Jamie
After only one week, he was already incredibly tired of sitting on a horse. He'd reached the point where he let Aderah ride Makhi at times, while jogging beside them. Of course, that drove Grace insane, but he felt like his legs' muscles were disintegrating. He had always enjoyed riding, but over the last week, he had spent approximately fourteen hours per day riding, with the remaining ten spent sleeping and sitting around. Even walking would have been more exciting by now, which was obviously not an option. He had been doing that an hour ago, but as he'd seen Aderah nearly falling asleep he had gotten on Makhi's back behind her to take the reins.
He'd go insane if nothing interesting happened in the next two days. Where were the bounty hunters when they needed them? It was as though they took a break to let them suffer from boredom.
Grace hadn't been in the mood for banter. She had recently become about as chatty as Tanner, which added to the reasons he wanted to run headfirst into a tree. He couldn't talk much to Aderah since he was afraid of making a fool of himself by saying the wrong things. Despite this, he continued to make comments about everything and nothing that were directed at no one in particular. It was alright if the others didn't want to engage, but he wasn't going to let his vocal cords diminish as well. They probably couldn't anyway, but he wouldn't take the chance.
The only good thing that had happened in the last five days was that the weather had changed. Instead of scolding sunlight, they were blessed with a dark sky that threatened to shower rain on them at any moment. It was getting darker by the day. He suspected Grace wasn't far off with her prediction of an intense storm. It always ended badly when there was one of those. And they all started the same way: a light breeze on a warm day that grew into violent and sudden gusts, clouds that became heavier by the day without ever raining, and then all hell would break loose.
That was probably the reason Grace ushered them forward, and had been hiding inside her head the entire time. She was trying to figure out what they were going to do once the storm arrived. They've passed two caves today, but if the storm was as brutal as they feared, neither of them could have withstood it. The open forest, therefore, was the last considerable option. They'd have to find a stable cave large enough for them and the horses, or they'd have to seek shelter in a nearby village, which would force them off their initial route. The problem with that option was that they didn't know where the next village was. That left them with either the first plan or, well, death.
Because he didn't know as much about the issue as Grace, he softly pushed Makhi forward until he was right next to her. "How many days do we have left?" he asked seriously.
She gazed up at the dark gray skies, just as another gust of wind blew her hair around her face. "Not days. Hours," she guessed. "I'm not entirely sure, but as far as I can tell, there aren't more than four hours before it gets...difficult." She glanced at Aderah, who was sleeping in front of Jamie, leaning against his chest. "I told her it was a bad idea for her to come with us."
He looked down at her head, which was resting on his shoulder. She looked so careless that it seemed surreal that they were talking about their possible end in less than a day. But she had chosen to come along, even though he wished she hadn't for her own sake. But it was a blessing for him. Even though neither of them would have much left to heal after the storm if they stayed outside.
"This isn't the first time we've discussed dying in a storm because we can't find shelter. And we're still here," he tried to reassure Grace. "It was close every time, but we always found safety."
Instead of responding, she pointed to something in the distance. "If we don't take a single break and hurry, there's a chance we'll make it to Asfalá. The entire mountain is full of caves."
Jamie hadn't even known where they were. The Asfalá Mountain was located in Azivélle, near the border of Merrisan and Irúma. Since all he had been seeing lately was trees, rocks, and clouds, he wondered how she could know. Still, he was relieved.
Jamie trusted her judgment beyond all else, which is why he gently woke up Aderah in front of him. Her eyelids flickered open, and she stared at him, confused.
"A storm is coming. We need to hurry now," he explained.
Her eyes widened as she took in the unsettling gray clouds above them. "Oh Gods," she muttered.
"Tanner," Grace said to the man who had been trailing behind them the entire time. She let Jysra fall back until she was right beside him. "We'll have to go a little out of our way. And quickly. Keep up," she ordered.
He had a worried look on his face, probably having noticed the shift in weather, and nodded solemnly.
And then they started the race against time.
It took them over an hour until the mountain was in plain sight. The rain had begun to fall on them relentlessly at that point. They were drenched, and the horses struggled to keep their hooves from slipping on the muddy ground. But they didn't stop. The wind was pushing them forward with such intensity that Jamie felt he might end up hanging from Makhi's neck in a matter of seconds. At least he created a barrier between the wind and Aderah. She seemed terrified, but otherwise she was alright.
Grace was at the front, as usual, figuring out the best passages through the trees and other obstacles in their way.
