The noise of the city below faded as Amdahr glid skyward, glancing across the dim streets briefly before focusing his attention on the direction the locator spell pointed. Either this was Ravnica or Egwene had chanced to hop universe again and somehow to the same one as the party - Amdahr was no betting man, not usually, but if he were he’d lay strong odds on the former.
Drifting through the night sky, he allowed himself a minute of reflection and speculation. Egwene had said she needed the Fargear to save her world - so far it seemed intact. She had also said she was wanted. He hoped her time had been taken by the former. How might she have changed sine he’d last seen her, though? Had she managed to find new motivation now she’d had her revenge? Was she whole and healthy, for that matter? Adventuring was a dangerous game, even when the stakes were low; he knew that better than most, and he also knew just how high they were. Then he smiled, realising that for the first time since his myriad losses had begun, for the first time on this quest, he may be about to regain one he’d lost. He dared to hope.
His thoughts were interrupted by a tall building gradually looming before him. At first he thought it might be a library, picturing Egwene pouring over texts to find ways to fight back, the Fargear spinning beside her. As he drew closer, though, it became crystal clear that it was no library - it was a prison. Cells raised high above the ground to prevent wall breaches freeing prisoners; short, barred windows gave inmates daylight but no way to get their bearings and see the ground. Different images came to Amdahr now, far less pleasant ones - was she being kept in harsh conditions? Tortured even? He knew not how prisoners were treated here, but the urgency of finding her had just shot up.
Nearing the top of the tower, a mere handful of floors from whatever sat behind the parapet of the roof, he felt the spell drawing him to a particular window. Approaching quietly, he peered through, his celestial truesight piercing the darkness as easily as the midday sun.
There she was.
He floated still for a moment, forgetting even to breathe until his brain caught up. Egwene looked still the mighty warrior he knew but unarmed and unarmoured she was smaller; and sat hunched on a prison bed, limbs manacled, she lacked the force of presence and drive he was used to from her. But she was no less beautiful.
Taking another moment to recollect himself, Amdahr leaned on the windowsill, resting his chin on a fist before speaking. “So they finally caught the Dread Pirate Egwene, eh?”
Egwene’s head shot up, snapping to the door before she looked around in confusion for the source of the voice. As her eyes came to the window they widened, the elven vision she inherited from her mother resolving the silhouetted figure to a familiar, if unexpected, face. “Amdahr?!”
The aasimar grinned. “Told you we’d catch up. Sorry it took so long, turns out multiversal travel’s tricky.”
After opening and closing her mouth in surprise a couple of times Egwene found her voice again. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I know you all needed the Fargear and I took it but I needed to-”
“Woah, hey, hey, it’s okay,” Amdahr interrupted. “You did what you felt was right, knowing and accepting there’d be consequences. The others may feel differently, but you owe no apology in my book. I’m proud of you, and I hope I’d have done the same if it were me.”
“I… well…” Egwene stuttered, momentarily thrown. “I still feel guilty.”
“Then once we’re with the others you can offer them an apology,” Amdahr smiled. “For now let’s get you out of there. I can deal with the restraints pretty easily but that’s not much good with you stuck in there. How about that teleporting thing you do? Could that get you through the bars?”
“I’m not sure. It’s not like a spell, it’s just something I can do - I’ve never had it work outside of a fight or sparring before, but it might.”
Amdahr nodded. “Worth a try, anyway. I could probably fit a weapon through the bars if that’d help you focus. I don’t know if you know, but we’re pretty high up here so be ready to grab on to me if it works. Anyway, restraints first - it’s a touch spell, so hopefully we can reach.”
No sooner had he said the word touch than Egwene was on her feet, moving as close to the window as the manacles around her ankles would permit. The chains prevented her from raising her arms fully, but with her straining as far above her head as she could and Amdahr stretching an arm down through the window as far as possible their fingers managed to brush together for a brief moment - long enough. The ranger felt divine power flowing into her, bringing a supernatural sense of freedom. With a single thought the shackles binding her popped open, and she felt as though she could get through anything short of a complete barrier. She looked up at Amdahr, her face and posture a long way back towards their usual strength.
