Walk On Mountains - Chapter Fourteen

“You have one day left.”1

Marienda stared at the woman standing in her doorway.  “Don’t you ever knock?” she asked, watching as Isiru sashayed into the room and the curtain fell behind her.  “Did you need something?”2

“Just thought I would remind you that tomorrow you die.”3

Trying to keep the revulsion from her face, Marienda sat on her bed and leaned against the wall with an air of unconcern.  “Really.”  She glanced over her shoulder at the wall, and brought her hand up to absently pick at a rock there.  “And I suppose you’ll be the one trying to do the deed?”4

“It will be my pleasure.”5

Tired with picking at the small stone, Marienda lazily let her hand fall to the bed beside her.  “What’s it like?” she asked.6

“What’s what like?”7

“Knowing that I will soon take your place…again.”8

Isiru stared, clearly not understanding.  Marienda smiled to herself as she pushed the subject.  “Grydin dumped you, I have him…and tomorrow, I’m thinking that Pontage will dispose of you, and…”  She shrugged lightly and smiled.9

Isiru’s amulet started to glow white, eliciting a nod from Marienda.  “Oh, hit a nerve, did I?”  She sensed a small change in the other woman’s demeanor and decided to pursue the uncertain look that flashed through her eyes.  “Tell me…what will Pontage say if you dispose of me?  Do you think he’ll look into your eyes as he kills you?  Or maybe just turn you away so you’ll be reminded everyday of what…” her breath caught in her throat as Isiru clenched her fist.  She could feel the energy tighten slowly around her neck but commanded herself not to panic.10

Seeing that she wasn’t getting the panicked or pain filled response she wanted, Isiru suddenly let go, turned and walked out of the room without further comment.11

Marienda massaged her neck as she slowly sucked in air and decided that although it was interesting to see what she could use as ammo against the other woman, that it might not have been a good idea to try it while alone with her. 12

~~~~~~~~~~13

Grydin stopped walking as Karro stepped in front of him.  She silently handed him a small bag that contained the remaining tent pegs, and waited as he put them with the others in the pouch slung across his chest.  He thanked her, then moved to walk around, stopping as she stepped in his path.14

“We’re coming with you,” she said, motioning to the other two with her.15

Grydin stared at Karro, Lagen and Trishu for a few moments, unsure he had heard correctly.  “No.”16

“You’ll need the help.”17

“I appreciate it, really, but…” he busied himself with looking through the pouch on his chest so they couldn’t see his eyes.  “Chances are that I won’t be coming back, and I don’t want another person dying because of me.”  He swallowed hard as he avoided their gaze.18

“Grydin…” 19

“This is going to be hard enough as it is, and…” He glanced at them, then went back to aimlessly looking through the pouch.  “No.”20

Karro folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. “Dorran was our friend too…Marienda is our friend…and we’re sick of being paranoid because of your old buds.”21

Grydin’s head came up at the venom in her voice.  He matched her stare as he bit the inside of his cheek to stop the expletives that he wanted to throw at her.  22

“You shouldn’t have to do this alone.”23

His mouth worked as he decided what to reply with.  He didn’t want the responsibility that this would entail, but deep inside he knew he needed them. He put his right hand behind his neck, massaging lightly as he shifted his stare to the ground, then turned and walked away as they stared after him.24

“You coming, or what?” he asked without breaking his stride or turning around.25

~~~~~~~~~~26

“This is your idea?”27

Grydin’s eyes briefly closed in annoyance before turning around.  “If you don’t like it, then stay here,” he said through clenched teeth.  Although he was usually able to keep his temper in check, and only display it to a select few when it chose to surface, Grydin found it increasingly harder to contain his anger with Lagen, who had always managed to annoy him under regular circumstances. 28

“Grydin,” Karro said.  “He only meant…”29

“Karro…” Grydin sighed.  “Never mind.”  He gave Lagen a warning look before turning back to the task at hand. 30

Grydin exhaled lightly as he placed the first tent peg against the rock wall and pushed.  His amulet glowed white as the peg went in with ease.  He stepped into the harness he had rigged and hooked himself through the eyelet in the peg.  Closing his eyes again, he swallowed hard and exhaled, suddenly feeling the pressure of the harness against his ribs even though he was still standing on the ground.31

He once again checked the thin rope that was tied to his side, making sure that those with him were holding tight to the other end, then grabbed another tent peg from his pouch.  Leaning out over the chasm, he placed the peg against the wall and used his inner energy to push it in.32

The entire group held their collective breaths as he stepped off the ledge.  Grydin gasped slightly as he swung over the chasm, and instantly reached out to push a third tent peg into the wall.  He unhooked one belt from the first peg, and hooked it through the third, then grabbed for another peg.  He resisted the urge to look down into the pitch-black chasm, and although his chest was aching with the strain of the harness, he soon got into the rhythm of: peg in, switch hooks, swing over.33

