Disclaimer: As Chapter One; so please, for the love of God, do not make me keep writing it out people!
The Arverni's were a very powerful tribe inhabiting what is now the region of Lyon in France, and gave their name to the area Auvergne. They were violently opposed to Roman rule and the most famous of them, Vercingetorix, led the revolt that Julius Caesar put down in 46BC. It is to his tribe that Afia belongs.
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'Thoughts'
"Speech"
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ROME:
Passions
Chapter Two – Reaching Rome
During the night a blinding pain struck his head "OWW! Dammit!" he peered round in the dark, as his eyes adjusted he saw her kneeling over him and aiming her fist at his head once more.
"Oh, good – you are awake."
"Aye, it is surprising how even a soldier cannot sleep through someone trying to crack his skull!"
"Well, yours is so thick I had wondered if only one blow would wake you – looks like I lost the bet."
"What is it? Or did you just fancy taking up where our friends of a few days past left off!"
"Stop snoring!"
"What?"
"Stop.Snoring. I swear to the Gods, you are making enough noise to bring forth every bandit and vagabond from here to bloody Alexandria." She rolled her eyes "What is it with Romans? You snore like the dead."
"The dead do not snore."
"Keep it up Pullo, and you will be proving that point wrong."
He stifled the smile as he watched her walked stiffly back to her bedroll, there was something about the way she moved that had piqued his interest "I am cold."
"What am I supposed to do about it? We are in the middle of nowhere if you had not noticed. I am only a freed Gallic slave, not some kind of miracle worker."
"Are you not cold?"
"Aye, but I am obviously of hardier stock than you, for I do not bleat about it."
He ignored the jibe, and instead turned on the charm "Well, should we not huddle together – we could share out body warmth?"
A stone hit his head "OWWW! Vicious harpy!"
"Keep those dirty thoughts to yourself Pullo!"
"Where is hugging together for warmth a dirty thought?"
"You are a roman soldier – it goes with the territory; now shut up and go to sleep."
He huddled under the thin blanket to sulk.
She waited until she was sure he was asleep, before creeping over and tucking herself against him and into his arms, pulling her blanket over his. She smiled; indeed this was better, it was like being hugged by a large warm bear………she pulled a dagger; after all, even cuddly bears had teeth.
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Pullo woke in the dawn to find a warm, soft body in his arms, and firm buttock pressing into his lap; his arms were wrapped about a pliable body and he could feel breasts under the thick clothing. Nature took its early morning course……..suddenly a dagger was at his throat "If I were you I would persuade little Pullo to go back to sleep." Afia murmured "for he will not be having any fun this day."
"Look, you came to me, remember! Anyway, I cannot help it – it happens to all men and every morning."
"I came for warmth as you suggested; and if it does then tell it to have a morning off."
"I will try…" he sighed and tried to think of anything but the woman he was holding and what he would like to do to her….which at this moment was anything but kill her.
"Try.Harder." she hissed.
"Can we not talk about things being hard." He groaned "and stop wriggling, you are not helping."
"I cannot help it, there are…….bits of you are digging in my bloody hip! Goddess, it feels like a club!"
"I have never had any complaints." He smirked and then groaned, any other retort dying on his lips as she continued to squirm around "Stay still, for the love of Juno, stay still." He grasped her hips with his hands to stop her moving.
"It….it is prodding me!"
"If you just stayed still, it would not!"
Finally she stopped wriggling; he sighed and tried to think of anything but taking her, making her sigh, making her…..."PULLO!" a bone crunching fist hit his cheek as she turned round.
'Aye that would work too; pain….always a winner!' he thought as little Pullo retreated out of harm's way.
She rolled him over so he had his back to her front this time "I think we should sleep this way from now on. That way I will not have to kill you."
He smiled, even as he nursed his jaw – feisty little thing she was!
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It was another two days before they made it to Rome. Two days of arguing, insulting and, Pullo was surprised to admit, laughing. He missed Eireni, he did, but life was for the living; and, as Afia said, what point was there in mourning overlong? It did not bring the dead back.
As they entered the city Pullo could see that Afia had not been mistaken; the panic in the streets, the notices everywhere showed Caesar was indeed dead – which brought forth the question what in Hades had happened to Vorenus?
They made their way to his house; Afia slipped from the horse and walked it along "What are you doing?"
"I fight better on my feet than on horseback – and these people are mad with panic; I cannot protect you stuck up there."
"I can protect myself well enough."
"Aye, that is why I had to kill four men to free you."
He rolled his eyes, he had already learnt he rarely got the last word with this Gallic harpy – and now was not the time to try again.
They finally found it…….but there were men ranged outside. She dodged back behind the wall "There are men guarding the entrance."
She helped him down "How many?"
"About eight" she did a mental tally "I could take them, but it would be difficult."
"You jest!"
"Hush! Do wish to fetch them to us? Nay, I fought Rome with my brothers and my chieftain Vercingetorix. Mayhap we lost, but we took many of your men with us."
"Aye I know, I fought there too; you were vicious."
"Aye well, the only good enemy is a dead one I reckon."
"If aught has happened to Vorenus, it is likely they are Mark Anthony's men."
