Welcome to the Jungle

lordobi

lorddiomedes

A message addressed to Diomedes arrives with the latest packets from
Amber. It's on crisp parchment and the script is a stong hand with
tight letters.

Diomedes,

It seems that mother was immensely pleased with her last trip and
resulting hunt. So much that I've arranged a hole in my schedule so we
might make another if you're keen on the idea. I've sent this with the
Raven who leaves for Epirus today. If I make good time on my trip, I
should be no more than a week behind it, perhaps as soon as two days.
If this finds you busy or unable, call and we'll make other
arrangements.

Obi

Diomedes sest down the letter from Obi and takes a sip of wine from
the glass at his elbow on his writing desk. He rises and then
finds Michela.

"Michela! We're going to have a guest, in a couple of days, or
perhaps a week if the winds are unfavorable. My cousin Obi won't be
staying long, we'll be taking a trip into the Interior. Still, he
likes our wine, we'll make sure we have more to spare for him."
Diomedes tries not to smile as he is treated to a stream of Greek from
her about the dangers of doing so, even for someone as capable as
himself and his cousin.

"No, no. I'm going to need to get stuff ready for a hiking trip. I'll
want provisions and the like, and I'm going to have to talk to Leo
Vakkos and postpone that seminar I was going to teach next week down
in the Forum, we won't likely be back by then. Oh, and I am going to
have to get some spells ready for the purpose. Gems. I am going to
need a few for image capturing..."

Diomedes stops his stream of excited babble and begins preparations
over the next couple of days for the arrival of his guest and their
plans to visit the interior.

It's five days before the runner arrives at the villa with news that
Hermes has arrived and is making his way up from the harbor along with
an Amazon.

"An Amazon." Diomedes repeats the report of the runner aloud with an amused tone. "Well, he won't be doing the other sort of hunting while he is here, then."

A short time later, Obi strides into view along with a woman who matches his height and nearly his breadth of shoulder as well. Long tawny hair over observant eyes and a strong brow, her smile is that of a predator. Obi seems to be joking with her and she seems to be objecting to the length of her Chiton. It's cut in a woman's fashion and is much longer than Obi's, for modesty's sake. It may be this that she's arguing, but even so, it seems good natured.

"Who is this that travels with Hermes?" Michela asks, coming in from the porch and regarding Diomedes.

"I suspect we will find out. Someone the Messenger has brought from elsewhere, given that she looks slightly uncomfortable in her attire." Diomedes responds. "Its no kin that I know of mine or his. Well, then lunch for an additional setting, Michela. Glad that we always overcook for his visits, eh?"

With Michela dismissed, Diomedes steps out onto the porch and waits for Obi and his unexpected companion to get closer. Once he is within 20 meters of the entrance, Diomedes comes out to greet him.

"Cousin!" Diomedes exclaims with a wide smile as he offers his hand to clasp Obi's rather than bowing, since there is no official tenor to this visit, unlike their last encounter.

"I was starting to fear that the doldrums had claimed you."

"Never a calm moment when in good company, even on the seas," Obi answers returning the clasp and smile.

Diomedes does then turn and bow to the Amazon. "My cousin, however, did not tell me that he was bringing a hunting companion along, although there is certainly as much for three as there is for two."

"I am Diomedes, son of Brand, cousin to Obi. Who might you be?"

Obi makes the introduction. "Cousin, this is Rosa, a friend of mine from Shadow, one where she regularly wears considerably less clothing," he explains. "Due to the climate, of course."

"Of course." Diomedes says.

"Rosa, this is Diomedes, who will be leading us into the interior."

Rosa seems to appraise Obi's cousin carefully with a small sniff of the air near him. "He doesn't smell of fear like most of you, but he's more than you or your master."

Diomedes furrows his eyebrows slightly at Rosa's multi-sense appraisal but keeps up a smile.

"Rosa," she says, rolling the first consonant about for a moment. "Yes, that will do." As she steps forward to offer her hand as she saw them do, her gait is just as Dio had observed as they approached, graceful and powerful.

