Vengeance & Remission

by Amalia Angellinni

#4 WINTER SONG

  The following days went by quickly. Marcus Lucius stood up early, then he trained. After the breakfast in company of Julia and Nerva, Marcus Lucius went to the camp and listened to the report of Rufus. Then, he went on patrolling trying to avoid the villages. He didn't intend to provoke the local inhabitants with his presence. Nerva accompanied him. Their route became longer and as they came back to the villa, the dinner time was already over. Marcus Lucius asked Chloe whether Julia ate properly, and the slave answered affirmatively. Marcus Lucius ate then and went to sleep. Julia was already lying in the bed with closed eyes. He wasn't sure whether she was really sleeping or not, because she breathed regularly. He reminded the day he thought she was easy to read like an open map and he was confused how hard it was to get through her surface.

  However, she wasn't sleeping. She felt how he huddled up to her and hugged her cautiously. She liked it earlier, but in these days, her emotions lost their power and were conquered by the brutal logic of her mind. She had her strategy and kept focussed on it. Her emotional absence was strange, even to her. She didn't smile. She didn't say a word. She even didn't move. She kept planning her next steps. Marcus Lucius had his strategy, she had her plan.

  As the day came, when Marcus Lucius left with Nerva to meet the elders of the regional villages. Julia took the dress that gave her the bigger freedom of movements. She dressed quickly, even with the handicap. Then, she had to steal away in the way that didn't raise any suspicions of her slaves. She took a dark cape and her dragger. She intended to use it in a better, more efficient way than before. She was already experienced enough and knew that hurting herself didn't cause as much pain as she expected. It made her smile in a strange, ill way. She went along the walls and tried not to cause any rumour. Quite fast, she left the yard around the villa. There were no soldiers who could stop her, because legionnaires were sent to the camp and Nerva accompanied Marcus Lucius.

  She didn't dare to take a horse. She wasn't a good rider anyway. Her parents didn't like her to learn it. Additionally, she didn't own any horse. Her luck was that the villa chosen by Maxentius was the last building in the village, so she had a short distance to the woods. She didn't mind if she would die somewhere there. Such an end was more appropriate in her eyes than the stress of travelling. Already the idea of forcing herself to go on a ship in Londonium made her sick and it was liberating to be able to avoid any water. She loved the idea of taking her fate into own hands without getting orders from anyone. It was a new, rare feeling of freedom. Unfortunately, she didn't think about different scenarios. She had just one perspective and she maintained it perfectly.

  She went forwards. The fallen leaf was frozen and slippery. The wet air and wind weren't pleasant, but Julia was able to switch off her nagging mode. The new feeling spread in her body and covered the pain coming from her arm. She didn't look at her stitched underarm, because she didn't find it important. She had a clear mission. She had a goal. She felt bizarrely happy and was surprised by her good mood. She expected to be afraid of death, but after all, she knew which freedom her lost would bring to people involved into the mascarade. She was mentally prepared to die almost like Japanese divine wind. Compared to kamikaze, who intended to do as much damage to the enemy as possible since he was crashing anyway, Julia was full of good intensions. However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. She didn't care about anything else. She just kept going forwards avoiding the roads and villages.

  In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius appeared to the appointment. Nerva didn't understand a word that the elders said in the welcoming procedure. However, he understood the welcoming gesture. Marcus Lucius smiled politely and bowed his head. Nerva followed his gesture. They were invited to the biggest building in the village with dry stone walls. Six older men, partially with white hair and wrinkled faces, were sitting under thatched roof. In the backs, a fire gave enough energy to keep the inside warm. Still, Marcus Lucius and Nerva didn't take off their capes. They took off their helmets slowly, sat down towards the elders unhurriedly and saluted in the Roman way to greet the local inhabitants. Almost twenty further villagers stood proudly and limited the exit. They observed with tension the movements of Romans. Marcus Lucius and Nerva didn't feel intimidated. They knew that the villagers were no warriors and couldn't win a serious fight with the two Romans. However, Marcus Lucius assumed that some local warriors were present around the cottage just for the case of a fight. The inhabitants had a small piece of land which was worked by one man and his family. They produced just enough food to keep them alive. They hadn't time and will to train any special killing skills. Their hands weren't prepared for holding a sword properly and their legs weren't taught to take the optimal position of a body that could be used easily for a defence or attacking reaction.

  One of the elders, the smallest one, with white hair and long beard, with trembling fingers and wrinkles of wisdom, spoke aloud in his own dialect. He welcomed the gesture of the Roman soldier and liked the openness towards the local villagers. Then, he spoke in Latin, because he noticed that Nerva didn't follow, which made him a bit nervous. Indeed, Nerva made a stressful impression. Marcus Lucius was calm and smiled friendly. Everyone smiles in the same language and Marcus Lucius used the power of interhuman relationships.

  -My Father hunted this forest before me and tilled the soil before me. My name is Cunobarros, Head Hound. I am a hunter. This is my land. And I will give my land to my sons, who will hunt here with their sons after I am gone. I am no soldier. I don't fight with men. I hunt.

  Nerva followed Marcus Lucius and bowed his thanks. He recognized the respect for the old man. Marcus Lucius didn't break the speech of Cunobarros, so the elder continued:

  -I remember one Roman man, who spoked with me years ago. He was accompanied by his best friend, as you do, and he spoke about peace, as you do.

  Marcus Lucius trembled shortly, because he thought about his father.

  -You know the man I am talking about, I see it in your eyes. - Cunobarros said. - You have it written on your face. Your face looks like his...

  Nerva got scared. He didn't know what to do. Marcus Lucius held him gently from getting up. Nerva kept his position and sat down again. Marcus Lucius bowed his head once again and started talking calmly:

  -Your memory is right. It was my father. As my father, I wish to keep the season of peace as long as it is possible. I came here to say it to you directly, so that you know my face and my intentions. I came here to assure you that we can fight together against the men from North.

  -We are hunters. We don't fight. We hunt.

  -I understand. - Marcus Lucius added shortly.

  The older man hawked and continued:

  -They are known as men from Pictavia. They try to conquer southern and central parts of the island every now and then. We try to live our lives. We avoid the fights, but when we're forced to fight, then we fight. Our fate is simple and predefined. We appreciate the support of everyone who follows the same goals.

  Marcus Lucius nodded, but kept silence. The old man's fingers trembled a bit.

  -We know that your soldiers rested last months and are not prepared to fight. - The other elder spoke. He had snowy brows and white hair. His eyes glued. It wasn't easy to understand his intentions.

  -Attacks of the men from North are rather less probable in the time of winter. - The third elder spoke. He had eyes like coals and he seemed to be the youngest and burly. His statement could be analysed from different perspectives. Marcus Lucius couldn't estimate the attitude of the speaker.

  -I understand your worries. During the winter, we keep training our soldiers. You have my word for it. - Marcus Lucius promised. - We keep patrolling the surrounding and will protect you as far as we can, with every day even better.

  The elders looked at each other. There was an unknown tension, not mentioned yet, and it hung in the air and bounded the local inhabitants with a touch of missing trust. It was their piece of information that didn't suit to
what was said in this meeting.

  -If you are the son of your father, why don't you use his name as yours? Why are you hiding behind a name of another man? - Cunobarros formed aloud the thought that occupied everyone here.

  Marcus Lucius smiled brighter, but sadder.

  -That is right what you say. I am hiding behind a name of another man. You remember my father and his friend. My father fell during a battle as a real warrior. His friend needs my support and therefore, I act under false name. However, my promise given to you is binding with the same power independent from the name I use. I give you my word for that.

  Cunobarros nodded politely, but inconclusively.

  -Give us time to confer. We will give you our answer soon.

  Marcus Lucius nodded and stood up slowly.

  -Fair enough. - He said and bowed out.

  Nerva followed his example. The local villagers went to the side so that Marcus Lucius and Nerva could leave the building. Then, they took their horses and rid away. The late afternoon began and they were happy to come back to the villa before the darkness came. After the ride, they had to confer themselves.

  -Give me a moment. - Marcus Lucius said and sent for Julia.

  He was strictly confused as she couldn't be found. The slaves acted nervously and Marcus Lucius didn't like the kind of tension. He felt under his skin that something wasn't right.

  In the meanwhile, he took Nerva aside, but they didn't start talking. Marcus Lucius looked to the slaves that ran from one room into next and couldn't find Julia. His internal tension raised quickly, but his face expression didn't change. He stood calmly and just his eyes betrayed his unease. He thought about his impression of the meeting. It was hard to estimate whether the locals were going to accept his offer and whether they would keep the secret for themselves. The first option seemed to be probable. The second one could be a premise for the first one. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure what to think about reminding his father. Cunobarros remembered Maximus, but Marcus Lucius didn't know the context of the memory. The problem was that Maximus negotiated in Britannia, but he was displaced later. It wouldn't be supportive when the elders would be convinced that Marcus Lucius didn't keep his word. It would reflect negatively on his attitude. He knew that he had to wait for the answer and he hated to wait. Patience wasn't his strength. He ignored Nerva and his questions:

  -What do you think? What shall we do? What do you plan?

  As Chloe came into the dining room and said that she couldn't find Julia anywhere, Marcus Lucius got scared for the very first time seriously. The panic in Chloe's eyes was clear. He left Nerva immediately and checked on his own every corner of the house. He didn't find the girl. He became angry and helpless against the current state. He hated her in that moment and would kill her, if he would find her. If it was supposed to be a joke, then he wasn't able to laugh about it. If she wanted to punish him, she could hide under her blanket. However, the blanket laid on her bed. She didn't make a step inside of the house without having her blanket covering her dainty body.

  -She is not here, so where is she? - He repeated desperately and assumed already that she wasn't in the house. The building was a limited space. The world outside was much more complicated and had many different corners. Marcus Lucius was indeed scared and his polite surface started to break apart.

  Nerva tried to calm him down, but it didn't work. Marcus Lucius took his horse and rid around the walls of the villa. Naturally, he found a trace. His trained eyes saw something that didn't suit to the surrounding. It was a thread from her blue dress hanging on a branch of a bush. He couldn't believe that she ran away on her free will. She had to be kidnapped or forced. He followed the trace. With eyes glowing like coals and fever in his eyes, he jumped out of his horse and ran forwards. He got whipped by the branches of the naked trees and irritating bushes. He got new scratches, but he didn't care. He thought that she had to experience the same as she went that way.

  As he came to a cliff and saw traces of sliding, he looked whether she laid hurt on the foot of the hill. She had to be hurt, because blood was visible on the clues. It was too risky to slip there, so he had to make a detour. Every further breath without her started to be aching. The lack of knowledge how bad she was injured and where she was hesitated his movements. Hiberus didn't like the speed he was forced to keep, because the bushes and tree branches hit him unpleasantly. His irritated neighing was noticed, but totally ignored by Marcus Lucius. It was a new situation to Hiberus. The same deprecation showed the mere of Nerva, who stayed closely behind his friend and commander.

  Marcus Lucius jumped to the ground and left his horse few meters away from him. He didn't found her, but there was a frozen puddle of blood. It meant that she was there a while ago and she was hurt. He wasn't sure whether he should be happy that he didn't find her remains or whether he should be happy that he still could keep his hopes. He went some steps forwards, along the way marked by the blood drops. There were traces of her feet and then, another, bigger footprints were visible. The woods here were dense, so it was hard to walk freely, if someone was injured. Marcus Lucius saw traces that betrayed him Julia's fall down to the ground. Then, just the footprints of a stranger were marked incompletely. The frozen ground wasn't the best source to read traces. Marcus Lucius cursed a couple of time, but it didn't help him much to calm down. In opposite, his anger increased. He noticed some threads from Julia's cape. The dark material had its difficulty on the way through the woods, as well.

  After a few meters, Marcus Lucius saw traces of a horse. It was improbable that Julia had a horse here, because she went afoot up to the slippery edge. Marcus Lucius assumed that someone took her away from him. It was pointless to follow the horse traces by foot. He screamed to Nerva to bring their horses. As Nerva appeared within moments just some meters away, Marcus Lucius didn't hesitate and followed already afoot the traces of the unknown rider. Unfortunately, the trace ended on a road that was used by many riders. Marcus Lucius cursed so loud that even the black, scary ravens flew away. Julia didn't appear. The stranger rider was gone and there was no sign in which direction he rode.

  Marcus Lucius stood on the road and looked in one moment to the one end of the road and then, to another. He couldn't track her. He felt weak and lost. The sky could fall down on his shoulders and he wouldn't notice it. Nerva had to drag Marcus Lucius away from that incoherent place. Marcus Lucius acted like a bag of flour transported by a villager. As they came to the villa, Marcus Lucius was still extremely unsettled, heavy to move. He didn't percept the chaos in the eyes of slaves anymore, at least not in the way he used to percept it. His trained skills were so deeply rooted in his mind that he acted automatically. He looked like a death itself and his presence was frightening. Everyone stepped back from his track as if he would be a running plague, as just by looking at him, anyone could turn into stone or get sick.

  He couldn't find any place for him, so he wanted to go into the woods again. He didn't listen to Nerva, his current voice of sanity. At first, as Cunobarros's messenger appeared, Marcus Lucius got a spark of mind.

  The messenger was a young man with long, red hair. Marcus Lucius knew him, but wasn't sure from where.

  -Cunobarro wishes you to come with me. It's a private matter. Come unarmed. - He said.

  Marcus Lucius wondered shortly and answered that he was limited by other issues. He wanted to send Nerva, but the messenger opposed.

  -Cunobarro wishes to speak with you. It is about your woman.

  In the moment, the messenger mentioned a woman, Marcus Lucius turned to him with the highest attention. With fire in his eyes, he jumped to the messenger and asked:

  -What is with her? Is she alive? Where is she?

  The messenger was scared to death by the potential violence that could escalate any moment.

  -Alive... Alive... - The red-haired man wasn't able to speak in sentences anymore.

  He used the words from his dialects, so Nerva couldn't follow. A huge question mark appeared o
n his face and he looked to Marcus Lucius to get the understandable answer. Marcus Lucius seemed to be tensed, but relieved. Nerva didn't have to get any translation in that moment.

  -Bring me to her! - It was a strict order without any opportunity to refuse.

  Marcus Lucius switched to the dialect as well and Nerva was hacked off. He wished to get the clear statement what was going on. The messenger nodded automatically and showed with his arms to follow him.

  -And?! - Nerva screamed tensed.

  -He says she's alive... - Marcus Lucius answered on the way.

  As Nerva wanted to follow him, Marcus Lucius refused and ordered him to stay. Nerva was confused, but nodded. He saluted and stopped in the hallway. He looked how Marcus Lucius rid away just with the messenger. He didn't take his sword. From a guard on the yard, he took away a torch to see the way in front of him. He left Nerva simply on the way to Hiberus. The animal stood freely in the backyard and came closer after Marcus Lucius whistled in a specific way. Soon, the sound of metallic, shiny armour echoed in the villa as it felt down on the stones.

  It was already early evening. It was dark and cold. Marcus Lucius followed the messenger. He didn't know the road and it was hard to follow in the darkness. The time passed by too slowly, but the sunset set in surprisingly quickly. It started raining and the unpleasant, wet coldness absorbed the entire space outside. Marcus Lucius ignored it, even if his hair became wet within minutes. The rain gave him a wetting, but his body didn't tremble. He had too many thoughts in his head. How was she? How seriously injured was she? Where was she? Why should it be a private meeting?

  As they finally arrived to the destination, Marcus Lucius noticed a cottage made out of stones. He never was in the building, but he thought he already saw the surrounding in the last days during patrols. He already remembered the direction they came from and it was easy to go back from here to the villa. As he stepped closer, he saw more details related to the cottage. The roof was made of bushes. It looked primitively. He jumped to the ground and as fast as a thunder, he reached the entrance. There was no fireplace inside, but two torches were burning. On a rough-and-ready wooden board, a body laid. Marcus Lucius recognized Julia's dress. It was smutty and it wasn't possible to define whether it was blood or oil or swamp. He was scared to death and assumed the worst case.

  Next to the board, Cunobarro stood. He was covered by a dark cape with hood. He took the hood away as Marcus Lucius appeared. He waited until Marcus Lucius checked whether his woman was still alive. She breathed slowly, but regularly.

  -My men found her in the woods. - Cunobarro whispered with head downcast to the ground. It visibly wasn't easy to him to say what he had to communicate. - I wanted to give her back to you, because you spared my both sons. It is my private matter. It is just between me and you. Some of us could think that you are not able to protect us, if you don't have control over your own woman. However, I was in your debt, even if you weren't aware of it. Now, we're even.

  Marcus Lucius listened to him, but he didn't look at the old man. He was concentrated on Julia's pulse. Therefore, he didn't answer to what Cunobarro's was talking about.

  -We're even. Thank you. - Marcus Lucius agreed and lifted Julia swiftly as if she would be just a little, lightweight stone. She wasn't really conscious. On her bone, a construction made of sticks was padded. It steadied her leg that was apparently broken. Marcus Lucius wanted to look at it closer, but not there. It was too dark and too strange. He needed to bring her back to Eboracum. His anger was replaced with relief and sorrows about Julia's injuries. He had remorse when Hiberus ran and jounced. It wasn't possible to transport the girl in any other way. The road back appeared even longer that the way to the cottage. Tugging was incredibly inconvenient and influenced just negatively the state of Julia.

  Already at the gate, Nerva waited for them. He helped Marcus Lucius to take her from the horse gently and gave her back to his friend in the moment when Marcus Lucius jumped to the ground. Nerva took care about the horses and controlled how the ostlers brought the animals back to the boxes. In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius carried Julia to her bed. He sent everyone away. Even slaves weren't welcomed. Nobody dared to oppose. Everyone looked at Marcus Lucius as a disease. Nerva, whether he wished or not, stood as guard next to the entrance to Julia's chamber. Nobody was allowed to come in.

  Then, Marcus Lucius took off Julia's clothes starting with the dark, jagged cape and the blood-smeared, devastated dress. He didn't touch her bandage at first, because it held quite good as one piece. As she was completely naked, he looked at her body and checked which bruises she got newly. She looked like a beaten dog. The real bruises should appear later, but the wounded places could be noticed already. The left leg was broken and it was the crucial problem. The bone was earlier sticking out of it. Marcus Lucius wouldn't dress it alone, so he was really glad that someone already took care about the compound fracture. The break didn't look nice with its range of colour around the wound: from red up to violet. The leg was stitched carefully and it looked professionally. Just the area of her leg was treated by the local medico. Julia smelled strange, after medicine and herbal essences.

  Higher from Julia's knee, there were no traces showing that anyone would touch her. It calmed down Marcus Lucius a lot. He washed her body millimetre after millimetre. He had to change water four times, because it was so dirty. The small whipped places on her face built a kind of dainty web. Under her right eyes brow, blood collected and Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether he should cut her skin to let the blood course. He rescheduled the decision after he might have been over with the washing procedure. Her arms and legs should get darker bruises these days. Scabs were expected. Now, the injured places were rather bloody and straight. Julia looked like a bag of misfortune, but she seemed not to be seriously hurt. Marcus Lucius was relieved. It looked worse than it was.

  She didn't react, but breathed regularly. He anointed her body with the mixtures supporting his own healing process. He finished quickly, even if he rubbed the substances cautiously and without hesitation. There was nothing sexual in his behaviour. She rather aroused compassion and Marcus Lucius wondered why she did it to herself. Why did she try to escape?

  Then, he covered her with a blanket and yelled for Nerva.

  -How is she? - Nerva asked coldly as he stepped into the room. He noticed that Julia laid without any motion at the bed and that her eyes were closed. What he saw was collected blood under her right eyes brow. Marcus Lucius split a jagged sleeve from the dress into two parts and asked for a knife, because he wasn't armed and missed his own equipment. He hadn't time and wanted to cut her skin to let the blood course. Apparently, he didn't intend to extend the time for bringing his own knife. Nerva helped and observed how Marcus Lucius cut the skin with the highest attention and precision. His movement betrayed that he didn't do it for the very first time. She fizzed quietly. Marcus Lucius's hand didn't tremble. His eyes were unsettled. A steam of blood started flowing from Julia's eyebrow to her ear and the pillow. Marcus Lucius didn't allow the blood to sink into the material. Instead, he wiped it with a piece of material from Julia's dress. The blue shadow became red as Marcus Lucius answered Nerva's question finally:

  -Nothing serious... Go and find a medico to verify how good her leg was put together.

  Nerva nodded and went away. He noticed it didn't make much sense to ask Marcus Lucius anything, because he wasn't in form to concentrate and give any answer. He was nerved, because Julia's action was silly and could bring just risks and punishment than any positive effects. She had to go mad and could infect anyone with her craziness. Marcus Lucius was already infected by the witch. Octavian was infected, but his distance let him heal slowly. Nerva's antipathy towards women won any free space of his mind. The best solution was to ignore Julia, to let her leg and eyebrow get infected. She should die slowly. Then, everyone would be free again. Nerva would go to Aquincum and meet his friends. Marcus Lucius could go and revenge his wife. The world would be muc
h less complicated then.

  With such attitude, it took a bit longer to find a medico as Marcus Lucius asked. Medico confirmed that the care by local inhabitants was good and there was nothing more that the Roman medico could do. Just the blood collected under her right eyebrow had to be set free, because it didn't get better. Medico asked Marcus Lucius who was supposed to do it. Apparently, the old, wise man with wrinkled hands doubted that cutting the soldier's woman would be taken with exaggerated reaction by the husband. Marcus Lucius ordered to do whatever was needed.

  -It is a small slash. You won't notice it when it's healed. - Medico assured and watched whether Marcus Lucius stood far enough to not react incalculably.

  -How long will it take to heal? - Marcus Lucius seemed to be emotionless, but the medico, an old, experienced man, was sure that a man in love was acting with powerful feelings.

  -The leg stays swollen for at least seven days. The break will knit until spring comes. It is not a complicated knit, but it's not an easy one, either. - The medico tried not to tease Marcus Lucius. It wasn't easy to say whether the break could heal in 8 or 12 weeks. The good news was that the girl's leg wasn't broken above her knee or around the knee. However, the splitter were present and complicated the healing process.

