Octavius POV
Chapter 18: An unforgivable treachery
I woke up and for moment I wasn't sure where I was. I wasn't able to make my head clear, but then I remembered the freezing cold again. I remembered I fainted again. But there was something else, something important. And then I could remember everything again. "Jedediah," I shouted and sat up. Instead of Jedediah I saw Agrippa before me. I laid in my own bed in my own room. "What did you say?" Agrippa asked me surprised. I shook my head and tried to think clearly. I didn't understand what was happening. "What is going on?" so I asked. "You've been outside with that cowboy last night and you almost froze to death. The cowboy abandoned you," Agrippa answered me. "Who told you this?" I asked while I slowly crawled out of my bed. "The little giant, what was his name again, Gus and another giant Cecil brought you back last night and told me," he answered me again. When I had my legs hang besides my bed I finally saw the brown cloth around my hands. When I saw the gloves I was sure of, because Jedediah could abandoned me, but he wouldn't leave his belongings behind. "I don't believe it," I said, still looking at the gloves. "I don't believe Jedediah left me behind." Agrippa looked amazed at me, but when he could see the gloves he looked shocked. "You trust that barbarian?" he asked still shocked. "No," I lied. "But I do trust him more than those giants." "Then what are you doing with those things?" Agrippa asked and looked at my hands. Slowly I putted the gloves of my hands, while I replied: " He gave me his gloves to prevent I would freeze to death." "That savage has some dark plan in mind," Agrippa said and he believed it. Something inside me snapped and I couldn't stay calm anymore. I stood up, right before Agrippa. "His name is Jedediah and he tried to help me," I almost shouted in his face and for a moment it was quiet. "There is something going on between the two of you, isn't it," Agrippa said, while he looked straight at me. "You're hiding something for me and it is about that cowboy." "I have nothing to hide," I lied, but I didn't look away. I always been a good liar. For a few seconds we just looked at each other, but then Agrippa looked away. "Why don't you trust me anymore?" Agrippa asked suddenly. "I know there is something going on, but you won't tell me. Why? What did I do wrong" "Stop this nonsense," I tried to say as ordinary as I could. "There is nothing to hide. But I get the feeling you are the one who doesn't trust me. Tell me, what did I do wrong?" He started to feel uncomfortable, I could see it in his eyes. "Octavius," he said after a while. "I do trust you, I really do. I just have this feeling there is something going on and it has something to do with that cowboy. Jedediah, I mean." "Give him the name you feel comfortable with," I said like I really didn't care. After that I walked out of the room, but I took the gloves with me. I felt like a coward. I always walk away from my problems. I always do. He had the courage to ask me what was going on, but I hadn't the courage to tell him the truth. I lied to him and walked away again. What had he done wrong? Good question. The truth is: he didn't do anything wrong, but Caesar's friends made an unforgivable treachery.
Slowly I started to feel worried. Two weeks passed since the night Jedediah and I were thrown outside. Last week Jedediah didn't show up at the training, so the last time I've seen him was when we were outside. This week it was me who crawled through the tunnel towards the Wild West and hoped Jedediah would be there. I felt relieved when I saw Jedediah standing against the tree. He looked up when he heard me. "Good night, Jedediah," I greeted him. "Hey Octavius," he said shortly. "Where have you been last week?" I asked again, but now wary. "One of my boys found your sword you left here two weeks ago," he replied without looking at me. "I decided it would be safer if I wouldn't meet you for one time." "Well, I'm glad it's nothing worse," I said and felt relieved again. "I was afraid something might happened to you in the night we were thrown outside." "So much happened that night," he said quietly I almost wasn't able to hear him. I looked amazed at him, while I tried to understand what he meant. "What exactly did happen that night?" I asked him. "The giants said you abandoned me when I was unconscious, but honestly I don't believe them." "What do you mean: you don't believe them?" he said and he finally looked at me again. "I just don't believe you would just leave me to freeze to death. Maybe we are not friends, but I don't think you're capable of it," I told him honestly. "You shouldn't trust me like that," Jedediah said with a weird tone in his voice. "You can't trust me like that." "What do you mean?" I asked really astonished. "Jedediah, you don't tell me the giants spoke the truth." Jedediah didn't answer. He only turned his back towards me. "Jedediah?" I asked. "Is it true you abandoned me in the snow?" "Yes," he said soft, but clear. "It's true." After that he walked away without saying another word.