Kai backed away from the cliff face to study the cracks and crags in the rocks. He noticed the nooks Rayna had used. Ready, he charged at the wall and jumped. One foot landed on a small lip, and his hand caught a crevice within the rock face.
He shifted his weight and reached for another handhold. After he swung his leg up to reach the next jagged rock, he was able to reach the top (for what good it did). They were now on a narrow ledge, scarcely the width of Kai’s shoulders. Staring at the way forward, he took a few steps. “At least this ledge goes towards the river.”
Inch by inch, they navigated the narrow lip of their route. Sounds of roaring rapids echoed through the forest. The ground evened out into a rounded knoll. Through the trees and the fading sunlight, Kai caught hints of whitewater rapids.
With head pounding, Kai stopped. Rayna offered him some water. “You alright?”
He didn’t want to think about how much he needed to rest. “Let’s keep going.”
Again, he reached out to Smoke. His energy pinged off the wolves. They had already found another way up and were actually above them. Confident he and Rayna could discover the same route, they ventured away from the river along the rolling knoll. It was a risk, but one he was willing to make given the wolves’ location.
As they went, the sounds of the river faded and were replaced with new noises echoing from the treetops—the hoots and squeaks from the unseen creatures of the night. The wind brushed past Kai’s face and he wished it were colder. His body was being consumed by terrible fever. His shirt drenched in sweat, he marched along the narrowing path. Rayna was two steps ahead of him. Her pace was quick.
“Do you hear that?” Kai called to her. “It’s water. There must be a small stream ahead of us. We should stop there. Get something to drink. Maybe rest.”
Rayna nodded in agreement and continued. Crowded with trees and rocks, the narrowing path twisted and turned. Hopeful, they followed the curve around the rock face. The route narrowed again. They were forced to walk single file, Rayna ahead of Kai. He ducked under a low tree branch and turned to edge around another limb. The ground narrowed again, forcing them to sidestep along a small ledge.
“Our light is fading. Scaling these uneven ledges and knolls at night is probably a mistake. When we reach the stream, we should make camp.”
“I could use a break,” Rayna called back.
Kai studied the slope below. The ground below was starting to angle up, and the grade was leveling. He could only hope when it did level off, there would be a shift back toward the waterfall. “Tell me you can see the end? We have to be close.” He asked.
“I wish I could, it is too dark to see far,” she replied. “Just keep moving.”
As the ground widened, an uneasy feeling swept over Kai. His muscles tensed. Behind them, he heard a noise…the deep grunt of a man, followed by a clank of metal scraping against stone. The sound startled Kai and he spun to face their pursuer.
Distracted, he lost his footing and tumbled down the rocky vine-covered embankment. A plum of dust puffed in his face. Barbs scratched his arms. He landed with a thud. Darkness clouded Kai’s mind and threatened his vision. He grabbed his swirling head. Dizzy, Kai tried to open his eyes. His skin burned hotter than before. Blood dripped from various gashes on his body. He coughed hoarsely as his consciousness began to fade.
◆◆◆
Rayna saw Dresnor step around the tree limb. “What are you doing here?” she scolded him. Her exhaustion sparked a tone she always kept in check.
“I came to help you!” Dresnor shouted. “Kai, are you alright?”
Dresnor stepped towards the embankment, intent on climbing down to help the prince.
“Stop,” Rayna yelled, spotting the foliage. “You cannot go that way.” She pointed to the bramble vines intertwined with red fluted flowers. “Those are called dragon’s breath. The flowers are poisonous. We must continue this way, find another way down.”
She remembered Kai’s strange request after a fitful night’s rest. He had asked her to research a plant called dragon’s breath, and now she knew why. He knew this moment would happen and she would be left to decide what to do.
She hurried along to a spot where the ground leveled off and merged with the gully below. When she reached Kai’s side, his exposed skin was covered in large red welts. Dresnor fell in beside them and reached out to touch Kai. Rayna smacked his hand away.
“Kai. Listen to me. You are covered in poisonous sap. You have to remove your clothes before we can help you.”
Rayna watched Kai’s hands tremble as he removed his pack, coat, boots, shirt, and pants. When he gasped for air, she knew it was becoming difficult to breathe, and she noticed his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed just as he pulled the shirt from over his shoulders.
Rayna pulled a cloth from her pack and tore it into four large strips. “Wrap these around your hands,” she instructed Dresnor. “Drag him into the stream.”
Dresnor wrapped his hands and grabbed Kai from behind, just under his armpits, and pulled him through the ferns. The prince’s eyes fluttered open when the freezing water enveloped his legs and back. His body tensed in the rushing water. He began to wheeze. His breathing became ragged.
“Wash the oils from his skin. Keep him in the river while I make a fire.” Her terse tone spoke volumes. She was angry.
In the fading light, she searched the area for branches and twigs. From her pack, she gathered burlap, oil, and flint. She cleared the
