14 To the barrier

Dan jumped for the fleeting rope, ignoring the undead biting all over him.

His hand twisted around the rope, the rope end getting stuck in the gap between his fur armor and steel gauntlet.

The rope was tied to one of the dragon's spikes. The undead hung over him like a ball of insects around trash, covering him all over.

'Kachak'

'Crack ! '

'Screee . cree..creek squik.! '

He could hear bones breaking over steel, as well as steel being dented and scratched over.

Dan kept his handle on his sword.

Sorcerer steel swords are the only entities who could cut down these zombies, and they do not

have as many makers in the world any more.

He swung his blade, making bones rain from left, then right, like one is cutting a potato on all sides to make it a square.

A skull hunched straight over his helmet, and opened its mouth to bite at him.

Dan had to use all of his battle experience all these years not to attack the skull right away.

Instead, he forced himself to swing the blade behind his back flatly, cutting off as much weight off him as possible.

It's only then he skewered the cheeky skull which is still biting over the unyielding steel of his helmet.

By the time he finished shaving off all the excess dead, while dangling in the air, the barrier was almost in sight.

The flight has taken but minutes, given Sasha is not stopping to create black swathes of direction makers any more.

Dan truly appreciated the wisdom of his sister then.

It wasn't an easy thing to do, to stop, and make a proper plan, especially when family is involved.

Yet, Sasha had time to think of not knowing direction after they had entered the frontier, and burned a giant road with dragon flame.

'Is this the difference between the winterchild's and I ? ' Dan wondered for a moment, before pushing that thought out of his head.

It's not the time to think of trivialities.

He stashed his sword, and held an ice pick in his hands at the ready.

It doesn't look like Sasha knows that he is dangling from the rope.

For how wise she has been when coming to rescue Bran, now, she is very much panicked in her flight back.

He will smack right into a very solid wall of ice if she continues her flight and lands on the barrier, as she is aiming to.

So, he could only jump before she could smack him into the barrier, and hope he would be able to latch on to the sheer vertical cliff of ice about a thousand meters tall.

Thankfully, he was still not feeling very comfortable in normal clothes, so he has worn full winter gear, which has leg blades, to latch onto ice mountains.

If not for the clothes, he probably would have frozen to death long before the first undead made a move.

Dan unwinded the rope from his wrist, and held on with just his fingers.

Sasha, did not land right away.

Instead, she flew over to the barrier almost above the clouds, then she started spiraling down for a landing.

Dan let go of the rope when it was swinging above arrier to the left.

The right is all stones. The ice frozen over stones will not give way to iron picks or iron soles.

So, his chance of survival lay west of the barrier, on the frontier's side.

Dan let go of the rope.

'Please don't let me tumble.'

He prayed internally.

If he tumbles, there are chances iron knives from his own soles could cut his face in shreds.

The wind was stable, and he fell down.

Dan crouched in eagle position, or the position a runner crouches in before a race, with one of his legs to back, another a little to front, and both of his hands holding the ice pick with all of his might, pressing it down on the ice wall.

If Runners run to the front, Dan is trying to stop himself from moving back.

He exerted all of his weight on the ice pick, as he forced the blades on his shoes to assist him.

Even so, he was thrown down the ledge of the barrier, and was down almost a hundred meters before the ice pick found a purchase on the barrier.

Dan immediately started the laborious process of climbing over the barrier.

It is times like this he hoped he had the same prowess as Bran for climbing walls.

Bran used to be a little monkey, who could scale any tower as long as he put his mind to it.

He had never seen a person with as much dexterity as Bran. Now, the ever so curious Bran was a cripple, who could not even walk, much less climb.

The family he has so desperately wanted was just over that ledge, probably panicking about his whereabouts.

He could not make them make a trip to the frontier again.

Luck helped them this time, allowing all of them to escape unharmed, if a bit spooked.

He has no hopes a second trip will be the same.

He needs to get over that ledge, and tell them he is alive and not to move towards the frontier.

Exactly as he surmised, Sasha is getting prepared to return to frontier, albeit not physically.

Sasha got out of her body, only to be shocked at the blue barrier in front of her, extending all around the barrier and more.

'What the ??!!!'

Before she could take a step towards the barrier, Jaejoon appeared beside her, standing in front of her.

"No! You can't. " He stopped her.

"Dan is still out there ! " Sasha said, as she examined the blue barrier.

She returned to her body, intent on moving physically, if not as a soul.

Jaejoon hopped in front of her, braving her anger.

He visibly shivered when Sasha's eyes flashed blue.

Her ice ability is all too powerful here, so much so, where as she struggled to create a ball of ice at windcastle, she could create a blizzard if she so wished to.

"Dan Frost will be safe. His end is not here." he told her, before getting out of her way.

Sasha got back into her body, and as she looked to the side to maneuver the dragon, she saw Dudley.

He is still piggy backing Bran.

In a moment, her fervour cooled off.

Bran needs her more than Dan.

No matter where she left him, Dan is a warrior, and much used to the terrain of the frontier.

If Jaejoon says his death is not here, he probably escaped somehow.

Sasha got out of the saddle, dismounted onto the icy ground besides Dudley.

Before the man could say anything, sunshine the wolf jumped forward, licking Sasha's hand, and rubbing against her affectionately.

Dudley let down Bran, and handed him two crutches.

Sasha waited graciously till Bran was able to stand on his crutches.

It was only then she hugged him.

The feeling of not being alone again ! It's indescribable.

For the longest time, Sasha thought Bran and Rudy both perished in Strong fort when it was occupied by Flayers.

However, to think they were alive !

She only hoped to bring Rudy back, just as she did Bran.

Then, together, they could take the strongfort back.

It will be filled with laughter once more, just like it was in olden times.

Even thinking about their home brought tears to her eyes.

As she held Bran, a big black clad hand holding an ice pike struck the ledge.

Another black gloved hand came up with one more ice pick, poking a hole into the ice.

Soon, a man in black armour climbed up from the ledge.

Sasha watched the entire spectacle with utter shock.

Soon, the man came up, and walked a few steps forward, right near Sasha.

Then, ever so slowly, he removed his helmet.

"Dan !!!" Sasha screamed, then ran straight towards him, throwing her arms around his neck.

Dan's arms automatically came around her waist, holding her tight to himself.

They both stood there, their foreheads together, lost in the happiness of finding family once again, after thinking them lost forever.