Chapter 14-
After inspecting the tree and listening to Scott complain about how I’d get hurt I smirked. “Don’t worry and besides you’re going to have to climb the tree” I grinned over my shoulder. He looked at me like I’d suggested the most vile and despicable thing possible. “I’m going to what?” he asked. I smiled and pulled out my knife, walking up to the tree. “Don’t ignore me! What do I have to do?!” he yelled outraged. I dug the knife’s blade into the moss and scrapped it off using quite a bit of strength but it worked as the strip of moss fell to the ground, revealing the bark. “You have to climb the tree” I stated indifferently. I stuck the knife under more moss a few feet above the previous part and ripped it off.
“Sky!” he yelled. I spun around and glared at him. “Stop yelling! Do you want them to know we’re here?” I asked annoyed. “Why do I have to climb it?” he asked more quietly. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair and adjusted my headband. “I can’t shoot an arrow from here to the cliff. I’ll miss and the plan will crumble. You have to do it” I told him sternly. Then I turned back to the tree and kept working on removing the moss. “I can’t climb. You know that better than anybody” he said walking up to me and standing at my side. “I’m only good at chopping trees not climbing them. I lose my balance and don’t know where to put my feet and what to grab onto to and I fall. That’s not supposed to happen when you climb trees” he said somewhat frantically. Yet he still managed to look tough.
I stopped working again and said “I will help you. I’ll make it easier but Scott I can’t be the one to shoot that arrow. I’ll miss.” He seemed reluctant but he just nodded. “How can I help?” he asked. I smiled a little and pulled the axe off the carrier on my back. I handed it to Scott with a grin. “Start chopping at the wood that I cleared. Make it somewhat like a step. It should be a straight cut, not slanted” I told him. He smiled and nodded his head.
I wrapped a vine around my wrist and held onto it tightly. I pulled myself up on it and placed my feet firmly on the side of the trunk. With my free hand I slipped the knife under the moss and cut it off. Like that I made my way up the tree holding onto the vines. Frankly I was growing very tired and I was already about 7 feet off the ground. I could easily climb the tree like this and get to the top but Scott could never. He could barely climb an oak. When I had gone a few feet higher I decided that it was enough. My wrist and right hand were burning from clinging onto the vines for so long.
I started climbing downwards. I felt the tree shake every time the axe dug into the trunk. I started carving marks into the bark to form a slot big enough to slip your hand into and place your foot on in order to climb. I had only managed to finish one and start another before my hand and wrist were about to explode. I climbed down and unwrapped the vine from my hand. My wrist was throbbing and the vine had left marks. My hand had turned red and I couldn’t feel it. I attempted to curl my fingers but pain shot through my hand. I sighed and rubbed my palm and wrist with my other hand.
“How’s it coming?” I asked Scott as I inspected the cuts he’d made in the tree. He stepped aside a little. “Is this how you wanted it?” he asked. I smirked and nodded. He had only managed to cut at 3 of the 10 spots I made. “The others are really high, Sky. I can’t cut at those” he said wiping the sweat off his forehead.
At that moment a few capsules floated above our heads. I stepped aside and let them fall to the ground. I pulled out the note as Scott started opening the capsules.
Brilliant. I hope the plan works and I’ll see one of you soon. Good luck ~Elroy
I smiled a little and went to the capsule tucking the note into my pocket. “Elroy outdid himself” Scott smirked up at me. I bent over the capsules beside Scott to see what he meant. First of all Elroy had sent us a large gallon of kerosene. It was as if he had read my mind. He had also sent a whole roll of wire with pliers to cut it and plenty of rope. As an extra bonus he sent us not only little pieces of woven rope but a whole thick rope which would definitely help Scott climb the tree. I found myself grinning like an idiot.
“Thank you” I mumbled sincerely grabbing the rope. I laid it out and started knotting it every foot. Scott helped by taking the other end. After we were done with it the rope was covered in knots from top to bottom, each a foot apart.
I wrapped it up and slipped it through my arm and rested it on my shoulder. I made my way to the tree and grabbed the vines again and tightly wrapped them around my right wrist and hand again. I placed my left hand above my right and held onto the vine with it. As I pulled myself up my right hand started throbbing and shouting in pain at me almost immediately. I forced myself to ignore it as I planted my feet against the tree trunk and climbed up. It was a bit easier this time since I didn’t have to stop and cut the moss.
After quite a bit of struggling I finally made it to the first branch which luckily did not have any moss on it. I climbed up and sat on it, removing the vines from my hand. Again it had turned dark red but the work wasn’t done just yet. I removed the rope from around my arm and unwrapped it letting one end fall from the tree. Luckily the rope was more than long enough. I wrapped my end tightly around the tree branch in a bowline knot. After I was finished knotting it I pulled onto the rope hard to make sure it held.