  -We will observe it and decide properly to the state of domina. - Medico added quickly.

  The old man wondered how calm Marcus Lucius stayed, even if his eyes were glowing like an erupting vulcan. It was obvious that this woman was the most valuable thing in the world for him. A minor stream of blood coursed for a moment and the medico laid a material on it. Then, he waited a moment and was satisfied as Julia's blood coagulated quickly. At the end, he looked at the already stitched underarm and nodded with his head without any comment. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure what medico was thinking and whether it was positive or negative.

  Medico had to promise by God and his own life that he would keep the whole situation to himself. He already saw Marcus Lucius's movements and they let estimate the entire range of possibilities that Marcus Lucius possessed. The medico didn't intend to risk any misunderstanding with a man, who was a professional killer. If he was like his father, the great Maximus, then it wasn't smart to underestimate and provoke the man. It was obvious that any bad movement that could influence the girl's health could be avenged in the most painful way on earth and even gods wouldn't send any remedy to alleviate anything. Predators have their more or less conscious learned skills to agonize their victims perfectly. The old man wasn't afraid of death, but he was deeply afraid of tortures. Nobody wishes to die painfully.

  He was the main doctor from the camp, who settled there already years ago and healed many wounded soldiers. He could excuse his visit in Maxentius's villa with the health check of Marcus Lucius. It was probable and understandable. Nobody would dare to put it into question. The old man with trembling hands and wisdom in his eyes left the villa then and promised to step by some days later. Marcus Lucius agreed and brought him to the villa's gate. The medico didn't ask Marcus Lucius about his real father and pretending to be Maxentius. He knew that it wasn't the best time to talk about it, and he intended to ask his questions in a better moment, when domina would get better. The medico assumed strongly that healing the girl was the key to get Marcus Lucius's favour.

  Nerva followed them and analysed whether the exchange of information from the day could take place or whether Marcus Lucius had other thoughts in mind. The last hope to discuss anything unrelated to Julia was dashed as Nerva was sent to go to rest. Marcus Lucius went to Julia. The only good thing about her being injured was that his entire attention was focussed on her, not on the impatience due to the talk with elders from the day. He noticed the tension of Nerva, but it wasn't the most important issue right now. Nerva didn't like it, but had to accept it. Irritation and anger directed against Julia were for Nerva the kind of distraction he needed to avoid any thoughts about the elders and their freedom of decision.

  Marcus Lucius laid next to her, but didn't touch her at all. She had enough space to lay freely without any interhuman contact. He watched how she breathed and the exertion of the latest occurrences brought him sleep. With her every movement, he woke up. Rare, minimal movements showed that she was as good as can be expected under the circumstances. As he noticed that she was still asleep, he fell asleep, too. The night was short and didn't bring any spoken words.

  As the sunrise came, Marcus Lucius got up and hadn't look long for Nerva. The legionnaire was already waiting in the dining room. After a short meal, Marcus Lucius ordered Nerva to stay and had an eye on Julia. Nerva was visibly tensed and unsatisfied, but he nodded without resistance and went to Julia's room teeth-gnashingly. Marcus Lucius ignored the mood of his companion. Instead, he took his horse and rid to the camp. Nobody expected him so early there. Rufus was already finishing his own training and smiled as he saw Marcus Lucius. Rufus noticed incomprehensible wrinkles on Marcus Lucius's forehead and some new scabs after the latest training with Nerva, however, Rufus didn't comment anything. Marcus Lucius didn't seem to be open for any kind of questions.

  -I need five to ten men to take them for patrolling. - Marcus Lucius didn't beat around the bush after a short salutation.

  -Do you want to choose them yourself or should I take it over? - Rufus asked with a brighter smile. He percepted the fresh wind of change in the air and he would accompany Marcus Lucius himself preferably. However, he knew that Marcus Lucius wouldn't agree to it. It wouldn't be clever.

  -You have the honour. You know them best. - Marcus Lucius answered.

  -Are the locals so annoying? - Rufus laughed, but stony face expression of Marcus Lucius dammed him from it. A special seriousness of Marcus Lucius didn't allow to be in good mood. With more or less inhibited joy, Rufus called for soldiers and selected ten men for Marcus Lucius. They were curious what task was awaiting for them.

  -You won't act without my orders. Watch out for anything salient and report it. Stay at my side and don't speak. - Marcus Lucius's words were like cuts of his sword: plain, quick and short. The message was clear.

  The patrolling begun and the soldiers were a bit insecure on a road they didn't know. The coldness and wetness of the surrounding didn't make it cosy and pleasant to travel. The slippery roads and frozen bushes conveyed rather advise against staying on the way. Returning to the camp seemed to be the best solution, but the legionnaires followed the man who already won fame as a great fighter. They wanted to prove themselves as warriors and looked with hope after any enemy they could attack. They felt ready to fight. They have been training last weeks and their skills were refreshed as they thought. However, nothing happened. Until the noon, they didn't find anything suspicious. They felt disappointed. They expected a fight, a battle, a victory.

  During the afternoon, Marcus Lucius brought his new troop back to the camp and as he saw that they started boasting with their ride, he got angry. He called them all back to him.

  -You think I took you with me, because I needed your help? - He started with clear, cold tone. - I could have done it all myself. - He looked around and the legionnaires gazed at him with surprise. - I took you with me to teach you. One day, you will take over patrolling of the entire surrounding and I have to be sure that you're ready. You're not ready and even a child could offer a better trouncing.

  They were blazing with anger. Their short breaths betrayed their lack of self-control. Marcus Lucius would smile, if he wouldn't be occupied with Julia in the corner of his mind.

  -Attack me. - He ordered defiantly.

  They were flabbergasted.

  -Attack me right now! - He repeated louder.

  They looked at each other and had the special sparkle in their eyes that betrayed their hubris. Marcus Lucius didn't have to move a lot to let them all fall to the ground. Their arrogance and fury were written in their faces as they tried to get up. They were embarrassed by Marcus Lucius. They didn't like it.

  -You just proved that you're fools. I even di
dn't get a tiny scratch. Nothing! - He said rather cold than disappointed. - Rufus, I hope you give me better legionnaires tomorrow.

  Rufus nodded. He wasn't surprised by the attitude of the Cornelius's troops. He wished them to get back to reality, to the basics, but they weren't open for it. Their exaggerated opinion of oneself was deeply anchored in their souls and had to be ripped off their hearts. The short lesson of Marcus Lucius was helpful to show them their lack of skills. Compared to Marcus Lucius, they were like flappers standing next to an eagle.

  Rufus saluted and Marcus Lucius left the camp without seeing Cornelius. Marcus Lucius didn't feel powerful enough to keep himself controlled in front of Julia's uncle. He returned to the villa and found Nerva sitting in front of Julia's chamber.

  -You should sit in the chair and watch whether she is all right. - Marcus Lucius was nerved. He was already angry with the lack of competence of Cornelius's soldiers and now, he was doubting whether Nerva understood what Marcus Lucius ordered. Nerva nodded without being convinced. Marcus Lucius didn't like this kind of ignorance. Nerva said coldly:

  -Fight against her or fight against the locals or fight against the men from North, but you won't have enough energy to fight against them all.

  Marcus Lucius didn't react, even if he listened to Nerva's words cautiously. His companion went away without salutation. Marcus Lucius stepped in the chamber and looked at Julia. She was awake and pointedly avoided his look. She didn't look good. Her face showed the amount of pain she experienced lately. The colour disappeared from her cheeks. The region around her swollen eye brow was quite scary, dark. His compassion was mixed with anger.

  -Fair enough. - He said and she didn't get the context.

  He sat in the chair, steadied his arms on the wooden desk and hid his face in his hands. Nerva was right. Marcus Lucius couldn't focus with the same power on both issues. He felt weak and unwilling to to anything. Cornelius's soldiers were bad trained and sticked on the level deeply below average. The decisions of elders were unpredictable. Nerva was nerved and irritated for no reason. Julia was hurt, because she left the villa on her own. She wasn't able to travel and had to stay here. Her reasons were unknown. He couldn't control her. He had to change it. He was lampooned by such insubordination. It wasn't proved whether Eboracum was a safe place or not. It wasn't agreed whether Romans will cooperate with locals against the men from North. It wasn't sure whether Marcus Lucius's identity will be betrayed or not. There were so many open questions that nothing seemed to be fix. There was no reference point on the horizon. Marcus Lucius felt like people who live in glass houses and whose walls were hit by millions of stones. Everything started to fall apart and Marcus Lucius didn't know what to do next. He didn't say a word and sit down in his chair.

  Julia tried to derive his thoughts, but it wasn't possible. She wasn't able to move her head to get a loo at him, so she wasn't sure whether he was still in the room. She was angry with herself that she came to the point where she already was earlier. The distance of Marcus Lucius didn't wonder her, but she didn't like it at all. She didn't expect him to be open and happy to see her. She didn't expect him to see her ever again.

  As Nerva stepped into the chamber, she looked at him and listened to what he said.

  -The messenger arrived.

  She understood that Marcus Lucius was still in the room and she got Nerva's irritated look. It wasn't pleasant. Her father used to look that way when he spoke about people, he didn't like at all. His words were full of negative energy. It was rather eff and blind than speaking. Her father mostly didn't notice her presence. He hid in the garden and was convinced that he was all alone. Julia didn't envy the cursed people, independent what they have done to get such a portion of hate. Nerva had the same sparkle in the eye and it was overawing.

  Marcus Lucius stood up and went slowly to the lobby. It was the same man that arrived already the day before. It was already evening and Marcus Lucius had to take a torch again. It looked almost like the day before, except Marcus Lucius didn't have the special sparks in his eyes. His moves weren't so fast, but the same way fluent as the day before. The messenger noticed it.

  -Nerva, you stay here. You know your task. - Marcus Lucius said as he took his horse from an ostler.

  -As you command. - Nerva answered and went away. He went directly to Julia's chamber and sat down in the chair where Marcus Lucius used to sit. He couldn't keep silence and started walking chaotically.

  -Why did you do it? What did you think? - He repeated angrily. - You destroy everything. Why?

  Julia felt ashamed and intimidated, even if Nerva didn't come closer to her and stayed on distance. He moved from the area she was able to see and the space she couldn't see.

  -I didn't want it to happen. You shouldn't have found me.

  Nerva looked to her. His eyes were glowing like fire and she thought, he would send her thunders like Zeus. It didn't happen. Nerva stopped and puffed like a furious bull. He didn't move closer to her, but she was sure he could appear next to her within a blink of an eye.

  -You really think he wouldn't look for you? He stayed in the cursed woods without any light and if I wouldn't have dragged him away, he would look for you in the darkness until he would succeed.

  Nerva was angry, because she apparently didn't recognize the seriousness of the state she was in. As he got it, it was like an enlightenment. She was just a silly woman as he expected. Her stupid attitude was dangerous for all involved people. She had to be stopped or at least, controlled. Other way, she was a catastrophe for them all.

  -He shouldn't look after me. I wanted to make you all free from this obligation. - She added insecure.

  -How do you mean it? - Nerva assumed there was a kind of argumentation behind it. He wasn't really interested. He asked rather automatically.

  Julia sighed sadly. She didn't look at Nerva as she said:

  -You have your goals. You have to protect Appius. He's a good man and tried to rescue us all. That's right and honourable. Marcus Lucius has a plan. He wants his revenge. That's honourable, too. My plan was to enable you to fulfil your plans. I can't go back to my father. I can't get married again. If there will be no me, you have one obligation less. You can go back to the tracks you followed before it all happened.

  Nerva was flabbergasted. He didn't expect her to think in big pictures. She was supposed to be a silly woman. She had a strategy. It wasn't her task to think that way.

  -So, do what you have to do, and let me do what I have to do. Let me die here, then. He won't have to search for me anymore. - She added and closed her eyes as if she would try to isolate herself from the world. Additional reason for such a behaviour was the pain that caught her entire body and didn't let her to move any muscle without feeling aching everywhere. She didn't want and she couldn't talk with Nerva anymore. He didn't get her point completely. She tried to contribute to the situation. She wanted to decrease the risk and gave them opportunities to go back to the point from where everything started. Why? It was the point he didn't get. Up to that question, everything made sense. There was no meaningful answer to the easiest and shortest question he had. He stood a longer while like a stone. For a very long while, he analysed what she said and he finally came to a conclusion. He needed to say her how wrong she was. She had wrong assumptions. He was surprised that she was more than juts a cute, good-looking shell, but he didn't like her goal.

  -Maybe you are right. Maybe it would be easier for us all then. However, you didn't take into consideration the point that Appius doesn't wish you to be dead. Then, I don't want you to be dead, anyway. And the last person, who wishes it to come true, is Marcus Lucius. You had him at hello. So, don't do what you've done ever again. With all due respect, don't lampoon us anymore.

  He sounded serious, but not cold. Then, he went to the chair, sat down and laid his head on the wooden desk. He ended the discussion. He sunk in his thoughts. He wondered why he didn't notice when his respect for the girl increased. She was ready to sacrifi
ce herself. He didn't think about her this way up to that point. She was indeed remarkable.

  He never met a girl or a woman that would impress him so much as Julia in that moment. He gazed inconspicuously at her, illuminated by the light of torches. She laid in the bed covered with a blanket the way that Marcus Lucius left her. The skin around her right eyes was swollen and dark. The blood collected there was already removed by Marcus Lucius, but there was a wound that had to heal completely. For sure, she would get a scare. Her arms laid along her body and the bruises started to get dangerously violet. The whipped places on her skin made a scary impression. A woman is a delicate being and Nerva was sure that already a stronger touch could injure such a being. He saw the place where she slipped down and compared it to the places he already had to go through. He knew it was painful to land at the feet of the hill after slipping. It was brave and honourable what she targeted, but her strategy was wrong. After all, she was a silly, but honourable woman.

  Julia didn't sleep even if her eyes stayed closed. She analysed what Nerva said. It distracted a bit from the pain. Indeed, she didn't mind the aspects he listed. She thought that her vanished presence would bring back the harmony into the lives of involved persons. She didn't think that the developed relations would be broken and the lost couldn't be balanced. It meant that she had a kind of value in the eyes of others. She didn't think that they wouldn't be able to forget her. If they couldn't remove her from their souls, then she was important to them. She didn't take it into consideration. She thought she was apparently an idiot, even the biggest idiot in the world. She indeed lampooned him. She didn't mind it.

  She didn't feel good. Everything was strongly aching: from the pulsating head to the toes, from the bleeding heart to the jagged soul. Through the bodily pain, she tried to regain the control over her emotional pain. She was able to hold the tears from flowing or she hadn't enough tears anymore. Nothing applied to the theory she had in her head.

  A silence fulfilled the space in the chamber. Nothing happened. Nerva kept sitting in a more comfortable position. Julia kept laying without any movement. The torches were glowing and gave light and warmth. The fireplace was sizzling unhurriedly, almost lazy.

  The silence was broken by Marcus Lucius. He came into the chamber and within one look, he estimated the situation. Nerva got up as fast as he could after he got Marcus Lucius's presence. Julia opened her eyes, because she felt something wasn't right. She wasn't sure how to act. She wasn't able to see with her right eye as good as before. It was annoying. She had to squint her eye to see anything focussed. Then, she couldn't move her head freely. It was too painful. She didn't dare to ask “Who is here?”, because she assumed that it was Marcus Lucius. She didn't see Nerva. He was outside her reach.

  Marcus Lucius moved his head in the way that brought Nerva to follow him. They left the room and Julia stayed alone. She needed to go to the toilet for a while, but didn't dare to ask Nerva to help her. It was a private matter and she wanted to do it on her own. She noticed already that she was almost completely naked and wondered who was responsible for it. Her last clear memory included slipping down the hill. The ground was frozen and the bush she tried to catch was breakable. Then, she felt on the ground and she heard crack. At once, her bone was visible and she couldn't move her leg. It was so painful that she screamed aloud. She memorized all eff and jeff her father used to articulated in her presence. It didn't help in anyway. The pain moved quickly from her leg to her brain. She breathed shortly. Her eyes almost fell out of her face. Her veins came up to the skin surface. It was painful like hell and she thought she never was in such radiating, caustic, boring pain. The only thing she could think about was: Pain! Pain! Pain!

  She didn't notice as someone came to her and touched her with a tick. She ignored the man with non-Roman clothes and a knife in his hands. She wasn't scared. She wanted him to free her from the pain. He spoke, but she didn't listen. She wasn't able to percept anything else than pain. The man with dark hair and attentive eyes was watching her. She gave up everything and laid herself on the ground. Pain! Pain! Pain! And nothing else mattered...

  She laid on her backs and stared at the cloudy sky through the naked tree crowns. The stranger with bony face and fingers bowed over her. She had open eyes. His lips moved, so she assumed he was speaking again. She wasn't able to listen even a word.

  He lifted her and she wasn't able to fight back. Her body was like play dough. She lost her consciousness. As she won back her senses, she was laying on a board in a kind of cottage. She couldn't move. The pain ruled over her will. She noticed some movements, but she wasn't able to see clearly. Her right eye was somewhat paralysed or swollen. She lost her senses again.

  -Who are you? - She heard a question spoke aloud with with difficulty. The voice was warm, but didn't belong to any Roman.

  She smiled or at least, she tried to smile. In her mouth, she percepted blood. She wasn't sure what that meant. There had to be fire that burnt, because the light in the house had the special shadow and warmth.

  -We will not hurt you. We fixed your leg. - The manly voice said.

  Undefined moment later, she heard the same voice again:

  -My son said you are the wife of the new commander.

  She smiled or tried it again. Thinking about Marcus Lucius distracted her for a moment from the pain in her body. She had the impression that everything was aching. Her whole body radiated. She asked herself whether Marcus Lucius felt the same or similar way on the way to Eboracum.

  -It's so warm here. - She whispered indistinctly.

  In wasn't warm, it was just her fever that made her feeling cosy and hot.

  -He is a good man. Don't involve him into this matter. - She added trying to speak clearly. Her voice trembled from effort.

  -He fought against us. - The unknown voice said.

  Julia wanted to refuse. It wasn't a true statement. Marcus Lucius didn't intend to fight with anyone.

  -No, no... He is a good man. He is a good warrior, but he doesn't want to hurt... He is a good man...

  She repeated it and wasn't sure what she spoke aloud or not. She didn't feel good. She noticed that she was taken away from the cottage. She felt some movements of a horse. She wondered whether she knew the horse. She wasn't able to see the surrounding. Her right eye was covered by something that eclipsed the view. It was dark and rainy. However, she didn't feel the coldness of the late autumn and increased by the speed of Hiberus.

  As she thought about these blurry memories, she wondered whether her right eye would function the same way as before. The view was still limited and additionally, the skin around the eye brought her further dollops of pain. She tried to analyse it on her way to the toilet and she was extremely happy that she managed to do what she wanted even with the pain and fixed leg. She wondered how much power she had and how painful the life could be. Even stitching was a peanut, as she percepted the current aching. Every muscle and every breath were connected to a special dollop of agonizing. She wished to die on her way and asked the gods for a quick resolution. Nothing happened, and the pain stayed on her side. It was annoying, irritating, unendurably. As she did what she needed to do, she started coming back in the direction of her bed. The meters between the toilet and her bed were like an unendless march from Rome to Britannia afoot. The pauses between the movements became longer and her breath didn't want to be deeper and more aching, swishing. She never expected to get to know so many kinds of pain as she didn't expect possessing so many resources of patience and endurance.

  On her crawling way back to the bed, she was interrupted by Marcus Lucius. She didn't notice him at first. She was focussed on the bed that was already in sight, when she squinted her eyes. Marcus Lucius stood like a sculpture. Then, he squatted in front of her. He was shocked that she left her bed and wondered how she scuttled with the heavy blanket in the way that didn't let her lose the piece of material. It had to cost her a lot of power. She used the slippy nature of the blanket to pull her
body on it.

  He saw her naked back and butt, and eyes full of confusion. She wasn't sure how to proceed. He squatted emotionless and watchful, but seemed to be paralysed. She stopped and looked above to him. The blanket didn't covered her completely. She didn't care about it. Maybe it was even better that way. Feeling embarrassed and ashamed distracted her from the monotone pain perception. Finally, he bowed over her and lifted her. In the first reflex, she wanted to refuse.

  -I saw you naked already. - He said and she couldn't deduce how he meant it.

  She fizzed and wondered, because she couldn't remember such situation. However, she wondered who undress her. A kind of assumption appeared in her head. She was nor happy nor unhappy about her logical conclusion. However, she didn't like to ask him about it directly.

  She let him lift herself and tried to put her hands around his neck, but it didn't work out perfectly. Her left arm pulsated in another rhythm as the rest of her body. It felt as if her arm would follow Amy Winehouse's “Back to black” and her heart tried to sing “Gloomy Sunday” by Rezso Seress and best known in the version of Billie Holiday, connected to several urban legends regarding reasons for banning the song.

  He took her to the bed and put her down there. He didn't say a word as the blanket fell down on the ground. He didn't gaze at her naked body. Instead, he moved quickly and returned with the thick, dark red blanket. She used it more often than not. Then, he covered her with it and went to his chair. He sat down there and contemplated. She couldn't fall to sleep. The atmosphere was heavy and gloomy like the deepest holes in the woods, where no light appears during a sunny day.

  -What did I do wrong? - She asked finally. Her voice trembled suspiciously.

  She wasn't sure whether he was still in the room. He wasn't sure whether she was talking to him. He reacted to a later time, not directly after he heard her. His mind suggested him that he dreamt that she tried communicating with him. He was extremely sad and couldn't understand why she attempted to flee. Her question was quirky, but not oddly amusing at all. She wanted to know what she did wrong. He wished to know what he did wrong instead. There had to be any action that made her thinking that she had to act the way she acted. There had to be something that he missed or communicated in a false way. That caused his return. After he got sure that she was as far as possible living, he rushed to the meeting with the elders to get his answers. As he came back, the sentence echoed in his mind: “We've heard you're a good man. Your word is reliable and binding. We agree to your conditions.” He wondered how should he interpret it. The elements of the puzzle didn't suit to each other. He couldn't recognize why it was the case.

