They ascended the stairs to the base of the tower where another pair of Red Caps waited next to a single door of tarnished bronze set deep into the blocks of the tower. The guards at the door were two of the burliest goblins Padric had ever seen, and he noticed a heavy maul and mattock resting against the stones near the door. Discarded in weeds creeping from between cracks in the masonry, lay a great, rusted chain, recently sundered. He was given no time to investigate further as the goblins quickly opened the door and escorted them inside.

Torches burned in the wide gallery within, revealing nothing but dust, webs and the refuse of vermin. The goblins grabbed the torches and immediately made for an arch at the back of the gallery through which the spiral stairs waited. The burly goblins led and Padric followed close behind them. He was several steps up before he realized he held one of Svala’s hands in his own, leading her. He glanced back as he continued to climb and she gave him a tremulous smile. Padric squeezed her hand gently and saw that Slouch Hat came next, followed by the skiff pilots bringing up the rear. They passed other arches which led to the increasingly narrow floors of the tower, but the goblins never paused. Padric only had a brief glimpse of rotted wooden flooring and dank stones before the torch light moved on around the curve of the wall, plunging the abandoned rooms back into the darkness they deserved.

Padric’s legs burned tightly, and the close, curved walls of cold stone began to steal his breath as they ceaselessly climbed. At last, the stairs ended on a small landing where another heavy bronze door greeted them. One of the burly goblins unlocked it with a key from his belt and opened the door to reveal a circular chamber lit from a fire already burning in the elaborately carved stone hearth. The wooden floor had been hastily swept, the dust of years still lying thick near the walls. A palette of straw and furs had been placed in the room, a pitcher and a goblet nearby. Otherwise the room was empty.

Padric entered leading Svala, and as soon as Slouch Hat crossed the threshold, the goblins pulled the door shut swiftly, the latch grinding into place and locked. Padric looked around and shook his head. Another archway led out onto a balcony and he stepped out carefully. The wind whipped at his hair as he looked down on the dark, cowering buildings of the city spread out before him. The night sky was devoid of stars, and only the palest glimmer of moonlight shone off the water a dizzying distance below. His knees suddenly buckled and he felt queasy, all but stumbling back into the chamber away from that awful drop.