When Aramis woke the next morning, it was as if she were waking up from death. It was the deepest, most restful sleep she'd had since the incident. Judging by the light in her room it was already midday. She got dressed and stepped out of her room to brush her teeth in the communal bathroom of the church.
She stood in front of the mirror as she brushed her teeth and gazed at her appearance. It had been quite some time since she looked at herself in such a way. Her hair was growing out quickly. She'd lost way too much weight. Her face looked pretty sunken in and she was paler than usual. There were dark circles under her eyes from the months of poor sleep. One night wasn't going to fix that.
She didn't recognize the person staring back at her and she didn't like it.
Suddenly the door to the bathroom entered and Dex stepped in.
"Late night for ya?" he asked in a rather scrutinizing tone.
Aramis just raised a brow.
"Visitors often call in the middle of the night? Guess you can't let old habits die, can you?" he pestered.
Aramis felt the hair on the back of her neck prick up and her face flush with anger. So, the NCR spy was now spying on her. Prick.
"He's a friend," Aramis said simply as she looked at him through the mirror but kept going on with her hygiene routine.
"Right, men of the Legion are always just friends," he muttered incredulously.
Aramis turned sharply and glared at him.
"I don't think it's any of your business," she bit at him.
"Actually it's very much my business," he said callously. "I know who that man was and I've heard who you've been involved with."
"Does that make me your enemy? Are you going to torture me now for information?" she mocked.
"You may have everyone here fooled with this damaged girl routine but I see right through you. You're not a victim. I may not have figured out the whole story but you better believe I will. I know you're helping the Legion more than just fucking them," he accused.
Aramis felt her body heating up. She was seething with rage but she did her very best to hide her hostility from him. To react would basically be admittance.
"You tell some very colourful stories," she said with a smirk as she packed up her stuff and went for the door but he moved to block her.
She stopped and simply looked up at him. His eyes were searing down at her own like he was trying to see right through her, see right down to the core of her lies and extract the truth. It wouldn't work. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of getting any reaction from her. She expected him to say something … but he didn't. He just stood, glaring at her. Admittedly it made her uneasy but she just moved around him and left the bathroom.
He didn't follow nor did she hear another sound from the bathroom. He was dangerous. He wasn't going to let this go. He'd seen her with Hard Tack; he knew her connection to the Legion. If he wanted to press her for information than nothing would stop him and he posed a serious risk to her identity.
She got to her room and shut the door.
Dex was a threat and he had to be dealt with. He was a top NCR intelligence officer, he had the resources to become a problem and she only knew one way to deal with a problem and that was to get rid of it. He had to die.
The smell of hot shit, unwashed men and caked on sweat was becoming unbearable. Joshua paced in the tiny cramped bunker. They'd been here nearly three weeks and had no clear indication as to what was going to happen to them. Picus, evidently had accepted his fate that they'd be executed at any moment. He took to loafing about the bunker in silence most days. It had been just over a week since any of them had been pulled from the bunker to 'converse' with Hecate. They'd been given minimal food and water and the pain in Joshua's stomach was so excruciating, it kept him up most hours of the full day and night.
A shadow streaked across the bottom of the door and the small cell opened up.
"Legate," a guard called for him. He stepped out of the bunker and followed the woman to the same large common lounge where he and Hecate had been intimate on numerous occasions, each time he felt disgusted in himself afterwards.
When he entered the large room he saw Hecate sitting on her throne looking pleased. Two of her personal guards stood on either side of her. She wore a long tanned animal skin like garment that flowed off her body and draped the floor. It was sleek and elegant. It made her look exotic.
"I have good news for you," she said in a cheery tone. "I am with child."
The pain in Joshua's stomach instantly increased tenfold. He felt as though he were going to be sick, but he kept his composure and said nothing.
"The task is done and your use to me has expired," she said.
That wasn't very reassuring, Joshua thought but he wasn't prepared for what she said next.
"You and your men can leave now."
Had he heard her correctly?
"Excuse me?" he questioned.
"I said you can go back to your pack leader," he repeated.
"That's it?" Joshua probed. Something wasn't adding up. There had to be a catch.
Hecate gave a slight chuckle.
