Before the morning even started, over half the camps had gathered at the Old War Road near where the driver Remy had brought Hirodias and the others, to join the newfound heir of Hesperyon and return west to their homeland. They bore their belongings upon their shoulders, backs, and heads, and some carried their small children at their hips.  Many had opted to stay, as they were still waiting for loved ones who had gone off to work. While Hirodias and Palimedis helped the people with their belongings, while Andreus ensured order among the people. 

Hirodias towered over all the heads and assessed the number in the crowd. There must have been perhaps two hundred men, women, children, and a few dogs.  His mind shifted to the slaves that died in Isimil, and his nose stung from the sudden remembrance.  He covered his nose and mouth to hide his emotion. 

Palimedis placed his hand upon Hirodias' shoulder.  "I know.  I thought the same, when I saw the numbers. Truthfully, there could have been so many more."

Hefaistas was bundled in a rust colored wool shawl next to her two guards.  She looked off to the north and saw a trail of dust coming from the distance, then walked over to Hirodias.  “The caravan is nearly here. You gathered a lot of people, I didn’t think you could convince so many. It will be a tight ride, but we need to make sure we fit as many as we can.  The caravans will then return for the rest for a second trip. You are doing an honorable thing."

The caravan was made up of five large busses, drawn by four horses each. Hirodias figured each bus could fit perhaps twenty, which meant they could carry only half of them.

He looked for the juggler but imagined that with the camps emptying, there would be no reason for him to stay.  He then spotted Iosifus in the crowd, holding Nikomedis' hand.  The boy waved at him, and he held his hand up in return.  Iosifus and the boy approached him.

“Just the three of you, where’s the other?” Iosifus asked. 

“We will do our best with who we have,” Hirodias said, brushing his long hair from his face. “I am pleased you have come.”

“Niko was born in these camps, it's all he has ever known,” Iosifus said. “He's never heard any other tongue than the common tongue of the east.”

Hirodias scratched his chin.  "Nor have I.  The slaves in Isimil were forbidden to speak it. Grandfather, speak our mother tongue to me if you know it.”

"Boreit ne milisete gia mena, egó tha po móno tis léxeis," Iosifus said.

"Grandfather, what did you say?" the boy asked. 

"As long as you speak for all of us, I will say the words for you," Iosifus replied. 

The caravan stopped in front of them and Hirodias counted ten guards armed with short swords, a couple with spears, climbing down from the busses.  Andreus and Palimedis joined Hirodias beside Hefaistas, who clasped her hands onto his. 

“I wish you a safe journey,” she said. “You’re about to go on such an adventure.”

“Perhaps you should join us in the caravan,” Hirodias said. 

“No, no, no, no,” she laughed. “My place is here, finding work for those who need it, and sending wages to the families of those who find work.”

“Why are there so many guards?” Andreus asked. 

“It’s a dangerous journey, after all,” Hefaistas explained. “It is the least I can do, to make sure my people are safe. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have my own work to do.”

She called on her two guards and they walked back to her hut. Andreus and Palimedis helped the women, the elderly and the children climb into the busses, and helped set heir belongings on top. Some wanted to bring chickens and goats but the guards would not let them on. As the busses were filled, the guards closed the door at the rear of the bus and lowered the latches. 

"This is all we can take," one guard called out.

Hirodias checked on the belongings to make sure they were fastened tightly.

“We’ll move swiftly and return for the rest of you,” the guard added. “We can find a way to make room for you if you want. Then you’ll be waiting for the rest."

Nikomedis stuck his hand out of a window of the bus and waved at Hirodias.

“No, we stay together,” Hirodias said. “We all move as one. Not later, but now.”

"We can’t move at the pace of a walk," the guard said.  "If you won’t join this caravan, you will have to wait.  Our captain won’t allow it, we have places to be. We’ll return soon."

"No, we stay together."

Hirodias grabbed the head of the guard and the one next to him and smashed their heads together, crushing them into a red pulp.  The people screamed at the sight of blood splattering against the bus. He pulled the swords from both and tossed them to Andreus and Palimedis.

Palimedis attacked two guards before they had a chance to draw their own swords. Palimedis plunged the blade Hirodias had given him into the belly one one guard and shoved the other one. Andreus swung at two others but they had drawn their own swords and parried Andreus' attack.

