For those few within the convoy who had never traveled to the capital before the sight was one of marvel. Even the outer regions closest to the walls on the mainland were filled with life, insulae lined streets wide enough for three carriages lined side by side. With each insulae standing four stories tall and wide enough to cover the block, these large apartment structures often constructed of wood or mudbrick could house fifteen to twenty families.

It was mainly men who could be seen walking up and down the streets, occasionally one would notice a young woman, but it was primarily girls who had yet to reach adulthood that made up the visible female population. A common reality in Lyrian culture was the relegation of women to the homes, they were homemakers, nothing more. Some freedom would be allotted to those from the noble or wealthy merchant families, but it was normal to see mainly young girls and elderly women on the streets. Occasionally one might catch the attention of a young woman from a window held ajar, or a brief glimpse while out shopping for groceries.

“Move into the center of the street.” At the Scholar’s behest the convoy slowly shifted towards the center of the paved street, giving the insulae on either side a wide berth as they proceeded toward the bridge connecting the mainland to Orlika Island. Only moments after diverting away from the surrounding buildings, there came the sound of something wet smacking against the ground which was quickly followed by the sound of cursing.

Just to the rear on the right-hand side an unfortunate passerby was struck indirectly by a clod of filth, the source was an overturned chamber pot held by a pair of hands from the uppermost floor of the insulae. The man could do little more than yell and scream, his faded tunic adding yet another brown splotch to its already existing patchwork of colors. As if the scene had pushed away the rose-colored glasses, it was only now that the new arrivals began to turn their nose at the scents. Finally taking notice of the blackish-brown gunk lining the edges of the street and the gaps between the stone pavements. It was simple to discern why they had moved from the edges, choosing to move single file in the center of the street instead, the presence of the palace guards ensuring the way remained clear.

“I imagine it was a good idea to camp outside the city yesterday. Thanks to that we were able to arrive earlier in the morning and avoid the rush.” Metiochus turned his head back, glancing briefly at the Scholar before turning his attention back to the road ahead. “It is not a bad time, most of those who work are just now getting ready. Give it another twenty minutes and these streets will be packed to the brim, with little if any room to maneuver. We will want to hurry along if the congestion at the bridge is to be avoided.”

“Teacher, what is that?” Mera appeared from the back of the covered wagon, hopping over the wooden barrier and into drivers’ bench between Caedyrn and Niko. The constant tutoring from Mera was starting show some effects, for one Niko no longer froze up in front of her or other women. He remained a bit cautious, a little respectful, but otherwise he seemed to be getting used to the regular contact.

As for the building Mera pointed out, it was an oval shaped structure, the material being entirely of stone it towered over many of the buildings within the city. It’s overall height equivalent to a four story insulae but covering ten times the area. “That my student is the hippodrome. It’s similar to the arena that Niko used to fight in, but instead of gladiatorial fights, it is constructed for horse races. Many come from all over the continent to test their abilities here, in order to win gold, honor, and glory. For the military it is also a good method of observing the capabilities of the equine breeds from all over the known world. It is quite a good deal for the horse breeders, as lucrative deals can be struck for the supply of war or packhorses.”

Mera’s face lit up with a big smile, the girl had always been a big fan of animals. Recently she had been caring for the two Direwolf cubs that Caedyrn had retrieved during there raids in the Naulos mountains. Maatilani would also occasionally take the two alongside Khufut when she went on hunts, the wolves would be allowed to hunt small game under the watchful eye of the amazon. The woman was adamant they get some hunting sense so as to not be completely reliant on others in the future.

As if noticing the absence of their caretaker the two cubs hopped into Mera’s lap, with one of the two nuzzling against the Scholar’s leg. Whereas the other took one whiff of Niko and released a low growl, its eyes staying on the boy even as Mera began scratching the base of its tail. Anytime Niko attempted to reach over and pet one of the two they would instantly become defensive, he was left by himself, forced to watch the antics of the feisty little pups.

“Lord Amyntas, are you sure that you are doing, okay? Your shoulders are looking a bit tense… If you would like I can help you with that, must be all the stresses of travel.” Just as all eyes were focused on the pups, a pair of slender arms reached from behind the driver’s side and draped themselves across Caedyrn’s shoulders. The woman’s long flowing golden hair whipping in the morning breeze, shining in the light of the rising sun. Pressing her rather generous chest against Caedyrn’s broad back.

Niko along with any man within sight on the street turned their head in rapid succession, as if they could not trust such a sight. With Maatilani showing visible agitation, moving closer to the wagon as if she was going to pry the two apart. For his part Caedyrn did not seem to mind the attention, simply treating it as he would anyone else close to him, “Leucena my dear, I take it your work is done if you have the time to come up here and antagonize Maati.”

Before the woman had a chance to reply Mera happened to jump in, rubbing her head against the woman’s right arm. “Hello Mother, your arms feel a bit dry today. Did you want to try my new batch of scented oils, I used some fresh berries we picked along the highland road?” Leucena, Mera’s mother turned towards her daughter, giving the girl a light peck on her forehead while remaining in place. “Of course, my dear, once we arrive at our accommodations, we should check and see if there is a bath. Perhaps we could even add some of your projects to the inventory and see about finding some buyers. How does that sound?”

To the chagrin of the pup resting on Mera’s lap, the pets stopped as the girl turned her body slightly towards her mother. Leucena in turn released her hold on the Scholar and smothered her daughter, her dark emerald eyes focused on the girl as she ran her slender fingers through her brown locks. It was the incessant whining of the ignored pup and the gathering stares of those around the convoy that broke up the happy little mother, daughter reunion.

