Almost.
Heh heh, he laughed to himself, you�ve still got your eyes about you, old man.
As he rappelled down the side of the chasm, wrapped in an endless blackness and unable to visualize the bottom, he thought of what he needed to get done once he found the girl. It was obvious that they couldn�t try to get back into the town as the Narshe sheriffs had been alerted to her presence in the town, and a sweep would be in progress. His only hope of getting her to the Returner hideout was to head south to Figaro, where he would meet up with his old friend, King Edgar Roni Figaro, Imperial Lord and Sovereign Head of the lands of Figaro. His castle was several days trek to the southwest, beyond the edge of the desert. Strange that a kingdom�s capital would lie in the middle of a desert, but then again, Edgar was an eccentric person overall.
Feet once again on solid ground, Locke detached the length of rope from its last holding point and concealed it within his backpack. Immediately he dropped to the floor, remaining on the balls of his feet, and scanned the ground for any sign of the girl�s route. He tracked now, lost in his mechanisms, performing his unconscious algorithms that were second nature to him. Locate any item that identifies the quarry�s identity; establish the direction of movement by confirming another indicator of later progress; ensure a clear, well-hidden path from the target; proceed with caution. Within seconds of dropping to the ground, he sprung to his feet again, swiftly falling back against the shadowy rock of the cavern wall, and was suddenly gone from sight.
He moved stealthily, shadow to shadow, unseen, unheard and as swift as a sparrow on the autumn winds. He knew he was only minutes behind her, having taken a short cut through the mines that would place him close enough to reach her before the guards did. The Narshe elite were scattered throughout the tunnels in a very effective formation and Locke knew he had to move fast. Twice, a troupe of the noisy brutes passed within a hair�s breadth of his hiding place without noticing a thing and Locke was more than tempted to scare the living daylights out of the snotty clods.
A fierce scream pierced the dark of the cave suddenly and, just as suddenly was ended, setting Locke�s nerves on edge. From the sounds of it, the girl was no longer on his level and most likely was now in some danger. His heart pounding in his chest, Locke leapt forward into a run, streaking away from the nearest patrol that stood frozen with fear from the scream that had erupted, not even registering his passage.
Four guards stood around a large, gaping crater that was newly formed in a corner of one of the major grottos within the cavern holding lanterns over it and attempting to peer over the edge. Mumbling about the girl falling into the large hole, and whether or not to follow, they failed to perceive a dark, shadowy figure slipping past them and then down into the blackness of the gulch.
Once again, Locke found himself making his way down the steep, craggy side of an abyss, unable to determine the depth. Undeterred, however, he moved with the speed and agility of the mountain cats that roamed the hills above the town where Locke once lived. He would watch the way those large felines moved, their grace masking the absolute effort it took to maintain precision in motion. He would mimic their motion almost completely and finally learned to move as noiselessly and as swiftly as they. Now, such training and hours of practice would hopefully pay off, allowing him to get to the girl in time.
An unearthly glow was now visible, bathing the lower end of the cliff�s face in a soft, purplish light that allowed Locke to make out the unconscious form of the girl. Focusing once more upon his descent, Locke dropped the final few feet towards the girl�s form, and once again, unhooked his rope and grapple, slipping them neatly into their places.
He shook his head severely and thought bitterly to himself, No! Never! There is no one as beautiful as� and stopped mid-thought, berated himself for bringing up his past at this moment. He needed to think of what to do now and not set himself three paces backwards by reliving the nightmares of what happened a long time ago. And yet, his eyes couldn�t help drifting back to the unconscious form of the girl lying before him.
Recovering his sense in good time, he knelt before the young woman, assessing her for any wounds, and staunching the already clotted laceration on her scalp with his medicine patch. That would heal with time and probably not scar too badly. However, he wasn�t sure what effect the fall had on her otherwise. Was she in a deep sleep, never to recover her mental state? Would she awaken without the ability to speak, or unable to even move? He had seen several persons fall from much smaller heights, and suffer injuries that prevented them from walking ever again. It would be very sad indeed if such happened to this pretty girl.
As he was about to lift her limp body off the cold ground, a shout echoed across the cavern. Five armored men bunched around two large wooly beasts had entered the cavern from the opposite end and were now working their way towards the unconscious girl. With little time to spare, Locke drew his short sword from its scabbard and readied himself for battle. He positioned himself between the girl and the oncoming mob, intent on keeping her safe as long as he could, even if it meant his life.
�Oh great,� he muttered to himself, �what a great day this is turning into.�
And in reply, came a small, high-pitched voice.
�Kupo!�
