Agnes Smith RETURN TO BRITAIN 857 A.D. Greece .......... [GM] The ride back to the west coast of Greece is somber. It isn't helped by the rain which always comes down heaviest when you're out on the road, and only starts to diminish as you approach shelter. You still have a fair amount of cash and convertable goods with you, but from what Techo says, paying a ship to take you all the way back to Britain will eat a large chunk of that. From your years of trading in Pamplona, you know that the few goods that came from Britain were very expensive in Spain, and that the Carolingian middlemen who brought Muslim exports to Britain made a killing. Even when Vikings aren't disrupting sea trade, the Emirate refuses to trade directly with infidels...only those willing to serve as a bridge between the cultures, in the border marches of Navarre and Aragorn, reap the rewards of both markets. Kemal has resigned himself to letting you go to Britain without him, to fetch Antonella. That Antonella might not want to return to Ifriquiya with you is not a possibility he wants to address. And while he seems to be assuming that Techo will accompany you, you notice that Techo seems ambivalent about this. <><><><><> [Agnes] The merchant in her is already deciding what goods would sell well in Britain, and that she could carry easily. Peppers, spices and silks come to mind as things that would be light and yet valuable. Since they would appear to be going by sea, buying them in the Emirate would seem to be the most profitable way of doing things. As she rides, she asks Techo about which markets in the Emirate would be the best, and whether the planned journey would go via Cordoba. She elects not to stir things up with Kemal, and so asks Techo, "Does Kemal plan to come back to the Emirate, or to stop off in Africa?" More quietly she then asks, "Kemal is assuming you are coming with me. Do you plan to?" <><><><><> [GM] Techo has a great deal of advice about trading and markets. He suggests that it would be faster to avoid Cordoba, though, and sail around the coast. Although there is some risk from sea travel, and land travel within the Emirate is fairly safe, he points out, with a glance at Techo, that you'd stand a good chance of meeting more Muslim immortals. Out of Kemal's earshot, he says "I think Kemal will accompany you as far as he can, which means as far as the Emirate." He sighs at your second question. "Yes, he wants me to accompany you. I don't really mind, as you are pleasant company. Do YOU want me to escort you?" <><><><><> [Agnes] "Of course, Techo. I would be pleased to have your company. More than that, though, you are likely to make the journey possible." She shrugs and smiles. "I don't mind admitting that the reason I ended up in the Emirate is that I was too scared to go in any other direction. I couldn't face travelling to Britain on my own. If you could help me get there, I am sure that I can manage in Britain and find Antonella." As an afterthought, she adds, "I won't mind if at some point you decide you don't want to keep my company any longer and head off on your own." <><><><><> [GM] Techo nods. "You're cautious, which is a good thing. You probably wouldn't have lived this long if you weren't." "I do not mind escorting you, but......I can't follow you and Kemal around forever. And right now, I am more concerned about Kemal than I am about you." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Good," she replies. "I would much rather you were looking after him anyway. I think we should carry on as if you are going to accompany me then, but without explicitly saying so, and then when it is too late for Kemal to do anything about it, you stay with him." She looks at him as if the matter is now closed, but continues speaking. "I think the best prices would be had at Cordoba, but we could make do with somewhere on the coast nearby. I want to have something to sell when I get to Britain - if only to finance the passage back of myself and Antonella. I think I know what will have a good price in Britain - it is just a matter of finding it cheap enough in the Emirate." <><><><><> [GM] Techo chuckles. "And so you will leave me holding the bag a second time, as it were." "It would definitely be better to avoid Cordoba, though. Besides what I said about encountering other Muslim immortals- which is quite true- it's also the heart of the Emirate. Kemal is likely to become involved in some cause or another, as he did last time, and he would feel conflicting loyalties. And he might well decide to stay and try to keep you there as well." "I am sure you will find fair quantities of something in the Emirate worth selling in Britain, wherever we go." <><><><><> [Agnes] She smiles at him. "I did offer the choice of coming with me. And, of course, you could always stay with neither of us." "I will take your advice, then, and agree to avoid Cordoba, and not mention it as a destination." <><><><><> [GM] You leave Sparta behind, and arrive at the port town where you first landed on Greece. Kemal has been particularly dour, and not very talkative. The rain hasn't helped his mood. This place is little more than a fishing village, so finding a ship out is not as easy as finding one to bring you here. Your negotiating skills prove fruitless, as most of the Greek sailors won't even talk to a woman. Kemal begins grumbling "We should have gone to Athens to find a ship there." Techo tells him to stay with you, so he can circulate on the docks. Ancient sailor that he is, his ability to make friends with sailors and find someone willing to take him where he wants to go is almost infallible. Alone with you, Kemal paces restlessly. "What if Antonella did not stay in Britain when she was unable to find you?" he asks. "Might she not have returned to Rome?" <><><><><> [Agnes] "She might have returned to Rome, I suppose," she ventures, "But Britain is not that small that she could be sure in only a couple of years that I wasn't there." "If she has any sense though, she will avoid Rome, given the circumstances of her departure, otherwise questions might be asked." She decides against venturing the opinion that she might indeed have gone to Rome - if only to see her parents. That was just the sort of news that she didn't want Kemal to hear. Changing the subject, she adds, "I'm sure that