Midnight Frost

we spread out in a straight line across the trail so we could all see the sight before us.
    A swinging rope bridge stretched, swayed, and slightly sagged between either side of a deep, wide chasm. In the distance, the crumbling remains of what looked like a grand stone mansion covered the landscape.
    “We’re here,” Rachel said. “Welcome to the Eir Ruins.”
     
    Covington’s pictures hadn’t done the place justice. Beautiful, blackish stone stretched out as far as the eye could see, the boulders piled in precise heaps, as though the building walls had been dominoes that had fallen on top of each other in a particular pattern. Thick, green ivy vines snaked over, around, and sometimes even through the rocks and the snow that covered them. Farther out in the ruins, I could see small, bright splashes of color, probably the wildflowers and other plants that bloomed in the main courtyard, despite the harsh winter weather.
    “Well,” Alexei said. “I suppose we should get going.”
    “Yeah,” Carson said in a faint voice, peering over the edge of the trail and staring down into the chasm. “Let’s, um, do that.”
    Rachel gestured at the ropes. “The bridge is fairly sturdy, but I’m not sure it’s strong enough for all of us to cross at once. So, just to be on the safe side, we’ll go over in groups of two. Rory and I will go first, since we’re most familiar with the area. Wait until we’re on the other side before sending the next group over.”
    Ajax and Covington nodded.
    Rachel went over to the bridge, grabbed the ropes on either side, and stepped onto the weathered wooden planks. The bridge was free of snow, given all the wind that constantly swirled around it. Rory followed her, and the two of them quickly crossed over to the other side with no hesitation and no problems. Carson’s face had a decidedly greenish tint to it, and I could hear his stomach gurgling, but the band geek hurried forward, and he and Daphne crossed second. They were followed by Oliver and Covington.
    Then, it was my turn. Alexei stepped up beside me and flashed me a confident smile. He went first. I waited until he’d gone a few steps before walking out onto the bridge behind him.
    Just like Rachel had said, the swinging bridge seemed sturdy enough. The wooden boards might have been bleached a pale gray by the sun and wind, but they didn’t have any cracks or chips in them, and the ropes were thick and heavy. So I put one foot in front of the other, slid my gloved hands along the rope, and tried not to look down.
    I’d made it to the middle of the bridge when a gust of wind whipped up from the chasm below. The sudden rush of air made the bridge sway from side to side. My stomach lurched up into my throat, and my hands tightened around the ropes. All I could do was stand there and hold on.
    Alexei glanced over his shoulder at me. “Come on, Gwen,” he said. “It’s just a little wind. This is nothing compared to the winters in Russia.”
    “Yeah,” I repeated in a faint voice. “Nothing.”
    Another gust of wind screeched up from the canyon. The high, piercing sound made me think of the baby gryphon, and I remembered that this was exactly how he had felt while he was soaring up and down on the wind currents—and how much he loved the sensation. Sure, he had wings, and I didn’t, but thinking about the creature gave me the courage to keep walking forward, one step at a time, until I was on the other side. I hurried forward away from the end of the bridge. Thinking about the gryphon might have made crossing the bridge a little easier, but it wasn’t anything I wanted to do again anytime soon.
    “Please tell me there’s another way down the mountain,” I said to Rachel as we watched Ajax navigate the bridge by himself.
    She smiled. “Not a fan of the swinging bridge?”
    I shrugged.
    “There is a trail on the far side of the ruins,” she said. “I haven’t been down it in years, though. It’s much steeper, and it would take twice as long for us to get down the mountain that way. And that’s only if there haven’t been any rock slides on that part of the mountain to block the path.”
    In other words, I was going to have to go back over the bridge when we left whether I wanted to or not. Yippee-skippee.
    Once Ajax had crossed, we left the bridge behind and entered the ruins. I’d been right when I’d thought the stone was beautiful. Up close, I could see the flowers and vines that had been chiseled