"That's it, just as you are … maybe a bit hungry but really no worse for ware. You will not be attacked, you have my word," she informed him.
He stood very still unsure what to make of this situation.
She was smiling at him now.
"Really, this surprises you? I am not like Caesar. I want you and your men to return safe and unharmed. I want Caesar to know exactly what you've seen and experienced here. Most of all, I want him to try and take this from us because when he does, we'll be ready," she told him as she got to her feet and came towards him. "Legate … you and your master will not take any of this from us and if you try, we will destroy you. I've been training my army to be your assassins. They've been bred and trained to deal with only you. I look forward to the day when we send you all back to Flagstaff to lick your wounds and if you try again, we'll slaughter more of you until you're Legion is nothing but a husk of its former self, then we'll pick you off one by one, hunt you across the wastes until you're nothing more than a bad dream, and then you'll be nothing."
Joshua swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I've heard things about you Legate … things that both disturbed and fascinated me," she went on. "A man of the church reduced to a puppet for another false god. I have to ask, does it not sicken you to see what you've been reduced to?"
Joshua said nothing. She leaned right in and whispered the next few words in his ear.
"I would have you for myself."
Joshua turned his head slightly and eyed her wearily. What was she playing at?
"If you ever wish to return, you know where to find me. I wont hurt you … not unless you want me to," she teased as she turned and walked back to her throne and took her place once more in its embrace.
"Goodbye Legate," she said calmly, still smiling.
Joshua took a step back. Nothing happened. He took another and turned. He paused … still nothing. He took a few more steps before her voice caused his body to freeze in place.
"One more thing Legate," she began. "I'd like you to know something. I'd watch whom you trust. There's a worthy emissary living amongst you and I can't wait to see what chaos he unleashes."
What was she talking about? A spy? It wasn't possible, was it? Why would she tell him? What was she playing at? Was she hoping he'd conduct a witch-hunt and rattle up the men? Was she trying to unhinge him?
He continued to walk out of the throne room and saw Picus and Colt coming towards him. They looked just as confused as he was.
"They said we could go. What's going on?" Picus asked.
"That's it. We're leaving," Joshua said but he eyed the two men with discreet suspicion. Was it one of them?
"This has got to be a trick," Cold mumbled.
"I don't know," Joshua admitted, deciding at that moment to worry about the spy later. The three men turned towards the massive gate entrance. It opened for them and the guards waved them off.
They left Ourboros without incident and when it was out of sight Joshua felt relief wash over him.
"That woman is fucked up," Picus announced. "We have to inform Caesar."
"Yes, we do," Joshua agreed but there was a tiny seed that she'd now planted in his brain and he knew if he allowed it to grow, it would take over his mind, and he was afraid.
Reed woke up in the very early morning to get a head start on the days work. Things had escalated significantly since the Legate and the 2 Frumentarius disappeared without any contact. He leaned over and kissed his sleeping wife on the forehead. She didn't even stir. He moved silently out of bed, got dressed and slipped out the door of his shack.
Athos was already awake and was preparing breakfast for Aries. The pup was hardly a pup anymore. Now a year old, the creature was a terror. It bit everything that came near it, not in a vicious way but in a playful manner that still drew blood. He was a good-natured animal, social with the guys but fiercely protective of Athos. Aries often snapped and lunged on his tether whenever Athos spared with another Legionary.
When Athos saw Reed he waved him over.
"They came back last night," Athos said.
"Who?" Reed asked.
"The Legate, Picus and Colt, got in just after midnight or so," Athos said.
"Seriously!? Why didn't you wake me?! Are they all right?"
"They are going to talk with us today about everything that happened. They seemed a bit unsettled, not to mention exhausted and famished."
"Did they mention anything?" Reed asked.
Athos just shook his head.
The two Centurions got themselves some breakfast and briefed their Decanii for the days training. It was a pretty casual day without any sort of direction from any of the higher ups. Caesar was still bed stricken for reasons unknown. Cerberus took special care to keep everything under wraps. It would be better now that the Legate had returned.