Techo will find us a ship soon." <><><><><> [GM] "Yes." Kemal seems distracted. He turns towards you. "Once you find Antonella, what will you do if she does not want to return to Tunis with you?" <><><><><> [Agnes] "Why, Kemal, if she doesn't wish to return, then of course, I'll come back to Tunis. I'll check that she can look after herself, before leaving her of course, but I'll come back to Tunis to find you." She looks at him. "What is wrong, Kemal? You seem distracted." <><><><><> [GM] He seems comforted by your answer, and even smiles slightly. "Nothing. It just seems we have been separated for so long." He comes closer and pulls you into his arms, in a show of affection that's become increasingly rare since his duel with Ishmael. "I wish that I could keep you from leaving again." <><><><><> [Agnes] She hugs him tightly, savouring this rare display of affection, her head pressed against his chest. "I owe it to her, Kemal. I would have looked after her had Philip not taken her away. Now I need to find her to make sure she is able to look after herself - much as she has gone looking to find me." "I don't think I could forgive myself if something happened to her because she was looking for me, or because I had not been there to teach her something that would have saved her." "I suppose I could stay with you a little longer, but that would just make the trail that more cold, and more difficult to follow." "Let us make the most of this time then," she adds, and kisses him. <><><><><> [GM] Even in bed, Kemal is not quite the man you married. He's as good as ever, just.....different. It almost feels like a stranger is in bed with both of you. Techo probably concluded his business long before he reappears the next morning. Kemal is in a slightly more pleasant mood, but he's still different, and he knows you know he's different, and that casts a shadow over both of you. "We can take a ship to the Libyan coast tomorrow," Techo says, "and from there, it will be easy to find a ship to the Emirate. It will get us there faster, in the long run, than going back to Athens to charter a ship for the entire voyage, or hopping along the coast from one port to another between here and Spain." <><><><><> [Agnes] She tries to cast the difference out of her mind, but finds that she cannot. It always stays there at the edges. Little things nag at her: thoughts of how it was before, where it differs; the surprise when he does something she hadn't seen before. She tries to not let it affect her, but it does. She is pleased at Techo's news. The activity should hopefully leave all three of them less time to brood over what has happened. Of course, she realises almost as soon as she has thought that, that the inactivity on board ship will give them more time that they would like to brood. She almost wishes that they could go overland, but the shivers at that thought when it comes to her. After all, she had run to the Emirate to get away from travelling alone across Europe. The situation would hardly have changed in the few years that she had been there. She resigned herself to a tense voyage. <><><><><> <> The voyage is tense, not so much because of Kemal, but because these sailors are less respectful than the ones who brought you over, and you can feel them staring at you whenever Kemal isn't nearby. (Which isn't often-- he's becoming moodier, and more protective. He hasn't displayed a fit of temper again, but sometimes his presence is oppressive.) You're not so much afraid for yourself, but that Kemal will catch an inappropriate glance from a sailor, and take off the man's head. From Techo's occasional looks, you get the impression that he's sympathetic, but he doesn't say anything. You make the trip across the Mediterranean safely, and land on Spain's eastern shore. From here, Techo again helps procure passage around the coast, to the Atlantic side of the Emirate, despite Kemal's desire to travel overland. The time of your separation is rapidly approaching. <><><><><> [Agnes] She is probably her best behaved on a sea voyage than she has ever been. She quells her urges to scrutinise the sailors going about their work, the captain and his seamanship, and all the other goings-on on board the ship. Instead she contents herself with watching the shore go by, imagining with each cove, how she would go about putting ashore. She really doesn't want to leave Kemal, but then, Kemal is not being himself anyway, and she would rather that she had this time away to seek Antonella, and to let his mind settle. She both looks forward to and dreads the time of separation. <><><><><> <> For the final segment of the trip, Kemal is sullen and withdrawn. This, more than any other behavior he's exhibited thus far, is unlike him. Techo, surprisingly enough, seems encouraged by this. "I think there's a struggle going on in his head," the Phoenician says, sitting on the bow of the ship one evening as you plunge ahead into the waters of Iberia's Atlantic coast. "It's probably taking a lot of his energy." He looks ahead, where the moonlight shines on the water. Britain is ahead, over the horizon and out of sight, but waiting. At the next port, you will find passage across, and leave Kemal behind. "I'm curious about something," Techo says. "Why Wessex? I thought you were originally from Northumbria, and you spent your time in London previously." <><><><><> [Agnes] She feels the heat in her cheeks as she blushes at Techo's question. "I have heard that Northumbria is awash with Northmen, and London has been sacked too. I thought that Wessex was as far away from the Northmen as I could get and still be in Britain. From there I ought to be able to find out what the situation is really like further North." She thinks to add more, but decides against. She knows that she really is the most useless liar. <><><><><> <> "Ah." Techo doesn't say anything else...if he noticed your blush or has questions still, he doesn't show it. Two days later, you are in a western port city, making preparations for your trip to Britain. This is a city on the edge of the Emirate, where foreigners come and do a lot of trading, something that displeases Kemal a great deal. Techo is once again accompanying you as he helps you find passage to Wessex. Supposedly he is finding passage for both of you-- the arrangements by which he will