<strong>Aulus, Outer Courtyard approaching Antonious' temporary kiosk</strong><br/><br/>With all this Ludus’ splendor and glory, it was enough to keep the young soldier occupied.  Unfortunately, like any dream he would have to wake up to reality.  That wake up call being Antonious’ beckoning to him.  So now he must return to what he had originally set out here to do.  To acquire money from hopeful prospects to generate coin for his guardian.  An opportunity now stalled by Aulus’ basic knowledge in tying knots.  Though not in any rush he didn’t want to keep the old man waiting which was why he choose to return at a more rapid pace that then that of walking.  During his passing of the potential customer he gave but a brief notice to the patron.  A female customer, something foreign to Aulus’ knowledge.  Aulus had begun an understanding of trade, but the clients he had observed with of male origin, which made it easier to understand their needs and wants.  Women were a completely different field that required Aulus to seek Antonious’ guidance.  For the moment though he had a knot to untie.<br/><br/>Looking at the woven satchel he recalls the days of his training and the how he was instructed to always make sure that every piece of equipment  was vital in order to function as one and as a whole unit.  Such training remained burned inside his memory even after his first deployments, his veteran experiences and finally here after being honorably discharged (without his knowledge).  Yet as his thoughts of nostalgic history lingered, he had to admit he as well had difficulty unraveling this puzzle he created.  The knots had been firmly tied preventing any slack for the boy to grip in order to loosen the knot.  The only window of opportunity coming from that of Antonious as he distracted the young woman<br/><br/>“I trust your husband is well.  Last I heard his latest ventures earned him quite a fortune.”<br/><br/>Antonious was always for small talk, but apparently this woman was more known through her husband in the realm of merchants.  Antonious had to admit that it seemed realistic that this woman would be in the hands of another through vows.  No woman of beauty or pedigree would be allowed without a husband.  Though one could not help but ask why she was here, in a Ludus surrounded by Rome’s finest blood wolves, and unescorted by her husband or even a guard force.  Such questions and thoughts he would probably leave for Antonious to discuss, for now he had a knot to finish.<br/><br/>“I see you have taken a fascination with the stock that had just arrived.  Do you have plans to……”sponsor”….one of them?”<br/><br/><em>Sponsor a slave……</em>a term he was completely aloof of.  He understood the word to sponsor, but to sponsor a slave, how does one do that?  Then again he still held little understanding of the concept of gladiator matches, but at the very least understood what gladiators were.  Something he certanitly will have to confront Antonious about.  He seemed the most likely to understand such things.  Minutes would pass before the boy would successfully unravel the knot letting the strings fall and the satchel unfold itself.  The sense of accomplishment left him with a small buzz of relief that only delayed his body.  For while his body remained paralyzed his eyes watched as jewelery began to escape to the confines of the satchel to fall to the dirt infested ground.<br/><br/>His hand move quickly to catch one amulet of black pearls in time along with the flap of the satchel preventing the jewelery from escaping.  A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he was reluctant to prevent any fiasco.   At the same time though he felt eyes watch him like recent events were viewed in its entirety leaving a small sense of insecurity in Aulus’ spirit.  He turned slowly to see that very woman’s eyes on him.  What interested her about him was a puzzle he had no means of solving.  Moving to the kiosk he carefully set all the jewelery on the tables edge making sure all pieces were accounted for, and with the addition of the black pearl amulet now resting safely on the table Aulus could present the next set to the woman.  With nothing to mask his neck, the mark of the legion was in clear view of the female customer.<br/>