It was midday by the time the Legate came out of his shack and went straight to Caesar. The two men must have talked for well over four hours before he left Caesar's chamber. The Legate then ordered a meeting in the War Tent straight away. All were present including Athos, Reed, Cerberus, Shaka, Wendigo, Gladius and Argo. Picus and Colt were also present but standing off to the side as if here to offer additional information if called upon to do so.
Reed noticed how emaciated the three men looked but it was the Legate who wore all the worry on his face. He was pacing back and forth appearing to study the map table below, but his eyes were fixated in on one particular spot and Reed noted how unfocused they were. He was deep in his own head and saw nothing else. Something big had happened and the Legate was a changed man for it.
Finally, the Legate began.
"We have a new enemy gaining strength in the north west. They calls themselves the Hounds and Daughters of Hecate and they're led by a sociopathic woman," he told them. "This is a well organized, group with large numbers and a strong army. These aren't farmers or traders, this is an army meant to rival us. Hecate has one objective and that is the annihilation of Caesar and his Legion. This is not a threat we can let gather more momentum. Caesar wishes for us to strike first."
There was a murmur around the table.
The Legate went on.
"They have advanced weapons, mainly high-powered rifles, shotguns and handguns. Everyone fights, both men and women but it's the women who have all the authority. From what I can tell the men are simply there fore breeding and enforcement of Hecate's will."
Argo let out a snicker but when he saw no one else joining in on the humour he turned red in the face and supressed his amusement.
The Legate went on.
"Hecate herself is heavily protected by her own close protection that consists of her most skilled fighters. No less than five at any time from what we saw."
"Can they be negotiated with to assimilate? Have they not seen what we've done to all the other tribes?" Wendigo asked.
"I doubt it. Hecate is scorned. She's that woman who escaped us after we eradicated the Twisted Hairs," Picus spoke up.
Reed swallowed the lump in his throat. Fuck. This wasn't good. He felt responsible for the loss of that prisoner and now she'd mustered up a force capable of challenging the Legion. Surely this error would not go unpunished, he thought.
He looked around the room to see if anyone was looking at him, if they were, he knew it meant they blamed him for this, but everyone was looking at the Legate as murmurs erupted around the tent.
"So, when do we attack?" Athos asked.
Reed felt on edge. This didn't seem like the kind of situation they should rush into.
"We'll give it a few months," the Legate announced. "In that time, I want recces in and out of the area daily. I want their supply lines intercepted and anyone who capture alive interrogated for information. I want to know who's supporting this faction and where they are getting their numbers from," the Legate ordered.
Athos sighed; clearly wanting the fight to be on tomorrow but Reed was pleased with the undecided lengthy timeframe.
"Athos, Gladius, Argo and Wendigo will increase time spent on training with the men. We're going against superior firepower so start thinking about ways to break their offensive. Reed and Shaka, I'll need you at my side for strategy. Picus, I'm counting on you in Aramis' absence to handle the recces," the Legate ordered.
Everyone nodded in unison.
"You're all dismissed … except Athos and Reed. You two remain," the Legate ordered.
The others all left leaving Athos and Reed in the presence of the Legate.
"No word from Aramis?" the Legate asked.
"Nothing," Reed uttered.
The Legate appeared nervous.
"It's been a year," the Legate went on.
"I know," Athos said uneasily. "Do you think she'll come back?"
"She will. She just needs time. Imagine if it were Seekra," Reed said. "Plus, she lost Miyla too. It's a lot to deal with."
"Maybe I should go back to New Canaan, see how she's doing," the Legate suggested.
"Please. Legate, give her more time. She'll come back," Reed tried.
The Legate looked uneasy but nodded and said,
"I don't know how long Caesar will be bedridden for. He's looking stronger and he's going to want a meeting with her once he's back to form. If she can't be called upon soon, we may have to go get her."
Reed knew he was right.
"I'll send a letter by courier to the Speculatores," Athos began. "Hard Tack has been keeping me versed with her progress. It's fractured information but there seems to be improvement. I'll advise that it's now time to think about coming back."
The Legate nodded and said,
"You both may leave."
Reed was just about to step out of the tent when he heard Athos get in the last word.
"Oh, Legate?" Athos chimed. "Eat something will ya? You look a bit skinny."
The Legate smirked, something he hadn't done in the entire time they'd all been present in the tent and waved for the two of them to go.
