IC-Ep 2-The Messenger(Elizabeth/Lucius/Spurius)

[Mr. Handy]

Cleopatra's Palace - Rome, Italia
Late evening- March 14, 44 BC

Spurius Papirius Valens entered the antechamber, where he found Elizabeth and Lucius speaking with Adelphus. "I bear a message from Caelia Alba and Artemis," he said. "They remain at the villa of Senator Scaevola. Caelia is going to undergo an initiation ceremony, while Artemis explores the villa."

[yockenthwaite]

"An initiation ceremony?!" says Elizabeth, her eyes wide. "I wonder what she's got into." Looking to the others she pauses for a moment, before continuing. "Do you think we should go to help them? Or would we be a hindrance, and better staying here?"

[Mr. Handy]

"It might not go well," said Lucius. "I recall when Grit and I were to be initiated by that villain Exeter. It involved the sharing of blood, but Grit would have none of it." He shuddered. "It did not go well. I still have nightmares. If Caelia is in danger...but can we help? If we arrive uninvited, it may cause trouble for her. I could perhaps sneak in, but that could cause problems too if I am discovered."

"I am invited," said Spurius, "and my return is expected. I could make some excuse for bringing you with me. Perhaps you could be patients needing her medical attention, and it is faster to bring you with me than to go fetch her and bring her back. Then there are the others at Senator Germanicus's villa. I need to let them know too, but it is in the wrong direction."

"I can send a runner from the palace to pass on the message," said Adelphus. "You do what you must."

"I do not know what we should do," said Lucius. "We might help, or we might cause harm. It is up to you, Elizabeth."

[yockenthwaite]

"I think we should try to help Caelia, in case we possibly can," says Elizabeth. "Lucius was injured a while back, so we have that pretence at least." She grins at her friend. "Play it up for all it is worth when the time comes!" Turning to Spurius she continues: "We will come with you. And sir," she says, turning to Adelphus, "please send a runner to our friends at Senator Germanicus's villa to tell them where we are going. Tell them we have gone to Caelia at Senator Scaevola's villa to seek medical help. That message should be discreet if they are in company, but I hope our friends will understand what we mean and are not too alarmed."

[Mr. Handy]

"It shall be done," said Adelphus. He called over an Egyptian servant and gave him the message, sending him off at a run to the stables.

"I will not have to pretend much," said Lucius. "I am still in considerable pain. I am lucky I did not break a limb from that fall...or worse."

"You should take horses as well," said Adelphus. "Speed is of the essence. Can you ride?"

"I am an expert cavalryman," said Spurius.

"I am no horseman," said Lucius, shaking his head.

"I could manage one of you on the back, but both would be pushing it."

"Take the chariot, then," said Adelphus. "Wheeled vehicles are not allowed in the streets of Rome in the daytime, but at night it is not a problem. The chariot can hold three with room to spare."

"Thank you. I can drive well enough, though I ride better. Let's go!" He headed out in haste after the servant, motioning for Elizabeth and Lucius to follow.

[yockenthwaite]

"Thank you for your help!" says Elizabeth, turning to Adelphus and smiling. Turning back to her friend she takes his arm in hers. "Come on Lucius. Yes, let's go."

[Mr. Handy]

Lucius went with Elizabeth back outside, following Spruius as he trailed the servant. They quickly arrived at the stables, where there were several horses and one chariot waiting. The chariot was Egyptian in style, designed to be pulled by a team of two horses. Egypt had been using chariots for centuries before Rome had even been built. There were groomsmen working there, and one was already preparing a horse for the servant.

"Adelphus also wants the chariot ready for us, quickly," Spurius told them. The other grooms sprang into action, hitching up two strong horses to it in short order.

[yockenthwaite]

"I hope we are doing the right thing," says Elizabeth to Lucius. "It's hard to know what is best, but I've just got a feeling this might be the right course of action. Fingers crossed anyway. I hope Story and Brook are ok. At least they will know where we are."

[Mr. Handy]

"I hope so too," said Lucius as they boarded the chariot behind Spurius. "I also think this is the right choice. If Caelia needs our help, at least we will be there. If she does not, we will hopefully at least not cause any harm. Our cover story is plausible. And if anything happens to all of us, Adelphus will have told Story and Brook where we've gone so they can rescue us. We've been in some tight spots before, but we've always come through them."

The servant mounted his horse and rode off before the chariot was ready, but it followed not long after as Spurius took up the reins and the whip, spurring the horses into action. By the time the chariot approached the gates of the palace, they were already open and the horse and rider were no longer in sight. Spurius drove the chariot out into the streets of Rome, heading for the southwest gate.

"Now this is how to travel!" remarked Lucius as the wind blew through their hair. "A lot better than...certain other conveyances I've ridden in. I'm not referring to our ship, Elizabeth, just to our time in Britannia."

[yockenthwaite]

"It's certainly thrilling!" says Elizabeth, grinning as they travel. "I've tried many modes of transport, but nothing quite like this. Though I did grow up on a farm, and saw enough horses in my early days." She looks around them as they travel, trying to follow the route they are taking, so perhaps she can look it up on a map at a future point. If the TARDIS has a map of Ancient Rome, or something close enough to it. Maybe she will have to wait until she gets home. If ever.

[Mr. Handy]

The chariot proceeded down the Palatine Hill and through the deserted night streets of Rome, soon arriving at a gate in the city's wall. The soldiers on duty there greeted Spurius, quickly recognizing him for one of their own. They opened the gate to let the chariot pass, and it proceeded through, following the road heading towards Ostia. The road was in excellent condition, which did not surprise Elizabeth in the slightest. The Romans were famous for their roads, which were just as good as the best roads in the 19th century. In fact, there were plenty of roads in her own time that were in worse shape. The ride was smooth and pleasant, and it did not take the chariot long to reach Scaevola's lavish estate. Much like Cleopatra's palace, it was guarded by bare-chested Egyptian men with sickle-headed swords. They stood on either side of the gate, arms crossed over their chests, their blades strapped to their backs. While it was obvious that Scaevola was a wealthy man - he would have to be to afford the requirements to be a Senator - the luxury here paled in comparison to what they had just seen during their visit to the Queen of Egypt.

[yockenthwaite]

"So we have arrived," says Elizabeth, looking around. "We should let you lead the way," she says to Spurius. "And remember Lucius here is seeking medical help from Caelia, if she is available."

[Mr. Handy]

Spurius pulled up at the gate to the villa and addressed the guards. "I have returned," he said. "I had to bring Caelia Alba's patient with me, as his condition is worsening, and he could not wait until I went to get her and brought her back to Rome."

"Owww..." moaned Lucius, as if on cue.

The Egyptians nodded and opened the gate. "You may enter," said one of them.

Spurius drove the chariot onto the estate's grounds and stopped the chariot near the entrance. "If there is anything that needs to be said while we still have privacy," he said, "it had best be said now, before we go inside."

[yockenthwaite]

Elizabeth nods. "I think we just go ahead, as planned," she says to Spurius and Lucius. "We try to find Caelia, see if she needs any help, and take it from there. We should say no more to others than is necessary for what we need to do."

[Mr. Handy]

Spoiler:

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The Doctor Is Out