Re: The Dark Forest
Quintus walked deeper into the Baltic countryside. This forest held enemies of the Roman legions, but Quintus had been instructed to go ahead of the patrols. His uncle had displeased the Caesar, now Quintus was to pay for that. The trees closed behind him as he paced forward. He passed the Far Watch and nodded as he walked. Before he passed too far, he turned met the eyes of the Far guard and pulled his service gladius. Keeping the scabbard he drove the sword into the dirt. The Far guard would come and retrieve it when he has the chance, or not. At this point Quintus didn't care. He just hoped that his uncle had done what he had done for the right reasons. Pulling his cloak a bit closer around his shoulders Quintus hoped the Baltic warriors would give him a swift death.
With a bit of surprise, Quintus noticed he was walking down a path, he recognized the tracks of horse and cart. This was not what he expected. The light was wrong. It seemed to emanate in the area instead of shining down from above or originate at a campfire. The sounds of the birds was strange. he recognized the hoot of the local owls, but there was the chirp of the swallows from back home. And many bird calls that he didn't recognize. Periodically there was the sound on the trail he walked upon of hoof striking stone. He hadn't seen any horses since leaving camp, but this didn't set him on edge. This forest wasn't the place for violence. It was eerie, but Quintus knew he would leave this forest before he died.
With that assurance the Roman, continued to march forward. His military bearing showed as he glimpsed the building. How odd, thought Quintus as he approached, Very well built, if old. Nothing like what he had expected. The craftsmanship was wrong, the styling, the forest, it was all wrong, yet it was also the most right thing he had seen. "Now how do you suppose that?" With those words Quintus mounted the steps and stepped through the doorway.