Angela delivered the letter in person to Aramis on a quiet morning when a light rain tapped away at the stone roof of the church, lulling Aramis into a dazed stupor. Angela begrudgingly mumbled that the "big, ugly thug in red" had given her the letter addressed to Aramis from her brother back in Flagstaff. Aramis knew Angela didn't approve of the Speculatores hovering outside New Canaan but she tolerated their presence for Aramis's safe.
Aramis took the now damp letter and read her brother's words. It was time to come home. The words were simple and stark but the meaning was clear.
She looked to Angela whom seemed to guess what the letter said as she looked to Aramis with weaning uncertainty.
"Time for me to go home," Aramis murmured.
"You don't have to go back to that place," Angela said but she and Aramis had had this conversation many times and each time Aramis maintained her desire to one day return. She'd made Angela understand that she had people in the Legion she felt responsible for.
Now Angela was making one last offer but they both knew what Aramis's decision would be.
"You're not in any shape to return to them," Angela said honestly. "At least give yourself a few weeks to resemble part of the person you were before you arrived here."
Aramis knew she was right about that.
It was time to stop sulking and get her life back in order. She wasn't honouring Desert Dog or Miyla by being a frail, needy casualty of circumstance.
She got dressed and opted to go for a run, something she hadn't done since a time before she arrived in New Canaan. She knew the area well enough she'd be fine.
"I'm going to go for a run," she told Angela.
"It's raining," Angela interjected but Aramis knew a quick transformation wouldn't wait for fairer weather.
"I'll be fine," Aramis assured.
"I'll have lunch ready for when you return," Angela said before departing Aramis's small room.
Aramis pulled her hair back in a ponytail and took off out of the church passing a rather shocked and confused Jeremiah tending to the floor of his church with a light bush broom.
"Eyre! Where are you hurrying off to?" he called to her.
"I'll be back in a couple hours!" she called back.
It was nice to be back in her element and feeling some form of energy and motivation again. She had a goal, and even if that goal was to kill someone it gave her purpose again. Desert Dog would be proud.
At first it was challenging. She sucked back heavy gulps of air and felt her body protest to the exercise. After only fifteen minutes she had to walk. This would have to be more gradual than she would have liked. The rain kept her body cool and she enjoyed the feeling of the little drops collecting on her brow before dropping off her face.
After running around the area for a good hour or so she made her was back to New Canaan, drenched but proud. She looked to a large pavilion where Ty and a few of the other guards often worked out. There was no one using it and so she decided to try out a few things. Back in Flagstaff their gym was made up of mostly recovered items that were converted into objects that could be used to increase fitness levels, but Ty and the guards had found items designed for very specific movements.
She looked around the pavilion with uncertainty about the use of all these strange weights and machines. She made certain things work but after about thirty minutes, Ty emerged with a concerned look on his face.
"Struggling?" he asked but she didn't detect any resentment in his tone.
"Not used to this," she admitted.
"Want help?" he offered simply.
"Sure," she said and for the next two hours Ty showed her how to use all the equipment and spotted her for some of the more complex movements and exercises. Overtime the weather improved and a few more guards joined them.
It reminded her of Flagstaff and training with the Legionaries. For the first time Ty was being not only kind but friendly. She wondered, however briefly, if she could have stayed here with the New Canaanites. Again, she reminded herself this was not possible.
The day went by quickly and come lunchtime Aramis was famished. She joined Jeremiah, Em, Ty and Angela for a late lunch and filled her entire plate with food, oblivious to the stares she got from everyone at the table.
"Save some for the rest of us," Ty teased but Aramis just shot him a cold glare followed by a smirk.
"Is Dex coming?" Em asked as she set down a basket of freshly made baked buns.
"He's packing … headed back to Shady Sands tomorrow morning," Ty said.
"Shady Sands?" Aramis inquired instinctively.
Suddenly Ty winced as if something had startled him and he shot a cold glance to Angela who kept a stoic face.
Clearly Aramis was not meant to know this information.
She got a name. That's all she needed. She could do the rest.
"Awe, well I'll make him up a plate. Eyre perhaps you could drop it off to him on your way back to the church?" Em said in such a sweet, innocent tone it made Aramis cringe to know she was always deceiving her.
