Walk On Mountains - Chapter Thirteen

The chasm seemed to stare back at Grydin, mocking him as he tried to think of a way to get across.  Lying on his stomach, he slowly slithered to the dirt lip and looked over.  The lights behind him illuminated the hole for about ten feet before being sucked into darkness.  Grydin slowly rolled onto his back and studied the ceiling, his eyes looked around for various things that he could incorporate into his not yet thought of plan.1

His eyes flicked to the wall on his right and looked over the less than smooth surface.  He stared for a few moments then moved his head up and slightly back as he traced an imaginary line over the thirty-some foot wide chasm.  He slowly got to his knees, and keeping back from the opening, continued to stare at the wall as his mind catalogued various textures in the stone.2

He stood quickly, sucking in air as his body protested by sending pain to his side.  His eyes never left the wall as he slightly moved in place to relieve the discomfort.  The plan that was forming was a long shot, but could be done with the proper equipment.  Grydin turned away in annoyance, knowing that not only did he not have the proper equipment, but that he was in less than perfect shape to attempt such a dubious strategy.3

He also knew that he had no choice if he wanted to keep the element of surprise on his side.  The only way that he had an even better than slim chance of getting in, getting Marienda, and then getting out, was to do the unexpected.  And this would certainly fall under the category of unexpected.  In fact, had he not been so desperate, he would point out to himself that considering such a plan was insane.4

However, with only three days left, maybe insane was the right route to travel.5

~~~~~~~~~~6

Marienda reached though the small opening, grabbed her shirt and pulled it into the shower stall with her.  She wasn’t sure if someone was watching her or not, and at times had the eerie feeling of eyes on her, but she had no desire to show anyone more than she had too.  She pulled open the curtain and stepped out into the bathroom, taking time to hang the towels up neatly.  Even though she was a hostage, she reasoned there was no need to revert to being a slob.7

At first, she had thought she might be experiencing some emotional connection with Grydin, but that didn’t feel right.  The peculiar feelings seemed closer and more tangible than what she had experienced with her mate even before she arrived at the mountain.8

She walked into the main room that she had been sequestered in ever since her impromptu escape attempt, and flopped onto the bed.  Boredom threatened to take over yet again, and she tried to concentrate on other things to keep it at bay.  She smiled slightly as she let her ‘evil mind’ take over, and imagine what she would do to Isiru if she had the chance. Although she rarely ever let herself travel down the revenge path, she had to admit that it felt good to get it all out so that she might not be tempted to carry out the retribution if ever given the chance.9

She was jolted out of her daydream as the curtain flew open and Isiru walk in.  Marienda hid a smile.10

“I was just thinking about you,” she said.  “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”11

Isiru walked over, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her to her feet. “Your presence is requested.”12

Marienda twisted her arm in the grasp and was rewarded by a shocked look as Isiru realized she was now the one being held.  Marienda jerked her arm slightly, applying a moment of intense pressure on the inside of Isiru’s arm before letting go.13

“You little…” Isiru rubbed the inside of her arms with her hand as the amulet started to glow.14

“Careful,” Marienda chided.  “I’m sure your leader wouldn’t like it if you hurt me.”15

Darkness fell over Isiru’s face as she motioned, slamming Marienda against the wall with energy.  “Once this is done,” she hissed dangerously, “I will take great pleasure in killing you.”  She grabbed Marienda and pulled her towards the door.16

“You’re welcome to try,” Marienda whispered as she altered her stride, making Isiru slow done, then speed up. 17

~~~~~~~~~~18

Grydin ran his hands through his hair in annoyance as he tried to design the plan that he had though of in the chasm tunnel.  The idea seemed great in his mind, but had not translated well when other relevant factors were added in to the equation.19

He put an elbow on the table and brought his palm up to rest his chin on.  He opened his fingers over part of his face, and stared through them at the design in front of him.  He didn’t look as someone entered the room, and listened as some of the things he requested where placed on the floor.  He absently thanked whoever it was and listened as the curtain fell after their departure.20

He was still staring at the design nearly twenty minutes later when the curtain opened again.  “Grydin?”21

He brought his arm down as he turned, and shook it to get circulation going again.  He regarded his visitor with mild interest mixed with annoyance.  He knew why she was here, and he also knew that she would try to veto any plan he had.  “I’m a little busy, Karro,” he said politely.22

“I’m not going to try to stop any plan you have, Grydin,” she assured him  “I came to make sure you’re not neglecting yourself.”23

“I’m fine,” he lied, and as if on cue, his body betrayed his statement by making him yawn.  “A little tired,” he continued smoothly, “but fine.”24

