Botanica ( A true quest )

Chapter 17: Avengers

Chapter 17

Ceropegia once again was lumbering across the ice, Hedera and Salix hanging on to her back. They were becoming accustomed to take off ,more confident, developing the technique of knee gripping rather than strangulation of Ceropegia's neck. They had taken the decision to wait until dawn having taken reference from the stars and laying out a directional runway during the night. There were no worries of losing the bearing as the Great Star constellation always stayed constant, this was one thing the various populations of Botanica did agree on....the Universe revolved around them!!?

The skies had cleared, the top of the mountain range they were aiming to fly over was for once quite clear, their usual cloud cover had dispersed revealing long, thick, snowy wigs that fell in tussles down their various crevices, rifts and vallies. It was a long constant climb, the temperature bagan to rapidly fall, breathing became increasingly difficult.

" I can't take this altitude much longer you'll have to drop down "

Ceropegia picked up the message dropping a thousand spits or so,

" Any better ? "

" Yes , I'll just check with Salix "

He was sat oblivious to what was going on, enjoying the ride, a big toothy grin across his face,

" What you grinning at, can you breath up here? " asked Hedera

" Yeg , I'm gust fine " came the reply, " Gy face has gust frozen like this "

" I agree, I'm a bit parky, it's my eyes and ears that are suffering , I hate that pain that goes from your ears into your jaw, it's so painful, I now know why dragon riders wear those silly hats, scarves and goggles, we're gonna have to forget street cred and get some"

" Ges, I gnow what you gnean " agreed Salix

Once an acceptable height was found Ceropegia's wings levelled into a constant rythmn, the friends had never seen anything like this before. A white quilt spread across the land scape, perfect like a freshly made bed. They could see the odd track that had been cut throught the snow, the footprints looked like little delicate stitches that held the quilt together. The outcrops and smaller ranges gave a random pattern to the quilting.

" There must be life down there somewhwere" Hedera called back to Salix

" Can't see any though he replied "

They continued on their course for an hour or two the mountains constantly rising before them as they approached. It was obvious they were a lot bigger than first thought. The largest sat to one side on their right. It was just the tip of this one they had been honing in on for the last couple of days. A smaller range spread out in a circle in front, it reminded Salix of when he was younger and all the children of his family would sit in a circle around their Dad as he told stories. Frozen like stone, encapsulated in the world they were drawn in to.

Beyond the circle he could see a mighty glacier held back by all the intently listening children, it looked as if once the stories were told, when they got and up and went their own ways, the glacier would slide down and cover all in it's path.

 ' Let's hope Papa mountain is telling an epic ' thought Salix

The flight continued, the terrain below once again was beginning to rise and meet them until Ceropegia spoke

" Right you two, we have two choices, we rise and fly over the range ahead or we go around, that is going to cost us quite a considerable amount of time "

" Round them, we can't take the altitude, we won't be able to breath up there" came the unanimous reply

" O.K. your choice "