"Wow, this is surprisingly hard." I knitted my brow together in concentration. I had to pick each hand or foot hold carefully so I wouldn't fall. Sweat was gathering on my forehead but I didn't want to have to stop to wipe it off. Cole looked back at me, concerned.
"If it's too much, just say so. I don't want you pushing yourself past your limit." I shook my head, taking a deep breath.
"I haven't reached my limit yet. It's not rehab if it doesn't challenge me." He nodded grimly and slowly turned back to the mountain. Every Saturday, Cole would take me out somewhere after we finish grocery shopping to help get me back into the swing of training. My brother doesn't know about it though, since he wouldn't allow it. I pushed myself forwards and up the cliff, determined to do this on my own. I reached up to grab the next ledge, but it cracked and I lost my hold. It happened so suddenly, but every second felt like a lifetime. I was falling back off the 3,000 foot incline before my safety line caught me. I gasped and a small noise came out of my mouth. Cole swung around at lightning speed and his eyes widened.
"That's it. You're done." He grabbed my wrist and shoved me up over the top of the cliff, climbing up shortly after me. I laid down slowly, trying to release some of the tension I was feeling. When Cole was up on the ledge next to me, he looked me over carefully, bit his lip, and then did something I really wasn't expecting. He pulled me into a nearly suffocating bear hug. When he spoke, his voice was choked up.
"I thought something had happened to you. I was really scared." I tucked myself close to him and squeezed back.
"So did I." He let go and planted a kiss on top of my head before fully separating himself from me.
"Let's not do this again." I nodded and thought about looking down over the cliff to see our progress, but then thought better of it.
"Can we fly down instead? I don't really want to do that again."
"Sure." He was already fully recovered from the climb because he had done it so often in the past, so he stood and summoned his elemental dragon. I took his outstretched hand and got on behind him, wrapping my arms firmly around his waist.