The wind blasted past her ears. The thought flashed through her head that her rope had not held, but it took up the slack, and her harness jerked her to a jarring stop. She hung leagues above the ground swinging in the gusts.
Nissa has fallen before, of course. Falling was nothing new. Even zeem monkeys fell from trees, after all. But hanging so far above the ground where Nissa had to squint at the ground to make out even a boulder was something new. With shaking hands she hoisted herself up and continued to climb.
By late afternoon the group was higher than the clouds, and the air had turned cold. The crystals that stuck out of the red sandstone were red themselves and as sharp as sword blades. Sorin cut his arm as he passed one, and when he turned to look at the cut he tripped and teetered. Nissa reached out and caught him just before he fell off the side and onto one of the many tipped crystals jutting out of the cliff.
The light of the setting sun shone directly in their eyes as they walked, making stepping even more dangerous. Nissa s breath was a cloud in the high air as she stopped. At that moment the dulam beast missed its footing and struggled desperately as it slipped off the edge and fell soundlessly into the void below with all their supplies. Nissa waited for a sickening thud.
There was no sound. Finally Nissa turned and began walking again.
The night was frigid. The wind had mostly disappeared, but still the air was icy and bit hard at their shoulders and faces. Twice Nissa thought she heard the lizard call that had woken her out of a dead sleep days before echoing through the peaks.
Do you smell smoke? Nissa whispered. Any sound echoed off the crystals, sounding deceptively close or far away.
Anowon shook his head, but Nissa was sure she smelled smoke. And when she stood first watch, the smell drove her to stand and go for a look around. Nissa knew it was not a good idea to walk in the mountains in the dark, especially those mountains, but she could not stand smelling wood smoke without trying to find where it was coming from. It could be some travelers that knew where they were going, after all.
As good as her eyes were in the dark Nissa still tripped. The land around was red from the sandstone and stretched out and down in long jags. She stepped around an outcropping of crystals and stopped. She could tell something was standing against the rock. She wished she had thought to bring her staff and cursed herself for making such an unwise mistake.
Come out, she said.
A figure emerged from against the rock. Mudheel pieced his way to her walking carefully in the dark.
You? Nissa said.
The goblin bowed slightly.
Robert B. Wintermute
Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum
Nissa watched as the goblin approached. She d last seen him some days before, following Smara as she stormed away after hearing Sorin s plan to refortify the Eldrazi s prison.
Are you following us? Nissa asked.
It is you who should be following us, Mudheel said.
Why?
You are on the wrong path.
How do I know you are not trying to mislead?
You do not know this, The goblin said. Except why would I, young elf?
He was right, Nissa thought. The goblin and Smara had left, not the other way around.
Why are you telling me this?
The goblin smiled, showing lines of teeth like stones in a graveyard. He hesitated a moment before speaking.
I miss you, he said.
Wonderful, Nissa thought.
And I did not want to push the rock.
You pushed that boulder down on us?
The goblin nodded slowly. Twice.
Both times?
The goblin nodded again. But I did not want to. She made me.
Where is she now?
Sleeping. Mudheel said. She has been sleeping more and more the closer we get to them.
Why are you here? Nissa said. To finish the job?
The goblin frowned. It was not you I was trying to knock off the mountain. It was the vampire. The one who wants to put the ancient ones deeper into their mountain. My mistress decreed it.
Then why are you here?
I want you to take the true path. Your days are few if you do not.
Why?
These mountains contain a protector. You have not seen it yet, but it has detected you. It stalks you.
And you have evaded detection?
Once again the goblin bowed slightly. Nissa wished he would stop doing that.
What is the nature of this enemy?
They are children of the ancient ones.
Brood lineage? Nissa said. We have handled them before.
Here in the Teeth they are the goblin wet his cracked and purple lips wilder.
Why have they not attacked us then?
I have been watching them for many days. They do not act as I thought they would. They seem to consider things more than I had thought.
Nissa looked at the goblin queerly.