“Okay. Teleporting. I’ll take you up on that weapon.”
“You got it,” Amdahr replied, unsheathing his greatsword and slotting it between the bars. Egwene paused, eyeing it and giving him a serious look.
“That’s your special sword.”
“Yeah. Far easier for me to retrieve it if it gets lost. Seriously, if you need to drop it or something, don’t hesitate.”
“If you say so…”
Egwene took the sword, feeling its weight and examining it. It was lighter than she expected, especially given its size, and as she looked at the blade she realised what she’d thought was light glinting from it was something sparkling from within the metal, like stars from the sky suspended in place. Taking up a combat stance, Egwene tried a couple of experimental swings, testing the balance of the sword and loosening her muscles. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, centring herself.
“Alright. Let’s try this.”
The half-elf stared at the wall, picturing an invisible foe in her mind. She stepped forwards in practised manoeuvres, muscle memory carrying her through an elegant dance of bladework, finishing with a thrust that would have skewered a foe if one was stood before her. But Egwene remained where she was. Frowning slightly, she stepped back and tried again. And again. And again.
“Damn it!”
Egwene let her stance drop and paced around the cell. “Damn it,” she repeated, sighing. Turning to Amdahr she walked back across towards the window.
“It’s not going to work. There’s something missing. I thought imagining a target might be enough, but… I think I have to actually hit something. When I do it normally it’s like… like sending out a shard of energy and pulling myself to it. But it’s not there to go to. Maybe it’s more like a spark and it comes from the hit, or maybe it needs something to travel through, I don’t know.”
“So… hit me then.”
Egwene’s eyes widened in shock. “…what?”
“Hit me. The sword fits through the bars, I can take a hit or two, it’s more likely to work.”
“I… yes, it might work, but I don’t want to injure you.”
“I mean, I don’t want that either, but I don’t know what will happen if they find you uncuffed and I don’t want to find out. Better I need some healing than we have to fight through guards, or - worse - you stay stuck in here.”
“That- but-” Egwene stuttered then sighed. “Okay, yes, that makes sense. I don’t like it but it’s worth a try. But if it doesn’t work I’m not trying again, we’ll figure something else out.”
“Well, fingers crossed - get as much height as you can, it’ll be easier to catch you.”
Amdahr smiled, crossing his fingers in front of his face before turning and rising slightly, his armoured back filling the window. Egwene readied the sword again, shifting her feet into a fighting stance again and sizing up the gap in the bars she would aim for. Stepping forward once more she thrust the tip of the blade forward with both hands like a spear, stabbing straight into Amdahr’s plate mail - and blinking through.
The first thing she noticed was the breeze. It was cool and gentle against her cheek, a literal breath of fresh air welcoming her back to the world of the free.
The second thing she noticed was gravity.
Her stomach lurched as physics reasserted itself, pulling her suddenly downwards. Her arms flailed as she tried to twist in the air to face the tower and find something to grab onto. The third thing she noticed, as she finished turning, was Amdahr. She crashed into him, her arms catching around the top of his shoulders as his caught her around the waist to bring them torso to torso in something akin to an extremely aggressive hug, the wind knocked out of them both by the impact. For another moment they fell together before a few strong beats of Amdahr’s wings arrested their descent, leaving them stationary to catch their breath.
“Nice of you to drop in,” Amdahr smirked. Egwene fixed him with an incredulous look, but he matched it with a warm smile.
“Alright, let’s get out of here. The others are gathering information at a tavern.”
“Wait, your sword,” Egwene replied, gesturing downwards to the falling blade.
“Right.” Amdahr leaned back until his torso and legs supported the ranger, freeing a hand to reach out behind him. The sword stopped in mid-air, stationary for a moment before flying towards his hand hilt first. A second or two later it arrived, and Amdahr sheathed it to a look of mild surprise from Egwene.
“I see why you weren’t worried about losing it.”
Amdahr grinned again, his hands returning to supporting Egwene as he rotated the pair back to vertical.
“Hold on tight,” he remarked, leaning forward and beating his wings. Egwene did so as they swooped forwards, gliding silently away from the tower into the night.