Chapter 34

"They have returned, Commander." A soldier informed Octavia dutifully, his gaze not meeting hers, "They await your presence inside the gate."

"Excellent," Octavia placed her cup on top of the stack of papers to keep them from blowing away, before she marched out of her tent and hurried for the entrance.

Her eagerness to witness such a thing as this unsettled the guard, but he did his duty and said nothing.

The wind had begun to pick up in the last few days, she hoped it would settle soon but she knew Gaulish weather was fairly unpredictable.

Approaching the gate, Octavia saw that Polonius and Hadrian had already arrived; their backs were to her, preventing her view of the children.

The soldier in front of Polonius saw her first and stood to attention.

Hadrian and Polonius glanced over their shoulders when they saw the guard's sudden reaction.

They stepped aside and let her pass, until she stopped just in between them.

Octavia looked down at the three little creatures; one girl and two boys, closely. She had never understood the need for offspring.

Fumbling, stupid creatures that would not survive on their own; in the wild, new borns were taught to walk the very same day, if they didn't, they died.

Octavia understood survival.

The girl, whose name Octavia knew as Cassia, was holding the younger boys hands, her eyes looking down in fear. Octavia saw that she had not inherited her mother's feistiness quite yet, but give her time.

Octavia turned to the lead soldier, "You are late."

His jaw flexed for a moment, "I was expecting an ambush from Krista-"

Cassia lifted her head at the mention of her mother's name.

"-so we diverted around, but still no attack arrived, it was puzzling. Is she still there?"

Octavia nodded, "She is but, hopefully, not for much longer."

She looked down at Cassia and saw that the girl had lifted her head now, her eyes opened wide.

"Mama," The youngest child suddenly whimpered into Cassia's side, his chubby hands clutching at her clothes, holding her close.

Cassia's eyes began to fill with tears as she gazed up at the people surrounding her, their faces looking down on her.

Zeph huddled into her side as Ahern tried his best to keep his back straight, but there was nothing she could do for any of them.

She had never seen this land before. They had been snatched from their beds and Cassia could only imagine what Fauna must be going through, thinking she had lost children placed into her care.

Cassia just wanted to go home.

"Octavia," Polonius drew her attention, "A word, please?"

Octavia ordered the solider, "Take them to my tent and guard them."

"Commander," The infantryman ordered his men to move out, tapping the girl in the back with his hand, telling her to start walking.

When they were a safe distance away, Polonius questioned Octavia, "What are you doing? They are only children!"

"And this is war!" Octavia reminded him, "If you do not like my methods, then please, return to Rome."

Polonius stared Octavia in the eye for a long moment, waiting to see if any spark of regret or a resemblance of emotion came to life but all he saw was an empty marble expression.

After a minute, he spoke, "You shall regret this decision."

She bristled to think that he was threatening her but there was nothing this old man could do, she was the Commander of Rome's mighty Legions, a true daughter of Mars.

She was unaware of the letter he had already sent to the Emperor; a letter that will have devastating consequences for Rome's Commander.

"Be careful, Octavia," Polonius did not salute her as he turned away, "You are mixing with fire."

Octavia watched him leave, her eyes narrowed on his back.

"What exactly is the plan?" Hadrian voiced his concern also, "Except for using those children as bait, of course."

Octavia rattled off her plan, "As well as being a Gladiatrix, Krista is a mother. She gave up fighting for motherhood. And like any mother, she would put the protection of her children above the outcome of a battle any day." Octavia told him, "Krista will come to us and, without Krista, the Gauls will fall."

"They will still have Argyle to lead them. He has been leading them since before Krista and the others arrived." Hadrian stated.

"Argyle does not know Roman strategy like Krista does. Without her knowledge, their little rebellion will be over within a week," Octavia smiled at Hadrian, "It may just be the shortest war Rome has ever fought."

"And when you get Krista and the others? What shall we do with the children? They'll be orphans."

Octavia looked back towards her tent where the image of Cassia, Zeph and Ahern disappeared around the corner, "Kill them."

Hadrian blanked, "Pardon?"

