Norco listened to Arvids words carefully. Delunio the great. A name Norco would never have heard, for obvious reasons, but one he was sure to forget.
"I am not the man who challenges a champion, Arvid, I am the man to be challenged. If he wishes it, it is his duty to find me." He spoke the words in a low tone as one of the older men dropped a bag to his feet beside Norco.
"We had better spend this gold fast, we don't want any nomads getting wind of our new found wealth." Norco looked to the chieftain with a slight crook in his stare, did he plan this?
"To the border villages." Arvid waited till his khan passed before letting a sly grin cross his face.
"We can make it there and back by nightfall great Khan!" he exclaimed, happy that his plan had inadvertently come together.
The group got underway as soon as the possibly could. Traveling back to their homes before setting off the border villages, laying their brethren down in the care of the women. All five of the survivors traveled with Norco as well as a couple of the towns women folk, the ones whom knew what essentials the town needed. The weather had improved since their morning journey, the wind had let up and the snow had not fallen for hours. It was a welcome change.
- - - -
Three, maybe four hours later the group arrived at the collection of villages that seemed to bridge the cold eastern steppe to the lush greenery to the west. Much larger and with a population hailing from across Ansus almost anything could be found here, almost a rarity in itself. Norco stood at its edge, returning the many stares that came his way. It didn't seem any of them actually knew who he was, but that didn't seem to matter as they were in awe anyway. Arvid snook off into the loose dirt streets, no doubt in search of Delunio. The rest of the men and women began to peruse the stalls and market, happy that they may gain some respite from the mornings struggles.