The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 2

IXILLIUS STALKED THROUGH the encampment, speaking only as required, quickly memorizing the new layout and understanding the new command. Right now he was a returned Centurion, the orders that sent him and his greatest friend to rescue Alex had been leaked into the rumors only a few days after their departure, and men were happy to see them safely back. In a few hours, those who waved and joked would be rigidly greeting him as their First File.

        Such an uncomfortable thought.

        Almost as uncomfortable as the thought of being out here, fetching the 'bad drink' under the order from his slave that he'd been idiot enough to marry. He was tempted to wait the full four hours before returning, but he knew Quintus and Marcus would go back to Verus's tent once their errands were completed, and he needed their accounts of what had been happening while he was away. He wanted to be there if Verus woke up, as well, as he planned to have his command laid out by the rightful First File; there had been too much change in too short of a time and the men were strained. Keeping Verus as the decision maker would help keep stability in the new command structure, and then Ixillius may not have to deal with the insubordination he heard in the silences between all the rumors.

        He retrieved the alcohol as promised, and collected a few names of other men who stilled their own, then stalked back toward Verus's tent. He'd be lying to himself if he thought he didn't want to continue his argument with Alex. He should have let her draw. The thought was ridiculous that what she'd completed tonight was a surgery, so she must have gotten the words wrong and then he didn't let her correct what she'd said. Or she'd gotten the words right and expected him to be an idiot. He'd seen four surgeries attempted over his time in the Legions with his own eyes. Two of the men died outright. The other two died later from... from infections.

        His steps slowed for a moment and his gaze locked on the side of Verus's tent. He could see shadows moving across the light from the lamps inside, but no details. He cursed at his own anger leaving him unable to listen and hurried back toward the entrance, ready to pick up the fight where they had left off before he'd stormed out: right when Alex was going to start drawing. She hadn't pointed at her stomach to mean her guts, she'd pointed at her own worst scar when she talked of surgery, of this 'Mikayla Wyss' healer that fixed the hurts inside of men. Alex had survived a surgery!

        Her father had returned stronger after seventeen years. Wherever Avilius had gone, wherever Alex was from, she'd just told him tonight that surgeries were common enough for a healer to do them as a dedicated trade. Men and women survived.

                                                                ***

        Alex returned to inventorying the items on the table once she and Marcus had gotten Verus up, per his insistence, and settled at the table. Verus had chided the Spanish Auxiliary Legate about attempting to play a game of wits with Alex between grumbling at her for his leg now feeling worse than before he'd passed out. Alex rolled her eyes and sent Marcus to get a meal for the rightful First File. Verus had scowled fiercely that she wanted him to eat while he felt so terrible, green eyes flashing, but Marcus left as if on fire before Verus could contradict her. The issue that Heliodoro had come to discuss was quickly dealt with, as expected, and Verus dismissed the Auxiliary Legate.

        "He must stay," Alex stated before the commander could stand up.

        "I believe –"

        "No Ixillius, no Marcus, no Quintus," Alex interrupted Verus, crossing her arms as she turned to face him. "You fall again, big brother, and your beautiful face will break on the ground, and I will drag you to your pallet and hurt your leg, or let you bleed where you fall. So he must stay."