“Scott, pull at the end of the rope for me as hard as you can” I said from the branch. He stepped closer to the rope and grabbing the end that was hanging right above the tree he pulled onto it tightly. The knot held and I grinned. “Get ready to climb” I told him as I grabbed the rope and used it to climb down from the tree. Climbing down was a lot easier than climbing up.
“Do I really have to?” he asked looking up at the huge tree terrified. I nodded my head as I grabbed a couple of arrows out of his quiver. “But it’s so high! I can’t make it to the top” he said angry at himself. I sighed and turned to him with a soft and sweet look. “Scott” I said. He turned his head to me and his expression calmed a bit. He walked over to me and sat beside me on the ground. I grabbed a piece of the woven rope. I wrapped it carefully around the arrow right below the arrow head. I unrolled some of the wire and wrapped it tightly around the cloth on the arrow to keep it in place. Then I cut the piece of wire with the pliers and tied it securely to the arrow. I glanced over at Scott who had done the same and I handed him the arrow.
“This is it. Are you ready?” I asked standing up. He looked at me unsure and glanced at the tree again. “Sky, I don’t want to mess this up” he mumbled. I smiled, stepping up to him, and threw my arms around his waist. “You won’t. You can do it” I whispered to him. He hugged me back tightly, resting his chin on my head and I could hear his heartbeat calm a bit. I pulled away smiling at him.
I needed to adjust my hair so it didn’t get in my face. I pulled the headband Fir had given me off my head. I stared at it amazed and truly curious as to how it managed to stay in perfect condition. The headband was so comfortable that I had nearly forgotten I was wearing it most of the time. I put the headband down and using an elastic band I pulled my hair back and tied it into a ponytail, my bangs bouncing back onto my forehead. I whipped my bangs to the side. Scott handed me Fir’s golden leaf headband. I took it with a small smile and placed it back on my head behind the bangs.
Scott opened the kerosene and dipped the arrows in then placed them back in his quiver. I grabbed the gallon of kerosene in my right hand. I double checked that my knife was on my belt. Scott put the axe on my back for me and said “Be careful and good luck.” I turned my head slightly and grinned at him but his face was ridden with concern and fear. “I will” I promised.
Scott grabbed his bow and adjusted the quiver on his back as he made his way to the rope. He looked at it for a moment and took a deep breath. “Scott” I said quietly. He turned to me and I could see the worry in his eyes. “I believe in you” I whispered. He looked at me a little surprised and I smiled softly at him before turning away.
“Sky” I paused and turned my head a little. “Thank you” he said just as quietly with a grin on his face. I nodded and smiled as Scott started climbing I made my way back to the cliff. When I was finally able to see the sky again I immediately noticed that it was already over 5 o’clock. The sun sets at 6:30 so I had to hurry. I only hoped that Scott was ok. I broke off into a sprint. I assumed that it took me about half an hour to get back to the top of the cliff. I just needed to make sure the Careers were in there now. I laid on the ground and pressed my ear to the dirt hoping to hear Spark’s obnoxious voice.
There was nothing. Not a single sound came from the cave. I heard a chorus of birds sing and whistle as they flew my way. I glanced out towards the forest and stared intently at the tree. I couldn’t see Scott from here but I hoped he could see me.
“I want to find her!” Spark sounded angry. His voice was coming from the forest behind me. I cursed under my breath and ran to a nearby tree. I hid the kerosene behind a bunch of bushes and started climbing the first tree I saw. “We’ll find her” Troy’s calm and overly confident voice told him as they came into view. They walked past the tree I was in without even glancing back. I watched carefully as Troy and Spark started climbing down the cliff side. When I was sure they’d gone I climbed down and grabbed the kerosene again. I wish I knew if Scott was ready because if he wasn’t I was giving myself away and this plan would be ruined. I silently prayed Scott was in place as I uncapped the kerosene and slowly spilled it out on the side of the cliff. It started spilling down the edge and slipped down the rocky and weed covered cliff wall. I glanced over to see the rocks around the cave entrance glistening with oil. “What the hell is that?” Spark cursed.
My heart skipped a beat in fear and I quickly dumped the rest of the oil down the rocky wall. “Get out!” Troy’s usually calm voice seemed frantic now. He knew what it was. I cupped my hands to my mouth and started whistling a Nightingales song, my signal to Scott. I saw the fire of the arrow in the tree immediately and smiled a little. I stumbled backwards as the arrow came flying my way.
The cliff side rose in flames on the arrows impact. The small fire of the arrow rose to life as it hit the oil that covered the cliff. Flames flickered and sparks flew over the cliff. I found myself lying on the ground inching away from the fire. It rose higher and higher every second and with each flicker of the flame I found myself regretting what I had done. Spark and Troy are people. They don’t deserve to burn to death like animals.
