Swamped

"I think I can handle it. Might need you to catch me if I slip, though."

She gives you a doubtful eye, but she seems willing to put up with it for the moment.

"Fine. Lead me there."

You take the lead, and head to the nearest stairway. The lookout point isn't too far off from there, but someone's on duty.

Mudviper takes care of that with a quick tap to the back of the guard's neck. You look down, and realize it's Nathan.

"He'll be fine," she says. "He's just napping for a half-hour or so. That should be enough time for you to get down, right?"

"Yeah," you say. "But it might be easier barefoot. Better grip on the trunk. Can you help me get my boots off, and take them down for me?"

She gives you a glare, but she helps you take off your boots, then climbs into the tree.

"Be quick," she says, before slipping down at a speed you wouldn't feel safe at.

Fortunately, stepping out onto the trunk isn't that hard; you have to make a small jump, but it's manageable and there's a branch that offers decent footing. You slip around the trunk and start making your way down, slowly and carefully.

Then your foot hits some sap, and you struggle to keep your grip. Fortunately, by then you're low enough for Mudviper to grab your leg. With a little bit of help, you make it to the bottom. Mudviper wipes the sap off and puts your boots back on.

"Now, we can't have any more delays. Follow me, and stay in the shadows."

She leads you down the walkway, then guides you to another tree - this one shorter. It doesn't take long to climb up into the branches, and then the two of you scramble through the canopy for a while.

You've got no idea where you are, but at least she doesn't seem inclined to lose you.

Suddenly, she stops.

"Shit."

"What?"

"I hear footsteps. Lots of them."

"We've been spotted?"

She shakes her head.

"Worse, if I'm right." She pokes her head out through the leaves, then dives back in. "Oh hells, I am. We've got problems."

"What could..." You decide to see for yourself. You climb to the end of the branch you're on, and look through the leaves.

Up ahead, you see more Marshguards than you can count. Some are marching along the walkways, some are in makeshift rafts... you even see a few in a lifeboat. Nearly all have weapons raised, save for the ones carrying lanterns.

In the lead, you see the Rider, floating through the muck on his beast, spear at hand.

Weakly, you sink back into the canopy.

"They're attacking," you say in disbelief.

"Those damn fools," Mudviper hisses. "If they'd just waited a couple of hours, I could have told them the poison was for the rats. Now it won't do any good even if I do tell Rider. The order's already gone out."

It seems Mudviper doesn't want this fight any more than you do. Is there anything you can do?