The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 30

CW - violence/torture against a woman and child.

QUINTUS STEPPED ASIDE and nodded politely as the Auxiliary Legate sauntered past with his little cousin, making a mental note that the man was here. The Tribunes were confined to their tents, too injured after their run-in with Alex to do anything, but so far these men were the only ones directly related to Naevius that he'd seen in camp. Quintus arrived to his Legate's tent a few strides ahead of Brasus, who was half carrying and half dragging the boy that Ennius had requested Quintus to send a loyal man to find. Once told the reason for seeking the lad, Quintus had quietly sent the Centurion he knew was unquestionably loyal.

        The mare was still pacing, alone in the pen she usually shared with Max, as she had been for the entire afternoon. Quintus sympathized with her fully. He couldn't shake off the feeling they had both been left behind. Quintus paused and held back the flap, stepping aside as Brasus hauled the boy into Ennius's tent, and then followed and stopped just inside as the flap settled into place behind him.

        "As requested," Brasus stated quietly.

        Ennius looked up from the pages on his table, mentally cataloging Brasus as a man that Quintus trusted, and then silently cursed – he'd been hoping at the Market that Verus had been fanciful and mocking in his confidence of the Horseman being this Centurion's father. But, with the apparent trust Quintus held for this Nazario... the rumors said that Nazario the elder had ridden the mounts he trained to support the duties that Avilius performed on behalf of Augustus, but Ennius had never seen the man or his son riding. That Quintus sent this Nazario to fetch the boy... he filed the thoughts for later.

        "I understand you're an excellent messenger," Ennius glared down at the boy that he'd met when the boy was still dripping earlier today.

        The boy glared back, pressing his lips tightly together. He was slightly taller than Brasus's shoulder and already carried the sullen look of his blood uncle. Ennius's gaze shifted to Brasus for the length of a nod, and then settled back on the boy as the Centurion released his arm and backhanded him to the side of the head. The boy reeled from the strike, stumbling into reach of the Legate. Ennius grabbed fistfuls of the boy's tunic and pulled him face to face.

        "Treason is a man's crime, boy," Ennius cast his threat at a low volume. The boy's eyes grew wide as he realized the full depth of the situation he now found himself in. He glanced back at Brasus and Quintus, his bottom lip starting to quiver when there was no sympathy from them, and nobody else in the tent. Ennius dropped the boy onto the nearest stool and stood glaring down at him, letting the silence wear on his mind.

        There was a small commotion outside and Quintus held the flap aside as the messenger who had arrived a few days ago, and had been discretely staying between the camp and the Celsus house, dragged a woman into the tent and threw her down to the boy's feet. Her expression transformed from indignant anger to full terror when she saw the men she and her son were surrounded by.

        "You were right," the messenger shrugged and turned to Quintus. "She made a run for Verona the moment she heard Nazario had her son."

        "What an excellent mother," Ennius didn't smile, "Leaving your son to answer for your combined crimes."

        "We've committed no crimes," she whispered, her voice lost in attempting the lie. Ennius kicked her hard and she doubled around his foot, coughing and retching, her son crying out for the Legate to stop hurting her. Ennius pulled his knife and, crouching beside her, grabbed a fistful of her hair and pressed the blade to her throat. He looked levelly at the boy as a thin trickle of blood ran down her neck from the point of the knife.