  What he didn't know was that Cunobarro was convinced that people in the state of almost lost consciousness tend to say the truth directly from the bottom of their hearts and minds. Cunobarro's impression of Marcus Lucius was simply confirmed by Julia. Next to his rational reasons, his voice within was confirmed additionally. Cunobarro bounded Marcus Lucius to the place and the old man knew that Marcus Lucius couldn't take back the given word. Keeping Marcus Lucius near to Cunobarro was crucial for the peace in the region. What Cunobarro didn't know was the fact that Marcus Lucius wouldn't be able to exist without Julia on his side. Her journey to Naples was postponed due to the latest injuries. Even if she would leave the camp in the spring, Marcus Lucius had to stay in Eboracum, because he promised it to Cunobarro. Binding word had to have greater power than love to a fake wife. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether the coincidence was good or bad for him.

  -What did you wrong? - He repeated the question and looked incredibly confused, dimly.

  Her eyes became bigger, more interested. She wasn't able to look at him. She had to squint with her right eye due to her impaired vision. Marcus Lucius noticed her problem and stood up. He came closer so that she didn't need to exert her eye muscles. She didn't thank for it, but she followed his face expression.

  -You should sleep. - He whispered.

  -You should sleep. - She answered quietly. She wasn't satisfied with not getting the answer she needed.

  He couldn't look at her face without getting pricks of conscience. Her every scar, every whipped place of her body, every wound and broken bone were proofs of his breakdown. He swallowed the bitter truth he believed in and tried to concentrate positively on the state they were in. He had to be supportive. Blaming her and bringing her to a dark tracks of minds would just make it harder to heal the bodily wounds. She needed good vibrations. A beaten dog doesn't need any further slap, but a cosy shelter to rest and lick its wounds.

  He shoved her delicately and laid next to her so that she could see him better. He was already unarmed and wore just the woollen tunic. She appreciated his gesture visibly, even if she wasn't able to smile the way she wanted. She focussed on his heartbeat. It calmed her down. He couldn't look at her partially violet fingers that held the blanket. However, with the corner of his eye, he had it in sight. With the same unwilling, but trained sense, he looked at the further damages of her body, even without gazing at them directly. He knew that there were many harms below the surface of her skin, invisible for eyes, but perceptible for Julia.

  He trembled as she said something. He didn't expect it and the surprise effect caused his quavering. Her voice sounded dreamy and indicated that she was on drugs or in so much pain that she didn't control herself. She sounded sleepy, cute, real.

  -You know what... I spent my entire childhood wishing that I was older and now I am older and this is not my vision of life. - The sound of her whisper was pleasant for ears. The content wasn't.

  -How did you imagine it to be then? - He asked.

  -I don't know. Differently... - She started unhurriedly and insecure, but she opened herself to him. - I thought I will get married happily. I thought I could keep my secret garden. I thought I would be happy.

  -Your secret garden? - He wondered. He didn't intend to speak about the second part of her last statement. Her head laid next to his chest and he started stroking her hair automatically. She didn't look him directly in the eyes. Instead, she gazed at his moving chest.

  -I used to hide myself in my father's garden. We had olive trees with beautiful blossoms and green leaf. We had sky above the garden and hills on the horizon. We had silence and shadow to find a place to hide. I liked to hide there, between the trees, to watch cats who played in the grass, to stroke my dog...

  She whispered and Marcus Lucius's heart got beating faster. He didn't expect her to talk so much. He wondered whether she will tell him why she tried to hide there.

  -My father has sons, who can go a battle and bring back the fame of the Julii family. They can make him proud. As I thought about it after I got married, I recognized that he gave me away, because it was the only way to make out of me a valuable thing. There is no other way to make a win out of nothing or even a loss... I can't give him any battle victory. I can't stand up and keep his name as mine. I was sold and it all makes sense...

  Marcus Lucius listened carefully to her monologue. He wanted to refuse, but he wasn't able to find any rational arguments to throw into discussion. He stayed silent. He didn't expect her to be so grounded. As she stopped talking, it was abrupt and shocking. In the short moment, he familiarized with the tone of her voice, she simply stopped talking. He wanted her to continue, so he thought what to ask her to get a detailed answer. He didn't want to ask her about anything related to their own relationship and he wanted it so badly at the same time. The curiosity started eating his soul and chewed on him the same well-nigh universal way the Native Americans chewed the leaves of the plant, frequently mixed with mineral lime. With his thoughts, he has been over and over that a hundred times!

  -Are you not happy? - He asked after he wasn't able enough to control himself.

  She didn't tremble. She stayed sleepy and blurred, but open, because she answered his question as he wished, but not with the content he thought about. It was a chance like one in a million, because he got to know her doubts and
fears, even if he hadn't enough background to understand her completely.

  -I don't know. I was happy. Then, I wasn't. Then, it changed again. I don't know. I am not happy completely. I thought I was right, but I wasn't. Now, I don't know what to do. I lost my perspective. I did something wrong. Maybe you know what I did wrong. You are a good man. You always know what to do... - Her voice sounded differently. She was still fizzing and it stayed that way for further days. The medicine she got from medico brought her started working chaotically. Julia was running off at the mouth.

  -You think I am a good man? - He wondered and doubted internally. He desired her in the way that wasn't socially allowed. He didn't want to realize what he intended. He didn't follow the most honourable goals, because killing a person is never a honourable issue compared to big state affairs. However, there was a special kind of revenge that had to be realized until the bitter end to balance the complex matter. He wasn't able to protect her. He wasn't able to give her protection on her way to Naples. He pretended to be a man he wasn't. It all didn't make him a good man.

  -I think you are. You are a man of principles and you follow them for real, with fire in your eyes and with consequence in your actions. You have a plan and you realize it. You will have your vengeance for your wife, other way, it all wouldn't make sense. You just have to avenge, because it's your track. I thought I was standing on your way, so I ran away. I wanted to simplify it all for you, for Appius, for Nerva, for Octavian...

  She talked chaotically, unreflective. Her sentences became shorter. It was a stream of thoughts and no well-considered statement. Marcus Lucius inhaled her words with all his senses.

  -I was sure I was doing right, but I wasn't. Nerva said I wasn't. The old man said I wasn't. I wanted to challenge the fate and end it the way I wanted. I didn't know in detail how it should go. I think the death from starving is horrible. I didn't consider it at all. I didn't think about the whole matter. As I slipped, I hoped it's over. It wasn't. It was a beginning of a track full of pain. I couldn't imagine to feel so much pain and as I felt it, I wanted it to go by. I hoped that death feels that way. It didn't. I wasn't ready to die. I tried to persuade it to myself, but I felt I didn't want it really. There was something that kept me breathing. I think, as long as we have at least one reason to live, then it's worth to live. Living is not easy. Going consciously through the days and nights is everything, but not easy, but it's worthy. It needs courage. I am no coward. I can fight. I couldn't quit.

  Even if he liked listening to her voice, he had to say something that was burning in his soul as if he would get a glowing iron stick directly into his heart:

  -You tried to kill yourself.

  -I tried to rescue you all. - She answered quickly, avidly.

  -No, you tried to kill yourself. You were running from this world, directly to the afterworld. - His voice sounded cold, even if he didn't intend to cool her down extremely. He wanted and needed to lay in bed and listen to her breath to be sure that she was alive. She already gave up once and he didn't wish her to run away any further time.

  A long and silent break followed. Marcus Lucius analysed his doubts. Julia was simply tuckered out and at one moment, she stopped stroking him. Instead, she started to snooze. Her fingers seemed to be frozen, her feverish head slid slowly to his chest. She didn't hear the whispered words of Marcus Lucius:

  -Your existence gives me hope. - As she didn't reacted, he noticed that her mind was shut off and captured in dreams. - Even if you don't get it anyway.

  Simply a smile full of relief and harmony appeared on his face. The most important fact was her presence next to him, her breath proving her existence and her nice smelling hair that got an additional shade of wild nature. He had her warmth or even feverish temperature better than the lack of her presence and uncertainty of her whereabouts. Automatically, he started stroking her backs. She was still not dressed and wrapped as a pancake in the warm blanket. He had to slip his hand under the material and he felt her naked skin. It was a good feeling. Her body reacted with pleasure to his touch. She let herself stroking like a domestic cat.

  The whole night, he stayed watchful and didn't allow himself to close his eyes for a longer while. He was extraordinary tired, but he drilled himself long enough to endure even one restless night. He didn't stop to stroke her, because it calm down them both.

  Early before the sunrise, Julia woke up and noticed her nudity and Marcus Lucius being awake. She got afraid of the reality and wasn't sure what happened and what was just a blurry dream. Her fever didn't go by. Additionally, she had headache. Her whole body was aching and she didn't want to disclose her pain. Every movement, even breathing, fulfilled her with shots in the dark, up to then unknown depth of her body. Her fingers trembled, and even that was painful. Her arm was pulsating. The injury wasn't comparable with anything else she experienced. The surrounding looked dizzily, dashed, but only in her perspective. She didn't get much from the space around her.

  -Did you sleep well? - Marcus Lucius asked and it sounded compelled, but the silence wasn't able to answer for Julia. He noticed her frozen mood and tried not to move at all after she groaned minimally. Apparently, she didn't allow herself to show any sign of agonizing in front of another person. It wasn't possible. Marcus Lucius's attention was sharp and focussed on her. He didn't miss any visible indication of her tortures.

  The girl whispered finally:

  -Yesss... The “s” durated longer and tried to cover the pain. Her throat was dry and Marcus Lucius noticed it naturally, but didn't intend to show her that he could read so much from her reactions. If she tried to hide the pain then she should at least believe she could manage it. If it was the way to get internal powers, then she should get the chance. Instead, he took a glass with water and drank a bit. Apparently casually, he asked whether she would like to drink, too. She didn't answer, but she took three draughts. He wiped the rest of water she didn't manage to drink and that flew along her chin.

  -I can't sleep. - He said as he was bowed over her.

  She waited a moment until she gathered enough powers to say louder and more independent:

  -Legends say that when you can't sleep at night, it's because you're awake in someone else's dream.

  He smiled. He didn't know it. He wondered which legends say so.

  -You have to give me an example for it one day.

  -You look terribly. - She said.

  Even if the marks of lacking sleep were a bit visible, he still looked good. He was unsettled, because he didn't get any answer explaining him the reasons of her action. He was confused and tired due to trying finding the answers in his mind.

  -I have to go now, but I will come back shortly after noon.

  She didn't say anything, but her eyes got sadder.

  -If you try to move on your own, I will kill you with my hands. - He declared coldly. - Nerva will help you with everything. If you refuse, you can get help from your private slave. Nerva won't go away. Do you understand?

  The sadness in her eyes was replaced by anger. She didn't like the idea of Nerva looking at all things that had be done. The nudity in front of Marcus Lucius wasn't strange and didn't feel too uncomfortable, but only the thought that Nerva would gaze at her made Julia ashamed.

  -You don't have a choice. I already ordered it. - Marcus Lucius lied, because he was just going to talk with Nerva. Julia didn't get his lie. - Do you understand?

  Julia noticed that there was no space for refusal, and Marcus Lucius was really waiting for her answer. He bowed over her and his whole presence radiated so strange, so emotionless that she got scared a bit. It was another man looking the same way Marcus Lucius did. His soul wasn't in his body. It wasn't possible that he could look at her with such snaky eyes. His face was just some centimetres away from hers. He didn't repeat his question for the third time. She nodded, rather scared and insecure. She was totally convinced that he would kill her if she wouldn't answer according his expectation. As he got his answer, his eye
s changed and his soul came back. He changed into the man she knew and desired. He didn't kiss her, he didn't smile. Just his eyes showed the warm, cosy sparkles she knew already.

  He disappeared and she heard how someone else stepped into the room later. Apparently, the talk with Nerva took longer than just a gesture of saluting. She assumed that Marcus Lucius lied about the deal with Nerva. Indeed, Marcus Lucius explained Nerva how the following days should look like and Nerva wasn't excited at all while listening that Marcus Lucius would take over the trainings and patrols before noon. He intended to take Cornelius's legionnaires and after the patrols, he wanted to have a small talk with Cornelius himself. It would seem rude, if he wouldn't exchange any sentence or even a salutation to the camp commander. Cornelius shouldn't get any scared thought of being replaced or feeling overlooked. Nerva understood the plan, but he didn't like it. He had to spend his all forenoons as a nanny for a girl that couldn't move a lot. Even if he respected her more than a day before, because she explained him her reasons, he didn't like to be around her for such a long time.

  -She is my priority now. You have to control that she eats and drinks enough. - Marcus Lucius said shortly and Nerva didn't have to listen a preaching. He nodded and took with no resistance what Marcus Lucius ordered. Nerva needed someone who was giving commands and direction on the road.

  As Marcus Lucius said that he would come back after noon and relay Nerva, Nerva suddenly cheered up. Nerva should lead the second round of patrolling and this task seemed to be reward enough for the inconvenience of the mornings. After the sunset, Nerva was going to train with Marcus Lucius, so they were prepared on any combat on the road they could experience. Marcus Lucius didn't have to wait long for Nerva's glad acceptance. It made the entire situation easier for them both.

  From that day, a kind of routine came back to the villa. The forenoons were calm and lazy. Marcus Lucius went to the camp, took the soldiers that Rufus has chosen for him, and they went to the woods. He observed unsuspiciously how the legionnaires behaved and reacted. After the short lesson he gave once, nobody felt good enough to be at his side. They had to climb the stairs of training continuously, strenuously, diligently. They had to earn Marcus Lucius's commendation. He didn't talk much. He explained them that talking distracts from the sounds of the surrounding. They should keep silence and stay concentrated on the nature around them. First when they knew the nature around them, they could start discriminate the pieces that didn't suit to the trees, bushes, sand or paddles on the road.

  After the first round of patrolling, Marcus Lucius stepped by Cornelius and saluted shortly. Showing the respect was important for keeping the play the way Marcus Lucius needed to have it. Small talk looked the same every day, and with time, it looked quite familiar to the both speaker. Cornelius asked whether everything was all right. Marcus Lucius confirmed it without applause for the legionnaires. Then, he answered a question about training's progress with the same sentence:

  -They still don't like it, because they hadn't any chance to be in a real fight. When they'll get such a chance and won't get hurt or dead, then, they'll appreciate what they do now.

  -If it's natural to kill, why they have to learn how to do it? - Cornelius asked then every time, even without any context to Marcus Lucius's statement.

  Marcus Lucius smiled then in a special way. He knew that Cornelius wasn't a good soldier and his attitude was terrible. Apparently, Julia's uncle never participated in a serious fight then. He had to go to politics one day to speak about such matters with other unrealistic warriors with great visions. It was impossible to protect borders or to conquer new lands or to control the already conquered lands with Cornelius's attitude.

  Without giving any answer, Marcus Lucius saluted then and rode back to Maxentius's villa. Nerva was already waiting impatiently. When the first patrol didn't find anything suspicious, Marcus Lucius saluted in a specific way. Nerva didn't wait then any longer and took his horse to start his round of patrol as soon as possible. His nature of being in motion won over his other issues. He enjoyed the afternoons spent outside, even if he hadn't gallop or hustle the group. He started to like the surrounding here. It brought him a piece of freedom and reminded about time he spent as a messenger. Even the rain or snow wasn't able to get worse his mood. With a new group of legionnaires, he went on the second patrol and he changed the routes daily a bit. He felt good as a commander of a group. He liked the gazing eyes with respect and a kind of fear. He knew that legionnaires were aware that Nerva was a skilled soldier. They weren't. They were like children that had to learn how to walk. Teaching them was a welcome change. After looking after Julia every forenoon, he needed to breathe the real, cold air and feel the wind on his face. Taking care of Julia was an easy task. He forced her to eat as he stepped into her chamber. Slaves already prepared a meal and Nerva sat in the chair next to the table and ate his meal while observing how Julia fought with hers. She didn't like to eat much, but he hawked meaningful when she didn't eat at least the minimal portion. Then, he waited until she drank her milk to give a sign for her two personal slaves to bring her to the bathroom.

  He kept sitting in the chair, where she wasn't able to see him. It was a good place to observe her. He saw the pieces of her naked body sometimes, but he tried not to look at her during the time she spent in bathroom. He listened carefully to the sounds from the other room and as long as everything seemed to be all right, he didn't get up from his chair. Sometimes, he had to go and relay servants while taking Julia back to the bed. The girl didn't like it. He ignored her bruises and injuries, but he minded her stitched underarm and her broken leg. Every time he lifted her, he wondered how delicate and lightweight she was. However, with every day, she seemed to weight a bit more. Nerva was proud that she ate properly during his watch. Marcus Lucius wasn't able to force her to eat even the minimum, so Nerva had to overtake the task. He managed it successfully. With time, they started talking. She asked some questions from Nerva's life, stayed focussed on his professional skills and didn't snoop. So Nerva told her about his days on the road. He spinned tales about his days here and there. As a messenger, he was in many different places, even in the far Alexandria and Corduba. He liked telling her stories. Julia listened grateful for his words and didn't interrupt him. She closed her eyes and laid without motion on her bed. With time, he used to move the chair closer to her so that he hadn't talk so loud or that she didn't have to strain herself.

  His stories included mostly some small talks with soldiers from other provinces. What Nerva didn't mention, but what he memorized, were the masses of women he met there. At first, he tried to remind when was the last time he had sex and he resolved that he needed female thighs in the night before he went to sleep. Every now and then, he left the villa and went to bat houses next to the camp. However, the sex he had earlier seemed to be better. In Britannia, something was missing and didn't give him the same good level of fulfilment as before. As he analysed it, he kept silence and Julia was dozing. He looked at her rough shapes covered by the red blanket and pelts that Marcus Lucius brought as he noticed her trembling body. Nerva wondered how powerful and how weak the girl was. As he noticed that he was thinking about one girl again, he tried to go back to his memories of the times that were much easier and less complicated than now.

  What Nerva liked a lot were the patrolling rounds during the afternoons. What made him excited every day were the trainings with Marcus Lucius. Shortly after he came back from the patrols, he stayed in the yard and hadn't wait for his friend to show up. Marcus Lucius was already expecting him. Nerva wasn't sure how Marcus Lucius got to know when Nerva was coming back to the villa, but Marcus Lucius was always there.

  Nerva jumped from his horse and already with the energy gathered during the jump, he attacked Marcus Lucius. His friend defend himself and a small battle began. The duel took a longer while and the rumours of the crossed swords echoed in the yard. Nerva asked Marcus Lucius not to give him any credit. Nerva wanted to be trea
ted equally. Marcus Lucius agreed, but he didn't use his entire range of skills. He trained every day before Nerva came back and was already sweated as the duel started. No warm-up was needed. They battled for an hour or longer on a yard lightened just by torches. As Julia felt better, she used to look at the training from a room with a window to the yard. She loved the shadow play and it was a kind of theatre for her. She was fascinated by the fluent movements and echoing steel noises. Chloe and Lysandra brought her a wooden stool where she could sit and which allowed her following the special, unique theatre play below the window. As she just noticed that the battle was over, she hushed to be back in her bed before Marcus Lucius appeared in the room again.

  He came to her every day shortly after the noon passed and stayed in the room until the evening came. He shoved the chair with his legs without using his arms and it was a sign for her to wake up and eat her dinner. He brought her the meal and watched how she avoided to eat. She was full of breakfast, because Nerva wasn't so easy to manipulate as Marcus Lucius. Nerva didn't get these all “I can't”-excuses and Julia stopped using them quickly. Marcus Lucius looked how she struggle while eating. He didn't say a word. Nerva talked a lot. He told Julia stories and described places he already was. Marcus Lucius's tongue was off the duty. If it was his punishment for Julia, then it was a perfect one. His face didn't betray whether he was in a good or bad mood. There were plenty emotions in his eyes. His lips were closed and immovable. Additionally, he didn't touch her. Just in the cases she had to go to toilet, he brought her there, but left her privacy. He brought her back into bed. His strong arms kept her for the needed time to transport her here or there, but he didn't stroke her or he didn't lay next to her. It was the higher level of punishment in Julia's eyes. She missed his warmth. The aching of her body was strong, but the pain in her soul was even bigger. She thought she was one huge, unendless source of pain. She tried not to groan with pain, but she wasn't sure how much Marcus Lucius was able to decode. He avoided to touch her, because he was scared that if he would stroke her, he would increase the pain she was in. in his eyes, she could fall apart and therefore, he stayed on distance. He didn't speak a word, because he didn't know what to say. He was still thinking about her reasons and his duties. He was tired of guessing and forging plans. Sometimes, when Julia was dozing, he allowed himself a short nap, too. He stayed watchful and woke up with every movement in the room. As Julia noticed it, she kept as much silence as she could and she simply opened her eyes then. His face looked tired and stressed. He needed to rest properly, but he ignored her requests to lay down even in his own bed.

  Towards evening, Marcus Lucius stood up and went outside to warm-up, train and battle with Nerva. Then, he came back sweated and silently. Marcus Lucius washed himself quickly and looked whether Julia ate her supper. He ate something within few moments. The day was over and he was supposed to rest. Instead, he sat down in the chair next to Julia's bed. He took away a piece of her blanket and pelts that covered her injured leg. He looked at the wound apparently cursorily, but it wasn't the truth. He was able to get the information he needed within a moment. Then, he covered Julia's leg again with warm and cosy things. He looked at her right eye. He didn't get Julia's look, but he felt it. The swelling started to decrease slowly. With every day, the pressure on her eye was smaller and her sight became better. Her stitched arm looked better every day, even if the healing progress was minimally visible.

  Marcus Lucius blew out all torches except the one directly next to Julia's bed. The room was dark. The fireplace was glowing, but it didn't give much light. Instead, it gave warmth. Julia tried to find a good position to fell asleep. She moved a bit to the edge of the bed and left Marcus Lucius enough space on her left to lay down in the bed next to her. He didn't use the situation. He didn't touch her at all until she felt asleep deeply. At first then, he went around the bed and kneed in front of her. She wasn't able to percept his shy strokes. He kissed her forehead and the right cheek. He stroked her a couple of times and the special shadow appeared in his eyes. She was so important to him that he didn't want to betray the fact even to her. The closer he wanted to be to her, the more scared he was and the more distanced he acted.