Diomedes clasps the tall leoline like woman's hand as firmly as he offered to Obi. "Stalwart companions and friends of my cousin are always welcome at my door and table. Speaking of which, Michaela will have a lunch set out for us. Of course, in the interior, we'll rely on rations and what game falls to our skill and luck, but, here, please, enjoy the bounty of what I have to offer."

Diomedes releases her hand and turns to his cousin.

"Shall we enter? I still haven't started the vineyard yet, but I laid in a goodly supply of the wine you enjoyed the last time."

Obi's grin grows. "Wonderful." He takes Rosa by the arm and leads her inside.

Diomedes precedes them into the foyer and he continues to confidently lead them toward the solar and what what should be a familiar table to Obi. Like last time, it is laden with food.

"Rosa is the sister of one of my good friends in Weirmoken," Obi explains.

Diomedes raises an amused eyebrow at Obi's roundabout explanation.

For her part, she looks at him accusingly.

"What?"

"So I'm not your friend, just Dark Wind's sister?" Her inflection suggested a statement more than a question.

"That's not what I said."

A shrug of her shoulders, more like a ripple, and she released his arm, following Dio. "What I think he's getting at is that in the interior, I'll be even less dressed than I wish I were now."

"That's not exactly how I was going to phrase it," Obi interjects before objecting, "And no... you really shouldn't..."

Rosa's free hand has undone the clasp at her opposite shoulder and lets the garment slip on that side.

Off in the distance, down a hall facing the entry room in which Rosa has disrobed, can be heard gasping and protestations in Greek.

"Michela is old-fashioned, you see." Diomedes says apologetically. "My footman, Phocas, on the other hand, is not going to complain. But fear not, Rosa, I have no objections."

"I've never been to Weirmonken and met your people." Diomedes admits. "But I think you'd be more interested in lunch, and talk of what we're going to do in the interior than being quizzed by me concerning your phyla"

"Shall we?" Diomedes gestures to Rosa and Obi toward the open portal to the Solar and its waiting meal.

Obi slides the chiton back up Rosa's lithe form and fastens it before she can step out of it. "I'll find you something that suits you better once we're out of the public eye, alright?" the Messenger assures.

Rosa doesn't stop him, but does give him a small barbed look when he smooths the garment over her hips.

Obi just smiles and heads toward the solar. Once there he proceded to wash both feet and hands before heading to the couches. "Rosa, you'll love the olives. And Dio serves one of the finest mulsum's I've ever drank, primarily due to the quality of the wine."

"Knowing Dio though, it's possible that he breeds the bees as well."

"Not yet, cousin." Diomedes replies with a smile, waiting for his cousin and Obi's companion to finish their ablutions before joining him at the table. "Like my vineyard project, it will take some time before I feel ready to produce quality honey."

"The olives, however, my household can take full credit for. I can't think of a single respectable family in Galata that doesn't grow their own olives if they have a chance."

"I suspect, though, being a huntress, that, Rosa, you will be more interested in the lamb, chicken and pork." He gestures to the platters of thinly sliced meats. He looks to Obi. "I picked up a trick while in shadow-there are shadows where certain cultures prepare slabs of pork on a slow cooking spit just like we prepare lamb, here."

Diomedes fills a glass with the honeyed wine, and waits for his guests to do the same, and then raises it. "To visitors to my household, and the hunt to come."

Obi and Rosa both raise glasses in turn and drink deeply.

While Obi begins loading some filo bread with the suggested pork, Rosa
smiles at Dio. "What will we be hunting?" she asks. "Obi has been
evasive about it during our whole trip."

"I'm not evasive. I just wasn't sure what my cousin had planned," Obi counters.

"The interior of Epirus is not that well known." Dio explains. "3500 meter high mountains are a formidable barrier to exploration. The fauna, there, too are dangerous."

"I've explored back there a couple of times, and went hunting twice, once with Obi's mother." Dio continues as he sets about the business of making his own plate.

"I've met the cub's mother," Rosa chuckles as she accepts the food Obi has gathered for her.

He offers a small frown in return, but doesn't interrupt.

