Slave Girl 2: Chapter 60 (Patreon)

Following the lead of the other crews my men and I collect the sheafs we had bundled into one area to make it easy for when the collection cart rolled through.  Our workday done we walk as a group back toward the farm.

As we go I could tell that Lucas had something on his mind.  It doesn’t take long to find out what it is.  “You say that Northerner’s a slave in town?”

“Yeah.”  I say.  “He’s a slave for some real bad guys.”

“That’s not his fault.”  He says.  “You should see if they’re hiring him out.”

“What?”

“Dad was complaining that he’s a crew short this year.  We’re definitely still looking for help.”

“Why in Hades would we do that?”

“Think Quin.”  He smiles and clenches his fists excitedly.  “He knows how to fight!  Like the real stuff.  Life and death stuff.  He could train us.  All of us.”

“Train us!?”

“Yeah!”  He nods.  “Think about it.  He’d be WAY cheaper than a pankration instructor AND we could get Dad to pay for him.  Ha!”  He laughs and throws a few jabs in front of him.

“If people see the group of us training they’ll think rebellion’s afoot.”  Gyasi, the dark-skinned African, warns as if from experience.  “The Empire likes it’s legions united and strong and it’s people divided and weak.”

“See.”  I say to Lucas.  “Trouble.”

“All the more reason to do it.  Why be sheep when we could be wolves?”  Says Lucas.  “And nobody else would even need to know.  Maybe Felix, but that’s it.  Just need to find an hour a day.  Half an hour.  We could hide out in your forest after work and…”

“No way.”  I say.  “This is crazy.”

“Mighty Mars would call it inspired.  He would reward our passion.”

“We can’t.”

Lucas pauses, then asks.  “Why?”

“Why?”

“Yeah, why?  Or really, why not?  Give me one good reason we shouldn’t at least try?”

“Gyasi already gave you one.”  I think.  “Secondly, his master probably won’t let him.”

“Don’t know until you ask.”  Lucas counters.

“He might not want to.  I mean, why would he?”

“Or he might be eager to train.”  Gyasi suggests.  “You said that he really enjoyed sparring with you.  And you said the others didn’t fight in his style.  He might be desperate for proper training partners.”

“Sparring.”  I stretch my bruised side.  “If that’s what you want to call it.”  I think for another reason.  “So how is he going to train us if he cannot touch us?  It’s a capital offense for him lay hands on a citizen.”

“Only if one of us says something.”  Says Julian, the other local citizen.  “And even if he’s not willing to take the risk with us he can demonstrate on Quique and Oeneus here.”  The pair of slaves from Hispania give a worried glance to each other.  Julian laughs and slaps each of their shoulders.  “Don’t worry.  We’re not going to let him beat the shit out of you.  We need you out here.”

“Training slaves to fight?  Oh geez.”

“It might be frowned on but it’s not illegal.  As long as they don’t use it on anyone.  Think Quin, think!”  Lucas says, his heart alight with passion.  “You know that he knows hand to hand, and if he was a gladiator you can bet he knows his way around weapons too.  We could be the most dangerous men in this whole area.  Nobody would mess with us.  And if anybody wants to bring trouble out here, we bring it right back at them.”

I look around the sprawling wheat field.  “You see any weapons around here?”

“You have a pugio.”  He says.  “And…this.”  He pulls his sickle from his belt.

“A sickle?”  I scoff.

“Sure.  Why not.”  He gives it a few test swings.  “And we’ve got staves and axes.”

“Farm tools.”  I say.  “Besides.  It’s a moot point.  He’s in prison.”

“Actually…”  Says Quique.  “There’s a good chance he’s back at his master’s house.  The law generally likes to leave it to the owner to look after their property’s punishment, unless it’s really serious.”  He pats the other slave on the arm.  “We know all about that, eh Oeneus?”

Oeneus wipes the sweat from his branded forehead as he nods his agreement.  “Only too well.”

“You two too?”  I look around at the whole group of them.  “I don’t even know this man!  He coulda killed me.  He might be a savage.  I’m sure you’ve heard the same stories I have about those tall fair-haired Northerners.”

“What better way to get to know him than getting him out here to work with us?”  Says Lucas.  “He can’t take all of us.”

“I mentioned the real bad guys thing, yeah?”  I retort.  “I’m talking corrupt thugs.  Bigots and bullies.  Criminals.”

“So why let the bad guys keep the Northerner’s skills for themselves?”  Lucas punches the air.  “Let’s be ready to meet fire with fire.”

