the barrier opening opposite Ruth and brandished their swords.
Pat turned to Fred. "Drop the barrier."
His mouth dropped open. "Are you mad?" he asked her.
"Just do it!" she ordered him.
Fred frowned, but dropped the barrier. Pat and Fred stepped out of the way as the ladder of guards crashed to the floor. Ruth glided over to the left-hand wall. She slammed her claws into the marble and her fingers dug small handholds into the rock. She hurriedly climbed the wall with her feet and hands leaving a trail for others to follow. Fred and Pat were those others, and they rushed past the flailing pile of guards and to the notches in the wall.
Fred pushed Pat ahead of him and swiveled around to ignite another barrier just as a few of the guards threw their halberds. The weapons clanged uselessly against the barrier, but the guards themselves hacked and pounded on the walls. Pat climbed after Ruth, and when there was room Fred followed. His barrier tagged along and protected his rear flank from the stabbing action of the guards as they tried to follow the three up the wall.
Ruth climbed to the point where the stone met the glass and glanced down at the guards beneath them. "Please move!" she called to them. The mens' eyes widened when Ruth slammed her fist into the glass. The panes shattered and glass rained down onto the floor of the entrance hall. The men flung their arms over their heads and many flung themselves against the walls.
Ruth crawled out the broken glass and onto the roof with Pat and Fred close behind. They all breathed the cool, late morning air and were grateful when a fresh breeze blew past them. Ruth opened her wings and tested the wind. "The wind is weak. I can carry you both, but I do not know for how far."
"We would be grateful for a block," Pat replied.
"I will see what I can do, now take my hands and walk with me," Ruth commanded.
Fred and Pat took her hands, and Ruth walked them to the edge of the roof. Below them was the round seating area, and the aviators still sat in the circle waiting for their trials. Guards burst from the entrance hall and glanced up at the roof. They pointed and shouted at the three above there. Topper himself scurried from the Senex and glared up at the three rogues.
"Get down from there, criminals!" he demanded.
"You heard him, Ruth," Pat told her friend.
Ruth nodded and took one step off the roof. She dragged Fred and Pat with her and spread her wings as far as she could manage. The winds of String blew beneath her wings and they sailed over the shouting administrator and guards. Ruth flew them over the rooftops of the nearby buildings and southeastward toward their inn. The companions were out of reach, but not out of visibility. The guards hurried along the streets following their flight path.
Pat glanced up at Ruth. "Can we go higher?" she yelled to her friend.
Ruth grit her teeth and shook her head. "I cannot keep us from descending," she replied. Beads of sweat dripped down her brow and Fred felt her claws twitch.
The strain on Ruth didn't go unnoticed by Pat. "How far can you take us?" she asked Ruth.
"Not. . .much. . .farther," Ruth answered.
Pat glanced down and saw the guards were two blocks behind them. As the gargoyle flies was much faster than as the guards sprinted. Pat glanced ahead of them and noticed a small building with a flat, battered roof. She glanced up and pointed at the building. "Take us down atop that shed. We may be able to hide in there," she suggested.
Ruth dove down to the roof. Pat released herself from Ruth's grasp and landed on her feet onto the metal beams. Fred fell beside her, but his feet slipped and he fell onto his rear. Ruth tried to land in front of Fred, but the landing strip was too short. Her foot snagged the roof and she tumbled over the side. One of her hands caught the side and she clung onto the edge swinging in midair. Pat and Fred rushed forward, and they hauled their exhausted friend onto the roof. Ruth sat beside
Pat turned to Fred. "Drop the barrier."
His mouth dropped open. "Are you mad?" he asked her.
"Just do it!" she ordered him.
Fred frowned, but dropped the barrier. Pat and Fred stepped out of the way as the ladder of guards crashed to the floor. Ruth glided over to the left-hand wall. She slammed her claws into the marble and her fingers dug small handholds into the rock. She hurriedly climbed the wall with her feet and hands leaving a trail for others to follow. Fred and Pat were those others, and they rushed past the flailing pile of guards and to the notches in the wall.
Fred pushed Pat ahead of him and swiveled around to ignite another barrier just as a few of the guards threw their halberds. The weapons clanged uselessly against the barrier, but the guards themselves hacked and pounded on the walls. Pat climbed after Ruth, and when there was room Fred followed. His barrier tagged along and protected his rear flank from the stabbing action of the guards as they tried to follow the three up the wall.
Ruth climbed to the point where the stone met the glass and glanced down at the guards beneath them. "Please move!" she called to them. The mens' eyes widened when Ruth slammed her fist into the glass. The panes shattered and glass rained down onto the floor of the entrance hall. The men flung their arms over their heads and many flung themselves against the walls.
Ruth crawled out the broken glass and onto the roof with Pat and Fred close behind. They all breathed the cool, late morning air and were grateful when a fresh breeze blew past them. Ruth opened her wings and tested the wind. "The wind is weak. I can carry you both, but I do not know for how far."
"We would be grateful for a block," Pat replied.
"I will see what I can do, now take my hands and walk with me," Ruth commanded.
Fred and Pat took her hands, and Ruth walked them to the edge of the roof. Below them was the round seating area, and the aviators still sat in the circle waiting for their trials. Guards burst from the entrance hall and glanced up at the roof. They pointed and shouted at the three above there. Topper himself scurried from the Senex and glared up at the three rogues.
"Get down from there, criminals!" he demanded.
"You heard him, Ruth," Pat told her friend.
Ruth nodded and took one step off the roof. She dragged Fred and Pat with her and spread her wings as far as she could manage. The winds of String blew beneath her wings and they sailed over the shouting administrator and guards. Ruth flew them over the rooftops of the nearby buildings and southeastward toward their inn. The companions were out of reach, but not out of visibility. The guards hurried along the streets following their flight path.
Pat glanced up at Ruth. "Can we go higher?" she yelled to her friend.
Ruth grit her teeth and shook her head. "I cannot keep us from descending," she replied. Beads of sweat dripped down her brow and Fred felt her claws twitch.
The strain on Ruth didn't go unnoticed by Pat. "How far can you take us?" she asked Ruth.
"Not. . .much. . .farther," Ruth answered.
Pat glanced down and saw the guards were two blocks behind them. As the gargoyle flies was much faster than as the guards sprinted. Pat glanced ahead of them and noticed a small building with a flat, battered roof. She glanced up and pointed at the building. "Take us down atop that shed. We may be able to hide in there," she suggested.
Ruth dove down to the roof. Pat released herself from Ruth's grasp and landed on her feet onto the metal beams. Fred fell beside her, but his feet slipped and he fell onto his rear. Ruth tried to land in front of Fred, but the landing strip was too short. Her foot snagged the roof and she tumbled over the side. One of her hands caught the side and she clung onto the edge swinging in midair. Pat and Fred rushed forward, and they hauled their exhausted friend onto the roof. Ruth sat beside
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