fail to be on the ship as Kemal expects have yet to be worked out. <><><><><> [Agnes] "Thank you for what you are doing, Techo. I don't really deserve your efforts." She sighs. "I hope that Kemal is the better for it at the end of the day." "If Kemal isn't at his house in Tunisia when I get there, is there anywhere else should I look?" <><><><><> <> Techo frowns. "If I can't get him to wait in Tunisia, then it's hard to predict where he will be-- somewhere in the Emirate most likely, and probably nowhere you and Antonella would want to come looking for him." "I would say wait in Tunisia as long as you can. If at all possible, assuming he's not going to be there for you himself, I'll see to it a message is left for you, and if not, I'll get word to you somehow." By the end of the day, you have your passage to Wessex arranged. Techo even took aside the captain for a little chat. You don't know what story he told, but he assures you the man will make sure your trip is safe. You'll leave in two days. Kemal greets the news with a somber nod, and says "I will probably travel to Cordoba for a bit, before returning to Tunisia to wait for you and Antonella and Techo." <><><><><> [Agnes] She spends the time buying goods that she knows will make a profit when she lands in Britain, determined not to let Kemal's mood get to her. And yet, she is sad to leave him. He means so much to her, despite his changes. Several times she is at the point of saying that she won't go, but always the thought of poor Antonella being out in Britain trying to find her, sways her, and she keeps her council. She does her best to make her last few days with Kemal a time to remember and hold dear. Once her wares are bought and stowed, she prepares her best meals for him, and makes the nights ones to remember. <><><><><> <> 857 A.D., The English Channel. What will come to be called the English Channel, actually, centuries from now. Kemal saw you off, not expressing as much warmth or emotion in his farewell as you might have hoped. As he's struggled to suppress the fierce anger of Ishmael, he's also suppressed the passion you once loved. With a tear in your eye, you hope he will have returned to what he once was when you see him again. Somehow Techo managed to get as far as the boarding plank with you, and then slip away, without Kemal noticing. You can only assume the ancient immortal will rejoin Kemal after your ship has set sail, with a suitable explanation. Grey skies hang over you for the entire trip. The captain stops at two ports along the Bay of Biscay, and then rounds Brittany and heads across the sea towards the island of Britain. Intermittent rain showers make the trip wet and unpleasant, but at least the seas don't get too rough. And there are no signs of Vikings. At last, you see the coast approaching. Ahead of you lies the port of Winchester, where Antonella, hopefully, will be waiting. As will Ęethelbert. Eight years older, now, and in all likelihood married. <><><><><> "Ęthelwulf ... in 855, after reigning for nearly 16 years, undertook a pilgrimage to Rome, leaving the government of his kingdom to Ęthelbald, his eldest surviving son. He spent 12 months at Rome, and seems to have passed the summer and early autumn of 856 at thee court of Charles the Bald, king of the West Franks. On 1 October, at Verberie-sur-Oise, he married Judith, Charles's daughter. She can only have been thirteen years of age, and the marriage should probably be regarded as nothing more than a demonstration of alliance between two kings threatened by the same enemy. On, if not before, his return to England, Ęthelwulf learned that his eldest son and some of the leading men in Wessex were resolved that he should not be received as king, and to avoid civil war he agreed to a division of the kingdom, leaving Wessex to Ęthelbald and taking for himself Kent and the other parts of south-eastern England which Egbert had annexed in 825. On the death of Ęthelwulf in 858 these provinces passed to Ęthelberht, his second son. Ęthelbald, who had married his father's young widow, apparently without raising any scandal among the churchmen, died in 860, and the West Saxon kingdom was then re-united under Ęthelberht. Five years later he also died, presumably, like Aethelbald, without children, and Ęthelred, his brother, became king. The accession of Ęthelred coincided with a momentous change in the character of the Danish attacks upon England. The raids of the previous generation had been isolated enterprises, carried out by men anxious for a quick return to a friendly land. But in the Autumn of 865 the whole fabric of English society was threatened by a great army, which landed in East Anglia, prepared to spend many consecutive years in the deliberate exploitation of all the opportunities for profit which England offered. It was a composite host, and it included many god-descended nobles who were regarded as kings by their countrymen and whose rank was recognized even by their English enemies." Anglo Saxon England by Sir Frank Stenton just for completeness: "Shortly after the middle of April 871 King Ęthelred died. Earlier in the month the Danes had been reinforced by the arrival of a new army at Reading, and it was still uncertain whether the end of the year would not see the combined host in control of Wessex through a dependant king of its own appointment. [as they had done in Northumbria in 867] Only a king of full age could defend the land, and although Ęthelred left children, Alfred [his brother], his constant companion in the war, was immediately recognised as his successor." Anglo Saxon England by Sir Frank Stenton [Agnes] It had been a hard journey. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. She had wept almost continuously for the first few days. The tears had eased off after a while, as she came to terms with the journey. The man she knew as Kemal, wasn't there anymore, and the man who was wearing his face was destroying her memories of him. She had had to leave. She only hoped that over time, 'her' Kemal came back. She also knew that she was betraying him. Whilst a couple of nights in Rome might be forgivable, whilst she waited for him, now she was leaving him, knowing that she hoped to see another. Osburga had said that she would be welcome in Winchester, and so too had Ęthelberht. She knew that she hoped for more than just some hospitality. The fact that her body went weak when she ran through the memories of those nights in Rome told her that she was not strong enough to not go to Winchester when she was supposed to be looking for Antonella. Of course that just made her all the more guilty, and the tears would start again. The tension in the ship as they sailed up the Channel, had forced her out of her self-indulgent thoughts, and to realise that she was almost there. As the ship sailed past the Isle of Wight and then turned from the estury to sail up the River Itchen, she grew more and more nervous about what she would find when they docked at Winchester. <><><><><> <> The docks at Winchester are much like the docks at London, though smaller, and not as varied; most of the trade from the continent usually comes to London, although some has detoured here because of the Viking assaults in the Thames. The captain asks if you'd like some men to escort you wherever you're going. Off in the distance, you can see a fortified structure that is probably Ęthelwulf's dwelling, surrounded by the town of Winchester. <><><><><> [Agnes] "Yes, please." she replies to the captain, remembering that she has brought with her goods to trade as well as her own effects. "Would you be so kind as to have someone escort me to an inn, and then they could return to tell you where I would like my goods taken?" Her eyes are drawn to the fortified area, but she keeps reminding herself that she ought to spend some time getting to know what has happened in the intervening years. She tells herself, 'Inn, then market and / or traders, then slip an enquiry about the King and Queen into conversation. <><><><><> <> You get your goods delivered, and settle into an inn, with the usual askance looks at a woman of her own means traveling alone. The townsfolk don't seem quite as conservative as those in London, though. There is more tension, however, and Winchester is obviously a town expecting to be raided at any time. It even looks like they're trying to build pallisades to surround the exterior of the town, and erecting poles with sharp carved ends thrusting towards the sea, anchored in the sand at the beach. You're not sure how much good they'd actually be in repelling a Viking attack, but they do make the town *look* more formidable. A little conversation with the merchants reveals an immediate surprise; Ęthelwulf is not king here, but his eldest son, Ęthelbald (who was not on the trip the family took to Rome years ago). This is very recent, and in fact it may be the recent "change in government" responsible for the fortification of the town as much as fear of Viking attack. Then you learn that King Ęthelwulf spent all of the year before last in Rome, and traveling the continent! Was Ęthelbert with him? You don't learn that immediately. But apparently, his eldest son decided he'd rather not relinquish the throne upon his father's return. Surprisingly, Ęthelwulf assented to this, and now lives to the east, in Kent. <><><><><> [Agnes] **Kent!** Her heart sinks. She chides herself and reminds herself that that is not why she's here. She spends the next few days haggling over a price for her goods, and enquiring about ships bound for London. The fortified area, somehow no longer catches her eye so often, and she is more active in making her preparations than she had been. Into her conversations she slips in an enquiry about a beautiful woman from Rome, possibly travelling alone, maybe 5 years ago. <><><><><> <> Your questions about a beautiful blonde Roman woman elicit an immediate response: "Oh, you must mean Antonella...King Ęthelbald's mistress!" <><><><><> [Agnes] She almost laughs at the news. It was so typical of the girl, that she should have anticipated it. Why attempt to blend in and seek someone out, when she could put herself in the most conscious position she could find, and wait for what she sought to come to her. Agnes keeps back half a dozen bolts of cloth, and sells the rest. Then, armed with one of the bolts, she makes her way towards the Royal part of town to see if she can get to meet Antonella. <><><><><> <> King Ęthelbald's palace (that's what he rather grandiosely calls it- it's actually just a big, fortified estate) is fairly open. Tradesmen and runners bring goods and messages in and out under the semi-watchful eye of warriors posted along the roads and in the great hall. To see the king himself, or one of the other members of his inner circle, requires progressing beyond the front hall. At this point, a haughty-looking Saxon man who was summoned by a boy at your request, looks down at you and says "Who are you and why would Antonella wish to see you?" <><><><><> [Agnes] The choice of brazen or demure flicks through her mind, and she chooses the latter, despite her original intentions. "I'm sorry to trouble you sir, but I knew her in Rome. When I heard that she was here, I thought I'd visit her and give her some cloth from home." She tries to look as inoffensive as she can. "My name is Agnes. I know she'll want to see me." <><><><><> <> "Well, I'll tell you what, I'll give her the gift and the message. If she wants to see you, no doubt she'll send someone for you." He reaches for the bolt of cloth. <><><><><> [Agnes] She pulls away the cloth out of his reach. "I wasn't born yesterday!" she retorts. "I'm not letting the cloth out of my hands until I see Antonella." Thoughts of bribery cross her mind, but by now she isn't in the mood. "Are you going to let me see her or not?" <><><><><> <> The man snorts. "I'll tell her some peasant woman wants to see her with a gift of cloth," he says, and adds "Wait as long as you like," obviously intended sarcastically. He doesn't seem to be going immediately to relay the message, though, but talks to some other arrivals at the estate, ignoring you. <><><><><> [Agnes] She seethes inside. Anger has got the better of her, and she knows it. But as ever, she is too stubborn to do anything about it. She walks up to him and punches him in the face, before turning on her heel and walking away, knowing that it may require her to break into a run at any time. <><><><><> <> Everyone in sight gapes while the manservant reels, clutching his nose. "YOU FILTHY BITCH!" he screams. At first everyone is too stunned to do anything while you stalk away, but then the wounded man shouts "Grab that peasant woman! Get her!" A couple of bored-looking men-at-arms roust themselves from the wall they were leaning against and start coming for you. <><><><><> [Agnes] She knows she shouldn't have hit him, but she feels so much better for having done so. She runs, trying to get out of sight of her pursuers, in order to blend in with the crowd once more and (hopefully) get back to her inn. 