Agnes Smith THE REIGN IN SPAIN 849 A.D. Pamplona .......... While from time to time you felt as if you were being watched, Bixenta either kept her word, or the local Basque tribesmen are just too intimidated by you now to trouble you further. You have a nervous time of it, proceeding away from Bixenta's territory and that of her bandit allies, but you don't see another soul until you reach a village that is only half a day's ride from Pamplona. The inhabitants of this village are Basques also, but used to travelers. They aren't used to lone women traveling in armor, of course, so many of them avoid you, but you're able to arm yourself with a few more facts about your destination. Firstly, though, you are shocked to realize that you understand a bit of their chatter in their native tongue, though they address you in Vulgar Latin. You remember feeling slight "taints" after taking Gerald's and Naz Akharmid's Quickenings, as if some residue of their spirits haunted you for a short time afterwards, but not like the way you can now hear spoken Basque and understand it through Bixenta's ears. Or the way certain landmarks on your way down the mountains seemed eerily familiar, though you've never been this way before. Does the Basque woman partially possess you now? This is not a sensation you are familiar with, nor have you ever spent much time discussing the after-effects of the Quickening with other immortals. You know little about Iberia, other than that the Christian kingdom of Asturia still controls the northern fifth of the peninsula, while the Muslims control the rest....except for Navarre and Aragon, an uncertain borderland between the Western Kingdom's Spanish March and Emirate territory, here on the southern side of the Pyrenees. Sancho is native to Spain, but he never got a chance to bring you here, and only mentioned the geography now and then in passing. You visited Oviedo, in Asturia, a few times with Brian, but never left the coast. At the Basque village, you learned that Pamplona is in fact the capital of independent Navarre. After having changed hands between the Muslims and the Franks several times in the last century, Pamplona successfully evicted all foreign troops and has maintained its sovereignty. Navarre is a more or less Christian, but primarily Basque region. This is what you find when you enter Pamplona. The city is dominated by the Basque majority, but there are quite a few Arabs and Franks here too, both visiting merchants and emissaries, and permanent residents. As well, there are many self-styled "Visigoths", as the rulers of Asturia fancy themselves, though the descendants of the Visigoths have so intermixed with the other peoples of Iberia that people in Oviedo probably have no more claim to being of pure Gothic descent than do the residents of Pamplona. So this northern Spanish city, dating back to Roman times, is now rather cosmopolitan. On the streets, you hear a mix of Spanish (as the Romans call the Iberian dialect of Vulgar Latin), Frankish, Basque, and occasional Arabic. <><><><><> [Agnes] Bixenta's apparent presence is somehow both discomforting and comforting. It means that her mind might not all be her, but then again, might that not mean some form of immortality after death? She ponders this a lot, with no real answers until she reaches Pamplona. She makes her way into the city, seeking out places where she might sell one of the horses, and then trying to negotiate the best price she can get between the various establishments. After all, she needs some money. <><><><><> [GM] By now, you have enough experience that selling anything you have of value is rarely difficult, and your multilingualism makes it easy for you to scout out prospective buyers even in this unfamiliar city. But your luck is extraordinarily good this time; perhaps you were dealing with the horse- trader's inept apprentice who was representing himself as the man who ran the stables, but you're not about to question your good fortune. His initial offer is roughly half again what you estimated the value of your horse to be (*after* comparing offers from other buyers, Basque, Frank and Arab), and you manage to up it a bit more beyond that. You hurry away before he has second thoughts, with a much heavier purse. It's only a portion of what you lost to the bandits, but it does give you enough to either continue on to the Emirate in reasonable comfort, or buy up some small portable wares here and resume your old business of tinkering. It's also enough to purchase a young low-valued girl-slave, though that would leave you very little left over. <><><><><> [Agnes] She hurries away, and takes a room in an inn to consider her future. She considers her purse, and how long it might last on the road. But then, she couldn't go through arab lands alone. She would need a slave girl at least, if only to give her a chaperone when it came to hiring an escort. There wasn't enough money for that. She really didn't want to go back through the mountains - especially given what happened last time. And a sea voyage to Britain would probably be out of the question too, with the vikings around. She would have to settle down for a while. She resolves to spend some time trying to find a niche that she might fill as a merchant: possibly making use of her numeracy and ability to speak all the local languages. Maybe after a few years she will be able to afford to continue her journey to Tunis. <><><><><> [GM] Pamplona is as good a place as you're likely to find to become a city- bound merchant again. As in every other place you've traveled, a single woman operating a business is subject to considerable discrimination, but you've also learned that cosmopolitan cities where visitors from many lands mingle freely are usually a little more tolerant of the unusual than are the more static communities at the center of the Carolingian or Muslim empires. Pamplona is well-governed by the Aritza family. The family's patriarch, Jimeno Aritza, led the Basque revolt against Carolingian control twenty- five years ago, and when the Emirate sieged the city and captured it seven years ago, they held it for only a year before once again being driven out. Pamplona is a walled, heavily-defended city that rules Navarre and indirectly, the suboordinate province of High Aragon. There is a reasonably effective city guard; the streets are as safe or safer than those of Rome. From talking to Arab merchants coming from the Emirate, you learn that the current Emir, Abd al-Rahman II, is reckoned as a good ruler. The Emirate is thriving, and aside from jihads launched by the Emir himself, mostly at peace. Vikings are raiding the west coast, but while the raids are annoying, they don't seem to pose a serious threat to the Muslim dynasty; the Norsemen are never able to hold their beachheads long, and never penetrate far inland. With the starting capital gained from selling your horse, you rent a small shop and begin buying products from local craftsmen and women that your experience gives you an eye for....leather goods, woven garb, metalwork, even knives and some other utensils. You could certainly deal competently in weapons as well, but that's such an uncharacteristic trade for a woman that it would be a lot of trouble to convince the local blacksmiths that you're serious, and the militiamen and Basque knights who defend the city that you actually know something about what you're selling. But you are a very good merchant, and you soon build up a base of regular customers, owing as much to your friendly disposition as your mercantile skills. As in Besancon, there are soon a number of men trying to court you. You have a prosperous first year, and an even more prosperous second year, to the point that you now have enough savings to actually become a full-fledged merchant, if you are willing to invest most of your assets in start-up costs, including hiring assistants and buying a larger property. This would entail more risk; a really bad year could wipe you out. And you'll also make yourself more visible; a female shopkeeper is unusual, a female free merchant is virtually unheard of. But you've learned enough about trade now to know that the more money you have, the faster it multiplies if you continue reinvesting it. <><><><><> [Agnes] She likes Pamplona. So much that it dissuades her from taking to the road again