Gladiators of Rome:Short Stories

Bonus Scene - Krista & Frieda

Bonus Scene

This scene is set shortly after the battle with the Romans at the end of the first book (Gladiator of Rome) in which Leonidas was injured. It is just a short, funny clip to display one of the many mini-adventures between Krista and Frieda. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

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"Krista?" A hand shook her shoulder gently.

Begrudgingly she opened a single eyelid and in the darkness she could just about make out the slightly less dark shape that was Frieda knelt in front of her.
Krista groaned when she saw the smile on her lips. "I am not getting up for anything less than a dozen Romans." She stated as she pulled the animal skins closer to her chest and started to drift back to sleep.

"It's better than that," Frieda tantalized her in a quiet, almost sing-song, voice so as not to wake the others. She wanted to keep this between the two of them.

Fighting to open both of her eyelids when she just wanted to sleep Krista stared up at her over-zealous friend and saw that she was grinning from ear to ear. Krista looked at her suspiciously. "It had better be," Krista sighed as she slipped out from under Artorius's arm draped over her waist and began to dress.

"Oh it is," Frieda promised as she stepped back and waited.

*

"Frieda," Krista yawned as she held a branch out of her way, a layer of sweat forming on her skin. Krista had thought that the humidity might have dropped in the night but she was wrong. "Where are we going? We've been walking for ages."

"It's not too far away now, come on, hurry," Frieda pushed eagerly on ahead whilst Krista glared at her back. As she followed her through the dark forest Krista wished she had remained with Artorius. He wouldn't force her to walk half-asleep to some secret place in the dead of night.

"Ow," Krista hissed as she felt an insect suddenly bite her neck. Slapping the place where she felt it bite, Krista stopped dead in her tracks, "Frieda I am not taking another step until you tell me where we are going."

"Calm down," Frieda gave Krista a look over her shoulder before she reached out her arm and moved a branch back to reveal the edge of the forest before it gave way to a field, "We're here."

Peering through the gap Krista saw the flickering of torch lights and stepped closer until she could make out the shape of a thatched roofed building and peopled lingering outside. "What is it?"

"It's a tavern," Frieda stated obviously, rolling her eyes for a second before she spotted Krista watching her and smiled.

Krista narrowed her eyes at Frieda, not appreciating her sarcasm when she was tired, "I know it is a tavern. What are we doing here? You said there were Romans."

"No, I said that it was better than Romans," Frieda grinned which earnt her an exasperated look from Krista, but it did nothing to Frieda who had become immune to Krista's looks, and stepped out of the forest.

"Frieda . . ." Krista called as she watched her carefully, "What are you doing?" She looked around them.

Walking into the open field with her arms out wide she turned back to look at Krista, "What else do you do in a tavern? Drink, of course."

"No, Frieda," Krista shook her head, taking a tiny step back in caution, "We cannot."

"Why not?" Frieda moaned as she dropped her arms to her side like she had just been told she couldn't have the toy she wanted.