Drive your sword into the stem!

In a last ditch effort, you switch the handle of your sword around so that you're holding it like an ice pick and drive it into the thorn stem you were just standing on. The blade sinks into the plant and you hold onto the handle for dear life as you footing gives way completely. Your body drops down, but your grip maintains strong and you manage to hold onto the hilt of the sword as you dangle high above the ground. Reluctantly, you look down and see the more thorn stems twisting around beneath you. Falling would be disasterous.

You look back up and see the three remaining raven circling above you. "Oh, shit." You grumble to yourself. Now what? You watch one of the raven stop circling and dive right down at you. Gripping the sword handle until your knuckles go white, you brace yourself for the bird's headbutt. As it gets within range, you swing your leg up and kick the black bird's body away. The hit from your boot sends the raven flying to a nearby thorn stem where it smacks into it and then falls down to the ground. You look back up and see the other two ravens are gone. Well, good riddance.

Slowly, you let go of the hilt with one hand and search your body for something you can use to help yourself back up. A gust of wind blows by and you tremble as your struggle to hold on. Luckily, you reach your right leg and find a knife strapped to your calf. You draw it quickly and reach up, driving it into the stem. You withdraw the sword and stick it back in a little higher. You keep the rhythm up until you manage to climb back up onto the vine. You sit down shakily, letting what just happened sink in.

Melody flies over to you and perches on your shoulder. "Thank God you're all right!" She chirps. "I was so worried I was going to lose you! Don't scare me like that again!"

"Trust me, I'd rather not." You say weakily. You didn't realize how dangerous this fairy tale rescue bit was going to be. You can't believe you just survived that...

"Well, the other two ravens retreated." She says.

"Good."

"Not really. They could be scared of you and that would be good. But they could also be reporting back to whoever made them and that would be bad. I know you just came back from the brink of sudden ****, but we have to keep moving."

"Okay." You nod and stand up. Your feet are wobbily, but you manage to walk normally as you approach the castle. The rest of the walk in uneventful, until you reach a large gap in the thorns. The distance between where your standing and the next stem is about eight feet. You can see the castle dead ahead. In fact, the stem across the gap actually extends into one of the castle windows.

"I think I have to jump." You say nervously.

"Maybe not." Melody pipes up. "I think I see a series of the slanted stems along our side of the gap. If we follow them down, we should be able to reach the ground. That should put us practically in the courtyard of the castle."

"That stem across the gap would be a quicker way in." You say.

"Yeah, but do you really want to take the risk of falling again?" Melody asks. "I really don't want to take the chance of you dying again." You have to admit, you agree with her there.