22
Hatyara insisted on changing into her normal, small, revealing Alharai clothing once they had reached the roof of the building. Únik couldn't blame her, jumping from roof to roof in the Uriok child's dress would prove more than difficult. But, as Shihiri jumped to the next roof, followed by Barsa, with Únik's urging, Únik couldn't help but watch the steady rise of the water threatening to swallow the entire city.
In her pantaloons, slippers and wraparound chest piece, Hatyara looked less like the child Únik still fought to stop considering her as. The silk gauze of her wide pantaloons rippled as Hatyara slung her bag over her head. She seemed as determined as any of them, now, despite her objections earlier.
On the other roof, Shihiri stood, legs braced, waiting to catch Hatyara as she reached the next rooftop. It was not dignified, in the least, but the Ice-Kin had made it, leaving only Únik to make the leap. She hesitated. She knew she wasn't built for this kind of exercise. Her larger body felt awkward and heavy as she stepped back to make the run.
Tired legs pumped as hard as Únik could muster and she launched herself across the gap between the buildings, her eyes widening as she glimpsed the rushing water passing beneath. After what felt like an eternity, she landed upon the other roof, caught by the welcoming arms of Shihiri, a grin upon the Fae's face. Barsa jumped around them in his excitement. The dog seemed to enjoy himself, even if Únik didn't.
"Not bad. Only a few more to go." Gripping the shoulders of Únik's jacket, Shihiri gave her a friendly shake before turning towards the next gap.
She made it look effortless. Taking a short run-up, the Fae launched herself across, landing as though stepping down from a staircase. She adjusted her bow across her back and rolled her hand, urging the others to follow.
They performed the same feat several more times and, with each leap, Únik could feel her tired legs complaining. She needed to rest, if only for a few minutes, but they did not have the time. The waters had reached the lips of the buildings, trickling across gravelled roofs, soon to be one, large lake and then they would be unable to see where they needed to jump next.
They had only two more buildings to cross and then only the wall, that Únik believed made by a Patron, to climb. The next gap was far wider than any of the others. Like most cities, the people of Pithnar built their streets close and tight, maximising space. Except this one. Únik gazed across a gap of almost seven feet and swallowed a fearful gulp.
"I'm not going to make that!" In her thin, cloth slippers, Hatyara stood at the edge, watching flood water rush past, almost overflowing onto the roof. They had already tossed their bags across and Hatyara focussed upon them. "What if I try to swim?"
"The current is too strong." Taking one of her precious few arrows from her quiver, Shihiri tossed it into the water and watched it carried away in a rush. It soon disappeared from sight. "Look, I know I was joking before, but Únik can throw you. I'll be down at the other end in case you miss and fall in. It's the only way, Ice-Kin."
"I just ... I don't want to be thrown." The bottom lip of Hatyara trembled. Únik could tell she feared crossing the gap. "Alright. But either of you say anything afterwards and you'll regret it!"
Stifling a grin, Shihiri glanced at Únik before turning without the slightest hesitation, ran and leaped across a gap that seemed like a chasm. She landed with almost two feet to spare, stumbling to a halt. Únik would never stop feeling amazed at the Fae's athleticism. Shihiri moved down to the other end of the building, ready to snatch Hatyara from the water if needed.
Únik sent Barsa across next. The hound made the leap, crashing against the lip of the roof, but managed to scramble up, shaking himself once safe. The dog turned and barked, as though urging Únik and Hatyara to follow.
Hatyara looked at Únik, then, and she looked more vulnerable than Únik had ever seen her. The Ice-Kin shivered. Not from the cold, though how she could stand the pounding rain and howling winds in that outfit, Únik would never understand. She appeared scared. A little piece of her real self poking through the arrogance and bluster. Despite the circumstances, Únik felt herself liking the Ice-Kin more when she did that.
With a nod, Hatyara braced herself, ready for Únik to pick her up. If anything had been an indignity before, it paled in comparison to this for the haughty Ice-Kin. With one hand on the girl's bare stomach, the other lifting her by her small backside, Únik hefted the tiny Ice-Kin, ran and launched her across the gap.
With a splash, in the creeping water upon the roof, Hatyara landed awkwardly, rolling over and over before coming to a stop, Barsa leaping towards her. The hound ran around her several times before Hatyara regained her composure, reaching up and using the large dog for support to rise to her feet. Dishevelled, embarrassed, but safe, Hatyara waved towards Únik and Únik took no time in following the others.
The water had almost hidden both rooftops, now. She had to make the jump while she could still see where she needed to land. With an effort greater than she thought she could stand, she took a deep breath and ran. She threw herself up and across, her arms wheeling in the air, praying to all the Patrons that she reach the other roof. She saw Hatyara, wide-eyed, as lightning flashed across the clouds in the sky, she watched Únik jump.
And miss.
Her feet landed in the rushing waters instead, her legs ripped out from under her, dragging her along with the fast rushing current. She scrambled her arms outwards, trying in desperation to catch hold of something. Anything. Fingers dragged against stone covered by water. Her head dipped beneath the waters and, for a second time in scant minutes, she thought herself lost to the flood.
