Redsand Canyon pontius

germanicus welcomed the return to his routine.

and yet he found himself stealing small glances to ruenna, smitten still by the afterglow of their days together. it was altogether an uncommon feeling for the man but it was not unpleasant.

kallik and glaukos would have been gone a week in two days' time. the imperator would grant them a grace period of three days to account for winter storms and whatever else they had found in the canyon.

he did not allow himself to be worried. not yet. instead germanicus crossed the red dirt toward the tablinum. he cleared his throat and did not enter. "@Aquene," he called, posture rigid. "how do you fare?"

it had not escaped him how she had regarded each of the auxillia. he could not expect her to be comfortable with glaukos but it was with a trusting warmth that their medicus had received kallik. and all of this was not his to engage, belonging solely to the jurisdiction of the matrona.