Thunder roared above Tesnayr and Turyn. Lightning flashed everywhere. Tesnayr bent low as rain beat upon him until his soaked clothes weighed him down making it difficult to move. Mud oozed over his feet forming a suction with each step he took. The wind howled around him threatening to throw him off the mountain.
The night had started out calm like any other. Unexpectedly, the storm sprung up enveloping them. Torrential rain drenched the mountain as more lightning crackled around him and thunder bellowed. Tesnayr crawled through the muddy path on all fours. The slippery muck made progress difficult and agonizingly slow. Amazingly, the secret road cast its glow brightly despite the weather.
Tesnayr halted. A steep incline blocked his path. He eyed it in the lightening but could see no discernible way up. Turyn hunkered under a shelf of rock shivering in his wet fur.
“We need to find shelter,” yelled Turyn over the deafening thunder.
“There is no shelter,” shouted Tesnayr. “We’ve no choice but to go on.” Tesnayr studied the steep slope. Rocks dotted it, but with the rain, climbing would be near impossible. He pulled a rope from his pack and handed an end to Turyn. “Do you think you can climb up this?”
Turyn nodded.
“Take an end of this rope,” said Tesnayr, “When you reach the top, tie it around a tree or something so I can use it to pull myself up.”
Turyn snatched the rope end in his jaws. He ignored the taste of the rough fibers as drool dribbled from the corners of his mouth. With a great leap, the cat sprang onto the slick rise. His four paws sank into the sludge oozing down the incline. Carefully, Turyn crawled to the top. It wasn’t far, but the rain made progress challenging.
Turyn dug his claws into the earthy goo. Using exposed roots and rocks, he braced himself as he ascended. Lightning flashed. The cat clamped his jaws tighter on the rope determined not to drop it. His muscles twinged with each passing minute.
Finally, he reached the top. Quickly, Turyn spotted a tree trunk and looped the rope around it tying it securely. He pulled on it signaling Tesnayr that he had made it.
The roped pulled taut as Tesnayr grabbed hold of it and lifted himself up. Bracing his feet on anything he could find, he heaved his way up the slope. Tesnayr set his foot on a relatively flat stone. His foot slipped. Instantly, he fell into the sludge around him clinging to the rope for support. Tesnayr sat up coughing as he spat mud from his mouth. He wiped the slime from his face, but only succeeded in spreading more on himself. Carefully, he stood up.
Tesnayr used his arms to haul himself to the top. His feet skated on the grime unable to support his weight. His hands stung terribly from the effort of holding onto the slick rope. The edge drew nearer. Almost there, he thought. With one last pull, Tesnayr rolled onto the top of the hill and lay there in the pouring rain. His chest heaved from the exertion. He turned on his side and noticed the same bluish glow that he and Turyn had followed for over a week.
A strange sound echoed around him drowning out the thunder and rain. His head perked up. He listened again. The sound echoed once more. “Turyn,” said Tesnayr, “Do you hear that?”
Turyn turned his ears in the direction of the noise. “What is that?”
“I think it’s the horn that Sarwyn told us about. We found it Turyn!”
It echoed a third time filling Tesnayr with warmth.
“It is the horn. We must be getting close.”
Tesnayr jumped in excitement. A low grumble rose beneath his feet. Suddenly, the ledge fell apart. Tesnayr leapt away from it landing on solid ground. “Turyn,” he called looking for the cat.
No response.
“Turyn?” Fear gripped Tesnayr as he realized that the cat was nowhere to be found. He peered over the edge of the slope and saw nothing in the darkness. “Turyn!”
Nothing. Turyn had disappeared with the falling rock and slime. Disheartened, Tesnayr curled up on the ledge. He buried his face in his hands and wept for the loss of his only companion while the wind wailed cruelly, as though it laughed at his misfortune.