Page 172 of The Heart of Winter

I had to reach him!

Whether he was nothing more than a frozen corpse or still breathing, I had to touch him, just one last time.

I had no idea how long the climb took. Probably another hour, despite the fact that the cliff wasn’t that high.

All I knew was that eventually, I made it to the top, blinking dazedly at my surroundings.

Right away, I spotted the area where Sariel must have slid down. It was part rock, part mud. Snow must have fallen there recently creating a thin, treacherous layer that could easily be hiding ice.

I had to think this through, or I’d go sliding right down onto him, and we’d both tumble off the cliff together.

But how was I supposed to think when my brain barely functioned?

When it kept shutting off every few minutes, leaving me almost catatonic?

And to think—I’d always had such a sharp mind. I’d been great at math. I’d been an excellent programmer—not to brag.

So I had to find a solution.

A large, wide rock. My eyes fixed on it. In theory, I could secure a rope around it. But I didn’t have a rope. There was no way I could shred my blanket either, not without a sharp knife. And I didn’t have the strength in my hands to tear it apart with brute force. That idea was out.

But maybe… maybe I could tie all the blankets together. Maybe add my jacket? Even my pants if needed?

That sounded… doable.

I got to work, peeling the blankets off my shoulders, stripping off my jacket. It was cold, but since the sun was still fairly high, it wasn’t completely freezing.

I wrapped one blanket around the rock, tied it as tight as I could, then secured another blanket to it, and at the very end, I fastened one of my jacket sleeves.

Gripping it, I began lowering myself toward the cliff’s edge.

After a moment of slow, careful maneuvering, fighting against my sluggish body, I finally peeked over the ledge.

I was about nine feet above Sariel.

He was motionless, pressed against the cliff in an awkward position.

Was he… alive?

One thing gave me a shred of hope, the cliff faced south. Which meant the sun had shone on him all day.

Maybe—maybe—he had a chance.

But how was I supposed to get him out of there?

He was curled up on a narrow ledge. But what… if he stood on his toes?

"Sariel?"

Silence.

My heartbeat sped up.

"Sariel?!"

I was shocked by how weak my voice sounded, even though I’d put effort into it: it came out hoarse, uncertain. Maybe that’s why he didn’t hear me. I tried again.

"Sariel!!!"

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