Resting briefly, the duo stood up and resumed their journey. They had planned on descending further, hoping the narrow ledge would eventually connect to the lower ridge they'd glimpsed earlier. Unfortunately, the terrain had other ideas.
The path narrowed to a sliver, forcing them to move sideways with their backs pressed against the cliff wall. Loose fragments crumbled beneath their boots and disappeared into the fog below without a sound.
They advanced in silence. The only noise was the scrape of stone against their gear and the soft hiss of Rose's flames whenever she conjured a brief flicker of light to probe the way forward. The brilliant fire revealed more of the mountain's fractured anatomy such as splintered ridges, knife-edged cracks, and hollow gaps that breathed faint streams of mist.