The others with him kept silent, letting him concentrate on the task at hand, and spoke only once as he paused just past the halfway point.  Grydin grabbed both pegs with his hands and slowly raised himself so the straps holding him to the wall were slightly slack.34

Karro watched, concerned when he didn’t continue after a few moments.  “Grydin?” she called out softly.35

“Just resting,” he assured her and glanced to where she stood.  He blinked at the distance separating them, then the reality of where he actually was descended on him.  Although he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t help but look down into what looked like a wall of ‘nothing’.  His breath caught in his throat, his stomach threatened to rebel and his head spun as he quickly looked away.36

“You can do it,” Karro called out gently, “I know you can…Marienda knows you can.”37

Grydin’s eyes closed in annoyance as he acknowledged the last part, and with silent curses coming out of his mouth he slowly lowered himself and reached for another peg to push into the rock surface.38

~~~~~~~~~~39

Yanuia pulled her protective clothing closer to ward of the cold that tried to engulf her as she made her way out of the main door and into the darkness beyond.  Her lantern highlighted the scuff on the ground that showed the last place she had seen her mate alive, and as she crouched down to run a gloved finger over it, once more vowed revenge.40

She had told Grydin the truth; she did not desire revenge over Pontage, for he was not the one who had so callously taken Dorran from her.  She knew that Pontage was indirectly responsible, but it wasn’t his life she wanted to hold in her hands, wasn’t his eyes she would stare into as she introduced the person to her justice.  Isiru would die, even if it cost Yanuia her own life to see it happen.41

~~~~~~~~~~42

Marienda sat heavily on the corner of the small bed as the floor in front of her swam out of focus.  She put her head in her hands as dizziness hit, and had the distinct feeling of fear as she inhaled slowly to calm her stomach.  She was getting used to distinguishing Grydin’s sudden emotions from her own, and although it still unnerved her at how easily they could experience each other, she tried to force the feeling of fear away.  Hoping that maybe he could intercept her feelings as easily as she had his, she wrapped her arms around herself and remembered the first time they had met, and how incredibly safe she had felt while in his embrace.43

She tried to push her own growing unease to the back of her mind, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she might be dead soon…or worse, Pontage’s unwilling concubine.44

“Not going to happen,” she whispered to the empty room.  “I have complete faith in you Grydin…” She stopped as she remembered the last time she had seen him, struggling to pick his energy slammed body up from the ground. Clenching her eyes shut, she banished the image away, not wanting it to be the last memory of her mate.45

Trying to keep her mind busy and as far away as she could from the events surrounding her, she ran through the long checklist of Rules Enforcement Doctrines that she had once memorized in her youth.46

~~~~~~~~~~47

By the time his foot landed on solid ground again, Grydin’s head was pounding, chest aching and hands shaking.  He forced himself to put one last peg into the wall and hook into it, and then turned to face the others after he unhooked the first line.  He took a step further back, unhooked himself from the wall, then climbed slowly out of the harness before dropping it to the ground to be hauled back by those holding the guideline.48

“Just do it the same way I did,” he called over quietly, not wanting his voice to carry through the tunnels.  He watched as the harness was pulled up from the chasm, and then sat on the floor to watch.  He leaned back slightly to relieve the pain in his chest and forced himself to breathe slowly as the pounding in his head slowed to a dull throbbing ache.49

He kept an eye on Trishu as she started to climb her way over, and absently wondered if there were indeed phantoms lurking in the dark poised to grab one of them on their way past.  He blinked his eyes at that thought, wondering where it had some from, and thankful that he hadn’t thought of it while crossing the void.  He had deliberately kept his mind blank of all thought but the task he had been performing, and only faltered the one time when he had paused to rest.  50

He blinked as he heard a slight scrapping sound, and stood as Trishu covered the last few feet to stand firmly beside him.  He helped her out of the harness and sent it back for the next person.51

~~~~~~~~~~~52

Yanuia walked the last few meters to the door that blocked her from her revenge, and stopped to consider how she was going to get in.  She had planned on using Grydin’s arrival as a diversion, and hoped that there would be minimal resistance when she finally made it through the door.  The only problem was that she would not know when Grydin arrived, but since he was adamant about things once his mind was made up, she judged it to be soon.53

Deciding on the forward approach, she inhaled deeply, then raised her hand to pound on the door.  Her amulet glowed white as it was eventually opened, and she slammed energy into the face that peered out at her.  Stepping in over the unconscious body, she closed the door behind her and took a fast look around.  She knew that Pontage’s ego would assume that Grydin would be here on the final day of his ultimatum, and she planned to use that to her full advantage.54