"Of course," Aramis assured, and she looked to Angela to try and change subjects.
"Angela, would you be able to do something with my hair?" she asked.
Angela raised a brow, looked up at her and asked,
"Like what?"
"I'm thinking braids, tight braids that I can tie back," Aramis suggested.
"Very tribal," Ty said with a smirk.
Aramis returned it.
"Uh, yeah … sure," Angela said, and she shot a nervous look to Jeremiah. They had nothing to worry about. Aramis would never conduct business here. Not only was it disrespectful to their hospitality, but she was not in any physical form to carry out the assassination of Dex. It would take time. The people of New Canaan had been kind to her, and she would honour their deal, but it was time to start thinking about home.
XXX
After lunch, as promised Aramis carried back a large plate of food for Dex as per Em's request. She entered the church and strode over to the large wooden door to his room and knocked.
"Who is it?" she heard his voice call out.
"Food from Em," Aramis answered. "I'm leaving it out here for you," she added as she leaned down to place the plate on the floor.
"Come in."
Aramis hesitated as she straightened up. She didn't want to go in, but she pushed open the door and stepped into his room. It was very simple with just a bed, night stand with a lamp and a writing desk. Her room was nicer and bigger, she thought.
Dex was sitting on the side of his bed. Beside the small lamp on the nightstand was a transmitting radio. He was listening to it intensely as muffled voices came through, but Aramis couldn't make out the dialogue. Documents littered the floor at his feet. His eyes never peered up at Aramis.
"Just leave it on the desk," he said.
"You're welcome," Aramis mumbled back as she placed the plate down than looked over his shoulder at the documents. They were intel reports all from NCR territory. It pained her to think she had this asset so close and yet she couldn't do anything to win the advantage. She had to leave him be, for now.
When he didn't even budge to her sarcastic comment, she knew something was up.
"Everything all right?" she pried.
Now his eyes met up with her own and she saw the pain and worry written all over his expression.
"They're saying my brother's dead," he began. "Killed in a raid against some hopped up drug addicts."
His eyes fell to the floor.
Aramis was stunned by his blunt honesty. Something terrible had just happened and she was the only one within proximity he could project his emotions on. If it hadn't been her, it would have been anyone else who came through his door. She was just the unlucky victim.
Not sure what to do she sat beside him on his bed.
"I'm … I'm really sorry," she offered, wondering if she should put her arm on his shoulder or touch his leg to console him like he was a friend, but she wasn't, in fact she was still plotting his murder.
A voice suddenly cut through from the radio.
"They've recovered his body. I'm sorry Dex," the voice said, and things went silent again.
Aramis wished she were anywhere but here right now.
"I … should go," she said as she stood up. He didn't utter a word. She looked to the plate on the desk and retrieved it.
"I'm really sorry, Dex," she said, trying to muster up as much empathy as she could and placed the plate next to the lamp and radio. "I'll leave this here for you. If you need anything, I'm just down the hall."
With that she left him with his misery and returned to her own room. As she lay on her bed, skimming the pages of a book she read a dozen times over she realized she was thinking about Dex more than she ought to. She worried every day that something would happen to Athos and all the others she was close to. She'd lost Desert Dog a year ago now and Miyla just before that. They may as well have been family. She'd lost so many and knew the pain he was going through, and it made her genuinely feel sorry for him. She thought about going back to him room to see how he was doing but talked herself out of it. Again, they weren't friends … but maybe she should go get Ty or Angela. That was the right thing to do.
Aramis sat up but as she did so there came a soft knock at her door. She opened it a crack and saw a rather sulky looking Dex outside.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
A little put off, Aramis stepped back and permitted his entry. She didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything.
He closed the door behind them, all the while keeping his gaze away from her.
Everything was quiet and it was getting more and more uncomfortable by the second. Why was he here? What did he want?
He just stood there.
"Are you all right?" Aramis finally uttered.
"I'll pay you," he finally got out in a volume just above a whisper and Aramis saw the shame written across his face.
"Excuse me?" she said, her tone slightly heated. He better not be asking for what she thought he was.
