by Carol Ashby
Breakfast was soon over, and Decimus was eager to start working.
Galen placed Decimus’s hand on his shoulder and led him out of the cottage. “I have the perfect thing for us to work on today. I need to repair the stall fencing in the cattle shed. You can hold the rails in place while I tie them with leather bindings. The whole job shouldn’t take us more than two hours.”
In the shed, Galen positioned Decimus and placed a rail in his hands to hold while Galen wrapped the bindings.
A smile lifted the corners of Decimus’s mouth. This was a good first choice for them working together. Even in his weakened condition, the railings were light enough that he had no problem holding them in place. He was far from his full strength after losing so much blood, but the strength he had was enough for this task. He could easily keep his weight off his left leg as well.
Galen liked to talk, and his conversation was often funny. Decimus was thoroughly enjoying himself as they worked.
Valeria was working in the garden just past the cattle shed when Rhoda came running over. “Baldric is coming with Otto and one of his mares.”
“Tell Galen to keep Decimus in the cattle shed so Baldric doesn’t see him, and tell them both to be quiet.”
Rhoda hurried into the cattle shed and came back out with Galen behind her.
Valeria’s lips tightened at the sight of Galen. He and Otto were the same age and good friends. He was always eager to spend time with Otto, but he should have stayed in the shed. He shouldn’t have assumed Decimus would be fine alone.
Otto waved, and Galen returned the greeting. Too late now to send him back in without arousing suspicion. Valeria sighed. Hopefully Rhoda had told Decimus silence was essential and he’d do a better job of obeying than Galen.
She walked over to the back side of the corral where Astro was drinking at the water trough. As Baldric rode toward them, leading the mare along the corral fence, the big stallion tossed his head and flared his nostrils. With a snort, he headed toward the mare, keenly interested.
Baldric and his son rode up beside Valeria and dismounted. “I come to take you up on your offer. He is a beautiful animal. Of course, I will give you something for this.”
When she was twelve, nothing had fascinated Valeria more than watching her father strike a deal. He always seemed to enjoy it immensely. She would have let Baldric breed his mare for free, but since he was offering to pay...
“Let’s consider what might be fair to both of us. He is truly a magnificent animal, as you say, and we can both see that he’s eager to perform. But he’s unproven as a stud, so I can’t in good conscience charge you a high fee up front when we don’t know what will come of the breeding. I’d like to rebuild my father’s herd, but for that I’ll need more than just my one small mare. I need her for work, too, so I’m not sure I want to breed her, especially to such a big stallion.”
She paused and rubbed the back of her neck before making her offer. “You have many mares, and some of them are not important to you. What do you say to breeding three of your best mares with him, and when they’re with foal, I would take in payment one of your least important mares. Three fine horses for one ordinary one seems a fair deal to me.”
Laughter exploded from Baldric. “That is a proposal like none I have heard before. You are still your father’s daughter, no matter what else the physician taught you. I will make you a counter offer. If you will marry one of my sons, I will give you three of my best mares as your own.”
Now it was Valeria’s turn to chuckle. “Your sons are such fine men that no woman would ask to be paid in horses to marry them. I would find your offer irresistible if my husband didn’t have to be a man who follows the Way.”
“Would five mares change your mind?”
Valeria chuckled again. “No, that’s not negotiable.”
Decimus stood motionless, listening to their exchange. One corner of his mouth turned up. It was a very bold proposal, but the way she said it made it sound so reasonable, even when it wasn’t. She was asking a very high price for the services of a horse that wasn’t even hers. Still, taking care of Astro did give her the right to use him. Baldric had described her well when he called her a wise woman.
The more Decimus knew of Valeria, the more he could understand why Baldric was so eager to get her as wife for one of his sons. She was more than wise. She was kind and playful and pretty, at least according to Gaius’s way of seeing. He’d never known her equal.
He’d been standing a long time, and his leg hurt. When he reached down to massage it, his hip bumped the crutch that he’d leaned against the wall. As it fell, his blind attempt to catch it only caught air.
Decimus rolled his eyes as the clatter of a falling stack of pails announced his presence that she’d tried so hard to hide.
Everyone turned toward the racket in the cattle shed.
“I’ll be right back.” Galen left Otto and trotted into the shed. Decimus stood with his arms extended, trying to balance on his good leg. Galen almost laughed at him. He’d never seen such a big man looking sheepish, like a kid who’d just done something foolish.
Galen stood on tiptoes and whispered in his ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll explain the noise.”
He handed Decimus a milking stool and helped him sit down so he wouldn’t bump into anything else. Then he went back to the corral.
“Not a problem, Val. I left something standing that I shouldn’t have, but nothing’s broken.”
They all turned back to the corral to continue the negotiations.
Baldric rubbed his chin as his eyes drifted from Valeria to the stallion and back again. She was the daughter of his best friend. Her father had been dead seven years, but she had earned his respect and affection in her own right. He owed her the life of his beloved wife, and that was a debt nothing could fully repay. Giving her a mare to restart her herd would be a good way to thank her.
