Getting out of the shelter of the forest was pretty disconcerting after being in such an enclosed space for a while. The mountains were just that - mountain for as far as you could see, snow-capped peaks rising to the east while we stayed on the foothills, where it was green meadow with some rocky ridges and cliff faces here and there. It felt strange to be able to see so far - the air was utterly clear apart from some clouds over the higher mountains. If a patrol were to see us out here, we were done for unless I could suddenly learn to make the horse move any faster than we were going.
An eagle called overhead, and I looked up to see a tiny speck of black against the impossibly blue sky. The absolute clarity and sapphire blue colour reminded me of Wynn's eyes, how they would shine against the sea and sky. God, he'd only been gone four days - and yet it felt like so much longer.
It took us the entire day to ascend to the ridge of Cader Gwythfa, and when we were at the top we could see tiny villages nestled in valleys far below, and also some higher than us, clustered together on plateaus. The view was incredible - you could see for what seemed to be miles. In the distance you could see forest, with mist hanging around the trees. The sun was beginning to set, sending its rays in a starburst of colours as the sun fell down behind the mountains.
"We should stop - now we're up on the ridge, all we have to do is to watch out for the rocs." Iris yawned, rubbing her eyes. Celie noticed Keira and my blank faces and grimaced.
"Rocs are huge birds of prey - like lammergeyers but bigger and they're not scavengers." she looked down. "Many people have been killed by them - they swoop down and grab you with their claws and..." she shuddered. "their wingspan is about twice the height of your tent at home."
"What." Keira said, her eyes wide. "Are you joking? That can't be true - the tent's like seven foot tall!" her voice rose and she dismounted her horse quickly, scanning the sky.
"We'll be alright as long as we stay out of the high ground." Celie said, flipping her hood over her head so it hid her face in shadow. Only her green eyes stood out - like the Pixies we'd seen last night. I shivered, dismounting the horse awkwardly. Riding a horse was surprisingly tiring, and my bottom felt like it was going to fall off at any moment.
I groaned, following Celie to a smallish patch of rocks, where she started to set out her sleeping mat and lying out her cloak. I joined her, finding a sheltered looking spot on some springy grass. She sighed, almost inaudibly and rubbed her eyes.
"You look knackered," I commented with a smile. She frowned, stopping what she was doing and looking curiously at me.
"Knackered?" she asked, bemused. "What on earth do you mean?"
Keira laughed from where she was listening in. "Knackered, as in, Autumn slang for tired." she grinned, throwing over a small bread roll to each of us. Celie caught it deftly, while I had to do a sort of dive-and-still-miss-and-then-pick-it-up-off-the-floor.
YOU ARE READING
Eyes of Emerald
Fantasy"The thing on top of Keira got up, slowly, and stood smaller than I thought. It stood on four legs, like a dog, and growled like a wolf. I swore under my breath as it leaped at me, claws extended, and I knew I was about to die." Behind the clouds on...
