Fiona's messenger comes back to Fiona with a bemused expression. "His door was open... err, literally, but there was no one there. Well, just a servant who grumbled that Magus Fieltarn is "scouring the countryside" with her man, and a couple of other custos.
Fiona probably remembers then, that Fieltarn mentioned this during the last council. He even asked for one or two grogs and... was it money? At the time, as there was other things to discuss, so Fiona might not recall anyone comenting about it, but a word with the Autocrat or Alexei (since he's princeps this Spring) confirms that yes, Fieltarn went on with his endeavour of exploration - almost right after the council - but promised to try and come back at Mons Electi every fortnight or so.
It would seem that putting down roots doesn't come that easily to her ex-peregrinatores of a sodales, despite his claims of being releived at finally joining a covenant...
A bit more than two weeks later, the grogs come back. Without Fieltarn.
They report that they accompanied the magus to diverse rural communities nearby, but 3 days ago as the magus wanted to start exploring the less populated areas of the region, Fieltarn just told them to take the opportunity to go back and rest for a couple of days, while he stayed to converse with birds (quite the "chaty rumormongers", according to the magus himself) or other animals "of the more undomesticated kind" (they quote Fieltarn again, a bit perplexed at the unfamiliar word).
Finally, Fieltarn comes back. Almost a month after Fiona sent her invitation. As she goes to her garden, she finds him waiting a few paces from it. Sitting with a basket of fruits, ham, and a bottle that she recognizes easily...
He doesn't notice her at first, contemplating a hole in the earth... from which a mole's head hiss faintly, as if speaking to Fieltarn, just an instant before disapearing when Fiona's steps alert it.
"Ah, Fiona. Salvete!" Fieltarn lips are drawn into his usual half-sereine, half-roguish smile, as he looks at her towering figure. "I was just suggesting to this little neighbor that your garden might not be the paradise she and her family had thought it would be. I Thought that you - and her - might prefer to avoid any future... hide and seek games.
Anyway, I finally got your kind invitation, and while I've come back two days ago, I thought it more polite not to disturb you during your laboratory work. I figured you'd come to your garden soon enough, though. If only to breath some fresher air."
He rises and dust off his trousers nonchalantly, then pick up the basket full of appetizing smells.
Nonetheless, I'm more than interested by your proposition to discuss ways to facilitate... hmm, understanding and acceptance or ours and similarly other non-latin tradition was it? if I read your right, that is.
((ps, sorry, that was a bit long)).