when she can, especially when other things distract her. Her shop does well. She hires an assistant, and then another. Not long after, she is persuaded to take on an apprentice. She then has to get a larger premises. Very quickly, she ends up committing most of her capital into her business. She decides to stay a while longer. Maybe Sancho will pass through. She writes a simple letter to Kemal, saying where she is, that Philip 'abducted' Antonella, and asking him to pay the bearer. She seals it and addresses it to him in his full title. Then she pays one of the Arab merchants she knows to take it as close to Tunis as he goes, and explains that it is in effect a promissory note, as the recipient will pay the bearer, and could he be so kind as to try to arrange its onward passage from that point. <><><><><> [GM] Your message is born away. You never receive a reply, which isn't surprising. You'll never know, until you see Kemal again, whether he actually received it. In 851, an earthquake shakes Italy, and some months later, the news reaches Pamplona that Rome itself was badly damaged, with many people killed when some of the older tenament buildings collapsed. Pamplona is comfortable and fairly safe, but it can get dull after a while. Cosmopolitan is a relative term; it sees a lot of travelers, owing to its being the city that everyone stops at before crossing or emerging from the western Pyrenees, but it's still only a fraction the size of Rome or Paris, and not being a coastal city, trade is better than it was in Besancon, but not as great as it might be if you were operating in Rome, or even London. Or to the south. Navarre values its independence, but the Arabs you talk to wax ecstatic about the prosperity of the Emirate. Even with the heavy sales tax exacted by the Ummayids, and the additional tax you'd have to pay as a non-believer, you gather information on prices and products in the major trading cities of the Emirate, and are pretty sure you'd be able to make more money there..... if you were a man. Here in Pamplona, while you aren't exactly accepted, you're tolerated. In Muslim lands, a woman *might* be tolerated to involve herself directly in trade, but only with a strong-willed husband as her putative master. You get a trickle of Cordovan leathers, linen from nearby Saragossa, and start dealing in the steel for which Toledo is becoming known. You also start buying up wares brought from Carolinga by Frankish merchants, including wines from Aquitaine, a luxury much-appreciated in Pamplona, but illegal in Muslim lands. You remember your amazement, when Aethelbad first introduced you to the world of trade, and made you aware of the wealth that existed on levels far above the simple bartering you grew up with. In Marham, an actual silver coin was a rare treasure, and you were eighteen years old when you saw a coin made of real gold for the first time (brandished by a thegne who was passing through, needed some horseshoes from your father's smithy, and in the meantime, tried to impress the blacksmith's pretty daughter with his wealth.) Now, you are routinely handling more money than your father ever saw in his life. Though you're still small-time compared to Aethelbad, and probably Sancho, who always seemed to have more funds available than you were aware of, even when you started helping manage his coffers. You make back your investment in the first year. In 852, Emir Abd al- Rahman II dies, and his son Muhammad becomes the new Emir in a peaceful succession. The following year is not quite as profitable, but that's all relative, you still added considerably to your fortune. It becomes easier to comprehend how Aethelbad, doing this for centuries, could have built up enough wealth to virtually own entire sections of London. And one cold autumn day, a caravan arrives from the north, probably the last travelers from Carolingia you'll see this year, as the snows will soon fill the mountain passes. You knew they'd arrived....you no longer have to keep an eye on the city gates yourself, your assistants (in the course of lazing about or gossiping with their friends) usually find out when a major trader has arrived, and let you know. You still have to do a lot of legwork, meeting with and charming the men who bring goods from Carolingia or the Emirate, since otherwise they would naturally go to your male rivals first to do business. Today, though, it's cold, and you weren't feeling like running out to greet another traveling merchant...business has been pretty good, and you're not urgently in need of more trading contacts, as you were when you first opened. However, this trader comes to see you, and the Quickening announces him before he comes through the doors. Sancho stands in the doorway, shaking off a light dusting of snow. "Agnes!" His broad face stretches into a grin. <><><><><> [Agnes] She busies herself with her work, and the years pass. Now and then, she thinks of what she could be earning if she was elsewhere. But then, if she were in London, she would be treading on Aethelbad's toes; if she were in Rome, she'd be in constant fear of a hunter, and if she were in the Emirate she'd be unlikely to be able to work, or likely see no customers, or no suppliers. It is an unaccustomed feeling, the quickening, but her hand is on the hilt of her sword as she watches the door swing open. "Sancho!" she cries, and runs over to him, throwing her arms around him. "It is so good to see you. I thought you'd still be tramping this trade route. Come in. Take your coat off. Sit down. Let me get you a glass of wine." She fusses over him. "Do you want something to eat?" After they have settled, she goes on, "Let me tell you what happened in Rome and after ... " "... Kemal ibn Hakum bought us ... .... freed us ..." ... She looks Sancho in the eyes. "I married Kemal. I still love you as I always have, Sancho, but Kemal has my heart. We could resume our partnership if you like, but it would be different because of that." <><><><><> [GM] You see a momentary look of disappointment cross his face, but he quickly suppresses it. "Aahhh-I see." He raises his eyebrows. "Kemal ibn-Hakim. I have heard of him. He's a Saracen immortal I would normally avoid, I understand he's prone to challenging infidels. He's killed more than a few." "Philip, though.....I've met him, had a few dealings with him, and with the man who was once his patron. Philip is a dangerous one...he didn't attack me or challenge me, but he kept staring at my neck nonetheless. Something's wrong with him....maybe one too many Quickenings. I don't know. I'm surprised he'd be interested in mentoring a female immortal, he always seemed to me to be obsessed with warfare and killing unbelievers, and little else." He wipes his forehead. "Poor Antonella. I doubt he'll be kind to her." He sighs and looks at you, and offers a tentative smile. "Well, I came to Navarre because Louis and Charles are about to go to war, and I didn't want my caravan caught in the middle of another bloody Carolingian succession war. I figured I would stay local for a while, just covering Asturia, Navarre and Aragon. It's a tough route, with all these mountains to cross, but out of the likely path of any Frankish armies. I haven't been down into my homeland in over a hundred and fifty years." He sighs. "Too many Saracen headhunters. You might be safe, Muslims don't like killing women, and especially if you say you're Kemal ibn-Hakim's wife..." He looks at you again for a moment, then goes on, "But, I prefer to avoid trouble." <><><><><> [Agnes] She sees the look of disappointment, and his tentative smile, and responds by widening hers, and hugging him again. "My home is your home for as long as you care to stay in Pamplona, Sancho. Feel free to use this as your base for as long as you want to stay this side of the Pyrenees." She pours him another drink. "From what you have said, it sounds as if I ought to stay this side of the Pyrenees too." She shrugs. "And I am still not confident enough to set off through the Muslim lands on my own. So I'll be here a while." "So, who have you met on your travels?" <><><><><> [GM] "Well, there are a few new Frankish and Saxon immortals," Sancho says. "Guiles is mentoring one in Paris now. I met a Celt from your homeland, who's become a knight in Charles's army, he seemed friendly enough. And I had a close