Song of the chapter – Fireproof by Pillar

The mountain pass may have been shorter, but by no means was it easier. The group had been on their trek to the Seer's refuge for mere hours, and Eliana was already exhausted. Blaike had explained that the first leg would be rough, up the side of the mountain at a steep angle for most of the day. But once they reached the peak, the journey would be much less laborious. At that point in the hike, Eliana sincerely hoped so.

Zolen was quite frustrated when Eliana made the decision to take the quicker route. He insisted that it was a fool's path, and they were no doubt going to regret it. Eliana wouldn't have been surprised if he had backed out of his decision to join them. However, when it came time to leave at Starfall the next day, Zolen was packed and ready. To Harper's dismay.

Something still told Eliana that Harper was interested in Zolen, and in complete denial about it. That moment when he had lifted the spoon and served her first made a big impression on her. It had been written all over her face, even after he burst her love bubble with his comment about service. Something had changed at that table in the gathering hall, Eliana was sure of it.

Putting one foot in front of the other, despite the ache in her legs and back, Eliana made her way up the mountain. Blaike remained in the lead, as he had been during their first journey together, followed by Eliana and Harper, with Zolen at the end. He insisted on keeping watch over the rear of the group, just in case of attack. "A true warrior is never caught unaware." He had stated. But Eliana wondered if he just wanted an excuse to follow behind Harper, still in her Faelish braids. It was kind of cute how clueless they both were.

The mountainside was beautiful to see, and if it had been easier to climb, Eliana would have been enjoying the view. There were green leaves and vines overflowing along the way, spilling onto rocks and winding their way down the mountain. Little white flowers sprinkled between the leaves could be seen everywhere Eliana looked. Stones popped up in clumps, perfectly arranged, as though a mountainside designer had breezed through to create the complete natural atmosphere. Somewhere in the distance, she heard the telltale sound of a waterfall, although it must have been quite far, deep within the mountain canyon.

"How much longer?" Harper wailed, breaking the silence of the group as they strained to climb the mountain, "My legs are 'bout to fall off!"

Blaike paused in his efforts, "Still a while, the peak will be visible at the mid-day mark of the sun. Then it will still be a few hours. Why don't we rest for a bit?"

"Yes, we need to replenish our fluids so our energy returns." Zolen agreed. Hearing him agree with anything Blaike said surprised Eliana. Those two seemed to be pushing aside the need to argue constantly.

They each pulled out a canteen and drank readily. The water in the Ferlands was like nothing Eliana had ever tasted before. She still couldn't believe how energized she felt after drinking it.

"Better then Red Bull, eh?" Harper asked, nudging Eliana's side.

"Right, without the energy drink crash you get later."

"Or the calories." Harper agreed.

"Have you fought a bull?" Zolen interjected, clearly confused by the conversation.

"L O L, no!" Harper replied. "It's a drink that makes you all amped up. We drink it when we have to stay up late and study for finals."

"The final what?" Zolen asked.

"You know, finals. The tests we have to take at the end of a class to see what we learned." Harper told him.

"Ah, yes. I have been tested as well. Tests of strength, endurance, and intellect. I excelled at all three."

"Showoff." Harper mumbled. She always struggled at finals. She said she had a hard time remembering all of the information they would get tested on.

"No, just stating a truth." Zolen shrugged. Harper got up and cleaned up her crumbs from the snack of mallon bread they had just eaten. She proceeded to walk up to where Blaike was seated.

"Blaikey, are we ready to go? I'm tired of talking." Blaike just looked up at her, confused by the irritation Harper was clearly feeling.

"I suppose, if everyone else is also rested?" He said as he looked to Eliana and Zolen, both nodding their agreement.

"Let's get this over with."  Harper said. Eliana thought the girl needed to shake off whatever had bothered her about Zolen, because something obviously had. However, Harper was clearly not ready to talk about it, which Eliana noted as her friend stalked off after Blaike, leaving her to walk at the back with Zolen.

