Closed To Reach the Top(Oitera)

[Red Daghul]

There was a change in Oitera's stance though it still seemed a little tense Red was starting to understand something about the girl. From her last question it was seemingly obvious that it wasn't endal's that she was afraid of, or at least it was not the main issue that seemed to make her act so untrusting and disrespectful of Red.

The other big question that her question answered was maybe the reason she desired so much to climb the cliff. The Wind Eagle. Oitera must want to prove herself to the Eagles, so that she could become Endal. That is something he understood.

"As far as climbing well I guess you could say I am alright, but I am no expert" he said taking a deep breath "But I will have Daghul circle us and watch and Im sure he would be more then happy to catch either of us" he looked at Daghul and a sense of pride over his bondmate surged into a smile for a second.

Then targeting the second question he answered "As far as the Wind Eagles I would be more then willing to help where ever I can, though I can't make one come" he was kinda making a jump at what she wanted, which he was a little worried that it could backfire. "The Wind Eagle's..." he searched for the words that would make sense "they search for more then just physical power, or even just a desire. Many use those things in choosing, but from what I have found with Daghul they look for people who match them, and have a desire to see the Reach protected" he thought for another second "Many of the Wind Eagles look for a sense of justice" he left it at that as he looked at the wall.

"Shall we?" he motioned to the wall feeling a little weird at trying to explain what the Wind Eagles wanted, but he was hopeful that she understood that it was a heart thing. In his mind Red beat himself up wishing he was better at explaining how it all worked, but truthfully how could he explain how he and Daghul came to be so close, or even explain why Daghul would choose him... part of him wished Daghul could just explain it. Maybe he could, and use Red to explain it.

The thought would seemed good, but he had just offered to start the climb, well if she pushed for more questions he would then try to see if Daghul could explain it better, and if she didn't then maybe it would just be better to climb and do it after. Yeah, that would work.

[Oitera]

Oitera nodded at the first answer, she had no doubt in the skills of the Wind Eagle, or his kindness. Which was kind of weird since she still didn't trust Red entirely. When he contined to the second answer, it was a bit strange, almost like he wanted to explain that climbing a cliff wouldn't help her to become an Endal. But she hadn't told him that secret desire, he couldn't know about. She looked at him, he seemed to be a kind man. One of few.

"Yes, let's climb." Oitera looked at the cliff wall again, lifting her hand and grabbing the first holds. Then she liftet one of her feet up and put it on another grip. She pulled herself up at the same time as placing the second foot a bit higher than the first, the climb was started. Slowly Oitera managed to move up, it was hard to not lose concentration this time. She had much to think of, but she pushed the thoughts away and kept on climbing, very slow.

Her fingers started to cramp, but she ignored it the best she could. She hadn't reached very far, just a couple of meters and it was much more before she could rest. She looked up, it was very, very much left. She hadn't even reached her record.

As she glanced at Red, her hand lost it's grip and she almost feel, but managed to hang on the the cliff wall. Well, that's why I shouldn't loose concentration, Oitera told herself. She was going to make this! Sooner or later she would make it!

[Red Daghul]

As Oitera started her climb, so did the Endal. Stretching out his hand to grab hold of a rock that was jutting out of the wall Red took note of the height of the cliff something he had not thought of doing before. The massive rock wall seemed some where around a hundred if not a one hundred fifty feet. Not that height mattered to much to the Endal, but it did mean that this was not going to be a simple climb.

Pulling up with his left arm and stretching his right to find the next hold the Endal felt the burn in his forearms, but kept moving forward even through the burn. They seemed to be making good progress as Red surveyed where they were, and he wanted to say they had gone up third feet by now.

That's when Oitera looked at him, and her hand slipped Red launched himself over grabbing a hold to his left and trying to get under her to grab her. The girl was fine though, and she was able to recover with ease. Red gave her a nod as if to say nice save, and then he returned to his climbing trying to catch up with the girl.

Mean while Daghul had taken to the skies flying around the cliff watching closely the two climbers like a hawk watches a rabbit feeding waiting for it's mark. This was dangerous and the Bird wasn't going to let anything happen to Red, and the girl.

Back on the wall Red lifted his left leg to find his footing before pushing himself to the next hold. They were coming up on fifty feet by his eyes though it was hard to judge when you were on the wall, and he didn't want to distract himself by asking Daghul so they would just have to go on his gut feeling. There seemed to be a cool breeze in the air as they started to climb higher, and it was for Red comforting as it reminded him of being on Daghul's back shooting through the air.

[Oitera]

Oitera was both proud and irritated. Proud because she hadn't fallen yet and they were quite a bit up she guessed, but she didn't want to look down since that had been her fall last time. Irritated both on herself for loosing concentration and almost falling, but as well on Red for thinking she would fall. But she knew that it wasn't an inssult, he could've saved her if she'd fallen. She ignored that irritation since she suspected that it was from the irritation on herself as well.

When she feelt the breeze higher up, she noticed that she was very warm and that her arms and legs was screaming to her to stop this madness. Since this wasn't something she was doing very often she wasn't surprised. Infact, this was the first time and her arms especially wasn't used to lift her weight for this long at a time. Her arms was cramping and twitching, but she wasn't going to stop now!

A few feet higher, she shaking started for real. Her arms was finished and her feet and toes was very tired, it did hurt a lot. She tried to ignore it but she couldn't help to look up to see if it was very much longer, it was. At that point, she was very close to give up and just let go.

This thought was especially tempting since she knew that the Wind Eagle was going to catch her, but no, she would make it even if it would be her last thing to do in life. She clinched her jaws and keept on climbing though the shaking in her arms and legs must now be visible to the Endal.