Even though the horses were getting slower and weaker by the minute, they were still ahead of Grace's predicted timing of the storm. It was a miracle they had the strength to carry them around for as long as they did over the last few days. Perhaps the fruits they had found gave them the unbelievable endurance to save them that day.
Another hour later, all he knew was that they would be at the base of the mountain soon enough. Grace figured that since the danger was only about two hours away, it was reasonable to let the horses slow down to a regular speed. Jamie had thought they would die if they had pushed them any more.
"Up there!" Tanner suddenly shouted over the pouring rain and howling wind after a few minutes of silence, pointing to a cave in the mountain. It wasn't on the ground. Instead, the cave was about twenty feet high in the mountain. There was a stony and now slippery path up ahead of them, only fifty feet away. It was narrow. They couldn't take a single false step, or they'd fall right off the cliff.
"Please tell me we won't have to leave them behind," Jamie begged Grace, gesturing to the horses.
She shook her head slowly, considering. "That might be an option. But we could make it work." She didn't seem to be convinced, and neither did the others.
Jamie noticed a trickle of water run down between the stones in their path as they came to a stand right at the beginning of the path.
"The horses can't stay down here. We'll have to take them up there. Get down," Grace commanded. Jamie reached up to heave Aderah out of the saddle as soon as he slipped off the back of his stallion. She was shaking.
"I'll go first to see if we can even lead them through there. If not, we will have no choice but to abandon them." With a sad smile on her face, she patted Jysra's forehead. "Shall we try this?" she asked quietly.
Jamie blocked her path before she could set a foot on the gravel. "Wait."
He was all too familiar with that annoyed expression she gave him.
"Be careful. You can pretend you're immortal all you want, but one wrong step, and that could be it, even for you. Keep that in mind," he reminded her.
Grace considered his words for a moment before nodding. "I know. But we have to try this."
"Yes, we do." He moved out of her path. "I just wish it wasn't always you who put her life in danger to protect ours."
That earned him a bitter smile. "It's what I do. You can't stop me."
"Let me go," Tanner interjected.
"What was that?"
"Isn't it true that I still have to prove myself to you?" he asked. "Let me prove myself then and, for once, take that responsibility from you," he pleaded.
She didn't seem to accept his request, so he added, almost desperate, "Please just let me make everything up to you."
The reminder appeared to be convincing enough, and she finally agreed to it. "Fine. If Aderah is willing to let you lead her horse up there, go ahead," she added, turning to face the girl who was leaning against Makhi's back.
She looked sick, and Jamie doubted she even knew what they had been talking about the whole time. He went over and examined her. She was still shivering, worse than before. Her face was so pale that he wondered if there was any blood left in her body. Before he could ask her anything, he needed to make sure she didn't pass out, so he went looking in the baggage for a dry cloak. He figured it was one of Tanner's at the bottom, but it didn't matter then. He wrapped the cloak around her and pulled the hood over her soaking wet hair.
"Thanks," she whispered hoarsely.
He nodded with a frown and asked, "Did you hear what Grace asked you?"
She shook her head and wrapped the cloak tighter around herself.
"Tanner wants to go first to see if leading the horses up the path is even possible. He doesn't want Grace to put her life in danger again. Do you think your girl could do it?"
The way he talked about her mare brought a tired smile to her lips, but she looked past him to watch Tanner next to Astrenna. After considering it for a few seconds, she nodded. "If she can't do it, none of them can."
Jamie turned around to wave Tanner over to him. As he approached them, Jamie spoke quietly enough that only he could hear him, "Kill that horse, and I will personally push you off the mountain."
"You know I won't," Tanner whispered back.
"Good. Then go."
Then that was that.
Tanner took the reins and neared the path, where more and more water came rushing down. Time was running out. He had to hurry.
Tanner
He couldn't promise anything, but he liked to think he had a sense for animals. The mare behind him seemed unfazed as if she didn't notice the roaring wind or the torrential rain.
For one more time, he looked back at Aderah. She'd turned her back on them, as if she couldn't bear watching. Jamie was still standing next to her, his arm wrapped around her, and smiled softly at the girl. He leaned in close and whispered something to her, and she nodded weakly.
Even though Tanner was aware that Jamie continued to hate him, he still wanted him to be happy. And he felt like the girl truly did.
A split second later, the boy raised his head and met Tanner's gaze. He drew Aderah closer to him, the warning in his eyes returning.
Tanner knew he couldn't mess this up. Not again. So he turned and started walking.
