The princess shook her head in reply. "I don't think we need to. Rahmiz assured me that no one would attack the temple and that we would have sanctuary for as long as we were here. Besides, what would we even do if we were attacked? We are not armed. I'm sure the temple has safe guards in place to protect them at night. It is a shrine to a fire god and a holy Mecca for magic users. They probably have wards in place to ward off enemies. I think we'll be fine." She smiled reassuringly.

“You are probably right. But then ...” Naramis stops and smiles at her. “It is probably nothing, the paranoia of a warrior no doubt. But just because I have no weapon doesn't wean I am not trained in unarmed combat techniques. One of the reasons when your late father took ill he switched me with Willis, your prior protector.

“I was his guardsman until that day but he knew that you would succeed him, that and he knew that among all the guards he was not going to find one with my skill set any time this life time over.”

Naramis grinned then the grin fades. “Despite how this assignment has gone. How's your leg? We still have to make it a good ways to get back to Brindel.”

Victoria smiled at his concern for her injury. "It is better now. I'm not looking forward to the long trek home though perhaps once we meet up with Jack we can find some better means of transportation. I'm sure the thief will have some idea of how to travel quickly and quietly without going on foot the whole way." She touched him reassuringly on the cheek. "And as far tonight, promise me you will get some rest. I know you. You'll never been able to completely drop your guard when you think I might be in danger. Stay close to me tonight if it'll put you at ease, sleep lightly if you feel you must but please sleep. You have to be exhausted from fighting today and you won't do me any favors if you completely wear yourself down before we get home."

Of course she knew him. He could not truly relax until he had her back and even then he could never truly relax. He considered the easy, what had happened and while he would consider resting for her sake he nodded solemnly.

“Of course, your Majesty. I will try to obtain a little rest.” Naramis remained close and while nothing ha occurred that night it swept passed without incident. Naramis of course slept with one eye opened but it wasn't until late that afternoon before Jack arrive at the temple with only eight of the sailors. Close on his heels had been soldiers from Urik that had chased him here. Chances were since they were so close together that Jack cut through the forest while the other group had been the one dispatched

Soon enough she would be able to speak with Jack, he and those with him were shown hospitality though their pursuers camped outside and simply waited ...

Jack arrival was not exactly the break that she had hoped it would be. Not only had he clearly lost some of her men on the way there but he had also led their enemies right to them. She couldn't blame him for that, she was sure he had tried to get everyone there safely but she knew first hand how trecious the journey to this temple was. And at least the Urikians seemed to be respecting the sanctity of the temple and weren't just storming in to fight them. Still, she sighed, "This complicates thing a bit, doesn't it? Does this temple have a back way out?"

Jack didn't know if their was a back way out or not. He chose this way because he knew that the Urikians wouldn't attack the temple. They would seek to avoid causing an international issues but Jack had done his best to deliver all the survivors here.

He had failed having only managed to save eight of the individual sailors that had come along. However, their host was more forth coming. Eventually Naamathite's men would realize that they were gone. There was nothing preventing them from coming to the temple after all and seeing for themselves that they were not here, nothing forbade them entrance of a peaceful nature.

They were probably getting ready for doing something but were in the planning stages or perhaps thought that their enemies were pinned down.

There was an escape passage here, well it was an escape passage in the past a tunnel that lead to a nearby coastal village that hat a ship. With a head start but the time the enemy discovered they departed by ship by going to the village they had to double back to their own ship and sail after them though she had no knowledge as to how fast Siroccan ships were but they probably were no quicker than her's so it might be a close one if they only had enough time.

Another option, Naramis added, would be not to seemed any of their people by ship but send it as a deception while they went overland, eventually they cou0ld get to Brindel. It was as if they were in Italy going to Spain while on the West coast. It was quicker by ship though the ships of the Urikians were damn quick, But they could get to their destination overland too.

Victoria sighed dejectedly. She honestly would prefer to take the sea route as it would be faster and easier to transport so many of them. Still, it couldn't be denied that Urik had the advantage on the water. Even with a substantial head start there was still a possibility that they would over take them. There was likely still some of Naamathite's ships near the coast looking for them there. "The ruse is probably the best bet though the journey through the forest is likely to be the more difficult path, and our numbers will slow us down... though, it should also serve as a deterrent to ambushers. I wonder if some of the men should stay behind and disguise themselves as monks until we are home and can send aid back for them. They will be safe here for as long as they stay"

“That they will.”