The captain was a larger, broad-shouldered man with a bronze breastplate. "What have you done, fool?" he growled.  He banged his broadsword against his armor, shouting instructions.  The seven or so remaining guards formed a defensive line against the boxers. 

Hirodias jumped at the captain and grabbed his wrist as the captain tried to swing his sword.  With his other hand he grabbed the captain by the collar of his armor and ripped it off, the torn buckles tearing into the captain's flesh.  The captain fell to the ground, grasping for air.  Hirodias punched the captain's chest, breaking his ribs and smashing his heart and lungs.  He lifted the captain by an ankle and wrist and flung him at the other guards. 

The guards were stunned by the display of strength. Palimedis recognized and took advantage of the fear and entered their broken formation.  He ran his blade through one guard, pulled it out and spun at another, slicing a throat.  Andreus cut at a guard's leg and as he fell to one knee, Andreus shoved his sword into his neck. A guard from behind him pierced his sword into Andreus' back. 

"Andreus!" Palimedis shouted.  He threw the sword at the guard, who parried it but Palimedis was already at his throat.  The boxer twisted the guard's wrist holding the sword and shoved the sword into the guard’s collarbone while he was still holding his own sword. 

Hirodias picked up the captain's broadsword and skewered another and kept pushing until the sword entered the torso of the last remaining guard standing.  Both men were forced down as Hirodias pinned them to the ground.  With one stroke Palimedis removed both heads. 

“You’ll pay…”

The captain was crawling on the ground, trying to get to a sword. Palimedis kicked the sword away and stabbed the captain through his back and into his heart, then tossed the sword to the ground when there was no one left to kill. 

Andreus laid on the ground, coughing blood and gasping.  Hirodias held his hand. “This hurts. I’ve..I’ve been stabbed…before, but I can’t…can’t breathe.”

Hirodias tightened his grip on Andreus’ hand. “We will bring you with us. I will find you a healer.”

A mouthful of blood burst from Andreus’ lips. He shook his head. “I’m going home now," he said. With his other hand he reached for Palimedis. “Don't forget me.”

"Never, brother," Palimedis said, holding his other hand.

"Give me a warrior's end."

Palimedis nodded and picked up the sword by his feet.

"No," Hirodias said.  "He is your brother.  This act will be with you forever.  I will do it."

Hirodias pulled the sword from the two impaled Yghr guards and wiped the blade between his folded sleeve.  He gave Andreus a swift end, his head rolling among the other heads. 

Palimedis picked up the head and fell to his knees and let out a long drawn out scream, the strain of his voice piercing the air and everyone fell silent. The scream turned to a heaving sob, then quiet crying. 

Hirodias unlatched all the bus doors and the people knelt and cried with Palimedis. 

"We will go west now," Hirodias said to the people. “We will take these wagons with us, and we will walk with the horses for as far as the road allows. Our number is fewer than I had hoped."

The elders gathered around Andreus' body and offered a prayer to the Mother.  Hirodias looked up at the sky and thought of all those that he had lost. 

A figure wrapped in a rust colored shawl fell to her knees before Hirodias. 

"I did as you instructed," Symian said.  His face was splattered with blood.  "I killed the two guards but the puppeteer escaped on horse in one direction and the grandmother in another.  I figured you would want her more, so I pursued her."

“And the Jester.”

Symian shrugged, then his face turned when saw Palimedis on his knees. Then he noticed Andreus' bodiless face in Palimedis' embrace.

"I should not have left your side," he cried, embracing Palimedis. 

Hirodias kneeled next to Hefaistas and lifted her chin.  "I thought there was nothing worse than a Yghr slaver.  I never imagined I would meet a slaver from our own people."

"Do you think what you have done is wise?" she asked.  “What do you think will happen when the Yghrs hear of this? They will send guards from all of their biggest cities into this camp and take every man, woman, and child.  This will be your fate.  Unless you leave me to speak on your behalf, I can tell them a different story.”

"They are already looking for me. They may come here for us, but this is not where we will be," Hirodias said.  "There is no one that can save you, not even yourself."

The old woman was defiant.  "Do your worst," she said.  "Add my head to the ones already by your feet."

"No, that is a warrior's death," Palimedis cried.  "She needs to die a slave's death."

Hirodias rose.  "Very well.  You will share the same punishment as given the slaves in the Smote.  You will walk with us to the west, bound by your wrists.  You will have neither food nor water until you can walk no more.  You will then be dragged by your wrists until you die. Your own story ends in the bellies of vultures."