Within the first three steps, he realized the walkway was even more slippery than he had anticipated. Nonetheless, he made his way up slowly. The mare behind him had slipped a few times as well, but they hadn't had any other problems so far.
It took them about seven minutes to leave the first half behind them. Fortunately, the path was fairly shallow, otherwise, the whole thing would have been much more difficult.
Another two minutes later, he came to an abrupt stop. Because he had to focus on the ground beneath him, he hadn't noticed the massive rock that blocked half of their path about ten feet ahead of them. They couldn't turn around now, but he also didn't know how to get around it. He gazed over the edge to his right at Grace, who had been following at the bottom of the mountain to see if they'd make it safely.
"Half of the path is blocked," he shouted down.
"Blocked by what?"
"There's a rock in the way. I don't think I can move it."
He saw her shoulders sag and her head drop to her chest. Then she yelled back, desperate now, "At least try. Otherwise, I'm coming up."
He doubted it would work, but let go of the reins nonetheless, knowing the horse wouldn't go anywhere, and moved closer to study the blockage in his path. He gave it a push, and to his surprise, it moved. Just not by a lot.
In the exact moment he let go and took a step back, a part of the edge next to them gave away and sank slightly. It wouldn't be long before it fell apart completely.
Tanner tried it again, unsure whether or not it was a smart idea, and began pushing the rock with everything he had toward the small slope. And, thank the Gods, it moved. The rock began to roll down the cliff in Grace's direction.
She swiftly moved out of the path and returned her gaze to him. "Are you trying to murder me now? There are plenty better ways to do it, believe me. Where's the fun in squashing me under a rock?"
He really hoped she was joking. Otherwise, his plan to redeem himself wasn't working. "Believe me, that wasn't my intention," he responded.
She merely waived it off and pointed back in the direction of the cave. "Just hurry up."
So he did.
Six minutes later, he was standing in front of the cave, leading Astrenna out of the pouring rain. He then ran back to the edge to tell Grace it was safe to go up.
He remained in the cave for some time until Jamie arrived with his stallion. Aderah was lying on Makhi's back.
"Get a blanket. Now," Jamie told him as soon as they escaped the rain. "There's one in the right bag."
Tanner was combing through clothes till he found a blanket at the bottom, which was thankfully still dry, while Jamie lifted Aderah off the horse.
"Lay it out in the back," he ordered.
Tanner quickly spread out the blanket. Jamie laid Aderah down on it and returned his attention to him. "Get me another one, or at least a cloak, a shirt, or anything—anything that can keep her warm," he stuttered. He was in need of dry clothing himself, but Tanner knew the healer hadn't been feeling well for a while now.
He decided to ask what was going on with her after retrieving a second blanket, a cloak, and one of Jamie's shirts from the other saddlebag.
"Turn around," the boy instructed before he got a chance to ask anything. "Please."
He had to change her out of the soaking-wet cloak and the dress underneath it. Tanner could see that he wasn't comfortable with changing her, but Grace wasn't there yet, and the healer wasn't conscious, as Tanner now realized.
"Grace should be here in a minute," he told him, but Jamie shook his head.
"She thought it would be safer if she wasn't directly behind us."
He sat the girl up with her back to him. While he began taking off her clothes, which were sticking to her skin, Tanner went to the edge to look for Grace. He couldn't see her.
Tanner turned back at Jamie, who was carefully tucking a sleeve of his shirt over Aderah's arm, and decided they'd be fine, so he started down the path. He couldn't see that far through the rain, but Grace was still missing about halfway down. Then he saw what had stopped her: the previously sunken edge was broken off entirely by now.
As he came closer, Grace appeared on the other side of the gap in the path. She was on her knees, peering over the edge. Following her gaze, he spotted Jysra struggling against the mountain's slope. She wasn't slithering down because the slope wasn't too steep, but she couldn't get back up either.
Tanner had never seen Grace so helpless.
"How can I help?"
Judging by the look on her face, she hadn't noticed him before. "I don't know," she replied desperately.
"Do you think we can pull her up by the reins?"
"Not if you don't want to be pulled down as well."
She was right.
Without giving it any more thought, he promptly sat down on the edge and slowly slid down until he was next to Jysra.
"What are you doing?" Grace yelled. "I'm not going to help you if you fall and break your neck."
"Just come down here."
"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
"Believe it or not, but yes, I do."
She huffed but probably didn't know what else to do at that point, which astonished him. Five seconds later, she was on the other side of the horse.