"Look, I've never had to pay for it but … Fuck it I don't have to explain how I'm feeling to a whore and I'm sure you're still accepting business … why don't you just get on the bed on all fours and don't look back at me so I can pretend your someone else."
/WHACK/
Aramis didn't even know she'd punched him till she saw him stagger back, holding the side of his face. At first, she saw his stunned expression, one she certainly matched on her own face, but it quickly flashed to anger as his gaze shot up to her.
"What the hell was that for?!" he snapped.
"I'm not a whore!" Aramis roared. She'd never been so insulted in her entire life. How dare he ask her to behave in such a way just so he could forget about his worries. It was appalling. "Get the fuck out of my room!" she snapped as she pointed fiercely to the door.
"Only serve Legion dick, huh?" he retorted angrily.
"How dare you!" she roared and rounded on him, poised to strike again if he pushed her enough.
He threw up his arms as if indicating he'd had enough of this and without another word he turned and left her room.
Aramis was left fuming as she paced her room. He wasn't worth an ounce of her sympathy, on the contrary she found herself thinking that Dex deserved the death of his brother. It was cruel but she didn't care.
As she fell back onto her own bed she began thinking. He'd done her a favour. He'd removed any human decency she reserved in her mind for him. Now it would be easy. Now all she had to do was plan her next move.
The next morning at breakfast Dex was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he was hanging from the rafters in his room, that would make Aramis's job easy, however boring. It was Ty who announced that Dex went back home early this morning. According to Ty, Dex was sorry he didn't wait to say goodbye in person, but urgent matters called him back as soon as possible.
Aramis breathed deeply. Dex has slunk away. It was no matter; she'd find him and kill him, after all she knew where he was. She found herself smiling at the very idea.
Planning the upcoming assimilation of the Hounds and Daughters of Hecate was exhausting and intel was thin. On this particularly hot summer day Reed found himself overwhelmed but Caesar's demand to move forward with the assault and his personal feelings that they weren't ready for such confrontation.
Last week Caesar had made an appearance, however brief in the War Tent before retiring back to his quarters for rest. He'd looked gaunt and sickly, but he assured his men that he was on the mend and would back to full strength in no time. Reed didn't doubt this, but he worried that Caesar was trying to be too forceful and perhaps compensating for his lack of appearances.
He decided to take a break and clear his head. It was nearly dinner, so he walked back to her personal quarters and stepped inside. He was slightly surprised to see Seekra sitting at his modest dining table with his wife.
"Everything okay?" he asked as he stepped through the door. Tahnee looked worried and he noticed Seekra wore a similar expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he walked deeper into the small shack like home. Seekra said nothing as she stood up and she gave a warm smile that she certainly meant to ease his mind, but it only made him more alarmed. She placed her hand on his shoulder as she left the home, leaving Reed to focus all his attention on Tahnee.
"What's going on with you two?" he asked as his tone became more direct.
"I'm pregnant," Tahnee said, forcing a smile that was clearly meant to hide her worry, but Reed saw right through it. Reed's jaw fell open. He was frozen in place. His first and only instinct was to grab her by the arm and pull her towards him. He gently placed his hands on her face and kissed her sweetly.
He was going to be a father. Tahnee was going to have their baby. He was elated.
"I love you so much," he assured her as he kissed her again and again. "How far along are you? Do you need anything? Are you comfortable?" he asked letting his delight overshadow the grim reality of the greater situation. It wasn't that he was blind about it, he just chose to celebrate this moment for what it was.
Tahnee must have felt his contagious joy because she was smiling too and holding him close.
"It's still early," she told him. "I feel fine … for now," she added.
"I have to tell everyone!" Reed exclaimed cheerfully.
"We can't tell everyone," Tahnee suddenly interjected.
"Huh? What? Why?" Reed uttered.
"What if it's a girl?" she asked.
"Then it's a girl. What's the difference?" he pointed out.
"You want our daughter to live like this? Here?" she asked.
Reed knew she was talking about. Life for women in the Legion was a harsh one, even the men were glorified slaves when one really weighed the situation. Tahnee had had time to settle in with the news of her pregnancy, for how long he didn't know but clearly, she was in a stage a head of him that turned her joy into nothing but worry for their baby.
"I will protect you both," he assured her.
