(Serious) Author's Note: Thanks to krikanalo and Coral Tawnies for reviewing the last chapter! :)

This story is nearly over already... It doesn't feel like long ago that I started The Sinister Schism. Eh well, time flies when you're having fun :)

Chapter Eleven

Klaus was anxious.

Along with Arlo and his sister, he had just left the Snickets behind as they began their journey up the hills towards Blade Ridge, along the path that Klaus had discovered himself when reading maps of the area nearly a fortnight before.

"We've got to keep the pace up today," Arlo said, striding on ahead on a journey that he'd made every day since his arrival at the castle. "Lemony and Jacques will want us in position by the time they arrive at the castle. Their journey is far shorter than our - look!" he exclaimed, pointing out the two men walking along the road to the Baudelaire siblings. "They're already half way there, and we're not even at the top of the hill."

"Run on ahead, then," Klaus suggested. "You and Violet might be used to this walk, but you're older than me, and you're used to more exercise. You've got the binoculars, anyway."

"Are you alright with that, Violet?" Arlo asked, and the eldest Baudelaire nodded.

"We'll catch you up," Violet said. "The mission comes first. I have to get Sunny and mother back, at all costs."

"I'll see you in a few minutes, then," Arlo said, and turned to start running up the hill, surprising both Baudelaires with the speed of his journey up the remainder of the hill.

"I guess we could try running," Klaus said, making sure that he had nothing loose in his pockets that he might use. "It's a cold, windy day, so I guess it'll keep us warm."

"There's no need to run," Violet replied with a tone of authority. "We'll only wear ourselves out. Arlo has everything covered."

"You've certainly got a lot of confidence in Arlo," Klaus said.

"He's been through more of this than us," Violet explained. "While we grew up in the city, he was out having adventures in the Verdant Valley. He's fit enough to run the whole way up here and still have the energy to play his part in the mission, unlike us."

"I hope so," Klaus said, staring up into the blackening cloudy sky. There was a storm coming, and he couldn't help but feel as though it was an omen, warning him of troubles to come. "I've got a bad feeling about this, Violet," he said nervously, and his sister put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Lemony and Jacques have been doing things like this for years," Violet said, trying to comfort her younger brother. "I'm sure that no harm will befall them."

I am sorry to say that Violet was wrong when she said that no harm would befall the Snicket siblings, but as Violet and Klaus arrived at the usual spot on Blade Ridge with Arlo, the Snicket brothers were still in the clear, a phrase which can be used here to explain how their disguises were still working perfectly as they conversed with the bald man with the long nose at the entrance to the castle. Atop the ridge, the three young volunteers had issues of their own, largely due to the weather, which had taken a distinct turn for the worse. The wind buffeted the three children mercilessly, which was less of a problem for Klaus than the others, as Violet and Arlo struggled to keep their long hair out of their eyes as they watched Lemony and Jacques continue their conversation with the man at the entrance. However, rain began to fall over Blade Ridge as they looked on, which was more of a problem for Klaus than the others, as unlike with Violet's and Arlo's coats, whoever had manufactured Klaus' had neglected to add a hood. This meant that while his hair might not have been in his eyes, it was indeed sopping wet, and Klaus couldn't decide which issue was worse.

But the three young volunteers saw the weather conditions as a trivial distraction from the serious business of rescuing Beatrice and Sunny Baudelaire, and the trio quickly learnt to ignore their hair-related problems as they watched Lemony and Jacques be granted entrance into the castle. Breathing a sigh of relief, Violet, Klaus and Arlo looked on intently, wondering what the Snicket siblings were going to do next.

As they walked through the gatehouse, Lemony and Jacques had their first chance to look at Bladeridge Castle close-up. Inside the courtyard, which was the central space between buildings that was covered in dusty ground, there were few buildings, as most of the buildings were the towers built in to the curtain wall around the fortress. There was the massive keep on one side of the courtyard, and two lower, smaller buildings on the other side, and it was towards these two small buildings that the bald man was leading the two disguised volunteers. Around the courtyard there was little of interest, aside form two motor cars and a couple of men walking slowly towards the gatehouse, who began to run as the rain started to fall.

"Many apologies for my hostile greeting earlier," the bad man said for what felt like the fiftieth time. "If I'd known what you were bringing for Mr. Olaf, then I'd have let you in much sooner."

"But we don't even know what was in the package," Jacques lied, knowing full well that the package was empty.

"That doesn't matter," the bald man said. "It's where the package was sent from that matters."

"There is one other thing that we do know, though," Lemony said, looking across at his brother with a small, secret smile, who seemed to understand his meaning. Jacques immediately glanced a look over towards the keep, and Lemony nodded.

"What's that, then?" the bald man asked.

"We lied," both Snicket brothers said in unison, and they dropped their bags and ran off into the castle.

"Something's happened," Arlo said nervously, looking down at the castle through the binoculars.

"What?" Violet asked.

