The Gryphon's Bond

Chapter Twenty-Seven

   Rhia jogged after them, her huge paws hitting the ground noiselessly.  With her size and speed, she could easily outrun all of them ten times over, but she was content to jog quietly behind them, keeping her eyes on Anna as the group broke through the light barrier and entered the canyon, going the opposite direction they had entered from, deeper into the desert.

  Sam used his element to light their way in the dark, creating just enough light for them to see each other, but to where they still had to keep a sharp eye out for anything that might trip them. As the sun began to light the sky, his light disappeared, no longer needed.

  Anna surprised herself by easily keeping up with the group, almost at the front of the pack, neck and neck with Ryan, who kept smirking at her, goading her to keep up.

  Suddenly, without warning, the group skidded to a stop. Anna, not expecting the instant halt, ran into Charlie, the Stone Bond and gentle giant, who for his size was extremely fast. Anna fell hard on her butt, it was like hitting a wall. Ryan laughed as he grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet.

  "Sorry," she said panting to Charlie, who had turned to look at her.

  He nodded, and then turned, not saying a word. In fact, as far as she could remember, she hadn't heard him speak yet.

  "What'd we stop for?" she asked Lydia, the Air Bond, who was at the front of the group.

  "Time for the obstacle course," she chirped, not even out of breath.

Anna peered around the mountain that was Charlie, to see a mass of writhing vines and tree trunks stretching out in front of them.

  "Like it?" Ruth asked. "Its a work in progress, I keep finding ways to make it better and harder, I make it different every day."

  "Well it definitely looks daunting alright," Anna replied.

  "Lets go people," Ryan said, "last one out gets to make breakfast!"

  The group launched forward, delving into the created jungle.

  Anna heard Rhia in her mind as she ducked under a vine, crawling on her stomach under a short canopy. Its too tight, I'll meet you on the other side.

  Sounds good, Anna thought back, feeling Rhia leaping into the air. Her chest tightened as her bond moved to the other side of the jungle, she was used to having her at her side. She could feel the bond as if it was a physical thing, tying her to Rhia, and even this short distance made her heart race, her chest ached.

  You good? Rhia asked.

  Yeah, did you feel that too?

  I did. I don't like it.

  I'll be out soon, I'll move fast, and see you on the other side.

 
  Anna moved quickly through the natural course, her heart pounded painfully against her ribs, her breath coming in short panicked gasps as she dodged tree trunks, and ducked and vaulted over fallen trees, vines, and low hanging branches.

  She and four others exited the course at the same time, Anna moving quickly to Rhia, who had been pacing as she exited the jungle. 

  Well, that wasn't exactly pleasant, Rhia thought.

  Yeah, that's not the word I would use to describe it, the bond must be getting stronger, Anna thought.

  That's a good thing right?

  I think so, your guess its as good as mine.

  Ruth, who had been one on the first four to exit, walked over to her. "You alright?"

"Yeah, we're good."

  "Well, you definitely did good, almost beat all of us out." she said, impressed. "Ready for some climbing?"

  "Who got out last?" she asked, wondering who was left with breakfast duty.

  "Lydia as usual, but," she added in a whisper, "I think she does it on purpose. Peter always helps her whenever she gets stuck with breakfast duty, she could totally get out of there faster, she's the best runner out of all of us".

  "Ah," Anna said, with a quiet laugh.

  "So, what are we going to be climbing?" she asked, changing the subject.

  Ruth motioned towards a slanting, rocky side of the canyon that only hardly looked like it was possible to climb it.

  "Once we get to the top, we'll run back along the edge, and get back into Garden the way you came in yesterday, you're not scared of heights are you?"

  "My bond is a giant winged gryphon, so... what with all the flying, I'm pretty good with heights," she answered, laughing.

  "Well then, you'll probably enjoy this last part, but I hate it. Heights aren't my thing," Ruth said with a groan.

  The group moved towards the cliff. Peter, Wind Bond, and Charlie both began scaling the canyon wall at the same time. Anna followed them, searching for handholds and pulling herself up over boulders.

  Rhia leaped easily to the top of the canyon, keeping within eyesight of Anna this time.

  Anna's arms ached as she pulled herself upwards, the canyon wall was about 40 feet high, she tried her best not to look at the rocks below, keeping her eyes either on her next handhold, or Rhia peering down from the ledge.

  She was completely concentrated in reaching the next little ledge to give her hands a rest, when she her a shout from above, and the sound of small rocks tumbling down the canyon wall.

  She looked up to see Peter beginning to fall, scrambling for a handhold.

  A vine shot out of the rocky ledge above her, sending cracks down towards the rocks Anna hung to.

        *       *        *         *

Ruth climbed steadily up the wall, watching those around her more then where she was putting her own hand.
 
People always called her the mother hen of the group. While she didn't like the visual the saying came with, she guessed it was probably true. She had always felt it was her job to keep everyone safe.

  That side of her came out the most on this climb up the wall. With how steep it was, and the way rocks could come tumbling down from above, falls came often. But, because of her, no one had ever been hurt. She always kept her vines brimming under the surface of the cliff, ready to burst out and grab anyone who slipped. But today she forgot to factor in the extra person.

  She heard a yell from beside her as Peter's handhold ripped loose from the stone, sending him sliding down the cliff side in a shower of rocks.

  She closed her eyes, visualizing her vines, sending them through the crevices in the cliff, reaching out like a snake searching for prey. They wrapped around Peter, lifting him outwards, away from the tumbling stones.

  He hung in mid air, laughing bitterly. Rock climbing had never been his thing, and he was tired of his falls.

  Ruth opened her eyes, glad to have caught him, and maybe even slightly proud of herself of her reaction time.

  But she only just remembered to factor where the rocks were heading. She heard a cry as stones began to rain down on Anna from above. One slammed into her head, knocking her back. Ruth could see her scrambling for a something to grab onto as she fell, but there was nothing.

  She heard a distressed roar from above, as the gryphon leapt off from the cliff above, plummeting straight down.

  She realized she had no vines near Anna, she closed her eyes once again, focusing her all on creating a vine quick enough. But she failed.

  She watched her as she half fell half tumbled down the canyon wall, hitting outcroppings of rocks and boulders, before finally coming to rest at the bottom.