Sais stared down at him. Something close akin to horror was in her eyes.
With all his might, Jarl leaped upward, outward, straining to reach the other wall.
One hand touched—and slipped.
The other hooked round the edge of the stone ledge above.
Sais clutched his free hand and tried to lift him. With a desperate effort, he twisted and lunged again, hanging there in space.
This time he got a grip on the ledge's inner edge. Sais tugged at his tunic's collar. Gasping for breath, he levered himself higher, up onto his elbows. A final surge carried him out of the chasm.
Sais sank down beside him. For a long moment they lay there—both panting, both shaking.
But there was no time for weakness. Lurching to his feet, Jarl began working his way around the rim.
They moved on to new buildings—one, two, half-a-dozen ... always striving in the direction of the port.