Adrina gestured towards the older of the two.
'You remember my uncle ... don't you?'
'I have had the honour of meeting the noble lord.'
Adrina's uncle returned Thunder's bow and gave a short speech, praising Thunder for his dedicated service to the House of Ap-Cronwyn and his support of trade between the Catti and Ibero. He reached beneath his robes and produced a richly decorated dagger, saying it was a modest token of the esteem in which Thunder was held by the copper, tin and lead smiths' guild of his home province.
Thunder replied with a short speech of his own, using some of the more flowery expressions in the southern language. 'I regret that I have no adequate gift in return,' he said. 'I beg the noble lord to excuse me. The noble lord's arrival was unexpected.'
Adrina's uncle smiled. 'To be in your presence, noble Thunder, is more than sufficient.'
Never one to be impressed by southern manners, Thunder turned his attention to the second man who stood squarely before him in his sealskins and tall boots. He felt certain he'd seen him before. Suddenly, he remembered where.
'The noble lord has not introduced his companion.'
Adrina's uncle turned towards the other man.
'This is Count Bollino of Morda ... travelling incognito. He is a good friend from my home province.'
Thunder eyed the man coldly then brought his arm up slowly in a salute of the kind exchanged by senior officers in the Imperial army. 'Thunder son of Lightning.' he barked in a crisp, military voice.
'General Marcelo Bollino, Deputy Commander of the Thirteenth Legion.' The Count barked back and returned the salute.
Thunder was oddly gratified. It was the first time he had been treated as an equal by an officer of the Imperial army, even if the army was falling apart.
'What brings you here, General?'
'My men are stationed on the island.'
'I've just inspected them,' Thunder said. 'The Sky Warrior tells me that they've been bribed with fire water.'
'The big buffoon would think that.' General Bollino snorted. 'I can't understand why you people chose him as your War Master. The man's lost control of his senses.'
'He did rather well against you at Baddon Marsh.'
'That was a long time ago.'
'No more than three months.'
'Three months is a long time in war,' the general smiled. 'Your Sky Warrior is not the man who fought us at Baddon Marsh. The drink has got to him ... and so have the women.'
'You still haven't told me why you're here.'