The Town with Two Names

The note which we have ensured that the rangers receive is the same one that we had originally expected to send to the Aqualarian royal family by some other means. It had been written for us by Demifox Astra before we set out, to ensure that the handwriting would match. It says that the dragon has been killed, without going into details about how this has occurred. It goes on to say that Astra has fallen deeply in love, has married the man, and is renouncing her birthright and going off with him to live somewhere where they will never be found.

Most of the note's contents are more or less true - if misleading through the omission of certain crucial details - though of course the identity and nationality of Astra's husband are not mentioned. We do not want to risk starting a war between Aqualaria and Allaria! We know that the note's contents will cause a lot of anger and some grief - Aqualarian princesses aren't supposed to set aside their duties to their family and their country in favour of love - but better that than that they should never find out what had become of her, and fear her dead but never know for sure.

We still need to get a message to Demifox Fred's family, so we continue on our journey to Vilos. That's apparently the name by which most people now know the place, though on our map - which was made several decades ago - it's referred to by its old name of Barryn.

I might mention that there's little enough communication between Allaria and Aqualaria that the contents of the note to Fred's family are unlikely ever to become known in Aqualaria, nor that of the other note in Allaria. Otherwise there would have been a risk of someone putting two and two together regarding the identity of the unknown lover.

So some ten days later we finally arrive in Vilos. We spot a likely inn and enter, looking forward to a good meal, a few drinks and comfortable beds. Once inside, the first people that we see are two of the three Aqualarian rangers we met back in Two Oaks! (The third is probably taking the note back to Themyscira - I don't suppose they would entrust something so important to the care of any third party.) "Hello again," says one of the rangers - not Elicia but the other one, whose name is Stasia.

1. Is it just my imagination, or does her gaze linger on Astra 9 for just a moment?

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