Iulia was helping him, readying provisions and things. "I'd rather like to go with you to find out what happened to my sister, but at the same time..." She giggled. "I'd be more of a burden. And anyway, as cruel as Aelia can be, I'd rather not bring her along, or someone's going to kill her just to shut her up. And she won't even try to learn Celtic." She also was looking forward to a break from the near-constant lessons, so that she could go scouting for more herbs and prepare more of her medicines, which she was running out of. Aiden had taught her enough navigation that she wouldn't get lost in the rolling plains. And she'd gotten good enough on horseback, not to mention built up enough trust with the little mare, that she'd be able to cover a lot of ground, or make a speedy getaway on the off-chance that she was discovered.

Aelia had taken to bringing food to the gladiators, spending hours down there chattering with them. In particular, the other gladiator from the night when Iulia had run away, the darker-skinned man, he'd caught her attentions. Even now she spent hours sitting down there, across from his cell, chattering with him or even just sitting in silence.