'Maybe I'll just send her a note.' she tells herself as she runs. <><><><><> <> More people shout and curse you as you're forced to shove through them, and even knock some people over in your haste to get away. The warriors huff and puff after you, and if they were taking the chase more seriously, they might have caught you, especially carrying your bolt of cloth. Your headstart gets you out the gates, where people stare as you go running down the street. Now angry that it appears their quarry will actually get away, you see over your shoulder that the warriors have drawn their swords, which is motivating people to get out of their way much faster. <><><><><> [Agnes] She puts on as good a turn of speed as she can, aiming to get down side alleys and away from the rest of the populous if she can. She smiles at her own impetuousness, and decides that she will never learn. She wonders about drawing her own sword to induce people to get out of her way, but decides against it. It would just make a bad situation worse. She hopes that once she gets down the alleys and then into the lanes, she can put on a turn of speed that demoralises her pursuit sufficiently that they give up. <><><><><> <> Eventually, you lose your pursuit, though you're rather breathless afterwards. They will probably remember you after this. <><><><><> [Agnes] She carefully makes her way back to her inn. Taking her quill and ink, she writes out a short note to Antonella in Latin. 'Antonella, I am in Winchester, although I have upset some people already. I am staying at the 'Ship Inn' and would love to see you." Around the margin she doodles in arabic. "I am well, and there are no others with me. I punched in the nose one of the king's theigns today, so I am not really in a position to come visiting. I have some silk for you, and gossip. Please pay the messenger." She seals the letter and writes a name in Latin, 'Antonella Gallini'. Then she goes to seek out a serving boy to take the letter to her with the promise of a reward from her and from the recipient. <><><><><> <> The boy takes off, and returns later that night. "They dinna let me see the King's lady," he says. "I gave it t'a maid who said she was one of the ladies of the manor, she said she would give it to the lady Antonella. She dinna give me a reward though." He shuffles his feet and looks at you expectantly. <><><><><> [Agnes] She hmmms and looks at him thoughtfully. "I will find out if you didn't deliver it at all, you realise?" she comments as she digs out te smallest denomination coin she can find. She realises that even that will be a small fortune to the lad. "This is as small as have. I think, to be worth this you must promise to do some more errands for me in the future." The dealing with the boy done, she settles down to do some exercises in her room, and let the day pass. <><><><><> <> The boy came late at night, so after your exercises, it's time to sleep. In the morning, as you're taking breakfast, you sense the Quickening. <><><><><> [Agnes] She watches the entrance to the inn, and continues to eat breakfast. <><><><><> <> A woman wearing a cloak comes through the door. She stops and looks around, then sees you and stops. She pulls back her hood and you see Antonella's unmistakeable golden curls. She stares at you, open-mouthed, and tears start streaming down her face. <><><><><> [Agnes] She stands up, leaving the utensils where they fall, pushes away her chair, and walks over towards Antonella. Even before she has gone a few paces, tears are streaming down her cheeks too. She throws her arms around Antonella and holds her in a long embrace, unable to speak. A long pause later she releases her and steps away slightly so that she can look at the girl. "It's good to see you again," she manages to get out, once the tears subside. "You are looking well," she adds, wiping her own tears away with the back of her hand. "Do you want to sit and talk? walk and talk?" With a smile she adds, "Or have you come for my head?" <><><><><> <> Antonella gasps "Oh, Agnes!" and is sobbing as soon as you embrace her. She holds you tightly, swaying unsteadily for a moment. You notice immediately that her grip is much stronger than it once was, and she's lost all the fat she was gaining back in Rome. She wipes her eyes, unable to speak, so you speak first. Her mouth drops open and she looks at you in shock when you make the joke about coming for your head. "Agnes, what a terrible thing to suggest!" she says, her voice still choked up. Come to think of it, you don't see any signs of a weapon on her. <><><><><> [Agnes] "I know, Antonella. I'm sorry my joke was in such poor taste." She leads the other back to her table, and takes a seat. "So ... " she says in a conspiratorial whisper, "the King's concubine so I hear. I suppose that must be the about the best position a woman can find in Britain. Did he just throw himself at your feet like all the other men that see you?" <><><><><> <> Antonella flushes a little, and looks down. "It wasn't like that," she murmurs. She looks around, face still streaked with tears. "Oh Agnes, I've missed you so much, and so often I've been frightened, and didn't know where to go-- I just...found myself, here, in this situation, and it's not at all what I originally intended..." Her shoulders start shaking and she bursts into tears again, and then suddenly, amidst the tears, starts laughing. "As soon as they told me some woman punched Drefan in the nose, I knew it had to be you!" <><><><><> [Agnes] "Well," she says indignantly, "he wasn't going to let me see you. And I got _so_ angry I just snapped." More soberly, she continues, "I have come to find you, and ask you if you want to go back to Kemal. To be honest, though, he has changed. He won a fight, and I am not sure if he did nt take in too much of the other's personality. I'd rather not go back just yet. I was thinking of going to Kent," she smiles, "perhaps to see if I too can have men of status throw themselves at my feet. I was also thinking of visiting my parents' grave in Northumbria." "What do you want to do Antonella?" <><><><><> <> Antonella sniffles. "Kemal....has changed?" She looks distant. "I thought about him a lot...." She focuses back on you. "But you more often." Clasping your hand, she says "I'll go where you go, Agnes....but Ęthelbald won't be happy about me leaving Wessex to go to Kent. He, uh, doesn't get along with his father. Not since he decided to take over the kingdom while King Ęthelwulf was in Europe." