Chapter 2: The Mission

[rossik]

To Chara
"Im sorry to hear that, wise one. But i do believe that the will of the god kings are far from ours, so its hard to understand their actions. Please dont take us as enemies, as we are here as scholars, to share knowledge".

[tibbius]

Yesterday, Andrew and Alexander
Chara huffed a little as she knelt again to milk the goat, which had been patiently chewing a leafy stick. "You may find King Stelios below in the village," she said. "He'd like to hear of any apology your king might send. Why not go to him and seek his hospitality? But first, drink of the spring if you will."

It was late in the morning. The sun was hot. Without further urging, the two men quenched their thirst with the water that trickled down the rock face, puddling on little ledges. Then they turned toward the village.

As they went down the hill, about a hundred yards from Chara's cottage, they heard a throbbing low note ringing from behind them. Glancing back, they saw that Chara was striking a bronze pot with a spoon. The sound echoed down the hillside.

[Leitz]

"Bandits came here weeks ago. Lycanthropes. They came from the sunrise and went to the sunset, taking as they wished. We fought them and lost some of our younger men. They lost men too. They continued into Temeni and robbed there, too. Then when they went to Aegium, your king made them welcome. It is an offense against the friendship that our king had for yours."

Bran smiled, but his mind was off the trail and on the task, per Alec's request. "It is an interesting story, and one which deserves conversation. That is why we are here, to listen to your king, and perhaps tell a more complete story. Thank you for letting us refresh ourselves."


Later, as Bran and Marcus walked alone between the hut and the village, Bran laughed. "I was enjoying the trail, and thinking of, well, being young and unmarried. Perhaps Elaoinas has beautiful women who work hard? Aegium has several, but the first impression we had of the lycanthropes seems to have swayed more than one head. Perhaps, if Stelios has the same story and Xanthos, our understanding was incorrect. At least mine seems to be, and I need to fix that. What do you think of Xanthos' militia? Let me know what you thing of Stelios', later."

[Mr Stereo1]

"I must hope so. Much longer without a blushing bride and I fear we'll have to journey further than Elaoinas to find a bride worthy of you, my friend." Marcus smirks in friendly jest to Bran. "You're a young man with time to choose, I know, but in truth any nice girl from the village would do. To my mind love and contentment come later with the family you build."

"But you asked of the militia." Marcus demurs, reflecting on the men he'd worked with in the fields the day before. He did not see them patrol, or train or maintain their arms so there was much left to guess at regarding their quality but he did not think them at their best. "I suspect they're weakening." He allows in the end. "They weren't willing to fight the lyncanthropes even when they sorely needed the food stolen, so we can guess their strength was lesser to begin with. In harder times like these they'll be on short rations, like Xanthos, and have neither time nor energy to train or maintain their equipment."

"Another thought comes to mind though." Marcus says with a brow furrowed at the far off but grim prospect. "If we take in the people of Temeni and Elaionas does that mean we must make war on Rododafni, where the Lyncanthropes went for shelter? Together we would have the strength to avenge the attacks on both, especially if we fought the band and the Kingdom separately, and together our new citizens would outnumber our old in votes."

[Leitz]

Bran listened to Marcus, nodding. "We have plenty of soil to till, buildings to use, and fish to catch. Even if they just came for a year or two, to let their lands lie fallow, that might help. Families might grow, and relocate. They seemed to think their land was farmed out. Perhaps our scholars can provide ideas to increase yield? I do not know farming."

A few more steps down the trail. "I do not think attacking another village would be likely. Even if they join, their people would be militia, not real warriors. They would train to defend our homes, but would be unlikely to travel to make war. Even in this, they send but one man for two villages. Perhaps you are right, though, and voting should be withheld for such ventures until we have time to feed everyone. To ensure our own health is good."

[tibbius]

Today, Bran and Marcus
As the two men walked down the trail, arm in arm as friends do, they heard from the hut behind them a hollow gonging sound. Glancing back over their shoulders they saw the old woman banging a spoon against the side of a bronze cookpot that hung from a tripod over the fire pit outside her door.

[cybersavant]

Yesterday, Andrew and Alexander

As they went down the hill, about a hundred yards from Chara's cottage, they heard a throbbing low note ringing from behind them. Glancing back, they saw that Chara was striking a bronze pot with a spoon. The sound echoed down the hillside.