“You’ve eaten?”  She frowned as confusion crossed his face.  “Don’t get so wrapped up in this that you neglect yourself.  It’s not going to do Marienda any good if you’re too weak to help.”  She went to his food unit, punched in a few commands, then brought two dishes to place in front of him.  “Eat.”25

“I will.”  He frowned as she sat on the corner of his bed.  “What?”26

“Go on…eat.”27

He stared at her.  “You’re going to watch me?”  He crossed his arms.  “Don’t you trust me?”28

Karro smiled at the fake wounded pride sound in his voice.  “It’s not that simple, Grydin, I only…” she trailed off as his eyes went wide.29

“Simple…” he repeated as swung around to look at he plan.  “Simple,” he laughed lightly.  “Perfect.”  30

“Grydin?”31

He absently grabbed one of the fruits she had gotten for him and bit into it.  “I’m eating, I’m eating.”  He bit into it again, suddenly hungry, and surprised at how good it tasted.32

“That’s not what I mean,” Karro said as she walked over to stand behind him.  She looked at the design he had just done, and smiled.  “Simple.”33

~~~~~~~~~~34

Despite her surroundings, Marienda was actually enjoying the food in front of her.  She had been dragged to some sort of banquet, and although at first it turned her stomach to be sitting with so many people who would eventually kill her, she soon relaxed enough to relish in the texture of the food.35

She answered most questions anyone asked with minimal words, and some she ignored altogether by only giving an extremely dirty look instead.  She noticed that Pontage was watching her, and she also noticed that Isiru was watching Pontage watching her.  Although she was used to being the center of sometimes-unwanted attention due to her previous occupation, she still found it unnerving to be under his watchful gaze.  On the flip side, she was secretly enjoying the jealousy Isiru seemed to be experiencing, but she wasn’t looking forward to the time when that jealousy would be unleashed on her.  36

He didn’t say a word to anyone during the meal, despite Isiru’s attempts to hold a whispered discussion with him.  When he finished eating he finally whispered something to the woman beside him, then stood and walked away and out of the room.  Isiru glared at Marienda as she shoved her chair back and stormed to the other side of the table.37

“Time to go already?” Marienda asked politely, a second before she felt herself being shoved out of the chair and onto the ground.  She stayed there until Isiru approached then kicked out, connecting with an ankle.  Marienda easily jumped to her feet as Isiru yelped in pain and shock.38

She tensed slightly as Isiru raised a hand, and turned as a strange look crossed the other woman’s face.  Pontage stood in the door, staring at the two.39

“Escort her to her room,” he said calmly.  “Then come to mine.”  He turned and walked away as Isiru grabbed her by the arm.40

~~~~~~~~~~41

The images on the small screen blurred slightly, causing Grydin to rub his eyes with his left hand as he continued to input numbers with his right.  He stared at the small computer screen, changed a few things, and then leaned back in his chair.42

He yawned as he read through his idea from the beginning, and then stared at the wall while trying to figure out whether leave the next day or wait until the seventh and final day.  He blinked a few times as the wall blurred, then closed his eyes.43

He could feel her body against his, the warmth going through him as he traced his fingers along every contour of her skin.  He could smell the scent of her hair and of her excitement as his touches explored further, eliciting a smile on her lips as they pressed against his.44

Marienda pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes.  “Help me,” she whispered, then vanished.45

Grydin’s eyes flew open and he stood so fast that they chair fell to the floor behind him.  He could still feel the heat of her body against him, and the taste of her on his lips was so real that his breath caught in his throat and a longing ached in his chest.46

Suddenly angry, he reached out and grabbed a handful of small objects from the small table, turned, and threw them at the far wall as his amulet glowed white.  He watched dispassionately as most of the objects bounced harmlessly onto the stone floor, then stared at the wall and the small object that seemed to embed itself into the rock.47

He walked to the wall, tilted his head as he studied the small object that rested about shoulder height, then reached out and touched it.  It was one of the tent pegs that had not been put away with the others when he had packed up before returning indoors.  Marienda had found it on the floor and, not knowing where it went, had put it on the desk.  He had meant to put it away, but always seemed to forget, and as his fingers touched it, an idea formed in his mind.48

