Re: Ides of December- Heading East
Rita would certainly have stopped to say hello in Raviniacum, and see what’s going on, and check on the children, and make sure they were eating their vegetables, and wearing clean socks* and… until at last someone noticed, “We’re moving again… wait, where’s Rita?”
Whereupon the adventurers, having fought terrible battles with Demons and Hun armies, undertook their greatest challenge yet: extricating Rita. But extricate they did, and Rita was returned to the Swan Boat.
* * * * * * *
In Longus, Theoderic is as curious as anyone about the strange "Welcome Elves and Dwarves" sign, which is even more puzzling on close examination, as it becomes clear that the "and Dwarves" part was added later.
It is when they meet inside with the proprietor and the people of the town that they learns the reason: Elves and Dwarves were here, and not too long ago. And Humans, too; a combined army of Elves from the Alps, Dwarves from the Dwarven Kingdom, and Human warriors from the south, under a leader named Heolstor. They all traveled east, to fight the Huns.
It is quickly clear what has happened: long ago, Aelasuria's people promised help. That help has arrived, in fact, more of it than anyone expected.
* * * * * *
Fica, of course, is not present. As Aelasuria and Rita recall, she is a bit shy and not a "people person" and goes out of her way to avoid meeting Theoderic. She has her reasons.
* * * * * *
Melissa rattles off the details of the place for Scolo... but mostly to make herself useful. She studied Theoderic, and his holdings, their strengths and weaknesses.
"This is a frontier town," she says. "East of here are the Lycanthropes, of the Duchy of Lucimburic. They are allies of Theoderic, well, you know that, what with all the Lucimburic troops that were with us. They can be a bit peculiar. Sometimes their animal ways take over. But this place... it's just a.. rustic farm and forestry town."
Melissa is going out of her way to avoid giving the place a "stupid rural peasants" sound. Born and raised in Lutetia Parisiorum, she may have had a miserable time there, but she considers herself more sophisticated and worldly than the people of a distant, out of the way place like Longus. In fact, Longus being as out of the way as it is kept it safe. Melissa explains that the Emperor simply thought this place wasn't worth the effort.
"We should keep Edgar out of site," she suggests. "People like this don't react well to... things like Edgar."
*Yes, they had socks in this era.