When Edmund and the princess finally step from the gloomy cover of the forest onto the open ground between the treeline and the edge of the valley, Edmund releases the princess's arm and instead shields his eyes as he takes in the terrain. There are several boulders dotting the slushy open area and continuing up to the edge of the valley. He can't see the path beyond that, so there must be a slope.
It's from that edge of the valley that Adan approaches. He's been out in front scouting the path ever since their near miss with the Giants. A few times he circled back, but only long enough to ensure the two humans were still on the right path. Even now, he pauses only long enough to suggest stopping for a meal before heading into the woods behind Edmund. It's not that odd for the Wolf to keep to himself, but Edmund is desperately curious about what he observed of the Giants. He could call him back and demand a debriefing, but he finds that his stomach is more interested in Adan's suggestion of food.
He glances over at the princess. She's still leaning over with her hands on her thighs and shows no sign of moving from that position just yet. He'd pushed her, trying for a quicker pace than earlier in the morning. It was clear the effort was more than she was used to, but she'd kept up without a word of complaint. Deciding to leave her to catch her breath, Edmund moves further out into the snow-covered field toward a boulder the size of a large dining table. He swings the pack off his back and tries to roll the ache out of his shoulders. It's been a long morning, and carrying a third of his body weight in supplies has made the miles feel all the longer. He brushes off the slushy snow from the boulder and hefts the bag onto it.
Edmund opens the pack, pulling out the waterskin and some bags of dried foods. He helps himself, and when the princess finally approaches he holds some out to her. She accepts them with a nod and moves to lean against the boulder. She swipes impatiently at the wisps of hair stuck to her sweaty forehead and Edmund can hear that her breathing is still a bit more rough than it should be. A few minutes rest will hopefully be enough, because that's all he's willing to spare.
The presence of Giants in the area is both a blessing and a hindrance. The Giants may prevent anyone from following them, but the possibility of encountering more of the brutes is more real now than it had felt last night. Edmund's last encounter with the Giants had been a diplomatic affair after the end of the Giant War. Though the event had been dull at best, Edmund could still recall quite clearly the many bloody battles that had finally led them to peace.
Shaking off those thoughts, Edmund grabs a few more strips of dried venison and heads around the boulder toward the edge of the valley. As he reaches the crest, he understands why the Giants' footsteps had gone quiet before they'd entered the forest. The land drops not in a gentle slope but quite sharply from where he's standing, and, though it isn't a long descent, it is steep and littered with boulders and drifts of snow. The Giants' path, with disturbed snow and churned up mud, is obvious, but it is by no means an easy climb.
He studies the route, a small crease appearing between his eyebrows. When Edmund glances over his shoulder, he sees the princess still perched on the boulder. She's leaning back on her hands now, staring up at the mountains around them. She seems relaxed, or at least not panting at the exertion of their morning thus far. But how is he supposed to get her down this slope? It was hard enough crossing fairly level land, he thinks sardonically.
Edmund sighs, squinting back down the slope. Now out of the muted light of the forest canopy, the sun's reflection on the snow is nearly blinding. It's past midday now too, and though just this morning the sky was overcast and dim, now it's mostly cloudless and deceptively bright and cheery.
"Your majesty," Adan says in a low voice. The Wolf stops beside him, and Edmund holds out one of the strips of meat– at which Adan turns up his nose, as he always does. Edmund shrugs and chews on the tough meat as they both stare down the hill.
"Our route," Edmund states resignedly. Adan looks up at him, his dark eyes almost amber in the bright sun.
"Phillip passed through here," Adan says quietly.
"You found his tracks?" Edmund questions, looking around at the ground near his feet. All he can see is the messy trail left by the Giants, though. Adan huffs and shakes his head.
"Not here," he confirms, "but over there." Adan indicates the far left side of the slope with his snout. Edmund follows the gesture and sees a narrow ledge clinging precariously on the side of the mountain. It looks to be less than a meter across— if that— but if Phillip went that way it must not be too treacherous. Plus, it's definitely more of a gradual descent than the path in front of them.
