The Hidden City

and resisted the impulse to lean back to look at the wall above and the sharp line of the edge of the parapet some fifty feet further up.
    ‘What kept you?’ Talen whispered as the big Pandion clambered over the top of the balustrade marking the edge of the parapet.
    ‘I stopped to smell the flowers,’ Sparhawk replied acidly. He looked quickly toward the east and saw the faint light of false dawn outlining the mountains. They had at most one more hour of darkness left. ‘No sentries, I gather?’ he whispered.
    ‘No,’ Talen replied quietly. The Cyrgai evidently feel that they need their sleep.’
    ‘Sparhawk?’ Kalten’s whisper came from below.
    ‘Up here.’
    ‘Take the baggage.’ A coil of rope came unwinding up out of the darkness.
    ‘Get clear of it,’ he called down softly to Kalten. ‘Give me a hand with this, Talen.’ He leaned over the stone railing. ‘We’re going to pull it up.’
    Kalten grunted, and they could hear him moving across the wall to one side. Then Sparhawk and Talen slowly pulled the awkward, bulky bundle up to the top of the tower, being careful not to let it bang against the stones of the wall. Sparhawk quickly retrieved his sword and then fumbled through the mail-shirts, searching for his own.
    Kalten was puffing as he climbed up over the railing. ‘Why did you let me get so badly out of shape, Sparhawk?’ he asked accusingly.
    Sparhawk shrugged. ‘Careless, I guess. Ah, here it is.’ He lifted his own mail-shirt free of the others.
    ‘How can you tell?’ Talen asked curiously. ‘In the dark, I mean?’
    ‘I’ve worn it for over twenty years. Believe me, I recognize it. See how the others are coming.’
    Talen went to the rail and helped Xanetia onto the parapet while Bevier and Mirtai clambered over on their own. It took only a couple of minutes for the knights to re-arm themselves. ‘Where did Talen go?’ Kalten whispered, looking around.
    ‘He’s snooping,’ Mirtai replied, settling her sword-belt into place.
    ‘I think it’s called scouting,’ Bevier corrected her.
    She shrugged. ‘Whatever.’
    Then Talen came back. ‘I think I found what we’re looking for,’ he said softly. ‘There’s a small window with a sort of iron grate over it. It’s up high, so I didn’t look in.’
    ‘Is Aphrael coming back?’ Bevier asked. ‘Should we wait for her?’
    Sparhawk shook his head. ‘It’s going to start getting light before long. Aphrael knows what we’re doing. She’s making sure the others are all in place.’
    Talen led them around to the east side of the tower. ‘Up there,’ he whispered, pointing at a small, barred window about ten feet up the side of the rough wall.
    ‘Do any of the windows on the front side have bars?’ Sparhawk asked him.
    ‘No, and they’re bigger and closer to the floor.’
    ‘That’s it then.’ Sparhawk fought back an urge to shout with exultation. ‘Aphrael described that window to me.’
    Kalten squinted up at the iron-grated window high in the wall. ‘Let’s make sure of this before we start to celebrate.’ He laid his hands on the wall and set his feet wide apart. ‘Climb up and take a look, Sparhawk.’
    ‘Right.’ Sparhawk put his hands on his friend’s arms and climbed up his broad back. He set his feet carefully on Kalten’s shoulders and slowly straightened, reaching up to grasp the grating that covered the window. He pulled his face up and peered into the darkness. ‘Ehlana?’ he called softly.
    ‘Sparhawk?’ Her voice was startled.
    ‘Please keep your voice down. Are you all right?’
    ‘I am now. How did you get here?’
    ‘It’s a long story. Is Alcan there too?’
    ‘Right here, Prince Sparhawk,’ the girl’s silvery voice replied. “Is Kalten with you?’
    ‘I’m standing on his shoulders right now. Can you make a light of any kind?’
    ‘Absolutely not!’ Ehlana’s voice was stricken.
    ‘What’s wrong?’
    ‘They’ve cut off all my hair, Sparhawk!’ she moaned. ‘I don’t want you to look at me!’

Chapter 32
    Talen dropped back to the parapet from the small window. ‘I can get through it,’ he whispered confidently.
    ‘What about that iron grate?’ Kalten demanded.
    ‘It’s ornamental. It wasn’t very good to begin with, and it’s been there for at least a couple of centuries. It won’t take long to work it loose.’
    ‘Let’s hold off until Xanetia gets back,’ Sparhawk decided. ‘I want to know what we’re up against before we start