What a time! Romans and Dacians are going to battle each other, Phrygians interrupted Etruscans trading routes to egypt and his old nobleman Opa Kralle beared the crazy idea to cultivate the barbarian tribes in northern Iberia, named Celtiberians. In fact, Lars was pleased seeing this dreamer going away from Verona. He was a more difficult men, provoking his King more than one time.

But now, he sent a letter. Not to him, but to his wife. Lars' mistrustfulness awaked. Why did he write to her, not to him?

"What did this .... King .... say to you, my Dear Queen?" he asked Lady Fineae, while eating a piece of roasted duck. Olives and bread lay on his plate and a cup filled with a lovely white wine stand beside." And what is his intention to write to you only and not to you and me?"

Fineae smiled. She saw the king was jealousy of her.
Unhasty she opend the letter. To keep him on suspence she said:

"I think the letter is right here where it is. You would have burnt it maybe."

The king babbled something inapprehensible. Fineae giggled in her own and telled him lately.

"We are going to Leon after the war. No discussion! We're have been invitee by King Opa Kralle and we will accept his invitation",

she decided.

She didn't wait for king Lars pleas. She clabbed in her hands for having her dinner meal.

The cook brought the soup. Fineae tasted the soup. "Wähhh!", she shouted. "Where is the salt? That only tastes like water!" The cook came out of the kitchen with a shyly sunken face. "There is non. No more salt. We hadn't got any for weeks." Fineae cryed in horror for help. "Bring me somebody who is able to surch some salt for me!", she cried in argony.

Sabina heard her cries and came to her queen. "Sabina please please go to Salzburg and get some salt in one of the saltmines. Before you came back i'll eat no soup again. Soup taskes disgusting without any salt!", she moaned.

She edged the soup plate away from her and cried for the cook. "Bring me something better. something that doesn't need salt."

"Aha, inapprehensible. What did this imp mean, who I am!? Ok, well, lets go to Celtiberia, I am pleased to see Faith." Lars grumbled while chewing on an olive."

What salt? To Salzburg?? This have to be a joke of his wife. "Sabina, stay here, you never go to Salzburg, I need you in the army against Phrygians."

It must be a nightmare, Dacians, Romans Phrygians, the merchants, his wife and these Opa Kralle. Jupiter Optimus Maximus, make me strong to handle this all, he thought. And his hand took the cup of wine.

Sabina sat at the table in the Kings dining room. The closely minions of King Porsenna sat beside her, looking carefully to the King, who's angry mood drops the conversation of the other nobles. She was engaged to drap a piece of grilled beef into a flatbread, adding some olives and onions as she heard about the plan to visit King Opa Kralle in Celtiberia. She like this most curious of the Etruscan nobles. He is a funny guy, following his dreams. Sabina thought with a quick smile about the first time, he meets her at the castles drillground for a duel.

Her furious Queens sound torn her out of her thoughts at one go. Lady Fineae had cried Sabinas name. Sabina let fall her delicious bread onto the tablet. Salzburg? Salt? Oh Venus, she shall walk to Salzburg? But Sabina can't dispute with her Queen. She looked to Pontius, her husband, who seemed to be surprised equally the King, too. Lars Porsenna snapped that there was'nt time for, cause Sabina was needed in the army. She sighed with relief while sitting down again and grabbing her bread.

Phrygia? Where the hell is Phrygia and what we have to do there? Porsenna would send an army with good reason, as peaceful he was. She asked her husband. Pontius, do you know Phrygia? Where is it?

Pontius was'nt pleased about the Phrygian campaign. But the King gave this order and Pontius as one of his minions would follow his word, if necessary into death. At this point, he heard Sabina, his wife, asking him about Phrygia. He looked into her lovely face and answered.

You remember Cilicia from the last campaign in the past? Phrygia is the western neighbour of Cilicia. From Aegean sea to inner Anatolia. It's the home of many and fierce warriors. So we will have a hard stand against them. But it should'nt be too hard, because we shall protect trading routes and not launch an invasion into.

Lars Porsenna moves around the just built fortifications, protecting the encampment. He is controlling the campguards while remembering the last weeks.

