As Shiralee pondered how to escape the impossibly high tower with no steps, she stuffed an old satchel full of food from the endless larder, several dresses, and toiletries. Since she had no money, she couldn’t pay for accommodations on her journey, so she stripped the blankets from her bed.

Shiralee was about to tie them into a bundle when she realized she could use them to escape the tower. She would just need to buoy them with a leavening spell. Then she would float down to the ground.

Grinning, Shiralee returned to the endless larder to find the ingredients she would need for a leavening spell. She mixed together anise, thyme, and incense in a bowl.

After she slung her satchel over her shoulder, Shiralee clutched the corners of her blankets in one hand and tossed the rest out the window. She muttered her leavening spell and ignited her spell mixture then allowed the smoke to billow inside the blankets.

Once the bowl was completely empty, Shiralee grasped the corners of her blankets in both hands and leapt out the window. Her leavening spell held, and she began drifting to the ground.

Halfway down, a sudden gust bashed Shiralee into the tower, and her grip on her blankets loosened. She yelped and thrust away from the tower with her feet.

Although free of the tower, Shiralee began plummeting toward the rocky ground. Most of her leavening spell had escaped when she hit the tower.

“Aaaaaaaahhh!”

Shiralee crashed into the oaks surrounding the tower. Branches lashed her and broke beneath her as she fell. However, they slowed her precipitous descent until one snagged her blankets and halted her midair.

Her body throbbing, Shiralee shuddered as she eyed the distant ground. Perhaps she should have considered her escape more carefully. She would be lucky to make it without breaking a limb.

She turned her gaze to her blankets tangled in the trees. Could she swing to reach a branch so she could climb down? Or would her blankets rip free? She must try, otherwise she would plummet when her blankets finally loosened.

Shiralee tightened her grip then swung toward the nearest branch. She reached the branch after several swings and clutched it as she yanked her blankets free. She folded her blankets and tied them to her back.

Climbing down oak trees in a dress with a satchel and blankets was more difficult than Shiralee recalled from her childhood adventures. However, she eventually made it to the ground with no further injuries or mishaps.

Once she was safe on the ground, Shiralee collapsed and rolled on her back. “Thank the Goddess!”

Shiralee forced herself to rise after heaving several deep breaths. The nearest village was hours away, and nightfall was fast approaching. Although she hadn’t money, perhaps a villager would take pity on her and allow her to stay with them overnight. After that harrowing fall, Shiralee needed that.

To be continued…