The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 14

THE NEXT DAY it snowed. Well, in the morning it snowed. By lunch it was a sleet that clung to everything and left everyone cold and quiet. Alex was grateful to be riding Max, he was too big for any of the saddles to fit well and riding bareback was keeping her warm. He was also surprisingly docile given that she was wearing armor again. It was a good day so far.

        When they stopped for lunch, Alex untied Max's blanket from the tight roll she'd put it in to help it stay dry, threw it over him and tied it on. Max and Verus both gave her the same look of patient tolerance for doting on the brute. Alex shrugged it off in good humor as soon as Max nuzzled at her cheek with his nose, playing with her for kisses for the first time since she'd put on armor. She completely caved at how cute he was being and shared one of her biscuits with him – which seemed to be the intent of his attentions. Figures, she thought, chiding him in English for being such a guy.

        The rest of the day passed without mention, wet and gray. Alex appreciated the break after the long fight with Max yesterday, and after riding for only an hour after lunch she decided to walk and give her body a break from being on horseback. Max settled in beside her, glaring dutifully at anyone he deemed to be getting too close, but no longer breaking stride to try and lunge at the men as he would have only a couple weeks ago. Hades even flew over and roosted where Alex would have sat, hunching down against the bad weather and promptly crapping down the blanket right where Alex's leg would go.

        "Nice, Hades. Bird shit is exactly what I wanted to be sitting in the next time I'm riding with the blanket on," she told the little crow in English.

        He warbled quiet, happy noises back at her. She didn't realize until it was way too late that she'd forgotten to change Hades' name, and had just used it in earshot of a lot of the men, who were now casting noticeably nervous glances at the lame bird. She let a look of mild confusion drift onto her face, something that they were used to seeing due to what Verus called her 'foreign habits to be trained out', and watched as most settled back to tromping along.

        Great. Another rumor. Alex considered the other rumors she'd caught snippets of today, her mind turning to the actual events of yesterday evening. Very quickly, her good mood returned.

                                                                 ***

        Ixillius felt his footing slip again. The entire day had been wet, cold and miserable, matching his current mood exactly. The sleet had finally turned back to snow when the temperature started dropping for the night as they were setting camp. He went through his inspections thoroughly, making sure the men were settled and fed before he worried about himself, as he usually did. His Front File, the Centurion of the 6th and 1st who commanded the 6th cohort, had gotten him in the habit that had served him well and quickly earned the respect of the men under his command.

        To avoid thinking about what was actually dominating his thoughts, he focused on the luck he'd had in commanders. That he was still alive spoke volumes of the men above him. As well, their advice, training and guidance had made him into what many men told him was a good officer. And Verus had sent him a note today complimenting his recommendation of Marcus for Optio to the First File. He would have to pass that on to Brasus, who'd done just as much of the work training Marcus.

        He finished the final necessary conversation of the day and turned back the way he'd come, planning to loop quickly through his century a second time and confirm that all was in place to keep everyone warm and – for everything that needed to be – as dry as possible before aiming to head back and set up his own tent. He had just grabbed the poles to get started when Brasus arrived and dropped his own kit nearby. The Optio silently reached over and helped unpack and set up the tent.

        That done, they found a hot dinner together. Ixillius passed over the note from the First File and recommended Brasus read the short message somewhere dry. They spoke of nothing important, but the Optio hovered closely when Ixillius left the fire to retire for the evening, watchful of the paths that crossed their route and showing no intention of going to the Training Ground tonight as had become Brasus's routine the past couple of weeks.

        "You're making me nervous," Ixillius stated as he shook off the wet from his cloak once they were both in the Centurion's tent. Brasus didn't reply, he just laid out pallets and bedrolls for his commander and himself. "Now you're making me worry," Ixillius commented, lighting his lamps and hanging them in their usual places, then setting up his one extra above where Brasus had laid out his pallet.

        Brasus remained silent, instead fastening the tent closed against the cold wind and seeing to his wet clothes, laying everything out properly to be dry by the morning.

        "You'll want to do the same if you don't want frost in your caligae when we start the march tomorrow," the Optio advised, gesturing at his commander's wet clothes and feet as he reclined on his pallet and pulled out the note from Verus.

        Ixillius sighed and followed his friend's advice. Half way through the needed activities, he stopped and looked at the entrance to his tent, which Brasus had fastened closed. Brasus broke from reading to cock a single eyebrow at Ixillius.

        "What?" the Optio asked when Ixillius stared at the entrance for too long.

        "Naevius hasn't been by yet," Ixillius stated.

        "I'm sure that means he'll double his efforts tomorrow." Brasus dismissed the issue and turned back to reading the note. Ixillius watched him read to the end at half the man's usual speed.

        "What?" the Optio asked again as he tucked the note into his own pocket.

        "Did you do something to Naevius?" Ixillius asked plainly.

        "I never touched him," Brasus replied lightly, tucking into his cloak and blanket for the night.

        Ixillius scrubbed his hand over his face and decided to drop the conversation before he felt obliged to find out what Brasus had said to Naevius. Or rather, what threats had been exchanged and to what extent to make the patrician stay away. He finished laying out his things to dry and tucked into his own blanket and cloak for the night.

        "What are you doing here?" Ixillius asked after a few minutes of silence.

        "Did the wet today dampen your mind and leave you completely stupid?" Brasus asked in reply.

        "Not that I'm aware of," Ixillius answered.

        "Then don't ask dumb questions and go to sleep," Brasus stated.

        Ixillius stared at his friend for a long minute. Brasus finally sighed and opened his eyes.

        "Marcus Lucilius was part of the hunt today, and he was well into his wine before we returned to the camp. I made the mistake of asking him how your Lady Avilia was faring."

        Ixillius didn't have a reply to that, so he rolled over to face the fabric of the tent wall rather than looking across the floor and trying to meet Brasus's worried stare. He didn't deserve a friend so good, he thought.

        "Thank you," Ixillius finally said.

        "Shut up and go to sleep."