Black wizards - Douglas Niles [34]
Tristan lay perfectly still upon the floor of a corridor. Solid iron doors lined one wall, and the surfaces of the walls were rough-hewn. The corridor was well-lighted, for high above him were several narrow windows.
In another minute Canthus lunged from the shaft, closely followed by Daryth. They all rested briefly, while the two men looked for possible avenues of escape.
"That way?" suggested the Calishite, looking to the right.
"It seems to go up," agreed Tristan.
They got to their feet and slowly moved up the corridor. The iron doors stood in the left wall, spaced about thirty feet apart. No sound came from any of the rooms. Draped in seaweed, the first door was pocked with rust.
"Let me test that," suggested the prince. He stepped forward and selected a pair of bars that seemed the most corroded. Gripping one in each hand, he flexed the muscles of his broad shoulders, clenching his teeth with the effort. Slowly, the two bars spread apart until one of them broke off at its base. The resulting opening was just wide enough for them to squeeze through.
"Nice work," Daryth whispered. With his trident extended before him, he stepped over to the door to the outside and looked through one of the cracks. He blinked in pain as the bright light assaulted his eyes, but soon he could make out enough detail to see where they were.
"That's the courtyard," he said softly. "We're not far from the doors we were trying to open when we fell into the trap. That door -" he pointed to the other exit from the guardroom, "seems to lead into the rest of the keep."
The Calishite led the way again, this time with Canthus at his side, and they squeezed through the narrow entrance without pushing the door farther open. "It'll squeak for sure," he explained.
They entered a chamber that was illuminated by sunlight streaming in through narrow windows set high in the wall. Tall columns lined the vast room, supporting heavy wooden beams that seemed, somehow, to have escaped the corrosive effects of their long submergence. A wide hallway opened into the far side of the room, leading into the depths of the castle, while a smaller opening branched to the left.
"This must have been a grand ballroom or receiving hall," said Tristan, unconsciously whispering. Never in his life had he seen such an awesome sight.
"Should we check on Pontswain?" asked Daryth, suddenly remembering their unconscious companion.
Tristan shrugged. "He's as safe as we are."
Suddenly, the floor rumbled slightly beneath them, and the prince's heart leaped. Was the castle about to sink? But the rumbling ceased, and the castle did not seem to be moving.
"We've got to get out of here soon!" said Tristan.
"I haven't seen anything we could use as a boat – or even a raft," said Daryth.
"There's a lot more to this castle, it seems. Maybe we can find something in here."
Tristan started across the vast hall, peering around the heavy columns that lined two of the walls. Canthus accompanied him while Daryth checked the other side, toward the wide hallway. The prince approached the narrow corridor to the left.
"There's a stairway over here," called Daryth – his loud whisper carrying easily through the hall. "See anything?"
"Not yet." Tristan paused before the narrow corridor. He could hardly keep himself from entering it immediately. He was vaguely aware of Daryth, investigating the stairway.
And then Tristan was in the hallway, walking away from the great hall. He had not consciously decided to do so, yet he knew that he was going the right direction. Daryth was suddenly forgotten as he picked up his pace, hurrying toward his unknown but