“Apologies my Lord, you understand how needy my beautiful little daughter can be. Her brother is preoccupied with overseeing the prisoners, and I wished to discuss some things with you, my Lord. It has been weeks since we have had a proper opportunity to discuss things of importance.” Leucena remained behind the wooden backboard of the driver’s seat, her eyes darting over at the occasional lewd glare aimed at herself and occasionally her daughter. Many of those that did so were quick to flee the second their eyes connected, the presence of the palace guards indicating the status of those within the convoy.

“Leucena, can’t you see you are disturbing the Lord. He does not need your distractions when he is busy directing the convoy.” Maatilani spit out the words, the icy tinge clear to any within the vicinity. Yet, the sultry beauty was undeterred, her eyes staring directly at Maatilani as she placed both hands on Caedyrn’s shoulders. “It does not appear as if the Lord minds Maati, I only wish to ease the tenseness in his shoulders. Is there a problem with that?”

Before Maatilani could respond and the situation escalate any further, a bell could be heard ringing in the distance. The convoy had reached the mainland side of the bridge, in the distance ships could be seen exiting the seawalls and sailing off towards the open seas. As could be expected, Niko who had never seen the sea was curious about how the walls could defend against enemy ships entering with such a large gap in the center. Wondering why they couldn’t build a gate instead.

“Ladies, not you Mera… I think we should be reaching our destination soon. Leucena, maybe it would be wise to go and double check that everything is in order, and that it is all organized for unloading. Maati, why don’t you check on the soldiers and speak with Malakos about the organization of patrols and assignment of duties while we are here in the capital… Go on run along now.” Unable to decline the assignments, the two women glared one last time at one another before leaving to handle their assigned tasks.

“Well thank you Niko. Those two mix about as well as oil and water… anyhow lets just forget about all of that and continue with the answer to your question. The answer lies in the water, the gap between the walls is not a gap at all, within both walls there lies a system of pulleys. Essentially ropes wound around a circular wooden block, like thread around a spool. When the hook is released, an anchor is dropped down the inner side of the wall into the bay.” Caedyrn pointed toward a barnacle encrusted object pressed against the wall. From a distance it appeared as if it were a decoration, but Caedyrn continued to explain its purpose.

“The weight of the anchor will then raise the iron chains that lay beneath the surface. If a ship attempts to cross, the chain will tear through the hull, specifically the area below the waterline. Once the ship sinks, its soldiers will be easy prey for the archers atop the walls and the guards within the city. In addition, the sunken vessel will become yet another obstacle, creating a bottleneck which the archers could easily capitalize upon.” Niko was engrossed in the explanation, intrigued by the many strategies that could be employed to deter a force much larger than the city’s own.

The two were so focused on their conversation, especially once Caedyrn began to explain to Niko the advantages and disadvantages of naval combat. Going into detail of what strategies could be employed to negate the defenses, and how one might counteract those tactics. That they failed to realize that they had arrived at their destination until they were before the gates of the palatial residence.

What had been organized for the Scholar and his convoy’s use was an older Domus, a residence that was left unattended after the previous owners were stripped of their titles and assets. This was true of many residences upon Orlika island, only those families that could be trusted to be loyal to house Mercan would be allowed to maintain a permanent presence upon the island. These vacant properties a reminder of the civil war and subsequent war of conquest that formed what was now the Mercan League, all of which the Scholar was intimately familiar with.

Caedyrn once possessed such a residence within the Capital, one that was sold after his exile and reappointment to the frontier. The funds from the sale were instrumental in providing the initial jump start capitol required to rebuild the decaying Temrenos. Without that funding, the development of new industries would have been delayed, the city would never have had the chance to grow at the rapid pace it had. A gamble that had cost the Scholar almost everything he owned at the time, yet the investment had paid off with dividends, and now Temrenos and the southern frontier stood as one of the greatest economic regions in the League.

Looking back at the structure he was reminded of his old home, the orange tiled roof, contrasting perfectly with the mudbrick walls. A courtyard large enough to house the entirety of the convoy, islands of green between the stone paved paths. An assortment of flowers, fruit trees, and other greenery spread across in beautiful designs.

Evenly spaced columns on both the first and second floors helped support the wooden awnings positioned above, tiled similarly to the roof. The residence itself was shaped like the top right angle of a square, but large and spacious enough to house at least fifty or so people comfortably. All the comforts expected by those in the upper ranks of society were also present, servants, dining hall, atrium, a private bathhouse featuring a sauna and caldarium, a tepidarium, and the frigidarium. These were smaller than the public baths, but each was large enough to comfortably seat five or six people at a time.

Many of the women were bursting with joy, the long and arduous journey had left many unable to thoroughly wash themselves. It was only the use of pre-filled barrels for washing that they were at least able to wipe themselves for the around two or three weeks they had been on the road. Almost immediately upon entering the courtyard and organizing the wagons, Leucena gathered the women into one group and proceeded to decide on the order of use for the baths. The men were made to wait, taking care of stabling the horses, securing the prisoners, and unloading the supplies.

Leucena was adamant that she would oversee the organizing of the supplies for delivery to the merchants and shops, which she would handle after her bath. So, while the women were off to wash away the built-up dirt and filth of the journey, the men were left to handle the heavy lifting. Luckily the residence was encompassed by a seven-foot-high mudbrick wall, providing security as well as privacy, so it was simple enough to simply leave the goods near the wagons for later sorting.

The Scholar grabbed Niko and his oaken staff, there was still time for a bit of training before their chance at the bath. A nice bath after harsh training, and then a hot meal afterwards, what better environment could a young man ask for. Had the Scholar asked Niko what he thought, he may have gotten a different response, however the outcome wouldn’t have changed.