Spirit Warrior - The Son of the North

Son of the Gods - IIIII

  The sound of thunder reaches me before I can the cliffs. Not before long, I stand on the ledge of the Thunder Cliffs, looking down at the deep waters below. The cliffs are giving their name for a reason: the constant sound of thunder is created by the waterfall running between the them.

I seldom come up here; it's too cold. The trees here all look like they're dying, they have so few leaves. The dead leaves create a dark blanket over the forest floor, making it crunch beneath my feet. The river must have been all the way up here once, but erased its way through the cliff year by year. What I'm looking at now is a jump that would break my neck.

I'm racking my brain to find a way to reach the other side. Jumping would result in me falling into the cold water below, the ledge is so narrow I would barely be able to stand there. I pace back and forward on the edge, angrily trying to think of a way to reach the viols. I walk along the edge of the cliff, looking for a way to cross it. I reach the high wall from where the water is cascading. I put a hand on the bare rock; it's clammy and slippery beneath my palm. There's no way I would be able to climb it, I angrily clench my hands at my sides.

Trapped, that's what I feel, and I hate it. I furiously I pick up a hand-sized rock and throw it into the raging waterfall. With the force I put into the throw, it would have bounced off the cliff wall behind it. The rock never returns, but lands behind the waterfall with a dull thump. I furrow my brows with confusion. How is that possible?

I walk back to the clammy cliff wall, but this time closer to the edge. I stick a hand through the angry white water. I almost get pulled with the stream, if I had not held onto the cliff I would have ended in the cold water. I can't feel a thing, but I know I'm wasting time standing here. I take a few steps back so I can get a good jump. I push from the forest floor with a force that makes my feet ache. I feel myself flying for a few seconds before I fall though the ice cold water.

My heart is beating so fast that I can hear my pulse in my ears. It almost feels like time is slowing down, as I crash though the waterfall. The air is knocked out of me as I land on the hard rock. I lay there for a moment, just regaining my breath. The air is freezing cold in the little cave, and on my way though the waterfall I was drenched in the cold water.

I lay on the cold stone floor, just breathing. I stay lying flat on my back, looking around. I shiver lightly when a cold breath of air runs though the cave. I get up on my hands and knees to get better look at the damp stone floor beneath me and it leaves some angry red marks where I've landed.

It's cold in here. So cold I can see my own breath. I draw a big breath of the damp air; the smell around me is moist and stuffy, as though no fresh air can break though the layers of water.

I get on my feet; I look down at my leather moccasins. As I put my weight on them, the water trickles out just like a soaked cloth. I take a few steps into the cave, inspecting it. The squirting sound of my wet moccasins is following me the whole way.

As I walk further into the cave, light becomes scant. I have to strain my eyes to see in the dark and I reach out to the cave wall to prevent me from falling. The passage gets narrower and steeper. I follow the twists and turns the path makes, without any idea where it'll end. I reach the end of the narrow passage, or so I thought. I look through a crack in the passage wall where it was supposed to carry on. I hear the sound of water running behind the wall. The hollow sound of the water hitting the surface of the cliff makes me aware that it's a bigger cavity than first expected. I press my arm and shoulder through the narrow passage, the space is tight but I have to get through. I breathe out to make my torso as small as possible and with one hard yank I slide through the crack, but not without some angry red marks to match the others.

I have to time to look over my injuries when I see the cave I'm standing in. The water from the river is pouring from a natural hole in the cave ceiling. I walk by the edge of a small lake. Everything is surprisingly lush down here. I have seldom seen anything like this, not even after a rain shower on a warm summer day.

The air, which was disgustingly clammy earlier, is now renewed by a fresh, water-filled air. It smells like a haze on an early morning. I take a deep breath. A smile sneaks onto my lips. It's been a long time since that gesture has made my lips, and now it seems odd, although odd in a good way.

I turn around on the spot, looking at the high walls of the cave. I find the viols on a ledge high up. I sigh deeply cast a look at my already-torn-up hands. I know I have to get it; I can't let Hergar down. I walk purposefully for the high wall, I put one hand on the moist wall. It's going to be hard to climb but I have to try. I squeeze my hand into a tight space trying to get a good grip on the slippery wall.

There are no other cracks for me to hold on to, so I'll have to lift myself up by one hand to reach the next crack. I let out a groan as I pull all of my weight up in one hand. I grasp onto the crack, and get a good grip on the cliff. I feel relieved as I give my strained arm a short break before I have to climb onward.

When I reach the top I break out in a sweat, my chest heaving up and down. To be frank, I'm angry with myself for not getting to the top as easily as I wanted. I grab the frail plant, being careful not crush it. I gently lay put it in my pouch, which I tied to my leather belt before the find.