ToCatchAHeirIndex | HomePage | GameLogs | ClearwaterGameLogs | To Catch a Heir Without thinking, Niko propelled himself forward, grabbing for any part of the boy he could get hold of, preparing to pull him back through as quickly as possible. Her caught hold of his jacket. As he pulled he simultaneously called to him. "Ranulf! There has been enough tragedy this day. No matter what you think of your mother or father, I know that they would want you to live. *We* want you to live. Let your living be repayment for what you have done- not your death!" Derron saw the boy disappear through the slit and stopped. He knew the castle very well, having spent most of his life in it. There were only a few places the boy could go, and he might be able to meet him there. He thought furiously, also factoring in the idea the boy was seeking sanctuary... If the boy got through the window, he might try to scale the wall. But even in his state of panic, he was not likely to climb far. He could go up ... the the highest floor, or the roof - or he could climb down to the lower floor - or even into the meadow. A floor up or down might be more likely. "Let me go!" shouted Ranulf desperately. "Let me go!" He gave a terrific wriggle - it seemed he had determined that if he couldn't escape Niko's grasp on his jacket, then he'd discard the jacket. Derron heard the boy cry out and went back into the room to see if he could help Niko. Instead of replying, Niko hauled on the jacket, intending to put a hand on the boy's person before it was too late. Just as he did so, Ranulf succeeded in shaking free of the jacket and slid through the window, one hand reaching to gab for a jutting stone. His hand seemed to slide, and with a cry of pain and fear he fell ... but only a few feet, because his othe hand grabbed at the windowsill he had just left while his feet scrabbled frantically against the wall for purchase. "Don't touch me!" he gasped. "If you try, I'll let go - I swear." "And do what?" Niko replied, shaking his head sadly. "Kill the only last remnant of your mother left on this world?" "How selfish," he added. "Having been caught doing some wrong, you would first let someone else take the blame, then attempt to get out of the consequences of your actions by such an act, instead of making things right." "Is that it, Ranulf? Is that who you now are?" "I didn't ... ask ... Septa ... to lie," panted Ranulf. It was clear that the strength in his arms would not hold him up for long. "I thought ... everyone ... should believe her when she said ... she wanted to ... "And ... if I tell... that won't ... make things right." His fingers on the sill were turning white. Soon he would lose sensation and then his grip. "No, it will not make things right. Things such as death are never absolved that easily," Niko said matter-of-factly. "But better than this- this will never make things right. You will never get the chance to make things right if you do this. You will never give yourself a chance to make the naysayers about you see they were wrong. Never get a chance to prove yourself to your father. Never get a chance to prove yourself to yourself," he said, inching closer as he was talking. "No- you will be known as the kinslayer, and will pay for this even in death. This is no easy way out, but an eternal sentence that you threaten," Niko said. "You cannot hang there forever- you must make a choice." He put his hand out, slowly, non-threateningly, making no attempt to grab the boy. "My hand is here. As you said, you will release before I can grab you. But you can grab me." "Again you have a choice," he said gravely. "This time, make the right one." "To die fast or to die slowly," said the boy. "That's what you want me to choose." His eyes stared into Niko's. "Some of us - our birth is a curse. We destroy - with our existence." Then his face crumpled and his hand slipped. "I don't want to die!" he shouted, and he made a wild grab for Niko's hand. But it was too late, and he fell backwards, his other hand scrabbling on the stone. Niko quickly leaned forward as far as he could grabbing for - anything. Anything that he could use to somehow pullthe boy up. He couldn't fail! Not now! The boy slipped ... and then stopped - his hands stretched up - appearing to somehow be welded to the wall - and tantalizing just out of Niko's reach. Niko struggled to keep calm as he judged the width of the slit- was there enough room to, however painfully, contort himself further and grab the boy? If there was he would, and pay the cost later. If not, then he would try to calm him- the boy was apparently good enough to have caught a hold on the wall, so if he could hold on for a little longer, perhaps Niko could find a rope or get beneath him. Ranulf looked up at him, terrified. It seemed as though Niko would have a very little time - if he could rely on Derron's strength holding out. Sown below, Derron was beginning to feel as though his arm muscles were on fire ... Derron figured that if he intervened, the boy just might let go. But he could work his way below the boy...if he hurried. There was a little used room just a storey down. The window was a