Another Day on the Road

We travel another couple of miles along the riverbank, weaving in and out of it, traveling through it and even crossing it a few times to try to make tracking by scent as difficult as we could make it. Along the way Rosa stays alert for even any glimmer of magical presence in hopes of finding her lost bracelet but alas it was nowhere to be found. The search was a hopeless one as it was probably now buried somewhere along the silty bottom of the Alentum for some unsuspecting fisherman to snag onto years from now. As it was with Drusilla, unless the person that found it just happened to be a magician and just happened to decide to investigate it deeply enough to reveal its true nature, in all likelihood it would return to being a simple silver bracelet again. In my mind I could picture that future fisherman’s wife receiving the gift, her thumbs running over the faces of Janus, having no clue as to the power of the artifact around her wrist. Eventually Rosa stops looking, her only lament being not at the loss of the magic but at losing that memento that was connected to so many of our experiences over the previous months.

Further downstream the river narrows and gets rapid to the point where Collywaddle was understandably uncomfortable walking in its current so we break from the bank and head inland far enough so we could not be spotted from the opposite side. We also keep conversation to a minimum. That hound presumably had had eyes and ears as well as a nose after all. We push through the wild brush until coming out into a field of lentils. A curious field hand does spot us on the way to the road but a friendly wave sufficed to have him go back to his work as it was obvious we were not here to harm or make off with the crop. Our travel gets even easier as we step onto the road and take the hard left turn south. Looking to the sky I see Sol still far closer to the horizon than his zenith. We were already making good time and still had the majority of the day ahead of us.

It was only after we pass over the bridge to leave the Alentum behind us for good, thus far without a sign of the unnerving silence in the natural world, that we relax enough to really talk. I explain to Rosa and Colly the idea Cassie and I had come up with the night before and, as expected, they were happy to follow my lead. We pass a group of field workers headed in the opposite direction, two of which I recognized which reminded me just how close to my childhood home we still were. Some greetings are exchanged, but also some lingering looks and it wasn’t due to familiarity. The unique makeup of our party combined with this huge damned sword dangling across my back were going to be turning heads every step of the way. In the heart of the empire the citizenry was expected to remain declawed until the powers that be summoned us for some war or another.

“The sword has to go.” I mutter and bring our steed to a stop. Unshouldering the baldric and weapon I wrap it canvas then secure it back onto Catalus so it ran beneath two of the packs. If needed I could be wielding it inside of a minute. I would have felt more comfortable with it on my person but the looks I got from those farmers reminded me that in this settled land the bigger threat were from people more than magical monstrosities.

We were off again and not long after that we were crossing the road that would take me back home again. I pause only briefly for one last look to the past before returning my focus to the future. Both literally and figuratively we were feeling far lighter now compared to when we left the old farm. With Catalus now bearing our loads, and holding up well thus far, we were more nimble, swifter and the travel would be far less taxing on our stamina.

“Another couple of miles and I’ll be into unfamiliar roads.” I say as we stride at a brisk pace down the packed earth road. “But I think I can find the way to Buxentum easily enough. Probably a three day travel normally.” I pause, looking around to the others. “But I think we can make it in two if we push.”

All attention falls onto Rosa, who says boldly. “Then we push.”

“If you feel anything wrong, anything at all…”

“Then I will have my man put me upon our puppy until I feel right again.” She scratches Catalus’ side. “I’m pregnant, my love. I’m not mute. I’ll let you know if something is wrong.”

Cassie and I shoot each other a smile. I look to Rosa and say. “Of course, my Lady.”

Taking the winding road south through the fields, villages and forested hills we parallel the coast which I knew was only a half day’s travel to the southwest, though we never actually catch sight of the Mare Nostrum. The sun bathed us in that lovely autumn warmth that reached right down to your bones without baking the flesh, and when things did get too hot a fresh coastal breeze out of the west would sooth us. The faces we met were friendly, the road smooth and wide, and along the way there was no trouble stopping for a drink from a well. Nourishment is even provided for free as in one of the villages a local identifies us as the Wingslayer and his band of adventurers. While we swear up and down that we were nothing like that heroic party we nevertheless accept the food that is thrust into your hands by adoring locals. After leaving that community I pause to hide the shape of my sword even more. And a good thing too as we meet a half a dozen mounted soldiers not three miles later. Thankfully they pass by with nary a glance toward Colly or Rosa’s hooded form.

