Evan lifted until the gate moved above the broken stop.
It was heavier than it looked. Water pressed against the lower bars, and something had jammed beneath one corner. Bram worked the trapped pin while Kelan held a short lever against the frame. Nella stayed back with Jory and the two recovered pieces, ready to move if the creatures in the channel came closer.
"A little more." Bram said.
Evan set his feet and raised the gate another hand's breadth. The trapped material shifted. Kelan forced the lever into the new gap, Bram freed the pin, and together they moved the weight onto the working stop. Evan stepped back slowly, keeping his hands near the bars until he was certain it held.
The passage beyond smelled of wet stone. Their last piece lay in a recess at the far end. Between them and it, two low shapes moved through the shallow water.
