They wound their way through the city streets without further disturbances. Eventually, they reached the last buildings before the temple. They stopped and stared out at the open area surrounding the massive pyramid.
“I have heard that there are only two ways in,” whispered Eltor. “The rear entrance is for the slaves and those to be sacrificed. The front is for everybody else.”
“The front is definitely out,” MistyTrail responded. “It will be heavily guarded. They will not allow just anyone to walk in.”
“The same will be true for the rear,” shrugged Eltor. “They will not risk slaves escaping. We may have to bluff our way in.”
“How many elves are in good favor with Vand?” asked Mistake. “Is it believable that we might be people high up in Vand’s service?”
“No,” frowned Eltor. “All elves are considered the enemy of Vand. He would never have one loyal to him. We will have to disguise our ears.”
“I can create a fog,” offered MistyTrail, “but that may well alarm them.”
“That may be handy later,” Mistake shook her head, “but not to get in. We need to explore the inside of the pyramid without causing a disturbance getting in. There must be another entrance.”
“Just because we want one,” frowned Eltor, “doesn’t mean that we will get one.”
“I don’t know about that,” retorted MistyTrail. “I feel as if Kaltara is guiding us here for some reason. I feel strongly about it.”
“It is so odd to hear strangers talk about Kaltara so,” responded Eltor. “I am most intrigued to learn about your homeland.”
“Look,” Mistake said softly as she pointed to the side of the pyramid. “There are several balconies on the higher levels. Maybe we can scale the side of the building?”
“We would stick out easily when the moon shone on us,” frowned Eltor, “and that is if we were able to scale the pyramid. There is nothing to grab onto.”
“It feels right to me,” interjected MistyTrail. “There have to be cracks between the stones. We can use our knives to make handholds.”
“I did something similar in Fakara,” Mistake nodded with enthusiasm. “It was not near as high, but I had to get over a stockade wall. It can be done.”
“You two are crazy,” commented Eltor as he watched MistyTrail drop to her knees and close her eyes. “What are you doing?”
“She is praying,” replied Mistake. “Leave her alone. If Kaltara is really the god of the elves, perhaps you should be doing the same. Give me the rope. I am going to try to get to the lowest balcony and tie the rope to it. You two can then use the rope to climb up.”
Eltor frowned, but he took the coil of rope off his shoulder and passed it to Mistake. She looped it over her head and eased one arm through it. She gazed upward as a large cloud started to move across the face of the moon. As soon as the moon was obscured, Mistake bolted across the open area.
Mistake reached the bottom of the pyramid without detection. Two knives slid into Mistake’s hands as she stared at the alignment of the stone blocks. She reached up and shoved one knife into the crevice above her head. She pulled herself upward with one arm and stretched her free hand high above her. She could barely reach the next crack, but she grunted with effort and succeeded in embedding another knife in the higher crack. She transferred the weight of her body to her higher hand as she worked the lower dagger free.
Across the clear area, Eltor strained his eyes to watch Mistake. He bit his lower lip and shook his head as the petite woman pulled herself up the side of the pyramid.
“She must have incredible strength to do that,” Eltor remarked.
MistyTrail opened her eyes and stood. She gazed into the darkness and finally located Mistake. She smiled at her sister.
“Mistake is a remarkable person,” she said to Eltor. “She never falters once her mind is made up to do something. We should move across the clear area to the base of the pyramid while it is dark. I will use a fog to conceal us if it is necessary.”
Eltor nodded, and together they ran across the clear area. Eltor gazed upward and followed Mistake’s progress high above his head.
“You are both remarkable women,” commented Eltor. “If you are not both elves, I will eat this uniform after we escape.”
“I do not understand how that can be,” mused MistyTrail, “but I am beginning to believe it. I have spent years denying that elves exist, but you have proved me wrong on that count.”
Eltor pushed MistyTrail away and then jumped aside as he heard a clatter above his head. A second later a knife plunged into the ground between them. MistyTrail’s eyes rose with worry. She saw Mistake hanging from one hand high above them.
“She dropped one of her knives,” Eltor said with dread. “She will fall to her death when her arm become tired.”
MistyTrail sighed with relief as she watched Mistake move further up the wall. She bent down and picked up Mistake’s fallen knife.
“She carries plenty of knives,” explained MistyTrail. “She must be really tired.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Eltor replied sarcastically as he stared up into the darkness. “I would love to take the two of you to Elvangar.”
“I would like that,” smiled MistyTrail. “Right now, I just want to get off this island. I don’t care much where we go.”
“I agree,” replied Eltor. “After our escape attempt, I felt as if Caldal and I were bound to die on this island. Now I have hope.”
“Do not get your hopes too high,” warned MistyTrail. “We are not escaping this island right now. We are about to enter the most dangerous place on it. We may all die before this night is over.”
Suddenly, the air sang with the sound of a rope whistling through the air. Eltor and MistyTrail stepped swiftly away as the free end of the rope struck the ground. MistyTrail gazed at the small section of rope resting at her feet.
“If that balcony was a couple of paces higher the rope would have been too short,” remarked MistyTrail. “Kaltara is indeed watching over us. Climb the rope.”
“You go first,” Eltor offered gentlemanly.
“No,” MistyTrail shook her head. “We may still need to create a fog, and you cannot do that. Hurry up the rope while the moon is hidden.”
Eltor nodded and grabbed the rope with both hands. He pulled himself upward while MistyTrail waited at the base of the temple. She gazed upward as Eltor faded into the darkness. A few moments later the rope jiggled exaggeratedly, signaling that Eltor had made it safely. MistyTrail grabbed the rope and began climbing the side of the pyramid. The climb was long and arduous, and she began to appreciate the effort that Mistake had expended to reach the balcony.
As MistyTrail climbed over the railing of the balcony, Eltor began pulling up the rope and coiling it. Mistake was trying to peer through the closed shutters of the doorway that led into the temple. MistyTrail stepped alongside Mistake.
“Can you tell what is beyond the shutters?” MistyTrail whispered as she handed the fallen knife to her sister.
“No,” Mistake replied as the cloud passed away from the moon, “but we are going to find out. There is no turning back now. Your Kaltara has seen to that.”
MistyTrail smiled at her sister as Mistake sheathed her knife and pulled a thin strip of metal from her belt. Mistake worked the metal between the shutters. In just seconds the shutters swung open slightly. Mistake peered into the dark room and then turned to Eltor.
“Leave the rope tied to the balcony,” she said softly. “We may have to leave in a hurry. Just place the coil on the floor.”
Eltor nodded as knives suddenly appeared in the hands of the two sisters. He quietly placed the coil of rope on the floor and stepped closer to the two women. Mistake gently opened the large shutters.