A friend?

“Who is th...” Winlay couldn't contain her curiosity, but Mika hushed her before she could even finish it.

“I'll explain later.” Mika's attention was on the bent over figure that slowly came into focus. It was a man, in a white Templar tunic carrying a much smaller person. "Well, at least we did one of the things right." Winlay still had no idea what was going on, but Mika's relief was palatable, and for some reason Winlay was able to breath a sigh of relief. This brief moment was over almost immediately as the man turned on Mika apparently not at all happy to see her.

“Mika! What have you done?” Winlay could sense his anger and frustration at seeing her waiting in the sewers with Mika. Mika cringed, but after a deep breath she introduced Winlay to the strange man.

“Adam, this is my friend Winlay. Winlay this is Adam, and this” Mika said as she raised her light to illuminate body in Adam's arms “is His Holiness, the Oracle of Xelta.” Winlay looked back and forth between the powerful Templar and the skeletal man dressed in filthy rags. The man looked a little like the pictures she saw of the Oracle in her orientation, but it couldn't be,

“It can't be Mika.” Winlay protested, “The Oracle is on his way to Cryn for the peace talks.” Mika nodded slowly and lifted her light to give Winlay a better look at the man. The old man's face was badly bruised from what looked like repeated beatings, and at least a week's worth of a short grey beard covering his chin but there was something familiar about him ...

“That's what Beldan wants everyone to think Winlay.” Mika explained as gently as she knew how. “Adam found Yje Oracle chained in the Templar's prison a week ago and I happened to be available to help." At his name, Adam's displeasure seemed to grow and Winlay decided that the sooner this Templar captain was on his way the happier she and Mika would be. Mika was still trying to explain and Winlay turned her attention back to her friend, deciding that the best solution was to ignore the brooding man.

"We weren't planning to get him quite yet, but I ran into some trouble with Beldan, so it was now or never.” Winlay could only imagine what kind of trouble the High Priest might have given Mika about changing time slots with her, so she was completely caught off guard at what Mika added next. “I'm sorry Adam, he was wearing a vault-tech layer of armor under his vestments. It stopped my blade cold.”

“I don't understand.” Winlay said simply in a low voice, “Who are you, and what have you done?"

"We have no time for this, Mika." Adam cut off any answer she might have formulated. "She'll have to come with us. We can decide what to do with her once we are out of the city." Winlay's eyes widened in alarm, but thankfully Mika gave her a reassuring smile along with a gentle hug.

"Don't scare her, Adam." She scolded the scowling bear of a man almost flippantly. "If I left her here in the convent you know what he'd do to her."

"He still will, and even worse to you if we can't get to the ship before all hell breaks loose." Mika nodded in silent determination and Winlay could see the concern and determination in the looks exchanged by the pair. She knew these people needed help, and she knew the one person who might just be the one to ask.

"I don't understand, Mika," She straightened her back and squeezed Mika's hand firmly. "I don't understand, but I think I know what we need to do.” She added with as much confidence as she could muster. Adam was shaking his head, but Mika at least looked interested.

“We need to ask Sister Margaret for help.” Before Winlay could explain why, Adam interrupted her.

“No! We can't involve any more people.” Adam baritone was firm and calm and Winlay knew that it would take everything she had to talk some sense into the man. She turned to face Adam placing her hand on his bicep as she spoke calmly and rationally.

“Look at yourselves, Adam.” Mika watched their interaction in silence, letting Winlay do the talking. “Look at him.” Winlay added, pointing to the passed out man in Adam's arms. “How far do you think you will get walking through the streets of Telnon carrying an **** man covered in sewage before you attract attention.” Winlay let her words sink in meeting his intelligent eyes without flinching. "They might not be looking for you two, but by now every guard in the city will be looking for an initiate with a head full of golden curls." Before Adam could protest again Winlay added her final argument. “Sister Margaret is a healer as well as a good woman, and she has no love for High Priest Beldan. You need her help if you want to get the Oracle out of this alive.”

For three full breaths she stared into Adam's eyes and for the first time she noticed just how good looking the Templar was when he wasn't scowling. Mika trusted her, but Adam needed convincing and he gazed into her eyes steadily, apparently measuring her worth for himself.

“All right.” Adam conceded, and in spite of her training Mika gave a small gasp of surprise at Adam's words. “We'll talk to this Sister Margaret of yours.” Now it was Winlay's turn to feel nervous. Would Sister Margaret help them? She had to. If not, she'd have betrayed Mika, Adam and the Oracle before they even got out of the Convent. Mika too seemed as tense as Adam, even pulling a knife out from under the skirts of her robed before nodded to herself before returning it.