Going inside the tent of Tanvia, the Greek councilor, he found that Tanvia was talking to Leonidas. The two men were sitting on the ground on a richly colored mat. Tanvia matched it well. His clothes were orange, red, gold and deep blue. His eyes matched the inside walls of the green tent, and his face was smooth and without beard. His hair was shorn short and brown. Menegal was about to back away when Tanvia called him over to where Leonidas and he were sitting.
“Your name?” asked Leonidas, kindly, signing him to sit.
“My King,” said Menegal, bowing as low as his crutch allowed. “I am Menegal, from the group of Ranifa.”
“What is the need you have come for Menegal? And what of the crutch?” asked Tanvia.
Sitting down, Menegal told them of the past night.
“Tanvia, what do you say to all this in your wisdom?” asked Leonidas.
“Understandably, one of the gods is not at all by our side,” answered Tanvia. “I am not sure of the reason. We may not have been making enough sacrifices or enough progress in getting to Thermopylae.”
“Should we make more sacrifices to other gods, besides Athena, whom we have already offered many?” asked Leonidas.
“Nay, the god who is already on the side of the Persians would, I think, only be on our side if we had in the beginning offered to him. We would have a god against us if we did offer to him or not. Always there would be, no matter who was fighting the battle,” said Tanvia, slowly.
“I have had two dreams of late,” said Menegal, quietly. “They might give you more wisdom.”
“What are the dreams, Menegal?” asked Tanvia.
Then Menegal told of the dream that he had talked about with Golwitch and the dream he had the night before of the god, Asclepuis.
“I have had the same dream with the feeling of no escape,” said Tanvia in a surprised tone.
“And I have as well,” said Leonidas, looking at Tanvia, with a questioning look.
“It seems that Golwitch’s interpretation of the dream was correct. There may be a death waiting for us all that we cannot escape. The other dream seems to tell us that the god, Asclepuis, is against us as well. Therefore, to show his anger against us he used a snake to injure one of the men. The other snake, I think, was the one that is wrapped around his staff. Now that you killed it, his anger will be strong against us. Our health, as well as our injuries, will be not as good if we had him on our side, I deem,” said Tanvia.
“Your wisdom is very great in these dreams,” said Leonidas, crossing his strong arms in a thoughtful motion. “And now, what of your counsel?”
“My counsel is not very great, for there is hardly any to give. However, this counsel I will give. Watch the ways of the enemy, carefully lay your plans, and continue our praise to Athena, the goddess wisdom and warfare.”
There was a pause of thoughtful silence. Then Leonidas spoke decidedly.
“I will take your counsel and speak with my leaders. Be at your place in readiness for the next march when the horn is blown.” Standing up and bowing to Tanvia, Leonidas left the tent.
Rising and bowing to Tanvia and thanking him, Menegal went to arm himself for the march with many thoughts in his mind.