Verania

I take the first turn with Verania. We then go to rest, letting Torix and Aleka take our places and patrol at some distance of us. The night is quite cold, but we have thought dangerous to make a fire, fearing that we would signal ourselves to the barbarians. The farmer woman and I lie down together under my cloak.
"Did I thank you for having saved us?" Verania says.
"I think I remember you did."
"Maybe I didn't thank you enough."
Her hand slips under my corselet that I have unbuckled to sleep, then under my shirt, caresses my torso. Her lips put themselves on mine, and we kiss each other a long time. I rid her of her tunic. This afternoon I've seen her wholly naked in the hands of the barbarians, but I didn't take the time to really look at her. Now, in this dark night and under the cloak, her body is almost completely invisible to me, and it is with my hands that I discover it. She is some years older than me, robust and still well shaped, her breasts a little too heavy but round and firm under my hands and mouth.
"Be sweet," she whispers, "my lower belly still aches."
I put my lips between her breasts, on her belly, on her pubis, wanting to honour every part of this body which was soiled by the barbarians. She moans when I reach her crack and penetrate it with my tongue, working at length on her little button.
"Now, please," she begs. "I'm ready."
I lie down on her and penetrate her, moving softly, her arms and thighs around me, till I explode in her and she muffles her scream against my mouth.
"I've been a widow for years, and, except the barbarians who took me by force, I didn't have any man since" she confesses, lying in my arms. "I realize now that I was missing it."
We wake up in the morning, hearing the youngsters who come back to the camp. Seeing us cuddled in each other's arms, Aleka adresses a wink and a smile to me. It is time to continue our journey, and the same day we reach Tarraco. While Verania and her children try to find a place to stay, I hurry to the governor's palace to have the last news.