Andrew

"A warning to the village or just an announcement you think?"

[Mr Stereo1]

"If it's possible it would be a very worthy use of knowledge." Marcus finds himself quite taken with Bran's idea. "We have the luxury of allow ample land to lay fallow now, but it would be harder to do it properly with more citizens. Perhaps our guests might know of some different technique from their Kingdoms?"

As for the talk of war he shrugs it off as just a thought, to be addressed if anything came of it.

-

Looking back at the old woman banging away Marcus wonders if she acts as some kind of sentry to alert the village of approaching travelers and resolves to try to add a sturdy watchtower or two to their own defenses if Bran's scheme to expand their town bears fruit.

[tibbius]

Yesterday, Andrew and Alexander
As the two scholarly men continued seriously down the path of dirt and gravel made by herded goats, they saw urgent motion among the old stone buildings ahead and below. When they were about four hundred yards from the village, halfway from Chara's cottage, a group of half a dozen men stood forth holding spears. The tallest, who was a full foot taller than Andrew, wore a stained bandage wrapped around his right forearm from wrist to elbow. His expression was not apparent from their distance. His voice was harsh as he hailed them: "Identify you! We are Elaionas!"

[cybersavant]

Andrew



Andrew stops and raises his arms, showing that he has no weapon. I am Andrew, part of a delegation from Delos that is visiting the Library at Aegium.

[tibbius]

Yesterday, Andrew and Alexander
"A foreign scholar! You should stay at Aegium! We have no scrolls here!" bellowed the tall man with the bandage. He thumped his spear on the ground for emphasis.

Today, Bran and Marcus
In the village ahead, the two companions saw sunlight flash on metal. Spears seized from a ready rack, Marcus recognized. That square building of white stone, where the rack stood by the door - was that the king's house? With the terra cotta tile roof? Six spears - seven - eight. The militia came swiftly to the edge of the village facing Chara's house, planted their spears vertical, and waited leaning on them. Their leader was a tall man with a fresh bandage wrapped around his right forearm.

"A warrior today!" he shouted as Marcus and Bran approached within three hundred yards. "Yesterday scholars! Do you come from Aegium too?"

[cybersavant]

Yesterday, Andrew and Alexander
"A foreign scholar! You should stay at Aegium! We have no scrolls here!" bellowed the tall man with the bandage. He thumped his spear on the ground for emphasis.

ANdrew

"I come to see the land. I so rarely get to travel that i took the opportunity to visit those close to the Library at Aegium. Am i permitted to enter?"

[Leitz]

Marcus, good friend that he was, could tell Bran was thinking as they walked.

Bran shifted angles slightly, he was now headed directly for the warrior who spoke. He smiled, and raised his empty hands. "Aegium heard Elaionas was attacked. Yet we heard different stories, some that cast doubt upon you. King Alec asked us to listen to King Stelios; to hear the truth from a trusted friend. Is he well?"

[tibbius]

"I come to see the land. I so rarely get to travel that i took the opportunity to visit those close to the Library at Aegium. Am i permitted to enter?"

"Oh ... all right," said the big man grudgingly as the two scholars came near. "You can't do much more harm, anyway. I'll bring you to King Stelios."

The other spear carriers walked with them to a large white stone house near the center of the village. From the front of the house, there was a good view down to the sea a mile away. About halfway between the house and the sea, among the scrub and olive trees, a few oblong humps of dirt and gravel could be seen clustered together on the gently downward-sloping land.

"Stelios King!" the tall man called into the front door of the house as the others laid their spears into a rack against the white stone wall. "Two visitors from Aegium!"

A sturdy young man clad in a yellow kilt and cloak - a man younger and shorter than the tall man - emerged from the house, blinking in the bright light of mid-day. "What do you want?" he asked sternly. His curly black hair and beard glistened in the sunlight. There was a wound across his bare shoulder, recently healed but still leaving a pale pink mark.

[cybersavant]

Andrew


"I am Andrew, with a delegation from Delos currently at the library in Aegium. I have little opportunity to travel, to see new sights, s i availed myself of the opportunity to visit the nearby lands."