encounter with an ancient Hun who wanted to take my head with an axe." "I know there are Viking immortals about, traveling with the raiding fleets. The Norsemen are beginning to settle in the areas they raid, too. Have you heard they almost took London a couple of years ago?" Sancho raises his eyebrows, watching you. Finally, he clears his throat, and says "I visited Rome, too, last year. They're still rebuilding after the earthquake. It damaged a lot of the aquaducts." He sighs. "You haven't mentioned Lucius yet. Do you know what happened to him?" <><><><><> [Agnes] "London?" she gasps when he mentions it and pales. "What about Aethelbed. Is he alright?" She wears a look of concern until he answers. At the mention of Lucius, she stares into her tumbler of wine. "Lucius is dead." She says quietly. "Two men, not immortals, kidnapped me and took me to a convent so that I was not in Rome when a hunter came." She looks back at him. "I have no idea who they were or why they did it, and I am sure that some at the convent were in collusion with them. They knew what they were doing to - it wasn't just good fortune that the kidnap was when the hunter came. Do you know anything about them?" "Anyway, when I got back to Rome I found that Lucius had lost his head. When Philip arrived, at first I thought he was the hunter returned." <><><><><> [GM] "I don't know about Aethelbad," Sancho says, shaking his head. "You know him better than I do, I last met him in person over a century ago. But he's at least as canny as I am, I can't imagine he'd be caught unawares in a city about to be sieged. Anyway, King Aethelwulf drove the Vikings back, though probably not forever." He listens with interest and increasing concern to your tale of abduction, and Lucius's death. He frowns, troubled. "Mortals who know about us?" he says. "Many of us have taken a few mortals into our confidence now and then, including me, but this sounds like something more....organized. And involving the Church? I don't like it." He asks you for more specifics about the convent, then thinks heavily, his well- traveled mind going over the geography of Rome and its environs. "I know the convent," he says. "I think it was there when I first passed that way, which was over two hundred years ago." "And I take it Philip was not the one who took Lucius's head?" Sancho looks more and more perturbed. "Lucius was well-protected, and probably no mean swordsman even after all those years of living behind walls. Philip is one of a very few immortals I can think of that *might* have been able to get at him and take his head." <><><><><> [Agnes] She looks a little troubled when Sancho is unknowing about the convent and its warning to her. "Oh. I had hoped that you knew about them, that somehow they were common knowledge amongst immortals that have been around a while." She thinks for a bit, and suggests, "There is an immortal cardinal in the Vatican. Might he have something to do with it?" To Sancho's question on Philip, she replies, "I don't know who killed Lucius, I wasn't there and didn't get back until after the event. It might have been Philip, it might not." She looks troubled again. "Lucius did bequeath me a scroll, which I couldn't read." She looks down at the table, embarrassed. "I showed it to philip and he wouldn't give it back. I thought it was just a list of the immortals that Lucius had met, or maybe had killed, something for him to be remembered by. What else would it have been? Surely not something for someone to kill for?" <><><><><> [GM] Sancho looks more surprised. "An immortal cardinal? Well....that shouldn't be surprising, I suppose....but I had never heard of him before. Lucius certainly never mentioned to me another immortal living in the Vatican." He shakes his head. "I don't know what else it could have been, Agnes. A chronicle of who he'd met and where he'd been sounds like something Lucius might have recorded." Sancho's brow furrows. "Did Philip deny killing Lucius?" "It sounds as if Philip has a great deal to answer for. Alas, I'm not the one to make him." <><><><><> [Agnes] She looks at him at a loss as to what to say. "I ... uh .. didn't ask him if it was him who killed Lucius." She looks away. "I was too afraid to antagonise him over that, and was too concerned about Antonella." Looking back at him, she adds, "Maybe she will be able to shed some light on it, after all he is mentoring her, and it has been over three years since I saw her." She smiles weakly. "I don't think I am the one to make Philip answer any questions either." "Those are the only immortals I have met since we parted. I did mention Techo, didn't I? He escorted us back to Rome. He seemed pleasant enough." She gets up from the table and starts working about the kitchen. "It looks like you are staying. Let me make us a meal." <><><><><> [GM] "Oh, Techo. I've met him. I think everyone has met him. He's one of the oldest surviving immortals....but I suppose you know that." Sancho smiles. "A good man. He never presents himself as being particularly formidable, but he must have some edge that's kept him alive since before Rome was built." "Thank you," he says, when you prepare him dinner. You can feel his eyes on you, and know he is probably thinking wistfully of your time together as man and wife in all but name. So it doesn't much surprise you when he courteously declines your offer to stay in your home, even though your improved fortunes means you now have a residence large enough to put up a guest in a separate room. "People might talk," he says wryly, "and besides, I need to organize my caravan." "However, I will take you up on your offer of providing a base of operations. I'd be happy to deal with you exclusively in Pamplona, while I ply northern Iberia." "What are your long-term plans, Agnes? Do you mean to settle here permanently? You know that other immortals will inevitably pass through here, including hunters. Pamplona is more isolated than Rome, but still on a major overland route." <><><><><> [Agnes] She sighs. "I don't know Sancho. I came this way trying to reach Kemal by going the long way round by land. But I am hesitant to venture into the Emirate, certainly before I have enough money to buy myself adequate protection for the journey. So here I am. I am quite comfortable here, and I did send a letter to Kemal saying where I was. I thought that maybe I would stay here maybe a dozen more years before moving on. Maybe the world will be a safer place by then." She shakes her head. "I don't know if I am in more danger from mortals when I move around than I am from hunters when I stay still. If I were to move to a really out of the way spot to avoid the hunters, what would I do? I need to be somewhere that people frequent in order to trade." <><><><><> [GM] Sancho laughs, not unkindly. "The world has never been a 'safer place', not in the three centuries I've been alive, and not before then either. I suppose from a mortal's point of view, a period of twenty years without a war or an invasion or a raid is a time of peace, but for us..." he shakes his head sadly. "Am I too old and bitter, Agnes? I never see peaceful times, only lulls in the eternal warfare." He sighs also. "Anyway....you are always welcome to travel with me again...." He lets that drop, then says "But you are probably almost as likely to run into someone who wants to take your head while traveling as you are standing still. Pamplona is safe for now. Just remember that it will be the first city either army will pass through if there's another war between the Saracens and the Carolingians." "As long as you are here, I will make sure to pass through frequently and check up on you." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Oh, Sancho, you know that you will always be welcome here." She smiles, "And I will look forward to your visits." "As you say, it makes little difference whether you stand still or keep moving. For the time being I will stand still though." She takes his hand and squeezes it gently. "Let me make dinner for you before leave though." <><><><><> [GM] Sancho agrees. You serve him dinner, and talk. Eventually, he returns to his caravan, and you are left alone, filled with nostalgia and a little sadness. And more years pass. The war between the squabbling sons ends, and if it changed the borders of their kingdoms significantly, no such news reaches you in Pamplona. In 855, the Emperor Lothair I dies and divides the Middle Kingdom among his three sons. You do hear, in Christian Navarre, of the death of Pope Leo IV, and the accession of Benedict III. But you don't hear of King Æethelwulf's second pilgrammage to Rome in that year. Not until years later will you learn that he brought his youngest son Alfred to see the Pope a second time. But Æethelbert was not with him...