Two's Company
A/N: For KC, with my apologies for forgetting until now.
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The light burned late in the watchtower study of the Aquila's house in Calleva. Uncle Aquila had given the room up to them for the evening, Cottia and Cub had retired over an hour ago to what Sassticca reverently called 'The Married Quarters,' but Marcus and Esca were still bent over the maps of the newly confirmed land grant.
"It's exactly what I'd hoped for," said Marcus, not for the first time. "No, better. We can terrace the south slopes for vines, and if the valley drops as much as the surveyor has put down, the farmstead can be built by the main stream of the river without any risk of flooding." He stood up, and turned to the dark window, stretching arms cramped from bending over the table. "We'll ride over and look at it tomorrow, the three of us. And Cub, of course. If the weather's fair."
"The sunset was red," said Esca behind him. "So it will be a fine day. But it will just be the two of you."
His voice was quiet, the tone careful, and Marcus turned sharply in surprise. Esca had been as excited as he when the messenger had brought the papers and letter from Claudius Hieronimianus earlier in the day. His friend still stood by the table, looking down at the spread-out map with studied determination. In every line of his bent shoulders was the air of a man who had put his barriers up.
"Two?" Marcus queried.
"Yes." Esca didn't look up. "You and Cottia."
"But- but-" Marcus grasped hastily at the one straw that might make sense of this sudden change. "Esca, are you turning hunter tomorrow, and I have forgotten to ask you?"
"No." Esca lifted the ink horns which had held the map flat and let it spring back into its scroll.
"Then in Mithras' name, what nonsense is this?!" Marcus stared in blank exasperation.
"It is not nonsense," said Esca, holding out the scroll without looking at Marcus. "It is your land. You and Cottia will go and look at it tomorrow. I will come another day."
"But why not tomorrow?!"
"No."
"But-" Marcus stepped forwards and seized his friend by the shoulder. "We have had this discussion before! And now even more, it is nonsense! You are as much a Roman citizen now as I am – perhaps yours is of even more credit to you in that you earned it, as I did not mine! Our expedition could not have succeeded without you! This land grant would not be without you! I cannot farm without my armour bearer! And- and-"
"And you are quite wrong!" Esca fired back, looking up with a sudden light of – amusement, of all things – in his eyes. "Quite wrong," he repeated, as Marcus broke off, puzzled.
"You and Cottia are like two turtle doves quite enough 'round here in your uncle's house. Now you are going to look at your new home together. Lugh!" Esca shook off Marcus with a laugh. "Do you think it is so easy for a man to keep having to look the other way all the time?!"