"It's solid," she called back once safely across. "But you need to hold on to the rock. The logs roll a bit."
Lysara turned to our group. "We'll go one at a time. Keep your eyes forward, hold your hand on the rock, and don't stop halfway."
My gaze went to Kailin, who had pressed herself back against the mountain face, looking pale as she watched the others cross.
One by one, our group made it through. Some moved quickly, eager to get it over with. Others inched along, testing each step. The logs creaked and shifted, but remained steady.
Finally, only Kailin, Lysara, and I remained from our group, but there were many more behind us who were waiting for us to get across.
"We need to go," I said quietly.
"The other groups are waiting for us to be done," Lysara said gently. "You can crawl across if you want."
Kailin opened her eyes but kept them fixed on me, deliberately not looking at the gap. "I can't."
"Yes, you can." I moved closer, blocking her view of the drop. "I'll be right behind you. Five steps, that's all it is. Just keep your eyes on Shovia. She's waiting for you on the other side."
Her friend had positioned herself at the other end of the bridge, arms outstretched. "Come on, Kailin!" Shovia yelled. "Show this drakking mountain who's boss!"
A shaky laugh escaped Kailin's lips. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Don't cuss Mount Hope. It's sacrilege."
Shovia laughed, but it sounded forced. "Okay, okay. Show this beautiful, blessed mountain who's boss!"
"Five steps," I whispered in her ear. "Nothing to it."
I half expected her to take Lysara's advice and crawl over the logs, but she surprised me by putting one foot forward and her hand on the mountain face. I itched to follow behind her so I could catch her if she lost her balance, but I knew it would only further endanger her, making the log bridge less stable.
Kailin made it across without incident, falling into Shovia's outstretched arms and then immediately moving to press against the mountain on the other side.
"Well done," Lysara said. "All of you."
We resumed our trek, the incident already beginning to feel dreamlike in the thin air. But the torn pack strap Codric kept adjusting, and Morek's shredded shirt and scratched arms were solid reminders of how close we'd come to disaster.
I fell into step beside Kailin, positioning myself between her and the drop-off without comment. She didn't acknowledge the gesture, but I felt some of the tension leave her shoulders.
"That was some catch," Codric said quietly. "Remind me to buy Morek a drink when we get down from this damn mountain."
"Sure thing. But I still haven't lost hope of making it to the Citadel."
He snorted. "Since when are you the optimistic one between us?"
"Don't tell me that you've given up hope."
He shrugged. "That was one hell of a wake-up call."
"You're doing much better than I am."
"Am I? You weren't the one who needed to be rescued. You did the rescuing."
"I was lucky." I cast him a smile. "Are you okay?"
He nodded. "Nothing wounded except my pride."
The summit was still far above us, and we all had our own battles to fight before we reached it. But for now, we were alive, and the path ahead would hopefully remain solid beneath our feet.
30
KAILIN