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Yes," she adds, sadly, "he has changed." "I suppose I should have stayed to help him through it all ... but I was afraid to." She looks into the distance for a while. "I am weak at heart, Antonella. ...." "Anyway, Techo was there. I'm sure he would do Kemal more good than I would." "But enough of that for just now. What is the situation in Northumbria? I would like to go there and pay my respects. Would Ęthelbald countenance you going there? we could always go via kent on the way back. maybe you could be an emissary to King Ęthelwulf from Ęthelbald. I have some silk that I had for you and for the Royal family. We could just spread it all a bit thinner." The thought of planning a journey back 'home' has cheered her up already, and her enthusiasm for the journey is beginning to show. She will be travelling to get somewhere she wants go, rather than travelling because she has to. "What do you think? Kent First, and then Northumbria? Or the other way round?" <><><><><> <> "The Vikings are raiding up north, even more frequently than down here. I believe they've practically destroyed Northumbria." Antonella sighs, looking more thoughtful than you often saw her before. "Kent would definitely be safer." She glances at you and smiles a little. "And I know why you want to go there. He's married too now, you know." <><><><><> [Agnes] It wasn't what she wanted to hear. It wasn't unexpected, but that doesn't stop a hollow emptiness opening up in her stomach. "I thought that might be the case," she replies weakly. "Still, it will be nice to see him again, and take him a wedding gift." She looks at the table, and then her hands, and then the table again. She tells herself that she is stupid, that she had no right to expect any other outcome. "I'm going to go to Northumbria," she says finally. <><><><><> <> "All right." Antonella looks at you sympathetically. "We'll go together then...if you'll have me." "He's older now too," she says. "Not that old, yet, of course, but--" She breaks off, and looks at her own hands. "I haven't gotten used to it yet. And people are already talking about how youthful *I* stay..." <><><><><> [Agnes] "Of course I'll have you with me, Antonella." She looks at the other ruefully. "If people are commenting, then it is time for you to leave. If not now, then very soon." "Once we get back, you will probably be able to stay a while longer if you want. People will remember that you looked young, and the intervening time will allow them an opportunity of discontinuity." She smiles. "Not that I've actually tried it." Her smile turns into a laugh. "Really, here am I trying to act all-knowing for you, and I barely know more than you ..... " her laughter fades, and she suddenly becomes serious. She lowers her voice even more from the hushed tones of before. "You said you are not aging. When did _it_ happen, and how?" <><><><><> <> Antonella's face grows still, almost mask-like. You have an eerie feeling of deja vu, then an image comes to mind, of how your jovial expression turned more solemn, back in Tunis, when Antonella asked about your experiences with men. "About a year after Philip brought me to Sparta," she says. "A little under a year, I think. I'd been exercising relentlessly, and he decided I was in the best shape I was ever going to be in. He just walked up to me and twisted my head around. I still can hear the snap..." She gives a little shudder, and her voice trails off. <><><><><> [Agnes] The joy that had been there a few moments before is gone, replaced by a deep air of sobriety. "I am sorry, Antonella, I won't mention it again." She examines the table again, regretting having brought up the subject. Finally she says, "How long will you need to get ready? And will we be riding or walking?" <><><><><> <> Antonella thinks. "Well, Ęthelbald might have let me go to Kent, but he's certainly not going to let me go running off to Northumbria. So if we ride, I'd have to steal horses from his stable. I mean, it wouldn't be hard for me to do; as you can see, I have a great deal of liberty." In fact, she probably has about as much liberty as you did as a blacksmith's daughter.... but coming from a wealthy Roman family, and her only other cultural experience being married to a Muslim (and whatever she endured as Philip's pupil), it must have been quite a new experience for her to see women who are allowed to leave their house without a male escort. She's been speaking to you in Latin the entire time, also; you haven't tested her Anglo-Saxon yet. "I'll feel bad running off on Ęthelbald; he's been decent to me. No worse than Dino, anyway." She looks down. "Oh well. I guess I've fallen far enough, what's one more impropriety?" <><><><><> [Agnes] She sighs. "I have no intention of turning you into a criminal, Antonella. Let's just tell him that we are going to Kent. Once we have set off, then we can decide whether that is where we go first or not." <><><><><> <> "All right." Antonella suddenly hugs you again. "Oh Agnes, I'm so glad to see you again!" Rising, she pulls her cloak around her. "Well, do you want to risk coming back with me to the king's house? Drefan is a petty little man, troublesome, but he won't cross *me*!" she says, sounding a little bit proud on the last part. "Ęthelbald wasn't along on the trip his father took to Rome back...when we were there, so he won't even know you. Or would you rather stay here at the inn?" "I've been here for almost six years, and you're the first other immortal I've met in Britain," she adds. <><><><><> [Agnes] "And is that because there are none?" she asks, thinking of Ęthelbad, "Or because you haven't gone looking?" "And yes, I think I