章節 432: Sir Greatness
"Don't be stubborn," Reyan barked. "We cannot wait forever."
The Doctor shook his head sadly. "You didn't notice it when Nurlan went across? The rope is beginning to freeze and fray. I think it will only be able to hold one more person before it snaps. You said yourself flying isn't really an option for you right now. You need to cross because they will need your help on the other side. I'm not as necessary."
"You are just guessing about the rope," the fairy blustered. "The Empress won't leave you behind and neither will I. Now get going before you strand us both." Reyan shoved the doctor roughly. The forward motion landed Phileas's foot on the edge of the rope.
It was no use in arguing now. The longer they waited, the less likely the would be to get across. Under either the cold or magic produced by the barrier, the fibers of the rope were beginning to become brittle.
Phileas gulped. 'I'm the one who said I wanted an adventure,' he reminded himself. 'What's an adventure without some danger?'
Closing his eyes, the doctor placed his other foot on the rope before he lost his nerve.
"Simply a mental exercise of overcoming anxiety. It will be alright." Phileas edged out slowly.
"It will be easier if you open your eyes to see where you are going," Aurora coaxed him.
"You have your eyes closed, you old fool?! I thought doctors were supposed to be smart," Reyan huffed. Even without looking, Phileas could feel the fairy's judgmental gaze boring into the back of his head.
"I'm no fool," Phileas answered. The insult was enough for him to force his eyes open. With the next step, the man's foot was over the chasm supported only by the rope. There was no going back, at least not without meeting Reyan's heckling. Though heckling was still better than death.
"Get moving!" The fairy prodded him with his finger.
The jolt of surprise was enough to get the old man moving. He pressed his hand on the ice wall for balance and began to move one foot in front of the other. Because the rope was very taut, it did not wobble to either side like the doctor had feared. It was more like walking on a balance beam, which suited his old legs much better.
Taking it two more tenuous steps, the doctor was making slow but steady progress. "I can do this," he thought more hopefully as he inched along. He put his right foot forward, but his toe slid from its intended spot on the thin cord.
Phileas instinctively leaned away from the ice wall to steady himself, then overcorrected and aimed his body back toward the frosty barrier. His hand made a glancing blow across the ice before slipping forward. His left foot, which had been poised to make the next tiny step, lost its tenuous grip and the doctor began to fall.
"Grab the rope," Brinn screamed in spite of herself. Of course that is what the doctor was already trying to do. Thankfully his gloves gave him extra purchase on the woven bridge. As the rope hit him between his legs, he wrapped his arms around the cord and crossed his ankles.
This caused him to dangle like a sloth from a branch, but at least for the moment, he had not plunged to his death.
"Scoot along the rope if you can, Doctor," Nurlan said calmly.
His soothing tone kept Phileas from panicking. Nodding slowly, the physician inched his knees towards his hands and then moved his gloves further up the rope.
"That's it," Nurlan coaxed him. "You've got it. You'll be half way in no ti—"
The friction of the man's hands and legs against the cord was the final straw. The rope broke.
Phineas flailed as he plummeted downward. He was about to succumb to the one ailment he had never been able to cure: death.
As if reading his thoughts, a voice answered, "Not today!"
Reyan met the doctor in his fall and grabbed him around his chest. Then he used the little bit of lift his wings would give them to glide across the chasm.
Unfortunately the glide was downward, and the pair reached the other side far below their target.
"Grab the rope!" Reyan screamed at the doctor.
Phileas eyed the rope dangling from the ledge. Because the cord had snapped from the far opposite end, the end of it was hanging just low enough to be within their grasp.
Reaching out, the old physician took hold of the braided cable and held on like his life depended on it. After all, it did.
The rope swung under the pathway and into an out-jutting piece of ice. The collision caused a small crack in the bulge and sent a rain of ice shards onto the two males. But they made the backwards stroke of their pendulum swing just in time to avoid a chunk larger than either of them as it sped by.
The pair hung for barely a moment before Reyan began to scold the doctor as they both held on for dear life.
"You have got a lot of nerve!" The fairy screamed at him. "What do you think you are doing?!"
The rope stopped swinging side to side and began to move upward as those on the ledge pulled frantically to get their friends to safety.
"Excuse me?" Phileas was confused.
"Don't play dumb! If anyone is going to die a dramatic death and be remembered as a hero for his sacrifice, it is going to be me, you hear?! How can you be so selfish?!" At first Phileas thought the fairy was joking, but Reyan was so upset that he nearly spat as he spoke.
Looking over his shoulder, the doctor could see the curmudgeon's face was apple red with anger.
"My apologies," Phileas choked. "Next time I am about to die, I will consult you first."
"Hmph, you better!" Reyan nodded emphatically.
'What a strange fellow,' Phileas decided to keep the thought to himself. They were almost to the top of the ledge.
The brittle rope managed to hold just long enough for the fairy and physician to be pulled to safety. Barely a moment after the two were sprawled out on the icy ledge, the twine disintegrated in Brinn's hands.
"Human ropes are so flimsy," the elf commented as she brushed her hands free of the fibers.
"That was an elven rope!" Reyan snapped, unwilling to let the jab against his close personal friend go unanswered. Then he lay his head back on the cold, unforgiving ice and closed his eyes. "But it brought me up here, so I am thankful elves have at least half a brain."
Brinn blew out her cheeks, ready for a harsh reply, but a gentle hand on her arm from Alvar made her bite her tongue.
Ignoring the foolishness of people trying to cope with the fear of what might have happened, Aurora moved over to the doctor and pulled his head into her lap. "Are you alright?"
Uncomfortable with having his head on his ruler's knees, the doctor quickly sat up. A wave of exhaustion and dizziness overcame him. His eyes went slightly out of focus as he tried to clear his head. "I am fine. Nothing a moment of rest won't cure. Though my arms will be useless tomorrow after all that strain."
Zan helped the doctor find a spot to lean against the wall of the switchback as he caught his breath. "I will keep an eye on him, Your Majesty," the Guardian assured her.
Aurora realized her presence was not helping the old man's nerves. She dipped her head and excused herself. "We will continue as soon as you are ready."
Moving away from her subjects, the fiery-haired woman approached the fairy. She bent down to the ice and kissed his forehead. "You are a hero!" she cooed.
The fairy blushed. "It's about time someone noticed! I was beginning to think my bravery was for nothing."
"Saving a man's life wasn't enough?" Brinn cut her eyes at the old curmudgeon.
He scowled in response, "Of course not. I only do things for others in order to get the praise! What do you take me for? A fool?"
Reyan blushed anew as Aurora beamed a smile on him. "Then I will sing your praises all the way to the Maker as you saved the man who helped bring me into this world."
"Maybe you should build him a statue," Nurlan suggested. There was an almost imperceptible twinkle in the man's eye. "I am told that is the reward for heroes after all."
"Let's not get carried away," Zan began.
With renewed energy, Reyan sat up and stroked his chin. "No. No, hear the general out. I think he makes a great amount of sense. I will allow you to make a statue of me, Your Majesty, for my many daring deeds, but only on one condition..."
"...."
"That you get my good side!" Reyan posed in his most regal manner.
Nurlan cocked his head to one side. "Are we sure Junayd didn't die and come back as an old grumpy fairy?"
"Hmph," Reyan grumbled. "Junayd only wishes he could be me. Greatness like this only comes along once in history."
Brinn gave a sagely nod. "Yes, Sir Greatness, we know."
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