I

70AD

Somewhere in the distance a rooster had begun to crow and the air smelt of warm sunlight as Lazarus stepped out of his hut, stretching his arms wide and lifting his face towards the sun.

"Mornin' Lazarus!"

Looking back at the sound of his name, Lazarus saw Paulinus, with his satin hat tilted forward on his head as he pushed his wooden cart, carrying fabrics from all of Rome, over the cobbles towards the market.

"Morning," Lazarus smiled back as he watched Paulinus carry on down the street with the other merchants.

Seating himself upon an upturned bucket outside his home, Lazarus began to pull on his sandals and wind the straps up around his calves. Once he had fastened them into place, he simply sat there for a moment and looked around him.

People smiled at him as they passed him and he would smile back enjoying the peace when a pair of warm, smooth hands skimmed over the top of his shoulders from behind.

A small sigh of contentment left his lips as Cardea rested her chin on his shoulder, her fingers cupping his shoulders as her plaited hair tickled his skin.

"Morning husband," Cardea murmured, her finger tracing idle circles on his skin, "You're going to be late if you sit here much longer,"

"Mm," Lazarus complained, "I shall get ready in a minute. Ibicus will be a while yet, but for now-"

Cardea let out a small squeal as Lazarus turned and spun her around, pulling her against him until she was sat on his lap, her arms trapped against his body.

"I just want to spend some time with my wife," Lazarus smiled as he kissed his wife, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Oh, you are a bad man Lazarus," Cardea eyelids fluttered open to reveal sparkling eyes the colour of the most deepest and warmest oak, her plump lips pulled back in a warm smile so he knew she did not mean it.

Lazarus kissed her again.

Cardea placed her hands flat against his chest and rested her forehead against his.

A deep sigh left Lazarus's chest as the real world and their situation began to pound at his head once again, unable to leave him be, "What would happen if we just left?"

Cardea pulled back and stared at her husband. Oh, but if only they could.

"You know that we cannot," Cardea finally replied, "Orlandus would find us-"

"-Not if we were smart," Lazarus clutched at his wife, praying she would change her mind and say yes but he knew, deep down he knew, that they wouldn't make it very far either.

"He would still find us," Cardea ran her fingers down the side of his face, "Besides this is our home now."

Lazarus nodded solemnly about to stand up, "I should get ready for work. Ibicus will be here shortly."

"Mama! Papa!"

Lazarus felt Cardea react instantly when she heard their son's voice. She unwound her arms from her husband and reached them out to Patroclus, who had come tottering out of the hut in search of them.

"Mama," Patroclus cooed as Cardea pulled her son onto her lap, his dark hair stuck up at the back from where he had been sleeping on it.

Lazarus rested a hand against his son's back, keeping him safe, and his breath was stolen from him when he saw that his hand spanned the entire space of Patroclus's back.

It amazed him to think that his son was so small and yet so exuberant and full of life. Only last evening he had tired Lazarus out from chasing him around the hut.

The three of them sat there for a moment; Patroclus playing with Cardea's raven black hair which rested over her shoulder in a single plait whilst Cardea and Lazarus just watched him.

After a few moments Lazarus began to stir from his thoughts, "I should get ready."

Cardea nodded and rose to her feet, holding Patroclus against her as she watched Lazarus stand and disappear inside their hut. His shoulders were slightly stooped under the weight he carried on them.

Lazarus gathered his things without much concentration. He had done it thousands of times before and, unless something happened, he would do it thousands of time again until the day he died.

His thoughts were turning dark when he heard his name being called from outside, but the voice belonged to neither Cardea nor Patroclus.

This person's voice was as sweet as honeysuckle and the moment it landed on his ears it calmed his thoughts instantly.

A smile came to his lips as he heard the young girl ask Cardea in her sing-song voice, "Is Lazarus in?"

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, Lazarus turned and stepped out into the street. His eyes were instantly drawn to the little girl that stood before his wife.

