Fractured Everest Box Set

by D. H. Dunn

  Tanira flailed with her left arm, her fingertips catching the cloth of Nima’s sleeve for a moment before they slipped away.

  “That was good,” Nima said. “One more try, just grab on to my arm Tanira. Come on!”

  For a moment, the woman paused. She was no longer writhing about, but neither did she attempt to grab Nina’s hand. Now she simply hung there by one hand, as much a part of the mountain as the rock.

  “Dammit!” Nima yelled. “Move! Now!”

  Tanira gritted her teeth, her arm swinging around and grabbing onto Nima’s hands with a grip that was hard enough to cause Nima to cry out.

  Powerful muscles in the strange woman’s arms rippled as Tanira flexed and pulled herself up to the mountain’s level.

  The weight and additional pressure on Nima’s wrists and legs was tremendous, and she could feel her feet start to slide toward the precipice. She pushed her toes down even harder, trying to dig her elbows into the cold rock as well.

  With one last groan and lurch, Tanira pulled herself up far enough to get one knee on the outcropping. She used that leverage to vault back onto the finger of rock, landing on Nima’s back.

  Nima grunted, surprised at the solidness of Tanira’s weight but grateful that same mass had kept her from falling off the mountain in Tanira’s place. Tanira slid off of her, laying on her back next to Nima and gasping for air.

  Nima carefully rolled over. The pair lay together, chests heaving as the crisp air rushed into their lungs. The drop down the mountain was only half a meter on either side of them, a few pebbles clattering over the edge from their movement.

  Listening to nothing but the sound of her breath and the pounding of her heart, Nima stared at the crisp blue sky. The clouds moved overhead, no different than the clouds she had seen all her life.

  In another time and another world, she had first met Drew in much the same way. At the time, she felt the same pride she felt now, and she and Drew had gone on to become friends.

  She smiled at the similarities, this was a good way to start out her adventure on this new world.

  “Thank you,” Tanira said, breaking the silence. “I . . . I am surprised and embarrassed to find myself in that position.”

  Her voice was pure and strong, showing no strain or sign that she had nearly fallen to her death.

  “It is easy to make a mistake in the mountains,” Nima said. “I have been climbing them much of my life and I still misstep. They are dangerous.”

  The wind crept up again, bringing with it the smell of flowers farther down the mountain. The clouds above them had transitioned from pink to deep crimson as the sun began to set into the far-off ocean.

  “Dangerous, but beautiful.” Tanira got to her feet, brushing the dirt and snow off her dark, leather pants. Smiling, she extended a hand to Nima, who accepted it. Tanira’s grip was less strong than before, but Nima still found herself more yanked to her feet than helped.

  “Thanks,” Nima said, rubbing her palms together. A chill was beginning to set in. Her breathing was returning to normal, but her pulse still pounded, her mind racing at the possibilities this new stranger might represent.

  She found she had to look up to meet Tanira’s gaze, the woman was nearly as tall as Drew. She was clad in dark leather clothes, they looked to Nima like they had been dyed to blend into the shadows. Both the shirt and pants were thicker in some places, as if there were padding underneath. She could see gouges in several spots, as if claws or blades had been pulled across them.

  Painted in the center of Tanira’s chest was a white triangle, matching the one that appeared tattooed to her forehead. Two long blades were strapped to her back, the hilts rising up from behind her broad shoulders.

  Nima felt her heart race even faster as she took in Tanira’s appearance, her excitement running like an avalanche. This was a warrior if ever she saw one, a woman built for adventures and amazing tales.

  “Nima, climber of mountains.” Tanira offered a deep bow with the fading sunset at her back. Nima thought to laugh until she noticed the expression on the woman’s face. She was being sincere. “It is I who thank you. You have saved me, and saved all of my people by doing so. I would repay that debt, if I could.”

  “It was nothing,” Nima said, returning the bow in a manner she hoped was respectful. “I couldn’t very well walk by and not help you. As for your debt . . .” Nima rubbed her empty stomach. “Have anything to eat?”

