Garinor was feeling particularly adventurous and he opted to try crossing the ravine. The man nodded and handed over the supplies he would need.
The quiver held ten arrows, each of which had a hook on it, around which he could tie the rope. Garinor inspected them all and decided that they were all the same type of arrow so it wouldn’t matter which one he used. He tugged on the bowstring next, testing its strength. He would need to retract it far in order to make the arrow sail all the way across the chasm. The rope itself was thin, but it felt durable and he didn’t doubt that it would be strong enough to support his weight, provided he could tie proper knots.
Garinor started by wrapping one end of the rope around an arrow and knotting it three times. He tugged on it firmly to make sure it would hold, and, in the process, he snapped the arrow in two. Shaking his head, he untied the knot and reached for a new arrow, determined to be more careful.
Once the rope was secured, he placed the arrow into the bow and took aim, but then a moment of panic swept over him and he set the bow down carefully. He rummaged around through the coil of rope and found the other loose end, then tied it around his waist before lifting the bow again. It would have been useless if he made the shot and lost the rope in the process.
Having periodically played with a bow and arrow as a child, he was able to set the sights and launch the projectile with relative ease. However, he forgot that the arrow was carrying weight with it and so his shot was entirely too low. The arrow fell forward and into the chasm. Reeling up the rope, Garinor noticed that the arrow had been mangled when it hit the side of the cliff, so he fastened the rope to a new arrow.
The third launch was better, for he aimed the bow much higher. As a child he had practiced on closer targets. His father had cautioned him not to aim too high, in case the wind caught the arrow and sent it back his way. But aiming at a target across the chasm, he realized he needed to aim higher after all.
Garinor felt a mixture of excitement and frustration, for he was getting the hang of it, but he wasn’t sure he would have enough arrows or strength to complete this task. Pulling the bowstring was exhausting after a while and his fingers were getting numb from untying and retying the knots.
He was able to salvage the fifth arrow after shooting it, he was relieved, for it gave him an extra try if he needed one. But he could feel that he was getting closer to what he needed to do. He set up the next shot and the arrow sailed through the air, but then stopped short, like a dog on a leash, and he scolded himself, for he was standing on the rope.
With a new arrow and the rope coiled safely, Garinor released another shot. The arrow floated through the air and he heard a thunk as it hit a tree on the other side. He gave a series of tugs, but nothing happened. It seemed secure. Elated, Garinor wound his hand into the rope before untying it from his waist. He wasn’t taking any chances. He walked over to a tree and wrapped the rope around it, tying many knots to ensure that it would not come undone. He even took one of the remaining arrows and threaded it through the rope and secured the end to it.
All that remained was for him to climb across hand over hand. It wasn’t easy, and the rope swayed as he went, but the arrowshot held in the tree. His numb fingers struggled to keep hold of the rope, but he swung his feet up for extra security. Little by little, he made his way across the chasm.
When he reached the other side, he looked for the arrow and saw that it was wrapped around a few branches and tied back into itself. It had apparently struck the tree, then fallen down, and the tugging he had done had wrapped it around itself, locking it in place.
Relieved at what he saw, he headed for the exit and then stepped through it.