Æethelwulf left his other sons at home this time, for he was also going to Rome to seek a new wife. Their mother Osburga died shortly after their return to Wessex following the previous visit. During the next couple of years, Sancho stays in Asturia and Navarre. You even stop reacting quite so tensely when you feel the Quickening. And you do a lot of profitable business with him. But eventually, the Carolingian kingdoms seem to have settled down once more, and he expands his range. It becomes longer between visits. Pamplona remains mostly safe. The Emir Mohammed occasionally sends armies north, but mostly against Christian Asturia, rarely now against the Basques in Navarre and Aragon, and no army approaches Pamplona, though there are some tense months in 856 when an invasion did seem nigh, and you considered packing your things and getting ready to run. Other events distract the Emirate, though, such as continuing Viking raids on the coast, counter-raids by Asturia deep into Muslim Spain, and a revolt in Toledo. You get your first taste of bananas, a new import brought to Spain by the Muslims. You begin dealing in cotton fabrics that make their way north also. Two other immortals come through Pamplona during this time, at least that you are aware of. One is a Frankish warrior who fancies himself a great slayer of infidels. He is young, brash, and won't tell you who his mentor was. He tries to entice you into bed, not with any great charm or finesse, and tries to intimidate you into acquiescing when you decline, hinting that he might take by force what you won't offer freely. However, there are too many servants within shouting range, and getting into a swordfight with you in your house would obviously not be to his advantage. He ends up leaving, quickly, promising to return. You are on guard for a while after that, but he was intent on proceeding south, into the Emirate. You don't see him again. The other is a Mozarab, one of the Arab Christian minority that lives as second-class citizens within the Emirate, but cannot hope to find better treatment anywhere else. He is also young, but not so brash. He is more nervous than you when you run across each other and are alerted by the Quickening, until he realizes that it's a woman he senses. Relieved, he is quite polite and clearly has no desire to fight you. He was seeking another Mozarabic immortal said to dwell in the north, an older one, but you have never heard of such a person and so cannot help him. He also moves on. Business seems to be drying up a little. The Arabs are tightening their control on trade through the Mediterranean, becoming mnre loathe to allow any commerce with infidels. Also, Carolingia seems to be suffering from a series of grain blights, which cause epidemics and a great loss of revenue. You still live comfortably (it seems evident now that once one has money, one can always make more money, barring great foolishness, great risk, or great calamity), but you notice the decreased flow of wealth through Pamplona. It doesn't make that much difference to you...you can stay here indefinitely and amass wealth gradually. But again, the knowledge chafes at you that you could certainly be making much more somewhere else. In the winter of 857, you are at the market, haggling over a rare arrival of silk from Rome (it may have even come directly from the House of Savorino) when you sense the Quickening. You have your sword with you, of course. Initially you are only nominally wary...more often than not, if you sense another immortal in Pamplona it's Sancho, and you haven't seen him in almost two years, so he could finally be returning. And your last encounter, with the Mozarab Adnan, was cordial enough. And you are surrounded by mortals. But an additional twinge shortly informs you that there are TWO immortals nearby. <><><><><> [Agnes] The spirit goes out of her haggling, and she closes the purchase rapidly at less than ideal terms. Then she scans the market for newcomers, a pair of them probably. Somehow she feels relatively secure in this crowded market in what was now her home territory. <><><><><> [GM] "I trust I alarmed you less this time than when we first met?" Even knowing an immortal was about, Techo still got close enough to speak softly in your ear without your noticing his approach. Smiling at you as you spin around, he says "Your husband is waiting for us...if it will not be too disruptive for you to slip away now." <><><><><> [Agnes] Agnes almost jumps at hearing Techo's voice: fright at it being so close. And then when she realises who it is, she relaxes. "Techo," she replies with a broad smile, "It is good to see you. I can come now." Shivers of anticipation run through her, as she walks with Techo to go and see Kemal. "You had a safe journey I trust?" <><><><><> [GM] Techo's smile remains in place. "We had an...eventful journey. And we are both returned safe, as you can see." "I had already ascertained for Kemal that you haven't gotten yourself married or something. But we still didn't want to possibly disrupt your daily affairs by having your husband appear unexpectedly before you in the marketplace..." He is still talking, but his words seem to fade into the background, as you see a tall robed man standing by a stall at the edge of the market, inspecting clusters of grapes. Even from behind, the proud stance is familiar. He turns slowly, your husband whom you have not seen in over nine years, and smiles when he sees you. <><><><><> [Agnes] Her face breaks into a beaming smile as he turns. It is all she can do not to run across to him and throw her arms around him. But then with her knees as weak as they seem to have become, running would be a bad idea anyway. She makes her way over to him, and stands smiling in front of him. "Husband, it is good to see you again. I'm glad you could make it before my length of stay forced me to move on." She holds out her hands to him. "But come, let me take you and Techo back to my house where we can speak freely." <><><><><> [GM] Kemal takes your hands and clasps them tightly. "It is good to see you again also, my wife." Reluctantly, he releases his grip, and turns to walk ahead of you as custom dictated when you were together in public in Tunis. Then he pauses uncertainly. "Come now you two!" Techo says, looking amused. He walks ahead of both of you. As you approach your modest house, however, Techo says "You know, I spent some time here in Pamplona, many centuries ago. It was built by the Romans, around what was once a Basque village. Like many ancient cities, it holds a few memories for me that I'd like to recall." "If you don't mind, now that I have brought you back together...I would survey the city and a few sites surrounding it. I imagine you and Kemal can acquaint each other with what you've been up to these past nine years, and I will catch up when I return in a day or two. There's certainly no hurry." Kemal barely has time to smile slightly, and nodding, say "Yes, Master." Then Techo is gone, fading into the shadows, and beyond the range of your Quickening sense before your eyes can pick him out again. <><><><><> [Agnes] She follows him at a distance that he would approve of, as they approach her house. Once inside, and with the door closed behind them, she throws her arms around him and hugs him tight. "It has been a long time." <><><><><> [GM] "Indeed." Kemal kisses you passionately, then holds you at arms' length to look at you, and caress your cheek. "Techo and I were gone for years, in the depths of Ifriquiya. We only returned a few months ago to Tunis. Nadi had saved your letter faithfully, knowing I would return someday." He frowns. "We will have to do something about Antonella, and Philip..." his expression starts to turn dark, but then his eyes focus on you again. He scoops you up in his arms. "Later. You seem to have done well for yourself, here in Pamplona. So, show me to your