The small etruscan fleet had passed the Adriatic and Ionian sea. He feared an interception by strong phrygian maritime forces before arriving Egypt. But no bad surprise had happened and the fleet arrived at a sandy coast near the Egyptian frontiers. His warriors need to rest after the long and exhausting sea journey. To the skyline he could nothing see but desert. Dunes and sand, sand and dunes. A depressing landscape for the daughters and sons of the lovely heights and willows of Tuscia. Scouts brought knowledge about an egyptian force, patroling along the borders. So Porsenna sent some messengers to the Pharaoh's army, bringing lore about arrival of etruscan forces.

And no Phrygians had been seen. Whether at sea, nor at land.

The small but fast Liburnian Bireme was bopping up and down in the water, docked at the Kings flagship, a cataphracted Trireme. The messenger, an Etruscan magistrate of the Aquileja province, stood in front of Lars Porsenna. His report spoke about a Dacian force, that had cut across the Etruscan border and seems to be straight on the way to the Roman frontier. The Dacians marched in good order without any hostile actions, but Dacians neglecting Etrurias neutrality. And this in a moment, at which the Etruscans army was far away from home in the seas of Egypt. Etruria was open, only protected by some local militias.

After some minutes in which the King contemplates about this dangerous situation, he gave orders to the magistrate.

Dear Gneve, go home as fast as your rowers can do. Give message to Opa Kralle and Gaius Julius, telling them that we need their help, because our army was in the far east, hunting Phrygian pirates near Egyptian coasts. Ask them to raise their armies and move to Etruria, please. The reason behind is the circumstance, that it is possible, that Etruscan provinces will be the battlefields for Dacians and Romans in near future.

After it, Porsenna called for his personal Haruspex. "Interprete the signs of the deities, priest!" Porsenna told him. Two young girls, servants of the Haruspex walked to the priests cabin and returned with a hen, while the Haruspex called a solemn prayer to Jupiter. More and more sailors and warriors moved silent to the quarterdeck, hearing the priest. After ending his prayer, the Haruspex watched the hen. He observed it's breast, it's neck and how and whereto it walked. After doing so, he picked the hen, holding it high and cut the hens neck with a sharp knife. While the hen was bleed to dry, he watched the runlets and small lakes of blood. After the last drop of blood falled to the ground, the Haruspex opened the hen and took it's liver. He watched it for minutes, in which all around remained in silent. Then the priest walked to the King and said: Jupiter is angry, but not inappeasable. "When your army prevails, take ten Phrygian maidens and bring them as servants to the temple in Verona." "And the Dacians?" Porsenna asked. "I will read the will of the deities after landing in Phrygia. When I can offer a white bull to Jupiter." the priest answered while his servants cleaned the deck from blood.

The last messages were really alarming. A Dacian army in Aquileja. Next stop on their way to the roman border would be Sabinas own province, Ravenna.What if the Romans attack first and enter Ravenna, too? And there was nothing what she could do, here on a galley near Egypt.

The warriors from Ravenna stand behind her on this and the other galleys of her squadron. Their faces have afraid expressions. They think to their families, unprotected in the area, Sabina thinks.

Help us, she prayes to Merkur. Was it a good decision, to leave Etruria in this dangerous situation?

Pontius knew that it was'nt a good decision to move so far to the east for to help the Egyptian Pharaoh. Now moved the Dacians through our lands into Roman lands to attack them there. An Etruscan army in Ravenna would had been able to block them sucessfully.

He came to the decision, to speak with the King after the landing. We should break this campaign here and move as fast as can home to protect our land, Pontius thought. What did his wife mean about? He decided to speak her first, before the way to the King.

Porsenna was watching the building of the new encampment in Denizli, close to the Phrygian borders. The camp was in short distance to the Egyptian one, so both armies could help each to each in the case of a Phrygian attack. He cogitates about the intentions of an invasion of Phrygia. The Phrygian Queen did'nt answer his letter to her and no one of the probably enslaved traders get loose. Porsenna deliberates that he have to fight the Phrygians common with the vengeance searching Egyptians until the Phrygian Queen will free the traders and make peace both with Egypt and Etruria. The Dacians must wait, as hard as it was. There is no choice.

While reasoning this all, he did see Sabina and Pontius discussing, from time to time looking to the King. He sighs, stand up and walks slowly but straight to the two Etruscan nobles.