  He sat down in his chair again and tried to sleep. His watchful ears listened to the rumours around and he always got the point of time when Nerva came back from the city. Marcus Lucius shut his eyes on Nerva's sallies to the city next to camp and was a bit calmer when Nerva stayed in the villa, whether in tepidarium or in his room. The noise of the hooves was loud enough to bring Marcus Lucius back to reality. He looked out of the small window in the hall and got back to Julia. He checked whether she was still asleep and with drowsy heart, he sat down in the chair again.

  He dreamt about Julia falling down into a hole and not being able to stand up. The hole became darker and darker until Marcus Lucius wasn't able to see anything else. She didn't scream and he wasn't able to localise her. He woke up nervously and checked again whether everything was fine. Julia was still sleeping. Without perception of her warmth, he was unsettled and automatically, he needed to sit down closer to her. He moved quietly his chair to her right side and grasp her hand gently. Feeling her skin allowed him to sleep better, even if the chair wasn't comfortable.

  During one night, four or five weeks after her remarkable attempt to escape, she woke up as he took her hand and he seemed to be perplexed by her look.

  -You should lay in the bed. You are tired. - She whispered in a twilight sleep. She moved her hand to her chest and therefore, Marcus Lucius, who was still holding her hand, was forced whether to let her hand away or to move with her. He decided to move, because it was her wounded underarm and it was important than his comfort. As his hand landed on her chest, he was surprisingly abashed. He didn't dare to change her position, so he moved above her in the way that didn't disturb her. It was a hard task, but not impossible. She had open eyes and smiled as she looked how he tried to move without touching her. Apparently, she was convinced she was dreaming. She laid her left hand on his hand holding her. He laid carefully on the left side and looked at her with a blank expression on his face.

  -You're here. - She whispered with extremely happy tone. She turned to him and moved closer to him. The blankets and the pelts moved a bit and Marcus Lucius felt the extreme warmth coming from her. He didn't like her to tremble, so he moved closer as well. His body wasn't as warm as hers, but it was enough for her to get the goose pimples. Julia flattened herself against him and quickly found a comfortable position. He couldn't act in any other way than just let her to hug him. He amended the blankets and pelts. He wasn't familiarized with so much warmth around him, as he wasn't accustomed to feel Julia so close. Due to his tiredness and lack of good sleep, he zoned out promptly.

  As Julia felt his body next to hers, she was sure she was dreaming. However, when the temperature and the pressure of him didn't ease, she became aware that it wasn't a dream at all. She felt happy, but she didn't dare to move, because she didn't want to destroy the intimacy they had. Marcus Lucius slept deeply. He had to feel comfortable, because he didn't react on her strokes. He turned to lay down on his belly and she didn't make it complicated. She laid her stitched hand on his backs and stroked him. Her face was near to his and she kissed his cheek gently. From her feeling of being lucky, she wasn't sure what to do next. Preferably, she wouldn't let him go. She wished him to stay in such position for some ages as long as she could touch him unpunished and unstoppably.

  -Let the chips fall where they may. - She whispered and unfortunately, she woke him up.

  He listened a whisper and he wasn't sure whether everything was fine. He opened his eyes promptly and tried to estimate the situation. He almost got up and jumped out of the bed. Her stitched hand on his backs moved abruptly due to his sharp, sudden movement. Julia groaned and Marcus Lucius noticed the problem. He laid down again and looked at her. He hand landed on his backs again.

  -Are you fine? - He asked worried.

&
nbsp; She nodded and stopped groaning. She didn't intend to scary him.

  -Please, stay. - She begged.

  He blinked a couple of time, some wrinkles showed up on his forehead, but finally, he closed his eyes again. His sleep came back as sudden as he woke up. She didn't dare to move and at last, she felt asleep again.

  From that night, the routine changed minimally. The patrols and training units stayed as they were practiced in the last weeks, but when the night came, Marcus Lucius laid down on the empty space next to Julia. He didn't slip under her blankets and pelts. He had his own blanket. Mostly, he slept on his belly. They weren't talking still, but while they were sleeping, their bodies looked for a better proximity. As they woke up, Marcus Lucius was holding her hand or her head was next to his. Sometimes, her head landed even on his backs. Marcus Lucius slept better and Julia was calmer as well. The silence between them was strange, but not intimidating. They have learnt how not to speak with each other, even if they weren't angry with each other anymore.

  Marcus Lucius started to sent ostlers to the woods around the villa and ordered them to hang up different things from materials over some pieces of soldier's equipment. In the first days, Cornelius's legionnaires didn't find anything strange in the surrounding. Nerva was alarmed from the very first thing he found. He came back to Marcus Lucius within some minutes after the departure and talked with Marcus Lucius about his findings. Marcus Lucius smiled and betted with Nerva that Cornelius's soldiers won't find anything within a week without any hint. Nerva was convinced that they won't need so long. Nerva was wrong.

  Even in the snowy, white days combined with some heavy rain, Cornelius's men weren't attentive enough to find anything wrong. Marcus Lucius laughed every time Nerva cursed after coming back to the villa.

  -How stupid are they?! Morons! Pillocks!

  Marcus Lucius laughed dearly and it was the only good thing connected to the matter. Nerva analysed whether he ever before heard Marcus Lucius laughing so freely and cordially. He couldn't remind any such occasion and he wondered from where Marcus Lucius takes his positive energy. After the week, Marcus Lucius gave a hint to the soldiers and took from Nerva a special bow for winning the bet. Julia watched out of the window how they monkeyed around. It was a welcome change to see them both so sorrow-free and cordially. In the following days, Cornelius's legionnaires started finding almost all more or less perfect hidden things. With every finding, they felt more ashamed knowing that they missed these all stuff in the woods before. Marcus Lucius didn't laugh them out of court. They appreciated it.

  Additionally, Octavian came back. He met Nerva just on the way to the camp. Nerva sent him to Marcus Lucius, who was supposed to be in the villa. Octavian nodded and followed the hint. A slave brought a good news to Marcus Lucius, who already went to the window to check what horse visited the yard. The noise of the hooves was new and raised Marcus Lucius's attention. In the very first moment, Marcus Lucius thought that Cornelius gathered his men and wanted to visit Maxentius. With relief, Marcus Lucius welcomed his guest.

  Octavian brought greetings from Appius and the kind of good energy needed to have a good mood. Julia wondered how such a calm, emotionless person could spread so much positive vibrations, but she didn't ask it aloud. He was glad to see Octavian. He brought her a letter from Appius and what was more important, he influenced Marcus Lucius to talk with her finally. While Marcus Lucius read the message, Octavian stayed in Julia's chamber. He was scared as he saw her. Even if her face looked dearly, there were traces of bad times written on it. In the meanwhile, her injuries didn't look so scary and fresh anymore. However, he imagined how badly injured she was as he saw the traces in form of scars, stitches and the fixed leg.

  To mark the occasion, Marcus Lucius ordered to have meals in the best room that wasn't used normally anymore. He brought Julia to the table and ordered to serve wine. The fireplace brought enough warmth to sit there freely without any special blankets. Octavian told how he came back to Appius and what happened on the road. The meeting with some robbers was quickly outlined in front of Julia. First in the following days, as Octavian accompanied Marcus Lucius or Nerva during patrolling, he described more detailed what really happened. The same rule obtained content of talks with Appius and the entire situation that developed in the South of the empire. Julia felt that men tried not to show her how she was excluded from their talks. During the first evening, they drank wine and talked about less serious matters of this world. It was a very special evening, full of laughter and harmony. It was a shame that it had to end once.

  Nerva brought Octavian to his quarters and they talked for hours, until the morning star appeared on the sky. They continued talking about less important things. It wasn't the time for seriousness. In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius carried Julia away. He didn't drink wine normally, so his steps were a bit shaky due to alcohol. Julia giggled. As he laid her on the bed and even under the influence of alcohol, he checked her injuries, she chuckled even more. He tried to stay serious, because her health condition was an important issue to him. She fooled around and touched his hair on impulse. Then, she stroke his cheek as he was looking at her eyebrow. Her dainty fingers had a magical power. They forced him to look her in the eyes and stay on distance of just some centimetres. His fingers drew a line along the scar she got above the eye. She closed her eyes and relish the moment. Then, he kissed the place he just touched and as his lips touched her, she sighed with pleasure. It encouraged him to kiss her again an again. Instead of drawing a line with his hand, he was kissing her along the imaginary line. Then, he kissed her eyelid as gently as he could. His lips started a ramble across her face. After her eyelid, her cheeks were next. She opened her lips and waited impatiently when he would kiss them. As he did it, she melted away in joy and desire. She spread her arms and embraced him. With her fingers, she stroked his neck. He steadied himself on the left arm and pulled her head delicately. His moves were fluent and adroit as always. His kisses were passionate and his strokes ardent. She was open for a further step, but it didn't happen. Marcus Lucius was like the weather in mountains: it could surprise you any moment with a rapid change. He stopped kissing her and looked at her for a longer while. She was disorientated and kept sitting with a short breath. Her chest moved regularly. Her eyes sparkled. Her body trembled.

  -It's not the time, not the place. - He said finally and laid next to her as he did it last nights.

  She wasn't happy about the sudden turn. She kept sitting immovable for a longer while. Marcus Lucius could already felt asleep easily, but he was still awake.

  -You think the most expectable thing for me was going back to my family? No, it's rather the last action I'd like to realize. - She whispered finally.

  He didn't move at all, but he listened carefully.

  -Do you remember how I asked you what have I done wrong? I didn't accomplish my mission. You would be a free man with chances on revenge. Appius would be a free man with chances to live his life without sorrowing abut our fates. I didn't take under consideration that you would miss me. That is what I have done wrong. I brought you pain and sorrows. I am deeply sorry for that. Will you ever forgive me?

  Marcus Lucius didn't act. He struggled internally. As he didn't answer, she continued to fill the silence with words:

  -I know that you're still grieving for your wife. It is painful to lose someone you love. I just tried to make it easier for you all...

  His anger started to be visible on the surface of his body. Icy, inimical shadow appeared in his eyes. His muscles were tensed. She didn't see it coming obviously, unstoppably. He was starring at the torch and followed the fire. His breath became deep and heavy. There was a dangerous heartbeat in his body. He forced himself not to stand up rapidly and not to explode. His voice was ice-cold. He tried to speak slowly:

  -You think that the most painful thing was to lose my wife? No, it's not the case. You are losing yourself right now, that is what makes me mad and sad. My wife was killed. I couldn't
do anything to protect her at that moment, but you are alive. Do you not value yourself? As long as you are alive, I will try to take care of you, even if you make it unbelievably hard for me. Don't make it harder anymore.

  Julia turned to him and noticed his hostile look. It was the same kind of look he had as she thought he lost his soul once. She got scared and tried to come out of the talk:

  -But I...

  He interrupted her right away:

  -Don't think what's the best for us all. It's not your task. Staying alive is your task. Keeping in line is your task.

  He wasn't still looking at her, but she gazed at him attentively. She couldn't understand it completely.

  -I thought I call the tune, because it's my life. - She said sadly.

  -You were wrong. You have just assumptions, but you don't know everything. Burning one piece of the puzzle can change the whole scenery immeasurably. A free space never stays empty. By taking one puzzle away, you create new environment. If you need to change something unconditionally, then you have to get a closer look at the puzzle and think about all perspectives you can imagine. It still doesn't mean that you will preassign or define all possibilities. There is always an undefined issue you don't know. You thought it's easy, but it's never that easy. Your life is not only your own matter. It influences people around you. You didn't think about it. If you don't value your life, you don't value the lives of others.

  He spoke calmly, but he burnt internally. He was angry and the entire madness and sadness collected through the weeks, came out of him in a controlled way. Julia sighed and tried to remember whether he said so much ever before. She listened carefully to his words and she understood that he cared about her. If he wouldn't care about her, he wouldn't help her in the last weeks in the way he did or he wouldn't explain her so widely his point.

  -I am very, very sorry. - She whispered as long as he didn't calm down. It durated and Julia felt really bad about it all. She didn't move. In opposite, Marcus Lucius's head turned to her. Without a word, he laid his left cheek on her thighs. His right arm was put on her healthy leg. She started stroking him on impulse. She noticed how fast he calmed down then.

  -I have it still in front of my eyes. - He whispered calmly, not icily anymore. - You weren't here... Or you being injured... The memory of it still reminds me of you trying to escape. I can't fight against it all when I am not sure what you do next.

  She had tears in her eyes and tried to prevent them flowing down at him. She didn't think about it that way. It was indeed more complicated and not that easy. She would be sad the same way, if anything would happened to him. She wasn't sure whether he felt asleep or whether he was just laying.

  -Just stop escaping. If you wish to go away, just tell me, but for gods' sake, stop running away without leaving any note. Don't make it harder as it is already.

  -I won't make it harder anymore, not for you, I promise. - Her voice trembled and her tears started flowing down.

  Marcus Lucius felt dribbling drops on the skin and noticed how she tried to wipe the tears away. His head moved and he sat next to her. He started kissing the traces of her tears. His moves were slow, full of love and care. Julia was limited by her fixed leg and therefore, she wasn't able to move freely. She put her arms around him and let him kissing her. She had feverish forehead and trembling lips. Her eyes were closed as if it could stop the tears from flowing. Marcus Lucius soothed her without words. He helped her to lay down and his skilled hands stroked her along her arms, legs, face. He loved to touch her face.

  -I won't... I promise...

  He kissed her lips to stop her talk. Everything was cleared already. The past cannot be changed, forgotten or erased. It can only be accepted. Marcus Lucius took it like a man. She struggled. She tried to calm down, but – against her will - she started crying so strongly that she couldn't stop it at all. A kind of a heavy load was melting away in her tears. She sobbed and Marcus Lucius stopped kissing her. Instead, he embraced her. The flood of emotions, pricks of consciousness and pain she carried with her were a severe last. Her fingers held Marcus Lucius's tunica strongly. He felt her fragility and tried to keep her so that she didn't fall apart. With his “Hush, hush” he lulled her to sleep. Then, he tried to close his eyes and find his rest, but it was already the time to stand up and pick up Cornelius's legionnaires for patrolling. It was hard to leave her, but his obligations were already waiting for him to be fulfilled.

  Nerva stepped in, quite sleepy and still drunk. Marcus Lucius ordered him quietly to go to sleep. After Julia promised not to act in any strange way, Nerva wasn't needed here anymore. He rather needed his amount of sleep than any further babysitting hour. Nerva went away with a rude, drunken smile on his lips. As Marcus Lucius stayed in the yards and intended to mount Hiberus, Octavian's voice welcomed him.

  -Will you take me with you? - Octavian asked.

  Marcus Lucius nodded and waited shortly for his friend.

  On the way, they discussed the latest issues. Marcus Lucius described shortly the latest occurrences and the deal with the elders. Octavian listened carefully without any comment. The way was long enough to get the overview about the current state, but short enough for not being able to start any discussion. Octavian had the entire forenoon to think over. Additionally, he observed how the legionnaires were doing during the patrol. He didn't comment it with words, either. In his eyes, such backlogs weren't excusable in any way.

  -They're much better than month or two months ago. I assure you that. - Marcus Lucius whispered shortly with minimal smile as Octavian's eyes showed his opinion. He didn't need to search for words to communicate.

  On the road back to the villa, Octavian asked just one thing:

  -What about Julia?

  Marcus Lucius's eyes became smaller and serious in another way. During the patrol, he was indeed serious and watchful, but not tensed or emotional. In the moment he heard the question, his cheek trembled once, his shoulders went a bit higher, his chest moved minimally forwards.

  -What about her?

  -She was badly injured.

  -She's healing.

  -I didn't expect anything else. She's under your protection. - Octavian said slowly, and he tried to say it without any judgemental tone. Marcus Lucius understood the sense of Octavian's sentence. He remembered how Octavian used to look at Julia and he knew that her well-being was important to them both.

  -It's easier to tame a wild horse than her. - Marcus Lucius said finally.

  Octavian gazed with a strange smile. He never thought about Julia as if she would be an animal to tame. However, the comparison wasn't bad. He didn't understand her at all. Maybe she was a very special sample of a very special species. It was a moment of hesitation captured in Octavian's face. Marcus Lucius noticed it and waited what would happen next. Octavian had something in his heart that pressed him to the ground. The load was heavy and he wasn't familiarized with keeping such secrets to himself. Marcus Lucius waited patiently. The split didn't durate long, but it appeared almost like eternity for them both. Octavian struggled and Marcus Lucius knew that the matter was related to Julia. They were both tensed artificially. Then, Octavian increased the tension by saying quickly:

  -Appius said I should say it to you, when you're ready. And I think you are ready to hear it.

  Marcus Lucius looked at him with squinted eyes and lips pressed together. Apparently, he was waiting for something negative, for any order that he wouldn't like.

  -He said I should tell you: Never give up on somebody you can't go a day without thinking about.

  Marcus Lucius was surprised. He didn't expect such a statement.

  -I told Appius what happened here and how we were leaving the villa together. I saw your pressure and last in your eyes. You weren't sure you're doing the right thing and you stayed. You decided to stay on her side, no matter what could happen. I reported it and Appius discussed with me everything except the Julia's issue. I thought he won't ever give me any further remark related
to the matter.

  Marcus Lucius listened attentively. Octavian's voice was clear, even if he spoke not so loud. They were on the road to the villa. The trees around them and the walls of houses in front of them could have ears. It wasn't smart to discuss important things in unreliable places.

  -He said I have to check how it is between you and her and if I consider it could help, then I should say it. So, I said it. If it helps you, then I saw it fit.

  Octavian observed how Marcus Lucius and Julia acted the evening before. There was a kind of harmony, even if they didn't speak a word with each other. Octavian knew that he lost Julia in the moment he sent Marcus Lucius away and he didn't mention his affection to nobody except Nerva. Appius's opinion was apparently to keep Marcus Lucius and Julia together. The bound between them should not be broken.

 

  Marcus Lucius didn't answer. He wasn't sure how to understand the message. As they came back to the yard of the villa, he gave away Hiberus to an ostler and waited until Octavian gave his horse away, too. Then, he led Octavian to the house. He excused himself for a moment and Octavian rested in the entrance hall. Marcus Lucius went to Julia. She wasn't alone. Nerva sat in the chair and snored aloud. Julia laid in the bed and didn't move. Marcus Lucius booted Nerva to wake him up. Nerva jumped suddenly and screamed nervously:

  -Imperium sine fine! I am at your command!

  He stink after wine and dirt collected yesterday. He looked around and noticed how serious Marcus Lucius appeared. Marcus Lucius came back earlier than usually and Nerva didn't expect him. Due to the routine of the last weeks, he woke up and went with sleepy eyes to Julia. As she didn't react to his salutation, he sat down in the chair and felt asleep. As he got the hit, Nerva caught himself together and saluted. Julia observed the situation without any comment. She greeted Nerva, but he didn't seem to listen to her. He was quite tired and didn't look fresh. She waited what Marcus Lucius ordered. He came closer to her and asked whether she wanted to go to the common dinner. She nodded, because she was already prepared for appearing in the extended company. She had a new dress on. Octavian brought it to her as a gift from Appius. She wanted to please everyone and got dressed already in the green and red shades of material. Appius didn't remind the coldness and wetness of the place, because the material wasn't thick. Julia didn't like to take any blanket with her and risked catching cold.

  Marcus Lucius helped her with lifting her and carried her to the dining room where Octavian and Nerva already whispered conspiratorially. Octavian didn't look at Marcus Lucius, but at Julia. She focussed his entire attention. His eyes became bigger and a kind of frozen. From the very first moment he noticed that she had the dress on that he brought. He said it was a gift from Appius, but he bought the dress and wasn't brave enough to admit it. Marcus Lucius saw the weakness in Octavian's pose. Nerva was too tired after the last evening, but he was ready to go to patrol. He knew his obligations and didn't let distract himself in any way at that moment.

  Julia's face expression didn't change as she appeared in the room. However, Marcus Lucius noticed that she grabbed after his tunic stronger than before. Her muscles tensed a bit. Marcus Lucius knew that it wasn't caused by Nerva's presence. She was already familiarized with Nerva's scent and grimaces. She liked him after a while. It wasn't Nerva's charm that he spread around women, but it was his own charm, of a good man. Nerva was indeed a good, but lost man. Julia treated him like a brother. She was like a sister for him. At least, Marcus Lucius percepted it that way.

  Her current tension was caused by Octavian's presence. Julia smiled, but she didn't feel comfortable enough to be relaxed. Her body sent obvious signals. She had fixed leg and she wasn't allowed to walk on her own. The medico said that she was supposed not to move much yet. She could be carried gently by others. She was able to bend her leg in the knee, so it wasn't hard to bring her from one place to another.

  Nerva came closer to get a better look at her.

  -Are you good? - He asked by the way.

  Julia smiled and answered shortly and collegially. He stepped back and Marcus Lucius ordered him to sit down.

  -Let us eat something.

  Nerva looked nervously around. He wasn't sure how to act, because it wasn't a part of the daily routine. As the meal was served, he took a piece of meat and gulped it quickly. He didn't dare to drink any wine. He gazed at Marcus Lucius and Octavian. They kept silence and eat slower. Julia was spare as usual with her portion. Nerva hawked in the common way to give her a sign to eat more. She acted automatically and Marcus Lucius stunned that she ate more in Nerva's company.

  -What do you plan to do? Will you rest here, Octavian? - Marcus Lucius asked. After a long ride and a short night, Octavian had to be tired.

  Octavian struggled, because he was indeed tired, but on the other hand, he would collect enough power to go with Nerva.

  -I suggest you to rest, Octavian. You can accompany Nerva tomorrow. You will stay here for a short rest, won't you? - Marcus Lucius said and noticed three different reactions. Julia wasn't happy about it, but she wasn't unhappy about it either. She was tensed, but not more than she was already while appearing here. She needed time to familiarize with the new guest in the house. Nerva took it with dignity and for real, he even agreed with the suggestion. He remembered how exhausted he was as he was always on the road. A place to sleep and a warm meal were the only two things he started wishing for and he felt like in heaven as he got them. His nodding was easy to interpret. Octavian's reaction was confusing. He became tensed as if he would expect something he didn't get and at the same time, he was relieved to get opportunity to rest.