"I am not sure if you prefer to hunt animals which hunt themselves, or ones that don't." Dio says. "I prefer to hunt herbivores myself, killing too many of the carnivores will cause ecological problems. And the meat of herbivores tastes better. Certainly, though, if the carnivores attack us, though, we'll defend ourselves."

"There is a large, broad savannah in the northeast of one of the geologically active areas." Dio continues. "There, we will find all sorts of potential game, depending on our mood. With three of us, we might even make a go at a mammoth." Dio grins. "Otherwise, we have a variety of challenges. Large bison. Speedy pronghorn antelope. Even plains camels."

A sparkle in Rosa's eye and a low throaty rumble, something more intimidating than a purr, can be heard even as she tastes the pork for the first time.

Diomedes smiles as a happy host at Rosa's reaction, even if its slightly more intimidating than he expected.

"I've hunted elephants, but never something the size of the mammoths that my mother spoke of," Obi commented before popping a few of the large green olives into his mouth.

"We might want to avoid trying to take on the real giant on the plains, the Indricotherium." Dio looks at Obi. "It's the biggest land animal that I have ever seen, anywhere."

"Opposing us, as hunters already on the plains." Dio takes a bite of a laden piece of bread at this point. "are a variety of carnivores that have no fear of us. Dire wolves, short faced bears, cheetahs, a few lions, and the most dangerous of them all, sabertooths."

Rosa's grin spreads in a definite predatory manner, the not-purr returning. "Then we'll have to make them fear us if it comes to that."

"You'll forgive Rosa's... anticipation," Obi chuckles. "She's used to being the well... head lioness."

Diomedes' eyes grow bright as he flickers his gaze from Huntress to Messenger and back again. He covers his amused look with a quick sip of wine as he listens to Obi.

"On that note, Dio, if we do bring down a mammoth, do we have a way of transporting it back? Some convenient sorcery, perhaps?" the messenger asks. "In Weirmonken most hunting is purely for sustainence. They're very efficient in using as much of their prey as possible."

Dio puts down his glass, and takes a bite of his sandwich but he nods before answering verbally.

"I thought that while we might prefer to enter the area on foot, I am going to arrange a Teleport Circle to transport us back here to my home at the conclusion of the hunt. Certainly, if we bring down such large game that we can't carry, it will prove useful, and save us the necessity of carrying anything over the mountains."

"You've no objection to any such travel for our return, do you, Lady Rosa?" Dio asks Rosa.

"Are you asking me if I am scared of magic?" she asks incredulously.

Diomedes begins to shake his head, but Obi's quick response stops him.

Obi chuckles and interrupts. "It's similar to the Card Magics you've seen the Alpha and I use, Rosa... and no, Dio would never ask a question with such an obvious answer. He's unsure of your culture and wishes to not offend you."

Rosa's eyes narrow, her passions once again targeting the Messenger. "You know our customs and it seems all you do is offend me."

"Of course," Obi answers. "Why else do you think I learned your customs?"

Diomedes blinks as his eyes move back and forth between the Messenger and the Skinchanger.

Rosa's lip curls back, revealing sharp teeth, but she takes no action against Obi. Instead she shifts so that she's closer to Diomedes and smiles again.

"There is no offense, and I have traveled by Card Magics when necessary."

"Excellent." Diomedes says, relief evident on his face. "Then we will speak no further of that, until it becomes necessary."

"But, getting back to topics, I don't intend to allow the scavengers of the plain access to our kills, be it Bison, antelope or mammoth. We'll bring the entirety of it back."

He takes a bite of his bread and food. "We will have plenty of supplies for the trip in and for the time prior to making a kill." Diomedes says. "I can get another backpack put there, I've spares." he says confidently. "Unless you brought your own equipment?" he asks Obi.

"Weapons, though, are something we should talk about. I'm fairly aware of Obi's proclivities." Diomedes says with a grin at Obi, and then he turns and nods to Rosa and looks her square in the eyes. "I am not sure, though, what a...head lioness from Weirmonken favors."

"I hunt as I am," she answers, appraising Diomedes as if he is prey. "And as I will be in the forest. I have no need of the weapons that you and Obi might carry." Her tone definitely suggests that she's never used such a thing, nor ever will.

