Many thanks to Ro-Lee and Queen-Maggie-pevensie for reviewing!
Roman Empire (c. 2nd century A.D.)
Twelve-year-old Cato Silvius Lupanus follows his older brother through the slave markets of Rome. The stink of unwashed and ill persons clogs his nose. Cato makes a face;Tiberius catches him and shoves the younger boy. "Don't be such a wuss. Soon Father will be sending you here on your own."
A one-legged beggar hobbles over, but one of the family slaves accompanying the brothers turns him away, before the vagrant can even come near the noble boys. Tiberius sneers but says nothing as they continue on their way.
There's a commotion up ahead—some particularly exciting 'stock,' it sounds like. "What's going on over there?" Cato asks.
"Probably just some plebs trying to outbid each other," Tiberius answers, but he also sounds curious. They reach the crowd, and Tiberius taps someone on the shoulder. "Why all the excitement?"
"Slaves from Britannia," the man replies. "Daughters of some rebellious chieftain, so I've heard."
"Oh. I see." Tiberius turns to leave. "Let's go."
"But I want to see what's going on," Cato protests.
"Father sent us here to get strong male slaves for physical work, not some little girls," Tiberius snaps. But when Cato stays put, a stubborn expression on his face, Tiberius groans. "Fine. Alcaeus, stay with the idiot and make sure he doesn't get in trouble. I'll be back soon." Tiberius takes all but one of their family slaves with him, and they disappear into the crowd.
When Cato starts to push through the mob around the podium, Alcaeus tries to stop him. "Young Master, please stay here. I don't want to have to explain to Master Tiberius how I lost you."
"Then come with me." Cato finds a gap between two people and darts forward. Alcaeus reluctantly follows.
He is victorious in his endeavor and makes it to the front, right before the low podium. Perched upon it is a cage, holding two girls with foreign features. Both are fair-skinned, and one, who looks somewhere between Cato and Tiberius's ages, has golden hair and gray eyes, while the other, a little younger than Cato, has inky locks and blue eyes. Despite the difference in coloring, there is a strong resemblance between them. Both are disheveled, filthy, and anxious, the older girl's arms wrapped tightly around the younger.
Suddenly, the older girl jumps up—as much as she can in the cramped cage—and begins to shout. "Seneca! Seneca!" And then a young man is fighting his way toward the slave seller, a scowl upon his face.
Seneca. Cato knows that name. He makes it a point to learn the names of everyone who distinguishes himself militarily. Lucius Seneca Gruanus was an officer in the recent campaign in Britannia, who achieved several key victories. His military career was prepared to take off—but he opted to return to Rome as soon as possible and settle into a private life. Cato notices how Seneca Gruanus and the blond girl apparently know each other, and he wonders if one of Gruanus's military sojourns took him into the territory of her chieftain father.
Cato realizes he's being watched, and he meets the wary gaze of the younger girl in the cage. Despite her evident fear, there is heat in her eyes as they dare him, challenge him. Cato cannot refuse. "What's your name?"
Confusion flickers across her face, and it occurs to him that she probably doesn't know his language. But then she repeats, with a heavy accent, "Name?"
"Yes, name," Cato confirms. Then, to make sure she knows what he means, he points at himself. "Cato."
"Cato." She hums over his name for a moment. Finally: "Ember."
Ember. Definitely not a Roman name. "Ember," he repeats. It feels strange on his tongue—but also pleasant.
He has no more time though. It seems Seneca Gruanus and the slave seller have come to some kind of agreement, and Cato is shooed away from the podium. He watches as Seneca Gruanus declines the slave seller's offer of ropes and chains, instead helping the two girls out of the cage. The erstwhile military hero quickly escorts them away, but before they're swallowed up by the crowd, Ember glances back at Cato and waves briefly.
"Vale," Cato mutters to himself as they depart.
Vale means "farewell" in Latin.
Silvius roughly means "of the woods"and Lupanus roughly means"wolfish," at least according to my student-level knowledge of Latin.
Gruanus means "crane."
Reviews are love, and I'm eager to hear any more ideas for future scenes!