The Staff of the Winds (The Wizard of South Corner Book 1) by William Meighan Page A

climb, the end of his staff held before him. Occasional arrow slits provided some light at intervals along the way.
    About half way up, Owen stepped on a plank that let out a deep creaking groan.  Suddenly, in a rush, the gorn came into view from above.  He held a large iron club high in the air, and was already bringing it down towards Owen’s head. Startled, Owen fell back, grounding the butt of his staff on the step below to try to catch his balance. The gorn in his rush caught the end of the staff in his sternum, and as Owen continued to fall, the gorn’s forward momentum vaulted him on the end of the staff over Owen and down the stairs. Jack was just able to dodge against the inner stonewall and avoid the clutching grasp of the gorn as it sailed by.
    Owen slid painfully on his back down several stairs before he could regain control. The gorn had landed heavily with a crash on the stairs below.
    Jack, after checking on Owen, bounded down the stairs with his knife ready, to find the gorn already rising to his feet. He had transferred his club to his left hand; his right shoulder appeared to be broken, and that arm dangled at his side. Jack had the high ground, and the gorn was only able to jab awkwardly with the heavy club, as he gave ground down the stairs. Owen soon regained his footing, and limping slightly from a bruise on his hip joined the attack.
    Working together, the boys were able to continue to force the gorn back down the stairs a step at a time and into the open room at the base; then they spread apart.  The gorn was gradually forced back against the far wall, where he stumbled against something on the floor.  As he stumbled, he dropped his guard with his club, and Owen made a mighty thrust of his staff to the gorn’s face just below the ridge bone between the eyes.  The gorn collapsed, and Jack leapt in and thrust his knife through the gorn’s eye and up into its brain.
    Exhausted by the fear and the effort, Jack and Owen leaned against the wall panting until their limbs stopped trembling and they were able to regain their breath. Finally, Owen whispered, “We’d better make sure that there are no more,” and fearfully he once again cautiously approached the stairs.
    The climb this time was uneventful, although Owen flinched when he hit that same squeaky step, and soon the boys reached the top and looked out over the surrounding countryside. The sun was just climbing into the sky, the air was clear and they could see for leagues in all directions. Owen decided that he had been right that they could not have bypassed this tower safely. On the horizon to the west, they could just make out a faint wisp of smoke rising from the camp of those they pursued. Other than that, there was no sign of their enemies in any direction.
    Owen leaned over the side and called down to Marian that all was clear.  Although reluctant to leave the growing light of day to re-enter the dark tower, the boys decided that they had better get back to their horses and resume the chase.
    Owen’s eyes once again had to adjust to the dark stairway, but the light coming in from the arrow slits was brighter now, and by the time they reached the bottom, they were able to see the large room at the base much more clearly with the added light through the open doorway.
    Something about the lump near the wall that they had noticed before caught Owen’s attention, and he went over to investigate.  Suddenly Owen realized what they were looking at, and ran to the doorway to vomit outside.
    “What happened?” Marian asked, startled.
    “Don’t come in,” Owen managed to say with a gasp. “We’ll be out in a minute. Get me that gorn’s blanket, please.”
    When Marian brought it, Owen took it from her and went back inside.  Jack was still standing there staring, his face deathly white.  On the floor next to the gorn was the body of a woman.  Carefully, Owen spread the blanket on top of the pool of blood that was on the floor next