"Execute them. We cannot allow them to leave and become future 'Krista's' and 'Artorius's', besides it shall also send a message to future rebellions."

Octavia began to walk away when Hadrian called after her, "What message?"

Octavia stopped and looked back at him, "That freedom is an illusion, and the Romans do not bow to anybody."

Hadrian looked up at the sky, wondering if his freedom was an illusion.

"Hadrian," Octavia snapped.

"Hmm?"

"Prepare your men. The battle shall soon be upon us."

* * *

". . . Under the cover of darkness . . ."

". . . Ride in on horses . . ."

". . . Attack the camp all at once. . ."

". . . Cannonballs . . ."

". . . No! They could be killed . . ."

Lazarus sat at the back of the room, perched atop an empty barrel, and ran a hand across his tired face.

The voices of those around him had become nothing more than a cloud of voices travelling over the top of his head.

He was certain that his presence there had been forgotten after the first five suggestions he had made, but he did not care.

They had learnt, upon Frieda and Leonidas's arrival, that his siblings had been captured and brought to Gallia.

As is her way, Frieda wanted to attack immediately.

Secretly, everybody felt the same. They did not like seeing their loved ones in harm's way, but they had to think of a plan.

If they went charging in then even more innocent people could be harmed and, if Leonidas was correct, then neither Cassia, Ahern nor Zeph had been harmed; they were too important to Octavia.

Lazarus just did not know for how much longer.

He looked beside him to where Marcia stood, leaning against the wall of the tavern, and rubbing at her palm nervously.

Lazarus said nothing, allowing her her privacy as further ideas were rattled off into the air around them.

However, with everybody speaking at once, and the urgency in their actions, they had still not agreed on what to do three hours later.

Time was beginning to run out, as was people's patience.

Lazarus turned to speak to Marcia, when he spotted someone slicking in the tavern doorway.

It was Varinius.

Lazarus lifted a hand and motioned him across to them, avoiding the pack at the front.

"Hey," Varinius slid up to them, his body now covered in leather trousers torn off at the knees and a shirt, left open to expose his chest, "What is going on? Whispers are beginning to spread. Are we going to battle soon?"

Neither Marcia nor Lazarus shared his joy for the prospect of war like they would have had previously.

Varinius drew his eyebrows together in confusion, "What is happening?"

Marcia dropped her hand and looked him in the eye, "Octavia has my brother, and Lazarus's sister and brother. Our parents are trying to come up with a plan to save them before the mina battle."

Varinius looked apologetic but he did not know their families, he had no reason to feel the full extent of their pain.

"So, what, are we just sitting here and waiting whilst your brothers and sister and are over there with the enemy right now?"

Marcia and Lazarus looked at each other for a moment before looking back at his parents.

Varinius was right; they couldn't be sure that Octavia wasn't hurting them.

Octavia needed Marcia and she still tortured her.

His family might be getting hurt and they were just sitting there!

"No," Lazarus slid off the barrel, "No more waiting."

Marcia nodded her head and stood taller, her eyes sparking to life with passion once again, "Let's get our siblings back."

"Yes," Varinius clamped his hands on their shoulders, "I shall come with you."

They could use all the help they could get, "Meet us at the main gate in one hour."

* * *

Lazarus and Marcia never made it to the gate.

Frieda and Diomed found Marcia in her room, preparing for battle.

She looked fierce, Frieda thought when she saw her.

Diomed thought he was hallucinating for a moment; after all, she looked just like her mother.

Marcia's blonde hair had been braided on either side of her temple before it merged into one single braid that fell between her shoulder blades.

A brass breastplate had been secured to her torso over the tunic which reached just above her knees, and a leather archer's wristband seemed to be almost moulded to her right forearm, the small tie secured to her middle finger.

A sheath had been strapped to her waist, her sword on one hip and her quiver on the other.

The bow was resting on the bed behind her.

As Marcia turned and saw them in the doorway, it felt as if the fire that had been burning in her eyes seared straight through them.

"No," Marcia spoke first, seeing the look in their eyes, "I am going."

