through the elvish kingdom. From there, it is not much farther until we arrive at Beforal’s grotto. As tempted as I am to circle around, I can see from here that the mountain only becomes more sheer and hazardous. I would have to circumvent the entire mountain and that could take weeks, if not months—more time than I might have—and would require entering unknown territories. It would also offer very little protection against the fairies. I flick my tail indecisively as I relay our options.
Steph shakes her head. “No. I don’t want to risk getting stuck somewhere out there and not getting to the well on time.”
I consider telling her that it would really make no difference in the end, that I will die either way regardless, but I do not want to burden her with that… Not to mention that a hard knot of anger settles into my belly at the very idea of her being alone and defenseless in hostile territories.
Grimsal frowns to the west and shakes his head.
“The mountains extend all the way to sheer cliffs in the west. We couldn’t go around that way unless you’re of a mind to play with the sirens and merfolk. There are some scattered trails down to patches of shoreline at best. There is a port to the southwest, if you don’t mind doubling back a bit, where we can probably barter for transport north on one of their ships, but that will lose even more time. As for the east… If I remember correctly, to the east of the mountains is where a large river meets up into low swamplands. The blood clan of ogres lives out that way. Between us and the mountain here, I would rather take my chances here than enter the swamps.”
“Uh, yeah, let’s stay far away from any swamp inhabited by anything called a blood ogre,” Steph mutters with a shiver.
Then we descend. I glance over at the goblin. Are you going to be able to make it down the cliff with your teleportation?
He waves a hand. “Not a problem. It looks like that first bunch of trees is right within my range. I can be down there in a second and be waiting for you.”
As much as I loathe to admit it—and despise having my consciousness so close to his, randomly catching stray thoughts that are projected too loudly that I did not want to know—it is convenient to be able to speak and have them both hear me.
Very well. We will meet you there on that ledge just before the entrance into the forest.
The goblin nods and disappears with a loud pop, the cloud of dark dust the only thing marking where he was standing just moments before.
I don’t wait to see if he reappears at the ledge. Instead, I edge toward to the drop and look back at my mate.
Hold tightly to me and lean back as much as you feel safe doing so that there is less chance of gravity sending you flying forward as I descend.
“This is fucking insane… but okay,” she says, her voice thick with apprehension as her hands twine tightly into my mane.
Walking at a sideways angle, I slowly descend bit by bit, conscious of the rock loosening and falling everywhere I put my weight. I am tempted to just portal out of here, but since I have no idea where that will take me, I resist the compulsion and pick my way slowly down one step at a time with Steph’s legs clamped tightly around me. I can feel how nervous she is in the tension of her thighs and the tight grip of her hands. I murmur to her soothingly, assuring her that it will be over soon, as we continue to make our way down the sheer face of the cliff. Skirting the random trees that appear in my path is challenging, but I take it slowly, until at last we’ve arrived.
My back and sides are damp with sweat when I finally clatter to a stop at the ledge of rock just outside the forest entrance. The goblin sits in the branches of the tree watching us quietly. There is tension bracketing his mouth, but when I press against his mind in inquiry he just shakes his head.
“I don’t like it,” he mutters, more to himself than to us.
“I don’t care. I’m just glad we survived that cliff and are safely down here,” Steph says as she collapses forward to rest her cheek