie the sling around Shanks’ neck and shoulder, which was no easy task with frozen fingers. The crude harness, made from rope and a soft fur blanket, cradled E’enna’s limp body and supported much of her weight. With E’enna huddled against his chest like an infant, Shanks now had at least some freedom for his arms, although it left him more than a little off balance.
“Quickly, Kazen,” Ilagon said urgently, “tie this end of the rope off.”
Frantically, Kazen dug around in the deep snow, searching for a secure anchor to tie their line to. Finally, he found a solid boulder set deep into the frozen ground. He knotted the rope around the base of the rock and tossed the lose end over the edge of the cliff, listening as the rope flapped against the stone wall.
Ilagon tugged on the rope a few times before cautiously lowering himself over the edge and down the wall. It was only a few yards until he reached the narrow footpath. After arriving on the ledge, he hopped up and down a few times to make sure the footing was solid, and then called up for the others to follow him down.
Shanks hoisted himself over the side and descended slowly, his arms shaking under the strain of E’enna’s added weight. Once down on the ledge, he jerked on the rope and shouted up to Kazen.
With a nervous exhale, Kazen smacked his hands against his legs and chest, trying to regain some feeling in his fingers. He grabbed the rope and clambered awkwardly over the edge. Instantly losing his footing on the icy rocks, he was slammed hard into the canyon wall. The gusty wind spun him around helplessly in circles as he clung to the slippery rope.
Kazen kicked his feet in a panic, trying to get himself turned in the proper direction. Finally, he managed to catch his toe on a crack in the wall and right himself. He quickly slid down to the ledge, giving himself a nasty rope burn on the way. He breathed a sigh of relief, just happy to be on solid ground.
“Everyone take hold of the rope,” Ilagon said. “We shall use it as a support for as long as it lasts. This path looks to be a fairly direct route to the bottom. Mind your steps.”
Pushing his back to the wall, Kazen clung tightly to the thin rope. He shuffled sideways down the tight path, following after Shanks, who paced himself a good distance behind Ilagon. The ledge was slick and steep, and heavy snow made it difficult to find steady footing. Jagged rocks and obtrusive boulders frequently jutted out from the wall, herding the company precariously close to the edge. They huddled against the snow-dusted walls as gusts of icy wind howled through the constricted ravine. Pebbles and stones, knocked free from hobbling feet, bounced and clacked their way down to the distant valley floor, echoing perpetually against the granite walls. Swirling blizzards of ice and snow enveloped them, the gusts of wind pushing and shoving at them with every weary step. Slowly, the company pressed on, slinking their way down the treacherous ridge.
Kazen dared a peek over the side, and was hypnotized by the whirling sheets of snow that disappeared silently into the depths. His heart quickened when he saw no bottom to the deep gorge. Only the faint flicker of a distant torch assured him that there was a bottom at all.
“Careful, lad!” Shanks bellowed over the blusterous storm. “That wind can suck you down just as well as it can pu
sh you over!”
Kazen retreated back to the wall and clutched the rope a little tighter. He had just begun to breathe normally again when he heard a loud crack. Shanks and Ilagon both heard the sound as well, and each froze in their tracks. They stood motionless for an agonizing eternity, but did not hear another sound over the shrill cry of the wind.
At Ilagon’s unspoken signal, Kazen started creeping carefully across the ledge, his heart still pounding. He kept imagining that an avalanche of rock and snow would come barreling down on his head at any moment. Peering warily up at the mounds of compacted snow that hung ominously overhead, he was relieved that he did not see any obvious fissures or breaks.
Under the beating wind, however, a muffled rumble echoed against the canyon walls. Kazen stopped walking and strained to listen for the peculiar sound. He did not have to listen for long. Another loud crack and the ground beneath Shanks’ feet buckled in a violent tremble. Kazen watched in horror as his friend sank to his knees, the ledge crumbling below him.