Diomed smiled sadly as he remembered the young girl he would play sword fights with in the field by their house.

He never imagined she would grow up so fast, but he would give his life to make sure that she, and her brother, kept on growing.

Their lives were too precious and too short just yet, to lose them.

Diomed stepped forward, "I know that you want to fight, and I know how strong you are," Diomed raised his hand and rested it against her cheek.

"I don't want to fight to prove how strong I am," Marcia told him, "I want to do the right thing, like you did with Krista and everyone else in all those stories you told us when we were growing up."

"Those stories were all well and good," Frieda smiled at her softly, "But they came at a price, every time."

"But . . ." Marcia turned to her mother but Frieda simply strode forward and wrapped her arms around Marcia's shoulders, holding her close.

"You are one price that I am not willing to pay," Frieda kissed her temple before she stepped back and simply gazed at her daughter's face, "Not now, not ever."

"I know," Marcia whispered, "I feel the same about you two."

At one point, Frieda could never have imagined loving Diomed, let alone having a family together but here they were, decades later, and she was looking into the eyes of her younger self.

Frieda had to keep her safe.

Diomed tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I am so proud of you, my daughter."

Marcia's throat began to close up with emotion.

"I just want you to know that before we leave," Diomed smiled.

Marcia looked between her parents, her lips parting slightly in shock, "Leave?"

"We came up with a plan just after you and Lazarus left," Frieda smiled, subliminally letting her daughter know that she knew everything.

"But do not worry, there is something we need you and Lazarus to do for us." Diomed reassured her.

"What is it?" Marcia whispered.

"Krista is telling Lazarus now . . ."

"You want me to ride away!?" Lazarus shouted as Krista and Artorius pulled him to a halt in by the stables.

"Lazarus," Artorius warned him softly.

"No, I want to come with you. I want to fight."

"And I want you to live." Krista told him abruptly and as Lazarus looked into her eyes he saw the amount of emotion that she was trying to keep in check.

He kicked the ground and looked down in shame.

"That mad woman already has two of my children, and my nephew, I am not about to give her you as well." Artorius reached out and cupped his shoulder, "We will get the other's back, but we need you and Marcia to take them away from here."

Lazarus looked into their eyes and saw something lurking in the depths of them, something that neither of his parents wanted to say aloud.

"Why can we not all leave together after the battle?"

Krista licked her lips, "We do not know how long the battle will last, you need to take your brother and sister away from here."

Lazarus made a small mumbling noise.

"Hey," Krista caught his gaze, "There is no one else I would trust them with. You are a skilled fighter."

"I am?" Lazarus frowned, "But you said . . ."

"I know what I said," Krista sighed.

Artorius chuckled, "Your mother hates to admit it when she's wrong, have you noticed that?"

Krista glared at her husband.

"I did not tell you because I thought if I did, it would only encourage you. But I see now that no matter what I say you will continue along this path whether I want you to or not, and that's a good thing."

Lazarus stared at her in enlightenment, as if she held all the answers to the universe, like any child thought of their parents, "It is?"

"Yes," Krista told him earnestly, "It takes courage and bravery to follow your path, even more so when everyone else is telling you not to."

"Like you are now?" Lazarus stated.

Artorius sighed softly, "We're not telling you to stop, just to pick your battles, and to know that there will be some you cannot win."

Lazarus looked at his parents, "Did you lose any battles?"

Krista and Artorius looked at each other and remembered the numerous times they had battled in the arena, against the Romans . . . they had lost too many to remember, but it was the ones they had won that mattered.

Krista told him this, "Now please, for once, just do what your mother asks?"

Lazarus sighed and nodded his head, "Okay."

"Gratitude," Krista hugged him, having to stand up on her tip toes slightly in order to rest her chin on his shoulder.

"We may not say it a lot son," Artorius hugged his first born, "But we're proud of you, and we love you."

Lazarus hugged his father back, unable to remember the last time they had expressed so much emotion.

He guessed war brought a lot out in people.

"Now," Artorius pulled back, "Let's get your brother and sister back."