bedroom, wife." <><><><><> [Agnes] She takes him by the hand and leads him through the house, ever so slowly, and with her movements ever so seductive. "Why, husband, are you tired after your long journey?" she asks teasingly. <><><><><> [GM] "My journey was longer than you can imagine," he says. As you approach the door to your bedroom, he picks you up and carries you through. "I thought of you often." It is much later when you lie together in bed and are able to talk about other things. Kemal strokes your hair, and asks "So tell me how you came to settle in Pamplona? And have you had any news of Antonella since you sent that letter to me, eight years ago?" <><><><><> [Agnes] She lies blissfully beside him, sensitive to the touch of his hand as it strokes her hair. "After Philip took Antonella from me, I was at a loss as to what to do. I couldn't return to Rome, so I thought at first of going home. By the time I reached Bordeaux, though, I knew it was too dangerous to keep going, so I determined to come and find you. I was robbed of my money in the Pyrenees, and found by a Basque woman called Bixenta. It seems she had had a husband, Unai, an immortal who had migrated with the original Basques, and whose head you took. Once she knew I was a friend of yours, she wanted my head." She pauses to think back to that time. "We faught high up in the mountains. I can think of no better site to fight than the one she chose." She looks at him, "As you can see, I won." "Whereas before I had hoped to hire retainers to allow me to travel through the emirate and on to Afriquiya, after my fight, I had only my weapons and horses. So I had to earn a living. Pamplona seemed a cosmopolotin enough city that my languages would be useful, and that a woman trader would be tolerated." She smiles at him and strokes his hair away from his eyes. "Once I had sent you the letter, I felt that I had to wait to see if you turned up before my lack of aging forced me to move on." "As to the outside world, I only hear the news that comes by way of the traders. Sancho passes through now and again, but he has had no news of immortals. He did say that London had been sacked by vikings, but had no news of Aethelbad, the immortal that had settled there. Of Antonella, I have heard nothing." "Do you think she will have been alright with Philip?" <><><><><> [GM] Kemal starts. "Unai," he murmurs. "Yes, I remember him, and his woman." "He had been sitting in that mountain pass for centuries, challenging every immortal who came through. He challenged me, and he lost. His 'wife' challenged me afterwards, but I would not fight her." He pulls you close to him. "I would have taken her head, if I'd known refusing to do so then would later put you in danger, but of course that was many years ago, shortly after I met you for the first time in Aquitaine, and I had no reason to expect I would ever see you again." He lies back and stares at the ceiling. "I do not know how Antonella might be faring," he says. "I have never met Philip. Techo has, and says he has little compassion or kindness in him. He also believes Philip is a hunter. He is about eight hundred years old now, and he was trained by Alexander of Sparta, who was the greatest warrior of the pre-Christian era. A very formidable opponent." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Is it worth trying to find her? Or is that a fairly futile thing to try?" She sighs. "I suppose they could be anywhere in the world by now." Agnes gives Kemal a hug, "Oh, I do hope she is alright." "So, what shall we do husband? It will take me a little while to dispose of all my assets here." <><><><><> [GM] "Actually, we have a pretty good idea where they are," Kemal says. "Philip lives in Sparta, where his mentor once did. He stays there, training his own fledglings, when not traveling as he was when he met you and Antonella. Techo believes that is where he probably took her, and where they will be found." He has a determined look, the same one he had before venturing out against the Qaid. "Techo and I are going to Sparta, to take Antonella back." <><><><><> [Agnes] "As I said, it will take me a while to settle things here, but I could just put things in abeyance, implying a short journey away." She shrugs. "I might never get back here, but that will be to the good fortune of some of my staff." She looks at him seriously. "When do we leave?" <><><><><> [GM] Kemal sighs, and strokes your hair again. "You are going to be stubborn about this, aren't you my wife? You know I would prefer that you stay here. Philip is, by all accounts, very dangerous. I do not want you to be at risk." He looks at you just as seriously, and a little warily. "I certainly don't want anything like what happened in Tunisia to reoccur." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Of course I intend to come with you. What made you think otherwise?" She smiles her sweet smile. "I will stay out of trouble." That day, she lets her staff know that she is going away for a while, several months, perhaps as much as a year. She turns what she can into cash, leaving them sufficient working capital, and then writes out bequests, apportioning her wealth between them all should she not return within seven years. Some of the money becomes jewelry, some provisions for the journey. She readies all her equipment for travelling again. <><><><><> [GM] When Techo arrives the next day, he receives the news that you will be coming with them with a knowing smile. Kemal grumbles. "We can travel through the Emirate easily enough," Techo says. "From a southeastern port, we have a choice of going south to North Africa, and following the coast perhaps as far as al-Qahira, then sailing north with a trading vessel, as the Egyptians still do a lot of business with the Byzantines. Or we can hire our own vessel and go directly across the Mediterranean to Greece. Much faster, but also riskier, since we'd need to dodge Muslim corsairs and the Byzantine navy alike." "Normally I would prefer the faster route," Kemal says. "But for Agnes' sake, I choose the safer course." Techo cocks an eyebrow, glances at you, and observes "Well, Antonella has been with Philip for eight years, I imagine a few extra months won't make a difference." Kemal looks troubled, but nods. <><><><><> [Agnes] She smiles at Techo in response to his knowing smile. Despite the fact that he obviously thought that she was a bad influence on Kemal, she liked him - trusted him too. But then she knew that Techo probably thought her too trusting anyway. "Don't let me be the cause of any delay, Kemal. I can sail a ship as well as most men, and I will be no trouble as a passenger. And why would by being on board make the journey to Greece any riskier? I have enough money, why not hire a ship in the Emirate and sail straight there?" <><><><><> [GM] "I was thinking of your safety," Kemal says. "In case we were to be boarded by pirates. Techo and I, if worst comes to worst, could jump off and wash ashore someplace. But that would be much riskier for you, if we are separated. Of course neither of us could abandon the ship if you weren't able to get away also. Both the corsairs and the Byzantines take slaves." "You know," Techo comments dryly, "it wouldn't be safe for you if you washed ashore in Italy or some other Christian region, Kemal." Kemal turns towards his mentor with a slight frown. "I am quite capable of taking care of myself in hostile territory." "Indeed," Techo replies. He doesn't say anything else, but has a familiar expression of wry amusement, when he is harboring to himself observations that he believes others are missing. <><><><><> [Agnes] She watches the two men's verbal sparring with a smile. There was obviously a story or two waiting to be told, and it would be Techo doing the telling. "So, a ship it is then?" she asks, completely ignoring their comments about her safety and pirates, and since they haven't actually said 'no'. "What will we need to take? I will probably get a better price here than we will at a port in the Emirate." "On the way, one of you can show me how to shoot a bow. Twice now, I have been disadvantaged by them, and I don't really want it to happen again." <><><><><> [GM] "All we really need is a ship to take us to Greece and back," Techo says. "Though trade goods so we could masquerade as merchants would be a good