Death Wind (Elven Alliance #3) - Tara Grayce Page 0,79

hurry.” She didn’t try to explain. Perhaps she didn’t have to. The glints of expression on the elven faces grew more sober.

“Here, take this.” Julien held up one of the coils of rope in one hand, then a hammer and spike in the other. “And these if there isn’t a good place to secure the rope up there.”

Arlanor’s mouth twisted, like he wanted to grimace at all the stuff he’d have to carry with him, but whatever emotion he had been about to express, he stifled it beneath a hard mask. He looped the rope over his shoulder, then secured the spike and hammer under his belt at the small of his back.

After studying the cliff for a few moments, Arlanor selected a section a few yards down and started climbing.

Essie held her breath. She’d seen Farrendel climb trees easier than she climbed stairs, but she didn’t know Arlanor well enough to trust his abilities.

For the first twenty feet, Arlanor scurried up the cliff like a squirrel. After that, he took a few more seconds before he made each choice of handhold and foothold. Some of the grips were nothing but tiny fingerholds.

In less than five minutes, Arlanor reached the ledge. He edged along it until he reached the section above the smoothed over stairs. After several moments of inspection, he disappeared from view from below.

Did that mean the door had been left open? Or had he simply crouched on the ledge and they could no longer see him because of the angle?

A few moments later, the soft thunks of the hammer hitting the stake echoed down to them. It wasn’t as sharp as Essie would have expected, so Arlanor must have muffled the hammer strikes somehow. Perhaps he’d used his tunic or something to pad the stake.

The hammer strikes ended, and a minute later, the rope launched over the edge and dropped down to them. Arlanor reappeared, and he descended the rope hand over hand.

When he settled on the ground, he turned to Edmund. “The door is sealed.”

“Not unexpected.” Edmund nodded, then turned to Julien. “We’ll need the blasting sticks.”

Julien nodded and tugged on the rope. “I hope that rope is secure enough to hold me.”

After a quick consultation, Arlanor scampered up the rope, followed by Edmund and Julien, both carrying more ropes and gear. In a few minutes, more ropes dropped down from the ledge, rigged with climbing harnesses. The blasting sticks were secured in a padded pack and carefully carried up to the ledge.

Edmund returned to the ground. “There’s enough room for everyone up there, and it might be dangerous to be down here once we set off the blasting sticks. Ready for this?”

Not really, but Essie took a deep breath and faced the cliff. She could do this. It wasn’t like she would fall. Not once she was all harnessed up, and she had Julien at the top and Edmund at the bottom looking after her.

Edmund held out the harness for her and showed her how to put it on. Straps pulled tight against Essie’s thighs and around her waist. Not the type of harness she could have worn in a dress.

“Keep your feet planted against the cliffside and walk as Julien pulls you up.” Edmund checked the knot connecting the harness to the rope. He raised his hand and gave a thumbs up.

Julien, after peering over the edge, gripped the rope and began pulling, hand over hand.

Essie’s feet lifted from the ground. She gripped the rope, spinning in the air.

Edmund grabbed the rope, steadying her. “Lean back. Center your weight in the harness.”

Her heart racing, Essie leaned back, settling her weight more firmly in the harness. She swung toward the cliff, and she planted her boots against the cold stone.

As Julien pulled, Essie walked up the cliff, her rifle hanging heavy against her back. She refused to look down, though she was probably immune to deep drops after strolling around Ellonahshinel.

When she reached the top, Julien held her steady while one of the Escarlish soldiers held out a hand. Essie took it and was hauled onto the ledge.

The ledge was about ten feet deep and extended for about fifty feet along the mountain side. It was plenty big for all of them, though it felt smaller as no one but the elves wished to go anywhere near the edge.

At one end, an opening cut into the mountain, but it was blocked by a flat stone wall about a foot inside the mouth of the cave.