The Fall

Sicbur let out a curse as the rock he was standing on gave way. It was not the thought of plunging the forty odd foot to his death, though that was certainly a part of it, it was the fact that his friends would not only save him, but do so with an ‘I told you so’ look on their faces. True, they had told him that these boulders were not secured, but that wasn’t the point. He leapt from the boulder, grasping at the shrubs and vines that clung to the otherwise sheer surface.

The first shrub came away after a few moments, but slowed his momentum sufficiently to enable him to secure the next hold. He half expected to feel the tendrils of magic grasp him, was both pleased and irked that they didn’t. He hung there, catching his breath; a process that would have been quicker if he had not looked down. Inching down the vine, up not being an option now he was half way down, he spotted another vine that went further down to his left. He pushed off with his legs and grasped at it with his left hand, only releasing his right when he felt secure enough to do so. It was a long tiring process, twice he had slid down a few feet as his chosen vine had given out once it bore his whole weight. Sometimes he was forced to cling to shrubs in order to reach a vine, but at last he found himself standing on firm ground, barely able to refrain from kissing it in relief.

“I’ll bet you can’t do that again,” Shadow said with a relieved smile, meeting Sicbur half way back up the cliff.

Sicbur snorted, but it did beat an I told you so…

(Word Count 299)