Until she caught hold of something with her flailing arms. She clamped her hand tight around the protruding object and, if it was the last thing she ever did, she made certain she would not lose her grip upon it. As she raised her head above the waters, she saw Shihiri's bow in her hand, the other end held by both Shihiri's hands as she strained to drag Únik from the water.
They both pulled with all their remaining might, but Únik heard a crack. Not the crack of thunder, but of wood, twisting and straining, drenched, the now warped bow made a final snap, breaking in two with only the bow string holding the pieces together. It wasn't much, but it gave Únik a chance. That thin strip of string held until she could grip the edge of the building, dragging herself from the waters.
She flopped onto her back, gasping into the sky, rain continuing to pelt down, stinging her eyes, but she didn't care. With a groan, she lifted herself upright, turning on to her hands and knees before pushing herself to stand. Her chest heaved and she saw the face of Shihiri as she looked at her broken bow.
"This was my father's bow. He made it himself." With a sniff, Shihiri smoothed a hand over the wood before rubbing her nose, pointing the pieces towards Únik. "You owe me a bow, Únik."
The Fae attempted a half-hearted smile and Únik appreciated the effort, though she knew, by only a look, how devastated Shihiri was at the loss. Turning, Shihiri made a short run and then jumped to the final building before the edifice of the Patron built wall of mud, soil and stone. Únik would have to talk with Shihiri, later. Right now, the Fae had the right idea.
From here, Únik could see the wall rising up from the waters. The last jump little more than a skip, left them all standing before the wall, looking upwards. The top of the wall seemed only ten feet away. Not much of a climb for something that looked as though it held many hand and foot holds. The surface pitted and cracked. This was no wall made by human hands.
The wall was not constructed. It did, indeed, seem as though two pieces of land had crashed together, pushing each other upward to creat something akin to a tiny mountain. Not so tiny, Únik suspected if the flood waters did not lap against it. Ten feet to climb, twenty, perhaps thirty feet below the waters, the wall was their only hope for safety, now.
Shihiri had already begun clambering up the wall, her natural Fae skills making the climb look easy.
"How is Barsa getting over that?" Hatyara, her hand upon Barsa's neck, looked up towards where Shihiri now straddled the top of the wall.
Únik's mouth opened and closed several times as she looked down towards her faithful hound. She had not even considered him, thinking only of herself, the Ice-Kin and the Fae. As though the dog was nothing more than something she could forget so easy. She crouched beside Barsa, ruffling his sodden fur under his ears. She couldn't leave him.
-+-
There were few other options. All she could do was jump in the water, holding on to Barsa for dear life and see where the rushing floodwater took them. She would pray to the Patrons and hope, for once, that those ineffable creatures could deign to help for their own reasons. She saw Shihiri drop back into the knee-high water, beside her.
"What's going on? Why aren't you climbing? We have no time left." With a hand against the solid wall, Shihiri braced herself against the current, now pushing along the face of the edifice. "Come on!"
"I can't." Únik placed her hand upon Barsa's head, looking from the dog to Shihiri and understanding dawned on the Fae's face. "You two go ahead. Leave us. Me and Barsa will be fine. I promise."
Shihiri scowled, wobbling against the rushing water that caught and pulled at all their legs. Hatyara had pressed herself against the wall, spreading her arms and digging fingers into cracks upon the surface, holding herself as steady as she could. Spitting rainwater from her mouth, Shihiri reached towards the Ice-Kin, pulling the bag from around the Ūtharan's shoulders.
Pulling out Hatyara's dress, Shihiri tossed the bag back to the Ice-Kin. Then, taking her knife from the sheath at her back, Shihiri began cutting into the dress, ignoring the squeal from Hatyara. Únik didn't know what Shihiri was doing, but neither did she understand Hatyara's protest. She hated that dress.
Once Shihiri finished cutting, she tied the two arms of the dress together and two separated sections of the dress' skirts together. She had made a sling. Locking eyes with Barsa, Shihiri took care in wrapping the dog in the folds of the dress, indicating to Únik for her to turn around and duck. Únik allowed Shihiri to loop the tied dress over her arms, crossing each loop over the top of her head.
"Now climb the bloody wall!" Shihiri helped Únik to stand, pushing her to the wall. "I'll be right behind you. I'll do my best to ease the weight, but climb. You too, Ice-Kin!"
Barsa felt heavy against the small of Únik's back, but the dog didn't struggle or move. Únik imagined the look upon the hound's face, trussed up and lolling against her back as she began to search for hand holds. Hatyara had already begun to climb, showing a natural ability to find even the smallest of bumps to place her tiny, slippered feet.
Únik didn't know how long she could keep up these exertions. She thought she had already passed the point where she could do no more. Her legs felt like soaked string, wobbling and in pain. The muscles in her arms ached and tightened. Her chest felt as though it could rip apart at any moment, but she could do nothing but ignore it all.
