The Young Gladiatrix

Silence

It had been several weeks since Ash's encounter with Tremalthios. She'd silenced, and only spoke when spoken to. As she emerged from her room, she remained silent once more. Disregarding the table of food with a small cringe. She merely made her way over to the fireplace and sat down infront of it. Watching the flames. She was very sick at this point. Medics had said that her health should be priority within the arena now. No fights. No training. Just rest. But the more she rested, the more she seemed to distance herself from everyone else. And to make matters worse, everyone had distanced themselves from her too. The only one that remained close was Niero.  He grew more and more concerned for his sisters' condition. She slept a lot, limped around, and always seemed to be in pain.

He watched her. Her arms wrapped around her stomach as she sat hunched over by the fireplace. The wound on her back had healed, a pink scar remaining. Her hair had grown back again after Decimus had cut it. Ash still had Mischief, her horse, to take care of. And she did so daily when Decimus fetched her. Even he was treating her a lot better now. She was silent around him too. If he spoke, she replied. But only if she had to. Otherwise, she remained silent. Maybe Decimus did show some signs of concern for her. But he couldn't show it around the elders. His main concern wasn't the silence. It was the refusal to eat. She'd become picky with her food. Saying everything made her feel sick. Or didn't taste or smell right. It was all concerning really. But it was hard to break someone out of what they believed. And Decimus knew it all too well.
Niero was snapped from his thoughts as Maximus walked to him. "Niero, come on. We have to go training. She'll be ok" he murmured, glancing to Ash who was still by the fireplace. Not moving. Niero nodded to Maximus, casting one look back to his sister. "This place.... It's destroyed her. I don't know what would be better for her at this moment. Death. Or freedom" he murmured to the gladiator at his side. "I would say death, my friend. Out there she will suffer just as she has in here. The Borgia will continue to pursue her. Even as she sleeps under their control now, she will be under it in freedom aswell. For freedom is never truly free whilst we walk this Earth"

As the pair departed for training, Ash shifted her eyes to see the door close. A tear rolling down her cheek. Their conversation hadn't been all that quiet. She'd heard them speaking of what would be better for her. She knew death would be easier and would grant her true freedom. But what would she leave behind? Dmitri. Griffin. Fyre. Ezio. Her friends. Her boyfriend. It would be selfish of her to take herself from physical presence on the Earth. Life was painful. Each day was a challenge. But would it really warrant taking her own life?
She looked back to the fireplace. Silent as she thought of ways she could escape this place. She was sat alone in the barracks now. The silence gave way to nothing but the crackle of the fireplace. "Is this what I am to do forever? Sit and wait for death to take me. I must away. I must escape. Even if it takes days. Weeks. I must escape" she whispered angrily to herself, wiping her eyes. It was something she had to do. Before the arena did it for her.