Ella was surprised at the depth of Layla’s understanding. She realised she may have underestimated the small header. They all might have underestimated the Dunfolk.
"And your leaders. You raise them up, you give them power over you. Then when that thing inside of them dies, when it burns out completely. What then? You tell me this Emperor threatens my people. I blame you! Who made him Emperor? Who gave him this power to threaten the Loralayalanasa? You did!"
Ella didn’t respond, lost in thought. She could see how Layla’s reasoning made sense to her, the arguments seemed logical, but she felt Layla was missing something. Something about the will to challenge an oppressor, the nobility of freedom, and how people needed a voice to speak up in freedom’s name.
They trudged on in silence. Ella followed Layla into a deep valley. Mist welled out of its depths, to spread slowly up the opposite side of the long dale, as if the rising of a white tide.
Layla said they were cutting a big loop in the road. It seemed Killian knew something of the area. Perhaps he’d come this way before.
The two pursuers reached the floor of the valley after an easy downhill stretch. Discovering an ancient riverbed, they followed it as it twisted and turned.
Ella couldn’t see how Layla kept to the trail — how she knew they were still tracking Killian. Occasionally Layla touched her fingers to a patch of dirt, or examined some moss on a tree. It made no sense to Ella.
The riverbed led them to a cleft under a huge rock that once must have been the spring’s source. From the boulder they were forced to climb.
The ground grew steep, gravelled and littered with rubble. Trees were sparser here. Ella’s breath grew ragged and she tried to use the trees for support. Sweat began to pour down her forehead, even in this freezing air. The mist thickened.
"Are you sure he came this way?" Ella panted.
"Yes, I am sure. Would you like to lead instead?" Layla said. She seemed to be finding the going much easier than Ella.
Ella only grunted in reply.
The climb grew even more difficult. They had no chance to talk, only to take one step after another. Even Layla began to pant. The air became thick, the moisture in it a tangible thing. Soon Ella could barely see Layla ahead of her, the small woman’s figure almost lost in white.
Then she lost her altogether.
Ella stopped in her tracks. Then, scrambling, she started climbing the steep slope as fast as her legs could take her. Bits of stone and dirt were kicked up by her feet. She clawed at the earth with her hands.
"What are you doing?" Layla asked.
Ella looked up. The slope had ended. Layla was on the top of the crest, resting with one arm against a tree.
"Umm… Climbing," Ella panted.
The fog was like a white version of darkness, so thick it felt impenetrable. Ella stretched as she panted, her muscles ached.
"When I catch him, I’m going to do something terrible to him for putting me through this," she muttered.
She walked around the flat area. Only now could she appreciate how high they’d come, how steep the slope they had been climbing had been.
"Stop!" Layla suddenly shrieked. She ran at Ella, and grabbed hold of Ella’s arm, dragging her to a halt. "Stop!"
"What…?" Ella began.
Then she realised where her feet were taking her. Where they were.
She was standing on the edge of a terrible precipice, an abrupt cliff that fell down, down, until it was lost in the mist.
The edge of Ella’s foot was just over the cliff. Another step, and…
"Lord of the Sky…" Ella breathed.
Layla tugged on her hand. Ella let herself be led away. She couldn’t believe how close she’d come. If Layla hadn’t been there…
"Thank you," Ella said. "Thank you, Layla."
She received only a grunt in reply.
~
LAYLA insisted they wait until the mist cleared. They settled down to a cold camp of stale bread with some mouldy cheese. Layla supplemented it with some wild mushrooms with pink stalks she insisted were edible. Ella found to her surprise that they were actually quite tasty.
"If only we had a bow," Layla grumbled. "I need meat."
It was the first time they’d actually had a chance for a proper rest without being exhausted from a full days march. Ella tried in vain to think of a way she could use her talent to feed them. No ideas were forthcoming.
With a sigh, she activated a nightlamp, its light stretching just far enough to create a haven within the fog. Eventually, Ella felt refreshed. She began to get restless. The fog was going nowhere. Having an idea, she rummaged around in her satchel.
"Stand up," Ella said.
"What do you mean?"
"It’s a simple request, stand up."
Layla stood.
Ella slipped the brown silk dress over Layla’s head. "Stop struggling!" she said.
"I can’t breathe!"
"Yes you can. Don’t be a baby."
The dress slid down Layla’s small body. Her head popped out. She looked around in confusion.
"Here, hold the hem or it’s going to get dirty," Ella said. "Now stay still."
"Ouch!"
"Sorry," Ella laughed. "I’m just tailoring the dress to fit you. You’re very pretty, did you know that?"