A Mission - pt 7 A strange path

After walking for an hour we came to a byroad leading off of the main road.  My captors and I turned down this and continued walking, though at a slowed pace.  The byroad was a mere track, the branches of the massive trees on either side growing together so as to form a roof.  The canopy above was so thick, that even if it was midday the ground would be dark.  You can guess therefore that the way at night, and that a very dark one, was treacherous indeed!  We came upon a huge broad limbed tree growing right out of the middle of the road, testifying to the road's ancient origins.  Instead of circling around it as I guessed we would, Phil led us straight toward it and commenced climbing up steps cut roughly into the tree, completely invisible in the pitch blackness of the night.  After Phil came Daren, and after Daren came Jared and I, with Barney taking up the rear.  The steps were easy for Phil and Daren as they had gone up that secret way often, but for me, and apparently Jared and Barney, the steps were difficult to traverse.  They were cut into the tree so as to be disguised even in daylight, and consequently were randomly placed, quite a few being substituted for branches or knobs growing from the tree itself.

Though Barney too found the climb difficult, he did not desist from pausing in his ascent to jab me with Jared's stick when I stumbled or stopped to find the next step.  Jared was having just as difficult a time as I was, especially since our hands were bound together, and twice, when the way was hardest, Barney accidentally jabbed him.  On the second of these occasions, I was above Jared, and he, being close to Barney, gave him a kick which nearly sent him to the forest floor.  This threat stopped Barney from continually pestering us, and our rate was greatly increased.  After thirty feet of climbing, about half-way up the tree, the whole party reached the top of the ascent, and stopped for a breath before going on.  As near as I could tell, there was a path leading from branch to branch stretching away into the forest.  It consisted partly of short planks fastened to the wide branches, and partly, when no thick branches were in the way of the aerial trail, of rope bridges.