Out for a Wild Ramble

At the end of September, the wind was clear, the clouds had scattered, and the bright sun rode high. The damp, long southeastern winds gradually died away, and dry, cold air came down from the northern plateau. The rainy season had departed, and the dry season arrived with a graceful sweep. The fields were lush, fragrance drifting for a thousand li, and the villagers were busy without rest. Pumpkins were drying in the wind, beans were being harvested, and the corn had just ripened.

By Lake Texcoco, a royal party on an outing was winding along the edge of the harvest fields, heading west toward Mount Estella. All the villagers along the way prostrated themselves in salute. Priests and village chiefs offered greetings from afar, not daring to take even one step closer without permission.

Five hundred Imperial Guard warriors wore copper helmets and leather armor, Copper Spears in hand and Longbows on their backs. They held high the banner of the Black Wolf, and beneath the royal banner they also guarded two noble descendants of the gods, the husband and wife Xolotl and Alisa.

The two had been newly married for a month, seeking secluded wonders by day and clouds, rain, and starry rivers by night. All the sights worth seeing in and around the Lake Capital had already been toured. The purpose of this outing was to go to the sacred mountain several dozen li west of the capital to pray, and to offer tribute at the Sun God temple on the summit. After that, they would vacation at the alliance's holy ground beneath the sacred mountain, touring the mountain flowers and birds, enjoying the geothermal hot springs, and resting for a week or two, drawing their newlywed honeymoon to a close.

Xolotl wore no armor, only a