Diomedes blinks for a few moments, with slight wariness as he looked back at Rosa after her bold pronouncement and appraisal. He finally breaks the moment by glancing at Obi, and upon regarding his cousin he turns his wary look into a wide smile, almost a laugh.

"For I myself, I've decided to eschew any sorcery, unless it becomes a matter of life or death for us." Diomedes says. "I may not have the, ah natural advantages and physique that Rosa enjoys." he briefly turns to smile at Rosa before returning to regard Obi. "but I will arm myself accordingly, with a variety of mundane arms."

"What about you, cousin?" Diomedes enquires as he reaches for his cup. "Do you need anything I can provide that suits your hand?"

"I had thought to find myself a spear that would suit," Obi answers after he finishes a bite of the pork. "Other than that, well..." He shrugs. "Dealing with Rosa has taught me to travel light."

Rosa takes a moment to consider if his comment is slighting her and continues eating when she decides it isn't.

"I'll bring an extra set." Diomedes agrees after a moment, taking the opportunity to take a few more bites of food.

"I'll bring throwing spears, a few javelins and pila, and, more usefully for anything charging us, a few hasta and boar spears."

"Your mother preferred her axe, of course." Diomedes finishes with a grin. "But I admit that I am curious to see how the lady." he gives a look to Rosa "will earn her aristeia."

"Oh, she'll bring us no little share of grief," Obi chuckles, knowing full well that Dio meant a warrior's aristeia.

Rosa just sticks her tongue out at him in a very human gesture.

He asks, "So, how soon should we leave, cousin?"

"We can leave on the tide tomorrow." Diomedes says confidently, his eyes flickering from Obi to Rosa and back again. "Although I am bleeding talentsto do it, I've had a ship, the Persephone, hired and held pending your arrival for a few days now."

I've some traveling cash that I can repay some of the loss," Obi offers

"Don't worry." Dio says easily. "At least don't worry until we reach our destination and settle the bill. Speaking of which..." Diomedes says. "You probably want to know the route, yes?" he says.

The traveler nods, having only traveled the more populated areas of Epirius.

Rosa is concerning herself with the meat, in fact while she is piling it on the filo bread, she's definitely of carnivore stock.

"We'll take the ship down to the Saxos river, and then sail up the river to Chimara. That will take a few days depending on traffic and the weather. From Chimara, we can strike out east, and about a fortnight later, we'll be on the Pass that will lead down into the basin and range and we can begin our Hunt."

"Oh!" he looks at Rosa suddenly. "Do you Ride?" He turns to flicker Obi with amusement in his eyes before returning to look at Rosa. "Mules, that is. Horses can't manage the passes through the mountains, but mules can manage it. Its not much faster than walking, admittedly and we can do without it, if you prefer."

Rosa licks her fingers clean of the cucumber dressing. "Obi's taught me of such things. The real question will be how well your mule can handle carrying a predator on its back."

"At worst, you lope along us, nipping it their hoofs and keeping them in line," Obi says with a shrug, pouring all of them more wine.

"One the reasons why I do want to bring a mule, even if they do turn out to be skittish around the Lady Rosa." Dio says "is that if we were interested in tackling a predator, an extra mule with us would be useful as a judas goat."

Dio rubs his hands together and regards his pair of guests with a smile as he takes the cup of wine from Obi. "More questions?"

Rosa nods as if she understands the concept if not the term and then just as quickly shakes her head indicating that she's no questions. She stretches in sinuous and feline manner and seems content to curl up on the chair there.

Obi just quirks a smile and sips at his wine. "I think it all sounds wonderful. Like an adventure worth of us. Something that you could put in verse when we return and I can turn into some Uzoman morality tale to torture my younger cousins with."

"Hunting, adventure and sight-seeing worthy of story-making, be it to Uzomans, Epirians, or Weirmonken cubs. That is our goal." Diomedes says, taking a last sip of the wine. "So, enjoy the hospitality of my household, take your leisure and get your rest.
A few days later finds Rosa at ease perhaps for the first time since they had boarded the Persephone. With land in sight to both sides of the ship, she seems more relaxed, no longer sure that the vast ocean was going to swallow her whole.

