Funishment?

We walk on for a time each privately reflecting on our time with Peisandros and Aemelia. There were fascinating to me, absolutely fascinating. So very different from Rosa and I and yet I recognized the deep connection they had. I heard it in Aemelia’s voice. I saw it in Peisandros’ eyes. It shone through everything else during their performance. These two did not fit into the standard Roman roles of possessive jealous husband and doting faithful wife. They were mismatched with society yet a perfect fit for each other. I did not understand what they had, and I cannot say I enjoyed the story or their type of relationship, but that bond they had…that bond I knew.

Well…almost knew. With Peisandros and Aemelia there was love. Real love. Love both ways. With Rosa and I…the love went one way.

I peek over at my little **** walking beside me to see her scanning the hills and tree lines, probably on the lookout for monsters. Despite this she had that new look of cautious confidence about her now, so different than the girl that had followed me out of Rome. Her horns were longer now by about an inch, long enough that I could start to see patterns along the surface. She was showing signs of our long days on the road, her hair a bit frizzy now from not getting a proper bath and her simple hastily made clothes showing wear, but to my eyes she was as beautiful as a woman could get and only growing more so with each passing day. With all we’d been through I felt I knew her as well as my own parents. Yet she was still such a mystery.

She respected me. She adored me. She needed me. Why didn’t she love me? What was wrong with me? What must I do to earn her love?

Rosa catches me looking at her and smiles back at me, making me fall in love with her just that little bit more. “That was unexpected.” She says.

“Sure was.”

“We’re everywhere.” She glances back behind us. “Even out here. That’s comforting. I wasn’t sure what it would be like in the country.” She looks back up to me. “Did you have fun?”

“It was an experience.” I say. “Yeah, some of it was fun.”

“Did you and Aemelia have a good talk?”

“As much as we could with the time we had. She gave me advice and stuff.”

“Good.”

“If Peisandros was serious about doing some business that could be huge for us Rosa. We’ll be starting from nothing out here.”

“Peisandros is a serious man. He wouldn’t have brought it up frivolously.” She says. “He’ll want you to succeed. He quite likes you.”

Up ahead we see a shepherd guiding his flock across the road and we slow to give them time.

“Do you…think that story was true?” I ask. “That Aemelia told.”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Rosa giggles. “She certainly told it with conviction. Although…wow. I don’t know. Her Sir enjoyed it though.”

“She enjoyed telling it.”

“Yes. Many boys and girls enjoy humiliation. It is quite common. What we have is far more rare actually.”

I felt a bit special hearing that. We walk a bit further watching the bobbing fluffy sheep trundle down the slope and across the road from right to left.

“I’m going to be punished?”

“Yes.” Rosa says. “Only for the disobedience, nothing else.”

“Thank you my Lady.”

“This one may be more funishment though.” Her eyes focus off into the distance. “I want to do it soon. My options are limited out here but I would like a fresh start between us when we finally get home. No outstanding punishments or the like. A clean slate for our new home. Out here I can’t be tying you up or doing anything too involved either.”

“Funishment?” I smirk. “I like the sound of that.”

She gives me a sidelong look. “Don’t get used to it boy.” She tries to say in her stern Lady voice even as she hides a chuckle. She then sighs. “I’m going to end up spoiling you rotten, aren’t I? I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a lifelong Lady to just one boy.”

“I think we’ll manage.” I say happily. “But I appreciate the discipline either way so…thank you.”

She looks up at me. “You’re welcome my boy.”

I wave to the shepherd who was within earshot now. Raising my voice above the rustling the bleating I say. “Hail. Any word on the road ahead?”

He waves back without stopping. “No word, neither good nor bad.”

“Good day.”

“And to you.”

Rosa and I stop as the final stragglers make their way down the hill. I look to the sky. Partially cloudy with no clear signs of foul weather. I look out over the sprawling landscape, farms and grazing lands to the North transitioning to forests and imposing high mountains to the South.

“We could still take the longer route. We could stop into Potentia for supplies or what not.”

“With what money?”

“Good point.” I say. “At this point either route has risks anyway I suppose.”

“Might as well get it done quicker then.” Rosa completes my thought. She was putting on a brave face but I could still hear the fear in her.