Edmund and Adan walk to the beginning of the narrow ledge, and Edmund sees that there are indeed hoof marks, though they're starting to lose definition in the slowly softening snow. He scans the path, searching the scree along the drop-off side for any signs that Phillip didn't make it all the way. Nothing looks disturbed, but the end of the trail disappears into the forest of the lower valley. Still, it looks more doable than the way the Giants passed through.
"Alright," Edmund decides at last, "That's our route." Adan nods in agreement, and they both return to collect the princess. She stands before they reach her with a look of anticipation— like she's bracing herself for bad news— but Edmund takes it as a good sign that she's on her feet again. Once the three of them are standing at the start of the trail, though, her hesitation is clear.
"It's this or the slope," Edmund says sharply, waving one hand toward the steep descent to their left. He's impatient to keep moving, and this detour is already going to take longer than the more direct route. Adan brushes past him, throwing a warning look over his shoulder, and steps onto the ledge. Edmund takes a deep breath as the princess continues to peer after Adan skeptically. He reminds himself that this girl has probably never spent time outside of a castle before. She has good reason to be cautious of her abilities, especially after what he's seen thus far. In fact, with the narrow path and the steep drop-off, she would probably have more trouble keeping the path if she were to move too quickly.
Realizing this, Edmund quickly swings the pack off his shoulders, removes his cloak, and stuffs it into the pack. The princess, still tracking Adan's movements, doesn't pay any attention to Edmund until he steps in front of her, finally forcing her eyes away from the precarious path. Her anxious look turns to one of confusion, but he's too busy studying her to take much notice.
"You'll want to keep your hands free," he says, thinking of her awkward and unpredictable steps. He intends to keep close behind her, but he won't be able to keep hold of her arm as he has most of the morning. Having her hands free for balance should help. He reaches out to tuck the blanket and her cloak behind her, but they slip right back to drape around her shoulders.
Before Edmund even opens his mouth, the princess reaches and removes her cloak and the blanket. She hands them to Edmund, and he forces them into the already over-stuffed pack, glancing over at the hem of her skirt while doing so. Perhaps that's what she's been tripping on, he considers, taking in the wet purple fabric clinging to her ankles. He pinches the fabric of her hem thoughtfully, but it's pulled from his fingers when the princess backs up a step.
"Can you pull the hem up any?" he asks, busying himself with latching the pack and adjusting it on his shoulders. He ignores the slight burning of his cheeks– just a touch of frostbite, he reasons– and clears his throat before facing her again. He assesses her with a glance, noting that her hem is a bit higher now and more of his spare trousers now show above her makeshift boots. With those and his oversized shirt, she looks decidedly un-princesslike, but at least she might make it through these mountains in one piece. Edmund schools his expression and tries not to let any of his concerns about her abilities show as he steps aside, hoping to somehow inspire her to the task at hand.
"I'll be right behind you," he says in the most reassuring tone he can muster. Her gaze returns to the ledge— where Adan is perched several meters on, waiting for them— until he steps closer again and guides her toward the path with one hand on her back. He stops short of forcing her onto it, though, waiting instead for her to take the first step. He wants to pull his hand back, but he doesn't. He leaves it there, pressed against her lower back, as he tries to think of something encouraging to say.
It's Peter that can spin a speech from thin air. His brother can inspire an army with the perfect words at a moment's notice and rally the best effort from his followers and friends. Edmund has never had that particular skill— has never needed it, in fact, with Peter serving as the leader of most military efforts. Edmund has always preferred a quill and paper, anyway. Treaties, laws, letters– those things hardly ever require so much immediacy that he can't formulate and assess the best wording to convey his thoughts in precisely the right way. He can mull over it and revise it as much as he needs before anyone else has to see it. But coming up with the right words in the moment…
While he's still puzzling over what to say, however, the princess suddenly straightens her spine and pushes her shoulders back. With a deep breath, which he can feel with his hand still at her back, she finally takes the first step onto the ledge.