As They Fall [First Draft] ~ Currently Editing ~

Twenty - Three

A/N: Things are getting intense now! Thank you to everyone who has supported me by reading As They Fall, I never dreamed I would get this far. <3

The dragon's roaring continued intermittently throughout the day, increasing in volume as we travelled further into the mountains. It was late in the afternoon when its roars faded away and a loud clanging noise rang out.

"That sounds like a hammer on an anvil," exclaimed Charlie, spinning about wildly in search of the noise.

"This way," announced Merek, pointing to where the ground ascended to form a sheer cliff of grey stone topped with a fresh coat of snow.

"Are you sure we'll be able to climb up there?" replied Elizabeth, gazing up at the cliff with scepticism.

"It's not that high." Merek's voice was filled with confidence as we continued to trudge through the snow.

"You were raised in a tree," retorted Elizabeth in a mocking tone.

"You're not wrong about that," chuckled Merek, his laughter echoing into the distance. He began to scale the cliff with ease, despite his missing hand, finding handholds in seemingly impossible places. Elizabeth followed him cautiously, making sure her grip was completely secure before moving on. The rope made climbing arduous but it wasn't worth risking the fall without it. We were close to the top when the wind picked up, threatening to sweep us off the cliff face. It was then that I made the mistake of looking down. The wind had carried the mist away, revealing the land below and it was both terrifying and breathtaking. Paralysed with fear I couldn't help but stare, the rolling hills spread out before me, drenched in the fiery glow of the setting sun as it fell behind the fringes of Hilfdyr forest. The sky was filled with streaks of pink, purple, orange and blue intermingled with wisps of white cloud.

My fingers began to ache with the effort of holding on but I couldn't move. I squeezed my eyes shut and clung on for dear life unable to shake the image of us plunging to our deaths.

"Amelia, you need to keep going!" urged Merek from somewhere above me. I shook my head weakly, readjusting my grip as I felt myself slipping.

"Amelia please! I can't hold on much longer," pleaded Elizabeth. Her frantic words made me open my eyes and reach up for the next handhold, my limbs shaking with terror.

"Keep going, you're doing great," said Charlie, his voice soothing some of my fears. It was then that my foothold crumbled and I fell, releasing a bloodcurdling scream. I plummeted only a few feet down before the rope tightened painfully around my waist, and I found myself suspended between Elizabeth and Charlie who were both terrified.

"Charlie grab her and get her back on the rocks," ordered Merek, who was surprisingly calm, "Elizabeth hold onto my leg if you can't hold her up on your own." Charlie began to edge toward me and I concentrated on my breathing, trying not to panic, or look down. Elizabeth's limbs shook with the strain of holding me up and she clutched onto Merek's leg as instructed. Holding on with one hand Charlie tugged on his end of the rope and reeled me in at a painfully slow pace, until I was safe on the wall once more.

"Thank you," I huffed, out of breath.

After my fall, I managed to keep climbing without incident until we reached the top. I scrambled over the edge and lay on my back in the snow, relieved to be on solid ground. Charlie hauled himself up and helped me to my feet.

"I think we can untie the rope now..." Elizabeth trailed off, her voice filled with awe as she gazed into the distance where hundreds of smoke plumes were ascending into the sky. The clanging sound of the anvils was deafening here and I could feel a deep rumble reverberating through the ground into my chest. Untying the rope from around my waist, I clambered up a small rise and dropped to my stomach, peering out onto the land below. We had found the camp.