20. Chapter Twenty #2
We're up so high, it's like we're climbing in the clouds. All I can see even just below me is thick swirls of white. My nose is full of the scent of dirt, and my mouth feels gritty. I don't dare ask for a break and a drink when it's just the two of us lagging back here.
For a while, I kept pace with Djalira, the only other one not used to doing crazy things like this.
And Felix, I guess, although he does train daily.
They're both long gone now. Maybe the others have already made it to the top.
If there even is a top. I'm starting to think we might be at this forever.
"You don't have to keep waiting for me," I call to Cayzenn.
"I couldn't deprive you of the pleasure of my company, Reyaal. I'm not that cruel."
I roll my eyes. "I feel bad you're stuck back here."
"You're my responsibility. I'm not leaving you on your own.
" His deep voice sounds closer again. "We're almost there anyway.
" He pauses to unclip a waterskin from where it's hooked to his bag, taking a long drink before offering it to me.
The gesture feels oddly intimate. Pushing up so I'm next to him, I loop my left arm around a gnarled branch and drink deeply.
The water is deliciously crisp and thankfully washes away the grainy feeling on my tongue.
"Sorry. I think it's almost finished." I stumble over the words, twisting the cap onto the waterskin and handing it back to him. Our fingers brush when he takes it from me, and a spark tingles up my entire arm.
"No worries," he replies gruffly, yanking his hand back and clearing his throat. "Ready to go again?"
I nod, reaching for a thick green root above my head. I'm so caught up in the lingering sensation of that zap of energy, I forget to test its strength, and when I go to pull myself up, the branch snaps free, and I'm falling.
Survival instincts take over, and I manage to slow my momentum by grabbing at the hanging vines, ignoring the sting of my fingertips ripping open as I scrabble to get a grip on anything to slow my fall.
An approaching shadow blocks the light, and for a second, I think a rock must've been knocked loose, until something wraps around my wrist, jerking me to a stop.
This time, it’s not tingles shooting up my arm, but a fiery pain erupting in the socket of the joint. The ligaments and muscles in my shoulder scream, matching the raw sound ripping from my throat as I slam into the hard wall, dirt and leaves raining down.
Trying and failing to take a decent breath, I clutch at whatever I can, desperate to ease the strain on my aching shoulder.
Then, I look up and realize what stopped my momentum: a large, tattooed hand engulfs mine, silvery veins of magic twist around the black lines disappearing under his sleeve.
Cayzenn must have launched himself off the wall, caught a branch with one hand, and used the other to catch me before I dropped.
Damn, how did he move that quickly? Even with a Wielder’s extra speed, that was impressive.
Move now, think about how impressive he is later, I chide myself mentally, fully aware I'm just dangling here, most of my weight still held by him.
My mind should be firmly fixed on getting me out of danger, not on the way the muscles in his forearm are rippling.
"Are you alright?" he asks quietly, staring down at me and somehow staying calm while I can't even manage more than a small nod in reply.
My body floods with adrenaline, and I start to shake.
"I need to pull you up. Can you let go of those vines and swing your other hand up to mine?
" My left hand is tangled around the greenery so tight, my knuckles are going white.
What he's telling me to do makes sense, but I can't seem to let go.
I shake my head, convinced I'll fall if I do.
"I've got you, I won't let go." My breath is coming in short, shallow pants and there's a roaring in my ears.
Below me, that white, swirling mist is all I can see, and I know if I fall, I'm dead.
"Hey, don't look down. Look at me." I force my eyes up to meet his.
"You will not fall, I promise. Just let go of the vine and reach for my hand.
" This time, I manage to do as he says, and before I can process what's happening, he lifts me up the wall and onto a small ledge, no more than two feet wide.
"Hold on here for a sec while I secure our bags properly.
" He only lets go of me with one hand, leaning away to tighten the straps of our packs where they're looped on a branch.
Gods, he somehow managed to catch me without dropping a single thing.
Unable to focus, I grip the biggest branch I can find and squeeze my eyes shut as a wave of nausea hits me.
Dimly, I register I'm shaking so hard, I’m barely breathing.
I know I need to get more oxygen into my lungs, or I'll black out, but I can't manage more than tiny breaths around the fear and fiery pain in my shoulder.
Through the fog in my mind, I feel Cayzenn straighten and ask a question. Or, at least I think he asks something.
It's taking everything I have to stay upright, and I can't focus on whatever he's saying.
The trembling is so intense, my teeth chatter.
"This will pass. You just need to burn off the adrenaline," he says, low and soothing.
When I don't respond, he points to a cluster of the white and yellow flowers and asks, "What are these? "
Taking another deep breath. I search my mind, trying to remember back to the right textbook. "Pomaderris," I whisper shakily.
He nods, rinsing his hands with the last trickles of water. "And what are they used for?" He seriously wants a damn plant lesson now, when I was just hanging off a cliff?
"They can be turned into a topical paste to treat burns or mixed with crushed Kawa leaves and Muka flowers to create a respiratory elixir.
They also create a foam in running water and smell good, so they're often used in soaps.
" Reciting the answer helps. I manage my first proper breath, then another, and my staccato heartbeat starts to even out.
Cayzenn looks at me with concern. "We can wait a bit longer, or do you want to keep going?"
When I nod, he gestures for me to climb while he retrieves our bags, and I force myself to pay attention to what's in front of me so I don't fall again.
Aven shoves his way into my thoughts. "Everything ok? I felt a spike of fear, and I'm certain it wasn't mine."
"All good now. Still climbing the stupid plant wall, and I slipped. I'm fine, though," I think back at him, testing my next foothold.
"This is why the smartest of us keep our feet firmly planted on the ground." He scoffs. "I'll leave you to it, but try not to fall off and break your neck. I really don't feel like going back to that miserable paddock."
"Gee, thanks for the concern. I'd hate to inconvenience you," I reply and hear him snort. It's hard to get used to him appearing in my mind like that. I can't really feel him there, except when we're talking. There's just a presence, a space designated for him. Maybe he can sense me more, though.
"Are you two far off? I'd rather not sleep at the top of this cliff tonight," Willa shouts from above; she sounds close. Oh, thank the unnamed gods, we must be nearly there. The thought gives me a boost of energy, and I pick up the pace, despite my aching muscles and wrecked shoulder.
"Relax. We're almost there," Cayzenn calls from where he's climbing right beneath me, and I wonder for a second if he's stayed there in case I fall again.
The last fifteen feet are the easiest, and I've never been more grateful to be on solid ground when I drag myself up over the ledge and lie on the dirt in a panting, sweaty mess.
He jumps straight to his feet and unceremoniously drops my pack next to me before addressing the group.
"Give us a few minutes to catch our breath, and we'll head out.
From memory, there's a decent spot to camp about an hour away.
You good with that, Reyaal?" The gruff tone of his voice is such a stark contrast to the soft one he used while climbing, I can't help wondering which version of him is the real one.
"Sure, Cayzenn. Whatever you say." I mock salute, digging in my pack for my waterskin and the pain relief tonic, trying not to think about needing to hike for another hour before I can pass out.