"Nay, they were not dressed as soldiers, more like common men – not even men of note." Before he could stop her she turned back "Take care of my horse, do not let the rabble take him."
Then she strode off, pulling her swords as she went………..suddenly it occurred to Pullo who the men were and he tried to stop her "Wait! WAIT, Afia!" but she was not listening, he tugged the horse after her "you daft wench! I know who they are!"
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For her part she rounded the corner and strode confidently to the men "let me pass!"
Pullo hurried up behind her, towing the reluctant horse, as Timon stepped forward "Why should we? Who are you?"
"I am Afia of Gaul – I am…….aiding Titus Pullo" she jerked her head at him, knowing he would follow her, fool that he was "he is seeking a friend and brother named Lucius Vorenus – he says he lives here."
"A Gaul? Are you a slave?"
"Nay!" she bristled, her swords twitching "I am a freeman. My master freed me, but that is naught concern of yours. I only wish to deliver Pullo to Vorenus and be on my way, I have my old master to save."
Pullo ranged behind her "hello Timon; it is good to see the old Thirteenth are still together. But what is occurring that you need to protect the new Senator's house?"
"PULLO!"the mercenary and itinerant horse trader grinned "Good it is to see you old friend – she is a little demon is she not? Where did you find her?" he looked around "where is the other, Eireni was it not?"
"It is a long story and I would be glad to tell you, but what has happened?" he nodded at Afia "she says that Caesar is dead? What of Vorenus, he would not desert Caesar, surely?"
"Bad times old friend, bad times are upon us." He looked up and down the street "let them enter, I will go with them – if any others come call me."
They went in…………
"Where are all the people?"
"They left when Caesar died and Mark Anthony came looking for Vorenus."
"What happened Timon?"
The other man sighed and indicated they sit down "I am not sure old friend – it seems that some mischief was played on Vorenus by an enemy of Caesar to get him out of the way. It worked and the end result for him is a dead wife and being left with her bastard son."
"He killed her? He killed Niobe?" Pullo could not believe it, he knew the other man doted on his wife.
"Nay, she panicked at his temper and threw herself over that railing up there." He sighed as he indicated the place the woman had jumped to her death. "That was over a week ago and since then he has only eaten and slept enough to live, beyond that he weeps. She was buried at her sister's behest – but there was not much love lost between them, even though they apparently tried to be close again, as the wife's lover was her sister's husband it seems; and so the sister has quit the city."
Pullo nodded "So where does Mark Anthony enter the story?"
"He is baying for Vorenus' blood – he feels he betrayed Caesar, we cannot reason with him; the man's own guilt at not saving his commander and friend is not helping matters. So we came to protect Vorenus ourselves; Mark Anthony will not upset the veterans of the Thirteenth, for there isa real fear that the legion itself could join us. Vorenus has much respect, as do you, especially after that debacle in the arena."
"Where is he?" Afia sighed, now was not the time for idle gossip.
"Upstairs."
She rose in one fluid movement and stalked towards the stairs.
The two men watched her go "Where did you find her?"
"I did not, she found me." He rose also "Come, we should follow her – I will tell you as we go."
So as they followed the Gallic woman, Pullo filled his old comrade in on the short version of what had happened to him and how he had lost Eirene.
As they reached the room where Vorenus lay inert on the bed, hugging one of Niobe's dresses, Timon turned to Pullo with a grin "trust you to land on your feet you old dog!" but then he sobered "though I am sorry the girl perished for she seemed a pleasant little bird; but the Gaul is right, to have let her linger would have been cruel.
In truth Pullo you would have broken such a fragile blossom as Eireni had been; nay, you need one such as the woman before you. Rough, ready and a fighter, someone with a bit of spine in them; I saw how she defended you when you got here – she is more your sort. The only thing is if you survive long enough to have her!"
The two men chuckled as Afia glared at them "Whatever the jest, shut up whilst I deal with this one. Goddess you test me, why I am always stuck with oafish men and fools?"
"You have a way with you?"
"Aye Pullo, you are probably right; for does not your presence bears testament to that – an oaf and a fool in one!"
Pullo rolled his eyes as Timon laughed out loud "she must always have the last word."
"Aye, and here's a few more – go find some food and fetch his children" she rolled up her sleeves; exposing vicious scars up both arms that caused both men to look askance, though she seemed not to notice "they mayhap may help bring him to his senses, otherwise it is back to the old ways."
"Old ways?"
"Aye, being dunked in cold water and slapped is a good way of making an idiot see sense!"
"His wife is dead!" Timon bristled.
"Aye and who is he aiding to act like this? Or is this a new way to bring the dead back? If it is, speak Roman and I will join your friend; for there are many I would like returned to me."
"See what I mean?" Pullo sighed.
Timon went to find the children "Stay Pullo, I fear what one with such a temper would do to the man if you are not here to stop her."
"I have felt her temper, what makes you think I would bother?"
The veteran walked off chuckling……now Pullo was back, all would be well. It looked as if the crafty Roman had finally met his match in the Gaul too; he had a good feeling about the wench though, she would help and between them all they would sort this sorry mess out…….preferably before Rome fell or they all ended up dead.