would like to go in with you past Drefan. That should prove interesting." <><><><><> <> "I, umm, haven't gone looking," Antonella says, looking a little abashed. "I guess I haven't been very brave." She giggles as you gather your things. "Oh Agnes, you're wicked. Well, let's go see Drefan then....and King Ęthelbald." She walks with you back to the King's house. She does seem a little bit different...she walks with more confidence, and clearly revels in her ability to come and go as she likes. But there's still a lot of girlishness in her too. And the incautious way in which she ventures out without a sword-- Peter would have run you through for that. <><><><><> [Agnes] "Antonella! You need to know who is here. Even if it only so that you know in advance whether or not they are a threat." "Well, we'll definitely go to London then." Agnes starts to think of all the things that she's going to have to get Antonella to learn. But that can be for later. For the moment, she just gathers her things, and follows Antonella, conscious of her own sword on her hip, as much as Antonella's lack. <><><><><> <> As you reenter the King's house, Antonella receives considerable deference from everyone passing by. She must enjoy that. And at the doorway to the house's interior, you see the man-at- arms, Drefan. His nose still looks swollen. He gapes when he sees you and points. "That-- that's HER! THAT WOMAN!" he shrieks. "Someone grab her! She assaulted me yesterday and she has the nerve to return here!" "She's with me, Drefan," Antonella says, drawing herself up and staring at the man. He blinks, and his face turns dark red. "This woman assaulted one of the king's men!" he exclaims. "You probably deserved it!" Antonella retorts, and says "Come on, Agnes." She leads you past the sputtering, angry man. <><><><><> [Agnes] She nods at the man. "Good day to you, Drefan. Did I not say I wished to see Antonella?" Inwardly she knows that she has made an enemy, but, that has never stopped her in the past, and no doubt won't again in the future. "Perhaps you won't be so rude to visitors in future." And she follows Antonella into the house. <><><><><> <> Drefan calls after you "You're going to pay, you witch! Don't think being Lady Antonella's friend will protect you!" "He's a fool," Antonella says. King Ęthelbald's house is less luxurious than Antonella's, back in Rome, though it is larger. It was built more for defensive purposes than comfort. You see a lot of stone walls and heavy oak doors, very little in the way of carpeting, wall hangings, or any other kind of decoration. You pass a tiny chapel-- nice to know there is holy ground on the premises. Antonella leads you down a long hallway to her room. She has a large bed, made of stuffed straw, the only real luxury being an expensive dyed blanket. There is also some jewelry and other trinkets on a rough-hewn dresser, along with a large silver mirror. Three large chests line the wall; you would surmise those contain her outfits. You don't see a weapon anywhere. Antonella turns and looks at you almost apologetically. "This is it," she says, spreading her arms. "Here I am, the most powerful woman in Britain, I think you said-- and our servants in Rome had more luxurious quarters." (Well, that's an exaggeration, and she knows it-- she smiles and drops her hands.) "Oh, but don't get me wrong. I think I would have to say I'm happier here than I ever was in Rome...if only it wasn't always so dreadfully cold." She sits down on the bed. "Well, introducing you to Ęthelbald will be...interesting. I haven't made very many friends here, and he's an inquisitive man. One might almost say, suspicious. He won't let it go with just saying you're an old friend. I suppose we should get our stories straight. Oh, and dress you up a bit." Her smile is tinged with wry humor. "He likes well-dressed women. He thinks anyone exhibiting a little bit of culture must be more intelligent. He actually thinks I'm witty!" <><><><><> [Agnes] She sits down on the bed beside Antonella. "Right. Let's get the story straight. How long have you been here, and where were you meant to have been before then? Then I will see if I can weave a story that has me meet you in Rome. ... I take it that he knows that you met his father and brothers in Rome, all those years ago? We can have my story substantially the same as the one I was telling then, although, like you I will look a little young for it to ring true." <><><><><> <> Antonella nods. "I came here about six years ago. Ęthelwulf still ruled here, as King of Wessex, and all his sons lived here. They remembered me, of course. I, umm, lied. I said my husband died after leaving me almost penniless, and I came here because I thought you'd be here..." she looks embarrassed. "Well, I suppose it wasn't a very good story. But they believed it, and they took me in. I even became Prince Alfred's nanny." "Then King Ęthelwulf decided to go back to Rome a second time. His wife had just died the previous year--" she pauses as she realizes you didn't know yet that Queen Osburga, who was so friendly to you, is dead now. She looks down. "Well, Queen Osburga died....so King Ęthelwulf went back to Rome, both to introduce his son Alfred to the Pope again, and to seek a new wife in Carolinga. And he wanted me to come, of course, since I was Alfred's nanny, and he had become quite attached to me-- Alfred, not Ęthelwulf-- but of course I knew he'd find out I'd lied about my husband dying and..." Antonella sighs. "That's when I finally began responding to Ęthelbald's advances...because it gave me an excuse to stay in Winchester." She begins wringing her hands. "I didn't know Ęthelbald would decide to usurp Ęthelwulf's throne, of course.... but...I fear I was a small part of the reason. Just in that I was one of many things that caused a rift between Ęthelwulf and his son, since Ęthelwulf wasn't happy that I stayed in Winchester to carry on with Ęthelbald rather than accompany him and Alfred to Rome. And of course I've had to be supportive of Ęthelbald since then, and some people are saying I helped talk him into taking over the kingdom, but it isn't true, Agnes!" "So, I am afraid that even if we did go to Kent, King Ęthelwulf might hold a grudge against me. I do miss Alfred so, especially since...well, knowing now that I'll never have