Chapter 213 - Faltered

Each of them was wrapped in their thoughts over the next half an hour. Darla took out a cloth wrapped package that consisted of meat pie that smelled of spicy peppers and butter. It was a delectable meal by all means after their ordeals of the night and the following day. Anastasia wondered what else they were going to face in their quest to get inside Draoidh. While chewing the pie made by Ada, she also pondered as to why it was so important for Ileus to get her in Draoidh, against everyone's wishes. 

After their hearty meal, she saw that Ileus lay back on the rock with his long legs dangling down and looked at the blue sky. In a few hours, it would become dark and he had no plans on staying on this side of the ravine. They wouldn't have enough space to camp and protect themselves from nocturnal animals. 

Darla wrapped up everything and gave them a canteen of water. She announced, "I would like to go first." 

Ileus promptly refused her. "No, I want Kaizan to go first. He will cross the bridge and hold the anchor bolts and then you can go." 

"Just what I was thinking," said Kaizan and jumped off the stump he was sitting on. "I am ready to leave." He strode to his horse, caught his reins and looked at Ileus. "Are you coming or do I ask Darla?" he snarled as if goading him to get up his lazy ass. 

Ileus gave a half smile and rose to his feet. Walking up to the edge of the footbridge, he took support of a rock and then stepped down to where the anchor bolts were. Darla followed him and they both held one anchor bolt each. When they were ready, Ileus nodded to Kaizan. 

Kaizan rubbed the back of his neck feeling jittery. He held his horse's reins and took the first step on the bridge. The footboard creaked under his weight. He was aware that Ileus was on purpose not holding the ropes tightly for the fear that they might snap. His situation was no different. He gulped as he took another step and then another. His horse walked very carefully behind him. Bead of perspiration erupted on his forehead when he looked down at the river through a hole in a footboard. If the board gave in, he was going to die a terrible death. No, Ileus wouldn't let that happen. With his mighty trust in the dark prince, he walked further and the bridge creaked under every damn step he took. By the time he reached the middle of the bridge, his body was soaked with sweat. His pace faltered. 

"Carry on!" Ileus shouted from his place sensing his fear. 

Kaizan took a deep breath and resumed his pace. It was a wonder that after all the creaking and shaking, how his horse walked silently behind his master. Slowly and steadily, he covered the distance and reached the other side. Kaizan's weak legs gave in and he sat on the wet ground with his hands in his hair while the others on that side of the group cheered for him. He chuckled and shook his head. He looked up at the sky and thanked all the wolf spirits for giving him a chance to live and help his friends to come to this side.

Though he couldn't hear them clearly, he was sure that Ileus was already ordering him to hold the anchor bolts on this side. He got up and stepped down a rock to hold the anchor bolts firmly with both his hands. The mist on this side was thick.

He was sure that the next one to come would be Darla, but his eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw Anastasia stepping in front of the bridge. But then he realized that it was the most logical thing Ileus would do. He was holding the anchor bolts on this side while Darla and Ileus were holding it on the other side. Anastasia would just have to be careful to cross the bridge though she shouldn't have problems since she was a feather-light woman. However, his logical reasoning grinded to a halt when he saw that before she stepped on the bridge, Ileus walked to her, hugged her and when he pulled away, her wings appeared. Ileus had unshackled her wings. As soon as they appeared, they dropped to the ground weighing behind her. 

Anastasia held the ropes tightly even though Ileus asked her to walk in the center. With every step that resulted in a groan from the wooden boards, Anastasia's mind stiffened. The river below looked like a ribbon from this height and she felt she could puke. 

"Anastasia, you can do it!" Ileus shouted when he saw how pale she was while looking at the gorge below. "I won't let you hurt, love. Ever." 

But Anastasia had a bad feeling about this whole thing. She had protested that Darla should be the next one, but Ileus wouldn't listen. Her throat became dry and she closed her eyes to ask for divine intervention in crossing the bridge. 

"I'll come right after you. Go!" he goaded. "Don't look down!" 

Anastasia nodded like a bobblehead toy and took in a deep breath. She resumed walking with her wings dragging behind her. It took her a good ten minutes to reach the other side, and when she did, just like Kaizan, her wobbly knees gave way. She also dropped on the ground and looked up at the sky. "Hvla Vilama!" she said in her fae language. Thank the faes. She was finally in the kingdom of wizards, but without her husband. Gods, she hated it without him. 

"You can have water from my canteen," he called her from below. He looked up and saw that Ileus and Darla were having an argument. 

Ileus was insisting that Darla should leave, "Don't you understand," he growled. "Both Kaizan and I can hold the bolts tightly as you walk over the bridge." 

Darla narrowed her eyes and stood there with a mulish expression. "No Ileus, you are going first. If you want we can argue the whole day but I won't budge." 

"What is wrong with you?" he shouted. 

"Nothing," she replied calmly. "I want my prince to cross and be with his wife. She has already stepped in Draoidh." 

He stared at her with surprise flitting across his face. A moment of contemplation and then he said, "Okay, as soon as I am on the other side, I want you to sprint. Is that understood?" 

"Yes, my lord." 

While Darla remained there to hold one anchor bolt, Ileus stepped on the bridge. The way the footboard creaked, he was shocked that it didn't detach and fell off. He must have only gone ten steps ahead when the first signs of it giving away appeared. The board, on which he placed his foot, broke off with a loud noise and flipped its way down. He gasped and immediately stopped his foot in the air and took a step back. He so wanted to use his magic and cross the bridge, but he wasn't sure if the dilapidated structure would be able to hold his magic.