The day passed so pleasantly that it was easy to forget that we were being hunted. If we even were anymore. There are no silences, no mysterious shadows and Danae raises no alerts during her wanderings away from the party. Had we lost it? Was it just further back but still on our trail? Had it disappeared in a puff of moonlight? We had no way to know.

With things going our way we push well into the evening, cycling Rosa on and off of Catalus’ back as necessary and with the groaning Colly piggy-backed on me for the last couple miles.

“Maybe here?” Cassie says with a nod toward a nearby villa, her weary eyes telling me that she wasn’t going to make it to the next village though she was too proud to say it out loud.

“I’ll talk to them.” I give her a nod.

A few words are exchanged with the master of the villa, along with a coin of thanks, and we are given permission to stay in one of the empty **** quarters.

“Ohhh, Mathter.” Colly collapses inside the door of our small room. “I didn’t know feet could hurt thith bad.”

I sit down next to her, pulling Rosa onto my lap, and rub her wide head. “You put a legionary to shame today, Colly. I’m proud of ya.”

She slumps into me, already half out as her head hits my arm. “You think we lotht it, Thir?”

“I don’t know, Collywaddle. I just don’t know.” I put my arm around her and pull her to my side. “But we did our best and that’s all that can be expected.”

Without a word Cassie kisses Rosa and I then lays down on my other side, throwing a blanket she’d pulled from one of the packs over the group of us. “Wake me for my watch.” She murmurs before closing her eyes.

In my lap…my Lady was curled up against my body already fast asleep.

The night passes quietly and the next morning it all starts again. We accept some breakfast from the mistress of the estate, check on Catalus, then we were packed up and ready to go by the time the sun had fully risen. From one of the workers I learn that from here we had two options for getting to Buxentum, but the more easterly route took us straight across a field that they’d just slashed and burned a few days previous. Not seeing that as in impediment but an opportunity we cut across the charred land, my hopes being that the acrid smell of ash and cinders could disrupt a hound’s sniffer as well as water.

We set out that day not nearly as light on our feet as the day before, the others’ steps already plodding just a half an hour into our day. Our usual order of marching had been abandoned as we walk as a group with Catalus just behind.

“My thandalth are getting all black and dirty.”

“All our feet are, Colly. It’s not much further to the road.”

“My feet hurt, Thir.”

“I know, Colly.” I say patiently, holding her hand as we walked. “Just think, once we’re on a boat we’ll just be sitting there for hours on end. You’ll be missing being able to stretch your legs.”

“I don’t think I’ll mith thith. Ohhh, I wish we were on that boat now.” She says in a daydream. “I could do with thome thitting for hourth on end.”

“Maybe they’ll use you as the anchor so we don’t have to hear your whining!” Cassie snaps. Colly flinches and shrinks toward my leg. After a few steps Rosa lightly touches Cassie’s arm, who then sighs and says. “Sorry, Colly. I’m tired too.”

“That’th okay.” Colly says. “If you get too thore Mathter can piggy-back you.”

This brings a smile to Cassie’s face as she glances up at me and quips. “And let this boy think he can out march me? Pff. That’ll be the day.”

The day’s travel is much like the previous except that the weather is cooler and the pace half of what it was yesterday. Despite our sore feet and the others’ waning endurance we continue steadily south, the sign posts promising us that our destination was getting closer by the step even if it didn’t feel like it. By mid afternoon we come over a rise…to see the grand blue sea spread out to south and west right the horizon! To the southeast was the hilly green shores of Italy that disappeared into the hazy distance. And down below us, between us an the surf, lay the small port town of Buxentum.