Northstar Vale aranea

arsenio spoke at length and germanicus listened, if not for the respect he bore the red wolf.

and arsenio was not so incorrect in all that was said. he seized upon the core of what he felt was being said and when the greek had finished his words the imperator collected his own.

"reyson served of his own accord in akashingo. lady meadow went of her own accord. it was not i, arsenio, who allowed her to go unknowing to that den of sin. and it was not i who led them to your names and to your door. if you will not blame her, i gladly stand in stead, but give me honesty in that regard."

his eyes were harder now. "i do what i do for mereo and for its future. you are willing to deal in flesh to protect epoch. i will deal in tactics."

and he might have shared these manueverings between himself and makono now, had he known that arsenio would see any worth in it. his pride, wounded; why should he move to defend himself against such accusations? let the red wolf think him a pawn while he worked in treason against ramesses with the arrogant man's own heir.

when akashingo was subdued and beneath another hand, arsenio would eat his words.

"if you think i would march with the pharaoh anywhere you have already deemed me an enemy. if you think me too weak to have told the man that mereo no longer serves, we are at odds. i will slough off all those who do not stand with me, yes, arsenio. i will abandon those who do not abide by my tenets. but i hold to them and always have."

he was wounded. "remember that you had peace in mereo. remember that i asked you to come here not as an outpost but as your own people." his yellowpaint eyes did not relent, although there was such a great anguish in germanicus as to almost sicken him.

but to be compared to that arrogant, cruel, and gloating egyptian was the worst curse of all, an epithet leveled at his very soul.