idea. Particularly small, valuable items with which to bribe Byzantine officers, and larger, bulk goods of value that might satisfy corsairs enough to let us go on our way after they relieve us of our cargo." "But there is a chance we may wind up in Constantinople, if Philip is not in Sparta. I know a couple of other immortals who live in old Byzantium, and they would appreciate an economic and political perspective on Navarre and the Emirate, so if you bring your business ledgers over the past few years, Agnes, that would be interesting information to at least one of them." When you mention archery, Kemal frowns. "You are not thinking of using a bow against another immortal?" "At any rate, I can use a bow, but not well. It is not a noble weapon." Techo rolls his eyes. "I'll teach you. I'll also show you how to break one down and conceal it." Kemal accepts the contradiction from his mentor, as he would accept it from no one else, with a sigh and a shrug. <><><><><> [Agnes] "Of course not, Kemal! But that hasn't stopped mortals from hitting me with arrows. I just want to be able to shoot back at them." She smiles when Techo makes his offer, and gives him an exuberant hug. "Thank you Techo!" Having got her way, she goes off with almost with a skip in her step, to start making arrangements for the journey. <><><><><> [GM] Your staff is surprised and dismayed at your trip, since you'd never made any travel plans before. They assure you that they will keep everything in order. You're bound to suffer losses, from skimming and from their lack of skill, but your trading house is established enough to weather some mismanagement for a while. A few days later, you and Techo and Kemal are ready to ride south, each of you riding one horse and leading another. Kemal still wants to take the long way along North Africa's coast. On his own or with Techo, fighting off pirates would not bother him, but he feels a need to protect his wife. Techo hints that he thinks Kemal is being obstinant. He also points out that there are Tunisian and Egyptian pirates prowling the southern Mediterranean. Once in Muslim lands, it is easier to find lodging than it was for you as a traveler in Europe. Hospitality is very important to Muslims, and Kemal, with a status never clearly stated, but always treated as someone of importance, easily finds local officials or merchants who will give you rooms. Of course, you now have to wear a veil again. <><><><><> [Agnes] Agnes makes sure everything is as it ought to be with her business before setting off. She still isn't really sure if she will ever be back, and she has to struggle hard to maintain her composure. It is her first ever business, and it is doing really well. It seems cruel to abandon her staff to their own devices, and as well to abandon her baby. The business is the closest thing she will have to a child. She has nurtured it from its birth, looked after it, sacrificed for it, and now, prematurely, she is having to leave it. Despite travelling in the company of her husband, she leaves with a heavy heart. The veil she was prepared for, but it has been more than ten years since she wore one, and it takes getting used to. It isn't the veil itself that she finds hard, it is the attitudes that go with it. Memories of her time with Anonella being totally ignored by passers-by rush forth into her mind, unbidden. And yet, being with Kemal seems to make it worthwhile. <><><><><> [GM] In the Emirate, attitudes are not quite as rigid as in Tunisia, as Iberian society is influenced by the people the Arabs conquered. Or perhaps you find it less hostile because the climate is not the harsh North African desert. Women wear veils (except the Jews and some of the Mozarabic Christians, who are generally tolerated), but you see that in Saragossa, and later in Toledo, female shopkeepers are occasionally seen (usually assistants to their husbands, but they are operating openly, rather than being secluded in their homes.) The three of you followed a road that Techo says was first laid by the Romans, when Pamplona was Pompaelo and Toledo was Toletum. In Toledo, he proposes you leave the road and ride east to Valencia or Denia, rather than taking the long way around by road. You encounter another Muslim immortal in Toledo, and Kemal says there are several here, but as in Palermo, Kemal's presence deters any scrutiny of you. Along the way, Techo has begun your archery lessons by showing you what trees produce good wood for bows and arrows, and then he fashions a crude one in the course of an afternoon, out of a branch and a leather cord. "Bows take a little more work than slings, and the more time you have, the better a bow you can make. But unlike swords, it is possible to make a functional one out of raw materials, with very crude tools." "Speaking of fashioning weapons," Kemal comments later, when the two of you are in bed that night, at a guest house in Toledo. "I left your mentor's sword at my home in Tunis. I suppose I was hoping you would come back soon as well. We have not discussed what we will do after recovering Antonella." <><><><><> [Agnes] She listens intently to all that Techo has to say about the countryside and its history as they travel through it, taking in the information for its own sake. And despite Kemal's obvious dislike of bows, she tries to learn archery and its associated crafts. "Well, I suppose much depends upon what he has taught her - no doubt how to kill and track and live off the land. I had thought that I could spend a few years in business with her teaching her how to make a living out of trade. Of course that would not be possible in Africa, but perhaps in Pamplona, it would be, and of course that is a fairly cosmopolitan city. One day of course, I'd like to have time to re-forge my sword. Perhaps I could do that once we've sorted out Antonella, or maybe you can show me some of these exotic places that you and Techo are always talking about." She smiles at him. "I assume that the reason we have not struck out straight for Tarragona is so that you can show me Córdoba. Is it true that it is the largest city in the world after Constantinople, even larger than Rome?" <><><><><> [GM] "Constantinople is grand but decadent. Like Rome, but not falling apart as Rome is. Córdoba is certainly the greatest city in Europe. I do not think it compares to Baghdad, but then I have not seen Baghdad in almost fifty years." He sighs, holding your hand. "I will take you there someday, and to al-Dimashq, and Samarra, and we will visit the pyramids and the Nile along the way..." "You will like Córdoba, I think. It is a place of culture and learning, and there are Christians and Jews there, who also study at the university. The Emir supports the arts, and of course Córdoba is the center of trade for the Emirate. The few days we will spend there will not do it justice, but I can bring you back, with Antonella." He holds you close to him and says "I hope the girl has mellowed, and become less spoiled. I would never wish a mentor like Philip upon her, and I will most certainly take his head if he has mistreated her in any way. But if anything good comes of this, perhaps she will have grown up a bit." Kissing you, he says softly "I do miss her, and hope she will be pleased to be my wife again. But it was you I thought of far more often, these past nine years." <><><><><> [Agnes] She squeezes Kemal's hand when he takes hold of hers. "I would like you to show me Baghdad and al-Dimashq, and all the other places you have been. But for now I shall make do with a short visit to Córdoba, and then travel on to try to find Antonella." She smiles, "Maybe she will be prepared to be your wife again," she shrugs, "maybe not. After all, a good number of years have passed, and now she knows herself to be an immortal, whereas before she thought she had but a limited span. Don't be too disappointed if she chooses to remain unattached." <><><><><> [GM] "I won't," Kemal says, and that is probably true. He loves Antonella, but it is obligation more than love that has him traveling to Greece to free her. "But, if she does not wish to stay with me...with us, where will she go?" He sighs. "I suppose it is to be hoped that Philip has trained her well enough that she can survive on her own. It is difficult to imagine that headstrong, spoiled girl making her own way in the world, as