Eris was pretty sure this was one of the worst days she'd had in a
long time. She'd spent the night on the beach, curled up next to a
small fire she'd been able to build from driftwood since Selene needed
her coat. Selene hadn't woken up at all during the night, nor the next
morning. Eris was starving and thirsty so she knew Selene had to be as
well, but the smaller girl's steady breathing hadn't changed all
night. The early morning light pearled the sand dunes and birds
twittered and chirped in the long grass. Eris got up and stretched,
looking around for the road she though she'd seen yesterday. Yes,
there it was and the city in the distance wasn't all that far away.
She frowned thoughtfully and wandered back to put the fire out.

While she wasn't cursing, Eris was fairly unhappy about her morning so
far. As she struggled up another hill towards the road that had seemed
so close before, she thought grumpy, angry thoughts towards herself
and her bright ideas. Selene was cradled in her arms, still wrapped in
the leather trench coat. Her skin had seemed cool to the touch and
Eris couldn't figure out how to hide her wings any other way. Still,
this was not the easy stroll she'd hoped. For one thing, Selene was
getting heavy!

The road itself was very straight. As she reached it, she could see
the solid stone surface was flat and clean, with extra thick grass
planted along the sides. She puzzled over that for a second, then sank
to her knees and let Selene drop from her aching arms. Eris took a
moment to rest with her back against a heavy stone marker placed at
the edge of the road. Her head nodded forward and she dozed in the
warm sun.

Eris snapped awake as the sandal connected with her leg. She rolled
without thinking away from the shadow that had loomed over her and was
on her feet, hands full of flames before her eyes opened totally. Then
she stopped in shock, starting open-mouthed at the man in front of
her. His red linen tunic was clean and brightly dyed, contrasting
nicely with the gleaming iron links of his chain armor. In one hand he
held a stick with a  silver eagle on top and the cloak around his
shoulders was the pelt of a bear. Although he seemed as startled as
she was by the sudden movement, he drew himself up to his full height
and snapped something at her. His full height was about level with
Eris' chin and she blinked down at him fuzzily for a moment. "What did
you say munchkin?" She muttered, rubbing the sleep from her face. The
man's eyes narrowed and he clapped a hand to the hilt of a short thick
looking blade on his belt. Then clear woman's voice floated out from a
small two wheeled covered wagon marked with a crescent moon on the road
behind the man.The short square-looking horses pulling it champed and
snorted at their bits.

"Aquilifer?" If Eris concentrated she could just understand the words
" What's the problem man?" The woman sounded older and supremely
confident. "There's some vagrants here Priestess," the man called back
" They're sleeping on the verge and I'm tempted to let the cohort
march over them." He stared at Eris' hands speculatively but didn't
seem worried by the sudden sight of the flames. Eris had dampened her
fires as soon as she saw he wasn't going to attack her. Now she turned
away to check on Selene. "Are they injured? Do they need help?" the
Priestess didn't seem to be worried by the man's threats. Selene
looked more pale then usual and Eris could see her pulse thumping at
the base of her throat. On impulse she scooped Selene up in her arms
and walked towards the cart. "Lady," Eris said softly "Can you help my
sister please? We were on our way to the city and she fell asleep. I
can't wake her up."

The richly-embroidered curtains on the wagon were pushed back by a
frail wrinkled hand. An old woman in robes the color of the sky with a
silver band around her head leaned out of the cart. Eris stopped and
uncovered Selene's face, letting the old woman see her albino skin and
a hint of the great wings. The priestess paused for a moment, then a
slow smile spread across her face. "Of course I will be your patron my
dear." She waved an imperious hand to her driver, another short
swarthy man who climbed down and helped Eris make Selene comfortable
in the back of the wagon. "I'm afraid you'll still have to walk, but
at least you're in front of the soldiers this way." And the priestess
pointed behind them where 480 men stood patiently, waiting on them to
continue. Eris made a small sound in her throat and the older woman
smiled indulgently "It's a good thing you got up, don't you think?"
The priestess motioned her driver to continue and Eris walked along
beside her.
"Now tell me dear girl, what were you doing on the road to Rama all
the way out here in Gallia Narbonensis?"