"They've run for it," Arlo explained, and Violet and Klaus could see two small figures running through the rain; one towards the two small buildings that seemed to be for accommodation, the other running directly for the keep.

"I think they've been discovered," Klaus said slowly, wondering if their plans had all been for nothing. The rain was really starting to pick up on top of Blade Ridge that afternoon, as the storm hit Bladeridge Castle at full force, the winds threatening to throw the young volunteers down the steep slopes to their deaths.

"We have to do something," Arlo said determinedly, reaching for his walkie-talkie. "They're after you," he said into it. No reply. "Lemony?" he asked. No reply. "Lemony, you've been spotted. They know where you are." No reply. Frustratedly,he threw the walkie-talkie down on the ground next to him.

"Maybe the storm is interfering with the signal," Violet suggested, feeling worse and worse by the minute. Not only did the rescue mission seem to be a failure, she was now worried that the Snicket siblings would be unable to avoid capture, too.

"Do we have any way of helping them?" Klaus asked desperately, feeling worried.

"Just one," Arlo said, reaching deep into the large blue rucksack that he had brought with him to Blade Ridge. "Lemony would never allow it, but I've got the gliders with me. We can fly down into the castle and offer help."

What they would be able to offer to the Snicket brothers, Violet and Klaus weren't sure, but Arlo's idea was better than anything else that they could come up with.

"Will it be safe to fly in the storm?" Klaus asked nervously.

"It'll be a challenge, but we should be able to cope," Arlo said, constructing the first of two gliders, and giving it to Violet. "You'll be flying alone," Arlo told her. "I'll carry Klaus with me. I feel as though he'd rather be with the more experienced flyer," he added, to which Klaus nodded.

Having strapped herself in to her glider, Violet found it harder to keep her balance on the ridge with the glider threatening to take off due to the storm-force winds. Somehow she managed to help Arlo assemble his hand-glider, which was the one that had saved them at the Firestarter base in the northern Hinterlands that summer. Violet hoped that now she would be able to save somebody else with it.

Soon Arlo had strapped himself in to his own machine, and put both of his arms around Klaus, holding the middle Baudelaire sibling tightly to him. He could feel Klaus shaking, and knew that he was scared. Klaus had never flown before, and he had no idea what to expect. But he knew that Violet could manage it, and if his sister could, then he would cope, too.

"Brace yourself," Arlo told Klaus quietly, using a phrase which here means "prepare yourself for falling five hundred feet from a dangerous ridge into a castle occupied by our enemies in the middle of a storm," and it did nothing to help Klaus' nerves. "It's going to be a rough ride," Arlo added, and with that, he threw both of them over the edge.

Violet watched her friend and her brother disappear form sight, and only watched them for a couple of seconds before fear took over her, too. She'd only flown alone once before, a few weeks before at Mount Fraught, the highest peak in the Mortmain Mountains. Although this time her fall would be shorter, the storm made her nervous, and wondering if this was a good thing to do. But Arlo seemed to be coping well in the sky below her, even with the burden of Klaus hindering him slightly.

This is no time for doubting, Violet, the eldest Baudelaire told herself, and joined Arlo and Klaus in the stormy sky.

Klaus was terrified. Arlo flew the glider expertly, making sure that he did not lose control in the crazy air currents and torrential rain caused by the storm. Both of them were completely soaked as they soared towards the ground. However, despite Arlo's best efforts to keep the glider stable for the first-time flyer, Klaus still felt sick as Arlo's glider led them towards the castle, which was getting larger and larger every second.

However, Klaus' fear was nothing compared to that of his sister, who struggled to keep control of the glider as the gale-force winds sent her spinning one, two, three times on the way down. She'd been unable to contro her speed as well as the more experienced flyer she was following, and found herself near Arlo as they reached the height of the keep, only to see an frustrated Lemony Snicket looking through the torrential rain at the three young volunteers who landed in Bladeridge Castle near him.

Suddenly Arlo felt like this idea hadn't been such a good one, as Lemony confronted him.

"Thursday!" he said angrily, rushing for the door of the keep as he tried to keep on task. "What the hell are you playing at! This isn't part of the plan!"

"Sorry," Arlo replied, trying not to be angry at himself for undertaking a risky journey through a storm for no good reason. "We thought you were in trouble."

"Didn't you try the walkie-talkies?" Lemony snapped.

"Yes," Violet added, who had landed next to Arlo and Klaus, much to her relief. "I think the storm interfered with the signals."

"Really?" Lemony said, slightly less angry at this unnecessary interference than before, pulling his own walkie-talkie from his soaked trouser pocket. "Oh," he said quietly, staring at it. "I think it's broken. The water must have got in."

"We thought you were in trouble," Arlo said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Upon hearing his apprentice's apology, Lemony softened further, and seemed to forget about the incident. "Well then," he said seriously. "We've still got a job to do. Everyone, follow me."

And with that, Lemony Snicket opened the door of the keep and ushered the three young volunteers inside.

(Serious) Author's Note: If you enjoyed this chapter, please review! Constructive criticism is welcomed :)