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Elena woke up feeling stiff and cra Three other people seemed to be on top of her
Elena? Can you hear me?
Stefan?
Yes! You’re awake?
I’m all craive us a moment and you won’t be cramped anymore Elena felt Damonto her for a moment Elena, I’m sorry I never even realized what condition you were in Thank God for Daive me?
Despite the heat, Elena cuddled closer to hier I did that, didn’t I?
I don’t know I don’t care All I know is that I love you
It was several minutes before Bonnie woke up Then she said feebly, "Hey! Whachoo doin’inout of it,"Elena said, and tried to rol over and get up
The world obbly She obbly - and bruised But Stefan was neverher when she started to falHe helped her get dressed withouther feel like a baby He exaone into the water, and then he took out anything heavy inside He put the heavy things in his own pack
Elena feltthe thurgs - both of thereat double trunks up to break off pieces of wood frorass underneath They clearly were not going to die after al
Elena knew everyone atching her to gauge whether or not she was up to anythe tea heated over a dung fire, trying to conceal the fact that her hands shook After forcing some jerky down, she said in her most cheerful voice, "So what next?"
How do you feel? Stefan asked her
"Little sore, but I’l be fine I guess everyone expects h"
Dalance at Stefan, took both her hands and stared at her She couldn’t - she didn’t dare -
at her coly
At last Damon dropped Elena’s hands abruptly "I went in as far as I could You should kno far that is,"he added to Stefan "She’s sound, her nose is wet, and her coat is shiny"
Stefan looked as if he were going to sly "I’ on to save Fel ’s Church"
"I’ve always believed in you,"Stefan said "If you think you can go on, you can go on"
Bonnie sniffled "Just don’t take any more chances, okay?"she said "You scaredthe void of Meredith’s absence Meredith would be a great help to both of the? I’m al turned around"
Daht line The path is narrow after this - and who knohat the next trial is?"
The path was narrow - and misty Just as before, it started in fil theo first, and she held on to his pack
Behind her, Bonnie clung like a burr Just when Elena thought she was going to screah the white blanket any farther, it cleared
They were near the top of some mountain
Elena took off after Bonnie, who had hurried ahead at the sight of transparent air She was just fast enough to grab on to Bonnie’s pack and pul her backward as she reached the place where the land stopped
"No way!"Bonnie cried, setting up a cla across that!"
That was a chas it
The chasripped the bridge’s ice-cold lacial blues and greens at the very bottoap between this bit of the world and the next bit directly in front of the
Elena looked froe, which was h for one person to walk on It was supported here and there by ropes which ran to the sides of the chasm and were sunk with nificently down and then back up again
Even looking at it gave the eye a sort of mini�Cthril ride The only problem was that it didn’t include a safety belt, a seat, two handrails, and a unifor, "Hands and feet must be kept inside the attraction at alltile, thin, creeper-woven rope to hold on to on the left
"Look,"Stefan was saying, as quietly and intently as Elena had ever heard hio one by one, very slowly - "
"NOOO!" Bonnie put into that one word a psychic shriek that almost defeaned Elena "No, no, no, no, NO! You don’t understand! I can’t DO IT!" She flung her backpack down
Then she began laughing and crying at the same time in a ful -blown attack of hysterics Elena had an ier impulse to throw herself down beside Bonnie and shriek, "And neither can I!
It’s insane!"But what good would that do?
A fewquietly to Bonnie, unaffected by the outburst Stefan was pacing in circles
Elena was trying to think of Plan A, while a little voice chanted inside her head, You can’t do it, you can’t do it, you can’t do it, either
This was al just a phobia They could probably train Bonnie out of it - if, say, they had a year or two
Stefan, on one of his circular trips near her, said, "And how are you about heights, love?"
Elena decided to put a brave face on it "I don’t know I think I can do it"
Stefan looked pleased "To save your ho works here I could try to use , but I can’t control theic is simply not available here, Stefan’s voice said in her mind