Chapter 14: The Stubborn Bridge Rescue
The sky above Astoria shimmered with hues of purple and gold as the afternoon sun bathed the magical landscape. Towering trees with golden leaves, rivers that sparkled with faint glimmers of magic, and floating bridges that stretched between valleys were just some of the sights that had captured Everett’s imagination. He couldn’t get enough of it, despite the chaos that seemed to follow him and Evanora wherever they went.
Today, they were supposed to be visiting one of Astoria’s more serene spots—a magical floating bridge that connected two cliffs over a mystical river known as the Evershine. The bridge, which had a life of its own, was famous for being unpredictable. It was said to move at random, its sections shifting without warning, adding a sense of danger to the beauty.
Everett eyed the bridge with suspicion as they stood at the entrance. The cobblestone sections of the bridge appeared stable enough, but every now and then, a section would wobble or float upward, making it clear that crossing wouldn’t be as simple as it looked.
“Well,” Everett said, adjusting the strap of his backpack, “this is a lot taller than it looked in the pictures.”
Evanora, standing beside him with her broomstick at the ready, grinned.
“It’s part of the charm! The bridge always makes things interesting.”
Everett shot her a look.
“That’s one word for it. Are you sure we’re going to be okay with... you know...” He motioned to her broomstick, which seemed to vibrate restlessly in her grip, as if eager to cause trouble.
Evanora gave the broomstick an affectionate pat, even though it nearly bucked her off the spot.
“We’ll be fine! I’ve been practicing, remember? Besides, if anything goes wrong, I’ll—well, we’ll—figure it out.”
Everett chuckled nervously.
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”
Despite his reservations, they stepped onto the bridge, and immediately, the stone beneath them began to shift. The section of the bridge they were on floated gently upward before dipping slightly, as if testing their balance. Evanora, undeterred, jumped onto her broom and motioned for Everett to join her.
“Hop on!” she said brightly.
“We’ll get across faster.”
Everett hesitated, remembering their previous disastrous broom rides, but seeing the floating stones moving unpredictably, he decided that an unsteady broomstick might actually be the safer option. He climbed on behind Evanora, holding on tightly as the broom wobbled and dipped.
Evanora took a deep breath and kicked off. “Okay, here we go!”
The broomstick shot forward—then immediately dipped hard to the left, throwing them both off balance. Everett yelped, clutching Evanora’s waist as the broomstick zigzagged wildly, barely staying above the bridge.
“Steady, steady!” he shouted, trying to help her regain control.
“I’m trying!” Evanora replied, her voice tight with concentration.
“It’s like riding a wild horse!”
They had just managed to get the broomstick somewhat level when they heard a scream. Both of them looked up to see a group of tourists at the far end of the bridge, dangling precariously from a section that had broken loose from the main structure. The floating stone they were on had drifted apart, leaving them suspended over the glimmering river below.
“Oh no!” Evanora gasped.
“We have to help them!”
Everett looked down at the river. The Evershine was beautiful, but he had heard rumors about its enchanted waters. Some said that if you fell in, you’d be transported to another dimension. Others claimed it would temporarily turn you into a magical creature. Either way, it wasn’t a place anyone wanted to fall into, especially from such a height.
“Okay,” Everett said, his voice tense.
“But can we even get there with your broom acting like it’s on a sugar rush?”
“We’ll have to!” Evanora said, determination flashing in her eyes.
“Hold on tight!”
Without waiting for a response, she urged the broomstick forward, and they shot toward the tourists, albeit in a series of zigzags and wobbles. The broom seemed determined to fight her at every turn, swaying from side to side like it was on a rollercoaster. Everett’s heart pounded in his chest as they narrowly avoided colliding with one of the floating bridge sections.
As they got closer, they could see the tourists more clearly—a family of four, clinging desperately to the edge of the broken stone. The father, a burly man with a long beard, was gripping the stone with one hand while holding his young son with the other. His wife and daughter clung to his side, their faces pale with fear.
“Hurry!” the mother shouted, her voice trembling. “We’re going to fall!”
Evanora pushed the broomstick harder, trying to keep it steady, but it wobbled violently as they approached. “Almost there!”
Everett gritted his teeth as they veered too far to the right. “Evanora, we’re going to miss them!”
“I’ve got this!” Evanora insisted, but even she looked uncertain as the broom continued its erratic path.
With a burst of effort, she yanked the broomstick left, and they skidded just close enough to the dangling tourists. Everett, thinking quickly, reached out and grabbed the father’s hand. “Got you!”
The man’s grip was strong, but he was clearly struggling to hold on to both the stone and his family. “Please—my daughter, she’s slipping!”
Evanora, her face set with determination, leaned forward on the broom and extended her hand. “I can grab her! Hold on!”
The young girl, no older than ten, was barely holding on to her father’s arm. Tears streamed down her face as she stared wide-eyed at the drop below. “I don’t want to fall!” she cried.
“You’re not going to fall,” Evanora said, her voice soft but firm. “I’ve got you.”
With a burst of effort, she swooped down, the broomstick protesting every inch of the way. She reached out and grabbed the girl just as her fingers slipped from her father’s grasp. The broomstick dipped dangerously as the added weight threw off its already precarious balance.
“Whoa!” Everett shouted, tightening his grip on Evanora. “We’re tipping!”
Evanora fought to steady the broomstick, her face twisted in concentration. “I’m not letting go!”
For a moment, it seemed like they were all going to plummet into the enchanted river below, but then, with one final burst of determination, Evanora managed to level the broomstick, pulling them away from the broken section of the bridge.
“We’re safe!” Evanora said, her voice filled with relief.
The father, still gripping Everett’s arm, gave a grateful nod. “Thank you, thank you both.”
“Don’t thank us yet,” Everett muttered, glancing nervously at the broomstick, which was still wobbling erratically. “We’re not exactly out of danger.”
With the family now securely on the broom, they made their way back to the main section of the bridge. It was a shaky ride, with the broomstick zigzagging wildly and occasionally dipping low enough that Everett feared they’d skim the surface of the river. But somehow, against all odds, Evanora managed to guide them to safety.
As they touched down on solid ground, the family scrambled off the broomstick, looking visibly shaken but unharmed.
The father clapped Everett on the back. “You kids are heroes! I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”
Everett smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “It was mostly her,” he said, nodding toward Evanora. “She did all the flying.”
Evanora blushed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “I just... did what I had to.”
The mother hugged her daughter tightly, tears of relief in her eyes. “Thank you so much. I don’t know how we can ever repay you.”
“Just... be careful next time,” Everett said with a grin. “This bridge has a mind of its own.”
The family thanked them once more before hurrying off, eager to get away from the treacherous bridge. As they disappeared into the distance, Evanora let out a long sigh of relief.
“That was... intense,” she said, sitting down on the ground and wiping her brow.
“You can say that again,” Everett agreed, plopping down beside her. “But hey, you did it. You saved them.”
Evanora smiled, though her cheeks were still flushed from the adrenaline. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Everett chuckled. “We make a pretty good team, don’t we?”
She nodded, looking out at the shimmering river. “Yeah, we do.”
For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, the danger of the day behind them. Despite the chaos and the unpredictable broomstick, they had managed to pull off something incredible together.
Everett glanced at Evanora and smiled. Maybe this trip wasn’t turning out the way he had expected—but in a strange way, it was turning out even better.
“Ready to head back?” he asked.
Evanora stood up, her broomstick finally settling down beside her. “Ready as I’ll ever be. But maybe... we can walk this time?”
Everett laughed, giving her a playful nudge. “Deal.”