Sister Margaret steps in

Winlay **** a smile onto her face as the guardsman's hands climbed higher and higher up her ribs, his mouth parted slightly and his tongue poked between his lips reminding Winlay of a dog drooling over a bone. She glanced just once at Adam and saw his hands clenched tightly into fists, she looked away quickly before her discomfort pushed him over the edge.

“Soldier!” Sister Margaret's sudden appearance just as the Templar's hands reached her breasts startled Winlay, but at least the guard jumped back nearly half a meter. “Why is this wagon still here?” Winlay sighed in relief when she got this reprieve, but her nipples were tingling from just the briefest of touches. She was surprised at just how good it felt to know how attractive she was to this man.

“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?” Winlay smiled at Sister Margaret’s dry humor thankful for the distraction.

“No ma'am.” He began defensively “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.” Winlay could not believe how easily Sister Margaret was able to lie or how believable her words seemed. Because she was listening carefully she heard the sister add one more bit of pressure. “Do you realize how big a donation to the Church this saintly woman has made.”

“No Ma'am.” The stocky Templar stammered “I mean yes Ma'am.” Winlay offered a quick prayer of relief when 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?” Sister Margaret asked the now cowed Templar.

“Yes Ma'am. I expect so Ma'am.” Winlay heard the Templar guard stammer as Adam drew the cart through the open gate, out of the corner of her eye she saw Mika step after to wagon so confidently that neither the crop-headed recruits nor their leader 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 into the maze of streets that led down to the waterfront. After only three or four minutes Sister Margaret guided the group into a small alleyway.

“We'd better lose this cart. 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.” Only then did Winlay realize that Sister Margaret could not return to the convent any more than she or Adam could not after the lies she told at the garden gate. “We don't really need it anymore anyways.” Sister Margaret 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.” Adam tried to say something but his words were impossible to understand so with a wave and nod he scooped the bundle into his arms. “Mika run ahead and warn us of any more trouble.” Winlay watched Mika disappear back into the busy streets and Adam hold his armor and sword in his arms once again and she felt just a little more hopeful about their chances.

There were three more checkpoints as they made their way down to the harbor. At each one Winlay received the bulk of the attention; she was ogled and groped repeatedly by guardsmen who were clearly bored on this third day of high alert. In this one week more men had a chance to investigate her body than in all her years in her village. Winlay felt none of the passionate response that Adam had ellicited, but she did feel a tingle of power as she realized how desirable she was to these men. As she submitted to the bold carresses of the men, the myth that she was truly one of the Island girls and that these men were deciding if she would be their choice for the night, became easier and easier.

One of them even demanded a kiss from Winlay as the toll for passing the checkpoint, and Winlay willingly let the city guardsman press his stubbled lips all over her until 'Wanda' broke up the kiss with a promise of a discount when he visited the Golden Hook. This kiss was nothing like the kisses she shared with Adam, but even though she felt none of the fire, she did find that she liked being a woman that men would want to kiss and fondle just because they could. Winlay was confident that had she been one of the many young women lined up for the voyager's pleasure that she would not have been left standing in shame on the beach.

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. Even Winlay’s inexperienced eyes could see these delays were causing tempers to fray and she wondered how long the people of Telnon would put up with this state of emergency.

A troop of armored cavalry stood ready near the center of the harbor, and Winlay wondered if it was the presence of these dangerous looking horsemen that maintain order on the busy quays. The port waters were crowded with ships, even more than she had seen looking down from the Convent dining hall during the lunch she ate with Mika so long ago. Winlay had no idea how they were ever going to find the ship captain that Adam had spoken about, but so far the plan had worked perfectly so she had confidence that this was just one more step in the escape.

When they reached the harbor Mika rejoined the party at the final check point. Two guards stood with a harried looking church clerk who stood to the side with a clipboard holding a stack of papers. Sister 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 his voice too had the weary tone of a man who has little interest left in his job.

“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.” Winlay blushed deeply as the two city guardsmen and even the clerk looked her over evaluating her potential as a whore. She recalled her repeated recent encounters with the guardsmen and smiled confidently at the men looking as best she could like a woman who was happy to share her charms with all sorts of men.

“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 clerk with the papers. “Go ahead Sister,” he said as his eyes fell once again to Winlay’s exposed shoulder half covered breasts 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.” Once again Winlay was reminded that that none of them would be coming back, not even Sister Margaret who had lived in the Convent for more than twenty five years. Until Beldan was exposed, every single one of them would be fugitives.

As the oarsmen bent their backs Mika sat next to Winlay in the front of the barge and squeezed her arm in barely contained excitement.

“That was amazing Winlay!” Mika whispered softly “I can't believe how well you pulled it off.” Winlay just smiled at the young 'boy' by her side, relieved that they were finally getting away. She wondered if Adam had been impressed as Mika was with how easily she was able to play the role of a whore. She watched him carefully from under her long lashes hoping he wouldn't catch her staring at him and saw Sister Margaret mouthing something to Adam that she could not make out but she saw Adam nod in agreement as he fingered the bundle on his lap. Was he planning on fighting his way aboard the ship single handedly?