  “A feast for a hero awaits, Nima! Just follow me,” Tanira laughed and started back toward the mountain.

  Nima stood with her mouth open for a moment as Tanira deftly leapt to a lower rock. She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to know.

  Nima grinned as she ran after the tall woman. There were many surprises here already. Her skin was darker than Nima had seen before, but she had seen pictures of such people.

  Except for that, Tanira looked so much like me--do all the people of this world look as she does?

  Tanira was making good time down the mountain, staying silent and focused as she selected which routes to take. She made quick decisions, Nima noted, but she was not experienced. She would choose the paths that appeared the most secure, but miss obvious shortcuts that Nima suspected would pose little additional challenge. Mountains were clearly new to her.

  As they descended, the rocks gave way to short, stubby trees and thick bushes, deep blue vines wrapping their way through them.

  Nima spotted a few dark birds flying overhead, flocks of chough that looked no different than she would have seen in Nepal. Yet there were no blue plants back home, or scary sparking snakes with legs.

  Tanira stopped after a time, a sheen of sweat upon her brow, framing the white triangle there. Nima noted she also was perspiring, dampness under her arms and in her hair.

  It had become hotter and more humid as they descended, the air thickening with moisture.

  “The shelter I have been using is nearby,” Tanira said. “I wanted to arrive by nightfall, lest we are set upon by animals. Once we are there, I will provide food and we can meet each other properly.”

  Nima nodded eagerly. Food sounded excellent to her hungry stomach and tired limbs. The promise of getting to know Tanira better and asking the many questions on her mind was just as enticing.

  With a smile, Tanira turned and charged further down the gentle slope. Nima surged ahead after her, noting how much easier the footing was here.

  She felt a spark of excitement running through her as she followed. One day in this world and she had already run from monsters and saved someone’s life.

  A hero! What would Grandfather have said?

  The sun had nearly set when Tanira proclaimed they had arrived.

  Nima disliked climbing in the low light of dusk, but she was pleased that this version of Everest offered clearer routes. In truth, she supposed the last hour of their path had been more walking than climbing, yet her feet were crying for relief when they finally reached their destination.

  Tanira brought them to a small hole in a rock wall in the foothills of the mountain, an entrance no more than a meter or two across. Brushing one hand lightly across the rocky surface of the opening, Tanira passed through and beckoned Nima to follow.

  Walking through the opening, Nima blinked for a moment against the darkness within, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the lower light.

  Once inside, the space widened dramatically, revealing the large, main chamber of a cave, the depths lost to darkness.

  The silence of the chamber led Nima to believe it was not that deep, certainly the caves she and her brother had explored as children had deeper echoes than this one. There was a damp, musty scent that ran through the space, smelling vaguely of mushrooms and reminding her of the Under.

  In the sun’s dim light from the entrance, Nima could see many wooden tables and chairs as well as clay cups, bowls and small scraps of clothing. In addition, there were several woven blankets near the entrance. They looked thin and worn,
yet they called out to Nima’s tired arms and legs.

  “Did you build all of this?” Nima asked Tanira, sitting on one of the blankets. It felt rude to sit before her host, but her weary body had made the choice before she could even think about it.

  The thin blanket did little to cushion her bottom from the hard stone, so she grabbed a second one and bunched it under her.

  Tanira shook her head. “These were here when I found the location. It seems to be abandoned.”

  Tanira walked to one of the cave’s darkened corners while Nima’s mind went to work on the mysteries in front of her. The tables and chairs seemed made for people just like her and Tanira.

  Yet Tanira did not know whose cave this was, nor who the owners might be. Nima had spoken little to Tanira on the descent, staying focused on making sure they both arrived safely with no further mishap. Now that she finally had a moment to rest, she found her mind overflowing with questions.

  Tanira returned with two long sticks, a fist-sized mass of blackened meat at the end of each. She presented one stick to Nima, who eyed it warily.

