Episode 2
Asta and Shade set off to help Sheno find Uri. They descended into the Water Gap, and scouted around its edges for signs, hoping to avoid notice by the patrols that were moving up and down the mountain. At the top of the pass stood the old ruined Gap Tower. Shade, curious about the Tower, wanted to investigate it, supposing the people of Cold Oak might have taken shelter there, but Asta recognized the signs of a large group of people crossing over the Asalath, and supposed the clan had gone south.
Now the Asalath this high in the mountains is not wide, but it is fast, and very cold, and it flows in a steep ravine. What Asta saw was a large tree that had been felled across the ravine, trimmed to make a bridge, and then cut to cause it to fall after the people had passed, so they could not follow. Sheno knew of two places to cross, one near the village, and one below the Gap Tower, where once there had been a stone bridge, the ruins of which made a treacherous stair and stepping stones. Since the village was occupied by soldiers, the trio went up the pass toward the tower, and, seeing it also held by soldiers, waited for nightfall in the very talus cave where Sheno had promised to marry Uri.
But all their traveling and exploring had not passed unnoticed, and a troop of soldiers came looking for them. Some noticed the talus cave, and prepared to enter. Hearing them coming, Shade said she would handle them, and ducked through the jumbled rocks back to the entrance. Curious, Asta followed, and found herself in a tight space with a mountain lion. The lion screamed a fearsome challenge, and the soldiers, presuming that if the interlopers were in the cave they would be eaten, passed on.
Night fell. The trio dashed across the open road at the very foot of the tower, climbed down the broken stones of the old bridge, and hopped from stone-to-stone across the river. But no sooner had Asta and Sheno reached the far side, and prepared to make the difficult climb out of the ravine, than a group of soldiers from the tower appeared. Shade shouted a warning, and Asta knocked aside an arrow that nearly hit her as she dashed across the river.
Pinned down, now, the group could not hope to climb the steep rocks before the group of archers. They drew fire and then played dead, hoping to lure the soldiers down into the ravine. Sure enough, after a few moments, they heard soldiers crossing the river. Shade leapt up and dropped the first into the raging river with her quarterstaff. One after the other, Shade tripped them and flung them down, but only four had descended, another four, suspecting foul play, had remained atop.
Hoping the odds had been evened, Shade shouted to Asta and Sheno to run for it, and they climbed the steep rocks. Asta was struck by several arrows, yet, miraculously, clung to the rocks and kept climbing despite her great pain. Sheno, however, was struck a near-mortal wound, and fell into the river, Shade just catching a handful of shirt and keeping her from being swept away. Asta then levitated her out of the ravine, and Shade was able to dash up the slope to safety.
Bleeding, and with Sheno barely conscious, they limped into the refugees of the Cold Oak clan, only to discover that Uri was not there.
