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Larkwing didn't take long to figure out what had caused Leafwind to be so terrified. Just a few tree-lengths away, the meadow seemed to simply end. A cliff, she realised. But that wasn't what made her shiver.
It were square, partially holey and leaning structures that rose high into the sky from the gorge. Withered ivy wound its way up the hard, unusually straight walls and between, in and on the structures rested long, huge, black vines, studded with spikes. Some seemed to be stuck deep into the ground with their tips, while others reached upwards or had wrapped themselves around one of the tall structures. This made it recognisable that their tips resembled oversized bird claws.
"I think we've found them," Cloverdapple muttered, his reed-green eyes filled with a mixture of fascination and dread.
The Abandoned Skydens. Who knew they were actually so close? Larkwing's chest tightened the longer she stared at the structures. There was just something about them that trapped her in a trance.
What was this place? What use was it, who had created it? And most importantly: what must have happened that it was now forsaken? Did it have something to do with the giant black tendrils? Questions upon questions swirled around in Larkwing's head. Suddenly she felt the urge to simply run off and explore this strange, dangerous world that opened up before her.
Only when she felt Lakepelt's soft fur brush past hers like a feather as he lumbered forwards did she shake herself vigorously and hurry after him and the other cats. Arriving at the edge of the cliff, Larkwing realised that the Skydens were even more enormous than she had assumed, for the cliff face was incredibly high, perhaps even higher than the tallest trees. Convulsively, she clawed at the dry, crumbly earth and shuffled a few steps further before stopping at a safe distance.
Meanwhile, Redleaf crept on, pressed close to the ground. With a sweeping movement of his tail, he signalled the rest of the patrol to stay where they were. He stopped just before the edge of the cliff and looked down into the depths. "The cliff here is far too steep and smooth to descend," he reported. "We have to find another way to get down."
Larkwing arched her back in fear. Now I'm supposed to climb this mousedung-giant cliff?, she wanted to protest. I'm not particularly crazy about dying!
The wind tugged at her pelt as she reluctantly cast a gaze down into the abyss. She had climbed trees many times before, but a cliff was something completely different. The rock appeared too hard for her to anchor her claws in it as she normally did with bark.
"Over there, next to the waterfall, is a rock scree," Cloverdapple pointed out. "We should try the descent there. It could be safer. I don't know about the medicinal plants here. In the end, there won't be the ones I need if one of you gets injured on the way down."
