yeah, I’ll never wish again. Thanks, Mom, for feeding me a wonderful line of crap about how wishes come true. This isn’t even close to my idea of fun. This has got to be the worst granted wish ever.” Tears filled her eyes as she put her head between her knees and continued to crumble. “I think I’m having a breakdown.”
Sam had to smile at Shalee’s reaction. He looked at Mosley and leaned in closer to the wolf before whispering again. “Just wait until she figures out she doesn’t have any tampons. She’s really going to blow then.”
Mosley tilted his furry head and whispered back, “What are tampons, Sam?”
The human could only laugh. “Aahhhhh … forget it. Let’s just say where we’re from, most women don’t find this sort of adventure entertaining. I also hope you have another solution for getting us to Brandor. I don’t want to walk 56 Peaks, and we’ll definitely need to sleep.”
Shalee lifted her head and whimpered, “I need a soft pillow to lie my head on, Mosley. I’m not cut out for this kind of thing. How can I look decent if I can’t get rest?” She buried her head again into her knees.
Sam changed the subject. “Okay, okay. So how do we get down from the top of the cliffs? They don’t look scalable.”
Nodding, Mosley responded, “The gods did make the cliffs unassailable. There are, however, stairs behind the face of the rock, but this isn’t how we’ll be traveling.”
Mosley turned to Shalee, who was still crying, and raised his voice. “I have a way to get you to Brandor without making you walk! You can stop crying now. Let’s get you dressed for the journey.”
Shalee wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her pajama top, and as she did, Mosley asked Sam to ring a large bell at the far side of the platform. “The only way to get from the top of the cliffs to the land below, without using the steps, is to ride the griffins who live inside the cliffs.”
With that, Shalee started in again. “If you think I’m gonna ride some giant whatever it is, you got another think coming. I’m not about to get on some creepy, flying thing. I don’t know how to ride stuff like that. Do they bite? Goodness-gracious, I bet they bite. Oh my gosh, do they smell?”
Mosley had heard enough. He leaned in and breathed on Shalee’s face. She fell unconscious as her body slumped over onto the platform.
“She will be asleep for a while,” the wolf said. “I’m sure she’ll be far more pleasant after she’s had the moments to adjust. Are all the women from your Earth like her?”
Sam smiled. “Only the ones worth keeping. I have to admit, I find her attractive. I like her sassiness. She’ll grow on you, Mosley. She’s just stressed right now, that’s all. But I am glad you knocked her out.”
Sam took a deep breath. “I feel a bit off myself. Ever since I got here, so many things have reminded me of my dreams. It sounds like they have reminded Shalee of her dreams as well. I know I’ve never met her before, but I swear, it feels like I have. I wanted to tell her that, but that would’ve been too much for her to handle right now.” He looked down at Shalee. “Just trust me, Mosley, you’ll grow to like her. I’m sure of it.”
“I hope you’re right,” Mosley responded. “I find her annoying ... like a tick on my tail.”
Sam grinned and then changed the subject. “Earlier, you mentioned the God of the Sun. Do all the gods have titles?”
Mosley thought long and hard before answering. “They do amongst the Collective, but the gods do not allow their followers to know their true nature. Again, I know this only because of my service to Bassorine.”
“Why would the gods hide their nature?”
“I’m not allowed to answer your question, Sam. We should speak of another topic. Why don’t you tell me more about your Earth?”
Annoyed that Mosley was unable to answer his question, Sam shook his head and started talking about Earth. Soon, a massive, flying beast appeared from below the edge of the cliff and prepared to land.
Sam moved to the far side of the platform as the creature set down. The wind generated by the griffin’s wings made standing difficult. Sam had to grab hold of the railing to maintain his balance.
The griffin—part eagle, part lion—was huge, its wings