The Baby and the Battlefield

Chapter Sixty-Two: On the Topics of Vitus and Aurelia

They left as soon as it had fallen dark. Petro, now reunited with his horse, rode back towards the border. Marcus, the Florae, Mulberry, and the baby went in the opposite direction, downriver, towards the capital. Mulberry could see that Marcus was doubtful about this decision, but Salix insisted that when they reached the capital, they would find safety among the members of her order. They travelled at night and hid during the day, the baby crying constantly in the cold dark of the evening. Still, that was better than to have her crying during the day, when they huddled in bracken or under the low branches of young pine trees, trying to stay dry and out of the rain. Occasionally, they spent the night in a disreputable, ramshackle, but warm, inn. It was at one such inn that Marcus and Mulberry sat by the fire, talking softly while Aurelia slept on Mulberry's lap. The Florae had disappeared, up to bed, perhaps, and Mulberry was surprised by how comfortable she felt with Marcus. They had somehow fallen back into their old routines, as if the awkward marriage proposal had never happened. Mulberry was glad, and Marcus seemed almost happy, sitting with her and with the baby. As they talked, Tsuga rejoined them, her face serious in the flickering firelight of the taproom.

“Salix – Senior Salix is upstairs, crying,” Tsuga said, “Because of this. The pigeon brought it. I'm not – I'm not sure what to do.”

Tsuga held a small, well-folded scrap of papyrus in her hand, the seal nearly melted beyond recognition. Without looking at Marcus, her eyes on the floor, she thrust the scrap of paper into his hand, then sat down on one of the tap benches, hard. Marcus fingered the warm, well-worn paper. The wax seal was the same temperature as his fingers, and slightly gummy. He looked at it, thoughtful, and realised with some shock that it bore the imperial sigil - the dragon, the sword, and the rose.

Marcus took the paper thoughtfully, turning it over in his hands. He noted the heavy cream paper. He took in the formal seal. This letter looked to Marcus like the letter his commander had presented him with only a few days after he had found Aurelia and met Mulberry. It looked like the letter that had announce Gaius' death. Marcus frowned, and, holding his breath, opened the letter.

He scanned it quickly, asking, "Do you know of anyone named 'Vitus', Mul?"

Mulberry shook her head, but then paused. "I don't know him, but isn't that what Salix calls her fiancé? Vitus?"

Marcus sighed. "No wonder she's upset. He's missing. Probably dead."

                                                                                        ~*~

At midnight, when Aurelia was fast asleep and Tsuga had gone back upstairs to console Salix, Marcus and Mulberry still sat together by the fire.

"So. He's – was? – her fiancé?" Marcus asked, breaking what had been a long silence.

"Yes," Mulberry nodded. "I'm sure you've heard her speak of him."

"She seemed really fond of him," Marcus agreed. His heart ached a little to think of it. Ever since Mulberry had refused his awkward proposal, he had reflected on how much he himself was fond of Mulberry. It had hurt when she had been avoiding him. He knew for certain that it would have been nice to have Mulberry talk about him the way Salix had talked about the fiancé she had just lost. Marcus poked a stick into the fire, stirring it around awkwardly. That poor girl.

"What exactly happened?" Mulberry asked, shocking Marcus from his reverie.

"He disappeared. From that letter, it actually - it actually sounds like he was murdered. Or assassinated. Someone lured him out into the countryside and he disappeared. They've found no sign of him, but there's a deep gorge nearby. The letter made it sound like they're pretty sure he's dead. And the letter says that he was going out to meet his fiancée."