First Snow of Winter

Part 9: The Run In
Layra moved to the edge of the gorge. She was the lightest of the trio and thus the one least likely to crack the ice when she moved over it. A long rope was bound around her waist. Layra felt quite safe when she moved out onto the plateau.
At the other side she would fasten the rope and wait for the men to follow her with the sled of meat. The elk had made their travel through the woods slow.  Layra, Biroy and Eyos had known that they wouldn't reach the village in time. First snow had fallen last night. Their only chance now was to reach the caravan. Moving in a straight line they had climbed up a slope and now were almost ready to climb back down the more challenging side.
"I'm ok!" she yelled back when she had fastened the rope. The ground had seemed solid enough. She hadn't seen one underice cave that could have posed any problems. Patiently she waited for the large sled with the elk on it, helping to pull it on the safe stone wall of the cliff below her. 
"Had any problems?" she asked.
"No." Biroy said and Dey smiled: "My first dangerous trip."
"You haven't been on a dangerous trip yet!" Biroy sighed, "Isn't that right Layra?"
"Well the next part could be dangerous...How are we going to get down?"
"Two of us stay up and lower the sled fastened to the rope. It's doable. Though we might have to take a few rest stops."
"Let's take one now." Eyos suggested. "To get fully rested."
Layra smiled at the way Eyos placed all his tiredness in that one sentence and without sounding like a whining child.
"I'll scan the surroundings." Biroy said. "Layra you watch from the wall."
"Okay, Boss." she said and watched Biroy go over the edge.
"Watch?"
"Well we aren't safe yet. We could still be attacked by a snowcat."
"Even here?"
"Especially here. Keep your eyes open."
In the meanwhile Biroy had climbed down one third of the cliff. The lower he got however, the harder it got to find ledges large enough for the sled. If it went on like this, it would be easier to climb down, each wearing a backpack with one third of the elk. But that also meant leaving a lot of the carcass behind.
Biroy went a little lower. He looked around and noticed that about 20 metres to his left a large ledge stood out from the cliff-face. Carefully he inched sideways. He turned the corner without much problems, but nearly lost his hold when he saw what was below it.

"We have company." Nyzrith told Lityan. "Shall I capture him?"
"Silly dragon!" Lityan said, "Just let us see who it is. We might now him."
"ok." Nysith said, not fully happy with losing the prospect to scare a human who had snuck up on them.
Lityan moved out of the cave where they had made camp. The Ice sheltered enough against the wind and also isolated the warmth of their fire. Chaltyk stood up and Lityan gestured to follow.
"What is it?" Ysvelt asked.
"Intruders." Lityan answered.
"Pidazzi?" Ysvelt asked.
"Why would you say that?" Lityan asked, "I think it's an IceLander. Nysith would have said something about the shadow."
"I saw her here that day. I thought I was just imagining things... but when I saw her at Lantessama I knew I had seen that shadow again. Seeing her last night brought it all back. They are up to something."
"We'll check it out." Chaltyk assured Ysvelt.
Outside they found that Nyzrith hadn't exactly followed their order to leave the human alone.
"He tried to escape." Nyzrith defended herself.
"That's no reason to scare him half to death!" Lityan answered.
Between the three dragons one young man stood, looking rather beyond himself. It took a while before Lityan and Chaltyk got a good look of him, but when they did, it was Chaltyk who recognised him.
"Biroy?" he asked hesitantly.
"Chaltyk?" the man said stunned, "You are dead."
"You were never that superstitious, man. I'm not dead, I was searched to bond a dragon."
"So they're not bad luck?" Biroy asked.
"Not really, though Ysvelt thinks he knows one that is." Lityan said.
"Are you out here alone?" Chaltyk asked.
"No, me, my brother and Layra were out hunting and didn't return on time."
"See, I thought they would outlaw small hunting groups after our vanishing." Chaltyk said to Lityan.
"They did, but I didn't have choice of a larger group."
"You're one of the best there was!" Chaltyk said.
"That doesn't matter much if you get jinxed." Biroy said, not hiding his bitterness about the whole event entirely.
"Let's get your friends. We've got a nice campfire going."
"We need to get the elk down." Biroy said.
"The dragons can do that in a jiffy." Lityan smiled.
"A jiffy?"
"Never mind."
Chaltyk flew up with Xersenyth and Biroy, scaring the two other hunters on top of the cliff. What would have taken the hunters at least a day was now finished in half an hour. They spent the rest of the day and night talking and catching up. And slowly, the dragonriders planted the idea to impress a dragon in the minds of their friends.

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Lantessama Isle - Ryslen