  -Fair enough. - Marcus Lucius said loudly and stood up. - Nerva, you have your task. Octavian, Chloe will show you your room.

  Marcus Lucius already talked with Julia's slave and arranged everything, even if nobody noticed it. As Nerva and Octavian went away, Marcus Lucius bowed to Julia and lifted her. Then, he brought her to her room. He checked her wounds and estimated the healing process. From the very first moment she had to lay down in bed, he tried to avoid the bedsores. He already saw enough people who were injured badly and their healing progress wasn't good due to bedsores. He rolled over Julia's body every now and then and sensitized Nerva for the matter. Nerva didn't touch Julia if it wasn't needed. Only after he brought her back from bathroom, he laid her down in a changed position. He didn't covered her with warm blankets and felts yet. He had to do his check.

  Marcus Lucius acted automatically and laid Julia on the bed on the different side. In the meanwhile, she was able to change her position on her own. After the bruises healed, after the majority of scabs appeared, it was easier for her to move in the way she wanted. Just the fixed leg and her stitched underarm were still a great limit. As long as her right eye brow and its nearest area were swollen, she wasn't able to see as good as earlier. Now, she seemed to be almost all right again. She won a habit to squint her eyes, so Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether she was able to see everything properly or whether she had to extend her sight sense.

  After Marcus Lucius was done with the check, he helped her to cover in the warm and cosy materials. Her skin was already cold and it felt unpleasant, because he knew what risks were combined with it. He could stay outside without even proper clothes, but he would easily survive it. He was a trained, healthy man. She was a weak woman on the road to get healthy. She trembled. He wanted to call slaves to make the fire in the fireplace bigger. Julia held him off with a gentle gesture. She simply laid her hand on his shoulder and he didn't say anything. Instead, he slipped under the blanket to warm her up. He laid down next to her and closed his eyes. He was tired due to the restless night and the emotions he experienced lately. He promptly felt asleep. He didn't want to think over what Octavian said. He didn't want to go through the letter from Appius that he read already the day before. Appius sent no supportive news. Situation changed extremely since Octavian left and Appius wasn't able to predefine anything. The short message suggested to ho
ld on to the strategy they have chosen, to accept the facts he knew and could derive and to decide wisely how to play the game to save lives of people, who were involved into the game. There were no specific suggestions and no pragmatic advices. Marcus Lucius was on his own. There was no word about Julia. Nobody was mentioned and the entire message sounded like a praying of a priest. It was general and could suit to everyone's problem. It was like a fortune cookie. Marcus Lucius didn't show his disappointment. People around him expected he got a piece of wisdom and he needed to keep their hopes alive. Instead of thinking about such endless, unsolvable matters, he felt asleep. His head landed on Julia's thighs as in the night. His arm cuddled her waist. His arm fell down on her legs as well as his stage of sleep changed.

  Julia observed him and didn't intend to interrupt his time of rest. She was able to doze during the forenoon. Instead, she declaimed quietly a passage from Homer's work as she stroke Marcus Lucius's hair:

  "I'd be called a coward, a nobody,

  if I held back from any action

  because of something you might say.

  Order other men about. Don't tell me

  what I should do. I'll not obey you any more.

  But I will tell you this—remember it well—

  I'll not raise my hand to fight about that girl,

  no, not against you or any other man.

  You Achaeans gave her to me, and now

  you seize her back again. But you'll not take

  another thing from my swift black ship,

  you'll get nothing else with my consent.

  If you'd like to see what happens, then just try.

  Right away my spear will drip with your dark blood."

 

  She didn't say it aloud. It was rather a kind of needed distraction than a serious analysis of what she should think about the state she was in. First as she spoke the verses aloud, she noticed which part of the Illiad she has chosen more or less consciously. She laughed shortly and madly. Marcus Lucius seemed to be calmed down and therefore, he could rest like a baby. She had many different thoughts that attacked her mind from the darkest corners of her soul. There was hope, as well. She didn't like to have any hope. Hope wasn't a reliable, but a deceptive companion. It created a beautiful illusion and led a person to go into the false direction. Within a minute, the illusion could break apart and leave the person in the middle of a desert with no oasis in sight. She wanted to believe that everything would end in a good way. She wanted to believe that she was the same way important to Marcus Lucius as he was crucial for her. She was afraid to speak aloud that she secretly was in love with him. If he was attentively enough, he could read it easily from her face, from her hands, from her actions. She wasn't sure what to dare or not. She read the message from Appius and there was nothing inside what could help her. Appius wrote that we all need dark, hard times to appreciate what we need and who we love. He asked for her patience and endurance. She sighed. She didn't like the phrase with love, because it was getting at her emotional preferences. It wasn't even her preference. Her heart chosen to beat in a specific way when it percepted Marcus Lucius, whether in thoughts, dreams or for real. Julia hadn't any influence on her heart. It made what it wanted to do. That was the sad truth about emotions: there were a spare space and some remedies to control them, but in the end, there was no way to shut them on or off. Emotions were there, whether unwilling or not, whether needed or not, whether with good reasons or not.

  Julia leant her back on the huge pillow and tried not to move a lot. She looked at her healing arm. The stitches were still visible, but the skin around them got the healthy shadow. Marcus Lucius said once that the thread have to be removed one day. Medico should take care of it soon. A long scare reminded a river with its feeders. It was a proof of her foolish first attempt to release everyone. Her fixed leg war the sign of her second attempt. What she didn't consider was that nobody expected her to act honourable. Everyone wanted to keep her alive. From them all, only Marcus Lucius's opinion was crucial for her. As he finally opened himself that night, she couldn't inhibit the tears. He didn't use the word “love” or any derivate of it, but he assured her a deep affection. She was important to him. Even his will for revenge got lower priority than his care about her condition. It was impressive. She regretted that she wasn't able to control her emotions. If she would have gathered her all powers to keep her tears away from the reality, he would have continued to kiss her. It felt so good how his lips pressed her skin gently, but strongly at the same time. He shouldn't stop kissing her. His hands trained for holding a heavy sword and solid reins, could touch her skin very tenderly. It was unbelievable how he could thrill her just by any small, fragile touch. She had to be patient. He promised her to kiss her somewhere in the woods again. She didn't forget it.

  Marcus Lucius moved a bit and rolled over. He slept on the back and she used the moment to lay her head on his chest. He woke up suddenly and checked what happened. As he noticed her position, he sighed, wrinkled his forehead and closed his shortly totally clear, but in general rather sleepy eyes again. His hand landed on her back and stroke her automatically. Her dead husband didn't use to stay near to her and be gentle. His touch brought pain and she was very glad to lose Maxentius on the road. She didn't enjoyed his touch. In opposite, she could be touched by Marcus Lucius anytime. She savoured such moments. Julia wondered whether he stroked her wife that special way, too. If it was the case, then Decima had to be the happiest woman on the whole human world. Julia envied Decima's claim for having more of Marcus Lucius than just some hours of stroking and kisses. She could percept him completely. Julia had just a part of him and every time, they came to a limit, Marcus Lucius stopped everything and stepped back with three steps. He made one slow step towards her, then another sluggish, tiny step and as he jumped in her direction, he stopped and went back to the moment before he even started walking to her. It was tedious.

  Around the early evening, Marcus Lucius woke up and looked around. Julia's head was a welcomed load on his chest. She observed him without any smile. She was still deeply in her thoughts and needed a moment, before she could react properly. Marcus Lucius smiled minimally. She didn't smile back, but she got some sparkles in her eyes.

  -I have to go. - He said.

  -You're always on the run. - She commented.

  -I'll go back soon. See you during the supper.

  Within a moment, he was gone. Julia got up and went slowly to a neighbour room, where a window with the view to the inner yard was. She observed how Marcus Lucius started his own training. Julia was so deeply occupied with not losing any movement of Marcus Lucius that she didn't get the presence of Octavian. He stood just some meters away from her and gazed at her with undefined expression. As she caught it finally, he came closer to salute in front of her. She moved her head a bit, but kept silence. She never knew how to talk with him. She wondered why she was so convinced about him being emotionless. His eyes were full of vivid sparkles, but there was nor a happy nor unhappy emotion captured in it. She squinted a bit to be sure that what she discovered was true.

  -How do you feel? - She asked, because she felt obligated to ask after the guest's resting time.

  -I've heard it's easier to tame a wounded horse than to look through you. - He said and she didn't know what to do with that.

  -I didn't understand it. - She said finally.

  Octavian's eyes became smaller and cold like lizard's. She didn't like it. He stood just one or two meters away, but she had the impression he was somewhere in another world, when he behaved that way. There was something captured in his soul that made her scared. She remembered how he acted on the way to Britannia. He was decisively, fast. His actions were reduced to minimum. He didn't talk and she wondered what he experienced, because this time, he exchange some words with her. His voice sounded nice, even if it was just like Octavian's appearance: nice, but nor friendly nor unfriendly. Actually, she didn't follow his intensions, however, he belonged to Appius
's troop and therefore, he was a trustful person.

  -Nerva told me stories about you. - Octavian continued and wasn't sure whether he didn't make a mistake to begin with such a topic. After one disaster followed another one. Octavian doubted whether he ever could speak with her without the tension in his belly and with a calm look in his eyes. His hands sweated, but she, fortunately, didn't notice it. Instead, Julia gazed at him fist, then, she tried to catch a polite appearance and don't show him how much interested she was in what he got to know.

  -He did? - She said finally. Her voice trembled a bit. She was ashamed and confused. She didn't feel brave and honourable anymore.

  -Yes. He did. It was very amusing.

  Julia didn't like the word “amusing” used in this context and Octavian noticed that his purpose was misunderstood. Julia became more tensed and distanced. Octavian regretted starting a topic, where he could only sink. He wanted to say her that he appreciated how much she risked and that she was indeed an extraordinary woman. Her attempts to escape and her behaviour while stitching were impressing.

  She stood covered in her favourite blanket and just the most outer pieces of the dress were visible. Octavian thought once more that she looked beautifully even with the blanket around her. He cursed himself for not considering the weather in Britannia. He saw that she was trembling during the dinner, but she didn't complain at all. She took it with grace. Nerva threw her a blanket that laid in the room, but she didn't cover herself with it. She wanted to look beautiful in front of them all.

  -Actually, I am not allowed to stay here. - She said suddenly and it was a sign to end up the strange, bitty conversation. She wanted to observe the training and then, the fight with Nerva, but she didn't feel comfortable with Octavian at her side.

  Octavian nodded with understanding and offered his help to bring her to her chamber.

  -You should stay here. Nerva will come back any moment and then, you'll see how they train with each other. You can go directly to the yard and see it from a smaller distance, but from here, you have still the best view. Don't tell them who gave you the hint.

  Her warm, a bit dreamy voice echoed in the empty room. She betrayed him a secret. She shared with him something very personal. He didn't get so many information from her before. He noticed that she already accustomed with the daily routine and that observing Marcus Lucius and Nerva during their training was a good entertainment. Octavian saw how softly she looked for the last time out of the window and smiled shortly, even knowing that Marcus Lucius wasn't able to see her. In opposite, he turned to the gate and waited for something. Octavian looked at Julia slowly going back to her chamber and at Marcus Lucius who welcomed Nerva with a short hug.

  Julia's blanket dragged on the stony floor. He noticed how hard it was for her to steady herself on the walls and not to convict the fixed leg. Instead of observing Marcus Lucius and Nerva, Octavian jumped and within a wink of an eye, he was next to Julia. Without any warning, he lifted her up as Marcus Lucius. Julia got scared as she lost the ground under her feet and wasn't amused as she landed in Octavian's arms. However, she put her arms around his neck and he almost got red. He carried her to her chamber and left on the bed. He savoured the touch of her small, soft hands around his neck. He left suddenly and went back to the window to get a look at his companions. Even while observing how Nerva and Marcus Lucius fought couldn't distract him from the short, private moment with Julia. He tried to remember her smell and he wondered how lightweight she was. He started regretting that he didn't tried to talk with her earlier, as they were on the way to Eboracum. If their talks would be as bumpy as the last one, then it was wiser to keep the mouth shut, he thought. He analysed whether it was really good to share Appius's advice related to Julia with Marcus Lucius. It opened them a way to a better, extended relationship. Maybe it was just exposing Marcus Lucius's real nature. If he would step forward in the relationship with Julia, then he would show low respect for the fundamental rules. Appius used to say that a real character shows itself not in the moment, when we have no choice, but when we can handle the way we want without any punishment in sight. What we decide purposely and on our own is what makes us good or bad people.

  Octavian didn't know the background of Marcus Lucius. Appius told once that Marcus Lucius was already in Britannia as a boy. Marcus Lucius was the youngest student of Appius. Octavian didn't know how long it durated, because Appius was quite sparingly with his stories. It was well-known that Appius and Marcus Lucius's father were the best friends. What happened with Marcus Lucius until he became a tribune, wasn't known in details. However, Appius knew that Marcus Lucius spent his soldier's times in Ostia and in Thracia. At the end, he was in Brigetio. Octavian wondered why Appius followed news about Marcus Lucius. Did Appius like Marcus Lucius just as a person or as his former student or as a son of his dead friend or a kind of obligation? It wasn't clear. As Appius talked about Marcus Lucius, it sounded differently. There was no soft line in his words, but there was no sharp or hostile tone. It was the special Marcus Lucius's tone that Appius never used for anyone else. There was something behind the tone. The fact that you can not percept something does not mean it does not exist.

  Additionally, Appius never talked about Maxentius. He didn't remind his best friend aloud. Sometimes, as he looked at his soldiers, who were training, he sighed in a special way that betrayed he was thinking about the past. There was no further indication of which specific times he was thinking. Appius didn't seem to be worried about the current situation. As Octavian described him everything in detail, Appius didn't comment it in any way. He nodded like a good father would nod while listening that his son was punished in the school with detention for acting brutally for good reasons. Octavian waited only for a statement like “I will take care about him after we come home”. It didn't happen. Octavian stopped wondering, because it wasn't supportive. As Octavian wanted to go back to Eboracum quickly, but Appius told him to rest and give everyone time.

  -If they made a failure, we won't manage to help them. If they have been acting in the good way, they will survive winter without our help. Stay here and prepare for your mission.

  Octavian thought more often about what Appius said. Appius was a wise man and not everyone got the privilege to get him the way he really was.

  As Octavian looked at Marcus Lucius and Nerva, who were training with each other, he recognized some typical movements from the Appius's school. Duckes and the way they performed equivocation was known to Octavian. However, Marcus Lucius was visibly better and he even didn't use his all skills. He learnt a lot more than just the methods taught by Appius. Apparently, the years in the line of duty to the empire. Nerva wasn't a bad soldier, he was well trained, but being the messenger came first. It was nice how Marcus Lucius gave Nerva head start without doing it visibly enough to let Nerva any sign to recognize it. Octavian knew Nerva long enough to judge it correctly.

  Later, they sat together and ate supper. Julia was brought by Marcus Lucius and she had another dress on. It looked warmer and she hadn't any goose pimps anymore. She smiled and seemed to be more relaxed than before, as Octavian met her in the empty room. What Octavian didn't know was that Marcus Lucius helped Julia to change the dress. As he came back from the training and saw that she wore the same, rather summer-like clothes, he asked her to dress something more appropriate. She wasn't sure about it, but she acquiesced quickly. Even if she was able to use her stitched arm, Marcus Lucius minded the weakness. Every time, he could help her, he did it. He already saw her naked and he didn't look at helping her with clothes or bringing her to the bathroom in a sexual way. It was a part of his duties, however, the more pleasant duties. This time, it was a bit sexual as he came to her and helped her to take off the wonderful, green dress. He didn't stare at her longer than it was appropriate. He wouldn't be a man, if he would lose the opportunity to get a quick look at a beautiful woman, but he wouldn't be a good soldier, if he would use her nudity for himself or to make her ashamed. Julia
's cheeks became red and Marcus Lucius smiled dirty behind her back. As her back was naked, he stroked her shortly and gently. Then, he bowed to her feet and waited until she stepped into another dress that he already prepared for her. He took the part of the dress and lifted it up to her arms. As he was raising from his knees, his face moved so near to her skin that Julia felt his breath. He helped her to link the ribbons around her chest and waist. As he stepped in front of her, she was so aroused, she could hardly think. Marcus Lucius wasn't a saint and he had some dirty thoughts every now and then, but he respected her privacy and her will. Her breathe was shorter than normal. She wanted to be kissed by him and she didn't want to go to the supper at all.

  Then, he left her for a moment. He needed to change his clothes, too. She followed him and tried not to catch his attention. She was aware that he absolutely knew that she was around. He changed his clothes faster than she wished. She wanted to have a look at his body that was full of scars, but had a lot of beautiful places. She wanted to touch his skin. She missed it in the last weeks. She reminded how easily it was to stroke him while he laid unconsciously in the wagon on the way to Eboracum. She missed his strong, decisively hands and being in his arms for real.

  He noticed her desire and it was hard to resist, but he remembered which obligations were in play, so he postponed it. He came to her dynamically and on the run, he lifted her up. She was positively surprised and he wheeled twice around. Her long hair waved in the air. Her happily laughed echoed in the chamber and it all cheered him up. It was a rare case that she was in such a good mood. She felt relaxed and lucky. She hugged Marcus Lucius tighter and he inhaled her scent.

  Nerva hawked at her as she started putting her meal away. Quickly, she came back on the right track. Marcus Lucius smiled minimally and Octavian wondered how harmonic they all appeared. They were like a small, happy family. As Nerva looked tired, Julia gave a sign and Chloe brought him wine. He cheered up promptly. His eyes sparkled and he smiled rude to her. She poked him, not so gently, but it wasn't painful for him. He poked her back smoothly. She laughed. Marcus Lucius smiled again without looking directly at anyone. Octavian was deeply in his contemplation.

  -Don't drink so much this time. - Julia said in conspiracy to Nerva.

  He gazed at her like an innocent baby and smiled dirty then. With such unserious disputes the evening was filled and as the time came to go to sleep, Marcus Lucius gave a sign to fall out. He lifted Julia and she used the moment to poke Nerva again.

  -She really looks happy. She grew rife apparently. - Octavian said some days later to Nerva. His tone was a mixture of sadness and envy, but also a bit of bitterness.

  -She did. - Nerva admitted. - Remember, she was out of your league though.

  -Do you know whether they... You know... They just pretend being married, right? - Octavian tried to understand the situation.

  Nerva laughed nervously. He didn't like the question and already thinking about Marcus Lucius and Julia having more than just some stroking units was too much for him as in the case of a child that doesn't really want to get to know his parents have a sex life.

  -He's a good man and she won't be used, if it's what you mean. - Nerva said quickly. Then, he added he has no clue who was doing what. With such a statement, he gave Octavian a sign to stop asking stupid questions.

  Octavian saw for the very first time Nerva reacting almost allergic to a question related to sex matters. Actually, it was mostly Nerva who described female organs and bodies during long evenings. He talked about their sweaty boobies, more or less good-looking butts and he could delineate every woman he met very specific as long as he was in town. His descriptions included some vulgar adjectives and some curses as well. Just in the case of Julia, he acted as if he would become a saint or a bigot.

  It was the only time as Octavian responded to Julia. Nerva calmed down and ignored the short exchange of questions. He knew that Octavian had a crush on Julia, but he didn't try to estimate the range of it. In the meanwhile, Julia was a kind of sister he never had. He told her stories, she listened to them. He poked her, if she didn't eat properly. She poked him, when he was sleepy. He liked to stay in her company. Even if his service wasn't needed anymore, because Marcus Lucius assured him Julia won't complicate the situation anymore. Nerva didn't ask after reasons. Just a simple statement was enough for him.

  Octavian didn't stay long. He didn't feel comfortable in this company. He was the fifth wheel and didn't like it at all. Marcus Lucius didn't write anything for Appius.

  -Just tell him how the current state is. You got a close look at it. - Marcus Lucius said.

  After a week full of patrolling and dinners with laughter, a morning came, when Octavian left the villa. After Julia waved with the hand and Marcus Lucius hugged Octavian shortly, Nerva brought Octavian to the road. Their leave-taking didn't take long. Nerva wanted to go back to Julia to look after her and Octavian wasn't sure what to say. Octavian wondered what changed and why. Maybe Nerva became a different man due to his time spent with Julia. Maybe Octavian became a different man due to the lack time spent with her.

  Julia waved after Octavian left and looked how Marcus Lucius was ready to go to the camp. Saying good-bye to Octavian was easy. As she saw Marcus Lucius on the horse, she reminded the moment she saw him for the very first time. He hadn't any armour and his eyes sparkled with power. Now, he was simply smiling and promised to come back soon. He wanted to bring Julia to her chamber, but she wanted him to follow his duties. She had enough men power around. One of slaves stepped forward and was ready to lift her up. Marcus Lucius waited until the high, red-hair man took Julia in his arms and Marcus Lucius's eyes had a special, scary sparkles. Julia smiled, but it didn't influence Marcus Lucius's expression. He didn't like when anyone touched her. He waited until the slave disappeared in the inside of the villa and with a heavy heart, he rode to the camp. On the way, he hoped that Nerva would come back soon.

  The day was grey and foggy. The coldness of the winter was perceptible and there were small clouds that everyone was breathing out. Marcus Lucius led the troop as usual through the area of woods they controlled. Something wasn't right. Marcus Lucius looked around, but nothing happened. However, the bad feeling wasn't gone. Marcus Lucius's hand laid on the sword and he was ready to fight anytime. A sudden rustle was a warning and Marcus Lucius gave a sign to his troop to keep silence. The legionnaires wondered what caused Marcus Lucius's order, because they didn't hear anything special. Marcus Lucius was attentive enough and went in the direction of sough. His body was tensed, but not maximally. The soldiers followed him and waited impatiently for what was going to happen. In the bushes, Marcus Lucius found a group of local inhabitants. Actually, they weren't from the region. They screamed something that legionnaires didn't understand. Deducting from the voice line, Marcus Lucius asked them something in the strange language. They stunned, but answered his question. The legionnaires counted five women in a young age and three children. There were just two rather older men, who tried to protect the convoy with spears. They stepped back after Marcus Lucius said something in the strange language again. The inhabitants looked tired and were dirty. Their almost blue skin showed that they spent a lot of time outside. The fear in their eyes was visible. Nobody knew what made them so frightened.

