Pilos had decked himself out in his most formal priestly garb for the occasion. His white silk trousers and shirt shone in the moonlit night, and the doublet he had donned over that was a deep crimson color. He wore a slender circlet of gold atop his head, a symbol of his rank as Abreeant. Together, they made a rather fine couple, Ariskrit had proclaimed, causing both Emriana and Pilos to blush furiously.
The family members attending the celebration had traveled to the Generon in splendid covered coaches, arriving to much fanfare, for House Darowdryn was one of the half dozen or so wealthiest Houses in all of Arrabar, and its comings and goings were constantly heralded. Emriana and Pilos stayed close to the family initially, blending in with the crowd during the family's formal announcement. Shortly after that, they entered a grand ballroom, filled with guests. A high balcony sported a sextet of musicians, and many of the partygoers were dancing to the lively tunes.
On the far side of the chamber, up on a dais, Lord Eles Wianar sat with his guest of honor, the Grand Syndar Lavant, by his side.
Emriana wanted to spit, and she felt Pilos stiffen beside her. "Come on," she said. "Let's get some air."
Together, they drifted off by themselves at a natural pace, wandering in and out of the palace's open chambers, casually strolling about the grounds. Just getting away from the sight of the hated priest seemed to lift Pilos's spirits, and Emriana felt much better.
After perhaps half an hour or more of pretending they were just a happy young couple seeing the splendors of the Generon, Emriana began to keep watch for a means of slipping away from the party and into the less-trafficked sections of the palace. It was not going to be easy, she realized, for despite the festive nature of the celebration, Lord Wianar's guards were still in abundance and still discreetly stationed at just about every ingress that led into more private areas.
"We're going to have to climb over a wall somewhere," she whispered as they strolled along a balcony that followed the curved wall of a great central dome. "Someplace where we won't be seen," she added.
Emriana noticed Pilos glance at the girl, startled. "I think not," he replied, never breaking stride as a couple approached them coming from the opposite direction. "I'm hardly dressed for climbing," he whispered.
Emriana gave the other pair her best innocent smile, and once they were past, she whispered, "Then what do you propose?"
At that, Pilos pulled the girl into a small alcove set into the wall, a spot where there had possibly been a statue or something similar at one time, but that was empty at the moment. "These," the young priest said, withdrawing two small vials from an inner pocket of his doublet. "With them, we transform into mere clouds of mist, able to go just about any where-through cracks, under locked doors, over walls. Much more elegant than climbing."
Emriana smirked at the jab, but she eagerly took the vial Pilos held out to her and examined it. Inside, she could see a smoky gray liquid. Grandmother, what do you think?
I think you've got one clever partner, Hetta replied, and that you should hurry.
Emriana nodded then asked, "Do you have two-wait, we'll need three-three more of those for getting back out again?"
Pilos started to smile and nod, but when the girl corrected her statement, his face paled. "No," he said, forlorn, "I didn't think to bring a third."
Emriana grimaced but said, "Don't worry about it. We'll figure something out when the time comes."
Pilos looked relieved. "Then let's not waste anymore of it," he said. "Where are we going?"
Emriana pointed to a high wall that connected with the circular building they were in. "See that gate?" she asked, pointing specifically at a large closed double-portal. When Pilos confirmed that he did, she said, "My guess is that there's a stable and barracks through there, where Lord Wianar's guards operate. If there's a prison in the palace, I bet we can reach it from there."
"I can't argue with your logic," Pilos said, "but do you really think it's wise to head into the teeth of the palace's defenses? I thought we were trying to avoid the guards."
"Trust me," Emriana said, half smiling. "I'm guessing the yard beyond will be almost deserted this time of night. Most of the guards are either serving as sentries for the celebration or else off on leave. Anyone who stayed behind is probably trying to get some rest."
"How do you know all this?"
Emriana laughed. "Because I spend enough time avoiding my own House guards to figure out their patterns. It's the only way I can sneak out at night."
Pilos stared at the girl with a mixture of shock and admiration on his face; then he shrugged and gestured for her to lead the way. Emriana smiled and left the alcove, heading in the direction of the large barred gate.
The two of them made their way down a winding flight of stairs and into a garden. At the far end was a wall about twice the height of a man. By her bearings, Emriana reckoned that the large wall with the gate was on the other side of the garden wall, across from a narrow lane that ran between the two.
Giving a quick glance around to make certain no one was nearby, she turned to Pilos and said, "How does this work? What will it feel like when I drink this potion?"
"It's hard to describe," the young priest replied, "but you'll know what to do."
"How long will it last?"
"Perhaps ten minutes. Make sure you aren't in a tight area when it expires, or you'll be in serious trouble."
Emriana nodded and unstoppered the vial. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the entire contents in two large gulps. The taste was strange, sort of smoky, but the liquid itself sapped the moisture from her mouth, as though she were sucking on a thick piece of gauze. She started to complain about the sensation, but she realized that she was no longer able to speak. Her body felt completely weightless, and she found she could see in every direction at once, which was quite dizzying. Once she overcame her initial surprise, she got her mind back on the task at hand and willed herself to float to the top of the garden wall. It happened so fast, she almost drifted right past it and up into the sky.
There was no one in the narrow lane, and sure enough, just as Emriana had silently predicted, the thicker curtain wall was standing on the opposite side. She drifted toward the gate, looking for a gap in the doors through which to squeeze. At the last moment, she decided to go under the twin panels, and even as she thought of the motion, it was happening.
There was, indeed, a courtyard beyond, with a riding area and practice field, judging from the various accoutrements set up throughout the open area. On one side sat a large barn, and next to it was what appeared to be a low barracks where the Generon's soldiers lived. Emriana turned in the other direction, which headed back toward the main part of the palace. There was a long porch on that side, and several doorways leading into darkened interiors.
As she drifted, Emriana began to realize the shortcomings of traveling in such a fashion, for she could not go nearly as fast as she wished, and she was constantly having to compensate for drift caused by the evening breezes. Still, they made good progress. At one point, a pair of guardsmen emerged from one of the doorways, talking softly to themselves as they began to cross the open expanse of courtyard, headed toward the barracks. Emriana instinctually froze.