The Sword And The Dragon (2 page)

The cliff itself was well over a thousand feet high. It looked to Hyden like Gerard was trying to climb to the very top of it. As far as Hyden knew, that had never been done before. An area not too far above Gerard’s current location was so thick with the nesting birds, that the gray and brown stone seemed to be striped black with them. It was obvious now that Gerard had been completely serious when he’d bragged that he would bring back half a dozen eggs. Hyden hoped that his brother wouldn’t put himself in a bad spot up there while trying to show off for him. At the moment, Gerard was as high up into the nests as Hyden had ever been in his life.

Gerard could see something glinting and shining. It was a few dozen feet to his right, a little below him, and sitting in an old broken nest on the other side of a wide vertical fissure. He couldn’t tell what it was, but it was metallic and golden. For some reason, there were no hawklings screeching at him or making sweeps at his intrusion in this area. He wasn’t paying attention to the hawklings’ activities any more though. Whatever that thing was in the nest, it was commanding his attention and causing him to lose concentration on his climb. He already had five eggs for Hyden nestled in his padded shoulder bag. He was determined to have the sixth he had boasted of, but five, he knew, would please his brother immensely. He also knew that he needed to start back down soon, so as not to be caught on the wall after sunset. Climbing down in the dark was impossible, but that blasted shiny thing was fiercely calling out to his curiosity.

His mind began filling with visions of jeweled riches and praise from his clansmen and Elders. He had to reach it. He wouldn’t be climbing here again until late summer, or just before winter set in. It might not be there then. If he didn’t get it now, he might not be able to find it again, even if it stayed exactly where it was.

He cleared his head by shaking it, and then tried to spot a way to surpass the open gap between him and the prize. If he just climbed a few dozen feet higher, he could reach across a narrow place in the fissure, and then he could climb back down to the thing. It was risky, but he told himself that he could do it.

As he started up toward the niche, the sun passed over the ridge, sending the whole of the cliff face into shadow. It took him longer than he thought it would, but he finally reached the place where he could stretch across the span of open space. He positioned himself on a tiny ledge, and when he leaned into the cliff, he could stand with all his weight on his feet, leaving both of his hands free.

His palms were wet and slimy from the numerous patches of excriment he’d encountered in this higher, more heavily nested area. He shook his arms at his sides, letting the blood flow back into them while waiting for the muck to dry. A warning began to sound in the back of his mind, telling him that he should already be headed back down, but he chose to ignore it. He had gathered another egg on the way up to the niche, so he now had the full half-dozen he’d promised Hyden. All he had to do now was reach the little treasure that was beckoning him. Once he had it, he could start down.

After a few moments, he rubbed his hands on his hips briskly. The crusting stuff on them powdered and fell away. He then took turns scuffing the toes of his old boots on the ledge until they gripped with ample traction. He found a good handhold with his left hand, not too far above him, and stretched his body out to the right, reaching across the gap as far as he could. He was still at least two feet shy. He harrumphed in frustration and pulled his body weight back over the little ledge.

He repositioned himself so that his handhold was lower. This would allow him to reach farther. He tried again but found that his right foot was still some inches away from a safe purchase on the other side. As he started to retract himself this time, his left foothold slipped a fraction. His heart fluttered up through his chest like a startled bird. He almost fell, but instinct, and common sense, took control. After a few deep, calming breaths, he gingerly started easing his weight back over.

He would have to give up the prize and make his way down. It was the only sensible thing to do. If he started to hurry down now, he could still reach the canyon floor by nightfall. Hyden would be happy to take the six eggs, and the Elders, along with the rest of the clan members, would praise his efforts and his skill as a climber.

A quick glance back over at the object caused him to change his mind. He was here, and he didn’t want to waste the chance the Goddess had granted him. He would retrieve it, whatever it was.

Gerard squinted. In the shaded light, the object finally revealed itself to him. It was a ring. Golden and shiny, it had a fat, yellow gem mounted on it, and it looked extremely valuable. He rolled his neck across his shoulders. It would be his, he decided. He could reach it and still get down before dark. If not, he could even sleep on the Lip if he had to.

He looked at the other side of the fissure and studied it intently. He took in the subtleties, the nooks, the crannies, and the shape of the stone. Then, he sucked in a deep breath, resolved himself, and leapt for it.