  -We'll take them with us. - Marcus Lucius said to his companions.

  As he discovered the group, he noticed that there were no soldiers around the group. He asked, whether they were armed and they said they were on the run. They were escaping after men from the North attacked and destroyed their village. Marcus Lucius introduced himself as a Roman soldier and gave them a word that his soldiers will bring them to his villa. He hadn't better idea on the fly. He wanted to get more information about the attack. Where was the village? When did it happen? How many offenders were present? How were they armed? The best solution was to bring the civilians to the villa. They had to be fed and checked due to the possible injuries. Then, they could stay in
the city.

  The scared people weren't sure whether the legionnaires were helpers or just another source of danger. They were scared they came out of the frying pan and into the fire, until Marcus Lucius said they should look in his eyes. He assured them security in the local dialect. The fear didn't become smaller due to the strange and unfriendly looks of the legionnaires in the back of the leader, but at least, the civilians agreed to go with the Roman troop.

  Due to the tiredness of the local inhabitants, the march durated longer than a simple ride with horses. Marcus Lucius sent two legionnaires to the villa to report the occurrence to Nerva. He didn't intend to bring any sorrow to Nerva or Julia due to the delay. It was already afternoon and there was no city in sight. The lateness brought the entire routine out of the concept.

  He had still a bad feeling about something and he really didn't like leaving Julia all alone, unprotected. He thought about the illusion of being safe. In the villa and during the patrols, they didn't meet any offenders yet after the small incidents. Marcus Lucius didn't expect any further attack in the winter. Winter was a bad time for sacking of villages. Many different reasons could play a role then. Maybe the offenders weren't prepared for the winter and needed food and pelts to survive? Maybe they wanted to mark the area? Maybe the wanted to mark a sign? Was it just an incident or a part of a strategy? Marcus Lucius was worried. He looked at the exhausted people, who fled for miles. Their eyes were full of scare and hunger. Their saggy cheeks and blue, almost frozen skin were very obvious sign for their current state. Additionally, they had blood spots on their jagged clothes.

  As the strange march finally achieved the gate of Maxentius's villa, Marcus Lucius wondered why Nerva wasn't awaiting on the yard. He thought that Nerva took the second group of legionnaires to make the afternoon patrol. However, Nerva's mere stood in the box. Marcus Lucius saw the horse at the end of the yard where the stable was. It bothered him.

  Marcus Lucius sent the legionnaires back to the camp and ordered them to report the incident to Cornelius. Then, Marcus Lucius yelled after Nerva, but his friend didn't appear. Marcus Lucius was tensed seriously. To the poor civilians, he said he will come back in a moment. He was already on the run and as he hasten through the corridors, he looked around. The silence welcomed him as usually. There was a special, frightening aspect captured in the silence. Marcus Lucius hurried and as he ran into the chamber of Julia, he saw something he didn't expect. Nerva sat on the bed and stroked Julia's head. She laid with the curved back, bowed head, and the bent limbs additionally drawn up to the chest. Nerva didn't stand up, but he looked at Marcus Lucius with an empty look. His clothes were bloody. Her blanket was bloody, too. Her right eye brow was wounded, again. The congealed blood was easily visible.

  -What the hell happened? - Marcus Lucius whispered. He wasn't able to yell.

  Nerva reported that as he came back after the leave-taking with Octavian, he found the red-hair man trying to rape Julia. To end the sentence seemed to be hard for Nerva. Then, Nerva reported how he hurt the offender, but he didn't kill him. He waited for Marcus Lucius to decide what to do. Marcus Lucius came closer to Julia and looked at her. She didn't tremble. She wasn't scared. Her eyes were calm. Marcus Lucius didn't dare to ask whether she was fine. Nerva didn't dare to stand up.

  -Where is he? - Marcus Lucius asked finally.

  -Dungeons under the villa. - Nerva answered.

  -You stay here. - Marcus Lucius ordered and left the room. He went to the yard and ordered to bring the civilians to the rooms next to the stable. Then, he went to the dungeons under the villa. He was twice there. As he wanted to get to know the building, he checked all entrances he could find. He knew that the rooms under the ground were wet and unpleasant. There were just rats and big, long-haired spiders. He went down to the rooms with grids. He looked at the man, who was behind the bars. The man looked defiantly, but didn't dare to come closer to meet Marcus Lucius, even if the grids divided them. Marcus Lucius opened the bars with the key that hung meters away. He stepped into the cell and without a warning, he slapped the man twice. The red-hair, grown-up man wasn't a weak man, but he wasn't a soldier. He hadn't any chances with the trained techniques. The red-hair one bowed from the pain and bowled into a corner. His nose and two rips were broken. He spit with blood, but it didn't impressed Marcus Lucius in any way. Instead, the Roman was ice-cold, but not emotional. He shut off his effusion. Marcus Lucius was a killer and he could easily take the life from the hireling. He didn't. Marcus Lucius saw the fear of the man in his eyes. Marcus Lucius noticed the littleness of the red-hair person. He closed the grids and took the key with him. He stopped and breathed at least four or five times longer, before he said inimically, but calmly:

  -You will get here enough time to think what you've done wrong. Nobody will ever talk with you. Nobody will ever see you.

  Then, he didn't look back and went to Julia. He scared Nerva without a word and kneed down next to Julia. His face was full of hate as he came into her chamber and as he looked at Nerva. As he looked at Julia, his entire expression captured in the eyes changed rapidly. He was full of sorrows. With a trembling hand, he wanted to stroke her head, but he wasn't able. His hand settled over her hair and her cheeks. He avoided the wounded and swollen area around her right eye.

  -He didn't... He tried... - Nerva started incompletely.

  Marcus Lucius didn't react in any visible way. His hand trembled and his eyes sparkled with worries. Julia gazed at him without any shadow of fear, but with anger.

  -Don't go away. - She whispered as she saw that he tried to change his position.

  He didn't intend to go away. Nerva softly stood up and left the girl alone with Marcus Lucius.

  -Did he... - Marcus Lucius started, but didn't end the question. It blocked his throat and didn't allow to speak the thought aloud.

  -He didn't. - She answered quickly. - Just do the check and let us forget it, please.

  He was scared of what he could see beyond the expanse of the wounds he already noticed. As she put away her blanket, and stretched herself a bit to let him look at her, he saw ragged dress, but no serious damages. She had some bruises on the arms. She had a very red cheek due to a slap she apparently got. Slowly, he took off her dress. She didn't move. He brought a bowl with warm water and washed her body unhurriedly. There were no sudden movement from his side. He started with her right eye brow. Julia fizzed and clinched with her teeth. After he washed her face, he checked her underarm and her leg. Everything seemed to be fine. But it wasn't. Marcus Lucius felt it and the invisible damages unsettled him. As he finished controlling her wounds and new bruises, he started to rub her skin with ointment. She laid on her belly and hid her face in the pillow. His touch was gentle and calming. As he wanted to cover her with a blanket, she spoke finally:

  -Would you teach me to defend myself?

  He looked at her with a sudden curiosity. The blanket covered her body. Then, Marcus Lucius moved fluently and laid down next to her. He smiled sadly and didn't answer yet.

  -Will you? - She begged rather than asked.

  -I will. - He answered.

  -When? - She asked.

  He smiled due to her determination. In the most weak moments, she gathered the most power and appeared stronger than she was. It was fascinating.

  -Tomorrow. After my patrol. - He added.

  She was pleased by the answer she got.

  -May I ask you something? - Her voice trembled.

  He nodded and came closer to her. He hugged her gently. He wasn't taught to speak beautiful, calming words. He acted the way he felt to be right. He wanted to feel her good and safe and he failed. He was angry on himself, because he wasn't there when she needed him. It wasn't the first time he couldn't protect her. Her request brought a new perspective into his mind. The idea wasn't bad, even if unwonted.

  -Are you hurt? Your hand was bloody as you came here. - She whispered and made him smile again. In the moment as he expected something totally different,
she was worried about his hand. He moved his fingers in front of her eyes and showed her his hand. It was scratched, but it wasn't serious. He laid on her right side and observed how she followed his moves attentively. She was focussed on his fingers and it brought him a new idea. His hand moved slowly forward and touched her cheek. It suited perfectly to the shape of her cheek. She followed his moves as long as it was possible. As she percepted his touch, she closed her eyes. She savoured the moment.

  The supper time passed and nor Julia nor Marcus Lucius hurried to stand up and leave the bed. They laid hugged together. Marcus Lucius stroked her backs and she started dozing in his arms. Nerva stepped slowly by and checked the situation. Marcus Lucius showed him with a wink of a hand to go away. Even, if Marcus Lucius was increasingly hungry, he didn't want to stand up. He didn't want to leave her alone. Her dainty fingers held his tunica and her fragile arms steadied themselves on his cold armour. He didn't manage to undress himself earlier. As he moved slowly, Julia almost woke up and he tried to keep his position. It didn't help. She opened her eyes and look at him.

  -Go and eat. Your stomach is loud enough to wake up the gods of underground. - She whispered sleepy.

  If he wouldn't know how dangerous the situation that day was, he would even laugh from the bottom of his heart. He let Julia dozing on the bed and eluded in a talented way from her. He summoned Chloe and asked her to bring him some food. As she came back with a shallow bowl full of meat. Chloe knew that Marcus Lucius missed cena, the main meal of the day eaten around midday. She didn't bring any lighter supper meal with onions, porridge, meat and eggs. He ate quickly, rapidly.

  Chloe had unsettled eyes.

  -What happened? - Marcus Lucius asked quietly, because he didn't want to wake up Julia again.

  Chloe looked terrified, but she started explaining with trembling voice:

  -As Drest noticed that no soldier was in the house, because you were on your routine tour and your friend was away, he brought domina into her bed. He caught me and domina saved me. She slapped him with an iron bowl. He belted her at least twice. I ran away and met your friend, Nerva, coming back to the yard. I asked him for help and then, he brought Drest to the cellar and sat with domina until you came. I don't know more.

  Marcus Lucius was somehow relieved. He didn't expect Julia to act so bravely and impulsively. He misunderstood the situation. He wouldn't hit the red-hair man so strongly, if he would know that Drest didn't try to rape Julia. However, the punishment had to stay independently from who was the object of attack. Marcus Lucius looked at Chloe. She was still afraid and confused. She didn't feel well and had a lot to work up. He laid her his hand on her shoulder. She trembled, but held his touch and his look. He was full of hopes and good will.

  -I heard that you won't free him at all. - She whispered with anger.

  At first, Marcus Lucius wasn't sure why she was so mad and calm at the same time. Was she glad about his decision? Was she applauding to the judgement? The answer came as Chloe added with hate:

  -He should die there...

  Finally, Marcus Lucius sent Chloe to bring Nerva as she took the bowl to take it away. She nodded politely, even friendly. She was gone and Nerva appeared shortly after it. He was concerned due to the new inhabitants of the room next to the stable. He was surprised as he saw the peasants. Explanations of Marcus Lucius about the circumstances of getting the new guests. Then, Marcus Lucius described shortly what happened in accordance with the attempted rape. Nerva seemed to be relieved as Marcus Lucius. Nerva gave Marcus Lucius a glass with wine that Chloe gave to Nerva. She knew him already and Julia always allowed Nerva to have a glass of wine every evening. Chloe used to be responsible for giving Nerva his portion of wine. This time, Nerva brought his jug of wine in his own hands.

  -What do we do now? - Nerva asked.

  -I have to think about it. I am not sure.

  -It's late. Your civilians sleep already.

  -I'll talk with them tomorrow. You will take over the first patrol and you will say Cornelius what happened. Keep it short. The less you say the better for us.

  Nerva left the chamber and Marcus Lucius came back to Julia. Before he slipped into the bed under the cosy blanket, he undressed the armour. He washed himself shortly and before he was ready to dress anything, he heard as Julia sighed. It wasn't a good sign. Her breath was shorter and she embraced her belly with her hands. Marcus Lucius was worried and came closer to the bed. He had just a towel around his hips.

  -I am here. - He whispered with soothing voice. He bowed above her and stroked her cheeks.

  -Kiss me. Hug me. - She whispered suddenly. She sounded like a baby that called after its mother.

  He hugged her, but he didn't kiss her. She adhered to him with her naked body. She was covered only with blanket and pelts. As Marcus Lucius moved closer, the blanket shifted to the side a bit. He saw a pieces of her naked body.

  -Kiss me so that I forget everything I want to forget. - She whispered. She reminded how Maxentius used her body as he wished, because he was much stronger and much better trained to torture other human beings than she. As she saw her slave today, captured in a powerful, sharp grasp of a man, Julia had to react. She didn't see Chloe, but she saw herself as she was months ago. She remembered the humility and pain she felt. She remembered the bruises and blood that she tried to cover in front of the world outside. She hated it and her entire rancour changed into energy that reached to slap the offender with the first thing she could keep in hands. The punch of the red-hair man was strong, but it didn't feel so horribly as Julia thought. As he lifted her and saw her face, he hesitated a moment, but finally, he slapped her again and as she was falling down to the ground, he tried to catch her. He picked the material of her dress without purpose. Chloe ran away screaming. Julia felt blood and some upcoming bruises. She kept laying on the ground as the red-hair men analysed the situation. He thought whether he wanted to kill her or not. Suddenly, Nerva jumped into the room and Julia couldn't follow the moves of the fight. Due to the fall, she got a hit next to her right eye brow. She had to squint again to see anything.

  It was a kind of request that he couldn't thrust aside. He was in her debt and he felt it wasn't too much what she was asking for. She needed a kiss and they already kissed a couple of times. She needed a warm hug and a portion of proximity to feel safe. He liked the taste of her lips and the scent of her body. However, he didn't look at her request with any sexual context. He moved closer and kissed her forehead. Then, he looked her in the eyes. He found there tears and he felt a strange pain in the chest. He laid next to her and didn't lose her out of sight. Her tears started flowing down into the bed and Marcus Lucius felt weak in the same way as he felt when he saw her in the cottage in the woods. There was a mix of feelings in his heart and he couldn't fight against it. He couldn't stay concentrated on anything than on the tears in her eyes. On impulse, his left arm moved her closer to his body. He stroked her smoothly and kissed her cheek gently. The tears built a salty trace. His lips collected every single sign of the stream. He took her strands of hair away from her face. She cried even heavier. From a small, slow flux, a river accrued.

  -Don't cry. - He asked and kissed her even more often. He wasn't able to find the right words and put them into sentences. It was easier and instinctively to kiss her cheeks and wipe her tears away. Her body trembled and he hugged her more intensively. He wanted to calm her down. She turned her face to him and tried to say something, but words didn't appear in the space between them. With his second hand, he grasp after her another cheek. He held her face in his arms and kissed every piece of skin on her face. He felt the wet traces on his arms and fingers. He felt the fever of her forehead. He didn't stop anyway. She moved closer to him. Their bodies were so close to each other as never before. As her naked breasts touched his torso, he shivered shortly. He searched after her lips and kissed them gently, unhurriedly. She didn't react at first. Her fingers found his shoulder blades and felt his bones under the skin. As
he sucked on her lips, she felt an unknown wave of energy and excitement coming from all parts of her body. Desire and thrills pushed her to give back the kiss. She adhered to him and his strong, decisively hands pressed her back pleasurable to his body. Without thinking and planning, they laid in the arms. The passion won over all human rules of proper behaviour. The naked skin touched gradually another body and it felt so increasingly and wonderfully good, perfect, intensive. Their eyes met every now and then and were full of euphoric, lovely sparkles that they didn't see in their eyes before. As he came into her at leisure, she was open for him, even if she was scared of possible pain. Little by little, he found a comfortable, savoury space in her. His lips minded to find any free space on her body to kiss. His breath became shorter, but stayed regular as his body rhythm changed. She sighed with pleasure and smiled, because having him inside gave her joy, zest, not pain. As he exploded in her, he influenced her own burst. She was sweaty, full of dried tears that stopped flowing. She was tensed without being stressed. She was in intensive spasms, euphoric sensation, flood of good vibrations and pricking sensation. Marcus Lucius bowed over her and kissed her cheeks and forehead to give her the possibility to breathe freely. He felt on his backs and drew her gently. She laid on him and percepted his chest under hers, his hips under hers. Her head found rest on his shoulder and he kissed her cheek, her ear and the upper part of her neck. They felt fulfilled, simply happy.

  Marcus Lucius felt asleep with the load of Julia's body on him. He was still holding her in his arms. His fingers stroked her back and bottom. She wasn't at first able to fall asleep from the excitement. She never experienced such a wonderful feeling. It all occurred so naturally and perfectly as if they were made for each other. She didn't except having sex to be such a splendid moment. She connected it rather with negative pressure, pain that brought her bruises, blood and bad memories. With Marcus Lucius, it was a kind of magic and she could have such a magical moment every day until the end of the world. She smiled and felt rewarded in the best possible way.

  As Marcus Lucius turned and made her to spoon, she got at first scared that he would wake up and go away from her. However, he simply changed his position and kept holding her with the same strength as before. It calmed her down and she finally felt asleep.

  Marcus Lucius slept deeply as never before. Percepting her body glued to his was calming and relaxing enough to give him the good, secure feeling. As he woke up shorty, he checked whether she was next to him. He was relieved as she was still asleep. His eyes closed. He was confused due to what he did. He knew that this night changed the distribution of power between them crucially. He wasn't sure in which way it has been changed. Their relationship developed in a bumpy way. He wasn't able to remind the very first time they met. He had just pieces of remembrance from the first weeks of the travel to Britannia. Her face and silhouette reminded him of Decima. Julia said that he called her with Decima's name sometimes in fever. He wasn't sure when and why he felt sympathy for Julia. Maybe she had the credit of trust because of her visual similarity to Decima. It couldn't be all. He already saw enough women akin to Decima's shapes. After a short moment, he didn't look at them in any specific way. They were unknown beings. It was more probable that he smiled to them or he treated them more kindly, but it wasn't more probable that he gave them more than the signs of good matters. Julia was differently. Even as he was in fever and pain, he would jump and protect her as any other human being around him. However, he would go and look for her, if he would lose her from his sight. He wouldn't search after any other human being, except Decima. Decima was dead and there was no need to find her anymore. She had to be avenged. Julia was near to him and had to be protected.

  He liked the tremble of her voice during her Greek recitations and her shy, shivering rubbing of ointments into his skin. He savoured the conscious moments, when she kissed him or stroke him secretly. It was cute and touching. Marcus Lucius reminded the fear in her eyes as Octavian burnt him the wound on the chest. In the meanwhile, it was just scare, quite unremarkable. As he thought about the scar, he noticed that Julia moved. Her fingers percepted his chest. She was awake and insecure. Apparently, she had the same kind of thoughts and wasn't sure how to act. Marcus Lucius pretended to be asleep as he used to it before. He wanted to see in which direction she tended. She moved aside, but stayed close to him. It seemed that she was ashamed due to her nudity. It made her uncomfortable, because she wasn't sure how to act. Such kind of proximity was new to her and raised a lot of her doubts. She used the moment as he was apparently asleep and looked at his body. The dimmed light of the torches that weren't dashed off showed his skin in a special, warmer way. Her trembling, excited fingers touched him the same way as they did it during the way to Britannia. Then, she was afraid he would wake up any minute and wonder, who she was. Now, she wasn't sure what could come next. The pleasure and good feelings were disturbed by the anxiety of tomorrow. She touched his scar on the chest and kissed it. The burnt place healed well and the brighter pattern on his skin reminded her of stars. She thought about the words of Horace: “We are but dust and shadow.” She didn't move for a while. Her fingers stayed frozen on his chest and she looked somewhere and nowhere. As she reminded words of another poet, Sophocles, she declaimed the phrase quietly:

  "What law of God have I broken?

  Why should I still look to the gods in my misery?

  Whom should I summon as an ally? For indeed

  because of piety I was called impious.

  If this proceeding is good in the gods' eyes

  I shall know my sin, once I have suffered.

  But if Creon and his people are the wrongdoers

  let their suffering be no worse than the injustice

  they are [giving] out to me."

  Marcus Lucius listened charmed. It was calming. Her whisper was full of emotions. Maybe declaiming any passages helped her to collect her thoughts. Marcus Lucius preferred silence, when he was analysing anything. However, the tremble of her voice brought alleviation. She added shortly "For what is destined for us, men mortal, there is no escape." Then, she kept silence again. He opened his eyes and saw her sad, confused eyes. She didn't notice his gaze until his hand raised slowly and stroke her cheek. She got scared due to the breakaway from her contemplation. Marcus Lucius smiled and whispered friendly:

  -You're not Antigone.

  She smiled even sadder, bitter. He pushed her head gently to his and kissed her lips. Her pleasantly warm, a bit tensed body laid on his side. She looked him in the eyes directly. She searched after answers to her unspoken questions. Marcus Lucius assumed that she wanted to know how does it should go further. He hadn't any good answer for that matter.

  -Don't be afraid. I am here for you. - He kissed her again.

  -What do we do here? What does it mean? - She asked finally. She didn't give back his kisses, but her arms hugged him around his neck. It was her way to keep the distance and show the affection at the same time.

  -We lay. I'm kissing you. - He said bumpily while he was focussed on her lips.

  She smiled ripped out of the context. She didn't expect such a concrete answer. He smiled back.

  -What will we do next? I mean... You know... - Her nervousness made it harder to form any sentence.

  -We will sleep until we have to get up. We'll eat and while I'm on patrols, you'll stay with Nerva and take care of our guests I brought today. When I come back, we'll practice your self-defence techniques. - He said in the same breath and came back to her lips. He appreciated her questions that meant she tried to be a part of a team. Before, she rather forged own plans. It was a welcomed change.

