Tarashana Rachel Neumeier (top 10 motivational books TXT) 📖

us. But then the span ran up again, becoming a glimmering thread in the distance, where it swept up at a far steeper angle toward the high slopes of Talal Sabero.

We had seen other such ice formations as we traveled, but never one so long and slender. Perhaps that long arc was broken somewhere. But as far as I could see, the ice ran smooth and white and endless, straight from this place to the still-distant heights of the mountain.

Iro said, his voice level, “One might assume the gods guided us to this place so that we might go the rest of the way. One might imagine they would despise the cowardice of anyone who turned away from the bridge they have provided.”

“Yes,” I said. That seemed likely. But the Saa’arii shadow tide streaked the sky before us. One edge of that emptiness had already crept very close to this slender span of ice. I could not see through that shadow; the world became ragged at its edge and then disappeared where the flatness became darker. One could not stare at that emptiness and see it move, but when I looked away and then back again, I could see that the raggedness of the near edge had changed shape, that the dark emptiness was coming closer to the world—closer to us, closer to the ice bridge, closer to Talal Sabero. Perhaps it already encroached on the mountain. That was hard to judge.

“Look, the black tide is going to eat away the middle of this completely terrifying ice bridge before anyone could cross to the other side!” Lalani said. “Even if we could walk on that ice, we cannot go that way. But we could not do so even if the shadow were not coming down like that. Surely not even an Ugaro can walk on that ice!”

“In the land of the living, no,” Iro said. “The ice would be far too steep. Here?” He lifted one shoulder in a small shrug, turning to me.

I thought this might be the first time he had deferred to me willingly. Of course, I was no more certain of the proper course now than he was. I sighed. If one of us set a foot on that ice bridge and began to follow it, then we would quickly discover many things. I waited for a breath and another breath, hoping a wolf would come and show us that we should take that direction. But no wolf came. I realized now that we had not heard any wolves for a long time. It seemed a long time. It seemed to me we had been walking a very long time, though there was no way to judge time when the Moon and the stars did not follow their accustomed paths. The Sun had not risen. That might have meant we had not been in the land of the shades even one full day. I found this very difficult to believe, but I set that uncertainty aside.

Still, I agreed with everything he had said: I could not believe we had come to this place accidentally.

I said, “Perhaps we might walk on that ice. That is no more difficult to believe than walking up a sheer cliff, as Lalani and I have done in this place.”

Iro looked out along the long and perilous span of ice. He said, his tone judicious, “Ryo, that is a bridge. I believe the gods brought us to this place so that we might cross it. I think we should go on with confidence. If we do this, then we must do it now and cross as swiftly as we may, so that we come to the other side before the Saa’arii tide comes upon that bridge and blocks the way. That is my opinion. But perhaps I am wrong. I will make this trial. Then we will see how everything happens. But you should take back your sword now, in case I am mistaken in everything.”

I shook my head. “You are not injured. In a fight, you would be more use. I will make this attempt—”

“Ryo, I could—” Tano began, interrupting me.

“Men!” said Lalani, with such utter disgust that we all stopped and looked at her. She set her hands on her narrow hips and glared at us. “We may not have rope, but we have two blankets,” she said, biting off each word. “We will cut these blankets into narrow strips, knot them together, and tie them around someone. Tano. He weighs less than either of you. He can test that bridge. If he falls, the two of you can pull him back up and we can think again. And I do mean think! Not set ourselves forward for stupid, unnecessary deeds, however brave we like to think ourselves!”

Iro and I looked at each other. I was embarrassed. His mouth was crooked up on one side in a wry expression that acknowledged the obvious truth that we had both been stupid.

“I would do this,” Tano said tentatively.

“Yes,” I said. Of course he would. I raised my eyebrows at Iro, who sighed and made a small gesture of concession. Drawing his knife, he said to Lalani, “Give me the blankets.”

“At least you all have the sense to listen to better ideas,” she muttered, unwrapping the blankets, which she had been carrying around her shoulders so that she could be warmer. Without them, she would be cold, but she said nothing of this. In her own way, Lalani was as brave as a warrior. And, apparently, more sensible.

Now that we had settled on this course, Tano stared out into the air, at the luminous ice and pale stone and flooding moonlight—and at the terrible smear of black emptiness that cut across the sky, eating all the light and giving nothing back. He looked at that for a moment. Then he dropped his gaze, pretending he was