((Gallo-Celtic Camp, 52BC AU))

Viran eventually caught up to his comrades, shirtless, and carrying a small stack of coins in one hand.

Mudicca laughed as she saw the pale skinned Vulcan approaching, “Aha, let me guess you sold your shirt to old Balibus, how much did he pay you for it?”

“I received 20 as compensation for it. Is that a reasonable amount?” Viran replied.

“I mean, that’s better than I expected, I’d have given 25 for it though…”

“What about my shirt, you want to buy mine for 25?” Bruce spoke up, hoping to add some more coin to their meager survival fund.

“Hmmm. What sort of hide is that? Was the animal diseased, or mutilated?” She walked over and grabbed the cuff of the material and gave a nod of approval after feeling how soft it was.

“It uh, the finest and thinnest sheep’s wool from our homeland. And the yellow triangles are just, thin paint for, decorative, purposes.” the Badgey brand white pajamas were covered with dozens of two inch sized Badgeys striking different poses spread all over them.

“I tell you what, I’ll give you 35 for the whole set.” Mudicca replied. She needed a birthday gift for her eldest son anyway, and he was about the same size as Bruce.

“Deal, I’ll bring them over before supper.” The rocker and roll kid replied.

“Fair. Well, we don’t have any more bed rolls but I will bring you some furs, and there’s a pile of fresh cut grass over behind that hut, unless you prefer the ground. Supper will be just before sunset.” She nodded before heading off back into a larger tent across the muddy pathway from the one they would be staying in.

About an hour later, their host, the master forger of the Remi tribe Betilus appeared at the entry to their tent.

“I know it’s not much, but it will keep the evening rain and morning mists off of you.” He said.

Bruce had been laying down on a ramshackle pile of grass and a bear fur that would be his bed, “It’s a fine tent master smith, we appreciate your generosity.” Bruce said as propped himself up on one elbow.

“Bacsorix, was it?” The blacksmith addressed the pudgy Bolian who was seated and ground leaning against one of the large logs that formed the back of the tent.

“Uh, yeah, that’s me.” The blue barber replied, and he hurriedly got to his feet.

“We’ve received word that our scouts have located the main body of the Roman Army. Our army will camp in the hillside to the south, and prepare to offer battle tomorrow morning. There will be a war Council for all the Chiefs and Commanders, after sunset in the central oppidium, you should be there to represent your tribe.”

“Ah yes, good, a War Council, we’re very bloodthirsty, and, want to kill as many Roman slugworms as we can… am I permitted to bring my advisor,  Brussilanus with me? His accent is much less pronounced than my crude northern tongue.” Baxx replied, trying to act in the manner Bruce had explained to them earlier.

“I don’t see why anyone would question it, you are a Chief, you can bring whoever you want to a war council.” Betilus replied.

“As it should be then. Thank you again for your kindness and letting us stay here, you honor us.” The Bolian replied.

“I am surprised you haven’t been to the market square yet, my wife told me you have sold your shirts for a few staters. I’m sure there’s more than a few people that would pay good money for a pair of those boots you got there.” Betilus motioned his chin towards Bruce who was wearing some wolf skin boots that he had looted from the corpses he’d discovered near the depression on the hillside they had mysteriously woken up in that morning.

“We were, uh, actually just going to head to the market now as a matter of fact.” Bruce got up and dusted himself off.

“I’ll join you all then, and make sure these southerners don’t swindle you.” Betilus replied with a smile. In his context he was referring to the Helveti, and Aeduii, and the Carnutes among others who were from southern Gaul, as where his own Remi tribe was from the area just south of Rhine in the region known as Belgica. The southern tribes, as he called them, conduct trade and business far more ruthlessly then the quiet, less Romanized areas that were inhabited by Celtic peoples like Brittania, Belgica, and Germania.