Page 40 of Taurus's Quest
“You think you’ll be able to see the cave entrance?”
“Nope.”
“Then what are you looking for?”
“A spot no one would dare climb.”
“Shouldn’t you be looking for the stairs mentioned in the diary instead?”
“Doubt there’s a point. According to the author, they were already crumbling and a few hundred years have passed since. Seeing as how no one’s found the Labyrinth, despite the many hikers, I’m thinking either erosion completely disappeared them or a rockfall sheared them clean.”
“If the stairs are gone, then how will we reach the cave?”
“With some of my toys. Don’t worry. I came prepared. Ready for the next bit?”
She wanted to scream no but nodded instead.
“I think we’re down far enough so now we need to move farther into the gorge by swinging sideways.”
“Excuse me? You want us to go horizontal?” She eyed the ledge that ended three feet to her left and much less than that to the Taurus’ right.
“Trust me.”
Magic words, apparently, because, once more, she clung tight as he grabbed the rope and pushed away from the wall. She gritted her teeth when they swung and only breathed when the jolt of impact hit.
“One second while I affix this anchor,” he murmured before she heard a tapping. “Okay, here we go again.”
She had to admit he seemed to know what he was doing because, by the time they reached a ledge, she noticed they’d gone well out of sight of their starting point, via the use of anchors that secured the rope so they didn’t get dragged backwards.
The binoculars emerged again, and Taurus spent a moment observing before once more sending them off sailing, his movements assured and honestly less scary than expected. Was it crazy to put so much faith in this man she’d met only days before? Probably, but at the same time, she had to admit a certain exhilaration. She never did adventurous stuff. Maybe if they survived, she’d expand her horizons.
“Okay, last resting spot ledge for a bit. Looks like we’re about to enter a tricky section,” he said. “I need you to keep your feet planted and lean back into the cliff since this spot is narrow.”
Narrow? She made the mistake of glancing at her feet and noticed her toes hanging over the rocky edge.
Eep.
Taurus’ feet hung even farther past the ledge, but he didn’t seem bothered as he pulled a fresh coil of rope from his pack. He quickly undid the one they’d used and replaced it with a fresh one anchored above their heads. She really hoped it held.
“How much farther do you think?” she asked as he moved to straddle her so she could grab him around the neck.
“I’m thinking we’re close.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Listen. Hear that slight whistle?”
“Isn’t that just wind?”
“Yup, but the sound it’s making indicates it’s going past an opening.”
Hunh. An interesting fact to know.
“Okay, hopefully the next stop is the cave.”
She hung on tight as he swung. One jump. New anchor. Another. He locked the rope in its new spot. A third spring from the wall didn’t go as smoothly.
“Fuck,” he grunted. They didn’t land against the cliff but rather appeared to be descending and swinging sideways.