Obi is aloft, hanging from the ship's rigging, proving himself an able sailor to the surprise of the Captain. He spends most days helping where he might and the evenings spinning Uzoman Tales to those that would listen. It has become something of a game, trying to anticipate Rosa's interruptions and skepticisms and winding them into the tales themselves.

Diomedes is at the wheel, of course, pointing the way ahead like a beacon. During times when the ship puts in for evenings, or slows down, Diomedes augments Obi's tales with more information on Epirus...the city states, the terrain, and even, in respect to Obi's preference for Tales, a few myths and legends of his own.

"There's Chimara" Diomedes says, in the afternoon of the fifth day of the journey. Diomedes points to a shape in the curve of the river, at the junction point of the Saxos and a smaller tributary that wends its way to the north. "Its rougher than some of the other city states, being so close to the frontier. On the other hand, we'll be able to get what we need that we haven't already packed."

"Unless you have any strong disagreement, I propose we finish our business quickly, and make ready to leave on the morning. The hunt." Diomedes smiles. "awaits"

Rosa bares an almost too toothy grin, "Finally. I expected that the Messenger was never going to let me off this oversized raft."

Obi descends, chuckling. "Of course I'd let you off. Right now in fact, if you'd like." He makes a quick move toward the woman, who rolls from her seat and pins him back to the deck, teeth against his throat.

"Huntress." Diomedes murmurs/

He didn't move, but didn't exactly look cowed. "Darling, really? In front of the sailors?"

Diomedes clears his throat.

"Might I point out that mating in public view is usually frowned upon in Epirus, even on a ship?" Diomedes offered with a grin. "Once we're away from civilization and heading east, all you have to do is tell me to take a walk."

Diomedes paused a beat, seeing the shocked look of one of the sailors, and then added. "Unless of course you don't want me to."

Obi hasn't moved, sure that her teeth are sharp enough to cut him if he does. Rosa turns to appraise Diomedes, her head cocked, the grin one of amusement now.

The Messenger takes the momentary distraction as his cue to roll out from beneath the huntress. "I'll leave that between the two of you to muddle out," Obi chuckles as he grabs the ladder and heads back up into the sheets.

Diomedes opened his mouth in surprise at Obi's withdrawal from the field, and closed it when he caught Rosa out of the corner of his eye. His head and his body turned and oriented itself.

Rosa stalked across the deck, her gaze never leaving the Epirian. "Are you suggesting that you'd like to watch, Dio?" She's close enough to touch, her head tilted to the other side now. "Or would you want to take part?"

Diomedes remained in place. His eyes never left the flowing movements of Rosa as she approached. His hands remained at their sides as he flexed his fingers nervously.

After the slightest of swallows, and a tiny bit of sweat appearing on his forehead, Diomedes let out a breath. He made a perceptible nod in agreement.

"My inclusion in such an assignation would have to be approved by both of you." he said smoothly. "Huntress." he added.

"Is he the leader of your pride?" she asked curiously. "I sense that he is your elder, but..." Her hand caressed the side of Dio's face, careful with the sharp nails that could draw blood. "Sometime the young cub must fight to lead the pride and gain the attentions he deserves."

Her voice is husky, the grin more of a smirk. "Would you fight for me, Diomedes?"

Obi has paused, one foot on the rail another on the ropes, an amused look on his face.

"Obi is my elder in terms of age, but the matter of prides is a tangled one amongst the blood of Amber." Diomedes replies with a shiver. "We only share one grandparent." The nails made him shiver. "But Obi is a good friend, and it would be ill for me to seek to supplant the Messenger. It would be better for the cub to hunt...elsewhere."

Rosa sighs, a much more human response than Dio might be prepared for, and looks a little disappointed. She turns and pads back toward the foredeck. "Just because your elder hunts there, doesn't mean he's captured all the game, Diomedes." She turns and smiles again. "It doesn't mean he's captured much of the game at all."

Diomedes furrows his eyebrow in confusion at Rosa's response.

