“Where we go?”

“The city and part of the port are inside the walls, it’s not much, but enough to make our job difficult.” Grige spurs the horse on just as Lyaria settles in behind him. "I don't remember a time when it's been repaired and that's... that's a good thing for us."

“There is a hole in the wall, a pity that it is a bit high.” The brother intervenes, forced to raise his voice by the constant gallop.

“Exactly, it is the step... of the people”

“That solves a problem. But how will we rescue him? "Lyaria knows that this illegal path would save her endless inconvenience going in and especially going out.

“I need more information for that. What did he do to get caught? Was it a crime? Or maybe he got mixed up with the wrong people?”

“He helped the baron's daughter.”

"The fugitive? Fiuuuuuu... it would have been better if he killed someone!” Grige can't help but whistle in astonishment.

“They don't know her as the trouble lady for nothing.” The brother speaks again in a short sentence.

“That complicates things... the worst that can happen is that the lord has taken it personally, in that case... many things can happen.”

“If not?”

"If not, there's only one thing I can think of they'd do. A ship is scheduled to leave no later than noon today. His cargo, among other things, are slaves bound for the island in the gulf.”

“They plan to earn some coins with it.” Lyaria also thinks it's the best-case scenario since if all goes well, she could buy his freedom. But if for some reason he is held or his identity is discovered…she knew better than anyone that getting him back would be impossible.

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“I don’t see why not. A young, healthy man perfect for heavy work is always welcome.”

"Then... first we have to know where he is." Lyaria didn't want to admit it, but Grige knew better than her in these situations.

“Exact. Then we can make a plan according to what we know.”

The sun was already beginning to be visible in the east as were the main gates guarded by soldiers. The three of them avoid them by a wide margin and then stick to the walls for a path around them. Lyaria spots the occasional guard on the walls, but at no time does they seem to care about their suspicious movements on horseback.

“The guards?” Lyaria asks, suspecting the answer.

"They're on our side as long as they get a few coins. There is not much left, soon it will be visible.”

The rocks that made up the wall were not even close to being the same quality as the Inmerlan fortress. One could see several places where large poorly carved rocks fell to the ground, the various cut and scratch marks that adorned the wall were also striking. It was clear that in the North everyone suffered and feared the same thing, the beasts.

“There is!” Grige points, snapping Lyaria out of her thoughts.

A section of the wall, large enough for one person to pass through at a time, had collapsed, leaving a huge U-shaped gap nearly two meters high. A group of men guarded the entrance and the makeshift wooden ladder that facilitated access.

Lyaria wanted to hurry, she knew that if managed to intercept Ezer at the moment he was moved, her chances would be greater.

"Wait a little longer…" He whispers as she gets down from the mount.

At the base of the stairs were two men and on the U-shaped wall was another one. It was clear that they guarded the place illegally and belonged to the underworld.

"So... who's the beauty?" One of the men approaches and speaks to Grige in a familiar, if rude, manner.

"I'm in a hurry, now is not the time. There are three of us...” With those words Grige throws 3 silver coins that fall into the man's hands. Lyaria was impressed by the high cost of admission.

"Don't fall off one of these days, you never know when a sharp rock might cut your neck." The man keeps the coins in his pocket and responds with a disgusted face, it was clear that both did not have the best relationship. However, he lets Grige and his brother pass without stopping them.

"Wait a minute beauty, we have to make sure you don't have anything dangerous on you." Just as Lyaria was about to move forward, she is stopped by a hand that grabs her shoulder.

"Even though you didn't check the others before?"

“You're new, it's obvious that special procedures are required.” The man's hand that was firmly gripping Lyaria's shoulder begins to lower, but before he can even move an inch, a sharp blow to the throat stops him forcing him to gasp for air on the ground.