Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

find a dragon's cave, but the closer he drew the more impossible it seemed that any man could climb the towering basalt wall that loomed darkly before him, filling the horizon. Yet, despite all his doubts, despite the unreasoning fear that tormented his nights, Rupert never considered turning back. He'd come too far and been through too much to give up now that his goal was finally in sight.
    Go forth and slay a dragon, my son. Prove yourself worthy of the throne.
    The early morning air was still cold from the night's chill when Rupert rode into the foothills. Thinning grass and stunted shrubbery soon gave way to bare rock, pitted and eroded by long exposure to wind and rain. A pathway cut into the mountainside itself led steeply upwards, and the unicorn cursed steadily under his breath as he picked his way carefully along the ueven path. Rupert kept his eyes fixed firmly on the path ahead, and tried not to think about the growing drop behind him. The trail grew steadily narrower and more treacherous as they ascended, and was finally interrupted by a long patch of shifting scree. The unicom took one look at the gently sliding stones that blocked the path, and dug his hooves in.
    'Forget it. I'm a unicorn, not a mountain goat.'
    'But it's the only way up; it'll be easy going after this.'
    'It's not the going up that worries me, it's the coming down. Probably at great speed, with the wind rushing past me.'
    Rupert sighed, and swung down out of the saddle. 'All right. You go back, and wait for me by the foothills. Give me two days. If I'm not back by then ...'
    'Rupert,' said the unicorn slowly, 'you don't have to do this. We could always go back, and tell the Court we couldn't find a dragon. No one would know.'
    'I'd know,' said Rupert.
    Their eyes met, and the unicorn bowed his head to the Prince.
    'Good luck, Sire.'
    'Thank you,' said Rupert, and turned quickly away.
    'You be careful,' muttered the unicorn. 'I'd hate to have to break in another rider.' He turned carefully around on the narrow path, and cautiously headed back down the mountainside.
    Rupert stood a moment, listening to the slowly departing hoofbeats. The unicorn would be safe enough in the foothills. If scree hadn't blocked the trail, he would have found.some other excuse to send the unicorn back; what remained of the quest was Rupert's responsibility, and his alone. There was no need
    for both of them to risk their lives. Rupert shook himself briskly, and studied the vast patch of scree before him. It looked treacherous. Forty feet of it, but barely ten feet in width; one wrong move and the shifting stones would carry him clean over the edge, Rupert glanced briefly at the drop, and swallowed dryly. It was a long way down. If he were to slip, he'd reach the foothills before the unicorn did. He grinned sourly, and stepped lightly on to the scree.
    The packed stones shifted uneasily under his weight, and Rupert held his breath as he waited for them to settle. Slowly, step by step, foot by foot, he moved up the scree, taking his time and testing each part of the scree cautiously before committing his weight to it. Despite all his efforts, the sliding stones carried him closer and closer to the edge, and Rupert knew he wasn't going to make it. The gusting wind plucked fussily at his cloak, and he felt the scree stir under his boots. He shifted his weight slightly to compensate and the scree ran like water beneath him, carrying him remorselessly towards the escarpment's edge.
    Rupert threw himself flat, digging his hands deeply into the scree, and he slowly slid to a halt with one foot hanging over the edge. He could hear stones falling, tumbling down the side of the mountain.
    Barely five feet more of scree stood between him and solid rock, but it might as well have been five miles. Rupert lay still, breathing shallowly. He couldn't go on and he couldn't go back; the slightest movement could mean his death. Rupert frowned as an answer occurred to him. A slight movement couldn't save him, but a lunge with all his strength behind it just might. It might also kill him. Rupert grinned suddenly. What the hell; if the scree didn't get him, the dragon probably would. He pulled his legs carefully up under him in one slow, controlled movement, and dug his feet into the scree. The shifting stones carried him a little closer to the edge. Rupert took a deep breath and lunged for the solid rock beyond the scree. He landed awkwardly, the impact slamming the breath from