  “A feast for a hero, as promised!” Tanira boasted with a smile, tearing a bite of meat off her stick and chewing it.

  Nima looked at the meat, which appeared charred on the outside but well-cooked inside, if now cold. It had a smell that reminded her of pork, which she had eaten once with Drew. She supposed she shouldn’t have expected a Sherpa dish like thukpa or shakpa, even if a hot soup would be so much better than cold meat.

  She bit into the meat, not wanting to be rude. It was tough, dry, and chewy, but the taste was not as bad as she had feared. Swallowing one bite, she smiled at Tanira while taking another.

  “It is some kind of land eel,” Tanira explained while eating. She ripped off another mouthful, finishing her portion as Nima took a third bite, the meat gaining a smoky flavor that was growing on her. “I discovered you have to cook those eels then let them cool, or they will upset your stomach.”

  Dropping the empty stick, Tanira stood and walked over to a nearby table, peeling off her leather chest piece and placing it upon the wooden surface.

  Nima watched with interest as the woman grabbed a needle and thread from the table and began to work on one of the rips in the armor, which Nima guessed might have been acquired during her fall. Tanira’s dark, muscled arms flexed as she worked the material.

  Nima pointed to the white symbol burned into the center of the leather outfit, a triangle to match the one tattooed on Tanira’s forehead. “What does that mean?”

  “It is the mark of the Line,” Tanira said with pride, moving the shirt into the light so that Nima could see it better. “The Line is my order, one I have been in all my life.”

  Nima’s heart raced at this announcement. It was just like in the old stories! She wore armor, she belonged to an order.

  “So, you are a knight?” she asked, excitement continuing to build. “Are you here on a quest?”

  Tanira laughed, a deep sound that felt warm and inviting. It was unlike the laugh of any woman she had ever known.

  “I am sorry Nima, I do not know what a knight is.”

  “Someone very brave,” Nima said. She could hear her grandfather’s voice clearly in her memory. “A knight goes on a quest to save her people, a long journey which might bring her into danger. She does this to protect the weaker people who cannot protect themselves, the knight doesn’t worry about herself, she is about helping her people and completing her quest.”

  Tanira laughed, clapping her hands. She made a flourish of putting the final touches on her armor repair, then held up the piece again for Nima’s inspection.

  “Then I am a knight indeed!” Tanira said, her smile almost as wide as Nima’s. “A knight of the Line, I guess you could say. I am here on a ‘quest’ as you call it, something challenging as you describe, and all of my people depend on my success. Should I succeed, I will help my people regain a life lost to them and free them from their oppressors.”

  “And you attempt this alone?” Nima asked. She wanted to know more about the quest, more about Tanira and the place she came from. So many different thoughts collided in her mind.

  “I was attempting it alone. Perhaps now I am not?” Tanira said, laughing again.

  “That would be exciting.” Nima said, running over to Tanira as the woman flattened the leather out with her hands. Nima was close enough to smell the material, reminding her of the barn on her family’s farm. “You mean I could come with you? I could help? I have so many questions. Do you have a sword? A horse? Have you ever killed a dragon? What do you have to do for your quest?”

  Tanira laughed again as she pulled the leather garment back on. Nima noticed the woman took a moment to trace a finger across the triangle on her forehead as well as the one on the armor.

  “You do have many questions!” She continued to chuckle. “I wish I could answer them all. As it happens, one of the precepts of my order is that I cannot speak in detail of the Line or of my quest as you call it. I must guard the Line. I can say that I am looking for an artifact, something very important to my people.”

  Nima held her breath for a moment, then released it, feeling a bit of warmth rushing to her cheeks. She was acting like a child, she needed to get her excitement under control. Tanira was, after all, a woman who looked to be no older than herself.

  Even if it felt like her grandfather was working with Chomolungma to send her the adventure she had always dreamed of, she needed to keep her head about it.

  She decided to allow her left foot to tap quickly, a way to allow the energy inside her somewhere to go. An old trick, one that she used with her mother many times.