[Mr Stereo1]

Marcus, heavily armed and armored as he is, keeps a distance from the guardsmen while Bran speaks. As the champion of King Alec some of the guards likely recognise him, and he meets their suspicious gazes levelly while doing his best to keep his body open and nonthreatening. It was an awkward dance, but while he held no ill will towards these men his King sent him as a show of strength and betraying too much sympathy too soon might muddle that.

[tibbius]

Andrew


"I am Andrew, with a delegation from Delos currently at the library in Aegium. I have little opportunity to travel, to see new sights, s i availed myself of the opportunity to visit the nearby lands."

Stelios barely was older than Andrew. Unusual for kingship to be placed upon a man of few years. Origen was no king, merely a leader of the three scholars who had come from Delos to harvest knowledge; yet he had been picked out by the aged high priest of Delos for the wisdom of his fifty-some years.

The youthful king was unimpressed by Andrew's reply. "Better you stay at Aegium," he said. "We have no scriptorium here. I think you come to assess our might and larder more than our learning. You will stay at my pleasure." To the tall man he added, "Donat. Watch over them. Do not permit them to depart til I have sent and heard from Temeni."

Tall Donat grunted, raising his bandaged forearm in salute. "Aye Stelios King," he said. To Andrew and Alexander he added, "I can watch you best at my house. Come with me." He led the way along the hillside through the village, to a house not quite as large as that of Stelios, and built of rubblestone rather than cut white stone. The house still was a good one, with a doorway opening through the outer rooms to an inner courtyard. It was no peasant cottage. Donat saw them assessing the house, and said to them, "Good things come to a champion, scholarmen. Come sit in the courtyard. My wife will bring you wine."

[tibbius]

Marcus, heavily armed and armored as he is, keeps a distance from the guardsmen while Bran speaks. As the champion of King Alec some of the guards likely recognise him, and he meets their suspicious gazes levelly while doing his best to keep his body open and nonthreatening. It was an awkward dance, but while he held no ill will towards these men his King sent him as a show of strength and betraying too much sympathy too soon might muddle that.

Marcus recognized the tall man with the bandage - Donat. He had been at Aegium two or three winters ago, going around to let the neighbors know that he still was champion for the new King Stelios now that aged King Yorgos had passed. Donat must be in his late twenties, early thirties. Marcus believed the man had a family.

"Marcus," said Donat. He had a deep voice that fit his height. Like the voice that might come from one of the great cypress up on the mountains. "It's good to see you. We have two scholarmen here at my house. They spent the night." subject to retconning "What's the news from Aegium? You're in your formal gear. Is that an honor or a threat?"

[Leitz]

Bran tightened his jaw. Marcus knew what was coming.

Bran kept walking forward. Not stopping until he stood face to face with the large man. "Marcus is armored as a hero, because he is a hero. It is his nature. He accompanies me, at the request of our king. Who asked me to listen to your king, to discern the truth. As I have already said."

"If you wish to prevent the two kings speaking in friendship, that is an answer I will take to my king. Your own king can reward you as he sees fit, once your actions proclaim that Elaionas no longer wishes friendship with Aegium. That Elaionas has turned its back on manly virtues." Bran leaned forward. "Are you assuming the role of king, Warrior? Or will you permit the business of kings to continue?"

[cybersavant]

The youthful king was unimpressed by Andrew's reply. "Better you stay at Aegium," he said. "We have no scriptorium here. I think you come to assess our might and larder more than our learning. You will stay at my pleasure." To the tall man he added, "Donat. Watch over them. Do not permit them to depart til I have sent and heard from Temeni."

Tall Donat grunted, raising his bandaged forearm in salute. "Aye Stelios King," he said. To Andrew and Alexander he added, "I can watch you best at my house. Come with me." He led the way along the hillside through the village, to a house not quite as large as that of Stelios, and built of rubblestone rather than cut white stone. The house still was a good one, with a doorway opening through the outer rooms to an inner courtyard. It was no peasant cottage. Donat saw them assessing the house, and said to them, "Good things come to a champion, scholarmen. Come sit in the courtyard. My wife will bring you wine."

Andrew bows slightly to the King. Thank you for your hospitality. This is indeed a warm country. Andrew follows along to the guard's house.

Greetings Lady. I am Andrew, a scholar from Delos recently landed at Aegium to peruse their library. I availed of the opportunity to visit the nearby lands.