When the water became only knee-deep, the waves calmed, and she nearly collapsed in her relief. Merrick pulled her up and half carried her the remaining way. But when she got a good look at the shoreline, her heart sank.
The rocky cliff loomed like a great hulking death sentence. How on earth would they scale it to the top? She glanced down the very small stretch of beach but saw no alternate course.
“Are you all right?” Merrick asked breathlessly as he struggled to catch up on his air.
“Y-yes,” she stammered, the cold causing her teeth to clash together like two titans bent on destruction. “What happened to the crew?” Fear gripped her and she prayed they were safe.
“I told them to head back to the ship before I dove in after you,” he said. “I don’t think the boat could have made it ashore.”
She sighed in relief. “What do we do now? How do we get up this?” she asked gesturing up at the steep cliff.
“We climb.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that,” she muttered.
“But first we have to get warm.”
“A lovely idea. Now how do you propose we do it?”
He glanced around, the beach barely illuminated by the half moon. Then he strode toward the base of the cliff and picked up several large pieces of driftwood. He stacked them in a pile at her feet. “Let’s hope they are dry enough and that I can find a suitable stone for striking a spark.”
She glanced nervously down the narrow stretch of sand, but quickly realized they would be nearly impossible to see except from the sea. The cliff provided perfect privacy to build a fire and dry themselves.
After several attempts, a small plume of smoke curled from the wood, and he quickly began blowing. Soon a small flame flickered as it began licking at the wood.
She stretched out her hands over it, desperate for any warmth it provided. Then she remembered the map.
Frantically, she dug the pouch from her breeches and yanked it open. She gingerly drew out the dampened parchment, praying the ink hadn’t run.
She spread it out beside the fire and examined it carefully in the dim light. To her relief, it looked no worse for the wear. She picked it up and held it at a safe distance from the fire to dry.
As the fire chased some of the numbness from her, she began to shake in earnest. Her teeth chattered, shaking her entire jaw in the process. She rubbed her arms with her hands, trying to infuse warmth into her limbs.
Merrick stepped behind her and wrapped strong arms around her, drawing her against his chest. He held her tightly, and his heat seeped into her, creeping over her body and infiltrating every pore.
She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes, reveling in probably the last intimate moment they would have.
“We should set out,” he said with regret in his voice. “It will be dawn soon.”
She pulled away, knowing he was right. She helped him douse the fire and conceal the evidence of it then they turned their attention to the wall of rock before them.
He hoisted himself up and tested the footholds then motioned for her to follow him up. “We can make it if we go slowly and are careful where we place our feet. It isn’t too steep and there are several rocks to grab onto and step up on.”
With determination, she followed his path, grasping the cold rocks with her hands and pulling herself up. With each step, she carefully measured the strength of the footholds and prayed she wouldn’t slip.
Dirt and pebbles rained down on her as Merrick steadily made progress above her. She blew the sand from her mouth and gritted her teeth, trying to keep pace with him. As she climbed higher, she focused all her attention on him, refusing to look down.
Suddenly a spray of rocks hit her full force in the face. As she sputtered and looked up, she saw Merrick had lost his footing and now dangled precariously just a few feet from her.
With a loud grunt, he pulled himself back up with his arms and regained his foothold. As they neared the top, the rock became slicker, smoother and offered fewer places to get a good grip.
Then he disappeared as he threw his leg over the edge and pulled himself the remaining distance. And she made the mistake of looking down.
The ocean crashing below her spun with dizzying speed. How had she gotten so far from the ground? If she fell now, her death would be certain.
Sweat beaded her forehead and dampened her palms. Her breathing came in shallow spurts as she fought off the clawing panic at her throat. One hand slipped, and she quickly grabbed at the rock, desperate to hold on.
She rested her forehead on the rock and closed her eyes, trying to regain control of herself.
