Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

it in one,' said the Seneschal.
    Julia looked at Bodeen. 'You hit him first. You're nearest.'
    'You won't be in any real danger,' said the Seneschal hastily.
    'Damn right I won't,' said Julia. 'I'm not going.'
    'Princess Julia,' said the Seneschal firmly. 'I am going. So is Bodeen. If you wish to stay behind and wait for our return, or if you want to try to find your way back through the dark without me, that is up to you.'
    Julia glared at him, and then rounded on Bodeen, who shrugged helplessly.
    'Sorry, Princess. The Seneschal's in charge.'
    Julia turned away in disgust. 'All right, let's get this over with.'
    The Seneschal chuckled irritatingly, and moved over to look out the doorway. He craned his neck to get
    a better view of what lay above the lintel, and then nodded happily. 'The stairs begin directly above the door. The only problem's going to be the gravity switch, but as long as we get a good grip on the lintel first. . . Well, don't just stand there, Bodeen, make a stirrup for me.'
    The guard moved quickly forward and cupped his hands together. The Seneschal set his foot in the stirrup, positioned his weight carefully, and then took firm hold of the lintel with both hands. He glanced quickly out of the door, and then nodded to Bodeen. The guard lifted as the Seneschal jumped, and Julia gasped as the Seneschal's body flipped gracefully end over end through the doorway. He shot upwards out of sight, his hands still clinging fiercely to the lintel. There was a long silence, and then the hands suddenly disappeared.
    'Are you all right, sir?' called Bodeen hesitantly.
    'Of course I'm all right!' yelled the Seneschal crossly. 'Give me a chance to get a little further along the stairs, and then send out the Princess. And tell her to watch her step, it's slippery out here.'
    Julia looked at Bodeen, and swallowed dryly.
    'Take your time,' he said understandingly. 'There's no rush.'
    'What gets me is we volunteered for this,' said Julia, and Bodeen smiled.
    'It beats collecting horse manure for the gardens. But only just. Ready?'
    Julia nodded, slipped her dagger back into her boot so as to have both hands free, and then set her foot in the stirrup Bodeen made for her. She tried for a firm grip on the lintel, but her fingers slipped on the smooth wood, and she had to stop and rub her hands dry on her dress before she could get a grip she trusted. She took a deep breath, let it slowly out, and nodded to Bodeen. He smiled reassuringly, and Julia jumped.
    Gravity changed while she was still in mid-air. Up was suddenly down, and her head swam madly as she found herself hanging by one hand from the bottom of the door. Beneath her kicking feet there was nothing but air, and she didn't dare look down. She reached out with her free hand, and stubbed her fingers on the rough stone of the stairway. She grinned fiercely, grabbed hold, and pulled herself up on to the first step. It was broad and wide and seemed comfortingly solid. She pressed herself against the Castle wall, and looked around. The stairway stretched out before her, jagged and broken and punctuated here and there by yard-wide gaps in the stonework. Some fifty feet away, further down the wall, the Seneschal was crouched before another door, his brow creased in thought.
    'Sir Seneschal,' called Julia sweetly, 'I'm going to get you for this.'
    The Seneschal looked around unhurriedly. 'Ah, there you are, Princess. I would have come back to help you, but I'm afraid I got distracted by this door. I was miles away.'
    'I wish I was,' muttered Julia. The gusting wind tousled her hair as she stared uncomfortably at the view spread out below her. The Forest sprawled greenly across the horizon in whichever direction she looked, and it was hard for Julia to imagine such an ancient and magnificent sight falling to darkness and decay under the long night. She strained her eyes until they ached, but as yet there was no sign of the Darkwood itself. She wondered if Rupert had passed through the darkness yet, on his way to the High Warlock. She tried to remember exactly how long he'd been gone, and felt vaguely ashamed when she found she wasn't sure. Julia scowled, and turning away from the Forest, she concentrated on the stairway
    before her. One problem at a time. Her frown deepened as she realised much of the stonework was cracked and pitted from its long exposure to the wind and rain, and several of the steps hung at crazy angles from the Castle wall, apparently held in place