The others laugh and nod, quite pleased with this crazy idea of Lucas’.  I had to confess that even I was softening to it.  After a few hours of trading tall tales of combat and adventure the whole group of us young men were feeling our oats.  Also I had been thinking a lot about that fight since it went down.  About that helpless feeling of facing off with a superior opponent and how much that bothered me.  About the artistry and elegance of the man’s style.  And about how if I truly learned to fight I could protect my Lady just that much better.  I had not forgotten about my brush with death against that harpy.

I finally shake my head.  “I can’t.”

“Come on!”

“No, I mean, I can’t.  Me.”  I say.  “These guys know me and I ain’t exactly their favorite farmer.”

“Well…I suppose I could do it.”  Lucas says, the idea only now occurring to him.  “They don’t even need to know you’re involved.”

“They’d know eventually.”

“When it’s too late.”

“Hrm.”

“So…you’re with us if it does happen?”  Lucas says.  The man was a dog with a bone.  He wasn’t going to let this drop easily.  “We need your place.  Can’t do it around here and anywhere else would be too far as to not be suspicious.”

“Let me think about it.”  I say and before he can protest I repeat more forcefully.  “Let me think about it.”

Ceding to my judgment Lucas nods, happy enough to at least have a maybe.  The change in him this afternoon had been night and day.  A couple of days ago he looked at me with suspicion and brotherly protectiveness.  A couple of days ago we actually fought.  Even this morning we started on a bad note as he was bitter and jealous at me being crew boss.  Yet now he was looking to me as the leader of not just the day’s work but of this little group of new friends.  He was rash, bull headed and a bit dim at times, but he had an honorable soul and a fighting spirit.  He was the type of guy you wanted to have at your back.  He was the type that would never be a great general but I think he’d make one heck of a sergeant.

As we near the farm our group melds in with the others coming in off the fields and as the men head for their evening grub I say my goodbyes.

“Not eating with us?”  Julian asks.

“Nah.”  I look off to my forest and my mood lifts even higher.  “I’m goin home.”  Those words had come so naturally.  “See you boys in the morning.”  I look to each of them.  “Damn good work today.”

“You too big man.”  Lucas says.  “You’ll think about it?”

I chuckle.  “Yes Lucas.  I’ll think about it.”

“Ha ha!”  He claps.  “Come boys.  First pitcher’s on me.”

We say our farewells and go our separate ways.  I had just broken off from them when I catch Horatius making for me.  I change course to meet him halfway.

Watching his son walking away, talking and laughing with the boys, he asks.  “They worked for ya I heard.  Even Lucas.”

“Yeah.”  I say.  “He took some time but he got into it in the end.  They’re a good crew.  Green, but good workers.”

“Only as good as their lead.”  The old farmer says.

“They made it easy.”

“Mmm.”  He looks me up and down.  “Keep it up and I’ll see a bonus comes your way Quintus.”

“Oh!  Uh, thank you sir!  Thank you.”

He looks off in the direction his eldest son went.  “I worry about that boy.  You’ll have to tell me what you did to get him going.”

“Oh, well…my opinion?”

“Mmm.”  He nods.

“The truth?”

“Go ahead, son.”

“He’s not a farmer.”  I say flat out.  “The land, the grain, Ceres…these things just aren’t in his heart.”

“Mmm.”

“I got him talking about fighting and after that you couldn’t stop him.  I don’t know if he’ll be satisfied with just talk though.  Not for long anyhow.”  I say.  “It’s none of my business but that man is destined for the legions.  If I ever saw a gods called soldier it’s him.  And the Emperor would be blessed to have him.”

The farmer’s shoulders slump and in a soft tone he whispers.  “Yeah.”

“You don’t approve?”

“It ain’t that.  I’d be proud.  Proud as a man can be.  It’s just…”  He sighs.  “Given what happened to your Pa you know better than anyone the price a family can pay.  I…I don’t know if my Cas could bear that.”

“Yeah.  Mom never really did recover.  Not truly.”  I say.  “But if the gods are calling him…”

“I know.”  He slaps my arm with one hand and shakes it with his other.  “Good night Master Quintus.”

“And to you Master Horatius.”  I shake his hand back.

I watch him walk off to join his workers and reflect a moment on the brief conversation and then back over this day as a whole.  This…awesome day.  After an honest day’s work I felt so good!  I’d impressed my boss, made some friends, and now I got to go home to the most beautiful woman in the world.  Make that two of the most beautiful women in the world as Cassie would still be there.  I felt things…coming together.  Clicking into their proper place.  Not long ago I was ready to give all this up to retreat back to my childhood home.  I am so glad that I didn’t.

My body tired but my spirit strong I walk briskly for home.  After a whole day of carrying the weight of expectation and leadership all I could think about was getting back to the privacy of my villa where I could lay down my responsibilities and simply be my Lady’s good boy once more.

Chapter 61