little wider, he seemed to remember. Derron's long legs took him as fast he could to the store room. He paused at the door so he did not burst through making too much noise. He tried to catch his breath but did not have the time. Instead he breathed through his wide open mouth to remain quieter. He headed for the window, and tried to open the shutters silently. He had not heard a scream, so either the boy was inside with Niko, or still hanging. He need to look up to see the boy dangling some four foot above his head. He seemed to be slipping. If Derron reached out far enough, he could probably grab the boy as he dropped. But the shock of it might pull him from the window too ... Derron leaned out with his left arm wrapped tightly against the edge of the window and with his right hand grabbed onto the boy as he began to fall. He braced with all his strength to keep from going down as well. He grabbed his leg - thrusting the boy against the wall. Derron was a powerful man - a smith, with muscles formed and honed by long years in the forge. But, in this awkward position, it was all he could do to keep the boy from slipping any further - and that would be disastrous. Derron was basically embracing the wall from both inside and outside the window, with Ranulf's leg pinned. He spoke abruptly through gritted teeth. "I've got his leg, Niko. Can you haul him in?" Derron shouted, trying to grip tighter, "Niko, if you can't grab him, lower him a belt or rope...or your leg! I can't hold him all day!" Seeing that he was going to need something else to lower to Ranulf, Niko took off the belt that cinched his trousers quickly lowered it from the window, trying to extend his reach with it. "Ranulf! Grab hold!" Ranulf made a wild grab and missed. Over his shoulder, Niko was able to see Lord Draupaud and Aerin in the meadow, with Shade beside them, gazing up. Aerin looked anxious; Lord Draupaud's face was as hard as ever to read. Derron knew he could not hold out forever. So he decided to go for broke. He began slowly to lift the boy an inch at a time higer, towards Niko and safety. It was costing him, as he knew that if this didn't work, he was sure to drop the child. But it might save him. His right arm slid another inch higher as his back and arms screamed at him... Ranulf was rising into the air, his arms reaching desperately to the belt. He was close enough now that Niko could simply drop it into his hands ... if Derron could hold on a few seconds more ... Then Ranulf had clutched the belt tightly. "Hold on *tight*, Ranulf!" Niko said as he began to pull, careful to keep the belt away from the edge of the window. It was slow going, having to suppoert the belt and keep it off the hard stone, and support the boy's weight at the same time, so he talked to the boy to keep him calm as he laboriously strained against his protesting muscles. "Stay calm, Ranulf," He said in gasps as he labored an inch at a time. "This one has been in worse situations before, so this is not so bad," he said, the srain in his voice belying his words. As soon as the boy was in range Niko was prepared to grab onto his hands instead of the belt. For Derron down below, though, the strain on his shoulders and arms was greatly eased as Niko took some of the strain himself, and it was easier to lift the boy up. But even as Ranulf was high enough to grab hold of Niko's hands, Derron was able to see the meadow for the first time, and Lord Draupaud and Aerin standing trogether, with Shade beside them. Derron kept his arm outside the window just in case the boy slipped again, but he let it hang loose to get the blood flowing into it. He silently prayed Aerin did not say too much. He decided not to point them out to Niko and Ranulf, since they needed to focus for the moment. Hauling Ranulf in, Niko sat him on solid ground. Exhausted by the effort, it took all of Niko's willpower to keep from falling down on the floor. But he knew he had to do something first. "Ranulf, for your own good, this has to end," Niko said. Taking hum firmly by the hand, he began to lead him down the stairs to Steward Thorne- then they would face Lord Draupaud together. Ranulf went with him, but as they left the room, he gave a little choked sob. Once he was sure the boy was safely inside, Derron stepped back from the window slit and headed for the door. He had no idea what he would say, either to Ranulf nor Lord Draupaud. It would depend on what Ranulf might have to say for himself. As they met in the hall, Niko had nothing to say to Steward Thorne, just nodding to the door at the base of the tower. He led the procession out of the tower, hoping to find Aerin so that they could go together to find Lord Draupaud. He did not expect to find Draupaud himself there, and so was stunned when they opened the door to see Aerin and Lord Draupaud in conversation. He looked back at the Steward once again before heading, Ranulf in hand, over to his liege, and mutely standing there before him, waiting his pleasure. Ranulf shrank back a little, and the men with him realised that he was shaking with dry, tearless sobs. Derron followed Niko and the boy, but remained silent. |
