As They Fall [First Draft] ~ Currently Editing ~

Twenty - Seven

A/N: Hey everyone, here's an extra long chapter to say sorry about the delay! I went on holiday to visit my sister, enrolled in my university classes and then it was my 2 year anniversary with my boyfriend so I've been pretty busy! Thanks for being patient and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Vote, comment, critique and above all have fun ^_^ 

P.S I drew up a shabby map just so you guys could get a better picture of where they're going/how far things are from each other. Please keep in mind I'm no cartographer and some of it is probably a little inaccurate ;D

The rabbit led us down the mountain slowly, Merek clutching Elizabeth's body tightly as he skidded down a slope of loose rock and melting slush. Charlie held out his arm to steady him which Merek accepted gratefully, though still refusing to let anyone else carry her. The horses whickered excitedly when we reached them, tossing their heads and stamping their feet. Auriel approached Merek slowly, and leaned forward to bury her muzzle in Elizabeth's hair. Merek pressed his lips to the mare's forehead and whispered to her in a strange dialect for a few moments. Orchid approached me and nuzzled my face gently, her soft brown eyes filled with a quiet understanding. I wrapped my arms around her neck and hid my face in her silver mane, fighting back tears. I dried my tears on my sleeve and climbed into the saddle, easing Orchid into a brisk trot, jolting the numbness out of my freezing limbs.

We rode through the lower slopes of the mountains for the entire night and the better part of a day, emerging along the northern coast of the continent. Waves of black water crashed against the pebbled shore, spewing sea spray high into the air, filling our nostrils with its salty scent. Lost in thought, I found myself staring out into the distance, to the horizon no one had ever dared to cross. What lies beyond? Someplace better than here? I shook my head to clear my wandering thoughts and let go of the reigns. From my jacket, I withdrew the ornate blade that Rihnunir had given Elizabeth and examined it. The hilt was an elaborate design of gold, forming a myriad of animals that crept up the hilt, their eyes glittering specks of black gemstone. From the mouth of a dragon protruded the milky white blade, thin and slender, without so much as a scratch on its glossy surface. The weapon radiated a dark energy that made my head spin, my stomach roiling at the way it had eased into Elizabeth's heart without the slightest resistance. I rummaged through a saddlebag behind me and withdrew a small whetstone. Cautiously, I pressed the blade into the stone, my heart quivering with fear and surprise as it cut through the stone with little to no effort. If Elizabeth hadn't managed to break the spell when she did there was no doubt she would have killed us all.

"Can you take a look at this dagger?" I called out to Charlie softly, using my legs to nudge Orchid closer to Valiant.
"Right now?" he replied, turning to look at me with a puzzled expression. I nodded and handed him the dagger hilt-first careful not to touch the edge of the blade. Charlie held it gingerly, balancing it on his fingertips, as he studied it in the light. He muttered softly to himself as he turned it this way and that, his eyes widening in surprise each time he discovered a new facet of the weapon.

"Incredible," he breathed, gazing down at the dagger in awe, "I've never seen anything like it."

"It cut straight through this whetstone like it was nothing," I replied, showing him the smooth edge of both pieces.

"It's not metal, that's for sure." Charlie raised his arm and brought the blade down in an experimental slash, listening to the noise it made as it cut through the air.

"It seemed like bone to me..." I trailed off, almost certain my suggestion was a ridiculous one.

"Perhaps," he mused, "that would explain its structure and colouring, but not its strength... I'll take another look when we're back in Eularia." He handed the blade back to me, a hint of longing still in his eyes, before snapping the reigns to catch up with Merek's disappearing figure. I stowed the blade away and followed suit, feeling a surge of guilt deep in my stomach for wasting time.