“There is merit to your proposal. I accept. Otto, put the mare in the corral, and we will see whether that stallion can start earning Valeria her mare.”
Chapter 19: A New Perspective
Baldric was smiling as he and Otto mounted their horses.
“The stallion traded his dead owner for a much better one. Perhaps he knows that.” His smile broadened. “Even hurt, he is already doing his part to earn you a mare. I will leave my mare here to be sure she does hers. I or one of my sons will come for her in two days.”
Valeria grinned. “I’ll look forward to seeing you then. Farewell, Baldric.”
“Farewell, Valeria.” Baldric reined his horse away from her and kicked him into a trot.
After he and Otto disappeared into the trees, Valeria led Galen back into the cattle shed. Decimus was still sitting on the stool. His head hung down, and his shoulders slumped as fatigue enveloped him. Clearly, he’d taken on too much for his first time out of the cottage.
“You’ve done enough work for your first day, Decimus. Time for you to quit and come back to the cottage for a rest.”
Galen took Decimus’s hands and helped him to his feet.
Decimus turned his face toward her. “Not yet. Baldric interrupted us before we could finish. A task shouldn’t be left until it’s completed.” The firmness in his voice signaled that he expected no argument.
Valeria’s eyebrows rose. She hadn’t expected a stubborn response to her perfectly reasonable statement. She caught Galen’s eye and flicked her head toward the door to get him to tell Decimus to quit.
“We can’t work on this much longer, Val. I need to go to the upper meadow for a while. We can finish here tomorrow. I’ll bring Decimus back to the cottage when we’re done for the day.”
“Good. I’ll have something for you to eat when you’re through.”
Galen grinned at the prospect of food.
She left them to their work. As she headed toward the cottage, she pursed her lips and shook her head. What a stubborn man he was!
&nb
sp; She probably should have expected that. A Roman tribune would be accustomed to people doing exactly what he told them, and only the commander of the legion and the provincial governor could expect to give him orders and have him obey them. She would have to rely on persuasion rather than telling him what to do like she did with Galen and Rhoda.
He would need watching when he helped Galen. That stubbornness might make him push himself too hard too soon, but that same trait would help him survive if his sight didn’t return. Stubbornness and determination usually went hand in hand, and determination could get someone through difficult times.
She was stubborn herself when it came to doing what she knew was right. There couldn’t be two more different people than a Roman tribune and her, but in one thing they were kindred spirits. She understood his determination to finish what he started.
Galen patted his stomach. “I’m hungry, so let’s get back to work. I think we have time to get one more rail in place before lunch. Then I have to go to the meadow.”
He moved Decimus and slid the rail into place before placing the tribune’s hands in position to hold it steady while he wrapped the leather strips to hold it there.
“Finished.” Galen handed him his crutch and placed Decimus’s free hand on his shoulder to guide him as they walked together toward the cottage. “I’m sure glad Val decided you were ready to work. It’s too hard trying to balance the rail and tie it in place by myself.”
“It’s good she did. I couldn’t stand sitting around doing nothing for much longer. That’s no way for a man to live.”
Galen chuckled. “Probably not, but sometimes I think it would be nice to try it out. I’ll never get the chance with so much to do around here. You may end up wishing Val hadn’t told me we could work together.”
Valeria sat on the porch, waiting for them. Decimus leaned heavily on his crutch as he hobbled toward her. He was exhausted and hurting, but a smile lit his face as he talked with Galen. He’d done something worthwhile today, even though he was blind. It was worth him being tired and sore for him to feel useful again. To see him now, she would never have known he’d been ready to kill himself only two days ago.
She met them by the door. “Don’t forget to wipe the cowshed mud off your feet.”
“Don’t I always, Val?” A big grin split Galen’s face.
“No, but you’re getting much better. Besides, I was really reminding Decimus.” She rested her hand on his arm. “I’m only just starting to train him.”
He smiled down at her. “Some of us aren’t trainable.”
“You don’t know how good a trainer I can be.”
Decimus could hear her smile. He assumed she was joking. She certainly couldn’t be thinking it was her place to train a man like him to do anything.
When Valeria passed around the lunch of bread and cheese, Decimus savored each bite. It was good to be doing something again that could make a man hungry.
Then Galen headed out the door to go do whatever it was he did in the high meadow. What was up there that kept Galen so busy? He would ask later.
He hobbled over to his bed and lay down. As his head hit the pillow, deep fatigue wrapped around him. Time to rest for a while. His leg hurt much more than it had when he got up that morning, but he didn’t care. It had been a surprisingly good day so far.
Galen probably had made the task easier than normal because he couldn’t see, but it had been real work worth doing, and he was satisfied. It was good to know that a blind man actually could do more than beg.
Valeria heard his breathing slow and deepen. She tiptoed to the edge of the bed to gaze at him. A slight smile curved his lips. He looked so different from the deathly pale tribune who lay there unconscious only a few days ago. She’d been so afraid for him then, but God had answered all her prayers. To see the contented smile as he slept, one would never know that she’d been begging him not to kill himself only two days earlier. God had been so gracious to this poor Roman. Now if only He would restore the tribune’s sight.
