Heart of Ash (The Dark Arcane Series: Book 1)

Chapter Twenty Three

Allvitende was annoyingly well-behaved. He flew above them or perched near Sariem, and hadn't attacked anyone.

Ashyn had never been more tempted to pull out his feathers when he wasn't looking. The bastard.

"Hold up!" Ender shouted from up front.

They held back their horses as they neared a bridge. It was long and thin, reaching across a great height, the river barely a ribbon of blue and white below them. The wood had been hammered into the rocky ground with stabilisers but there was something about the way she could only just see the other side that made the bridge look like it was wobbling.

"Ah, the famed tipsy turvey bridge," Conan remarked, rather calmly, as he dismounted.

They followed his example, holding their horses by the reins.

"Why is it called the tipsy turvey bridge?" Kade asked warily, eyes locked on it's wooden structure.

Ashyn frowned at him, incredulous.

"Why, scared, Elite?" Conan taunted, tone challenging.

Kade twisted in his saddle and levelled his unnerving stare on him. He held it for several moments too long to be comfortable. It was the kind of stare that made the sunlight retreat. He tilted his head. "Of death? Sure. Are you not?"

Conan didn't seem quite to know what to say to that, as if it might have been a trick.

"If you two are done being dramatic, can someone tell me we're not about to actually cross this bridge?" Nala demanded.

Actually," Sariem offered hesitantly, "it was named after the Lord and Lady of Turvey had an argument here and they both tried to tip the other into the ravine but ended up falling together. It was built after they died. It's a very famous bridge."

Ashyn started to sigh in relief until Sariem continued, her tone unreasonably light, "But it's also infamously unsteady. Several people have died here."

Nala groaned, and even Ashyn wrinkled her nose. Ender nodded like he knew this already and Kade had started to shake his head.

"And this is the only way across the gorge?" she checked, eyeing the stabilisers. She'd cross if she had to, wobbly or not, but she'd rather know if there was another option before risking it.

Conan nodded. "It's the quickest way into and out of Brialdia for a group our size. The next bridge is a few hours away north."

"Only a few hours away? Why don't we go there instead?" Kade asked, a dip forming between his eyebrows.

"There's no guarantee what condition that bridge will be in. And I've chosen this crossing. So, this is the one we're going to take," Conan remarked, growing stern.

If he were any more patronising, he'd be Meredith, she compared.

"But anything's got to be better than this death trap." Kade looked to Ender questioningly.

"I for one, didn't come here to die," Nala offered. "I would like to make it to the north alive."

The masked leader stayed silent before looking to Conan. "Is it of your opinion that this is the best crossing?"

"My opinion? It's fact," he remarked in that god-awful stuck up tone. "And as far as I'm aware, I'm the only one here who knows about the topography of this land, so if any of you are going to question me, first spend three years roaming the plains, then get back to me. I mean seriously, it's a bridge, people!"

"Alright, alright, calm down," Ender placated, holding his gloved hands out. "We're just talking."

Conan snarled, "All I hear are excuses and you questioning my ability to lead you to the north safely."