There's no time for that anyways

As much as you'd like to feel this proud lady of Athenapolis squirming beneath you, this is neither the time nor the place. "Relax, Lady Kiriakolis, I told you already - you are safe from me if you are willing to pay the price." You concede as you move closer to her until like before you can feel her breath on your lips. "and the gemstones around your neck are enough to buy your freedom; I won't make any more demands of you." You step away from the noblewoman and consider your options once again. Would the Lord Marshal of the United Armies reward you for bringing Lady Relia to him, or are you just throwing away your future? "However, it is asking a lot, My Lady to have me surrender my freedom and drake by landing in the United Army's camp." You return to your earlier offer acceptable compromise. "How about if I fly you away from Athenapolis, and once well clear of the area controlled by the United Armies I will set you aground."

"No!" You are having trouble looking away from the clear eyes of your employer, "Please, you must take me to the United Army camp." Lady Relia is insistent. "It could take days to get back to their camp on foot and by then it will be too late." This woman is brave as well as beautiful, most people would object to being dropped off all alone and at the mercy of the elements, wild beasts, brigands and slavers. Lady Relia seems more concerned by the need to warn the Lord Marshal of the attempted coup than her own safety.

"Perhaps you're right, Lady Kiriakolis. In fact I think you are, but I must do what is right for me and my drake." Relia must hear the uncertainty in your words because she places her warm hand on your chest making it even harder to think clearly. "The Lord Marshal will almost certainly protect you if your information proves true, but remember, I flew against their drakes. I shot at their Riders, I probably killed or wounded a couple of them." From outside the sound of the invading forces is impossible to ignore any longer, but to your relief you see the last of the overhead wires twist down to the ground.

You turn to the noblewoman, "We have to leave as soon as possible. You can join me or not as you wish."

"Are you going to take me to the Lord Marshal?" Lady Relia asks as she watches you pull on your riding leathers. You had planned to wear a suit of chainmail with overlapping plates that you had bought off of the family of a dead Rider, but that was before you agreed to carry a passenger with you on this mad dash for freedom. You give the suit of armor one last regretful gaze finding the spot in the side just under one of the plates where a heavy shaft had torn through the chain mail, it was a good reminder that even the best armor was no guarantee. Turning back to where Lady Relia is waiting expectantly for an answer you decide to tell her the truth.

"I don't know My Lady." The answer is better than a simple 'no', but clearly not what she wants to hear so you explain your thinking as you tighten the straps of your gear. "If I get a clear shot to the Western mountains, that's where we're going, but if the United Armies Riders maintain their discipline and keep the high-guard, I won't be able to get away anyways, and in that case my best bet is to try my luck with you and your information."

Below you in the courtyard a dozen or so irregulars have improvised a battering ram out of two or three heavy beams lashed together and you hear the crashing of wood against wood as they begin to **** the doors of your tower. Relia is trembling with fear as she follows you out to the drake loft where you concentrate on saddling Swiftwing who is jittery with obvious excitement. Like you Swiftwing is well aware of how low the drakes are getting in the skies above Athenapolis and his instinct is to rise up and meet them.

"Where is my saddle?" You guess that Lady Relia's question is her way of informing you that she plans to accompany you in spite of the risk. Not that she has much choice any more because with the one final smash of the ram the heavy wooden doors on the ground level give way and judging by the raucous cheer that follows you expect to have company very soon.

With a nod you pull out two curved plates that hook onto the brace that rides high on Swiftwing's shoulders. "Are you kidding me?" You wonder for a moment if the noble woman will refuse to ride perched before you on the minimal seat. There is a good reason for her skepticism, but instead of explaining why the seat is so small, you meet her gaze steadily until she sighs in exasperated defeat. The young gentlewoman really doesn't have much choice and she knows that as well as you do but she is not happy about the arrangement. "This isn't going to work, look at what I'm wearing!" The heavy brocade robes that fall all the way to her ankles would never let her straddle Swift's neck.

"We don't have much time Lady Kiriakolis." If you want to come with me, you are going to have to take off those heavy robes." Leaving the noblewoman to disrobe in privacy you head back into your apartment to make sure you've forgotten nothing and to gage how long you'll have before you have to leave.