Wildfire

Our group starts off with me in the lead, Cassie at Catalus’ side holding his reins, Rosa behind her holding another knotted rope we had affixed to the horse, and Colly alongside Rosa to give hand as needed. Danae, as usual, was somewhere in the wilds around us.

We had barely passed the bridge when Colly calls up to me. “Um…Thir?”

I peer back and groan. “Awww, damn it.”

What follows is the extremely awkward situation of discovering that the Vulcanites were actually headed in the same direction that we were. Thanks to our heavy packs and limping horse there was no way we could put any distance between us and them. When we try to let them pass by they were too interested in talking to me and hearing about the details of the battle from the evening before to do so. And so, for the better of that morning we are stuck with a quartet of fawning admirers who pestered for every detail of the harpy battle and continued to plead with me for a closer inspection of my sword. The group of us do our best to politely avoid their questions but after a couple of hours I could see that I needed to do something before Cassie lost her composure completely. Though I hated to speak harshly to holy men I draw them away from the others then tell them in no uncertain terms that we would be traveling separately for the rest of the day. At last the message gets through that the four of them start off ahead of us with groveling apologies to Quin the ‘hero’ and his party.

Relieved, we waited for them to disappear over a rise before starting off again. We had thought we had freed ourselves from their nattering questions until we come across another group of travelers heading the other way toward Grumentum. I knew something was up the moment the trio of traveling laborers, two human men with a female goblin **** far more slight though taller than our own rolly-polly Colly, spotted us from a distance and began to excitedly point and talk.

“Ceres save me.” I mutter.

“They’re going to tell every damned living soul between here and Neapolis.” Cassie gripes. “So much for a sneaky getaway.”

“Hrm.” I grumble. “We’ll be off the main road by sundown. It’ll get better.” As the laborers near I am silently swearing at myself, yet again, for giving those fire keepers my real name. “Greetings, fellow travelers.”

“Greetings to you, Quin the Wingslayer!” Says the shorter of the two men with an exaggerated bow before looking me up and down. “You ARE a walking myth just as you were described by Aulus. It would take a man like you to do that, four foul monsters singlehandedly! Gods bless you, hero.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose I say. “I’m not a hero, and I didn’t do anything singlehan…”

His friend nudges him. “It’s true. He carries the Harpy’s Bane, as the priests said. Blessed by mighty Vulcan himself. A weapon worthy of a true hero.” At this point the rest of my party gathers in behind me. Colly and their goblin immediately begin to chat in their own language. I was concerned about what Colly might be saying but I was too distracted with the two men to focus on her at the moment. “And look. His demon pleasure **** and the huntress!”

“Huntress?” Cassie says. “You damned fools. I’m just a farm girl with a bow. Do you believe everything you hear?”

Knowing that these three would soon see proof of slain harpies on the road ahead of them to confirm the priests stories regardless of what we told them and hearing Colly saying Minerva only knew what to the other goblin I cut this greeting short and press on before we revealed anymore about ourselves. With a curt nod I say as I tug on Catalus’ reins to get us moving again. “May Mercury hasten your steps to your destination.”

“And may Hercules guide you to your next grand adventure.” Says the first man before he turns to the other to say. “A real hero in these times. And we got to meet him!”

“Gods have mercy.” I mutter once we were safely out of earshot. “Half the countryside will know which way we’re headed.”

“All the more reason to leave Italy swiftly, my love.” Rosa says softly, with a gentle grin on her fair features.

“What are you smiling about!?”

“Oh nothing.” She giggles in that pure and carefree way that no hardship yet endured had been capable of robbing from her. “My Master, my boy, the man who will kiss my dainty little toes this very night…a real live hero! Wow! I already knew it, of course, but it’s exciting to hear of others recognizing your greatness. The Wingslayer! Very impressive, my love.”

“Rosa.” I sigh. “This is serious.”

“I know.” She says. “But those flame bearers have started the wildfire. There’s no stopping it now whether we fret about it or not.” She extends her free hand. “Walk with me?”

