Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
* * *
Kerrigan was freezing before the sun fully rose through the fog of snow. The furs and new boots helped. Not to mention, the snowshoes that kept her from sinking down into the snow and rather kept her on top of it. But still, she was cold.
It certainly didn’t help that while all the others had been born in this climate or spent months adjusting, she had come from Kinkadia a few days prior, where summer was in full swing. Her body was used to heat and humidity, not snow. Not by a long shot.
But she couldn’t complain. She had no doubt that the Erewan would leave her behind rather than turn around now.
She used spurts of magic to conjure a flame in her hand to warm up her extremities, but even that she couldn’t sustain. She had no idea what she was going to go up against once they made it up the mountain. She would need every ounce of her magic.
When they stopped for a short lunch, Kerrigan collapsed with her bag against a tree. The snow had ceased an hour earlier, leaving a dry chill, which was somehow worse than a wet chill. Every blast of wind bit into her skin. She pulled her mask up higher against the cold, but it did little to keep back the wind.
“Don’t rest too long,” Darvin warned. “Your body can get too cold.”
“Or do,” Enta grumbled, staying on her feet and stalking away.
Fordham offered a hand and hauled her back up. “How are you doing?”
“Freezing.” She took a sip of her water, which she’d had to heat to keep from freezing. Then a bite of her bread and meat. The cheese was hard as a rock, and she’d given up on it.
“And your magic?”
“Fine,” she grumbled.
“You had a vision. I know what that does to you.”
She met his gaze. “I’m not backing out. I’ll make it to the top.”
He stared her down, surely hoping she would change her mind. But he should have known better than that. She would never back down from a challenge.
Finally, he nodded. “Keep your reserves up as much as you can but stay warm. You can lose fingers and toes to the cold out here if you’re not careful.”
She wiggled her cold fingers in her gloves. “So far, so good.”
Hours later, she was cursing herself for agreeing to do this. The wind had picked up, so the rope was half there to keep her from blowing away. She was roughly half the size of the Erewan people and clearly not meant for these extra conditions. Fordham picked her up out of the snow twice. Finally, she found a large stick and hacked it off of a tree to use to help her keep her footing in the snow. It did just enough to manage her center of gravity that she didn’t need anyone else’s help until they reached a sheer cliff.
“What the gods?” Kerrigan groaned. She tilted her head to look straight up. “Can we go around?”
“Up,” Enta grunted.
“And then we’re there,” Darvin added. “A hundred feet straight up, and then you go from there.”
“What do you mean? That’s not the top?”
“The top is inaccessible,” Mendy said. “We can’t go farther.”
“Then …”
“Only those seeking the witch can step through,” Fordham said. “It’s like a story. Those old faerie tales that were passed down.”
Kerrigan stretched her memory for one that he meant but came up blank. “There’s a faerie tale about the witch of the mountain?”
Mendy nodded brightly. “It’s our most told story. The witch of the mountain lives in a cottage alone in the woods. She grants wishes but only to those who can pass her tests. The first female who tried was turned aside, for her wish was something the witch could not grant—bringing back a dead lover. The second male had a vengeful heart and hoped to slay his enemies. He crossed the barrier but failed the witch’s tests. The third was a female, pure of heart. She wanted to unite her people with the dragons. She passed the tests, and the witch granted her wish—to become the first dragon rider of her people.”
Kerrigan blinked. “Wait, you’re telling me that Irena went to the witch to bind Ferrinix? I’ve never heard that before.”
“The tale varies by tribe,” Fordham said softly. As if admitting that was tantamount to disproving what they’d just said.
“This is the oldest story to date,” Darvin said defensively.
Kerrigan couldn’t fathom it. Every time she thought she knew the full tale of the Irena Bargain, new pieces were unfurled about her. She wondered how much of it was even true.
“So, you will go with a pure heart,” Mendy said. “And if you are worthy, you will pass the tests and make your request of the witch.”
“But first, the cliffside,” Enta growled.