Shanks reeled back against the icy wall, each step failing under his scrambling feet. He struggled to keep his grip, both on the bobbing rope and E’enna’s limp body. Stone crunched and shattered around him, sending shards of rock tumbling down into the swirling abyss of snow and nothingness. Kazen and Ilagon tried desperately to reach him, but were driven back by the yielding rock, which disintegrated under their feet each time they dared to tread too close.
The entire mountainside heaved and quaked with a thunderous roar, dropping Kazen to his knees. He hastened to his feet and wrestled with the unsteady rope, trying urgently to give Shanks the leverage he needed to make it to solid ground. Another deafening crack boomed through the ravine. The ledge below Shanks’ feet, along with a massive chunk of the canyon wall, broke away and plummeted down.
Shanks hugged the thin rope as his footing finally gave way. The sudden jolt ripped the line from Kazen’s hands, leaving Shanks to dangle helplessly.
“Don’t let go!” Kazen cried in futile desperation. He had never felt more useless.
The chilling sound of snapping twine rose above the howling winds as the straining rope began to give. Shanks clung to the twisting line, much more than arm’s reach from Kazen, and even farther from Ilagon, who stood equally as helpless on the opposite side of the gaping void.
With trembling arms, Shanks kicked his legs vigorously, struggling to swing himself to the solid ledge. Heaving his body back and forth, he grabbed for Kazen’s outstretched hand over and over, and always he remained just out of reach. Feeling his strength fading, he swung himself backward one last time before launching his body forward with all his might, diving for the snow-covered ridge.
He caught the ledge just under his arms, and wheezed as the impact forced the air from his chest. Kazen flopped to his belly and seized him firmly by the collar.
“Slipping! Slipping!” Shanks screamed in a panic.
Kazen gripped him tighter. “I have you! I won’t let you fall!”
“She’s slipping out!”
Peering over the snowy ledge, Kazen’s heart nearly exploded from his chest as he watched E’enna’s unconscious body tumble limply from the makeshift sling. With a horrified yelp, he lunged for her, just barely able to catch her by the sleeve as she fell. The abrupt jerk nearly wrenched him off the ridge. Searing pain shot through his arm as muscles ripped and twisted under the sudden strain.
“Save her!” Shanks bawled, flailing between frenzied attempts at pulling himself up and reaching for E’enna. “Don’t you let her fall! Don’t you dare let her go!”
But Shanks’ words were lost on Kazen’s ears as he struggled against his own failing strength. He pulled with every scrap of might he had, down to his very soul, and still he could not pull her to safety. Cold ripping at his flesh, he struggled against the wicked wind, which tugged and pulled at E’enna’s unconscious body. Tears welled in his eyes as he cried out in helpless torment.
The sturdy weave of E’enna’s sleeve slowly began to slip from Kazen’s mittened fingers. With clenched teeth and trembling body, he pleaded with any gods that might be listening to give him strength. Clutching the last few stitches of cloth, Kazen’s heart stopped when he saw the gleam of E’enna’s emerald eyes staring peacefully back at him. She smiled up at him with a soft, sleepy smile, before nodding back into her oblivious slumber.
Kazen’s face contorted in pain and rage, and he let out a howl. “I won’t let you go!” he bellowed.
Almost skidding off the narrow ledge, Kazen threw his other arm over the side and took hold of E’enna’s arm. He could feel himself slowly slipping over the edge, even as Shanks clutched futilely at his legs from his own precarious position.
“Ilagon!” Kazen wailed in a panic as he teetered on the edge of the chasm.
Unwilling to let E’enna fall to certain death, a hollow feeling flooded Kazen’s head as he felt himself toppling over the ridge. He was quickly lost in a dizzy sensation of falling and tumbling. Land and sky became indiscernible as he plummeted, head-over-heels, toward the valley below.
A deep, melodic voice rose upon the whistling wind and shook the mountainside. With a violent rumble and a spray of dirt and ice, a shelf of solid rock jutted out from the mountain wall, catching Kazen and E’enna in the midst of their deadly tumble.
