Swords and Staffs

24. On the edge

Arlene:

The storm had finally cleared, Onyx, Blue and I had survived on our own. But had Dante and Majesty? Riding along the rocky ridges, I searched for my companion.

"Dante!" I yelled, begging for him to answer.

"Dante! Are you alright?!"

There was still no answer. He must have travelled much farther than me whilst we were separated.

However, the storm had ended, and tiny flakes of snow now fluttered lightly from the clouds although it was still slightly windy.

I peered across the valley that was now unblocked by the giant wall of blizzard that had been there before. The view on Frostback Mountains was gorgeous. So, breath-taking. There were forests and farmlands, rivers, and lakes, all stretching out as far as the eye could see. The now-resting sky was a harmonious blue and the clouds settled on the peeks of the surrounding mountains. The reflection of the sun shimmered in distant lakes and ponds, the fresh water glistening with charismatic content.

I had no time to stand and gape, I had to find Dante.

Onyx and I trotted on at a steady speed, avoiding the crumbling sides of the cliff.

"Dante!" I yelled again, even louder this time.

The name echoed throughout the mountains and bounce back towards me. I felt the vibrations in the saddle as Blue jerked in the saddle bag, woken up from his short nap. He popped his head out, shook the small specs of snow off his ears, and held out his moist, little tongue to catch the wind. It flared and waved around in the air like a pink ribbon.

I tilted my head around and looked below me. I peered at the puppy in the saddle bag.

"Did you have a nice nap, my precious?" I asked him. He looked up at the sky and looked back down again as if giving me a nod. Having a quick glance of his surroundings, he then nestled back into his position, the flap closing after him.

"That's it, Blue, you go back to sleep boy," I said turning back around. I noticed something peculiar in the distance.

Majesty! Dante's horse! I cantered over to her immediately.

"Dante!" I shrieked in relief. But as I came closer and closer, it was easier to make out that the horse had no rider.

I yelped as I launched myself off Onyx's back and raced over towards the animal.

"Oh, Aaldin, please let him be ok!"

However, there was no sign of my elven friend.

"Where is he, girl?" I questioned as I comforted Majesty and tied her reins to the rails of the cart.

"Steady, now."

If Majesty was here, then where was Dante? What if he'd fallen off the edge?

"Dante!" I screamed for the fifth time. I had finally got a reply. It wasn't exactly an answer, it was more like a deafening scream that was coming from the cliff side.

"Dante? Where are you?"

"Down here!" cried a pain-induced voice.

I rush to the side of the cliff and in an instant, I saw Mr Willbrooke, sprawled out on a small ledge. He was lucky, if he would have fallen any further, he would have fallen straight down to death.

"Aaldin's breath!" I gasped above him as I noticed the huge boulder crushing his right leg.

Dante:

I bellowed in pain as I attempted to lift the heavy rock from my leg. I struggled with breath as I tried to heave the massive boulder off of my mangled limb. I gasped for air after my unsuccessful attempt.