I do not own Ranger's Apprentice
Horace was the last of the Aruleans to trust the ladder. As he reached the top he saw the sturdy platform waiting and relaxed slightly. Will helped him off the ladder and he looked around him. This high in the canopy he could see the different platforms at the top of the trees. And the things spanning the gaps in between them
"Tell me we're not going across ropes." He said faintly. The guard member operating the winch looked at him.
"A child could do it." She told him flatly "Wolfpaw even made us set out hand rails, see?" Horace could see the other two ropes at chest height over the ropes now, but it didn't really reassure him. But looking at the Guard member's mask, whites and icy blues mixing to look like a blizzard, and the face beneath it he could tell he wasn't going to get any sympathy from her.
"Frost." Wolfpaw admonished as he came up onto the platform, rolling up the ladder as he spoke. "Do not be rude. They are simply not used to it yet." He smiled at Horace "Do not worry, it is easier than it looks and there are more substantial bridges in the city." Seeing he wasn't convinced, Wolfpaw stepped out onto the rope without looking down or using the handrails. He stood directly between the two platforms and bounced. Will and Horace gasped and Duncan closed his eyes, sure he would fall the long, long way down. Wolfpaw landed on one of his hands on the rope, in a one-handed handstand. He got back on his feet and turn one, two, three backward summersaults, landing perfectly on the rope each time.
"Okay, okay it's safe we get it." Gilan said quickly. "Now stop doing that before you give me a heart attack." Wolfpaw smiled
"Hurry up then. Frost, stay at the back. I'll guide the front." Wolfpaw said, walking to the other platform, about ten metres away. Will stepped out onto the ropes, clutching the guide ropes, before slowly relaxing his grip.
"Easy peasy" He called, grinning back at Horace as he reached the other platform. Halt rolled his eyes to Gilan
"Where does he come up with these ridiculous sayings?" he asked despairingly. "What does it even mean?" Gilan smiled sympathetically back at him before stepping out onto the rope himself. His hands hovered over the guide ropes the first metre, before he let them drop and continued, unconcerned.
"I was here before." He reminded the open-mouthed Will. Halt simply walked over the ropes with one hand trailing the guide rope
"Interesting system." He said to Wolfpaw "only those used to it would be able to use this route and you don't leave tracks on the ground. Means it's very difficult to find your towns. Smart." Wolfpaw nodded before calling out to Horace
"Don't look down, look at where you are going. It's just a matter of focus; believe you will not fall and you will not." Horace nodded tensely. He heard Frost mutter something in her own language behind him. He didn't know what it had been, but from her tone he could tell it was an insult. It was this more than anything that goaded him into stepping out onto the rope.
Thank you penny dragon, for reviewing. I'm glad you liked it, it was reassuring to hear. I hope I get the characters right, they're hard to imitate! Sorry if I'm rambling. I'm just happy.