Before she knew it, she had climbed several feet. Every so often, she could feel Shihiri bump against her as the Fae fought to support Únik and Barsa while attempting to climb herself. The wall felt slick from the rain, but there were enough cracks and protruding pieces of stone that Únik had little trouble pushing herself upwards, despite the added weight of Barsa.
A couple of times, she felt her booted feet begin to slip from where they had found purchase but, every time, Shihiri seemed to see it before it sent Únik and Barsa tumbling back to the flooded city. Únik dare not look down, but she felt glad of the Fae's hands holding her feet to the wall. Without Shihiri, Únik didn't know what she would have done.
"Just a little further!" Calling down from above, Hatyara urged them onwards. "Keep moving!"
"You heard the princeling! Move!" Shihiri's hand pushed against Únik's backside.
Únik hoped they were not only saying this to keep her moving. She had little left to give and Barsa felt even more heavy against her back at each step upwards. She had felt the knots, tied in haste, beginning to slip. If she didn't reach the top soon, the knots could unravel, sending Barsa, her beloved Barsa, falling into the waters. That thought, alone, made Únik more determined. She reached upward again, feeling tears pricking at her eyes. Tears of frustration, pain and fear at the thought of losing her hound.
"Put your hand here. That's it!" She felt a tiny hand guide her own and Hatyara's voice, calm, almost ripped away by the wind and drowned through the rain, gave Únik hope. "Now pull yourself up."
As she pulled herself up, with arms that felt like lead, Únik saw the lip of the wall pass. She had not moved her eyes for the entire climb, staring at that Patrons damned wall. Not looking up, for certain not looking down. She saw the huge temple appear in her line of sight and knew she had made it. She lifted her leg, with great difficulty, slid it over the top of the wall and straddled it. Only now did she feel Barsa move as Hatyara greeted the animal.
"Leave you?" Shihiri flipped her leg over the top of the wall, adjusted her seat, leaned over and slapped Únik's face. Twice. Her dark eyes filled with fury. "Leave you?"
"I just thought ..." Almost whispering, dipping her head in shame, Únik gripped the top of the wall.
"No. No, you didn't think!" There was none of the usual, wicked humour upon Shihiri's face. Thunder cracked above, as though emphasising the Fae's anger. "You were just going to give up! Allow yourself to get washed away to Patrons know what fate! And ... and you were going to leave me alone. With her!"
"I rather thought she was going to leave me alone with you." As though swapping roles, now Hatyara had a laugh in her voice, though Únik could not see the Ice-Kin, sat behind her atop the wall. "Believe me, I would have suffered more than you, Fae."
Shihiri continued to glare at Únik for a few seconds before her face broke into the usual grin. A laugh erupted from Fae that released all the tension and fear that the past few minutes had wrought upon them all. Únik could hear the lighter, musical laughter from Hatyara, behind her, and, after a second or two, she found herself joining in the laughter.
Únik could not think of a more bizarre vision than three completely different people and a dog, straddling the top of a wall, in the middle of a storm, with an ancient, abandoned city flooding below them, laughing as though everything was a mere normality. There was nothing normal about this and, Únik considered, perhaps that was the point of the laughter.
Únik wanted nothing more than to lean forward, hugging the top of the wall, and rest, but she still felt the weight if Barsa at her back. She still saw the height of the wall, on this side, that they had to scale down. She looked across the surface of this other side of the wall and noticed that it appeared far more rough than the other side. She assumed that the number of floods had smoothed the city side of the wall, somewhat, but she felt glad that the descent would not prove as precarious as the ascent had become.
"I have to be serious, though. If you ever tell me to abandon you again, I'll kill you." Shihiri's laughter had subsided, the Fae reaching out a hand to grasp Únik's. Únik gave a little, hiccuping laugh at those words, but the Fae scowled once again. "I'm not joking."
"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that." With a sigh and a groan, Únik dragged her leg over the top of the wall and found herself a strong footing, ready to climb down. "You can't kill me, anyway. I owe you a bow."
With a wry smile, Shihiri joined Únik, beginning to make her way down the face of the wall. To the other side, Hatyara had also found herself a footing, reaching over one last time to scratch at Barsa's head.
"He seems to be enjoying this." Smiling towards Barsa, at Únik's back, Hatyara moved her hand back to the wall. "Though I am not happy about my dress."
"I thought you hated that dress?" Moving her feet, one-by-one, Únik felt much happier climbing down. Able to relax, if only a slight. "You said it was awful material."
"Yes. Well." The ice-blue skin upon Hatyara's face darkened a little as her eyes flickered away. "Perhaps it wasn't that bad, after all."
"I knew you liked it!" Holding on to the wall face with only one hand, Shihiri leaned out, looking over Únik and Barsa's heads, pointing an accusatory finger towards Hatyara. "I suppose I'll have to ste ... I mean, find you another one."
In this vein, the three of them continued descending the wall towards the temple plaza. Únik could not imagine what lay in store for them away from the flood waters, but she took comfort that they were all still together. Even, especially, Barsa.