“If anyone can,” grinned Jackle as he threw off the cover and quickly dressed, “we can.”

“That is the truth,” replied Kenda, “but if you are having second thoughts, we can call this off. This was your idea, after all.”

“You’re just trying to get out of it,” taunted Jackle. “You said that you would come with me, and you are coming. We should take something to eat and drink.”

“I have two loaves of bread,” offered Kenda. “We can fill our flasks at the well before we leave the city. Can you think of anything else we might need?”

“We don’t need anything else,” shrugged Jackle as he laced his boots and scrambled out the window.

The two boys stood in the alleyway silently for a moment.

“I am so excited,” Jackle finally said. “I have wanted to do this for a long time, but I feel bad about getting you in trouble. Maybe I should go alone.”

“I am not letting you go alone,” declared Kenda. “I think it would be wise to wait a year or two until we have developed more climbing skills, but I know that you can’t wait that long. I am going with you.”

“Our climbing skills are fantastic,” retorted Jackle. “I can out climb my older brother already. Why should we wait?”

“That is what I expected you to say,” chuckled Kenda. “Let’s get moving while the fog is still thick. I want to be well up the Wall of Mermidion before it burns off.”

“The Wall of Mermidion,” Jackle replied with reverence in his voice. “The unscalable cliffs of Duran.”

“Not exactly unscalable,” countered Kenda. “Some people have done it before.”

“True,” nodded Jackle, “but they are all dead now. Besides the cliffs were never conquered by anyone our age. Our names will be famous when we return. How can anyone be angry with us then?”

“Let’s worry about our fame when we return,” suggested Kenda. “Right now we need to get our water and get out of the city before someone sees us and tells our fathers.”