an immortal, even with all the years that have passed. But I would no longer presume to force protection upon her that she does not wish." After talk of Antonella ceases, and after the night passes, you continue on your way to Córdoba. When the capital of the Emirate first rises out of the dust of the road ahead, it appears to be merely another major city, like others you have seen. But whereas your first impression of Rome was that it was vast and grand, but faded, a bit decrepit, a slowly crumbling monument to past glory, Córdoba is very much alive, bustling, crowded, like the heart of Rome on a busy market day, but throughout the city at all hours. It has a more cosmopolitan feel than Carthage and Tunis, with Arabs very much present, and Muslim culture evident in the scores of mosques, the Arab merchants and officials and administrators, the veiled women, but still with a European feel to it. You see evidence of wealth everywhere....lush gardens, fabulous silks, entertainers on street corners, new buildings and more going up wherever you look. This is a city where you could probably thrive and be happy.... if only you were a man. As a woman, there is still much potential, but there's no question it would be more difficult, more constricting, even if Kemal cooperated and backed you. You have not even been in Córdoba for two hours when you all feel the Quickening of another immortal approaching through the crowd around a mosque, just as the call for prayer goes out. <><><><><> [Agnes] She marvels at the city. Despite her time in Rome, she knows that she is still a country girl at heart, and is still taken in by the marvels of cities. But his city is bigger and grander than any city she had ever imagine, and she stands in awe of it ... She feels the Quickening. She had got used to its coming and going recently with travelling in the presence of Kemal and Techo, that she didn't think that much of it. She casually looks about to see which of them it is, more because she knows it will be easier for her to recognise them than it will be for them to recognise her, veiled and shrouded as she is. <><><><><> [GM] Kemal and Techo are both nearby; you'd gotten seperated from them because you wanted to check out the market. But the person you see stalking the crowd, looking right and left with the familiar searching gaze of an immortal trying to identify another of his kind in a crowd, is neither of them. He is a tall Arab wearing jet black robes, including a headdress. He stands out from the more colorful and lightly-dressed Muslims around him, and the solid black outfit lends him a sinister appearance. He has a long, curved sword at his side, and a predatory expression. <><><><><> [Agnes] She is suddenly glad for the call to prayers. Just moments before she was glad of it because the market would have emptied, and she would have been able to look around in relative peace. Now though, she is glad of it because she is going to go to prayers with all the other women. Not only will she be on holy ground, but being in a sprat room from the men will make it very difficult for him to pick her out. Admittedly she may get some odd looks from some of the women when she has to sort out her sword in order to kneel - but at least her long black robes were good at hiding the fact that she was wearing a sword whilst she stood or walked. Avoiding looking at the man any more, she goes with the crowd towards the nearest mosque. Remembering the trouble she had in Rome, she makes sure that she moves with women of a similar standard of dress. <><><><><> [GM] You can still feel the other immortal while you kneel in prayer. When the prayers are finished, he is still patrolling the marketplace, trying to identify you. You suddenly feel the approach of other immortals, and spot Kemal and Techo at the edge of the market. They are also alert to the other one, and Kemal and the stranger spot each other immediately. Kemal advances on the other immortal angrily, while Techo follows behind him, then veers over towards you. <><><><><> [Agnes] She smiles at Techo as he walks towards her. "Who's that?" she asks in Latin. "He's not much of a muslim, he spent the whole of prayers stalking around the mosque." <><><><><> [GM] [He was not stalking around the mosque- you went inside the mosque to pray, he remained outside...presumably kneeling or at least staying out of sight, since if he'd been seen in public walking around during prayers, he'd probably have been challenged.] "His name is Isma'il," Techo says. "He is a member of the Shia' sect." You heard the Shia' mentioned a few times, while you lived with Kemal in Ifriquiya. He never discussed them much, but you gathered that they are a divergent faction of Islam that the majority, including Kemal, considers heretical. Techo watches with you as Isma'il confronts Kemal, and the two exchange hateful stares as they stand only arms' length apart and converse in low, deadly tones. "He is nearly as old as Kemal. They have advanced their respective factions of Islam for centuries, while slaying 'heretic' immortals." Techo's tone is flat and grim. "If Isma'il is here in Córdoba, it is almost certain he's left a trail of headless bodies behind him." "We can probably assume there will be a duel," he adds dryly, watching the two Muslims assume obviously threatening/challenging postures. <><><><><> [Agnes] "If he is as old as Kemal, and as steeped in religion as Kemal, presumably he is as good with the sword as Kemal. Or is Kemal better?" She glances at Techo - "After all, you taught him," and goes back to watching the confrontation. "What if this Isma'il just decides to make things awkward for Kemal? Would Kemal challenge Isma'il?" <><><><><> [GM] "I don't know," Techo says, watching with you. Isma'il makes a sharp gesture with his hand, a horizontal slash at neck level. Kemal snaps something back and shifts his stance, so for a moment it looks as if the two men may draw their swords right here in public. The bystanders around them start edging away. "Kemal was a remarkable swordsman even before he became immortal. He is one of the best I have ever seen. His skill now probably surpasses my own." The two Muslims slowly move their hands away from their hilts, but Kemal's expression is still angry and contemptuous, Isma'il's posture still threatening. "But I have never seen Isma'il fight, and he is said to be very good also. He has probably taken more heads than Kemal." Isma'il inclines his head, more a gesture of assent than respect, and backs away into the crowd. Kemal spins about and stalks towards you and Techo, his mouth set in a grim line. "No, I doubt very much either one will be content to let the other leave Córdoba." <><><><><> [Agnes] She watches in silence as Kemal walks back towards her and Techo. When he reaches them, she asks, "That did not look like a friendly meeting, Kemal, what have the two of you agreed? To fight? Or to part?" <><><><><> [GM] Kemal looks at you, glances at Techo. "We will fight, tomorrow at noon." <><><><><> [Agnes] She feels he knees weaken, and she takes Kemal's arm for support. She knew he'd probably done something like that, but it didn't make the absolute certainty any easier to handle. She looked over at Techo, not really expecting him to be able to do anything about it. Despite her attempts to stay calm, despair welled up inside her - it was Peter all over again! Tears ran down her cheeks, and she knew she would be unable to keep control if she tried to speak. She stared, watery-eyed, into the distance. <><><><><> [GM] Kemal takes you by the arm and says "Come, Agnes, let us get back to our host's house." Ignoring the usual custom of keeping one's distance in public, he walks close to you. "Do not despair, my wife. I have no intention of losing." <><><><><> [Agnes] She allows him to lead her away. "Sadly, Kemal, I suspect that he has no intention of losing either." She glances at Techo, and then back at Kemal. "Will Techo be there to ensure that any cheating on his part would be witnessed?" <><><><><> [GM] Kemal looks at you, and then squeezes your hand. "Have faith, my wife." Techo walks along with you, glances at Kemal, and nods. "I will watch," he agrees. "I don't expect trickery from Isma'il," Kemal says. You return to your host's house, where once inside, Kemal turns to you and places his hands on either side