Daring Porter

I made much faster progress after leaving the taiga, using my mechanical spider to scale the vertical rock face. Its feet pierced the rock and attached to it, which had made the ascent relatively easy so far. I sigh and massage my thighs to get the blood circulating in my legs. For a few moments, as I scan the landscape below, I remember Paju beside me during our first flight as we looked out of the bay window to view all of Arkaster from the sky. Rossum places a hand on my shoulder. He feels my grief and emotions, of course. Fen put one of her scarves around his neck and taught him how to put on mittens. I can't help chuckling at how he looks in his gear, especially his sheepskin earmuffs. My Chimaera suddenly turns to the cliff, intrigued, and looks at whatever is below us.

I turn around too to look down as best I can, although it hurts like hell. I see a porter attached to a rope and scaling the natural wall. Using her crampons, she swings from ledge to ledge with alarming ease. She hauls herself up, using her ice ax and grapple with masterful dexterity. I've rarely had the chance to see the porters of Svarograd in the flesh, and never in action until now. And I must say that their reputation is well deserved. Even carrying a heavy package, she maneuvers without the slightest hesitation. This isn't surprising, of course. All her life, she must have carried heavy loads up to the heights of the flying island of Enosha. Well, I thought I had a head start, but I was obviously mistaken.

TREYST