  She was confused. She hadn't any clue what guests he meant and noticed that he remembered her request related to trainings. It felt good to know that he considered her wishes. He didn't simply command her, but also factored her points. It felt good to share the responsibility for the future with someone else.

  -And what does that mean? - She asked as
he kissed her again. She stroked his back and he stroked her with his nose along her neck. She liked the air he breathed out on her skin.

  -That means that I'm still kissing you. Try to fall asleep. A long day is waiting for us.

  She wasn't sure how he meant the definition of “us” in the last sentence, but she liked it anyway. She closed her eyes and savoured as his last kiss landed on her forehead. He hugged her tighter and felt asleep soon. There was a kind of feeling of togetherness that bounded them together. She was excited and full of good vibrations again. The rest of the night was silent and calm.

  As she woke up, Marcus Lucius was already dressed properly to go out. He sat next to her and waited until she opened her eyes. Then, he helped her to get dressed. As he wanted to lift her, she asked whether she could walk on her own. Marcus Lucius didn't like the idea. She hadn't any walking stick and it would take a lot of time to get to the stable. He refused with his head's movement. She let him carry her through the entire hallway, the yard and was surprised as they stopped just few meters in front of the stable. Nerva appeared from nowhere and brought a blanket. Then, he waited until Marcus Lucius let Julia standing straight and covered her with the blanket. It was cold and the sun just shortly before raised after the long night. The torches were still burning. The horses made nervous noises and wanted to go out for a ride. Some guardians at the gate looked inquisitively.

  Julia waited what was going to happen next. Marcus Lucius stood next to her and followed attentively how two men, already washed and rested, stepped in front of him. They talked for a longer while in a strange language that Julia didn't understand. She looked to Nerva and his stony face expression didn't betray whether he gets the talk or not. She trembled shortly as she saw some further faces behind the men dressed in jagged, dirty things. The male faces were calm, but sad. One of man was taller and younger, maybe in Octavian's age. He had similar coldness in his eyes. He kept silence. The other man, the talking one, was older, but definitely not much older than Appius. His wrinkled skin included some fresh wounds and scars. The faces behind them expressed curiosity and fear. A child ran out of the second line. It was a little boy. It stopped in front of Julia and looked to her with white teeth on a friendly face of a little tearaway. The child put its finger in the mouth and chewed on it. It was maybe 4-5 years old. Julia hadn't much experience with kids, so she looked curiously at the little being. She smiled. The boy smiled back. He ran back to his mother or aunt, because they were calling him back.

  Marcus Lucius nodded every now and then. He showed understanding, because it is always the kind of needed interaction. Everyone wants to be understood. Marcus Lucius was not only a professional, but indeed an artists within the interpersonal communication. Apparently, he won the trust of the strangers, because they were talking freely. They weren't extremely tensed. He asked some questions and listened concentrated to the answers. His eye brows moved minimally from time to time. He wasn't a monument. He reacted in a human way. Nerva knew that he did it to give a feeling of comfort to the strangers. As Marcus Lucius was talking with legionnaires sometimes, he could keep his temper. He could show his poker face and nobody would ever come through the mask. In talks with civilians, Marcus Lucius used to show some general face expressions, even if he restrained himself from betraying his real emotions and plans. Nerva liked to observe the difference in contacts between Marcus Lucius and Cornelius and his soldiers as well as Marcus Lucius and the group around Appius. It was fascinating. Nerva acted the same way. He learnt it from his master and authority figure. Marcus Lucius had the same basics trained and practiced even more often.

  Finally, Marcus Lucius nodded the last time and turned to Julia:

  -You will take care of them. Coordinate your slaves to bring them food and give them an opportunity to check the wounds. - Then, he looked shortly to Nerva. - You'll stay here. Help with the injuries. I'll go to Cornelius and speak with him. If a medico is needed, then sent for him. Stay here.

  The last sentence was spoken freely, but with a special undertone. Nerva decoded the message repeated twice. It was obvious that Marcus Lucius didn't want to form his thoughts more clearly in front of Julia.

  -I told them, you'll help them. They don't speak our language. Talk with them slowly anyway.

  The last advice was directed to everyone.

  -Will you ask Cornelius for legionnaires to tighten the guards here? - Nerva asked quietly. Julia listened carefully and Marcus Lucius refused quickly:

  -We don't need any spies here. If one of us is here, then I am sure that the situation is sedate. - He answered impassively.

  Nerva nodded.

  -They told that they needed more than ten days to come here. They're from North. They're peasants. They can rest here and help in the stable so that they feel needed. They are too proud not to work for their living. We won't send them to the city. - Marcus Lucius explained shortly and took Hiberus from an ostler. Nerva nodded and saluted. Julia kept silence. Marcus Lucius left.

  Julia steadied herself on Nerva and came closer to the strangers. She smiled shyly. After a short check of the conditions there, Julia hobbled away to the villa. Chloe, still nervously and insecure, was ordered to bring some new blankets. There were no clothes that could be shared with the strangers. Julia had just few dresses and her slaves were in a similar situation. Marcus Lucius didn't spend Maxentius's money, if it wasn't necessary. Manly slaves brought some pieces of woods for the fire place in the room next to the stable. Children played with their empty hands and gazed with laughter and curiosity at Julia's fixed leg. Women sat down in a corner and looked with scary eyes rather at the lady in a blue dress than at the Roman soldier next to her. Julia tried to explain them that she wanted to examine their wounds. She brought some ointments. The women didn't let her to check them. Julia didn't insist extremely. She stretched her hand to one of the women, the one with the darkest hair colour and in a similar age. The stranger woman risked and took Julia's hand. Julia led her to the small yard behind the stable where a well was. From there, the slaves brought water for horses and the household. From Chloe, Julia took a big bowl and explained that the strangers could wash them there. Instead, they took the bowl and filled it with water to drink the liquid from there. Julia didn't correct them, at least not during the first day. Instead, she showed them how to use herbal ointments. Apparently, they knew such things before, because they smiled with gratitude.

  Nerva acted in the background and didn't lose Julia from his eyes for even a moment, even if he looked at others, too. He didn't like Julia to hobble from place to place, but she didn't let him lift her up. At first as she already finished her duties there, defined by her own will, she wanted to go and eat her breakfast. It was already too late for any breakfast and she could easily get the dinner. He noticed that Julia paid attention that Chloe stayed always in her proximity. Nerva reminded what Marcus Lucius told him the day before and how badly the misunderstanding was. Nerva didn't ask about a punishment for the manly slave. It was Marcus Lucius's decision. He looked at Chloe and thought that she had skinny cheeks and scared eyes. She was aware that her offender was captured and couldn't move freely, but it didn't help her to win the internal peace.

  As Julia sat down in her chamber next to the wooden desk, she sent Chloe away to Lysandra. They should stay not too far away as Julia described it. Nerva took the second, mostly unused chair, and took place on the opposite side of the desk.

  -Nerva, you are good with women. - Julia whispered suddenly.

  He trembled and hadn't any clue what she wanted from him. He didn't respond in any way and waited for her to precise the request.

  -These all women are so scared. - Julia sighed. - They're scared and lost, even if they have men around them. You can take a sword and kill someone. You can fight. We have to take what we get.

  Nerva stunned. She wasn't asking him for anything. She simply presented her thoughts. He didn't expect it.

  -Nerva, you're good with women. You're a prou
dly, confident man.

  -I am a soldier in the first place. - Nerva smiled. - Soldiers used to be that way. If I were a peasant, I would try to do what I can the best. I can fight, because I was trained for it. I can kill, because I was taught so.

  -True. But why all men are not like you, Appius or Marcus Lucius or even Octavian? You don't use the powers against the beings that are weaker than you. You're a good man.

  Nerva smiled sadder. He didn't look at him in that perspective. He dreamt at nights about things he didn't do right, the things he muddled, the people, he hurt once, people, who hurt him once, the emotions he desired and didn't get. He was everything except being a good man. Marcus Lucius was a good man. Appius was one. What did she mean as she said “even Octavian” anyway?

  -Believe me, I am not a good man.

  -But you wouldn't act that way, as the man yesterday. - Actually, Julia didn't mind just the special situation from yesterday. She thought about all men who made something bad. Everyone, who robbed another person from trust in own confidence, in the positive way to look at the world and humans, should be punished with the same robbery. However, Julia thought that you couldn't punish someone twice with the same thing. If someone acted for wrong reasons as a consequence of such a violence act, then he couldn't be punished with taking away the trust that was already gone for a longer while. Julia was confused. Her head ached. She didn't like such complicated problems.

  Nerva stood up and came closer to her. As he grasp her shoulder, he added shortly:

  -I liked you more as you didn't speak so much.

  He laughed rudely and ended his round around the table. Then, he sat down in the chair and looked at her defiantly.

  -You see, that is what makes you a good person. - She said.

  Nerva laughed again. She was unbelievably optimistic and wanted to improve the world. Women were so silly, so naïve. It wasn't a wonder that they were weak and vulnerable. Before he continued such way of thinking, he noticed some steps away in the hall. It was Marcus Lucius, who apparently wanted to give signs of his presence. Nerva didn't stand up. In front of other people, he used to salute and show officially his subordination, but as they were just alone, in their close circle, Nerva simply reduced his welcoming gestures to a minimal movement of his head. He imitated Marcus Lucius himself, who divided the official and unofficial appearance.

  -Do you have anything what I need to know? - Marcus Lucius asked as he stepped into the room.

  Julia smiled and Nerva reported shortly how the forenoon was. Marcus Lucius nodded every now and then. Nerva wondered whether he made it with purpose, as a sign for Julia or Nerva himself, or whether it was his natural way to show that he was following what was said.

  -And she didn't eat anything yet. - Nerva snitched and Julia poked him under the table. He laughed again. He was in really good mood. - And in her eyes's we're good men.

  Julia turned red and said sulky:

  -You're not a good guy anymore.

  Marcus Lucius smiled. Then, he ordered to eat something and talked with Nerva about the injuries of the civilians. Apparently, the most wounded villagers were dead already and just a smattering of people survived. Marcus Lucius hadn't anything special to report. The talk with Cornelius was short and rather one-way. He already got the report from his legionnaires that came back the day before and were excited endlessly. Cornelius wanted simply know what Marcus Lucius's strategy was and Marcus Lucius hadn't any. At least, Marcus Lucius didn't betray anything to Cornelius. It wasn't the right time.

  After Nerva left to have his second round of patrolling, Marcus Lucius stayed with Julia. He didn't check her wounds. Instead, he ordered her to stand up. He stood up some meters next to the bed. There was a lot of free space around him. He seemed to be relaxed. He already took off his armour and had just his tunic. His foots were away from each other within one meter. His muscles showed that he wasn't tensed.

  -Try to move me from the place I am.

  Julia stunned and thought it was an easy task. She hobbled knock-kneed and before she had her first attempt, she stopped just some centimetres in front of him. He was a head taller than she and the closer she was the more stupid the idea was to her.

  -You shouldn't have stopped. You could have used the energy of your body you collected on the way. - He said emotionless.

  She squinted her eyes to focus and to start over. Then, she made two further steps. She was insecure. She thought about the last night and his affection. She lost her courage, because she wasn't ready to touch him again. She stopped again and stood confused just a breath away from him. He smiled and she felt silly. She sighed.

  -And? - He said challenging. - You wanted to have a training.

  She rolled her eyes, breathed three times slower and stepped back.

  -I didn't finish. - She warned seriously. He smiled and didn't add that she even didn't start. However, he was really convinced that she begun. The mental barrier shouldn't be underestimated. He smiled to encourage her. It didn't work that way. She needed the bad energy than positive encouragement. She thought about Maxentius and tried to keep him in mind as she started over. Her shaky walk didn't bring much energy, but she stretched her arms. They landed on Marcus Lucius's chest and it was a real try to push him. Her whole power lost its impact and she didn't even manage to shove him a bit. She was a bit disappointed due to her lack of success and stunned, because she didn't except that Marcus Lucius had such an iron chest. It hurt as her hands reached his torso. Automatically, she asked:

  -Did I hurt you?

  He laughed benignly and wondered how such a thought could occur in her head. He moved his head with refusal. Then, he observed how she tried for the further four times and every time, it looked like a bull in a china shop. He didn't give her any hint, because she didn't listen to him. He was aware of her handicap and didn't expect a lot from the very first training. To spare her leg, he ordered her friendly to beat him as hard as she could. She stunned and refused. She was scared to bring him pain.

  -I assure you it won't be painful for me. - He said with a smile.

  She came to him and imitated the position he had. It wasn't comfortable to divide the whole weight of her body fifty-fifty on each leg, but she assumed that Marcus Lucius didn't stood that way for no reason. He noticed how she copied his position and valued it. The only problem was that she wasn't able to keep it for a longer while. Additionally, she had a mental barrier to slap him. He knew that such limits can't be overstepped within a wink of an eye. As she finally slapped him with her small, low-weight fists, it didn't hurt. However, she had a bad consciousness about it. He took off his tunica to show her that there were no signs of her slaps on it. He stood just in his pants and the naked shoulders and belly looked impressive.

  -Beat me once again. - He whispered and waited to the moment as she would lose her balance due to the fixed leg.

  She swiped her right arm and before she started her attack, she really lost her balance. She convicted her fixed leg for too long and she ignored her discomfort too much. A short cramp up interrupted her action. Marcus Lucius caught her without any problems. Then, he laid her on the bed and as she thought he would start kissing her, he simply started his check. He touched her face and directed her head to the light to have a better look at her right eye brow. Then, he looked at the red spots on her hands. She git them due to her slaps. He hadn't even a scratch. He looked at her underarm and noticed that the stitches could be removed. As he gently shoved her dress up to her knee, she got red, so she turned her head in the most foreign direction she could think of. He noticed her embarrassment and didn't comment it, even if he had to fight internally against the reflex to smile. His eyes sparkled cheerfully.

  The last time he spoke with medico, he was informed that Julia could start walking with her fixed leg. She shouldn't exaggerate with the time spent on walking, but it was the time to start coming back to her condition. The medico wanted to step by and change the bandages and the splints. Marcus Lucius
stunned that in the moment he thought about medico, the older man came and Chloe announced his arrival. Marcus Lucius smiled and left medico alone with Julia. In the meanwhile, he waited at the entrance to Julia's chamber and looked at Chloe. She was still unsettled.

  -I promise you to improve the guards here. - He said and Chloe bestowed him with a look full of gratitude. - I think I broke at least his two rips and his nose.

  Chloe was more than simply happy about it. In the next days, she was still nervous, but her confidence came back step by step. It influenced Julia positively. The talk with Chloe doubled its value.

  Medico stayed quite long and Nerva managed to come back with no special report related to the second patrol round. It was a sign for treating the last occurrence as an incident. Marcus Lucius didn't calm down completely. As long as the danger wasn't purged or at least estimated correctly, he wasn't able to sleep as deeply as in Thracia. Marcus Lucius used a moment as Nerva kept his guard in front of Julia's chamber, and to step by the civilians and checked their wounds. As far as he could, he dressed the injuries. They weren't so serious. He talked with the civilians bumpy due to the lack of some words and they smiled friendly the way that foreigners smile when a stranger extremely hard tries to speak perfectly the foreign language. Marcus Lucius's diction was not bad and the missing words weren't a big problem in the communication. Women looked at him with a kind of forbidden desire with the same envy that we have while having a look at glass cases or real property prices on Chemin du Vent-Blanc, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Hambros Allé, Via Veneto or Via Calabritto. They knew that they couldn't get his attention. He was a Roman soldier and they were simply peasants. They couldn't afford his affection. They smiled though, because they wanted to appear as pretty as they could in the jagged, dirty clothes and with their glued hair strains. As he checked their wounds, they strained their breasts forward and retracted their bellies. They saw in his eyes that he wasn't interested in touching them more than it was needed. There had to be a woman in the running, if he didn't reacted to the simplest, most sexual hints. She hated the woman he loved. She cursed the unknown female being and hoped for a change in their own fate. The helpful, friendly Roman could give them a chance for an affair. They would be extremely satisfied with achieving quite realistic goals. They were young enough to seduce men.

  As Marcus Lucius came back, he discussed with Nerva the possibilities related to the current state. Commonly, they decided to wait. They stood in the hallway and at the end, they messed around. They needed a moment of relax to avoid the bad thoughts, to distract the seriousness and doubts. Jokes about starving ahead weren't a new topic to slobber. As medico needed longer than they could bear, they started eating their supper without Julia. Chloe coordinated other slaves, who brought the food into the best room.

  As medico left, he joined Marcus Lucius and Nerva during the meal. They talked shortly about Julia's condition. Nerva didn't interrupt anything, but listened carefully. Medico removed the threads from her underarm, at least the parts that were possible to remove. He complimented Marcus Lucius for his stitches that didn't leave ugly scars. The line of stitches was clear and quite regular. Additionally, medico changed the splint. She got some medicine to calm down and was dozing. Medico wasn't led to the civilians. He wasn't needed there. Marcus Lucius got up soon and went to Julia. Nerva stayed alone and drank wine uncontrolled. Alcohol helped him to fall into sleep without hurling around in the bed.

  Julia laid in the bed quite calmly. She was warmed than usually. Some sweat drops appeared on her forehead. Her underarm was bandaged completely and Marcus Lucius was forced to take the ligature away, if he wanted to see how her skin looked like there. Instead, he gazed shortly at her new splint that was lighter and smaller than the one before. Without getting her away from the bed, he freed her from the dress and covered with red blanket. She woke up in the meanwhile and followed his movements with blurry eyes. As she was naked under the blanket, his hand slipped under the material.

  -Here, you have your throat. - Marcus Lucius stared and he touched gently the mentioned body part. - If you don't have enough power to slap strongly, collect your entire energy to hit that place. Here, you have your upper spine with ribs. - His hand moved unhurriedly. His tone was still warm, but not ordinary friendly. - somewhere here, a human has a heart. You're not strong enough yet to break the any rib and pit the heart or lungs with it by using your hands. Therefore, try it with any object you can get: a rod, stick, pike, bowl... I mean really anything you can use... Take aim somewhere here. It hurts at least. Even better and easier to aim is the area around the lower spine. You can beat here and here – he continued by stroking her belly and sideways. - Injuring joints is a good technique, if you wish to lock someone.

  His hand went from the knees over her left sideway to the arms. He didn't touch the joint of her left arm, because he didn't want to move the bandages. She followed his touch with a shy smile.

  -You can test it on me tomorrow, when you're better. Now, you should sleep. - He whispered decisively. Then, he kissed her on the right cheek and stood up. He had to wash himself shortly and drink more water. He was thirsty. As he came back, Julia slept already. She smelled after strange mixtures and herbals that medico rubbed in the wounded places. Marcus Lucius smiled as he looked at her. In that moment, he became aware that he loved her. She hadn't say or do anything special. It was important that she existed.

  He wondered whether he loved Decima. Through his mind, a question strayed continuously. He wondered whether already asking “Is it love” excludes that you love someone. If you love another human being, then you simply know it. You don't have to rethink it, search for evidences or derivate such things. You simply know whether it is the case or not. Your surrounding can overtake own judgements due to its observations, knowledge, gossip, clues. Your surrounding can lead discussions whether it is so or not. The affected people simply know the truth when they look inside. Marcus Lucius didn't know why and when it happened, but he deeply, truly, madly loved the woman that laid few meters away. With happiness in his heart, he slipped under the blanket and glued to her. He kissed her cheek and neck. Then, he felt asleep with the last thought about Appius. Out of sight, out of mind.

  A kind of routine returned in the following weeks. As Marcus Lucius was on patrol, Nerva supported Julia with the care about the civilians. As Julia started a snowball fight, the children of the peasants joined the battle and supported Julia against Nerva. She wasn't good in aiming. Nerva found his targets well. Then, Nerva went on patrol and Marcus Lucius trained with Julia. He brought her a walking stick made of pine wood and she used it twice against him. She didn't hit him strongly, but it was definitely more effective than using her small fists. As she finally managed to bring him to knees, she bowed over him with a stunned look. At first, she didn't believe, she really made it. He grasped after her hand and she fell down on him. She chuckled aloud. Her laughter echoed in the villa more often on the way to and during common meals with her friends and her good mood infected the soldiers, too. After supper, she hobbled to her chamber and Marcus Lucius let her going on her own. She had to train her legs and she done it consequently. Marcus Lucius waggled his head with admiration. Nerva showed his respect similarly.

  Every night, Marcus Lucius and Julia slept naked, hugged and happy. The days were longer and the nights were shorter. They made love unhurriedly and savoured the moment. With every further day, they enjoyed their proximity and harmony more. Marcus Lucius was convinced that this way a perfect marriage functioned. He didn't know why it didn't work that way with Decima. Maybe, he wasn't old enough. Maybe, he didn't love her the way he loved Julia. Maybe, it was caused by the fact that the entire harmony would end soon and he tried to gather as many good moments as possible.

  Unfortunately, their anxiety started increasing and they didn't want to speak about the probability that the fairy tale they lived could end one day. They didn't want to think about upcoming spring, because Julia was supposed to
travel back to Naples. They avoided the topic and talked rather about other issues. Julia imitated Nerva's reporting style as she described how the civilians were doing and Marcus Lucius laughed. His laugher was charming. Julia loved it.

  Cornelius visited them once shortly. He stepped by for the supper and was welcomed with good vibrations at the table in the dining room. He wanted to bring words of his gratitude for the improvements within trainings. The legionnaires developed to soldiers they should have been already for years. Additionally, he wanted to ask whether Julia was ready to prepare a party for the Roman noble families from the region. Julia wasn't ready. She didn't like events with many people invited and sniffing in the houses of others. She remembered her mother cursing days before such parties and smiling with a mask of politeness to everyone, who appeared to such an event. Little Julia mostly was designated to participate in her mother's celebrations, but she usually spent her time in the garden by observing the strange guests. She sat on the wall of the garden and stroked her cat. She whispered to the animal her comments related to dresses of noble ladies and faces of the older, bored gentlemen in white tunica. Reminding it all, Julia hadn't any motivation to organise anything similar and Marcus Lucius didn't want to force her to do anything. Additionally, he didn't like the idea to meet the noble citizens from the region, because it was more probable that they could recognize Maximus's bone structure in his face that average soldiers. His father was obligated to participate in such celebrations as a highly reputable soldier and man of honour. Marcus Lucius inherited from him the aversion to meetings for masses. He avoided them and had to argue afterwards with his mother, why he didn't appear here and there.

