"Yes, a priest," he admitted, though softly. They still had unwanted company in the street. Once the bells had died away, even a whisper seemed too loud. "Not an Atrian priest, though. I am from Sunry and a priest of Eket."
"Eket priests don't leave the temple," Keltrina countered and looked distrustful.
"Rarely leave the temple," Rory corrected. "I know Euriday has tales of our help in the past."
"Myths," Jamison said. "Certainly nothing for hundreds of years. Did you come here now because you knew this trouble was coming?"
"Not this trouble," he admitted. "I didn't like Kellic from the first I met him, but I didn't think the problem was in Euriday. I was watching for news about Atria. The queen also asked me to help the Ambassador if things went badly, and I have failed in that request."
"I thought," Keltrina began and then stopped.
"Yes?" he asked softly. Things were getting quieter on the street below them.
"I thought the Eket priests never left their temple and that only royalty could consult with them."
"Mostly true," he admitted. He and Jamison both crawled toward the roof's edge, clearly with the same idea. "We rarely leave. I'm the first in more than twenty years. And we only answer to the ruling monarch, but we can offer help to others. A few have visions. I am not one of them, but I have a magic of my own sort. I can move very fast, but it will drain me."
"I noticed. Both." Jamison said. "We're clear here, and I can see the river no more than half a mile away. Do we try for it?"
"It would be a shame to have come all this way just to turn back."
"But you had not planned to come this way, did you?"
"No. But I didn't have a ship here that I could trust. This is a good way, especially for more than one person. I don't say that I'll go with you, but we'll see when we get there."
Jamison nodded. "Good. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes," he said, more anxious than them. "But take care."
They climbed back down, Jamison first, Keltrina next, and Rory last, almost cursing at the pain in his hands. He hoped they'd taken Polsin to cover somewhere nearby and were not actually following Rory and his companions. Rory didn't think anyone knew that secret about the Eket Priests. He hadn't even told these two, though he might have to if this problem continued. He almost slipped halfway down and heard Jamison make a hiss of surprise and worry -- a sound that could have given them away.
"Lead us there," Rory said. "I'll guard against anything behind us. If it turns bad, leave me. Write to my queen and tell her all that we've seen."
Jamison started to argue. He changed his mind, took Keltrina by the arm, and started away. Jamison did look back to make sure Rory followed them, though. He hadn't expected it.
Rory supposed they felt a debt to him for having saved them. He had also made Kellic their enemy -- but he didn't pretend that would not happen at some point soon anyway.
So they helped each other get out of the city. He had some worry about the boat since it would be a shame to send them off into danger alone after having come this far.
On a night like this, the best thing about the river was the ghostly fog that swirled up and around everything. They heard movement sometimes but saw nothing. Rory trusted that meant no one saw them, either.
Jamison knew precisely where they were going, which helped. Polison got no closer, either. By the time they reached the row of smaller boats, Rory felt that he might be able to take on trouble again -- as long as it wasn't too persistent.
Rory had them remove their shoes before they walked down the long, wooden path beside the ships. They mostly looked silent and dark, but Rory could hear the sound of someone walking nearby and knew that it had to be a guard.
"There should be many guards here," he whispered as they sat beside the hull of a rowboat pulled up for repairs. "Only one means it is a trap."
Jamison gave a nod of wary agreement. "We go your way."
"Which boat were you heading for?" he asked.
"Forth one. It can't be safe, Rory --"
"It can be if they don't see us. No one will hear us with our shoes off. Do you trust me?"
Jamison looked at him. The fog gave too much of a glow to the scene, and Rory feared they would be spotted before his companions decided.
"You saved us already. I can't see what good it would do you to let us be caught or killed now," Jamison whispered. Rory could hear trust in his voice, and Keltrina nodded.
"Take my hands. Hold tight to your belongings. We have to go now. The guard is coming too close."
He stood and held out his hands. They both stood and took hold.
Rory knew he was not going to be worth much after this. But he fixed his attention on the fourth boat and hoped Jamison had correctly counted the boats.
He could see the elongated shadow of the guard. They dared not wait, or he would see them.
Rory took a deep breath, centered himself, and moved.
This was not the first time he'd taken others into his power and moved. It had been part of his training back at the temple, and he'd been good at it, back when lives did not depend on how well he did.
And not after already expending enough magic to have put him down for a while.
He held tight, and then he moved just as the guard came into view.
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