“We will be passing through some forests. Silvanus won’t forget you Rosa. He likes you. He’ll watch out for us.” My eyes drift back to the rural agricultural landscape behind us. “Just as Ceres has been watching over me. We just need to be smart and keep our wits about us.”

With that I pull my dagger from the pack and attach the sheath to my belt. I didn’t like to wear it openly, I was no military man and hadn’t earned the right to wear such a weapon, but right now practicality took precedence. As we walk both Rosa and I eventually find stout walking sticks to carry with us. We may be two small people in a big dangerous world but we would fight with all we had to defend each other if it came to it.

We push ourselves up the hills and through the valleys a bit longer to try to make up for the time spent at Peisandros’ villa. By the end of that day we were breathing heavily as the altitude of the road continued to rise. The villas and pastures were sporadic now. The traffic along the road less frequent. Tufts of grass sprouted through the cracked road down the center where chariot and wagon wheels did not keep it in check. The next day and half would be the most rugged, most wild, most dangerous, and most challenging portion of our trip. Particularly once we made the turn down the shortcut to Grumentum.

We are about an hour from losing light and traveling through a wooded area when we come across a sturdy wooden bridge spanning a deep crevice with a narrow stream at the rocky bottom. I recognized the place from a description given to me by the helpful farmer I’d spoke with that morning.

I look down over the side. “Perfect. The water is low.” Pointing West I say. “There is a set of stairs carved into the rock over this way. It will take us down to that water.”

“Oh?”

“I was told there are caves down there. Good for camping.”

“Caves?” I could hear the wariness in her voice.

“Nothing should be in them. I guess this stream floods the whole bed every time it rains.” I say. “That said, we need to be careful with that.” I look to the sky. There were clouds but not the threatening kind. “I don’t think that’ll be an issue though.”

“A cave.” Rosa sighs. “Better than nothing I suppose.”

I take her hand. “We’ll have a roof and walls soon. Just one or two more nights if we’re lucky.”

“I know.” She gives my hand a squeeze. “Lead the way Master.”

I follow the man’s directions and find an overgrown trail leading through the bushes and undergrowth. Just as he said we come across a narrow set of stairs leading down into the crevice. The remnants of a previous bridge jut from the earth on either side of the expanse. I take a hard look down and a long listen. I see nothing of concern and only hear the babble of the water the song of birds. I look back at Rosa to see her clutching her walking stick in both hands. It was simultaneously adorable and concerning. Her mother might have been a fierce warrior but my **** didn’t look like she could hurt a fly. She would at best be a distraction if we had to fight anything, though I pray to every god in the pantheon it never comes to that. I still couldn’t believe this sweet thing had actually killed a man. Perhaps I was selling her short.

While narrow and steep the stairs are carved clean into the solid rock and the footing is good. We descend down to the stony bottom. One hand on the pommel of my weapon and the other holding my stick out in front I cautiously step out from the stairs to take a look around. Again, no trouble could be seen. The bed of the crevice was littered with logs and sticks and other detritus washed down during one the stream’s frequent floods. Plenty of material for a fire, had we been building one. It was easy to spot the caves the man spoke of. Along the bottom of the crevice walls were areas worn away by water and wind, some of them pushing up to ten feet into the rock. At least two of them had the blackened remnants of old campfires.

Pointing to a large, deep flat bottomed cave not so far away from the stairs I say. “That one.”

Walking carefully over the rounded rocks we make our way to the cave. I have to bow my head to enter but Rosa walks straight in. She takes a look at the smooth flat floor. “It’ll be hard but it could be so much worse.” She starts to move around the area, tossing the few stray sticks and pebbles that had washed in here out of the cave.

I set down the pack along the side. The first thing I do is go to collect some fresh water. I then pull out the little bit of food we had left from this morning.

“Nope.” Rosa says.

“Huh? You don’t want to eat?”

“We don’t have much light left and I want to get this done.”

I cannot help but grin. “My funishment?”

“Spoiled boy.” She scoffs. “I oughta have you going back up to look for a switch for a proper spanking.”

“Ooooo!” I grab my bum. I remembered well what that felt like from childhood.

She giggles. “Don’t worry ya big softie.” Reaching into her pocket she pulls out the bracelet. With impressive ease she separates the rings and tosses one of them to me. “Here. Stick that down your pants.”

“Huh!?”

“Don’t you dally now or I will have you looking for that switch.” She says sternly. “Now, stick it down your pants boy.”