Passing Catalus back to Cassie I fall back to let Rosa take my arm. Her warm, gentle touch helps to quell my worried spirit. Resting her head on my arm she walks alongside me, comforted and giving comfort.

I take a deep breath and relax my tense shoulders. “Collywaddle.”

“Yeth Thir?”

“I’m afraid to ask.” I say. “But…what did you and that other Kobalos talk about?”

“Mm.” She shrugs. “Goblin thtuff.”

“Such as?”

“Rather not thay.”

“Colly.”

“Fine. Mothtly art.” She says. “That carvings on that flame thingy the Vulcan guyth were carrying wath ghathtly. Jutht ghathtly. We were trying to figure out why you humanth alwayth make your art tho thcary lookin.”

After a few silent steps I say. “Art? Seriously? You were talking about art? That’s it?”

“Wathn’t much time for more.” She grins. “You thought I wath telling her all about uth, didn’t you?”

“The thought had occurred to me.” I confess.

“I’m no gothip.” She says proudly, her big titties thrust high. “Although…I did tell her you whooped thothe harpieth but good, WITH my help!”

“Colly!”

“What?” She says. “Everybody knowth anywayth.”

“She’s not wrong.” Rosa says. “Let her be proud of her master, Master.”

“Hrm.”

“The huntress?” Cassie mutters. “Cassie the Huntress. Nah. Cassia the Huntress. Better.”

“Hey, I should get a hero name too!” Colly protests. “Collywaddle the Fearleth, Collywaddle Thwiftblade, or thomething like that.”

“Maybe something without any S’s?” Cassie quips.

“Without any…? HEY!” Colly kicks pebbles toward Cassie. “That’th jutht rude! You take that back!”

“Oh gods.” I groan as Cassie and Colly begin to bicker. “Where are those harpies when you need them?”

Rosa, still at my side, still calm, still with a gentle smile, strokes my forearm and whispers. “New journey, new challenges. We’re together and that’s what matters most.”

***

As the hours slip by we descend from the high Apennines into the rounded rolling hills beyond. The low, tough shrubs are soon replaced by dense forests that close in on the road from either side and by early afternoon we come across our first vineyard. We had gotten through the worst of the wilds a few hundred pounds lighter in supplies but otherwise unscathed beyond a limping stallion. Though the particular landmarks were not yet familiar with each passing step I found the landscape around me transforming into that of my upbringing. After all I had been through since my trip to Rome to gather my uncle’s inheritance it seemed surreal now that by sundown tomorrow I would be back in the only home I’d ever known for all but the past few months of my twenty years of life. I had lived more in that short span of time than all the years leading up to it combined. Perhaps sensing my unease Rosa stays on my arm for the remainder of the day.

Fortuna was with us that day as Catalus’ ankle seemed to be holding up well and we come across no patrols or officials whose questions about monsters or heroism we could not shrug off easily, though Fama was also riding alongside as nearly every traveler we meet had something to say to the hero Quin whose legend seemed to grow with each passing traveler.

“Those priests could give Granny a lesson on spreading gossip.” Cassie says as the fifth group of the day recede down the road behind us. “Holy men of flame and forge? More like professional busybodies.”

“The village ahead is where we make our turn off the main road.” I say, nodding to the three ribbons of smoke rising into the sky from out of the forest ahead of us. “I was planning on staying here the night but given our newfound fame…”

“We keep moving.” Cassie agrees, passing her bow to Colly. “You play huntress for a while. They won’t be looking for that.”

“Good idea.” I say. Stopping at the side of the road I wrap my sword in cloth as Rosa puts up the hood and veil of her Palla. While we could do little to disguise my size, Rosa’s horns or Collywaddle’s jiggling green buxomness we might be able to escape detection at a glance by not being so conspicuous. “Alright, gang.” I say as we get ready for this next stretch to the village. “Head down and don’t talk to anybody.”