The doors to the Band of Brothers didn’t open. Kaira groaned. The innkeeper must have bolted the doors when the storm began. She watched Johan hammer on the door with a sinking feeling. Then he turned and swore. Kaira blinked at him in mild surprise. Not because he had used coarse language in front of a young woman like her, but because he used curses that she had never heard before. Briefly she wondered where he was from. He walked past her, muttering to himself.
Kaira frowned. Was he giving up so soon? It didn’t seem quite like him. She hissed under her breath, then walked up to the door and placed a palm on the wood. Where had that light gone? If only she could channel, then perhaps she could figure a way through this door. She closed her eyes and tried, in vain, to find the Source.
From behind her, Johan spoke.
“Think we can reach it?”
Kaira looked up and followed his gaze. He was staring at the window to the first story of the inn. Kaira’s mouth dropped open and her voice climbed two octaves.
“You want to climb up that? But there is snow! It will be slippery. What if you fall?”
“We’ll just have to find out,” he said.
Kaira would have stomped her foot if her ankle wasn’t sprained. Oh, he’ll find out alright when he falls and breaks his neck! She watched him reach up for a brick that jutted out from the wall. He brought his right foot up onto another small ledge. Then he pulled himself up. Another brick. Another foothold.
He climbed surprisingly quickly, with the deft sureness of a boy who must have conquered a million walls. Kaira could not believe her eyes. She had left the Tower that morning expecting a short and pleasant shopping trip to buy a birthday present for Nasrin. Instead, she had been groped by a man, chased by city guards, sprained her ankle, and trapped in a blizzard. And now she was stuck with some fool Drin with a death wish!
But somehow he did not fall. He reached the window. She watched as he peered in through the glass and then fiddled with the frame. After a moment, the window swung open. Johan pulled himself in through the opening. Then he was gone.
Wait. What about her? Kaira shivered. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called up at him.
“Hey! Johan! Are you expecting me to climb up too?”
His head popped back out of the window.
“Yeah, I am,” he said. Then again he disappeared.
Kaira gaped up at the window. How could he just leave her out here?! And his words had been said without a trace of sarcasm or amusement, which somehow made everything worse. She exploded in fury.
“I have a twisted ankle,” she yelled. “I can’t climb that bloody wall! You get back here right now, Johan! Or tell the innkeeper to unlock the door!”
Silence.
After a few minutes of grouching and grumbling, Kaira went to the wall and sighed. She reached up with her right arm and gripped the very same brick that Johan had used. If he can do it, I can do it too. She lifted her injured foot and set it gingerly on the ledge. Then she pulled herself up, relying mostly on the strength of her arm. She found another jutting brick with her left hand. Slowly, she climbed.
Light, her fingers were freezing! And her muscles ached, especially her arms, as she strained to make up for her leg. Finally, she looked up to see the window ledge. Grinning, she reached for it. And in her eagerness, she made a mistake. She let go with her other hand before she found a firm grip.
Relief turned to shock as her fingers scrabbled for purchase against the slippery surface of the ledge. She slid, then her hand slipped off the ledge. No! Kaira screamed as her weaker leg gave away beneath her. Then she was falling...
Kaira frowned. Was he giving up so soon? It didn’t seem quite like him. She hissed under her breath, then walked up to the door and placed a palm on the wood. Where had that light gone? If only she could channel, then perhaps she could figure a way through this door. She closed her eyes and tried, in vain, to find the Source.
From behind her, Johan spoke.
“Think we can reach it?”
Kaira looked up and followed his gaze. He was staring at the window to the first story of the inn. Kaira’s mouth dropped open and her voice climbed two octaves.
“You want to climb up that? But there is snow! It will be slippery. What if you fall?”
“We’ll just have to find out,” he said.
Kaira would have stomped her foot if her ankle wasn’t sprained. Oh, he’ll find out alright when he falls and breaks his neck! She watched him reach up for a brick that jutted out from the wall. He brought his right foot up onto another small ledge. Then he pulled himself up. Another brick. Another foothold.
He climbed surprisingly quickly, with the deft sureness of a boy who must have conquered a million walls. Kaira could not believe her eyes. She had left the Tower that morning expecting a short and pleasant shopping trip to buy a birthday present for Nasrin. Instead, she had been groped by a man, chased by city guards, sprained her ankle, and trapped in a blizzard. And now she was stuck with some fool Drin with a death wish!
But somehow he did not fall. He reached the window. She watched as he peered in through the glass and then fiddled with the frame. After a moment, the window swung open. Johan pulled himself in through the opening. Then he was gone.
Wait. What about her? Kaira shivered. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called up at him.
“Hey! Johan! Are you expecting me to climb up too?”
His head popped back out of the window.
“Yeah, I am,” he said. Then again he disappeared.
Kaira gaped up at the window. How could he just leave her out here?! And his words had been said without a trace of sarcasm or amusement, which somehow made everything worse. She exploded in fury.
“I have a twisted ankle,” she yelled. “I can’t climb that bloody wall! You get back here right now, Johan! Or tell the innkeeper to unlock the door!”
Silence.
After a few minutes of grouching and grumbling, Kaira went to the wall and sighed. She reached up with her right arm and gripped the very same brick that Johan had used. If he can do it, I can do it too. She lifted her injured foot and set it gingerly on the ledge. Then she pulled herself up, relying mostly on the strength of her arm. She found another jutting brick with her left hand. Slowly, she climbed.
Light, her fingers were freezing! And her muscles ached, especially her arms, as she strained to make up for her leg. Finally, she looked up to see the window ledge. Grinning, she reached for it. And in her eagerness, she made a mistake. She let go with her other hand before she found a firm grip.
Relief turned to shock as her fingers scrabbled for purchase against the slippery surface of the ledge. She slid, then her hand slipped off the ledge. No! Kaira screamed as her weaker leg gave away beneath her. Then she was falling...