Naramis does not have to think. He does ask for his sword back, which Jack stole for him. He was still unaware that the current blade had been magical though his family sword was as well. “The men are sailors and if they flee with us the soldiers of Urik will cut them down. It looks as if the best option is for you and I to travel on our own. We have to regelia and once we get settled we can bring others back to lend assistance.”

“Three,” Jack adds. “I have a little more skill then the sailors and you might need me especially in the Wastelands once the forest gives away.”

Victoria nods in agreement. "Three will be a small enough party. We should make preparations quickly though. I have no desire to still be here when Naamathite arrives. He will probably double the guards watching this place and it will be harder for us to sneak away." Not to mention that the bastard made her skin crawl.

Things proceeded rather quickly from there. Naamathite could not attack this place so the sailors that Jack brought would be safe until they came back with assistance. Below the temple was a passage that went to the shore and exited near a tiny village where the could use a ship there to go back to Brindel though as it were Urik's ship might simply over take them once the rouse had been determined but near there was another forest, the Wastelands of Sirocco on the other side though it would be tough by crossing it they would get into Brindel but the desert was full of all sorts of dangers.

But if they took the ship they were almost guaranteed to be caught unless they had gathered enough distance on the enemy.

So the three got the necessary supplies that they needed, maps, compass, water, their weapons which were returned to them the moment that they were about to depart the temple.

The passage in the basement that they were brought to was quite warm and came out near the Western coast. It would be up to her if they would stop at the village, perhaps even see about them launching the ship as a rouse to grant themselves a greater head start and proceed to the forest, Wastelands and then across the boarder into their own country where traveling would be far more easier for them and far more difficult for their pursuit if they made it that far.

Victoria wasted no time making arrangements for a ship to sail to Brindel. She made a show of doing it to so people would see her securing passage and would spread the word when the Urikian's showed up. But when the time came for them to board they would not be there. She did instruct the ship's captain not to wait for them though. She needed the ship on the water when there enemies arrived.

"The ship leaves first thing in the morning." She told her companions while they sat in the local pub. She kept her voice low she no one would over hear. "There will be fewer people about then to see that we did not board the ship. We will slip off tonight when most everyone is asleep and head into the forest." Taking the forest route at night would be dangerous but it would provide the most cover for their escape.

Naramis nodded as Victoria relaid the plan. It was simple and in his opinion the Urikians probably still thought that they were at the Flame Temple. They should have a day's head start at least to figure out that they weren't at the temple any longer unless Naamathite ordered people to the temple, after all they did not have to fight to figure that they were missing.

The forest would be dangerous, the desert beyond more so. It was later that evening as the hour approached that he took aside the Princess.

“This of course will be dangerous but we have little choice in the matter … I just wanted to say that it has been a pleasure and honor serving you and your family.”

She frowned at his words and turned her angry gaze on him. "Don't you dare start saying your goodbyes to me now, Naramis. We've come to far and we ARE going to get home." She placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled him down into a deep kiss. "Don't thank me for the privilege of serving me lest you are quitting that service. And unless you are quitting it to marry me I will not accept it."

He was drawn into that kiss his hands settling down on her hips as they made that contact. He drank deeply from her lips and when they parted he a smile blossomed out over his lips.

He shook his head slightly.

“Oh, I have no notions of dying when there is so much to live for. I do know that the road ahead of us will be fraught with danger and just wanted you to know that I have appreciated every moment that I have served.

“But if you think marriage will prevent me from protecting you ...” he grinned at that. “I was more interested in ensuring that the other day was no mistake, with or without the aphrodisiac … perhaps I should have felt guilty about taking advantage of that situation but I do not. I wanted that for a long time … I never thought that I would receive such a dream. Thank you.

“But we're not back yet. The Yuan-Ti are in that forest and the Abomination was tough to deal with though he may assess that we are not worth the trouble now.”

His answer made her smile, happy to hear him speak of the possibility of marriage and of his own feelings about what they had done the other day in the forest. "I'm not sorry you 'took advantage' of the situation either." She said coyly, remembering the feeling of him moving inside. "My only regret is that I could not be more sober for the encounter. As I was somewhat intoxicated at the time my memories are a little blurry. You shall have to remind me in great detail some time."

"But sadly" She sighed dejectedly as turned her thoughts to the journey ahead of them. "We still have a long way to go. I am not looking forward to trekking through the forest again but perhaps knowing some of the danger lurking there we will be better at avoiding them. We should be leaving soon though. I am anxious to get home and put an end to all this misery soon. Which reminds me... I will need to speak to Jack soon and see what Intel he has uncovered about this plot against me."