Sister Margaret steps in

"Soldier!" Margaret's sharp voice made Corbin jump back nearly half a meter. "Why is this wagon still here?"

"It had to be searched Ma'am." The Templar stuttered, suddenly looking much younger than he did just seconds before.

"And did you find anything?" Margaret asked the new recruits who just shook their heads and started reloading the wagon.

"How about you, what did expect to find hidden under that dress? A broadsword?" Her sarcasm was cutting and Jackman was clearly on the defensive.

"No ma'am." He began "but I'll need to get clearance before they can ..."

"Nonsense!" Margaret snapped back "These three have been cleared already by the morning watch when they came in." Then dropping her voice to a loud whisper she added "Do you realize how big a donation to the Church this saintly woman has made."

"No Ma'am." He stammered "I mean yes Ma'am." He stepped back and motioned for the gate to be opened.

"I suppose there are going to be more of these absurd check points all over the city aren't there?"

"Yes Ma'am. I expect so Ma'am." Corbin answered as Adam drew the cart through the open gate. Mika boldly stepped after and neither the recruits nor Corbin made any attempt to stop her either.

"I'd better walk down with you Dame Wanda." Margaret said "Or it will take you all day just to reach your neighborhood." With that she walked briskly ahead of the cart and Adam followed her into the maze of streets that led down to the waterfront.

"Damn!" Adam heard Margaret swear under her breath. "I had hoped to avoid that." Adam realized that Sister Margaret could no more return to the convent any more than he or the initiates could. Another life ruined because of his poor planning; The toll for his lack of judgment was growing higher and higher and they still had to reach Joseph Anglar and slip out of the harbor guarded by a good chunk of the Veertor Navy.

"We'd better lose the cart." Margaret said after a few minutes of fast walking. She guided Adam and the cart into a small square and took two basket of greens from the back. "Once they figure out that 'Wanda' and her lot never entered the Convent this morning, they'll be searching for it all over the city. We don't really need it anymore anyways" she explained, "Its main purpose was to give the guards something to search so they weren't looking too closely at the four of you." She picked up two of the baskets filled with greens and pointed to where Mika was standing near the square entrance resting her foot on the heavy bundle at her feet.

"Adam, you may as well carry your gear now. That way Mika can run ahead and warn us of any more trouble." Adam felt an irrational sense of relief as he felt the weight of the armor and weapons in his arms once again. He wondered how long it would take to free his blade if he needed it, too long probably but all the same he was glad to have it.

There were more checkpoints as they tried to make their way down to the harbor. Each time Winlay received the bulk of the attention, it was a good thing that Adam's face was both swollen and numb. He doubted he'd be able to hide the outrage he felt as she was ogled and groped repeatedly by guardsmen who were clearly bored on this third day of high alert. One of them even demanded a kiss from Winlay as the toll for passing the checkpoint, and Adam had to watch helplessly while a city guardsman slobbered all over her until 'Wanda' broke up the kiss with a promise of a discount when he visited the Golden Hook.

They passed multiple patrols as they got closer to the harbor, both Temple and City guardsmen were searching the wagons that were bringing goods to the merchantmen waiting in the harbor. Both teamsters and longshoremen were getting more and more frustrated as each load was emptied and searched by the guards before it was cleared to pass. The delays caused by the searchers had everyone on edge and Adam could see signs that there had already been at least one fight.

The mood of the dockworkers was kept under the critical point only by the pressence a troop of imperial cavalry that stood mounted and ready near the center of the harbor. If it weren't for these dangerous looking horsemen Adam doubted if the city guards would be able to maintain order. The harbor waters were crowded with ships, and Adam hoped that Anglar’s ship was out there somewhere in the forest of masts. Beldan's search for the Oracle had clearly disrupted the already frenzied ebb and flow of the merchant traffic that kept the harbor busy.

When they reached the harbor there was one final check point. Two guards stood along with a harried looking church clerk who stood to the side with a clipboard holding a stack of papers. Before they reached the check point Adam told Margaret that they were looking for the 'Vertigo' captained by Joseph Anglar. Margaret passed the baskets to Mika who held them to her chest hiding the slight bulge of her tightly bound breasts and the lower half of her face.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" The guard asked Margaret.

"I am Sister Margaret, I have deliveries for the Vertigo." The guardsman glanced at the clerk who leafed through his papers until he found what he was looking for. Sister Margaret continued confidently as the clerk searched.

"Captain Anglar said he'd deliver this package to Xelta's Overlook in exchange for these greens." Then with a scowl of disapproval she pointed to Winlay and added "Templar-Lord Riaslor sent a present of his own for the captain and his crew."

"There's no mention of any of that in the Vertigo's report." The clerk reported to the guard, but the armsman just laughed at the man with the papers. "Go ahead Sister, Captain Anglar has bought me enough drinks for us to let him have a little fun before he sails for Overlook." The other guardsman agreed, and the clerk's protests were ignored as he opened the last gate with a leering smile.

"The Vertigo is anchored about halfway out, I can get a man to row you out for a couple of marks if you like?" Margaret took a heavy purse from her bag and took out a silver crown.

"Lord Raislor appreciates your understanding about this soldier. If anyone asks, he'd rather it not be known that he paid for a ship's whore. There'll be another one of these for you to share when we get back."

With the silver coin in his pocket and the promise of another on their return the guardsman quickly organized a flat bottomed barge with four oarsmen to take them out to the Vertigo. As the oarsmen bent their backs Margaret mouthed to Adam.

"I hope to hell your Captain Anglar is onboard when we get there, it won't take long for Werner to figure out what we did." Adam nodded in agreement, pleased to note as he did so that he was no longer drooling and that some feeling was returning to his lips.