  “I do have a question for you, if I may?” Tanira said, walking over to her packs. Nima noted Tanira had one leather satchel to sling over her back, and a second one that fit snugly on the back of her belt, which looked quite useful. She also saw what looked like hard rolls of bread jostling around inside the larger, open pack.

  “I’m happy to answer,” Nima said, eyeing the rolls. “Maybe over more food?”

  “Your appetite is as impressive as your climbing,” Tanira said, tossing one of the rolls in Nima’s direction. Nima caught it one handed, reminded of the many times she and Pasang had played catch with potatoes in the fields back home.

  “How did you come to be on the mountain?” Tanira asked. “My entire mission might have failed had you not come along.” The smile that had been present on Tanira’s face just moments before faded quickly.

  Nima bit into the roll, to gain more time to think. The bread was spongy and soft once she got through the tougher outer shell, and had quite a pleasant hint of spice in it. Her instincts warned her about telling too much, but she wasn’t going to make any friends by lying to them.

  “There was a monster,” Nima said. Her mind brought back to her an image of Vihrut, its long neck and distended belly being ripped apart by the portals. She shivered at the thought.

  “The monster was attacking my friends, and I had to save them. In the fight, I got lost and I ended up here.”

  Tanira looked back at her, brows raised in the dim light.

  “I would not have taken you for one who battles with monsters, Nima.”

  “I’m not,” Nima said with a small laugh, shaking her head. “Believe me.”

  “Tell me,” Tanira said, grabbing a small canteen and taking a long drink. “When you were lost, was it through a portal?”

  Nima nearly coughed out the roll in her surprise at the question, and Tanira quickly offered over her canteen. The cool water soothed Nima’s throat, the bread now sitting in her stomach like her nervousness.

  “I am sorry if I alarmed you.” Tanira took a bite out of her bread. “I suspected you were not from this world. The magic of the portals is allowing our communication, translating our speech. Yet you are not from my own world either. There are no clothes or gear such as yours there.”

  She knew of the portals, and this was not he
r world?

  “Tanira, if this is not your world either-“

  “Then perhaps we are fated to be strangers here together.” Tanira rose to her feet. “Like in a great tale! What I could not do alone, together we could…”

  Tanira’s voice trailed off, the smile on her face falling. She looked past Nima towards the opening of the cave. Nima followed her gaze, seeing nothing.

  Tanira’s eyes went back to Nima, blush forming on her cheeks.

  “I am sorry. I thought I heard something outside.”

  Nima focused on the sounds coming in from the woods beyond, but she heard nothing different about the mix of birdsong, insects chirping and the wind blowing through leaves.

  “Should I tell you about my world?” Nima asked. The silence was making her uncomfortable, and she was glad to see a smile coming back to Tanira’s face.

  “I have no need for your story, Nima. The rules of the Line allow me to say very little of my background. Were we on my world I could not even tell you the name of my order! Thus, it is only fair that I ask no more from you than I can give. You are Nima, you can climb mountains, and you seem to have a good heart. That is enough for me.”

  “So, you don’t mind me helping you with your quest?” Nima asked, smiling.

  “For as long as the Line’s path will allow it, I will be fortunate to have you at my side,” Tanira said, bending in a slight bow.

  She then sat on the floor, grabbing another roll and tossing it across the cave. Nima caught the roll with a laugh.

  “Now that our feast is over, I suggest we sleep,” Tanira said. “The next step of my quest may be in this forest. I hope to leave at dawn.”

  Nima nodded and walked back over to the blankets she had stacked by the cave entrance. She shoved the rest of the roll in her pack, it would be good to keep some spare food if needed.

  She lay back on the mat, the gray stone of the cave above her and the forest sounds coming in from outside. Crickets chirped, and birds called to one another in the dark. Tomorrow she would go out in that forest alongside her new friend and help her with her quest.

  Even with the exhaustion running through her body, Nima was not sure she would be able to sleep.