Tiron's side. "Ser. How bad is it?"
"Stop fussing," said Tiron. "It's a cut. I've had worse."
"We should check," said Meffrid, but he stopped when Tiron cracked open an eye. There was in Tiron's gaze something utterly forbidding. "All right. As you command."
Audsley turned back to the gloomy depths of the massive chamber. Where did all these Portals lead? A nexus for travel, he marveled. Who knew what far-off lands or hidden corners could be accessed from here? This was a find to beggar the imagination. Oh! Wait till he brought word back to Nous, till he could regale the Academy with his discovery, the greatest find in centuries! But first there had to be rigorous examination, with each and every mystery being mercilessly interrogated and ultimately elucidated to his own satisfaction.
Who could have built this chamber? Had the secret of building Lunar Gates vanished with the deaths of these defenders? But then, how could men and women of such power have been defeated? Audsley was positively dying to learn more. Why couldn't there be a convenient shelf of diaries or the like placed innocuously over to one side, complete with maps and index?
Aedelbert came gliding around the far side of the pillar and swooped down toward Audsley only to bank at the last moment and land on Audsley's outstretched arm.
"Did you find something?" Audsley rubbed the firecat's head eagerly. "Yes?"
His firecat rumbled deep in his chest in pride, then leaped down to the ground and scampered a few steps before turning back, only the tips of his wings emerging from the mist.
"Hurry!" Audsley turned to the others. "Come! Let's see what he's found!"
The others rose to their feet, and soon they were striding after Aedelbert, who slunk ahead till he reached another wall, slipping around corpses as if the slumbering dead bothered him not at all. When they reached the blank wall, he crouched and leaped straight up, snapped out his wings and beat them strongly to gain altitude, then quickly disappeared into the murk overhead.
"Well, that's not much help," said Bogusch.
A tongue of flame flared into view up above them, perhaps ten yards high.
Tiron leaned back and stared, then pursed his mouth. "Reckon that's a tunnel?"
Audsley nodded. "I think so."
Meffrid stepped up to the wall and ran his fingers over its smooth surface. "As smooth as glass. How do we get up?"
"When I was little," said Temyl, "there was this circus that would come by, and they would build a human pyramid that was six people high. Maybe we could do the same here? You know, go climbing up each other to the top?"
Everybody hesitated, trying to imagine, and then Audsley shook his head. "Even if we could find a way to support each other's weight, I fear we'd still be too short. A good idea, however."
"Belts," said Meffrid. "There are enough dead here to furnish us with all the climbing material we need. We could create a rope from belts and torn robes. As many ropes as we wish."
"To what end?" Temyl looked scornfully at his companion.
"Audsley," said Tiron, sinking down again to sit against the wall. "Could Aedelbert fly up a rope?"
"I - why, yes."
"Ser," said Temyl. "I've never heard of no firecat that could tie knots."
"Well, no, he can't tie knots. But he's a cunning fellow." Audsley gazed up at the shadows that claimed the heights. "He might find some other way to lodge the rope. Or - I don't know what he might do. But it might be worth a shot."
"Do it," said Tiron, closing his eyes. "Men, gather ropes and belts and whatever else. Bring them back here. Now."
The three guards saluted and hurried out, only to slow down as they searched the mist for corpses. Soon they were crouching down beside each one, moving them rudely as they stripped them of what they needed.
Audsley moved over to where one body lay and knelt beside it. It was hard to tell if it had been a man or a woman. The skull was wrapped in parchment-thin skin, the eyes mere hollows, the teeth grinning in a
"Stop fussing," said Tiron. "It's a cut. I've had worse."
"We should check," said Meffrid, but he stopped when Tiron cracked open an eye. There was in Tiron's gaze something utterly forbidding. "All right. As you command."
Audsley turned back to the gloomy depths of the massive chamber. Where did all these Portals lead? A nexus for travel, he marveled. Who knew what far-off lands or hidden corners could be accessed from here? This was a find to beggar the imagination. Oh! Wait till he brought word back to Nous, till he could regale the Academy with his discovery, the greatest find in centuries! But first there had to be rigorous examination, with each and every mystery being mercilessly interrogated and ultimately elucidated to his own satisfaction.
Who could have built this chamber? Had the secret of building Lunar Gates vanished with the deaths of these defenders? But then, how could men and women of such power have been defeated? Audsley was positively dying to learn more. Why couldn't there be a convenient shelf of diaries or the like placed innocuously over to one side, complete with maps and index?
Aedelbert came gliding around the far side of the pillar and swooped down toward Audsley only to bank at the last moment and land on Audsley's outstretched arm.
"Did you find something?" Audsley rubbed the firecat's head eagerly. "Yes?"
His firecat rumbled deep in his chest in pride, then leaped down to the ground and scampered a few steps before turning back, only the tips of his wings emerging from the mist.
"Hurry!" Audsley turned to the others. "Come! Let's see what he's found!"
The others rose to their feet, and soon they were striding after Aedelbert, who slunk ahead till he reached another wall, slipping around corpses as if the slumbering dead bothered him not at all. When they reached the blank wall, he crouched and leaped straight up, snapped out his wings and beat them strongly to gain altitude, then quickly disappeared into the murk overhead.
"Well, that's not much help," said Bogusch.
A tongue of flame flared into view up above them, perhaps ten yards high.
Tiron leaned back and stared, then pursed his mouth. "Reckon that's a tunnel?"
Audsley nodded. "I think so."
Meffrid stepped up to the wall and ran his fingers over its smooth surface. "As smooth as glass. How do we get up?"
"When I was little," said Temyl, "there was this circus that would come by, and they would build a human pyramid that was six people high. Maybe we could do the same here? You know, go climbing up each other to the top?"
Everybody hesitated, trying to imagine, and then Audsley shook his head. "Even if we could find a way to support each other's weight, I fear we'd still be too short. A good idea, however."
"Belts," said Meffrid. "There are enough dead here to furnish us with all the climbing material we need. We could create a rope from belts and torn robes. As many ropes as we wish."
"To what end?" Temyl looked scornfully at his companion.
"Audsley," said Tiron, sinking down again to sit against the wall. "Could Aedelbert fly up a rope?"
"I - why, yes."
"Ser," said Temyl. "I've never heard of no firecat that could tie knots."
"Well, no, he can't tie knots. But he's a cunning fellow." Audsley gazed up at the shadows that claimed the heights. "He might find some other way to lodge the rope. Or - I don't know what he might do. But it might be worth a shot."
"Do it," said Tiron, closing his eyes. "Men, gather ropes and belts and whatever else. Bring them back here. Now."
The three guards saluted and hurried out, only to slow down as they searched the mist for corpses. Soon they were crouching down beside each one, moving them rudely as they stripped them of what they needed.
Audsley moved over to where one body lay and knelt beside it. It was hard to tell if it had been a man or a woman. The skull was wrapped in parchment-thin skin, the eyes mere hollows, the teeth grinning in a
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