of your face. "Agnes, I have fought three score duels with other immortals. I have never lost. I will not lose this one." <><><><><> [Agnes] "I believe you will win, Kemal, but my doubt worries me. All the mortals alive today can say that they have never lost a duel, but roughly half will lose their next one." She hugs him close. "You won't be offended if I don't watch, will you?" <><><><><> [GM] "It is true, only God can say for sure what will happen. If it is God's will that I should lose, then it would be just as well that you are not present, for Isma'il would probably kill you as well. If that happens, I will trust Techo to return quickly and take you away to safety." Techo nods unhappily. "And I suppose it will be left to me to free Antonella as well," he points out. Kemal almost winces, and Techo sighs and heads out of the house. "I am not prepared to argue with you over your priorities, Kemal, but let us hope no other 'infidels' impede our journey to Sparta." With that, he stalks out, closing the door firmly behind him. Kemal sighs also. "He does not approve," he says. "His temperament is much like yours, Agnes. He prefers to avoid fights altogether." Letting you cling to him, he says "I know you do not approve either, my wife, but you must understand, this is a matter of religious fidelity, as well as vengeance for all the good Muslims Isma'il has slain." <><><><><> [Agnes] She loves him that night as if it was his last, for she fears it is. When it comes time for him to leave, she cannot look at him, nor say anything to him, not wanting it to be her last sight of him or word to him, when she'd rather remember the night before. Once he has left for his appointment, she sits at the table watching time pass ever so slowly. Then she takes up her sword and goes through her exercise routines in order to stay occupied. She continues until someone returns. <><><><><> [GM] At just after noon, you feel a subliminal shiver. Whether you actually sensed something, or are merely reacting to something you know is happening right now, somewhere beyond the city walls, you don't know. A couple of hours later, you sense the return of two immortals. Techo comes through the door first, not looking relieved or happy. Kemal follows. He must have cleaned the blood off; he looks nearly as spotless as when he left. <><><><><> [Agnes] She watches them both enter the house, and puts away her sword. "So? What happened?" she asks matter-of-factly. <><><><><> [GM] Kemal looks at you oddly, a little coldly. "I won," he says, in an equally matter-of-fact tone. He walks past you, and up the stairs. Techo looks down, and clasps his hands behind his back. "It was a phenomenal duel....they were very evenly matched. So evenly that for half an hour, neither of them so much as scratched the other, until Isma'il finally made a fatal mistake, and Kemal took his head." He looks up at you. "I have an uneasy feeling that it is not quite over, however. We are going to need to keep a close eye on your husband, Agnes. I am seeing something I've seen a few times before. Kemal may not quite be himself for a while...." <><><><><> [Agnes] She watches her husband walk past her and up the stairs, her jaw dropping as he does so. She looks back at Techo. "What is it Techo? What do you think has happened? What do we need to watch for?" <><><><><> [GM] "You've taken heads, you know what the Quickening is like," Techo says. "A bit of your victim's essence stays with you." "There is a hazard, in taking too many Quickenings, that few hunters think about. A few times before, when one formidable immortal has taken the head of another, I've seen the slain immortal affecting the behavior of the one who killed him." Techo glances up the stairs, towards the room you and Kemal are currently sharing. "I fear that Kemal's psyche may be struggling with Isma'il's right now. They are- were- not so very different, after all." <><><><><> [Agnes] She pales at Techo's words, and reaches to hold the chair for support, as her mind starts worrying about the possible outcomes. "Is there anything we can do to help? Is there a chance that he might lose, and that in effect Isma'il takes over in Kemal's body?" She glances at the stairs, and then looks back at Techo. An edge of desperation enters her voice. "Should I go up to him, or should I leave him be? Oh, Techo, you know all there is to know about immortality. Tell me what to do for the best." <><><><><> [GM] Techo sighs. "I wish I did know everything there is to know about immortality. I am not sure about the answers to any of your questions." "All the times I've seen this happen before, the immortal it happened to eventually got over it, but there was always some lingering doubt. I don't think Isma'il is 'taking over' Kemal's body, but his personality is twisting Kemal's. Kemal may become harsher, more fanatical, less reasonable." Techo shrugs helplessly. "Whether your presence will help bring him back to himself or not, I cannot say." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Well, I suppose there is no point in putting off the moment any longer." She smiles a resigned smile at Techo. "If you'll excuse me, I shall go and see how he is." With that she heads up the stairs to find out just how affected Kemal really is. <><><><><> [GM] Upstairs, Kemal is carefully folding and storing his chainmail. He looks up when you enter, and to your relief, smiles. "Now do you regret your lack of faith, my wife?" he asks. "I told you I would prevail. Allah always favors the faithful." <><><><><> [Agnes] She holds back a response about Isma'il probably being as faithful in his own way as Kemal, and that either of them could have used that self same argument, whichever had one. It was not a avenue to go down. Instead, she smiles at him, "Of course husband. It was foolish of me to have doubts." She walks to him and embraces him. "I'm glad that you were right and that my doubts were groundless." <><><><><> [GM] Kemal returns your embrace. And yet.... There is something not quite right. A harder edge to him that you only saw in his worst moments before, and now seems present a great deal. Not that he is ever unkind to you. But he is less tolerant of your stubbornness, more concerned with propriety, and once you leave Córdoba to head for a southern port, he speaks more wrathfully of Philip, at times sounding as if beheading the Byzantine rogue is more important than rescuing Antonella. This new Kemal is still passionate, treats you well, and is as fiercely honorable as ever, but his softer side, which made his unyielding moral code and religious fervor palatable, seems more remote. You suspect that in his present state of mind, he might not have let you walk away from your first meeting in Aquitaine, those many years ago. On the coast, you find many sailors who are willing to take you to Greece....for a sizeable fee. Here, it is Techo who is the best negotiator, for he knows sailors better than you or Kemal can ever hope to, as well as he knows the Mediterranean Sea which he has sailed for the past two thousand years. Soon he has selected a crew he judges to be reliable and capable, and you and Techo and Kemal will leave at dawn tomorrow morning, on a trip that should take about a week, barring any delays at sea. <><><><><> [Agnes] The change in him upsets her, but she tries not to show it. Instead, she tries to avoid doing things that she knows will bring out his darker side, and instead ,tries to nurture his good one. For all the good it does, she makes a point of only talking about meeting up with Antonella, not about rescuing her, and never about meeting Philip. When she gets too upset with the changes she has seen, she takes time to practice with her bow and her sling, letting the calm that she needs for that drive out the upset. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. After a word with Techo about what might be appropriate, Agnes buys some goods, suitable for being transported to the Aegean in the ship. Taking note of what he said earlier about the secondary use of a payoff to pirates, she makes sure that if they do get there unmolested, they will at least fund the voyage. She smiles as she walks up the gangplank for the final time, and realises that she has been making herself busy to try to avoid the problem. For a week in a ship, there will be no avoiding it.