She tiptoed to the door and looked back one more time before heading out to the garden. Her smile grew as her gaze lingered on him. Her fears about bringing him home seemed foolish now. There was nothing dangerous about him. He would never arrest them. He actually seemed to like them, and a man like him could never choose to cause their deaths. God had been merciful to them all.
Rhoda was gently shaking his arm. “Decimus? Ready for supper?”
Decimus swung his legs off the bed and sat up. With his hands resting on top of his head, he arched his back.
“Ready, and it smells delicious.” It was amazing how a little work could give a man an appetite.
Rhoda handed him the crutch, and he hobbled to his chair.
He expected to enjoy more than just Valeria’s tasty stew. Supper had become his favorite time of day. Her family found such pleasure in simply being together while they ate. The way they included him in their conversation and laughter was as satisfying as the food.
Valeria again gave thanks for the food and for him being with them to share it. A smile tugged at his lips. When she spoke those words, she really meant them.
“Thanks for letting me have Decimus help today, Val. We already got a lot done, and we should finish fixing the railings tomorrow.”
If he had any doubt left, Galen’s enthusiasm was enough to convince Decimus that the boy considered him a genuine help in the cattle shed.
“I may not pass as a Greek merchant, Valeria, but with Galen training me, I’ll soon pass as a Germanic farmer.”
“I’ll have to see whether you can convince a visitor before I decide whether Galen is doing a good job.”
He liked the teasing lilt in her voice.
Galen’s knuckles punched his shoulder. “I’m glad to have the chance to train you. I’ve been doing the work by myself for too long. Wait until you see all the other jobs I have for us.”
With each passing day, Decimus felt more certain these people really did want him with them, even though he was a blind Roman tribune. Valeria had spoken the truth when she told him he didn’t have to worry about having someplace to go even if his sight didn’t return.
He couldn’t understand why their Jesus required his followers to care for their enemies. By their very nature, enemies should be destroyed, not rescued. That these Christians kept choosing to treat their enemy like a friend still amazed him, but he’d become used to them doing it. He’d even reached the point where he looked on them as friends rather than enemies himself.
His father would be appalled by his new attitude, but he didn’t care. These Christians had stopped to help him when he was their enemy dying by the side of the road. They’d saved his life, and now they treated him like a member of their family. There was no way such people could be a threat to the Empire like his father had always told him. They couldn’t be a threat to anyone.
Supper was soon over. Decimus reclined on his bed as they gathered at the table again. It was Galen’s turn to read. When he finished, Valeria began their prayers.
“Father, we thank You for this day, and especially that Decimus is feeling so much better. Please continue his healing, and we ask especially that You restore his sight. We thank You...” The prayers continued with Galen adding his thanks for Decimus having recovered enough to help him and Rhoda giving thanks for Astro’s healing.
There was probably no god listening to them, but it was gratifying that they cared enough about him to include him in their prayers.
An ironic smile curved his lips. So many things had changed in the last few days. He’d been a powerful man in control. Now he depended on the help of others. He’d gone from fear and despair over the loss of his sight to simply trying to do what he could with what he still had and finding satisfaction in doing it. He’d learned that the people he’d believed to be his enemies were really his friends.
Galen and Rhoda had climbed into the loft and were silent. Decimus
expected to hear Valeria climb the ladder as well as he lay on his bed. Instead, her footsteps disappeared through the door, and she pulled it shut behind her. She was gone at least four times as long as he expected. What could she be doing alone outside for so long?
Finally, the door opened and closed, the bolt slid into place, and footsteps approached his bedside. She pulled the blanket up around his shoulders and tucked it snuggly around him.
“Good night, Decimus. Rest in peace.”
“Good night, Valeria.”
She patted his arm. Footsteps moved away from him, the rung on the ladder creaked, and quiet descended upon the cottage.
Valeria lay in her bed, thanking God that this man who’d been so close to death only a few days earlier was now well enough to help Galen. If only God would do one more miracle and restore his sight.
Decimus lay on his bed, thinking about how satisfying it was to do something useful again and how good it felt to be treated like he was part of this family. He still hoped his sight would return, but even if it didn’t, life with these people would be worth living.
Chapter 20: The Light Returns
The rung creaked under Galen’s weight and woke Decimus. Galen’s whispered greeting of his sister drove away the last vestige of sleep. He’d been facing the wall, but he rolled over as Galen closed the door.
His eyes were still closed, but something was different.
A brightness that he hadn’t seen for a long time made his eyelids seem red, not black. When he opened them, he saw Valeria by the fireplace, stirring the porridge. He blinked twice. Then an enormous grin split his face.
How he’d longed for this, but he’d decided it would never come. Valeria kept telling him this might happen. She never lost hope even when he did.
To see her first was exactly as it should be. To tell her first was exactly what he wanted.