"Even if it means sending our child away?" Tahnee asked.
Reed's brow raised.
"You would want me to send our baby away?" he questioned.
A small tear rolled down Tahnee's face and Reed wiped it away with his finger.
"This is no place for a child to be born. I won't have our child become a monster or a sex slave. I'd sooner die than bring a child…" Tahnee began to sob, and Reed pulled her in close. No doubt this was the conversation she and Seekra had been having before he stepped through the door.
"I will keep you and our baby safe. I won't let any harm come to you, I promise," he assured her.
XXX
That evening he decided to talk with Seekra. When Tahnee was busy occupying herself with restocking the medical supplies in the aid tent, he sought Seekra in her home with Athos.
Sure enough they were both there. He didn't mind if Athos listened in on the conversation. He was permitted to enter and sit at their own dining table.
"I'm not sure if Seekra told you but Tahnee is pregnant," Reed began.
Athos learned forward in his chair, his face stoic. Reed had expected this kind of reaction from him. Athos looked to Seekra than back to Reed, saying nothing.
Reed now turned his attention to Seekra.
"I know you're concerned for the baby and what kind of life it will have here but I need you to keep your opinions to yourself. Tahnee is terrified that when our baby is born it will either be the slave wife of a Legionary or a killer," Reed said.
"But that's the truth, Reed. Those are the only two paths for any baby in Caesar's Legion. I saw what became of my first baby and it broke my heart. I may be his mother but what he's become … that's not what any mother wants her child to be and it kills me every day to see him that way," Seekra defended.
"It's not your child Seekra, it's there's," Athos defended. Reed appreciated that Athos was siding with him, even if it meant suffering the wrath of his wife.
"Neither of us can imagine what you went through. What you continue to go through, but Tahnee is scared, and she looks to you for guidance far more than she looks to me," Reed told her. "But I need you to cast aside your personal feelings and try to support us because we want this child."
"Do you?" Seekra began, her eyes narrowing in on him. "Do you both or is it just you?" she said sharply.
"Seekra," Athos warned.
"No, neither of you have any idea what you're about to put that poor girl through. I know and it nearly killed me!" she defended.
"You're not a part of this decision process," Reed told her, trying to remain calm.
"And you're a blind fool if you think you can protect her and that baby from what lies ahead. I don't want to be the one who says I told you so! If you have half a conscience, you'll get rid of that … thing before you get too attached," she said scornfully.
"That thing is their future child," Athos said sternly. "Not yours. We all know what you did to our child … and it nearly killed you."
Reed grimaced. He saw Seekra round on Athos and her expression changed from generally upset to downright seething.
"You're both assholes!" she snarled as she shot up from the table and stormed out of the shelter.
"I'm sorry Reed," Athos said as he leaned back in his chair. "The whole baby thing has always been the most sensitive subject for her."
Reed understood but he worried she'd get into Tahnee's head with her own views and outlook.
"You'll try to get her to see my point?" Reed asked.
"I will … and congratulations. Really. I'm happy for you both," Athos said with a sincere smile. Reed rose from the table, but Athos put his hand indicating him to stop. He got up and went to the corner of his small house. He lifted a floor board and withdrew a large bottle of a deep amber substance. He picked two grimy glasses off the single shelf in the tiny kitchen space and poured a small amount of what Reed could only guess was whiskey into each glass before handing him one and sat back down.
"To a boy," Athos said with a smirk as he raised his glass.
Reed took his and lifted it, returning the smirk.
"A boy," he echoed.
And they drank.
Aramis knew it was rude to leave a note but she couldn't face their judgement in person. It had been her choice to return to the Legion and no one else. The last month they'd all suspected what she was doing. She put some of her weight back on and had made significant progress with her overall physique. She found her armour stuffed under her bed where she kept it purposely tucked away to keep her from thinking about the Legion.
She pulled on her simple red T-shirt and lashed her black skort like garment around her waist. She took the old motorcycle chest protector and zipped it up against her torso. She was pleased that everything was fitting well. She scrounged some climbing rope to assist with the way back and slung it around her chest and shoulder. She picked up her medium sized hunting knife and lashed it to her shoulder for easy access.
