The Cavalry is Dead

"This is too easy," Romes muttered.

She stood on the edge, her hands planted on her hips. The remnants of their makeshift campsite littered the cliff: dried cherries, burnt matches, a half-drunk water skin... Purple light filtered over the scorched desert, and Jax rolled his shoulder, wincing as it gave a slight twinge. He could smell the sweat clinging to his worn clothes, and he leaned surreptitiously away from Romes.

Asa raised an eyebrow. "Have you hit your head recently, pipsqueak?"

"I'm just saying." Romes shrugged. "We've survived an active volcano and an army of bloodthirsty puppets. And now all we have to face is a glorified jungle-gym?" She shook her head. "Something's up."

Asa held up a jumper. "Want me to blindfold you? That'd make things more interesting."

"Jax?" Romes turned. "What do you think?"

"I'd probably keep your eyesight," Jax said. "But that's just me."

"About the logs," Romes said.

Three people looked at him expectantly. Four, if you included Bibi, although the pegapiglet was probably just looking for bacon. Jax frowned.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Romes shrugged. "You're the plant expert."

"And?"

She gestured. "These are trees."

"No," Jax said, exasperated. "They're logs."

Xander held up a finger. "Technically, she's right. All logs come from trees."

"You know what?" Jax muttered. "Screw it."

He marched towards the cliff, sizing up the nearest log; the beam was fat and mishappen, like a potato that had been bashed on one side. When Jax turned, everyone was watching with astonishment, horror, or both.

"What?" Jax demanded.

Romes turned to the others. "I really thought he was going to jump for a second, you know."

"Same." Xander shook his head. "Can you imagine?"

Asa crossed his arms. "There's no way he volunteers to go first."

Jax frowned. "I went into the Lair of the Lost, didn't I?"

"Ah, the Cave of Doom," Asa said fondly. "That was before we were almost devoured by man-eating birds. I miss those days."

Jax exhaled. "Asa?"

"Yeah?"

"Quiet, please," Jax said. "I'm trying to concentrate."

Jax turned back to the logs. They looked partially rotten. He wasn't sure whether that was good to know, or slightly discouraging.

"Well?" Asa raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to jump or not, Fish Food?"

"Give me a second," Jax muttered.

"I'm only getting older."

Romes sighed. "Sod it."

She leapt off the cliff. Jax cried out, but Romes was already hopping between the logs, like a hummingbird flitting between flowers. She paused on the fifth log — about halfway — and then turned to face them.

"You see?" Romes called. "It's not that hard."

"I'll go next," Xander said.

Jax hesitated. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Xan. We should stop and think about—"