children." Antonella's cheek are damp again, and this recounting of the past few years has her sniffling a bit. <><><><><> [Agnes] She pales a bit when Antonella mentions Osburga's death. And thinks of that happy meeting in Rome, and what a nice woman she was. Noticing that Antonella has noticed that it has affected her, she says, "I'm sorry, Antonella. I liked her. Everyone you know, whether you like or dislike them, will die before you. I am still not really used to it yet though." She smiles and pats Antonella's hands. "It's alright Antonella. I'm sure we'll both get used to it eventually." She thinks for a bit. "I suppose we look roughly the same age, and too young for the number of years they know about. So I had better curtail my previous adventures. Let's just say that I was a young bride from Britain, with a much older husband who was a travelling merchant." She smiles. "That's reasonably true as far as it goes I suppose. Both Sancho and Kemal are a _lot_ older than me." "Anyway, on my first trip with my new husband, we reached Rome, only for me to be kidnapped on my first day there. Then there was a while in the desert before coming back to Rome. Then there was our time there, with the visit of the others. My husband came back and left in a hurry, so I had no time for goodbyes. We spent the years travelling, and he recently died. So I am going home to see if any of my family are alive." She shrugs. "It sounds reasonable enough. What do you think?" "We can decide whether we go to Kent once we are on the move. I certainly want to go to London though. I'd like to see if a friend is still there." <><><><><> <> "That sounds fine," Antonella says, nodding, unlikely to contradict you in any case. "London is in the opposite direction of Kent, though." "Well, let's look and see if any of my dresses will fit you. Or do you have something fancy with you?" It's unlikely any of Antonella's dresses will fit you; she's no longer overweight, but she's still much taller and more buxom than you. <><><><><> [Agnes] She stares at Antonella. "You really haven't been out and about, have you?" Memories of all the travellers' talk when she was trading in london come flooding back. The names of places and inns come back to her. She may never have travelled the route, but she has a fair idea of the landmarks along it. "If we head up the road towards Basing, that will take us to the way along the North Downs. We can go at least half way along that before we need to decide whether we are going to continue to Canterbury, or turn north to London." She looks down at her own sturdy but unadorned dress. "The only change of clothes I have are riding britches, a leather jerkin and my chainmail." She looks back to Antonella. "Antonella, we know that your clothes are too big for me. I would rather look plain in clothes that fit, than look like I am trying too hard to impress in clothes that don't." She shrugs. "Maybe if we had a few days, I could make something fit." <><><><><> <> "Well, maybe I don't know much about traveling and such," she says, "or looking for other immortals. But it seems to me you could learn a thing or two about mingling with the upper classes." She smiles and digs through her chests of clothes, to produce a fine blue cloak. "You're always getting into trouble for not fitting in. And you don't want to live forever as a peasant, do you?" She holds the cloak out to you. "It's not exactly elegant, but at least you won't look like you just got off your horse to come meet the king. His men can do that, but not a woman who wants to make a favorable impression." <><><><><> [Agnes] Her jaw drops. "Peasant?!" "Antonella, I don't look like a peasant!" she exclaims, shocked. She looks down at herself. "Do I?" she queries with a lot less conviction. "Is it really that obvious?" she asks quietly, taking the proffered cloak, her self confidence obviously shaken. <><><><><> <> "Well..." Antonella says apologetically, looking abashed. "Actually, I suppose you look more like a traveling merchant." "But you know there aren't any women merchants....well, except for you. Around here, a woman is either a noble, or a peasant. If you don't look like someone important...." she shrugs, then smiles as you wrap the cloak around yourself. "Your Latin is very common, of course, and that didn't help in Rome. I don't know what your Anglo-Saxon sounds like to British ears." Her Anglo-Saxon, the few words she exchanged with Drefan, sounded heavily accented, and of course it was southern. You know that your Northumbrian accent is quiet noticeable here in the south, though your years in London accustomed you to the local dialect. [Anglo-Saxons wouldn't refer to their language as "Anglo-Saxon" of course-- I guess they'd have called it something closer to either "Anglian" or "Saxon".] <><><><><> [Agnes] Agnes sighs. "I suppose you are right Antonella. Now that I am back here, I look and sound like a peasant rather than like an eccentric foreigner." She tries her best to look regal. "I suppose I will need to take lessons from you on how to look better than a peasant." She pulls the cloak around herself and takes up the cloth for the King. "Come on then," she grins, "Let's see if I can completely ruin your reputation here." <><><><><> <> Antonella giggles, and elbows you in the ribs. "Just do try not to punch anyone in the nose, won't you?" As she strides down the hall ahead of you, she seems almost imperceptibly to straighten her posture and hold her head higher...until by the time you reach the king's hall, one might almost believe she was the queen herself. She bows as she enters. "Good evening, my lord," she says in Anglo-Saxon. "I have brought a friend with me...may I present Agnes Smith of Northumbria?" King Ęthelbald looks much like his younger brother, though not as handsome, and he's edging into middle-age. He's slouched in his throne, which looks like a rather pretentious affair carved out of a large block of wood, dwarfing the very plain table and chairs where the other members of his court are sitting. He looks at you with his inclined head resting against a closed fist. "Hmmm," he murmurs, then says, hand still partially covering his mouth, "This would be the woman who goes around punching my men, then?" Then you see that Drefan is standing not far from the king's throne, glaring at you.