Carpe Noctem

Thankfully Rosa’s pack, which had remained safely dry atop Catalus, had one of the bedrolls inside of it. After hanging Colly’s wet clothes up to dry with the rest of our soggy items Rosa and her bed down for the night, my Lady cradling Collywaddle close to help sooth the goblin’s nerves after her harrowing near drowning. Colly didn’t seem particularly overjoyed by Rosa’s cuddles but neither did she complain as the pair settle down to bed.

In the dark Cassie and I silently step away from the others so we might speak quietly and keep an ear out for trouble. Luna’s glow illuminates only half of Cassie’s beautiful face and even that is mottled by overhead leaves of a stunted willow shifting in the night breeze.

Grabbing my tunic Cassie pulls me close and whispers. “Quin. What the fuck was that back there?”

“What?” I try to pull back but she pulls me closer again.

“That ‘I know, I know, I know’ and ‘no, no, no, no’ shit.” She says. “You were on the verge of panic.”

“Cassie…”

“Listen to me!” She pulls me down so I am face level with her. “We need YOU to hold this thing together, okay? I’m sorry about what happened with your family, having to leave like we did, but you’re not the only one on his own out here. You’re not the only one to leave family behind. We’re all orphans here. Right now we got each other. That’s it. Rosa, Colly, me and you. And we need our ‘pater familias’ to keep a level head. None of us expect for you to have the answers. None of us expect you to be perfect. But we need you to to be our rock when things get crazy.”

Cassie’s warm breath against my mouth and cheeks I stare into her shaded eyes, knowing every word she spoke was truth. “I thought you said you were done with all that ‘father knows best’ stuff.”

She lets out a breathy laugh. “When we’re planning, when we’re dreaming, when things are calm, yes! I love you, Quin, but I’m not here to be your follower. I’m here as your partner. In life, in love, in adventure, under our Lady. But when the tempest is upon us I can’t be the one to grab the rudder. Rosa and Colly don’t see me like that. And neither do I.” With her free hand she pats my cheek. “You’re a gods damned hero, Quintus. I couldn’t have done what you did with Colly. I couldn’t fight those harpies or that minotaur like you did. And in a man’s world I can’t be taken seriously with outsiders like you can. We need you Quin. More than you know. Save the boy for the bedroom or when you’re in the Lady’s arms. Out here we need the man.”

After a quiet moment I nod. “Okay.”

Her fierce features soften, her grip loosens but does not let me go. “Okay. You got us this far. Your instincts are good. Trust them.”

“Feels like Fortuna herself is working against us though.” I sigh. “The harpies. Tiro’s family turning on us. This creature on our tail. Our lost gear, Rosa’s lost bracelet!”

“Are you kidding, Quin?” She gives me a shake. “Fortuna is shining on us! How many victims would those harpies have claimed had we not been the next along that road? And that thing following us? Had we not left as swiftly as we did it we would have just been frolicking like love drunk fools at the villa. The boldness it took to vacate right after harvest is the only thing that’s kept us a step ahead. Boldness born from the blessing that is our child. And had Tiro and his kin not driven us off it would have surely caught us unaware on the road. As for the bracelet, from what she’s told me it was good fortune and a kind woman that had it find its way to her hands. It’s saved lives, it’s been used as a household water pump, and you’ve had your share of fun with it. I’d say you two owe Fortuna an offering or two for all it’s done. How quickly we take for granted that which was never really ours.”

“I…never thought about it that way.”

“That’s what Rosa is thinking. I guarantee it. I couldn’t understand at first why she was so calm about it. It was her only weapon, it must be terrifying to be so helpless out in the world. But that’s why she wasn’t as distraught as we were.” She says. “We should learn from our Lady, Quin.”

“I always am.”

“Good boy.” She gives my chin a hard pinch and glances back toward the others then out toward the river that flanked us to both the north and south. “The others will follow you. Assuming we even get through the night, tell me what you’re thinking.”

I let out a huff. “I’m still working it out.”

“Talk to me, Quin. Now, before the others just overrule me again in the morning.”

“Hey, sorry about that…”

“Quit apologizing! It is what it is. Just talk to me now.” She says. “Whatever our plans were, they’ve changed. Let’s think.”

“Changed.” I mutter then fall silent as I think things through. We needed to get off of the Italian peninsula and, eventually, beyond the vast Empire itself. But where we stood was nearly dead center of the Emperor’s sprawling domain. To East and West, North and South, countless miles lay between us and…whatever came next. It was then, as I thought of the cardinal directions, an idea blooms. I whisper. “Buxentum.”

“Buxentum?”

“A town south of there. Listen, anyone tracking us for any length of time will be assuming we’re making north for Paestum or Neapolis, even Pompeii. Which is exactly what our plan was. It’s what any rational citizen would do. Common thinking, farmer’s sense. But I’m not a farmer anymore.”

“You’re babbling again.”

“My babbling got us to the river, didn’t it?”

“I’m still deciding whether that was good or bad.” She smirks. “I’m teasing. Go on.”

“I was thinking.” I say, literally coming up with the idea as I spoke it. “Buxentum has a port. It’s not at the end of any routes but it is a stop along the way for many. I’m thinking a lot of ships will be more empty than full coming south from Rome. Rome is ravenous after all.”

“How do you know about this…Buxentum?”

“Before I traveled to Rome to get my inheritance I spoke to a traveler that stopped for water at the farm. He was worldly so I asked into hiring onto a ship to maybe cover some expenses along the way north. I’ve never been on the sea, thought it could be an experience too. In the end I was told nobody would need a hand for such a short segment of a route, so I ended up going on foot, but Buxentum was mentioned when we were talking about potential ports.” I try to straighten up but Cassie keeps me right where I was. “It’s small. Quiet. Out of the way. And…the traveler told stories of merchants using it as to bypass tariffs and even of smugglers and pirates using it for repairs.”

“Pirates!?”

“Probably just rumors. But most rumors…”

“Have a kernel of truth.”

“Exactly.” I say. “I’ve never heard of any legion activity down that way. I’m not even sure if they have a major temple. Things must be at least a little lax for those stories to exist.”

“How far?”

“No further than Neapolis. Smaller, rougher roads though. More like the trails around here from what I understand.”

“No, that’s good. We’ve got no cart. We can manage. Packed earth trails will be better for Catalus’ ankle than concrete roads anyway.” She says, her mind working. “Off the main roads we’re less likely to hear about the ‘Wingslayer’ too.”

“I never thought of that.”

“That’s why you’ve got me, sexy boy.” She croons. “In the morning we go. There will be time for second thoughts on the road.”

A slow grin spreads across my face. “Sexy boy, huh?”

“You heard me, BOY.” Her moonlit eyes gleam with a sudden and familiar hunger.

“You said I had to be a man out here.”

“I don’t see no tempest right now.”

I lock my gaze with hers and whisper. “I do.”

Her grip suddenly clinches again as she yanks me into a fiery, lip-smashing kiss!

“Mmmmm!” I melt into her feral kiss. There’s a loud smack as our sucking mouths part. “Woah!” I gasp for a breath. “We gotta plan like this more often.”

“Damn right.” She lets out a low chuckle as she grabs my tunic her the other hand as well. “We might be dead by morning. Carpe noctem!”

Too late do I recognize the two-fisted grip and the sneaky shift in her stance as the next thing I knew Cassie’s hips were thrust under mine and I was being hoisted up and off my feet! I am dragged over her twisting hips by the tunic in one of the pankration throws Toke had taught us and a short second later I land with an “oomph!” on the cold earth at her feet. Stamping a foot down in the center of my chest she begins to loosen her belt as she hisses. “My turn!”