Hyden was pacing nervously. His cousin was almost back down to the Lip, but Gerard was still way up in the heart of the nesting shelves. To Hyden, he seemed to be frozen in place next to a wide vertical split in the rock. As it was, Hyden figured that Gerard would have to sleep on the Lip this night. Hyden wasn’t sure that his brother could even climb that far back down by nightfall. He was about to pull his hair out with worry.

“It’s my fault,” he told himself aloud. He knew that no one had ever made it down the cliff face in the dark, and it looked as if Gerard was running out of time. “I should’ve never let you climb for me. Damn the bravado, Gerard! Just get yourself down before it’s too late.”

Hyden stopped pacing and stared up anxiously, as his brother stretched across the gap for the second time. He thought his heart had stopped beating in his chest, until he saw his brother shudder and slip. Then, his heart exploded like a pounding skin drum.

“Oh Gerard, don’t fall,” Hyden pleaded to no one that could hear him. “Take a breath, and steady yourself. That’s it! Now quit fooling around and get down here before the darkness takes you!”

Hyden’s neck muscles were raw and sore from looking up all day, but he couldn’t look away. Gerard seemed to have regained his composure, and Hyden assumed he was about to start back down. A few seconds later, when Gerard leapt into the open air, across the fissure from one side of it to the other, Hyden was certain that his heart really had exploded. So violent was the thunderclap that went blasting through his chest, that even he felt the strange and horrifying sensation of falling.

Of the two brothers, Gerard had the better landing. His lead foot stuck perfectly into the crevice he had intended, and his fingers grabbed true in a little crack on the far side of the fissure. He paused only a moment to catch his breath, as if he hadn’t just jumped across a gap of empty space more than seven hundred feet off the ground. Almost casually, he looked down at the little gleaming prize and started after it. It was his.

Hyden didn’t fare as well. He had been looking up at Gerard while pacing. At the same moment his brother had leapt, Hyden’s feet had found a shin-high boulder and his momentum sent him sprawling. He was so transfixed by Gerard’s leap that he didn’t even look down as he fell. It was probably for the best, because he didn’t have to see the pile of jagged rocks into which his head slammed. When he next opened his eyes, it was almost completely dark outside. Blood had leaked from the gash in the side of his head and formed a matted clot in his long black hair. He wasn’t quite sure where he was or what was happening.

“Hyden?” a familiar voice asked sheepishly. “I thought you’d never come around.”

Through his pain, Hyden’s world began coming back to him. It was Little Condlin who had spoken to him. His fingers found the split lump over his ear, and a sharp pain shot through him when he touched it. As he caught his breath, Gerard’s leap flashed through his mind.

“Gerard!” he croaked in a panic while trying to climb back to his feet. “Where is Ger—?”

“He’s nearly down from the Lip,” Little Condlin said, not understanding Hyden’s worry. He hadn’t seen Gerard risk his life like a fool jumping from hold to hold. He took Hyden by the arm and helped him to his feet.

Hyden winced as the world swam back into focus. It took him a few minutes, but eventually, he steadied himself. In the near darkness, he found the boulder he had eaten lunch on and sat down.

“Gerard’s really almost down?” he asked.

“Aye,” Little Condlin grinned. “He’s as good a climber as you are; maybe even better.” He tried to suppress an adolescent mirth, but it was impossible. “What befell you down here?” With that, he burst into laughter.

Hyden snarled menacingly at the fourteen-year-old boy’s wit. It was enough to make Little Condlin’s glee vanish instantly. The boy quickly averted his attention to a dark pile of rocks at his feet.

A few moments passed in silence, but Hyden finally spoke.

“How was your harvest?” he asked.

Little Condlin’s eyes lit up. He was bursting to tell someone of his good fortune this year. “Five eggs, Hyden!” he held an excited hand up, all his fingers extended and wiggling. “Five!”

“Great!” Hyden said, a little more flatly than he had intended. He was glad for Condlin, but he was still a little bitter at being cheated out of his own climb. Last year, Little Con had only harvested one egg. This was only his second year of harvest, and five eggs was an excellent yield for a more experienced climber, much less a novice.

“I did just as father told me to do,” Little Condlin rambled excitedly. “I didn’t try to go high like Gerard does. I went way out to the sides.”

“I saw you,” Hyden said, with a nod of respect.