Kazen smacked the stone slab hard, and was revisited by a pain in his shoulder he had long forgotten since his last days in Napis Fare. In pain, and more than a bit disoriented, he was relieved to see that he at least still held a strong grip on E’enna, who lay unconscious next to him, steady puffs of steam rising from her shivering lips. Unable to move his legs, Kazen quickly became aware that he was pinned down by some heavy mass.
“Get off of me!” he grunted. “You’re breaking my legs!”
A low chuckle came from the furry heap that lay sprawled across Kazen’s knees. “Don’t go getting surly with me,” Shanks replied between his own winces of pain. “You can blame your uncle for delivering the last-minute dramatic rescue.”
Kazen looked up at the remains of the ledge, and saw that they had not fallen nearly as far as he thought they had. In fact, it would be just a short climb to get back to the path.
“Ilagon!” Kazen called up.
Peering over the edge, Ilagon gestured anxiously. “Up you go then, lads! Quickly and quietly!”
“Oy! Ilagon!” Shanks hollered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Think you could have found something harder for us to land on?”
Kazen felt a slight vibration under his feet. “I think you should keep your voice down,” he whispered, tugging on Shanks’ sleeve.
“Nonsense!” Shanks scoffed. “He knows I’m just having a bit of fun with him. Isn’t that right, Ilagon!” he bellowed upward. A furious tremor swelled under their feet, knocking Shanks to his knees. “All right, then,” he uttered urgently, hoisting E’enna over his shoulder. “Point taken, time to go.”
Kazen was quick to follow behind Shanks as he started clambering up the rocky cliff. The quaking mountain rumbled louder and louder. Jagged fissures cracked open and splintered down the canyon wall. Granite and shale crackled and crumbled above, spitting down a shower of gravel and ice.
Hugging the decaying wall, Kazen struggled to keep his footing as the mountain heaved beneath him. A large segment of rock split from the cliff face, sending a tremendous concussion resounding through the valley. The landslide of boulders and ice blasted past Kazen and Shanks, nearly knocking them loose from their precarious holds.
Kazen watched in dismay as the bed of rock below him was swept away in the torrent of falling rubble. He struggled against the whipping wind, edging his way slowly up the slippery wall, though crushing pain seared through his shoulder. At last, he managed to get a quivering arm over the snowy ledge and was hoisted up by a pair of powerful hands.
“This hill is coming down!” Ilagon yelled over the incessant rumble.
As if in answer to his claim, the ground beneath th
em shuddered with a groan. Ilagon immediately plucked E’enna from Shanks’ back and tossed her lightly over his own shoulder.
“Run!” he shouted.
Ilagon took the lead, bounding blindly down the narrow path. Barely able to see, and choked by the rising cloud of dust and grit, Kazen stumbled close behind. He could feel the hillside crumbling around him. Bits of rock and ice pelted him on the back as he ran for his life. The company grappled their way down the winding path, sliding and skidding as the bank steepened evermore.
In a seething rage, the mountain belched once more, sending masses of pulverized rock cascading down just over their heads. Knocked off their feet, tumbling head over heels, the company was swallowed up by the avalanche of snow and stone. Limbs flailing feebly, their bodies were tossed and battered as they were swept helplessly down the side of the mountain. Blinded and smothered by the raging river of snow, it was an eternity spent in bitter cold and agony. A continuous, discontented rumble echoed through the hills, following them down the mountain, until finally they were spewed out near the base of the canyon.
Half buried in snow, Kazen wiped the ice from his face and slowly began untangling his arms and legs. Exhausted and numb, he cold barely feel the dull ache in his shoulder, though even at a glance he could see it was noticeably out of place. Through the settling fog of snow and ice, he could see his friends laboring themselves to their feet, Ilagon holding E’enna’s still body in his arms.
Chapter 15
Though it stretched endlessly to the north and south, the valley before them was relatively narrow. In better health, Kazen supposed he might even be able to pitch a stone to the other side. There were no trees or vegetation of any kind, just a frozen desert of snow and ice. At first glance, Kazen thought it to be a terrible location to settle a village, but the wind was definitely tempered by the lofty walls, and the snow did not build quite so deep under the cover of the overhanging ledges.
The Flame Weaver Page 18
