protesting and showing several cuts on his hands and along his shins where the slate had sliced him. The long red lines of blood that ran freely into the slender wizard’s shoes apparently touched the big man’s sensibilities. Kaige turned to Ilbei at that point and shook his head. “He is sort of scrawny for it, Sarge. Maybe I should go and set him up a rope.”
Ilbei had just been thinking the same thing and nodded, despite Meggins protesting, “Now where’s the fun in that?”
Kaige helped Jasper up, the young magician’s hand vanishing in the great mitt of Kaige’s giant one, and then the burly warrior set himself to the task. If it could be said that Meggins was amused by Jasper’s failed attempts moments before, well, the sight of mighty Kaige rolling back down the slope put him into seizures. Kaige took a second run at it, his long legs speeding him up the slope, and he managed nearly half the distance before his feet slipped out yet again. Down he came, this time tumbling all the way down and bowling into Meggins, the two of them rolling into a tangled heap. Meggins was in tears, he laughed so hard, and even Ilbei was grinning some, but only until Kaige unwound himself, drew the bastard sword off his back and strode up the slope again, this time plunging the weapon into the hillside to use as an anchor. At that point, Ilbei had to call him off.
“That’s enough,” he said. “Don’t do that. We’ll find another way.”
“I’ll get it, Sergeant,” Meggins said. “You can’t send a ninny or an oaf to do a man’s job.” And with that, Meggins launched himself up the hill, scrambling on all fours like an ape in leather armor.
He didn’t fare any better than the others had, and when his feet slid out from under him and he rolled back down, not only was Ilbei laughing, even Jasper was. Meggins lay on his back near Kaige’s feet, looking up at his comrades, the dust of his descent still swirling around him, as Ilbei asked, “So which one are ya, oaf or ninny?”
“Both,” he said, grinning.
Jasper took his satchel off his back and began rummaging through it, until eventually he pulled out a scroll with a ring of orange ribbon binding it. A length of ribbon dangled from the knot, which he stretched out so that he might read what was written there. He nodded, confirming something to himself, then held the scroll up for the rest of them to see. “This will work,” he said, “if one of you wants to attach a rope up there.”
“What is it?” Ilbei asked.
“It’s a levitation spell. I can get myself up there, of course, but once I go inside, I’ll have to cancel it. So I’ll have no way down. I am abundantly familiar with knots, of course, but if there is nothing to tie to inside, my bringing a rope with me will still be meaningless. I don’t believe I am physically qualified to safely drive a piton into the rock.” He inclined his head toward Meggins in an indicative sort of way, then stared at Ilbei patiently.
Meggins narrowed his eyes at that, but there was still laughter lingering in them. “You sneaky bastard,” he said. “I should have known you had it set for me all along.”
“It’s only reasonable to send up the person most suited to the task,” Jasper replied. “A few moments ago, when the only obstacle appeared to be an issue of size, I was that candidate in your minds. But now that there is an element of strength required, you, being the next order of leanness from me, are the obvious choice.”
“Enough,” Ilbei said. “Read yer scroll. Meggins, get yer climbin gear. We need to be on with this and head back. We’re already goin to be pushin our time as it is.”
“I still don’t know why we have to hurry back to sit in on a game of ruffs,” Meggins said. “What’s he think, we came out here for the camping and recreating, like we’re on our leave?”
“I ain’t even tried to figure it,” Ilbei said. “Speculatin on such a thing puts me too close to
Ilbei had just been thinking the same thing and nodded, despite Meggins protesting, “Now where’s the fun in that?”
Kaige helped Jasper up, the young magician’s hand vanishing in the great mitt of Kaige’s giant one, and then the burly warrior set himself to the task. If it could be said that Meggins was amused by Jasper’s failed attempts moments before, well, the sight of mighty Kaige rolling back down the slope put him into seizures. Kaige took a second run at it, his long legs speeding him up the slope, and he managed nearly half the distance before his feet slipped out yet again. Down he came, this time tumbling all the way down and bowling into Meggins, the two of them rolling into a tangled heap. Meggins was in tears, he laughed so hard, and even Ilbei was grinning some, but only until Kaige unwound himself, drew the bastard sword off his back and strode up the slope again, this time plunging the weapon into the hillside to use as an anchor. At that point, Ilbei had to call him off.
“That’s enough,” he said. “Don’t do that. We’ll find another way.”
“I’ll get it, Sergeant,” Meggins said. “You can’t send a ninny or an oaf to do a man’s job.” And with that, Meggins launched himself up the hill, scrambling on all fours like an ape in leather armor.
He didn’t fare any better than the others had, and when his feet slid out from under him and he rolled back down, not only was Ilbei laughing, even Jasper was. Meggins lay on his back near Kaige’s feet, looking up at his comrades, the dust of his descent still swirling around him, as Ilbei asked, “So which one are ya, oaf or ninny?”
“Both,” he said, grinning.
Jasper took his satchel off his back and began rummaging through it, until eventually he pulled out a scroll with a ring of orange ribbon binding it. A length of ribbon dangled from the knot, which he stretched out so that he might read what was written there. He nodded, confirming something to himself, then held the scroll up for the rest of them to see. “This will work,” he said, “if one of you wants to attach a rope up there.”
“What is it?” Ilbei asked.
“It’s a levitation spell. I can get myself up there, of course, but once I go inside, I’ll have to cancel it. So I’ll have no way down. I am abundantly familiar with knots, of course, but if there is nothing to tie to inside, my bringing a rope with me will still be meaningless. I don’t believe I am physically qualified to safely drive a piton into the rock.” He inclined his head toward Meggins in an indicative sort of way, then stared at Ilbei patiently.
Meggins narrowed his eyes at that, but there was still laughter lingering in them. “You sneaky bastard,” he said. “I should have known you had it set for me all along.”
“It’s only reasonable to send up the person most suited to the task,” Jasper replied. “A few moments ago, when the only obstacle appeared to be an issue of size, I was that candidate in your minds. But now that there is an element of strength required, you, being the next order of leanness from me, are the obvious choice.”
“Enough,” Ilbei said. “Read yer scroll. Meggins, get yer climbin gear. We need to be on with this and head back. We’re already goin to be pushin our time as it is.”
“I still don’t know why we have to hurry back to sit in on a game of ruffs,” Meggins said. “What’s he think, we came out here for the camping and recreating, like we’re on our leave?”
“I ain’t even tried to figure it,” Ilbei said. “Speculatin on such a thing puts me too close to
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