Hyden had only gotten three eggs, and had ended up nearly falling over the edge of the Lip during the descent on his second harvest. The memory made him think about Gerard again. It was almost full dark now. He stood up and started toward the base of the cliff to look for his brother.

“What happened to your face, Hyden?” Little Condlin asked. Even though he was at a safe distance, he made sure that his voice carried nothing less than concern in its inflection.

“I was attacked by big, hairy scufflers,” Hyden deadpanned. His expression didn’t hold though, and thinking about his earlier folly, he broke into a sarcastic grin, “What do you think happened?”

Little Condlin took on a frustrated expression and sighed heavily. He was the fourth of five brothers, so he knew where he stood in the pecking order with Hyden and his other cousins. He had hoped his successful harvest would have gained him a little more respect. Gauging the distance between him and his older, faster cousin, he gathered his courage and prepared to run away. “I think you fell down and busted your fat head.”

“Aye,” Hyden laughed at the boy’s well-placed caution. “I did. I was looking up, watching Gerard act like a fool, and I wasn’t watching where my feet were leading me.” He made a silly face, and his cousin relaxed a little bit.

“Well I have to say, you look quite a bit better than you did before. That bloody knot brings out your eyes.”

Hyden burst out laughing at the boy’s boldness. He started to say something about it, but was cut off by a welcome voice.

“What’s so blasted funny, Hyden?” Gerard said from the darkness, near where the cliff face met the canyon floor.

Hyden felt the wave of relief wash over him. It was followed immediately by a flood of anger. “What’s not funny is what you did up there today! You could’ve gotten yourse—”

His voice stopped cold, and Little Condlin gasped loudly. Gerard had thrust a ring out of the darkness at them. Even in the starlight, its amber gemstone captured enough illumination to sparkle brightly. It almost appeared as if it were glowing.

“Where did you find that?” Little Condlin asked, with a voice full of awe.

“In your sister’s pantaloons,” Gerard replied sarcastically. He was sore, tired, raw in several places, and in no mood for silly questions. He looked at Hyden, judging his brother’s anger. “It was high up in an old broken nest by a fissure. The one I jumped across,” he said in a way that let Hyden know that he knew the risk he had taken, and didn’t want to hear anymore about it. After a moment, he reluctantly handed the ring to his older brother.

Hyden looked at him oddly. It took him a minute to grasp the meaning of the gesture. Gerard had been climbing for him, not for himself. He was offering him the ring. Hyden refused it with a nod.

“You wanted it bad enough to risk your life for it. It’s yours. You earned it.”

Gerard cocked his head and studied Hyden some more. To refuse such an offer could be considered an insult. If Hyden was refusing him out of anger for taking that jump, then he wouldn’t know what to do. Hyden had never insulted him before. He looked deeper, and saw so much love, respect, and relief in his brother’s eyes that there was no room for doubt. Hyden truly did want him to have the ring. He took it back, and a broad grin spread across his weary face.

“If you refuse these, then I’m going to kick you where it counts.”

Gerard unshouldered his pack and thrust it out to Hyden proudly. “Half a dozen, just like I promised.”

Hyden passed the pack to their cousin, and grabbed up Gerard in a big bear hug. Gerard hugged him back. While his hands were close together, behind Hyden’s back, Gerard slipped the ring onto his finger. After a moment, Hyden held him back by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes.

“Don’t scare me like that again.” He pointed to the gash on his knotted head. “You almost killed me.”

It was too dark even to think about starting back to the harvest lodges. They ended up building a fire where Hyden and Gerard had camped the night before. The three of them exchanged stories, and had a great laugh at the fact that Hyden was the only one who hadn’t left the ground, but was the only one who had fallen.

While Little Con boiled some dried beef into a stew, Hyden inspected the eggs his brother had brought him. He was pleased beyond words at what he saw. All six of them were safe and sound and nestled in a bed of fresh keep moss. He made up his mind to buy Gerard a whole wizard’s costume—the robe, the hat, and even a staff, if that was what he wanted. He didn’t think it would be though. Gerard seemed to have matured a great deal since just that morning. The sparkle of the ring in the firelight, and the tired, serious look on his face made him look anything but youthful. Hyden saw a man, where only this morning, he’d seen a boy. It was a strange sight to see, because most of the time he didn’t even consider himself an adult yet.