"Volev never go bump in the night."
They set up a column, with Volney leading and Esk at the rear. They marched along the approximate route of the path, but it didn't matter since there was no mountain. At times Esk saw the light that shone down the tunnel and highlighted the contour of the rock, with Chex's body passing in and out of it; the effect remained eerie. But as they penetrated more deeply, the light diminished, until all was dark.
"Vtop!" Volney exclaimed abruptly. "There iv a chavm!"
"A chasm!" Chex echoed. "Can we go around?"
"I will ekvplore." They waited while the vole moved along, first to one side, then the other. "No, it crowev the full region."
"You're sure it's not an illusion?" Esk asked, half facetiously.
"Quite vure. I cannot tell how deep or wide it iv, but it iv definitely prevent."
"Perhaps I can fathom it," Chex said. "I can explore it with my staff." There was the sound of the staff tapping. "It is too deep; I can't find the bottom." Then, "But I can find the far side! It is not too far; I could hurdle it."
"I cannot jump," Volney said. "But I could tunnel under it, if there iv rock below."
"Maybe that's best," Chex agreed.
There was the sound of rapid digging. Then there was the noise of splashing. "Oopv! I cannot tunnel through water!"
"Well, we got you across the lake," she said. "We should be able to get you across the chasm. After all, it's not exactly of the scope of the Gap Chasm."
"Can't tell," Esk said. "The Gap Chasm has extensions that jag a long way north and south. This could be one of those."
"You are not much help," she said.
"Maybe we could help him cross," Esk said. "We have our staffs; if we made a temporary bridge—"
"No, they aren't long enough. I touched the far side only at full extension."
"Well, if we tied them together—"
"They would bend in the middle, and then the ends would slide off."
"But if we stood on either side and held on to them—"
She considered. "Perhaps. But we would have to be very sure of our hold."
"You truvted me to lead you," Volney said. "I will truvt you to hold me."
They used the length of vine Chex had thoughtfully saved to bind the ends of the two staffs together as securely as was feasible. Then she made a leap in the dark and landed on the far side of the chasm. Then Esk poked the lengthened pole across, and she caught hold of it.
Now Volney donned his gripping talons—it seemed he had several sets for different applications—and took hold of the staff. He was not, as he had said before, a climber, but he could cling to a small root, and this was similar in diameter. He moved carefully out over the chasm, while Esk clung tightly to the end.
The pole sagged, for the vole's weight was formidable. Then an end slid toward the brink as the staffs formed a V in the center. Esk now regretted his notion; he was afraid that something would break, and Volney would be dumped into the dark depth. Fortunately he felt his ogre strength coming into play; he would not let Volney fall.
Then the pull changed. Esk's staff angled further toward the horizontal. The vole's weight was now on Chex's staff.
"I tire!" Volney's voice came. "I cannot climb!"
"Esk, let go your end!" Chex called.
"But—"
"I'm going to haul him up! Let go!"
Hoping he was doing the right thing, Esk let go. His staff immediately slid over the brink and clattered down.
But now there was the sound of motion. Chex was using her centaur strength to pull her pole up, the vole along with it. There was a rasping and a clatter. How was it going?
Then Volney's voice came. "I am here!" It was from Esk's level; the vole had reached the far side!
"I'm glad," Chex gasped. By the sound of it, she had been tiring too; her human arms were weak compared to her equine legs.
The rest was routine. Chex made sure Volney was all right, then leaped back across the chasm. Esk got on her back and she made one more leap, carrying him across.
Then they proceeded on through the
They set up a column, with Volney leading and Esk at the rear. They marched along the approximate route of the path, but it didn't matter since there was no mountain. At times Esk saw the light that shone down the tunnel and highlighted the contour of the rock, with Chex's body passing in and out of it; the effect remained eerie. But as they penetrated more deeply, the light diminished, until all was dark.
"Vtop!" Volney exclaimed abruptly. "There iv a chavm!"
"A chasm!" Chex echoed. "Can we go around?"
"I will ekvplore." They waited while the vole moved along, first to one side, then the other. "No, it crowev the full region."
"You're sure it's not an illusion?" Esk asked, half facetiously.
"Quite vure. I cannot tell how deep or wide it iv, but it iv definitely prevent."
"Perhaps I can fathom it," Chex said. "I can explore it with my staff." There was the sound of the staff tapping. "It is too deep; I can't find the bottom." Then, "But I can find the far side! It is not too far; I could hurdle it."
"I cannot jump," Volney said. "But I could tunnel under it, if there iv rock below."
"Maybe that's best," Chex agreed.
There was the sound of rapid digging. Then there was the noise of splashing. "Oopv! I cannot tunnel through water!"
"Well, we got you across the lake," she said. "We should be able to get you across the chasm. After all, it's not exactly of the scope of the Gap Chasm."
"Can't tell," Esk said. "The Gap Chasm has extensions that jag a long way north and south. This could be one of those."
"You are not much help," she said.
"Maybe we could help him cross," Esk said. "We have our staffs; if we made a temporary bridge—"
"No, they aren't long enough. I touched the far side only at full extension."
"Well, if we tied them together—"
"They would bend in the middle, and then the ends would slide off."
"But if we stood on either side and held on to them—"
She considered. "Perhaps. But we would have to be very sure of our hold."
"You truvted me to lead you," Volney said. "I will truvt you to hold me."
They used the length of vine Chex had thoughtfully saved to bind the ends of the two staffs together as securely as was feasible. Then she made a leap in the dark and landed on the far side of the chasm. Then Esk poked the lengthened pole across, and she caught hold of it.
Now Volney donned his gripping talons—it seemed he had several sets for different applications—and took hold of the staff. He was not, as he had said before, a climber, but he could cling to a small root, and this was similar in diameter. He moved carefully out over the chasm, while Esk clung tightly to the end.
The pole sagged, for the vole's weight was formidable. Then an end slid toward the brink as the staffs formed a V in the center. Esk now regretted his notion; he was afraid that something would break, and Volney would be dumped into the dark depth. Fortunately he felt his ogre strength coming into play; he would not let Volney fall.
Then the pull changed. Esk's staff angled further toward the horizontal. The vole's weight was now on Chex's staff.
"I tire!" Volney's voice came. "I cannot climb!"
"Esk, let go your end!" Chex called.
"But—"
"I'm going to haul him up! Let go!"
Hoping he was doing the right thing, Esk let go. His staff immediately slid over the brink and clattered down.
But now there was the sound of motion. Chex was using her centaur strength to pull her pole up, the vole along with it. There was a rasping and a clatter. How was it going?
Then Volney's voice came. "I am here!" It was from Esk's level; the vole had reached the far side!
"I'm glad," Chex gasped. By the sound of it, she had been tiring too; her human arms were weak compared to her equine legs.
The rest was routine. Chex made sure Volney was all right, then leaped back across the chasm. Esk got on her back and she made one more leap, carrying him across.
Then they proceeded on through the
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