We played in the snow for about an hour until everyone
was awake. Then after throwing one last snowball, I yelled out. "Come on, we
have to go save Decorah!" and we all trudged off towards the cliffs.
We reached them in about half an hour, their
sheer mass towering above us. "Is there no other way around?" I asked Kirin,
knowing what he would say.
"Nope, this is the only way into High Reaches."
I was scouting the cliffs for the safest way
up, when I remembered how Dorono and I had stormed the castle. I reached into
my pack, and took out the grappling hook, and then I attached my longest rope
to it. "Dorono, come over here."
Dorono flew up to me, and as he landed he showered
snow into the air. "What do you want?"
"Dorono could you take this, and fly up to the
mid point of the cliff. If it is long enough, it will be a safe way to climb
the cliffs."
Dorono looked at me and said, "Yes, I can take
it up." He grabbed the grappling hook in his beak, and was then off flying to
the mid point of the cliff.
The sun warmed his feathers as he flew up higher
and higher. He landed on the cliff, and wrapped the grappling hook around a
mangled old tree. He tested the rope to make sure that it was sturdy, and once
sure, he flew back down towards me.
The rope barely touched the ground, and it was
only half way to the top of the cliff, but it would do. So I called all of my
companions over. "One by one we can climb the rope, and be halfway up the cliff
without any problems.
"What about me. I cannot fly, and I cannot climb,"
Herupah said.
I reached into my pack, and pulled out a net.
"We can wrap this over your belly, and pull you up. So you will come up last."
I fixed the net to Herupah's belly, and then I said, "I shall go up first."
I walked up to the rope putting my hand on it,
and then I started the climb up the rope. Slowly I lifted myself up the rope
until I was just about at the top. I turned my head, looking down, and gulped.
It was a long fall that would crush any creature who fell from that height,
but I did not get vertigo, and managed to climb the rest of the way up the rope.
At the top of the rope, I wiped the sweat from my forehead, and then turned
to Dorono who had flown up. "Tell whoever is next to start. Oh, and tell them
not to look down." And with a nod Dorono flew down to pass on my message.
The next up was Kirin, followed by Wintroq.
Then once we were all up, we all worked together to pull Up Herupah. Then once
Herupah was up, I had Dorono position the grappling hook at the top, and we
went through the same procedure once again. Once at the top of the cliff I lay
down in the snow, letting it cool me off. Then Kirin's head popped above the
cliff line, and I helped him up. We both helped Wintroq to the top, and then
we had to strain our muscles in order to bring Herupah up. But our patients
paid off, for once we were all at the top, it started to snow. Something that
none of us, except for Kirin had ever seen. "It is so beautiful," I said watching
as the last of the suns' rays glinted off of the snow. "Almost as much as the
view," I said looking over the cliff at the view. Laxcorna appeared as a small
fishing village when in reality it was gigantic. The forests that I lived in
were a green meadow, and lakes were shining puddles of water.
"We should leave soon," Dorono said walking
up to me.
"Right," I said, and then with one last glance
I started walking off into the snow with everyone following.
As the sun went down we found a nice place,
and I laid out my sleeping mat, and Wintroq's blanket. Kirin still slept on
the ground. "Here, you can sleep on the end of my sleeping mat. It would be
much more comfortable."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Kirin said, "When I
was held captive out here, I was forced to sleep in the snow every night."
"Well, Good night Kirin," I said, and then I
lay down. Dorono then walked up to me, and curled up next to my side, and slept.
Kirin smiled at the sleeping form of me, and then thought to himself, "She really
had grown up from a young pet." And then he lay down, and slept.
We had spent the whole next couple of days trudging
through the desolate wastelands of snow, only stopping to have meals. I hoped
that today, though, that we would find civilisation, for I was running low on
food. As the sun went down, we did not see civilisation, but we found a nice
cave, which would be a good place to sleep. We crawled into the cave with the
suns last rays of light, and I smiled, for it would be nice. It was not damp
and smelly like most caves were, but instead it was kind of homey. "This is
much better then the snow," Wintroq said as I laid out our beds.
"This will do well for tonight," Herupah said,
clambering over to a corner, and then laying down.
"I like it," Dorono said.
"How about you Kirin?" I asked, but he was nowhere
in the cave. I walked out of the cave to see him standing out in the snow, the
wind blowing his hair to the side. "Why don't you come inside?" I asked.
"It just doesn't seem right," Kirin answered
me. "I will stay watch out here."
"Okay," I said, "If you want to come in you're
welcome at any time." And then I crept in and fell asleep next to Dorono.
I was waken up by Kirin in the middle of the
night. "What was that abummmph." And I was silenced by Kirin putting his hand
over my mouth.
"Shhhhhh!" Kirin said putting his finger to
his lips, and then he led me over to a dark corner of the cave. "I knew it,"
he whispered. "It is Jown the snowy Kougra, and he standing on the outside of
the cave."
"We must wake the others!" I whispered. "We
have to get out of here, perhaps through a back exit." But suddenly I heard
the screech of an Eyrie. "Dorono!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the caverns.
