Work out. As planned," he panted out.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow. Where's your leg? I can't find it."
"I lost my hold there."
The only thing keeping her from falling into this bottomless hole was his arm around her and the only thing keeping him from falling was his back and one hand braced on slick crumbling walls and judging by the tremors of his body, that wasn't going to last.
Eilwen curled her fingers into his tunic, knuckles grazing firm sweat-soaked skin. "I'm so sorry. If I had thought to tie my rope on something before…"
He stiffened. "Exactly where is your rope?"
"In my bag up there."
Warm lips pressed against Eilwen's forehead and everything inside her went instantly quiet.
"That is for reminding me we are not alone. We might get out of this yet. I'll get Cadeyrn," he murmured. They were so close she could taste his spicy breath.
"What's a Cadeyrn?"
"My eagle." A bluish glow suddenly bloomed around them, emanating from within his flesh, the telltale evidence of an Eaglekin conversing with his True-bonded eagle. Eilwen sucked in a breath, seeing the man for the first time. He was younger than his strength and confidence led her to believe, just a year or so older than herself perhaps, and handsome. Thick lashes half-lowered over darkly golden eyes.
The glow died and they were thrust into darkness again. "He'll bring the rope."
"That's perfect. I suppose Cadeyrn knows how to tie off to a tree as well?"
The Eaglekin laughed. "I saw through his eyes and directed him to bring it around that stone jutting from the ground, giving us both ends."
"I hope it's long enough."
His forehead touched hers. It was damp from exertion. A shrill cry rang loudly within the shaft, echoing around them. Blue light immediately erupted as the Eaglekin guided Cadeyrn to them. The bird slowed at the last possible moment, dropping one end of the rope from his talons and lifted back up into the air. Wing beats washed over them. Grabbing the rope, Eilwen pulled it down to gain more slack. The glow faded.
"Tie that around yourself." Weariness coated the Eaglekin's voice.
"No." Instead Eilwen slipped it around the man's back as high under his arms as she could where his shoulders were braced. She heard the other end of the rope slap lightly against the wall as the eagle dropped it. She felt around for it, but couldn’t find it. "Can you speak with Cadeyrn again?"
There was no answer. He couldn’t' have passed out. They would have fallen, yet the exertion was taking its due. She found the man's face with her hands. "I can't see the rope." He nodded within her palm and his glow sparked, not anywhere near as brilliant as it had been, but enough to see where the rope was before the light winked out. It was just out of reach.
"I need to climb higher." Again she felt his slow nod.
Carefully, Eilwen shifted up his body, finding his hip bone with her heel and stretched upward. The rope felt rough and wonderful in her palm. There wasn't enough slack to tie it around herself so she made a smaller loop large enough for her hand or foot.
The Eaglekin shuddered beneath her. "I'll drop…and let my weight…carry you up."
"Not a good plan, Eaglekin. I'll never be able to pull you up and I doubt you're in any condition to attempt a climb even with the rope. I have another idea. Be ready." She didn't dare put all her weight on the rope yet or she'd be hauled up before she was ready. She pressed her lips together, hoping this worked. Keeping her weight balanced on the man's hip, she lightly held the loop while she explored the wall with her other hand.
There. The place where she'd broken the little lip of stone before. She dug into the small depression she'd made, digging her fingers beneath the thin crack until she had a large jagged fissure she could break off. Her fingers felt raw and torn. She slipped her wrist inside the loop of the rope and held on. "Now!" Swinging off the Eaglekin, she ripped the slab off the wall.
And dropped.
The Eaglekin jerked up as they passed, their bodies bumping in the small space and then she was alone, falling through darkness. Her arm felt like it was going to tear from her body with the rock slab weighing her down and threatening to slip out of her other arm even though she braced it with her thigh. And then her descent ended abruptly, wrenching her arm. The piece of rock pulled free from her grasp. She listened for the sound of it smashing against the bottom, but it never came.
"Pull me up. Pull me up!" she screamed, panicking, not knowing if the Eaglekin heard. She waited for the rope to move, to be hauled up to safety and light. Nothing happened. She was alone in the dark. She couldn't hold on like this indefinitely. It took the last of her strength, but she managed to lift her legs up and wiggle her foot into the loop she'd tied. From there she pulled out her hand and climbed up, letting her weight rest on her leg. She waited, counting her breaths, which seemed to come faster and faster.
What was going on up there? Why wasn't she moving?
He left her. As soon as he was free of the hole, he had left her. Arrogant selfish Eaglekin. She no longer had the strength to climb up the rope. He'd left her to die down here, alone in the dark. Tears pressed against her eyes and her pulse banged so loudly she didn't realize that she was moving upwards until a sphere of light showed overhead and all at once strong hands clasped hers and she was pulled up into forest dappled sunlight. The Eaglekin's face was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"I thought you left me."
He smiled, breathing heavily, and sagged back against the foliage, his eagle hovering protectively near. "Never."
###
About the author:
Clover Autrey writes the kind of stories she loves to read, high fantasy with strong elements of romance with heroes and heroines who must each sacrifice something in order to be together.
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Blog: https://www.clovercheryl.blogspot.com
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