In the last month she'd worked on something new, something just for her, a mask that covered the upper half of her face. She had to be more careful now. Her face was becoming recognizable to many, as both Eyre and Aramis and she needed to protect her identity at all costs. She'd found the skull of some kind of canine on one of her runs and carried it back with her to New Canaan. There she cleaned and moulded it into a perfect fitting mask that gave her good visibility and she liked that it made her think of Desert Dog when she put it on.
Lastly she reached under the bed and felt for cold steel. She pulled out Desert Dog's personal rifle, something he cherished greatly. Aramis wasn't great with a rifle; she much preferred her handgun or a knife if the situation dictated. It wasn't right for her to keep it and she knew whom it belonged to now.
That night she snuck over the wall of New Canaan and made her way in the cover of the new moon to the New Canaan Outpost. There she found Hard Tack and the other Speculatores who greeted her with massive hugs and kind words.
It was when she was departing that she offered the rifle to Hard Tack. He was their leader now and she knew only he fit such a grand weapon. He accepted it graciously and she departed their camp with warm regard. It was time to go home.
It had been a couple months since Joshua had returned from Ouroboros and not a day went by that he didn't reflect on what had occurred there. It left him feeling uneasy and he found himself on this particular day with a book in front of his face but lingering on the same page for far too long, rereading the lines over and over again when suddenly a voice called through his door.
"She's back!" Athos's voice rang out.
Joshua rose from his desk and rushed out the door nearly bumping into the Centurion.
"She just arrived," Athos informed him and the two men hurried across the camp towards the medical tent.
"Is she hurt?" Joshua demanded quietly when he saw where they were headed.
"No no, it's just where we thought it was most private to catch up," Athos said calmly.
They entered the medical tent together. Reed was already present with a figure before him didn't look at all like Aramis, this person didn't look like anyone he knew.
Clad in black pre-war off-road motorcycle attire with patchwork legion style accessories and a dog skull over her face, Aramis looked like something out of a tribal war band. Her hair had grown out but being tied back in rows of braids made her more threatening then feminine. He was both impressed and somewhat frightened. She lifted the mask up over her face so it rested on the top of her head. She turned and smiled, not at him but her brother.
"It's good to have you back," Joshua assured her.
Her soft green eyes now fell on him and he felt his heart flutter slightly. She looked a bit too lean and her face was slimmer but all in all she had life in her eyes.
"It's good to be back, my Legate," she said professionally.
He realized he liked the way she said that, as he always had. It was too soon for him to be thinking that he and Aramis could ever try again. Surely Desert Dog's memory was still to fresh even after a year and however many months it had been now.
"You better start putting on some pounds," Athos teased as he sized her up.
"Working on it," she replied sheepishly.
"Are you back?" he continued.
"I'm back," she assured them all.
"We have a lot to fill you in on," Athos said.
"As do I," she said.
"Do you want time to rest?" Reed asked.
"I'm fine," Aramis said as she leaned against the gurney. "So, what's going on?"
Athos began to fill Aramis in with the story of Hecate and her Daughters and Hounds. Joshua was pleased that he left out the details of the strange sexual encounters Hecate made himself and the Frumentarii go through.
She only nodded as he went along the story and the plans for assimilation that followed. When he was done, Aramis told them about her time in New Canaan and the NCR intelligence Commander Art Enigma, also known as Dex. By the way she spoke of this man Joshua noted some deeply seeded hatred towards this guy. He found himself smirking at her vengeful tenacity. He agreed this man was a large threat to her directly and he approved of her desire to seek and kill him, but he wondered what was the greater risk that required their full attention.
"I know you want to hunt down this man, but we need you here for the time being. Your men have been without their leader for the last fifteen months or so," Joshua told her.
Aramis nodded.
"I know. I'll do what is needed of me here," she assured him. He liked that she seemed more agreeable to his order.
"Caesar will want to see you as well," Joshua told her.
"Of course," she said.
"He's been bedridden for quite some time, but he is on the mend. Your arrival came at a perfect time," Joshua said.
"Is he all right?" she asked.
"Improving every day," the Legate said.
Aramis nodded again and said,
"So, let's get to work."
Thanks for reading! Your comments and reviews are always much appreciated.
