James Barclay - Beyond the Mists of Katura

‘Who did you mean when you talked about “larger individuals”?’ asked Ulysan while they were waiting for Rith’s team to create a door for them to enter the dome.

Merrat threw an arm around his shoulders and patted his barrel chest.

‘No one, old friend, no one in particular.’

The weather had deteriorated enough for Auum to abandon all thoughts of moving up the fissure in the mountain that day. It was a popular decision, not just because of the battering winds and snow so thick visibility was zero, but because another night meant more rest, more healing and greater strength for the day ahead.

They set off at first light the following morning. The wind had lessened slightly though the snow was still dense and cloying. The whole party had moved to the face Hohan had tried to climb the day before, and while small groups were led forward to the ledge to climb, the rest were able to enjoy another Il-Aryn shelter, though this time not heated by Julatsan elves.

TaiGethen moved above and below the inexperienced climbers, using themselves as footrests, halting any slides and heaving up those not strong enough to brace themselves against the walls of the fissure all the way up. The narrows caused brief anxiety, but only Stein had struggled with the width so far. Most of the packs had made it up with just a few snags and tears, although some were lost. It was a small price to pay for good progress.

So it was that Auum and Ulysan along with Oryaal, Evunn, Duele and, inevitably, Tilman reached the climb with their group of seven Il-Aryn. While Ulysan explained the method and Oryaal demonstrated the route with an effortless grace the adepts would not be able to replicate, Auum stared upwards. Grafyrre had estimated seven hundred feet and it was at least that long a climb.

Auum chewed his lip, looking up at the narrowing of the walls about two thirds of the way up, while the wind whistled into the fissure and the snow bunched at his feet before being blown away, some spiralling in an updraught like ash from a fire.

Tilman proved himself a lithe climber despite his ankle, and he went up with Evunn to show the path while the Il-Aryn followed at their own pace, Duele and Oryaal behind them. The ascent was steady and without panic, and the knowledge that shelter and a hot meal waited at the top gave energy to aching muscles.

Ulysan and Auum waited at the bottom, meaning to have a race once the way was clear, but Auum could see the big TaiGethen was eyeing the ascent without his usual all-conquering confidence.

‘You all right?’ he asked.

Ulysan smiled. ‘It’s narrow.’

‘You’ll be fine. Just hold your breath and keep crawling.’

‘You know what I’m talking about.’

‘Despite what I may often say, your head isn’t that big.’

Ulysan was breathing a little too fast but he still laughed.

‘Let me do the jokes,’ he said.

‘Just as soon as we’re at the top. Come on, let’s get moving. Never mind the race. This wait isn’t doing you any favours.’

They climbed side by side, scaling the first section with ease. Auum felt invigorated, testing himself against the mountain. Across from him Ulysan kept on glancing up and, as they approached the narrows, he began to sweat despite the cold.

‘Keep it going, Ulysan,’ said Auum. ‘Plenty of room for your ego yet.’

Ulysan was gasping. They were forced to turn ninety degrees, their backs to one wall, hands and feet on the other, pushing up. Auum could see, far above, the last of the Il-Aryn and TaiGethen scrambling over the top and away. Faces rimmed the opening and Auum waved they were all right.

Only they weren’t. The narrowing fissure forced them into an ever more upright position, never too much to prevent them from pushing and pulling their way up but tight on the torso.

‘You’re doing just fine,’ said Auum.

Ulysan swallowed. He moved another foot or two up and his left ear brushed a tiny outcrop in the otherwise smooth wall. He overcompensated and his right ear brushed the other side. He froze.

‘Auum!’ he said, the fear alive in his voice.

‘Just rest your head back to the left. There’s room, I promise you there’s room.’

Ulysan’s head was an unusual shape and his ears stuck out a little, but Auum couldn’t see anywhere he risked getting caught though he would get a few scrapes along the way. The big TaiGethen nodded and reached up again, leaning his head as Auum had said. He braced his feet and pushed, inching up.

Right above them the walls angled slightly to the right and closed fractionally, taking the incline off the vertical, but only by a few degrees. Auum moved into the turn, feeling the rock above his head and angling his body to give him the position to drag his legs through.

‘Just follow me and do what I do,’ said Auum. ‘You’ll be fine. It’s tight but not too tight.’

Ulysan inched up and his head touched the angle in the rock, forcing him to tilt his neck. He gasped and stopped, rocking his head from side to side to convince himself there was room.

‘You’re nearly there. You need to push up, get your shoulders across the angle and you’ll have all the space you can dream of.’

Ulysan reached forward, pulled and jerked his legs down to push himself up but didn’t bend his torso to ease over the angle. His head struck the rock face above him and his shoulders jammed against the walls as he tried to turn his whole body to give his head more space to twist.

‘No.’ It was little more than a whimper. ‘No.’

‘You’re all right, Ulysan,’ said Auum.

‘I’m not,’ he said, gasping in shallow breaths. ‘I’m stuck. I’m stuck! Please, Auum, I’m stuck!’

‘You’re not stuck. You just need to back up about a foot and reorient yourself.’

‘I can’t go back. Please don’t make me go back.’ Ulysan was starting to panic. His hands were scrabbling so hard he was drawing blood, and his feet worked at the wall, moving him nowhere. ‘I can’t move. Please, I can’t-’

‘Ulysan, take a single deep breath. . concentrate on the air flowing in and out, good and slow.’

‘I can’t!’ wailed Ulysan. ‘No room for my chest. It’s stuck fast. I can’t breathe, Auum, I can’t!’

Auum was in the wrong place to help. He was a body length ahead and facing up, only able to see Ulysan if he twisted his head down to look past his shoulder. He moved up as fast as he could, looking for the space and angles to turn around.

‘Don’t leave me!’ screamed Ulysan. ‘Please! Don’t leave me here alone in the darkness.’

Auum edged his body around, feeling his back catch on the wall and his left ear scrape painfully against a sharp ridge. Ulysan was still screaming. Auum heaved himself about, feeling the pressure across his body as he faced vertically down. He jammed his feet, pressed his back up as hard as he could and inched across and back down towards his oldest friend.

Ulysan was still scrabbling when Auum laid his hands on the suffering TaiGethen’s and stilled them.

‘I’m here,’ he said quietly and as calmly as he could. ‘You’re not alone.’

‘Ellarn?’ asked Ulysan, managing to turn his head just enough to meet Auum’s gaze.

‘No, Ulysan, it’s Auum. Come back to me, Ulysan. Ellarn went a long time ago.’

‘It’s going to be just like before,’ said Ulysan. ‘Trapped in the dark, no one to hear me.’

‘I heard you, Ulysan,’ said Auum. ‘Can you hear me?’

‘I can hear you. Where are you?’

‘I’m right in front of you, old friend. Do one thing for me. Breathe slow, breathe deep.’

‘That’s two things,’ said Ulysan, and relief flushed through Auum; at least something was left to work with. ‘Auum, are you there?’