  Cornelius noticed that any gala dinner wasn't in sight in this house and it didn't make him happy. He was sociable man with outgoing urge and he looked for every occasion to be entertained and to eat good. He already regretted that Julia didn't invite him regularly to common dinners or suppers and he complaint it in his letters to Julius. Beyond that, Cornelius noticed the change in the dealings between the Appius's troop as he called the trio. They were happy in their small company and they didn't welcome anyone else. It was strange. It was typical for a soldier's life to keep it simple and ascetic. The noble citizens should have more soirees and be more social. At the end, Cornelius repeated his offer about help for Julia and she answered politely again. She was happy and she couldn't hide it so perfectly as Marcus Lucius or Nerva.

  Nerva became calmer and could sleep better. He didn't miss his times as messenger so visibly as before, and he noticed a couple of times liking to stay in Britannia. He shared it with Julia once and at least twice with Marcus Lucius. He underlined that the hours of patrolling were important to him. It was comprehensible. Once, Julia asked Nerva whether he didn't feel alone. He told her a story of his mission to Alexandria and as he met there women with other culturally maintained definition of beauty.

  -And you know what one of them said to me? - He asked quietly.

  Julia came closer to him to be able to listen his answer.

  -She said it's better to be with no one, than to be with the wrong one.

  -That was a very clever woman. - Julia added contemplating.

  Nerva laughed nervously.

  -No, she wasn't. She wasn't able to survive with her service. If she would be clever enough, she would have enough money to live as a king with the trained, even skilled... body she had.

  Nerva stopped talking as he noticed he gave Julia too much data. Talking with her about any sexual allusion was sometimes a part of their talks, but it mostly wasn't so directly. Julia knew that he used services of prostitutes sometimes, but she didn't ask about it. Drilling his soul's dilemmas or rubbing the love issues in weren't the way she wanted to proceed. She noticed that Nerva was a wounded man and she wasn't sure how to help him or whether anyone could heal the injuries of his soul. As she got such thoughts, Nerva percepted it immediately and suddenly, he changed the topic of their talks or he simply stood up and started walking through the room nervously. He used to ask her for declaiming any battle scene she knew and she quoted Iliad mostly. He calmed down and every time, her declamation reminded him of another story he shared with Julia. Often, it was a piece of memory of one of his friends from the times as they all were directly in command of Appius. Rarely, Nerva gave hints about Appius's life. Julia put these pieces together and discussed it with Marcus Lucius twice.

  Appius never married. Nobody knew for which reasons. However, Appius loved once a woman very deeply. It wasn't sure why they didn't marry, but Appius swore not to have any other woman in his life, because if he couldn't have that special one, then he didn't want to love anyone else. Nerva hadn't any clue who the woman was, but he knew that Maximus helped Appius to get her back. The mission didn't succeed. Appius didn't tell why, but he said Nerva to be patient and that every dog has his day. A day should come when we would get that what redeems us: love or death with internal peace. For Appius, no further values were more important than these. Individual fulfilment could be achieved only if someone tried living in accordance to the rules the one believes.

  Marcus Lucius didn't know further background information about Appius's story. If he would ask his mother, the master of gossip, he would get the needed hints. However, contacting his mother wasn't possible for at least two reasons. At first, he didn't like his mother. Then, he didn't want to give anyone a proof of life, because he was playing a specific role as he promised it to Appius.

  Instead of analysing Appius's love life, Julia described how the civilians were doing. The men helped ostlers to keep order in the stable. The women were good in the kitchen. The children played in the yard. They were cut off from the men from the North with stony walls of the villa and stayed under strict protection of the Roman soldiers. The civilians were happy and felt safe. Marcus Lucius visited them shortly twice a week, because he hadn't time for daily checks. Additionally, it wasn't needed to control how the peasants were doing daily, because it was the task of Julia. She learnt few words from them and it was funny to see how hard she tried to speak it with the right diction. The tremble of her voice was pleasant even in the foreign language.

  Marcus Lucius laughed once that collecting all peasants in the villa as prevention measures was excluded due to the limits of the area. However, it would be supportive to build a kind of huge, long walls that would edge the entire island like mountains, the natural borders near Brigetio. Nobody would come in or out without stepping through the walls. Julia asked who would build such walls. Nerva, who participated in the talk during a dinner or supper, suggested rudely that all Cornelius's legionnaires who weren't able to keep the ordinary level of condition could be punished with works on the building lot. At least one wall from South to North or from East to West could be ended quickly, if the punishment would be implemented. They all laughed. The idea was funny.

  On the day that Julia's splint was removed, a great joy ruled in the villa. She jumped a couple of times and played tag with Nerva and peasants' children. Marcus Lucius observed it with joy and his level of pleasure increased as she hugged him with her legs that night. As they spent time together in bed, Marcus Lucius minded the fixed leg. Julia slobbered a bit and didn't think about her bodily limits. She was usually fully committed to what she was doing.

  The days became even longer and the snow turned back into clean rain. First paddles started melting. Two shifts of blankets weren't needed to keep warmth under the material. The wind stroked naked trees and bushes and tried to wake them up. First green spots appeared slowly, shyly in the woods. Spring came and Julia got sadder every morning. The mood got worse as Cornelius asked Marcus Lucius about Julia's travel to Naples. Then, the issue related to men from North was put into question. Marcus Lucius wasn't happy and didn't want to give any answer. He came back to the villa as a beaten dog. During a common consultation, Nerva said that it would be supportive not having Julia around, when a fight was planned.

  -If you're here, then one of
us has to stay with you and if we would be together on the battlefield, then it would be easier to win the match. - Nerva argued sadly. It was a good point, even if nobody liked the idea. Julia wanted them to back up each other in the field and she didn't want to be any obstacle.

  -I won't send her on the road to Naples without any guard. Cornelius's legionnaires are better trained, but they're not good enough for me. - Marcus Lucius answered quickly. It was the very first time as Nerva percepted a tone of nervousness in his voice.

  -The way or another, one of us stays on your side. - Nerva summarized. - It would be advantageous, if we knew whether Octavian is already on the way. He could accompany you to Naples then.

  -We can't prolong it all. - Julia added downcast. - We can't wait for Octavian. We don't know what is Appius doing. He didn't send any message in the last weeks.

  She was right and that was the most joyless point.

  -Nerva, you take her there. I have to stay here. I promised it to the elders. - Marcus Lucius continued a day or two later.

  The gloomy eyes of Julia couldn't be overseen. Already during the nights, Marcus Lucius started preparing her for a separation by telling her “It's just a matter of time, when we see us again.” She didn't cry, but she was so down that she wasn't able to savour their proximity anymore. He trained her with the basic self-defence techniques and she was a good student. He hoped she would never get the chance to use her skills seriously. He hugged her and she glued to him. She tried to remember his scent and his touch on the off-chance. He told her to cross that bridge when she would come to it. She didn't want to leave at all. He didn't want to let her go on no account.

  Cornelius offered his legionnaires to bring Julia to Naples. Marcus Lucius took the proposal, because any further soldier in the convoy could increase the powerful impression of the travellers. Nerva didn't feel good with the whole action, but he didn't say a word about it. Julia didn't want to take any wagon. She wanted to ride on a horse herself, because it minimized the time spent for travelling. Marcus Lucius refused. She wasn't a soldier. She wanted to go with Nerva on his horse. Marcus Lucius refused again. It wasn't a proper behaviour for a married woman. Only in case of any emergency, such scenario could be used. Julia was angry, but understood Marcus Lucius's explanations. Against Marcus Lucius's advice, she hadn't many things to pack. She didn't intend to take anything. As she was on the road to Britannia, she didn't have many things either. She managed it then, so she could do it this time, too.

  On the evening before the departure, she went to the yard. It was a rainy, quite warm evening. Nerva kept sitting on the table and ate his supper quietly. Marcus Lucius gave her a moment to come back. As she didn't return, he followed her.

  -Don't bid me farewell tomorrow. - She asked. - I don't want to cry or make scenes.

  He didn't answer. Her hair became wet and the raindrops kept falling on her face. He stepped closer to her, but she made some steps away to keep the distance.

  -If I won't come back, will you search for me? - She asked another question.

  -Julia, please, come back to the house. We'll talk there.

  -No. Answer the question. - She whispered with a kind of unknown power. She trembled and he thought that she was cold. It wasn't the entire truth. She cried and her tears were covered by the rain. She didn't want to show him how many tears were mixed with the raindrops.

  -Of course I will search for you. But you will come back. Nerva won't suck. - Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince her or even himself.

  -Please, don't be here tomorrow morning. Please don't...

  -I won't. - He promised and knew that he wasn't able to let her go without any goodbye. He stepped forward and caught her. Then, he hugged her so strongly that he got scared he could break her ribs. Her trembling body was tensed and wet. He brought her to her chamber. He undressed her and covered with a blanket. She shouldn't get cold. Then, he thought that if she would got sic, she wouldn't have to go away. Postponing the departure wasn't easy and could raise too much attention, if the argumentation wouldn't be convincing. Cornelius wanted to accompany Julia to Londonium. He wanted to come back to the camp within approximately two weeks. Approximately seven days were planned to travel in the late February with three wagons from Eboracum to Londonium. A simple ride back without waiting for wagons could take up to a week, too. Marcus Lucius had hands bounded by the word he gave to the elders. He shouldn't leave the region. Then, it wouldn't change the problem a lot. Three days of journey and the vision of Julia stepping alone on the ship were too much for them both. If they had to cut their daily routine, then it had to be done quickly to spare the pain.

  -I've changed my mind. - Julia whispered suddenly after they laid with opened eyes in the bed until the night almost ended. They looked each other in the eyes and didn't move. - I don't want you to search me. Stay here. Stay here for any price.

  Marcus Lucius couldn't follow. His stunning was visible in his eyes. Julia stood up promptly.

  -It all doesn't matter. Do what you have to do and don't look back at me. Stay focussed. - She said resigned and dressed herself alone. He was angry and couldn't understand what she intended to communicate to him. She told him, as his father, to be focussed. It wasn't a coincidence that she used the same words even without any appropriate background about Maximus's wording. Marcus Lucius really hadn't any idea what happened. He stood up and stepped closer to her. She blocked his arms.

  -You promised me not to go to the yard. I don't want to say any goodbye. Let us pretend that this time it's my turn to go with Nerva to the patrol.

  She blocked him, but he was stronger and pushed her less gently into his arms. He kissed her forehead and tried not to look in the eyes. Her tears appeared again and he knew that she would get angry if he wouldn't ignore it. So he pretended to overlook it and she smiled bitter. Lovers had always their own, huge, crucial problems with separation. The amount of entire airy happiness and deeply affection could be shown as a parabola of the quadratic function, where f(x) was at least “a” multiplied with “x” under condition that “a” was not less than tenfold of ten. Hearts of Marcus Lucius and Julia got a rift that started increasing proportionally to the level of their proximity. Their souls felt already teared up, although they saw each other. Nerva knocked before he stepped into the chamber and he breezily took Julia out of Marcus Lucius's arms. Then, he clapped on Marcus Lucius's shoulder and saluted officially. Marcus Lucius answered the salutation and looked as Nerva forced Julia to follow him. She didn't look back. Nerva kept her hand strongly, coldly. On the yard, he saluted to Cornelius and helped Julia to come into the wagon. In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius jumped to the room, from where he could look out of the window and follow the convoy long after it disappeared in the woods.

  The patrol wasn't problematic. Everything was fine and it nerved Marcus Lucius, who needed any distraction he could get just not to come back to Julia in mind. The awareness that he would go back to an empty house, where he wouldn't meet her, was scary and improbable. It was ridiculous. With the same probability, a man could land on the moon or Jupiter could appear next to Marcus Lucius. The second round of patrol was uncomplicated as well. Marcus Lucius hadn't any motivation to go back to the villa, but he had to appear there. As nobody welcomed him in the yard, he cherished illusion that everyone was in the dinner room. As he got there with a smile on his face, just the common slaves were there. Chloe and Lysandra were on the road with Julia. The other slaves weren't so known.

  The last moment they saw each other wasn't magical. It was full of sadness that could reach to fill the space up to Mariana Trench about 2,550 kilometres long in the western Pacific Ocean, to the east of the Mariana Islands. They felt as if they were falling down in the hole, in the deepest part of the world's oceans that reached a maximum-known depth of almost 11.000 km at the Challenger Deep, a small slot-shaped valley in its floor. However, the moment of Julia's departure wasn't the most painful moment. The empty space she left m
ade Marcus Lucius falling even deeper in the whole leading directly to despair. He thought he started going mad. The memories of her laughter that didn't echo through the walls, the empty, cold bed that didn't smell after her, the hobbling or her hands on his chest while they've trained her self-defence became just memories that he tried to maintain as much as he could. It was harder with every day to keep the intensity of her warmth, her scent, the tremble of her voice... At least the picture of her stayed in his mind so strongly that he looked back at it as if it was his only rescue. He didn't eat much. He started training his body after he came back from the patrols to distract himself from the emptiness and loneliness of the place that used to be his most happy space on Earth.

  Julia was down as a flower that lost its blossom. She sat in the wagon and reminded the time as she kept sitting on the floor just to have a look at Marcus Lucius. She tried with the same power to remind scents, voices, words and she was disappointed as she collected hardly a hand full of really good retained memories. She was scared how quickly the intensity flew away and how difficult it was to keep the good vibrations. She wondered why the bad memories were easier to keep in mind than the good ones. She missed the feeling of being loved and she didn't talk with Cornelius. She mutated into a sculpture of natural beauty.

  As Nerva ordered the stops on the way, she didn't like to go out or drink water. He stood upright next to her and had the same punishing look as in the times he controlled her eating behaviour in Maxentius's villa. He wasn't in a good mood, either, but he kept it rather internally. Just the dimples didn't show up as he talked. His eyes were a bit dashed. He waited until she didn't drink a bit and moved his head minimally as she was allowed to hole up in the wagon again.

  Nerva thought about Marcus Lucius's order after Nerva came back to the camp after the last patrol tour. Marcus Lucius was waiting for Nerva there and in the meanwhile, he talked with Rufus. As Nerva came surprised by seeing them together, Marcus Lucius welcomed Nerva shortly with a minimal head's movement and ordered Nerva to choose the best soldiers for patrols. Nerva was totally convinced that he was collecting a group of legionnaires for Marcus Lucius's patrols in the next weeks. He tried to find the best trained men. As he put together around twenty men, Marcus Lucius smiled and thanked Nerva for his choice. Nerva stunned as he saw the picked group early in the morning of departure. Marcus Lucius gave him the best possible legionnaires. It was clearly madness. Additionally, all Appius's soldiers, except of Rufus, that stayed in Eboracum until that day were assigned to the convoy. Nerva was surprised by the choice of Marcus Lucius, but he understood the reasons and the importance of the convoy. Marcus Lucius didn't say a word how precious Julia was for him, but he marked it explicitly enough.

  Cornelius was apparently convinced that the consolidated power was chosen due to protection of the camp commander. As he talked with further legionnaires, he was informed that he could go back to Londonium with six of his legionnaires. It was the order of Marcus Lucius. The rest of guardians had to stay on Julia's side. Cornelius didn't feel well with the thought of being protected only by his own soldiers. He complaint a lot and aloud about this fact, but nobody listened to him carefully. His cursed addressed to Maxentius were apparently successfully picked up by the men from the North. Already during the third day after Julia's departure, a smaller group of Barbarians attacked the patrol. Marcus Lucius tried not to fight. The offending group was rather small and it seemed to be rather a group of point men than real warriors. Instead, Marcus Lucius observed in the morning light how his legionnaires were doing. It was an important test for them. The missing years of routine couldn't be caught up with a couple of months of training, but the progress was visible. Two of them were killed, five lightly injured, the rest licked the first blood in the fever of fight. The offenders were killed up to two people. They were wounded and Marcus Lucius ordered to bring them back to the camp. He wanted to talk with them.

  It was an early evening as Marcus Lucius came back with the second group of soldiers. The afternoon route wasn't disturbed by anyone. However, it was strictly probable that men from the North would start searching after their point-men soon.

  The Barbarians were chained to palings. They were unarmed and thirsty. Their dirty faces were full of anger. They cursed in their local language. Marcus Lucius brought a chair and sat down in front of them, far enough to be out of range of their split, near enough to listen to their furious whisper.

  He didn't look them in the eyes. Instead, he carved rather incompletely a piece of wood with his dagger. Rufus came to him and asked whether his help was needed. Marcus Lucius answered politely that it won't take long until he gets what he needs. Rufus stepped back and Marcus Lucius directed his attention apparently to the piece of wood again. The Barbarians laughed about it. They said he was carving his own woman that will be at least so ugly that even the most horny man won't take her. Instead, the wild dogs could possess her. They said it all less politely. They were effing and blinding. Some legionnaires around Marcus Lucius didn't understand a single word, but the context. They stepped forward and asked whether they should start with lashing. Marcus Lucius refused without a word and his piece of wood had already a conical ending. Marcus Lucius started sharpen it. The both Barbarians looked at his work and began to estimate their options. They weren't sure whether Marcus Lucius was going to hurt them or not.

  -He needs us to get information. He won't get it. I won't tell anything. - The one with longer hair and massive shoulders said.

  -We have to escape in the night. My chains are not bounded tightly. - The smaller one said. After the sunset, his bright hair looked dark as everything around them. A fire place was set behind Marcus Lucius's back. Additionally, one of legionnaires held a torch in front of him what enabled Marcus Lucius to carve his piece of wood. He didn't smile. He didn't saw any angry expression. He seemed to be focussed of his piece of wood completely. The Barbarians used the moment to whisper in conspiracy.

  -They won't ever find us behind the muds of Cheviot Hills. We'll destroy them as our fathers did, when they vanished the forts by fire and sword at Trimontium.

  -They already started to back up. Our men will smash them easily. Stupid Romans...

  Marcus Lucius didn't react.

  -They won't gather any power within a month. We'll attack them as planned. They always need so long for their vehicles to be removed.

  Marcus Lucius still didn't react in any way. He thought whether he knew the surrounding there, whether is was clever to wait for the offenders to come or whether going kilometres in the North direction would be better.

  -Stupid Romans... Whore sons...

  Marcus Lucius waited further moments and carved in the wood, but no further information was shared between the Barbarians. Finally, he stood up and asked for his horse. Without looking at the prisoners chained to paling, the jumped on Hiberus and before he left the camp, he ordered to bind the ropes stronger around the Barbarians.

  He rid alone to the village where he met once with the elders. The villagers were sleeping already, so he yelled shortly. Promptly, the waken people ran out of their houses screaming and holding anything that could be used as a weapon.

  -Forgive me the time, but I am here for good reasons. If I have wanted your death, I wouldn't warn you. - He said calmly. Hiberus moved just a bit, unhurriedly. The horse wasn't scared of people without swords. - Tell Cunobarros I have to speak with him immediately.

  Women returned to their houses and scared children. Men looked askance to the rider, but two of them vanished in the woods. They hadn't horses, so Cunobarros couldn't be far away from here. Marcus Lucius waited long enough, because Hiberus got bored and impatiently. His ears stopped moving hastily and he whinnied nerved. Finally, Cunobarros appeared. He was sleepy, but didn't complaint.

  -Where can we talk privately? - Marcus Lucius asked after a short nod with the head as a welcoming gesture.

  Cunobarros showed him with the head to follow. Marcus Lucius appeared wi
thin a wink of the eye next to the older man. Cunobarros trembled shortly and held back from the reflex to defence. Marcus Lucius tested him again. Cunobarros didn't like it, but he understood the reasons. The talk didn't take long. Marcus Lucius had already a suggestion. After a summary of the talk between the Barbarians, Marcus Lucius asked where the mentioned regions were. Cunobarros put all things away from the wooden table and brought some wood pieces that laid next to a fire place that burnt stronger since they stepped in the cottage. The room was quite dark, but there was enough light to forge plans. Cunobarros laid the wooden pieces on the table and within moments, he explained Marcus Lucius the geography of the region.

  -Here, we are. Here, is your camp. Here, are the mountains they mentioned. It's a march for two or three days. The land is low, but they know the mountains and it will be hard to defend them on their land.

  -I thought about it already. It would be better, when they would come to us. It means that the villages would be in danger. We don't want your folk to be hurt.

  -We don't want to lose the battle. - Cunobarros interrupted quickly. It was obvious that a loss could only encourage the offender to do more harms. The legionnaires were trained, but they weren't still professionals as they used to be once. Some groups made a great progress, many of them were still unmotivated and unwilling to change the habits. With a hand full of good soldiers, it wasn't probable to win two battles in the row.

  Marcus Lucius nodded with understanding.

  -Where do you want to have the battle then? - Marcus Lucius's question surprised the old man.

  -Where? - He repeated.

  -We bring them to come to the point we chose.

  -How? - Cunobarros was curious. He didn't follow Marcus Lucius's plan. It seemed to be impossible.

  -That's not your problem. - Marcus Lucius was clear, but polite.

  -What do you plan then? What do you need from us?

  -Where do you want to have the battle? - Marcus Lucius repeated with a secret smile.

  Cunobarros showed a place on the table between many wooden pieces.

  -Here. It's just a day away for you. It's flat. It's neatly arranged.

  Cunobarros was in a better mood. His eyes sparkled in excitement. Marcus Lucius breathed slowly. For the very first time, he was relieved that Julia wasn't here. He could completely focus on preparing the battle.

  -I'll contact you, soon. - Marcus Lucius said finally and left the cottage. Cunobarros looked after him and nodded pleased. He knew that Marcus Lucius would keep his word and binding the Roman to the promise he gave once was easy. It was relieving and refreshing. After many misunderstandings and defiance with Romans, a man appeared, who brought back the honour and will to stand up and defence the land in the right way.