She was barely taller than the long grass that surrounded the city but in some ways she appeared taller to Lazarus than the last time he had seen her the day before. Her skin was pale as marble and her hair, the same lustrous brown as her mothers, ran in soft ringlets down her back.

He could tell that she had been running. He saw her chest rising and falling rapidly and colour had risen to her cheeks.

She still had not noticed him in the doorway.

"Greetings Krista," Lazarus smiled.

"Lazarus!" Krista shouted in joy as she darted past Cardea and ran to him, her arms wrapping around his waist in delight.

Lazarus laughed softly at the way she barrelled into him, almost knocking him to the ground, which only confirmed his thoughts about how much she had grown. He could remember when she barely reached his knee, but it warmed his heart nevertheless.

Cardea was smiling as she watched them.

"Where are your parents, Krista?" Lazarus asked.

"Father is back there with mother and Tiberius," Krista untangled herself and pointed down the street behind her, "I could not wait, Lazarus. Papa said that you can train with me again tonight. Can we Lazarus, can we?"

Lazarus's eyebrows rose higher the more she continued to speak. He wondered how she had any energy left from all the running.

"Ahh," Ibicus wave as they finally drew near the hut, "I see that Krista has found you."

Lazarus began to wave back when he felt something tug on the bottom of his shirt.

"Lazarus," Krista groaned, she did not appreciate being ignored.

"Yes, Krista," He laughed at her impatience, "We can train tonight."

Krista's little face erupted instantly; her lips spread into a wide smile that exposed two rows of straight white teeth, her eyes sparkled with joy and her feet seemed unable to stand still as she bounced up and down.

A small squeal left her lips, her entire body overcome with that certain unbridled happiness that only children seemed to know.

"Mama, did you hear that?" Krista hurried over to her mother, a beautiful woman wearing lavender coloured robes with her chestnut hair pinned back atop her head.

"Yes honey, that's very nice of him," Flora replied in a clipped tone as she reached out and smoothed Krista's hair back from her face, her other hand clasping her son, Tiberius's, hand beside her.

Gazing down at her daughter, Flora wondered for the hundredth time why she liked playing with swords. When she was younger Flora had not seen the harm in it, thinking that it was something she would soon grow out of, but she only seemed to become more obsessed.

Lazarus understood Flora's reservations, "You must be good for your mother for the rest of the day though, Krista," He pointed a finger at her.

Krista made a face as if to say that she was always good but she realised that saying it might not be too good at all, so she nodded her head instead.

"If you're not, I will know," Lazarus winked before he turned and kissed Cardea on the cheek, "I shall see you this evening." He cupped his son's chin and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Cardea smiled at him and he gazed into those eyes for a moment longer. He could quite easily not go to work and stay there with his family for the day.

"Lazarus," Ibicus called back in humour, "We will be late!"

Lazarus walked backwards a few steps, trying to keep them in his sight for as long as possible, before he turned and caught up with Ibicus and his family. Krista skipped beside him the entire way.

* * *

Later that evening as the torches in the streets had begun to be lit, Krista and Lazarus walked side by side.

"Where are we going Lazarus?" Krista asked as she focused on the sword in her hand.

Made from wood, Krista tried to flip it over in her hand so that the blade was pointing in the opposite direction but she only succeeded in dropping it to the floor for the tenth time.

Lazarus smiled as he heard her drop the sword, "Cardea has taken Patroclus to visit her sister so there is no need for us to journey to the fields this evening."

Stopping to pick up the wooden sword, Krista looked ahead of them and paused, "Lazarus?"

"Yes, Krista?" Lazarus turned to look at her, wondering why she had not yet caught up, and found her pointing at something in the street ahead of them.

"Who's that?" Krista asked as she slowly walked back to his side, the sword dragging along the ground behind her, and never taking her eyes off the man in front of them.

Lazarus looked to where she was pointing and froze for a moment.