Obi watches her go before devolving into laughter. "Dio, my cousin. I lay no claims to Rosa, other than friendship, nor would I ever fight Family over the attentions of a woman. If circumstance should find that in fact, you are the hunted..." He shrugs and doesn't finish the thought with anything more than an enigmatic smile.

"then I should just provide you with some olives to eat and watch in that eventuality, Trickster?" Diomedes responds to Obi with a smile.

"Your olives are always appreciated," his cousin answers.


"I misjudged your relationship." the son of Brand adds. "And she is a complicated woman. But intriguing all the same, even if I somewhat fear her" His head nods in the direction that Rosa departed and grins.

"As if our hunt didn't need more random variables."


"Don't fret, cousin," Obi shrugs. "I misjudge my relationship with her
a half dozen times before lunch most days. Whatever it might be ir
will not come between our friendship." He winks and returns to his
turn in the sheets, happy to do his part in helping the Persephone
find her way up the river and toward the inevitable hunt.

By the end of the day, with the help of Obi and Rosa, the Persephone docks at Chimara and the three hunters have been unloaded with their gear on the docks of the river-based City State.

The city still has the aesthetic that Obi had seen in Galata, although the buildings are not quite as large as the ones Obi has seen. There are more wooden buildings than marble ones. The clothing on the men and women are heavier, a little coarser, with wool replacing cotton in many of the outfits.

"This main street." Diomedes gestures to the main boulevard. "turns into a road that turns eventually into a path. That's the direction we'll follow in the morning, but by the end of the day, we'll truly be in the wild."

"There is a hostel on the edge of Chimara where I have made arrangements for us to stay and to have our supplies delivered. Our last night in comfortable beds for a while."

Rosa shrugs at the idea of beds and sniffs the air, turning toward the city center and heading off with purpose in her stride.

Obi looks at his cousin and smiles. "I think that like we Amberites, the lady is ruled by her appetites."

"Indubitably." Diomedes agrees and then listens as Obi continues.

"I''d assume there's some sort of market, perhaps food sellers? She's likely more interested in having a bite where it'll settle in her stomach instead of rolling side to side." He seems amused at how Rosa's been attempting to cover her obvious relief at being on dry land again.

Obi begins to follow the Weir, making sure to lengthen his stride enough to keep her in sight. "So how far to base camp, once we set off?"

"Of course there is an Agora." Diomedes says it with the same conviction that one might say that the sun rises in the East in Amber. "And there will be food for sale, ready to eat as well as." Diomedes gives a head movement in Rosa's direction "to cook, or at least to prepare."

"Its a fortnight from here to the top of the Pass, and then a few days from there to where we choose to camp." Diomedes explains. "There are good reasons that the interior of Epirus are still wild-its a hike to get into there, and not an easy one."

Obi nods. "A wonderful thing our heritage of endurance then." He watches the people as they enter the Agora. "Is this similar to how your journeyed when my mother visited?"

Diomedes nodded as he led Rosa and Obi into the midst of the market. It was an assault of sounds, smells, and sights. Food ranging from grilled meats to succulent vegetables promised an assault of taste, and the variety of things for sale besides food promised to finish the five senses.

"We took a slightly askew route, heading north by northeast, that, in the end, we did not find favorable." Diomedes explained, his head turning now and again to see Obi and his companion's reactions and interests in the Agora. "It was a longer, more circuitous path through the wall of mountains."

"The route we finally took back" Diomedes continued. "is the route we will use to both go in and return"


"Well, if my mother's useful for nothing else, it's blazing paths for
me," Obi chuckles. He's a very tactile interest in his shopping, and
if it doesn't seem taboo here, will touch much of what he bargains
for, taking time to examine the weave of cloth, the intricacy of
carving and above all, food that he can eat with his fingers.

When Rosa lingers over a particular piece of jewelry, a bracelet in yellow gold set with a large tiger's eye, Obi waits until she moves a few stalls away and with very little haggling pockets the item after relieving himself of a few coins.

"How large was your party when you two traveled?" he asks conversationally.