He grabbed a belt off the back of a chair and put it through the eyelet part of the peg that was sticking out of the wall.  He wrapped an end around each hand and slowly lifted his feet off the ground.  He smiled as the peg held his weight, then let go and quickly walked out of his room and hurried down to the area that held their tents and equipment.  He knew it was a long shot, but since his other original plan had more glitches than not, he decided that it was worth testing.49

~~~~~~~~~50

Yanuia ran her hands over her face as the noises outside her room brought her from her staring at Dorran’s pillow.  She knew she had to accept facts, but that did not make it any easier.  Getting up, she grabbed a few things and walked into her small bathroom, suddenly noticing how larger it seemed now that she was alone.51

She ran her fingers along the small shelf where Dorran’s toiletries sat, biting her lip to keep from crying.  She inhaled deeply, started the shower and stepped into the steaming stream.52

An hour later, freshly clothed and nerve worked up, she hesitantly put her hand on the curtain cover her door and opened it.  Fighting the temptation to turn around and go back, Yanuia walked in to the hall for the first time in nearly a week.  Inside, she knew that Dorran would not want her to waste away in her room crying over him, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to stop crying yet.53

She stopped outside of a door, hesitated, then knocked.  She pulled the curtain aside at the ‘Come in’, and entered.54

“Did you find the other pegs?” Grydin asked as he turned around to face her.  “Oh!” He stopped in surprise.  “Sorry, thought you were Karro.”  He stood and smiled as he approached her, but she could tell the smile didn’t quite meet his eyes.  “How are you?” he asked softly.55

She took in the equipment laid out on his bed in a glance, then looked at him closely.  There was something odd about the clothing he was wearing, and it took her a moment to realize that his outfit was the same color and textured look as the walls of his room.  His natural skin coloring plus the clothes made him blend in with his surroundings.  The only telltale sign was the color of his hair, which he had tied back. She looked at him in confusion.  “What are you doing?”56

“I’m going to bring Marienda back.”57

~~~~~~~~~~58

Isiru panted heavily as Pontage fell onto the bed beside her.  He propped himself up on his right elbow and ran a finger through her bare chest, smiling at the shivers it evoked in her.  Although she knew that he looked upon times like this as his ultimate power play over her, she also knew that he was at his most vulnerable both mentally and physically.59

There were a few times when she had toyed with the idea of killing him in his sleep, or while he lay atop her, but she never let the notion linger longer than a few seconds.  Although he refused to admit it, she knew that he needed her in more than just a sexual way. 60

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said, his deep voice uncharacteristically gentle.61

She hooked a leg over his thigh and moved in closer.  “I can’t wait until she is gone.”62

Pontage smiled slightly.  “What makes you think she’s leaving?”63

Isiru blinked in mild confusion.  “Grydin will come for her, and either take her, or he will die and so will she.”64

“I haven’t decided yet.” He grabbed her leg and raised it slightly as he moved into her.  “She may remain, she may die, I may just be nice and let them both go.”  He laughed at the look on her face.  “No, Grydin will die, and she will remain, and you will just have to live with it.”  He grabbed her and rolled over until he was on top of her.  “Understand.”65

Isiru nodded at the coldness in his eyes, and knew that if she pushed the subject it might just be her that would be killed in her sleep.66

~~~~~~~~~~67

“This is a terrible idea.”68

Grydin glanced up at the woman, then went back to putting things in a small pack.  He had briefly explained his plan, and could tell by the look on her face that it was something she did not agree with it. “Don’t start.”69

“How do you know that she is still alive?” Yanuia watched as he went to reply but stopped himself.  He deliberately turned so his back was facing her.70

Since Dorran’s death was still fresh for her, he was willing to give her leeway in her emotional responses, but that did not mean that he had to like them.  “She is alive,” he finally said.71

“There has to be another way.”72

“I’m running out of options,” he said, his back still to her.  “I’m tired, sore, and so unbelievably pissed off…” he paused and ran a hand over his face, then punched at the wall in annoyance.  He looked at the pebbles on the ground blankly as an idea started to form. 73

“Anything else?” He slowly crouched down and ran his fingers through a few stones that fell to the ground.74

“You can’t beat him,” Yanuia said.75

“I can, and I will,” Grydin said as he picked up a small stone and turned it over in his hand.76

“How?”77

“By doing it their way.”78

“Grydin…no.”79

He looked at her.  “They killed your mate in front of your eyes,” he said calmly.  “Do you not desire revenge?”80

“Not if is costs you your honour.”  Yanuia held his gaze until he looked away.  “I know you’ve always had to battle little doubts about yourself ever since you chose to remain with us, but I don’t want you to give into those concepts.”81

He went to his small table, calmly took a length of cord out of a drawer, measured it, and wound it around the small rock he had selected.  His fingers shook slightly, the only indication that he was upset.  “They took her,” he whispered as he worked.  “They took her to get me.”  He looked up and she gasped at the pain and anger in his grey eyes.  “He took her to get at me.”82

Grydin gathered a few things and walked to the door.  “I am going, end of discussion.  Do I have your blessings?”  He returned her stare evenly as he waited.  “Then I go without them.”83

Yanuia watched him go, then slowly sunk to her knees at the possibility of losing another person she loved.84