“I ain’t doin it!” Millie shouted standing on the other side of the canyon. Her arms rested firm on her hips, and she pursed her lips in defiance.

“Just jump you old goat,” Thurnar called after her pulling on his long, braided beard with one hand.

Agatha who had jumped or rather hadn’t let go of Verim when he had, perked up and released the centaur only to charge and ram Thurnar back off the cliff. “Tole ya I’ll catch ya on yer backside.” She dusted her hands and stomped back over to Verim. Verim was running fingers through his long black hair and fixing his beard.

Tootsie laughed and flew over to the cliff edge to watch Thurnar drop. Then she fell onto her backside and kicked her feet as she laughed.

“I’m going to kill that woman.” Dredge grabbed his father's hammer, but his brother Mido held him back, mumbling something to his brother. The two dwarves instead lowered a threatening glare at Agatha.

“Just walk the ropes then,” Elrindel shouted over the great divide.

Millie looked at the ropes again and fidgeted. “Can’t, come an git me.”

I looked over at Shia. She raised her brows at me, “it would be like trying to save a treed cat. She will just wrap up on me so tight we will both go down into the pit.”

Mia glared up at her. Shia made eye contact but shrugged a no offense look on her face.

Khan danced around me eager and just about knocking me down. He had made it across without going down into the pit. He simply jumped and bounced off the rope once, landing nearly on top of me.

“Perhaps you should have Verim shoot her with an arrow.” Goar said under his breath to me.

I looked over at Agatha petting down Verim’s coat and running fingers through his tail. Her bright eyes doting over him. “I don’t think she could ever look at him the same again.”

“I don’t think she can ever think I'll of him. He could drop a horse apple right now and she would clutch it to her chest until it turned cold.” Goar chuckled.

I looked to Mia, but she was comforting Flak and the other falconite. I thought of the fleeing Aurai. “We need to hurry they are getting away. We can’t give them time to regroup. Especially since they are headed in the same direction we are going. We need to get her over here now.”

“Just leave the old goat.” Goar said extra softly so Aggy didn’t hear. “She is stubborn and loud anyway. She will only slow us down or give us away.”

“Would you want me to leave you behind? We can’t leave anyone. I promised I would see you all back to your homes.”

Khan nudged me with his wet nose. I pushed his head away and he dropped down with his butt up and tail wagging inviting me to play. I ignored him. I looked down at Goar’s hip holstered side arms. “Do you think someone could rope her and tug her over here?”

Goar and Shia laughed. “She would splat off the wall over here.” Shia said, “but it would shut up her racket for an hour or so.”

“Agatha would catch us on the backside for sure.” Goar agreed wiping a tear from his eye, “would be hillarious though.”

“I hear ya’ll o’er there talkin bout me.” Agatha called over. She kept her focus on Verim though not looking up. Tootsie growing nosey flew back over to see what we were talking about. "Don't know wha cha sayin but I hear my name again..." She let her threat hand in the air.

I shrugged, “at least I came up with something. You two are little help at all.”

“Tell the men on the other side to throw her over.” Shia said touching a finger to her chin.

“I like it.” Tootsie nodded.

“Yeah, are you going to cover Agatha’s ears, so she doesn’t hear that?” I said snarkly.

“No, but we will wait for you. Can’t leave you behind, we’ll wait right by the blade.” She grinned.

“Loyalty,” Tootsie said stroking her chin, “go for it.”

Khan jostled me again, growing upset I wouldn’t play with him. “I’m not doing it. Come up with something else.”

“If’n one of you’n gentle lads don’ get me…” Millie shouted.

“Stuff a rag in it.” Goar turned and shouted, then promptly covered his mouth. “I mean we are working on it.” He shot a glance to Agatha. She had broken her trance from her love long enough to give him a long stare and chew a piece of grass. Goar shifted around to my side to keep his eyes on Agatha.

Khan gave me a gentle bite on my shoulder to remind me he was still there. I turned and wrestled the oversized pup. Holding him by the head with all four arms I twisted him onto his side and patted him firmly on the side with two of my arms. Then an idea came to me, and I smiled. “You can understand me can’t you boy?”

He wagged his tail, and I wasn’t sure if he was answering my question or just excited, I was talking to him. I closed my eyes and tried to project an image of him carrying her back across. He sat up and I opened my eyes. He had his ears perked and his head tilted to the side. I pushed the image again and he looked across the canyon with his big brown eyes.

He stood up then ran for the rope and leaped halfway across the canyon. His front paws landed sure, and he bounced up as the rope went taunt. He landed again on the other side near the startled Millie. Everyone turned to watch.

“Boring.” Tootsie buzzed in my ear, “should have dropped her off the cliff.”

Khan bowled Millie over with a nudge of his giant head and plucked her up in his teeth. Only she was upside down and he was holding her by her legs.

“Let me down.” She shrilled.

He turned back to me wagging his tail for approval. “Come boy.” I called.

He backed up for a running start as the soldiers stumbled over one another to get away from the giant hound. Then he ran jumped and bounced back to our side. All while Mille swatted him on his nose. “Bad dog, Aaah!”

He pranced over to me proud as a peacock and dropped her headfirst at my feet. “Bad dog, stupid dog.” She stood and swatted him.

I turned to Agatha and shrugged with all four arms. “At least he got her here safe.” I said apologetically. Tootsie roared laughter in my ear.

Millie stormed off never thanking Khan for saving her a trip to the pits.

When Goar and Shia finished covering their laughter with their hands they looked over at me. “Well, he did go and get her, he can’t help if he didn’t understand the appropriate way to carry an old lady.” Goar said trying not to let Agatha see him fighting off a smile.

“He carried her back to me just as I showed him to.” I muttered.

Goar couldn’t contain himself, so he turned away from Agatha and dropped both hands to his knees in a deep barking laugh. It was a crying booming laugh. And Agatha caught him on his backside.