The Cold Light Fades - Book 1 of the Crystal Chronicles

Chapter Twelve - The Ice Gorge Ambush

A fresh cascade of snow tumbled down around the carts as they entered the Ice Gorge. From a distance the gorge had seemed like a small split in an insurmountable frozen wall, but now that Alesson was closer, he saw that the gorge was easily wide enough for the three carts to pass through.

The walls shimmered brightly, glistening in the pale morning light and they rose straight up so that Alesson could only see a thin line of the sky above. The gorge was quite well sheltered from the wind but occasionally a strong blast of icy cold air rushed through the crevase and tore at the carts and their occupants.

The snow-covered ground meant that the carts could not move too quickly through the icy pass, or they would risk skidding on the slick frozen path. The gorge weaved along towards the north. The ground rose and fell unevenly between the tall looming walls. Alesson felt a little panicky at being confined inside the gorge and he hoped that they could get through it quickly. Garlent had said that it should take about two days to get to the upper end of the gorge as long as they did not come across any obstructions.

The boy's eagle eyes were again drawn upwards towards the line of sky above and the foreboding icy cliff tops. Alesson swallowed hard and he wished that none of that ice would break away and crash down on top of him. Every now and then he heard cracking noises from the walls as the ice shifted and swelled. The first time he had heard the noise it had made him jump out of his skin in fright.

The carts were all fully laden again thanks to the helpful survivors of Entarus, although it had taken a sizable chunk of gold from Garlent's purse to get everything they needed. So once again, there was not a lot of room inside the small carts and Alesson had been forced to travel with Linta and Narlia again in the middle wagon.

They had not been travelling for long when the sounds of the cracking ice suddenly got a lot louder. Then Linta jumped up with a deathly worried look on her face.

"Quick Narlia we need to move faster," the princess said urgently.

"Why my child, is the ice falling?" Narlia said as she looked up at the icy walls.

"No, the Soul says that the Crystal Guardian is stirring from its slumber and so are its children. We're going to be attacked," Linta said as she made a grab for the reins.

"Are you sure, I didn't hear it say anything," Alesson said as he stared at his sister. Suddenly feeling a little jealous that the voice was talking to her and not to him.

In answer to his question, the wall ahead on the right shattered as an azure-coloured creature broke out into the chasm. The creature looked like a deer that was made completely out of thick blue ice. Its body was sharp and angular, and it stood on four very thin shiny legs. Protruding from the deer's pointed glassy face were a set of antlers that looked more like razor-sharp upside-down icicles.

More of the frozen deer smashed out of the trembling walls into the gorge and they stood their ground around the trio of carts as they prepared to attack.

Linta shook the reins hard and the chestnut steed pounded forward, more because of the danger around it than Linta's urgings. Narlia snatched back the reins from the young girl and steered the cart around Garlent's cart that was directly in front of them.

Garlent had already jumped up in his seat and was brandishing his sword and commanding Razza to defend the carts as he saw Narlia go past.

"Keep going we'll cover your rear, keep the twins safe," Garlent shouted over the roar of combat.

The deer had all turned their pointed heads towards the strangers, their horns were glowing brightly and then a storm of jagged ice shards flew outward at the wagons. Luckily, because the carts had all started to push forward, most of the ice missed harmlessly, however a few cut deeply into the canvas covers and tore the fabric away from the cart's framework.