Drip…Drip…Drip. Water fell in droplets from the ceiling of the cave, landing with a plop into what must be a small puddle off to the side of his makeshift bed. He stayed dead-still for the longest time, mimicking a deep peaceful sleep, an easy feat for a gargoyle. Truth of the matter was that gargoyles seldom slept. A gargoyle’s job was to protect, and to sleep would put everything in danger. The closest Ryder ever came to sleeping would be dreaming. That, he’d done, only to end up dreaming about her—Tempest.
Hours passed, and Ryder listened to her movements. She whispered words of encouragement to Rogue. She hummed a quiet melody, which slowed each time she repeated it. When silence fell on his ears, he thought she’d given in to sleep, but at that moment, he heard her take a sharp breath.
To lie still and unmoving at that moment almost killed him, but finally, her breathing returned to normal, and he could hear her move off the straw. Her footsteps crunched on the ice, and then stopped, and small twigs snapped before she retreated back the way she’d come.
“I have a stick, Rogue. We’ll be okay, now. I’ve always beat them off that way in the past,” she whispered to the gargdog.
Ryder had no idea what she could be so scared of. Nothing would dare interfere with him in this cave; he was sure of it. Too bad she didn’t think the same thing.
Her tiny snores told him she’d finally succumbed to sleep.
He knew what needed to be done, and unfortunately, it couldn’t be done with her or that four-legged menace. A pang of guilt tore through his mind. He’d said they could come, but in actuality, he knew it wouldn’t be possible.
In the dark, he muttered a chant and levitated off the straw without touching the ground. In silence, he moved to the entrance of the cave and out into the night. A safe distance away from the opening, he lowered himself to the deep, snow-covered mountain ledge.
With the coming of the sun, the sky held a hint of orange. Perhaps the snow would stay away.
He looked back over his shoulder to the cave. She had enough wood to last many days; he’d ensure she had food for the same amount of time.
He stepped closer to the ledge and peered down into the valley far below. His large hands slid off the leathers and furs covering his body, letting them fall into the snow. He stood naked, and without a second thought, stepped off the ledge.
The air hitting his body set him alive. The transformation came quickly as rocky, jagged, snow-covered rocks tore past him at a blinding speed. As he spread his arms wide, they morphed immediately to wings. Bones cracked and snapped while his descent slowed. He touched the ground and stood looking in all directions, cursing his missing eye and fiddling with the patch.
The vertical walls of rock on both sides would make it impossible for anyone to climb up. Flakes of snow began to fall once more, and he looked straight up to see the orange sky become swallowed by darkness. He cursed.
Off to the right and left, one thing did stand out—a trail of sorts. A snow bank lined each side, but the packed snow in the center suggested frequent travel. Grateful for his gargoyle form, Ryder took to air determined to discover where the trail led. He had much to do before the snow started falling in earnest. It would be impossible to see anything, and he needed to find a way out of this mess.
The valley below snaked with a series of curves and sharp corners, eventually leading to the side of a mountain. With the first sign of movement on the ground, Ryder commanded a cloaking spell.
Lers Wotel Jasrim.
He flew closer, wanting to take a look at the two beasts standing on either side of what must be an entrance into the mountain.
Large, hairy, black creatures stood hunched over, swaying back on forth with what looked like three legs supported by large, round feet. A large roar from inside the rock caused both beings to grunt in response. The two of them came together at one end of the rock door, each using what looked like its front leg, and collectively heaved the rock sideways, exposing the opening.
Ryder cautiously descended for a closer look. Five more of the large beasts exited the cave, followed by four more in chains, pulling a contraption of ice.
It must be a transportation vehicle.
The shuttle slid on ice runners across the snow. Through the light blue shards of ice forming the makeshift carriage, Ryder could see a black form inside. He dropped a few more feet closer.
A crackling voice from inside the ice carriage bellowed orders. The being stepped down a tiny flight of stairs, fighting not to trip over the long, dark fur robe he wore—the same fur as the beasts surrounding him.
The creatures tripped over themselves to do his bidding. Three more of them exited the cave with the last of them, dragging a body.
“Don’t just stand there, you idiot. Close the entrance!”
The hairless commander turned to one of the creatures, pointing with a gnarled finger. “Find and bring her to me! Follow the beast’s tracks. She couldn’t have gotten far through the night! I expect her to be in my bed when I return. Do I make myself clear!”
Anger boiled in Ryder’s blood. Unable to control his temper, he thumped his large wings, causing a gust of air and snow to engulf the party down below. The larger of the beasts roared, looking up into the sky and sniffing, perhaps hoping to gain Ryder’s scent.
So that must be the bastard known as Fedor that Tempest mentioned.
“Fucking weather! Get on with it, Cash. You’re wasting precious time.”
Fedor climbed back up into the carriage. The beasts in chains pulled together, dragging the ice carriage with them.
They plodded down the trail, with the other group heading in the opposite direction.
Ryder flew straight up into the sky and past the ledge where he’d left Tempest and Rogue. Once he’d hit the plateau on top of the mountain, he squinted and scanned for the point where Tempest had almost met her demise. Fresh snow covered most of the path, but not enough to conceal where she’d slid. A big smile covered his face. It would appear as though she went over the ledge, which she had. Perhaps they would assume she plummeted to her death.
Tempest would be safe in the cave…temporarily. First, he followed the creatures sent after Tempest. How would they climb the mountain? To his surprise, the trail began a steep uphill climb, winding up the back of the ice-covered rock.
It would take them at least two days to discover she went over the ledge.
He backtracked the way he came and went in search of Fedor. Anger rose inside him, and he flexed his talons causing them to sink into his skin.
That vile creature will never lay his hands on Tempest…never.
Suspended in the air, he scanned as far as his eye could see. To the north and east, the mountain ranges towered over the ones in the south and west. Fedor headed north, where a vast glacier spanned for miles.
Deciding it would be best to see where and why Fedor was making this trip, Ryder landed on the smooth ice surface of the glacier noticing etched trails that then somehow burrowed straight down into the hard surface, leaving a gaping hole. He hoped whatever left those marks before his was not from something living.