A man of great importance was stood outside of Lazarus's hut, his hands clasped in front of him and his eyes eager as he awaited his return.

Two guards flanked him on either side, the torchlight reflecting off their sword blades, but they did not appear too threatening in their plain togas and blunt faces. They were just there to keep the peace.

"Stay close to me Krista," Lazarus told her and only when she was stood by his side once more did he continue forward.

"Aah, Lazarus," The man stretched his arms out wide in greeting, his lips spreading in a tight smile.

"Orlandus," Lazarus nodded and stopped a few feet from his master; an older gentleman whose dark hair was turning more grey by the day and whose stomach was stretching the confines of his robes.

The man looked down at the wooden swords in their hands, "I do hope you are not intending to rise up against me,"

The old man laughed boisterously, looking to his guards for their agreement that he was a humorous master and the two guards joined in the laughter.

Krista stared up at Lazarus in confusion but he simply placed a hand upon her shoulder.

"Of course not, master," Lazarus smiled pleasantly, "My friend here has taken a liking to sword play, that is all, and I offered to teach her."

"Teach her?" Orlandus and his men laughed once again, "What could you possibly teach her? A slave!"

Lazarus looked away, knowing that it was not a question that Orlandus wanted answering.

"Now girl," Orlandus bent over at the waist to look Krista in the eye, "Do you not think you should be at home helping your mother?"

Orlandus's voice was patronising.

"No," Krista shook her head, "I do not."

Her mother was constantly banishing her from the kitchen at home, telling her that she only knew how to make a mess, which was true. Krista had never been good at cooking.

Orlandus stood back up sharply, his eyes narrowed at Krista whilst the corner of Lazarus's lips twitched.

"Well," Orlandus tugged at his gold belt, "I can see she has spirit." He glared back at Krista.

Lazarus looked down at Krista and saw her staring up at him with those sparkling big eyes.

"I came here to tell you Lazarus that your taxes this month were less than what was expected," Orlandus's voice turned monotone.

Lazarus now bowed his head away from Krista in shame.

"You have until the end of the week to pay the remainder," Orlandus gave him a curt nod, "That is all."

Lazarus kept his head bowed until they had passed.

"What was that about?" Krista asked, staring after the man who had just been speaking with Lazarus. She had seen him before at the market but never spoke to him.

"It was nothing, Krista," Lazarus walked the last few steps up to his hut and lay his bag down by the door so that he was only carrying his sword.

Krista watched the two guards disappear around the corner when she felt something tap the back of her ankle.

Looking down too late, Krista watched her foot get pulled out from beneath her by the tip of a wooden sword.

"Ow!" She complained, more out of annoyance than pain, as she fell on her rear.

"What have I told you about paying attention?" Lazarus chuckled as he stood above her, his fists resting on his hips.

"You cheated," Krista glared at him as she got to her feet and dusted herself off, "I was not ready yet."

"Your opponent will not wait until you are ready," Lazarus reminded her as he dropped his arms and raised the tip of his sword.

Krista raised hers similarly.

Lazarus just laughed at the small frown on her face before he took an inventory of her stance.

"Feet further apart," Lazarus instructed her.

Krista let out a small sigh but she did as she was told, shuffling her feet a little wider.

"Good. Shoulder's back," Lazarus pushed his own shoulders back in demonstration, "Make sure your grip is tight-"

Krista tightened her fists around the hilt.

"-But not too tight."

Krista narrowed her eyes at him, breathing through her nose in frustration.

"And knees slightly bent." Lazarus added.

Krista looked down at her knees, "They are already bent!"

Lazarus knew they were already bent but now it gave him the perfect opportunity to swing his blade up so that it rested softly against the side of her neck.

Krista stilled and raised her head slowly, knowing that she had fallen for yet another of his tricks.

Lazarus pointed a finger at her, "Keep your eyes on your opponent at all times, that's how you know where they're going to attack next."

"Now," Lazarus stepped back and put a few spaces between them, "Show me what you remember."