The Mage in the Iron Mask - Brian Thomsen [91]
"Don't you think you should lower your voice?" Passepout said in a hushed tone.
"No," the blind swordmaster replied, "I am using it to help keep my course. Given the shape and width of the tunnel around us, I am fairly certain that we are going in the right direction as the echo of my voice is traveling further to our rear than it is in front of us."
Volo thought he understood the principle that the aged Fullstaff was using and decided to make a mental note that he should study and experiment with it before undertaking his Guide to the Underdark.
"Now if memory serves," Honor instructed, "there should be a ladder hanging against the wall to my left."
"Here it is," Passepout announced proudly.
"Good," Honor replied. "Now up we go."
"Up?" asked the stunned thespian.
"Indeed," the blind swordmaster confirmed. "Now scoot. The High Blade's study awaits at the top of this ladder, and Rassendyll may need our help."
Passepout paused for a moment to look up. The fact that he couldn't see the top of the ladder frightened him to death.
"Now!" Honor insisted. "We're burning daylight!"
Passepout shot up the first few steps of the ladder at a speed that surprised the rest of the group, causing Volo to chuckle at both Honor's jibe, and the panic that had urged the thespian into action.
"I'll go next," McKern replied, pausing only long enough for a body length to separate him from Passepout before joining the climb upward.
"Now you," Honor told Volo, "and don't look down. I'll see you upstairs."
Volo waited for the prescribed body length to separate himself from the old mage, and joined the climb, proceeding accordingly.
The progress upward continued slowly, with the older mage and the corpulent thespian stopping every few steps to take a breath. On one of these intervals Volo paused for a moment to look down at Fullstaff, who he was sure would be climbing right behind him.
The ladder below the master traveler was completely empty.
* * * * *
The wave of exhaustion Rassendyll felt from his ordeal thus far threatened to envelope him, as he fought to remain alert and conscious in the presence of this new threat. With false bravado, he brandished his father's sword.
Rickman laughed.
"That's funny," the captain of the Hawks retorted. "I always thought that mages were forbidden to handle such vulgar and impure weapons as a saber-oh, that's right… your brother already took care of that little detail. You are a mage no more."
Rassendyll took a step forward, careful to disentangle his feet from the body of the Thayan coward, his saber ready to strike.
The captain of the Hawks laughed again.
"Oh dearie me!" Rickman exclaimed sarcastically. "A simpleton new to the sword is coming at me. I must defend myself."
Faster than the weary Rassendyll's eyes could follow, Rickman leaped and pivoted at the same time, and proceeded to hurl himself against the wall of the study. In the blink of an eye the human projectile had landed on the edge of the hearth, grabbed a pair of crossed swords from the wall, and propelled himself back in the direction of the High Blade's twin.
Rassendyll ducked barely in time to avoid being skewered as part of the villainous Rickman's acrobatic act.
"Well done!" the knave hailed. "I don't want this to be too easy. After all it isn't every day that I get to kill the two assassins who plotted against and killed my liege."
Within a second, Rickman launched himself back at Rassendyll. The High Blade's twin raised his father's saber to deflect both blades, parrying the first while blocking the second with the hilt.
"Not bad for one so new to the artistry of the blade," Rickman jeered. "If you weren't so obviously tired you might actually make a worthy opponent."
Rassendyll shook his head quickly, trying to clear the cloud of exhaustion that pressed down upon his entire being.
"Come, come," Rickman offered sarcastically. "Why don't you attack