Of Gods and Warriors ✓

Chapter 74

"Keep your eyes on the back of my head, you hear me?" cried Dorin from ahead. "Don't you look down for a moment!"

Easy to say.

His voice came oddly muffled as though he were speaking with his head within a large kettle. The huge iron helm he wore was close enough to it, anyway. If the bridge indeed snapped and they fell to their cold, pitiful deaths, horses and all, Farren would blame it upon the ridiculously heavy armour the vampires had donned to protect against the sun.

The bridge creaked and squeaked underboot, her fingers tightly clasped around the thick ropes on either side. Each step sent jolts through Farren's heart, the packs strapped to her back threatening to toss her off into the blue void of ice down below.

She had always been known as someone who held her drink well, so she assumed this was what being truly drunk felt like. The world was a spinning snowglobe and the sun was in her eyes, the weight of the rations on her back and disorientation addling her mind. A swig of blood-beer would do her good, but they left the city a league behind. Damnation!

Yet to those of Valston this was but child's play, for they trotted on along the bridge, carrying far larger packs, some even hauling thick coils of ropes, ice axes and metal hooks.

"You got this, alright? You can do this..." Rendarr was chanting behind. "Cake-walk, folks. What's some flat hills got on you, man? Nothin'. Alright? We soldiers of Kinallen-"

"Thank you, but can you stop? You're distracting me, for Rhilio's sake!" she said, thinking if crawling on her hands and knees was a better idea.

"Wasn't speaking to you anyway," he muttered, bringing one hand to his heaving chest. "You got this, Tonlin, just--don't look down. Easy..." His voice took on a higher pitch next and he grabbed the back of her cloak. "Gods, I looked down! Why'd I ever speak?"

Xenro and Gray both stood on the other side watching them with all the rest of the soldiers who had already made it across, frowning as though trying to awaken their telekinetic powers.

"The hell you're soiling your breeches for? Barely a hundred paces, this crossing," shouted Gray, making a cone with his hands.

"And the drop is a hundred times that if I miss a step, fool!" Rendarr shouted back, in his own way of flirtation perhaps.

The bridge swayed again, driving Farren and Rendarr to the verge of holding each other and sobbing. Someone large and tall was coming up behind them, wreaking havoc with their heavy footsteps.

"Walk, idiots!" said Klo. "And as for you, Farren, better keep your cool. Getting agitated will likely invite withdrawal. Foxward reported to me what happened near the gates."

"Damn you, Foxy," she muttered.

When Farren dared to look back, Klo was already uncoiling a length of rope and fastening it around Rendarr's waist. It tightened around hers too the next moment, and off went the sergeant, striding in the lead, her two squadmates ambling in her wake like ducklings. Her steps were firm and unfaltered as ever. They made it across and the march resumed.

"Don't embarrass me in front of everyone like that," muttered Klo, tossing the coil of rope over her broad back.

"Who, me?" said Rendarr, "I wasn't scared or anything. Just trying to cheer up Farren a little. Poor thing's scared of heights, you know?"

"Am I? Then who was it snivelling into my back?" Farren made to smack the back of his head, but her knuckles clanged against his helm instead. "Sweet mother of fu--"

Hands fell on both their shoulders. Klo gave them a smile, dangerously sweet, while her fingers tightened in an iron grip--Farren could swear a bit more of it could've crushed bones.