Relieved that they weren’t down here with him, Bart opened his pack to retrieve his Cloak. Only, the spell which had caused it to glow had run its course. The Cloak no longer glowed. Closing the pack once again, he slung it across his back and continued swimming down the river. He was disappointed that he no longer had the light with which to see, but at the same time, was glad. Should the situation warrant it, he could now use the Cloak without fear of being betrayed by the glow.
He kept to the right wall and felt along its length as he sought a way out. It was slower than all out swimming, but at the same time he didn’t want to miss a possible exit.
Foot by foot he continued. In the back of his mind was the knowledge that at any time the four guards who had passed him earlier would be returning. He needed to find the way out and fast.
It was during a short pause as he gave his arms a brief break that he noticed the faintest freshening of the air. He had grown so used to the smell of the place that the influx of fresh air was made all the more noticeable. As he tried to determine its source, he detected a faint breeze.
Yes! he silently exclaimed. Where there was a breeze, there was a way out! It seemed to be coming from above him. That subdued his elation somewhat. The breeze could very well be coming down one of the jakes-shafts. But then, it wouldn’t be fresh now would it? If only he had some light so he could be sure.
Raising his hand high, he tried to determine exactly where the breeze was originating from. A moment later he concluded that it was coming down the side of the wall above him. The opening through which it was blowing must be on this side of the waterway. He quickly made the decision that he had to discover if it was a possible way out. Reaching his hand up the wall as far as he could, he failed to encounter any opening that could be the source of the breeze. Wherever it was, it was too far above his head to effectively reach. He quickly realized he’d have to climb to reach it.
From the time he’d spent moving along the waterway, he knew the walls were riddled with cracks both large and small. And the wall before him was no exception. Moving his hand along the wall’s surface, he encountered several cracks which would suffice. Deciding to go for it, he glanced back down the waterway in the direction from which the guards would be returning. Their lantern’s light was not visible. With any luck they’ll not return any time soon.
Reaching out, he took hold of the first crack and then moved the toe of his boot into another. Pulling his upper torso out of the water, he found another toehold for his other foot. Then he reached up and found another crack, pulling himself still further from the water.
The breeze was more discernible now, a good indication it wasn’t too far above him. Once he had a good firm handhold, he would move one of his feet to find a secure toehold. Step by step, he inched his way up the wall.
Then all of a sudden, his hand touched the rocky ceiling above him. The breeze was blowing swifter now, and a moment’s search found its source, a jagged hole in the ceiling roughly two feet by three. It was two feet out from the wall and wide enough for him to pass through, but just barely.
While he held himself onto the wall with one hand, he felt around the inner sides of the opening with the other. There was water dripping through and in places he encountered patches of algae. Despite the slickness of the algae, the interior was uneven enough to allow him to attain a secure handhold and pull himself into it. He glanced back toward where the guards had gone and could now see a dim light being reflected off the walls of the channel. They were returning.
He had no way of knowing if the hole would continue to be large enough for him to pass. But as the guard’s light steadily drew closer, he didn’t have many other options. Deciding to take the chance, he reached out to the opening and found a good handhold. Trusting that it would hold, he quickly transferred his other hand to the handhold the first one held.
The transfer of weight caused his feet to lose their grip with the wall, and just as his second hand grasped the opening, his feet fell away from the wall and swung freely below him. Supported only by his arms, he held there for a moment before reaching for another handhold. While he held on with his right hand, he let go with his left and quickly hunted the sides of the cavity for another.
Finally finding one a foot higher than the other, he grasped it and made sure it would hold before reaching for a third. Down below, the water flowed along uncaring about his plight, and the light from the approaching guards was growing brighter by the second. He still couldn’t actually see the boat as it was still hidden by a curve in the waterway. But by the brightness being reflected off the walls, it couldn’t be too far away.
Once he had a secure hold with his left hand, he pulled himself up half a foot then held there as his right hand reached up to find another handhold. When he had one, he started pulling himself up farther and…
Crack!
…the rock beneath his right hand suddenly gave out with a crack as a chunk fell away. As the weight of his body was suddenly and unexpectedly placed on his left hand, he almost lost his grip. By a narrow margin he was able to retain his grip long enough for his right hand to again find a purchase. A second later, a loud splash echoed in the waterway as the chunk of rock hit the water below.
“Damn!” Bart cursed. A quick glance back down the waterway couldn’t reveal if the guards had heard or not. Once his shaking nerves quieted, he resumed pulling himself up into the crevice.
The air blowing past him produced shivers as it cooled his wet clothes. Handhold by handhold, he crept his way further into the recess until his feet passed through the opening and were able to take some of the pressure off his aching arms. Once his feet were securely in place, he relaxed his arms as much as he dared to give them a break.
Below, the waterway was growing brighter as the guards came ever closer. Bart held still as the voices of the guards began to be heard. Looking through the opening below, he saw the prow of the boat appear. His heart began to race as he realized that one look up by any of them and it was over. But fortune was with him. So engrossed were they in their conversation about the virtue of a certain chambermaid, that none bothered looking up.
He watched the boat pass as two of the guards rowed against the current. Before the boat had completely passed by, he took advantage of the guard’s light to inspect the upper recesses of the crevice. It looked as if it continued upward for some distance. Then the light was gone when the boat moved beyond the mouth of the opening.
Bart waited for a minute or two to give his arms a break. Then when he was ready, he reached up for another handhold and continued his climb.
Chapter Fifteen
“We don’t even know where he is!” insisted Chyfe, and not for the first time. He stood with his back to the door, blocking Riyan from running headlong to the castle in search of Bart.
Riyan had his hand on the hilt of his sword. For a brief moment he thought to pull it, but quickly came to his senses. He pointed to Kevik and said, “We know from what Kevik said that he’s underneath the castle in some sort of sewer.”
“Yes!” exclaimed Chyfe. “And with one end barred, the other end who knows where, how are we going to get to him?” He stood his ground and refused to budge.
Soth came up behind Riyan and laid his hand on his shoulder. “I know how you feel,” he said. “But they know he’s there and will be on the lookout for others. If we show up, they’ll likely as not have us arrested and locked up for general measures.”
“But…” argued Riyan. He knew they were right, but Bart was his friend and in danger. How could he cool his heels in this room while Bart faced such danger alone?