[Red Daghul]

The sight of Oitera climbing was in a way inspiring to Red, and it reminded him of his own days as a teen desiring to challenge everything to reach his goal. There was more though the Endal started to notice the girl's shaking, though he was unsure if it was from the cool breeze or fatigue. This was where Red had the advantage.

A Endal has to train and train, their bodies have to be a fit shape as they are required to protect, hunt, and be able to do it well. The burning in the Endal's arms made him have thoughts that the girl must be going through a tough spot here. Not only that it seemed that the hold were getting harder to find, or at least they were getting smaller where Red was. That was the girl's advantage she was smaller and weighed less which he hoped would give her a easier time.

They didn't stop though Oitera seemed locked on to the top and was willing to go through what ever it took to get there. The picture was painted on her face, and the way she shook. Pain fought against her desire to find victory.

Red pushed himself to climb just a little faster, but not enough to pass her just to stay beside her. The words he wished he could find didn't come as easy as he hoped, and from how things went on the ground he wasn't sure words were what the girl needed. Matter of fact, there didn't seem much that the Endal needed to do other then just be ready to grab her if she needed it. So Red waited as they climbed pass what he was sure was the seventy feet mark.

[Oitera]

Oitera noticed that Red came up beside it, but ignored it since she needed all her concentration to make her trembling arms and legs to do as she wanted. Her concentration flew away more often as she got more and more tired. She sometimes missed a hold that she shouldn't miss and forced herself to think about the cliff instead of her room and bed.

For the first time Oitera looked down and stopped, scared by the hight when she thought about falling. This didn't help at all, her tired hands sliped and her feet trembled. Her breath started to race as the fear threatened to paralize her. She swallowed, still starring at the ground beneath her. It looked very hard and uncomfortable to land on from this hight.

Red, who still was beside her, caught her attention. She couldn't react like this in front of an Endal, he would think she was just a scared child and nothing more. She forced herself to look at the cliff in front of her and tighten her grip with her hands, then she moved on.

As she continued climbing, Oitera was careful not to think about the hight that she was on. The damage she would get if she fell, the pain to heal it... if she didn't die. No! I can't think of that now, she told herself and shook her head.

[Red Daghul]

The wind raced around the two climbers now way pass the half way mark, though Red noticed that Oitera was tired and by the way she had watched the ground he knew that there must be fear with in her. It was not extremely odd when she snapped back into climbing mode after looking over at the Endal. Sometimes the endal had that effect.

Worry started to set in deep in Red's mind if she was tiring out she may not be able to make the climb, and that would have more damaging effects then just the physical for the girl. They only had another fifty or so feet to go, but would she have enough strength to make it. The Endal worried that if it came down to it Oitera would not ask for the help that she needed, but what was Red to do if he tried to help he was sure he would just anger her which was the last thing this girl needed was to feel anger towards those that were here to help her.

Focus. Red needed to keep her Focused on the goal. Red took a long stretch to reach a higher hold and lifted himself up each hold he grabbed took them that much closer to the goal. "Almost there" Red said pretending like he was talking to himself more then to her. She didn't seem to respond well to his encouragements that went towards her, so he was hoping that she would take the encouraging words he said to himself as encouragement to her. It was kinda a silly plan, but what else did he have left.

[Oitera]

After the look down, Oitera had gotten some adrenaline which helped her to move on, but it didn't help for very long. Soon she was tired and shaking again. But she would make this!

The Endal was talking to himself, encuraging himself infact. Strange. But maybe the conection and mentally dialogs with a Wind Eagle had that effect. Oitera looked up, and just as Red had said, it wasn't far now. But would she make it? Her limbs was cramping and her throat was dry, she was exhausted from both the mentally and physically work and tests.

No, she would make it! Oitera got a new look in her eyes and a bit more strength, she moved a bit faster, eager to finish this task and being able to rest. Moving on was the only thing she could do now, there was no turning back at this point for her. If she gave up now, she would hate herself forever... and she wouldn't get any Wind Eagle!

[Red Daghul]

The climb was coming to a end as Red pulled himself up using only the tips of his fingers on a edge of a rock that wind and time had chiseled away. All that was left was two feet which the Endal easily swung himself to the top and sat on the edge. Sweat ran down his face which felt cold due to the wind that blow through his hair, and the Inartan man felt a feeling of relief.

As if suddenly remembering his climbing partner he looked down watching her shaking arms and legs, yet then looking to her eyes and seeing a fierce passion almost as she pushed herself up to the next hold. It was a feat to have climb the cliff at all, specially with out training, but it was even more impressive her motivation and dedication to the climb. Red knew her body must be screaming in pain by now.

Readying himself just in case he was needed to act quickly to aid her he waited for her to finish the last few feet of climbing. Taking a moment to scan the mountain reaches with it's peaks and valley like falls Red marveled at the sight as the sun was starting to turn into it's rich oranges and pinks with the fiery sunset sky. One couldn't help but fall in love with this place. Taking a deep breath he looked back to Oitera deciding to risk some encouragement directly, but tried to make it sound more out of respect "Just a few more feet".

[Oitera]

The Endal had finished the climb and was now looking at her. He spoke to her but she was so tired she barly noticed what he said, it didn't matter. One hand streching up and she was there, she had made it. Crawling over the edge Oitera came ontop of the cliff.

She stod up, walked a couple of steps away from the edge, smiling. She looked back at Red, tired but happy. She looked at the Wind Eagle that was still flying in the air. Then she realised it for real, she had made it!

Her legs gave up and the ground came towards her with enormous speed as she collapsed were she stod. She lifted her arms to ease the fall but the didn't help very much, they just slowed her down a little before bending and giving up as well. Black dots were covering her sight, she shaked her head but they didn't vanish.