"Keep her calm. I'll try to get her a better hold on the ground."
He knew she thought he was crazy for thinking this could work because of the look she gave him, so he only added, "Unless you have a better idea, at least try it."
"Fine." She climbed a little higher until she was eye to eye with the horse and began soothing her.
Tanner instantly started digging into the mud with a knife he kept in his boot. Because the blade was so broad, it really worked better than expected. It would have been much easier if the ground had been dry rather than muddy, but he made it work. It took a while for him to see progress, and Jysra kicking him wasn't exactly helping. Nonetheless, after a few minutes, the ground beneath her hooves was less slick and more even. She could now stand without sliding down.
As he looked up, he noticed Grace blocking the mud that was running down the edge and digging at the ground in front of Jysra. She looked like a mess. Still , she had made some progress as well. Slowly, she worked her way upward. The rain hadn't stopped yet, so the ground they were digging up was still wet, but it was getting flatter by the minute.
Nearly an hour had gone by before they were at the path's edge. It was still slippery, but the rain and their digging had softened the steepness enough for Jysra to stagger higher. Her legs were trembling from exhaustion, but she fought until she reached the path.
It had been so long since Tanner had come down to help that he was perplexed as to why Jamie hadn't come to check on them yet.
He was about to ask Grace about it when she said, "Thank you. I greatly appreciate what you just did. This," she said, pointing to the edge. "And earlier. I don't need any of you to protect me, but I value your efforts nonetheless." He almost saw a smile on her face.
"I want to regain your trust. I know I didn't deserve it back then, and I'm sure I don't deserve it now either. I'm just saying that I don't want you and Jamie to feel forced to keep me at arm's length. I'm well aware that mistrusting someone close to you is draining, so I hope you won't have to deal with that burden for much longer."
She paused to contemplate his words. "It is exhausting, but it has always paid off. I've never regretted not putting my trust in someone. Don't take it personally, or maybe you should; I don't care. I don't necessarily mistrust you anymore, but you also don't have my full trust. No one really does, except for Jamie."
He got that. Trust was a delicate thing. He didn't like the idea of offering it himself either. "That's alright. I can't ask for anything more from you. I'm just glad I could help."
"I can tell Jay about this if that would make you feel better?" she sarcastically asked.
He smiled. "What are the chances that he no longer wants to murder me then?"
She grinned and said, "I'd say about twice as good as before.
He chuckled quietly. "Then tell him."
"If he wants to listen, I will."
When they reached the cave, they went straight to Jamie and Aderah, who were curled up beneath a heavy blanket. Jamie had her wrapped in his arms and pressed against his chest. He'd probably changed as well, since his clothes were dry, though he still had drops of water falling from the tips of his hair onto his face. Both were fast asleep.
Grace seemed concerned as she took in the girl's pale face.
"She was in pretty terrible shape when they came up here," Tanner explained.
Grace placed a hand on her forehead, then on Jamie's. "She has a high fever." She cursed. "Get out of these clothes. We need to change. We can't afford for anyone else to get sick."
"Isn't she a healer?" he asked.
"She can't heal herself, not in that condition, and in that state, she can't help any of us."
So he changed his clothing and went into a different corner to give Grace some privacy.
He waited until he heard Grace rummaging through their bags and then the sounds of nearing hooves. Grace's head peered around the corner a few seconds later. "Do you want me to get you a blanket?"
"How many do we even have?" If there was only one left, he would gladly leave it to her and just try not to freeze to death. Although, once he was out of the wet attire and the cold weather, he noticed it wasn't even that cold inside.
"Two. One of them was lying on top of the others, so it's a little damp, but I'll take that one." She tossed something at him. With one hand, he caught the soft, dry blanket. "I—"
"No," she cut him off right away. "Take that one. Don't even think about stealing this blanket from me."
He held his hands up in surrender. "Fine. Do what you want."
"I can guarantee you, I will."
He stayed where he was and rolled up on the rough ground, assuming she didn't want him near her as she slept. It wasn't comfortable, but at least they weren't outside. He could hear the wind getting stronger by the minute. And for the first time since they had left, he closed his eyes without even thinking about keeping watch or being paranoid that someone was still after them. It was safe in there as long as the storm lasted.
He only hoped Grace would finally sleep as well. Even though she always said she slept enough, he knew she didn't.
He heard her laying down at that moment, followed by a heavy thud, which he assumed was Jysra lying down next to her.
With that, he fell asleep.