He was lucky he bit his tongue. Marcus knew the colors of that caravan coming in. He knew what he said about traders, but Isam was another story entirely. He could almost say that Isam was a friend of his. Marucs didn't have many friends, but he believed that he respected Isam to that sort of level, and hoped that the leader of a completely new and successful civilization felt the same. 

Just like those in the city, Marcus kept tabs on Isam and his other friends. Something about his just seemed more... alive. He may have had a hardened soul like every else, but what divided Isam from Ravenia and himself was the fact that he had life in his eyes, something Marcus didn't seem to remember years ago. 

Indeed, it had been a while, and while Marcus said nothing to the man, he did nod and smile back at him out of respect, closing the gate behind his caravan. Marcus looked to Sasha, then Ravenia, and finally Isam. A melancholic smile graced his face as he remembered the past. Life had not gotten much harder, but it didn't get easier in the least. Life gave and took away, balancing the good with the bad. While new people came in, others left. New settlements, more area to keep track of and defend until it can defend itself.