"Six. Myself, her, and a brace of friends of hers." Diomedes confirms, stopping to take a bite of some sort of sausage that he picked up in the midst of their wanderings through the marketplace. He closes his eyes briefly and fully tastes the food, nods, opens his eyes and continues. "You probably know them, or of them better than I. Tall and black haired they were, and they favored swords thin and long." Diomedes looks thoughtful. "Let's see, their names were Tamar, Janiya, Aaliyah and, oh yes." Diomedes smiles. "Roxanna."

"Sisters, cousins, some sort of bond between the four, although they were closed lip to me about it." Diomedes says. "Deirdre seems to have known them and their relationship to each other for years. Perhaps you know of them?" Diomedes enquired.

"Not half as well as I might've," Obi admits with a chuckle. "But any time I've tried to press one of them on it, one of the others rescues them from me. That or my mother distracts me."

Diomedes smiles.

He elbows Diomedes gently in the ribs, "A difficult thing, I must admit, as the campage is distracting enough, eh?" Scratching at the scruff of a beard that's beginning along this journey, he offers what he knows. "I don't know how they met, and save the sword styles, I'd once been sure that they were all some sort of Shadows of Mother that she had attracted while wondering through Shadow. I'm not sure that's true in anyway, as they've known each other as long as I can remember."

"Janiya and Aaliyah *are* sisters, if not the twins they sometimes claim to be. Roxanna is a cousin on their father's side, if I've understood enough of the banter over the years. Tamar, who shares no blood with any of them is also possibly the closest to each of them, and the true heart of the campagne, their company, as they call it in their native tongue."

"They're often an unofficial escort when mother's traveling, friends along the way, if you will." Obi smiles knowingly. "But if you hunted with them, then you must know better."

"A gentleman never tells." Diomedes responds with a grin. He paused a beat and then added. "As for myself...they did have an air of exotic mystery about them, and they often spoke in that language of theirs, with each other and with your mother."

"I'm fairly well traveled and I've not been able to locate it's
origin, but I've also traveled with them enough to be able to make out
much of it," Obi admits. "It's more frustrating when they start
interspresing it with Thari actually, forcing one to translate back
and forth."

Diomedes gave a thoughtful look to the fierce Rosa and then lowered his voice as he continued. "The night after one of our kills out there, one of them, ah, sought me out for the evening. In the darkness, I couldn't tell which one of them it was." Diomedes looked thoughtful. "I think that was part of the point."

His cousin just grins as if he wasn't surprised in the least.

"Maddeningly." Diomedes continued. "I couldn't find out afterwards, and the experience was not repeated. I almost get the feeling that there was something more to it than a mere slaking of lust, which is one reason why I wondered if you knew more of the campagne than I did."

"They are good hunters, though." Diomedes added. "It will be interesting to see how we three do together by comparison." Diomedes' eyes strayed to regarding Rosa again and then back to Obi.

"Well, I promise that should it come to that, you'll likely be able to figure out which one of us crawls into your bed, even in the dark," he chuckles.

Obi begins to spin a story of the first time he remembers traveling with the campagne, in fact it being on his way from Uzoma before meeting his family in Amber, suggesting that they ladies each were at least as old as he himself is. Dangerous and humorous was the journey at times, Obi now suspected that his mother had been trying to impress something about Shadow upon him before delivering him to her father and the rest of the family. Whatever she had wished, he had developed a love for traveling, especially with her and the campagne.

Diomedes listens to the story as Obi, Rosa and Diomedes continue to make their way through the Agora. Diomedes focuses on more purchases of supplies. By the time the Messenger is done spinning his tale, Diomedes is done and has purchased food for the three of them to snack upon.

"I think it might have been some social engineering on her part." Diomedes admits once Obi is done. "Meeting the campagne was an easy way to ease you into such a role."

"No doubt," Obi agrees as Rosa rejoins them.

"We leave in the morning?" the Weir asks Diomedes, even as she's looking at the food he's procured. A subtle sniff at it and she takes a skewer of marinated meat from him and begins tearing at it.

"Just before dawn." Diomedes confirms. "We'll want to get a lot of rest tonight, so that we can waken as the moon sets and the stars are still visible." he explained, giving a nod to Rosa. "This way we can get as much distance covered on the first day as we can manage. Other days we'll wait until sunrise or later to leave because of the terrain."