The group continued making their way up the mountainside, getting steeper with each step, or so it seemed. No one spoke for a while, concentrating on the hike. As mid-day approached, Blaike came to a stop and pointed ahead of them.

"The peak is just becoming visible. Do you see those three clumps of trees, large open spaces between them?" He asked. Both girls answered yes. "That is the crest. There will be a slight down grade for a while, and then we enter the pass."

Eliana heard Zolen's sharp intake of breath at hearing Blaike's mention of the pass. She glanced over to him and noticed his stance, one of a soldier on guard. He was concerned about their safety, she already knew. But looking at him on the mountainside, she wondered if there was something more.

After a short pause for water, the group kept walking, or trudging more accurately, up the mountain. The vegetation had changed slightly as they headed further up in altitude. The plants were thinner, still green and vibrant, but not as full. The ground could be seen more readily, with the rich soil and smooth stones. Little by little, the ground became more and more rocky. Before Eliana knew it, they had made it to the crest.

"There are many legends of this mountain pass. Some say it is haunted. Others tell of creatures lurking within, worse than the Oprey." Zolen stated quietly as they stepped further down into the valley of the crest.

"Do not fill their heads with Fae tales." Blaike warned, then turned towards Eliana and Harper. "Those stories have no merit. They were told to scare children on the dark nights."

"Have you ever traveled the pass?" Zolen challenged.

Blaike turned away from his gaze. "That is not the point."

"But it is. Let us argue Fae tales once we have gone through."

"Sheesh! What kind of Lord of the Rings place is this?" Harper cried out, hands raised in the air. "It's like you ripped off every classic there is!"

Her outburst broke the tension that had been rising between the two males. Eliana was grateful for that.

"Let's not waste time. Are we entering the pass before StarRise or making camp here in the crest?" Eliana asked pointedly. She wasn't about to let those two get into a fist fight while they were still in a precarious position. If they wanted to brawl once they reached the refuge, she would just walk away and let them at it.

Zolen spoke up first. "We should make camp. The more day light in the pass, the better our chances."

"As you wish." Blaike said quietly to Eliana. He looked into her eyes as he allowed her the decision.

"We make camp here and enter the pass in the morning." She declared.

The group started making preparations to camp there for the night. Each seemed to already know their duties, three of them already having camped together. As Eliana unrolled her sleeping mat, she overheard a conversation between Zolen and Harper.

"Who is this Lord of the Rings? Is he your suitor?"

"Huh?" Harper asked him, freezing in place at his question.

"Is he courting you?" Zolen continued to press her for details of her dating life.

"Oh. No. that's not..."

Zolen whispered, but Eliana caught his words, "Is he stronger than I am?"

Harper's eyebrows rose, then fell, while a knowing look crossed her face. "Maybe." She shrugged, then continued on with her task. Eliana stifled a laugh at her friend's lie. Denial. Harper was in such denial. But it looked like that would be changing soon.

The rest of the night was uneventful. They ate from their store of foods each was carrying. Taking the shorter route made rationing their supplies less vital. The long hours of hiking up the mountain had worn them all out, especially Harper, who for some reason had barely managed the climb. Out of the two girls, Eliana would have said that Harper was more fit and in shape. But once they crossed into the Ferlands, it was if Harpers strength had lessened, and Eliana's had doubled.

It was as if some instincts, buried deep inside Eliana's being, had been awakened suddenly.

〰🖤〰

It's so late, but I wanted you to be able to start on the journey to the Refuge now. Plus the entire chapter 11 is 4.3k words so it really needed to be split. This is the short part.

Starting with 11.2 I begin to really second guess EVERY decision I've made in the plot, description and song choices. Honestly this story has been the hardest ever for me to write! But I hope you like it anyway...despite everything I just said.

Fireproof has that battle sound that I love. I seem to have chosen metal songs for chapters which include battles. And a battle is on its way in 11.2. But no idea what that song might be!

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]