“WHAT’S THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN two points?” asked Tom.

“A straight line,” said Elenna.

“Right,” said Tom. “So the quickest way off this mountain is …”

“Straight down!” said Elenna, a smile brightening her face. “But how?”

“You’ve got a rope, haven’t you?” Tom asked.

Elenna delved into her quiver and brought out a coil of rope, thin but strong. Tom glanced at a boulder lying on the path. “Perfect! We can tie one end of the rope around that rock.”

Elenna passed the rope around the boulder and double-knotted it. She tugged to make sure the rope held firm, then nodded at Tom. He went to the edge of the path and looked down. The cliff face was a sheer drop. Far below, he could see where the path, a tiny wiggly line, emerged onto the lower slopes.

“What about the animals?” said Elenna, glancing over at Storm and Silver, who were waiting patiently.

“Without us they can go much faster,” said Tom. “They can follow the path and meet us at the bottom.”

“Are you sure the rope’s long enough?” asked Elenna.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Tom told her. He flung the rope over the edge of the cliff. They heard the whoosh of it snaking through the air. Tom and Elenna peered down and saw the end swinging far below.

“If we get to the end of the rope and it’s too far to jump down to the ground,” said Elenna, “we’ll be stuck. We won’t have the strength to climb all the way back up again.”

Tom knew Elenna was right, but he wasn’t about to give up now. “I’ll go first,” he told his friend.

He grasped the rope, turned around, and lowered himself over the side. Silver peered down at him inquisitively, as if he were trying to figure out what Tom was doing.

“The moment of truth,” said Tom, grinning up at Elenna. He hoped he looked braver than he felt.

He swung out from the cliff face, dangling in empty air. The effort of clinging to the rope turned his hands white, but he managed to get the rope gripped between his knees. That felt more secure! Slowly, he made his way down, hand over hand.

Tom looked up and saw Elenna, Storm, and Silver all peering over the top of the cliff, watching him.

“Don’t get too close to the edge!” he called up. Then he stared straight ahead at the cliff face.

His arms ached and his muscles trembled. Come on, I can do this, he told himself. An icy wind blew and the rope swayed dangerously. Tom felt himself being blown into the rock face. No! He couldn’t put out his hands to stop himself and he smashed his head into a jutting bit of rock. A warm trickle of blood ran down his cheek. He breathed slowly, allowing the strength of heart given to him by the golden chain mail to return.

After a few breaths, Tom felt ready to carry on. He found a rhythm: Grip with the right hand, slide the left hand down; grip with the left hand, slide the right hand down; grip with both hands, slide the knees down; grip with the right hand …

His hands were numb.

“It’s not far now, Tom!” Elenna called. “You can do it!”

He risked a glance down. The slope wasn’t too far below now — about the length of a medium-size tree away. But the rope didn’t reach. Not even close.

What could he do?

Jump?

Then Tom noticed an outcrop of rock just below him. If he could land on it, he would be able to scramble down the rest of the way.

There was no other choice.

Tom took a deep breath and let go of the rope. He felt himself falling through the air, weightless. Then his feet hit the rock, jarring his ankles. He staggered — and just managed to right himself in time. He pressed his back against the cliff.

That was close! he thought. He dropped to his hands and knees and scrambled over the side of the rock, feet first. Then he took a deep breath and launched himself into the air, hitting the packed earth hard. His knees buckled, sending him rolling through the dirt.

Made it! he thought jubilantly.

“Tom! Are you all right?” called Elenna. Her face was a tiny white oval from this distance.

Tom climbed stiffly to his feet.

“I’m fine!” he shouted back. “Your turn!”

Elenna began the climb. Tom watched with his heart in his mouth. When she got to the end of the swaying rope, Tom called out to help.

“There’s a rock that sticks out right underneath you. It’s big enough to stand on. Can you see it?”

“Yes,” said Elenna.

She hit the rock and reeled. Tom gasped as he saw her stagger, off balance, over the edge of the rock. He threw himself forward and caught her in both arms. Elenna’s weight knocked him to the ground. They both rolled over, then sat up, covered in dust but smiling.

“Thanks!” said Elenna, straightening her quiver.

“No problem,” said Tom.

Elenna whistled up to Silver. The sound carried clearly in the thin air. Alert as always, Silver understood what to do. Tom saw him pad to where the rope was tied. A few moments later the rope came snaking down to Tom and Elenna.

“I trained him to gnaw through knots one time,” Elenna explained. “I never thought I’d need to use that trick again.” She re-coiled the rope and placed it in the bottom of her quiver.

High above, Storm and Silver set off down the twisting path at full speed. Soon Tom and Elenna saw the two animals appear around the corner, running quickly.

“Well done!” said Tom, patting Storm’s neck. Elenna ruffled the fur on Silver’s head.

“We don’t have time to rest,” said Elenna. “We must keep moving.”

They were on the edge of the plain now. The Dark Wood could clearly be seen, no more than half a day’s walk away. As Tom gazed at the distant treetops, a shiver passed over him.

“We’re getting close, Elenna,” he said. “And Luna is waiting for us.”