During `1084 – in Late Spring` two men ride into a Garontor village. One is a blonde man, the other, a man with a pony tail. While speaking to the village headman, **Gavalon**, they claim to be caravanners from Ortysia and that they’re currently in the market for some new horses. *But* before buying any mount, they’d like a veterinarian to perform health clinicals on the beasts. **Gavalon** doesn’t take any offense to this. Naturally any caravan master worth their salt would buy healthy horses only, ones that don’t drop dead while the caravan’s narrowly escaping some highwaymen. *Although…* the headman thinks, these two don’t scream caravanners to him, much less physicians. **Gavalon** asks when to expect the caravanner’s personal veterinarian to arrive, but the blonde man clarifies that they actually would like one of Garontor’s veterinarians to conduct the clinicals. The headman squints at this, asking why the blonde man places any weight in the seller’s evaluation of their OWN horses? The blonde man simply spits and shrugs. **Gavalon** let’s out a hardy laugh, asking for the men’s names, **Skioren** and **Salion** they answer. The headman gives his name, but adds that Garontor’s only veterinarian at the moment, may not be what they want — *her being a women and all.* **Skioren** simply spits and shrugs harder. 10. While **Echalera** is looking over one of the horses, **Salion** mentions **Haldaea**… how the girl went missing some years back and hasn’t been seen since. 11. **Gavalon** says she vanished after his former lord, **Calytos**, died. 12. **Calytos’** daughter, **Haldaea**, was too young to inherit her estates according to the senate. 13. And so the senate said she needed a regent until she came of age, many thought **Crotor** would’ve been chosen, as he was **Calytos’** closest friend. 14. **Calytos** wasn’t even in the ground yet when the senate spit on his grave by announcing **Varros** as **Haldaea’s** regent. 15. Some say **Varros** acquired the role through fear and coercion, some say it was merely a hefty purse of silver… 16. In any case — **Haldaea** vanished soon after, with her inheritance falling into **Varros’** lap. 17. **Varros** claims he’s only holding onto them until **Haldaea** resurfaces, but if that were the case he wouldn’t be redecorating Garontor castle. 18. **Skioren** chimes in, asking what **Haldaea** looked like, **Echalera** grins. 19. **Gavalon** gestures to **Echalera**, like her but older, *little Daea would be…* 28 now I think. 20. Although he admits, **Haldaea** was a bit taller and had greyish eyes. 21. *Still* — our veterinarian here looks a lot like **Haldaea**, to this **Echalera** splays her hands under her chin, adding only she’s prettier. 22. **Echalera** goes back to her examinations, but continues, I get mistaken for **Haldaea** a lot actually she says. 23. While **Echalera** would try impersonating nobility, as those who do get branded or worse, she sometimes wishes she was **Haldaea**. 24. **Echalera** confesses that if she was **Haldaea**, she’d take herself and her family away from village life, maybe to a nice town somewhere far from **Varros**. 25. **Skioren** and **Salion** share a look, **Skioren** offers **Echalera** a spot on their caravan, they could really use a noble-looking veterinarian. 26. **Echalera** is thrilled at this but becomes dismayed when learning **Skioren** is a Nord. 27. After **Haldaea’s** dad died because of a foreigner, **Echalera’s** mother and father had to suffer a lot of prejudice to carve out a living in the Western Empire, **Echalera** won’t discard all that they sacrificed for her by joining this doomed enterprise of a *barbarian*. 28. **Echalera** says coldly she’s changed her mind, she finishes the clinicals and **Gavalon** dismisses her.