I slid away from Kirin's grabbing hands, and ran over towards Dorono. He had
a net thrown over him, and was being held down by several pets. Wintroq was
lying unconscious on the ground, and Herupah was invisible to me in the dark.
One of the creatures holding down Dorono saw
me, and he yelled, "Look we missed one. Send out a few troops to get her."
As the troops ran for me, I got ready to fight,
but Kirin grabbed my shoulder. "We can't fight them, believe me I have tried.
We have to run."
"But what about Dorono, and my brother!"
"If we are captured, what good will we do them!"
Kirin's logic leaked into me. He was right, so I slipped away my dagger, and
we made a run for it.
We ran through the dark caves looking for a
back exit, when we came upon a fork in the passage. "Which way!" I yelled looking
first right, and then left.
"Anyone!" and I took the left passageway with
Kirin following me. I smelt fresh air as we ran, so I knew that we must have
been heading in the right direction, but we came upon a dead end. I heard the
approaching footsteps of our pursuers, and the fresh air seemed stronger then
ever. I looked once again at the dirt blocking us, and then I started to dig
with my dagger. As the dirt slid away from my blade, Kirin yelled, "What are
you doing?"
"Trying to save our tails. Now are you going
to help or what?" and then I went right back to digging, this time with Kirin
helping, each second the fresh scent getting stronger. Suddenly, I fell in through
the dirt, and had to squint at the morning sun. But I quickly regained my self,
and started to run off into the snow-covered plains of the mountain with Kirin
right behind me.
The green Wocky that had been chasing us stopped,
and watched the fleeing forms of Kirin and I. He turned to the Kau that had
stopped next to him, "Jown is not going to be pleased when we report this."
"Well," the Kau said in a gruff voice, "if we
wait on reporting, it will be our heads." So the two quickly hurried towards
the front entrance of the cave to Jown.
***
Jown the snowy Kougra stood grinning; each of his razor sharp teeth showing.
He had expected to find Kirin the Zafara assassin inside, for he could have
sworn that he saw at least three Zafaras enter the cave, but it did not matter,
for they had found a few creatures that could work for him. He was most intrigued
when his troops dragged out the black Uni that had escaped him the other day.
But the Uni was not his main prize. It probably was the warriors, who after
some persuading he could get to join him. Or perhaps that green Eyrie. He seemed
lively enough. Jown knew he had to find out if it was possible to get that Eyrie
to calm down. He would try talking to him.
Jown walked over to Dorono, and chuckled an
evil laugh, "Now, you seem like a strong Eyrie How would you like to join my
troops, the most powerful troops around? If you say yes, I will let you out
from under that net you are currently in."
Dorono growled, and spit at Jown's paws. "I
don't need you to let me out, for my partner will let me out herself after stringing
you to a tree by your tail."
"Your partner?" Jown said slowly. He thought
that they had collected all the creatures in that cave. He took another, but
this time closer look at the green Eyrie Then the name slipped into place. "You
mean that Zafara assassin that has taken up Kirin's spot as the main assassin
in the underlands. She is no match for my troops young Eyrie"
Just then, the Wocky and Kau came running up.
"Permission to report Jown."
"Granted."
The Kau stepped up and spoke: "The red Zafara
that we were after had escaped through a caved in portion of the cave wall.
However, she was not the only one left, for a green Zafara also made his way
out."
Jown swung his paw at the Kau, slashing him
with his razor claws. "FOOLS!!!" he yelled. "Why didn't you go after them!?!
The green Zafara was Kirin!!!" then Jown looked at the dumbstruck pets, "What
are you standing around here for! Go get that Zafara!!!" then after the two
pets had run back into the cave, Jown turned to Dorono, "You see young Eyrie...
your partner has abandoned you to save herself, and that other Zafara Kirin."
Dorono looked at Jown in utter disbelief. "But
Zarrel Charmain is... was my friend. She never would...."
"Oh, but she did.
She has left you young Eyrie, and is not coming back."
A tear slid down Dorono's face, and he thought
about how he had risked his life so many times for me. How he had stayed by
my side, even though it meant destruction. Then he thought, I had never given
him praise. I had never said that I cared for him, even though he said it so
many times. "So now," he quietly said to his ears only, "she had left me to
save herself, and this... Kirin." Then his voice became more angry, and loud.
"I thought she was my partner. No, I thought that she was my friend, but she
betrayed me, for a stranger from her past."
Jown looked at Dorono, "So what do you say young
Eyrie Stay loyal to that Zafara, who left you without a goodbye, with out even
a backwards glance, or a thought for you. Or join me, and become strong and
get revenge."
Dorono looked out across the snowy plains for
a glimpse of me, and when all he saw was white snow, and the occasional twisted
tree, and not a glance of me, he screamed out for everyone to hear. "YOU BETRAYED
MY TRUST, ZARREL CHARMAIN!!! SO NOW I BETRAY YOU!!!" and he turned to a snickering
Jown. "I join you... Jown."
To be continued... | 
