The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 4

        "That speaks more to the skill of your man than any influence on the part of your lady," Verus said quickly.

        "There was an owl, when we were catching up," Ixillius nearly whispered. "That flew out of the forest and settled by her kite on a branch when we were stopped to trade."

        "How terrible," Verus chided.

        "When she called the kite to hand, the owl followed and roosted on her arm, taking meat from her hand as a pet. She said there was some leg-band of leather which means the owl was tame, but..." Ixillius shrugged. "Two families saw, also. The father we agreed to trade with, he took no payment for his grains. A virgin daughter of the other family gave Alex tribute."

        Verus remained silent for a time, watching his friend.

        "Fetch my private correspondences, and bring the satchel from beside the crate they're in," he finally said. "There's a recent letter from my eldest brother I want you to read part of, and you need to know a few things that I'm running out of time to tell you."

        Ixillius did as he was told and retrieved the letter and satchel. Verus scanned through the letter and tapped a paragraph, holding the page out to Ixillius:

You must retire and travel with me, Brother, for today I've seen the most interesting of things that I'm certain you would appreciate. While in the East, trading on behalf of our Uncle now that he is ill, I witnessed a group of men from a Northern Province with Hawks that sat as pets upon rigid leather gloves they wore on their hands. The birds did not take to wing when startled, and ate bits of meat given by the hands of the men who carried them. As a display outside the market, one of the birds was set upon a caged Rabbit that was released, and the Hawk killed the Rabbit outright. The man took the Hawk back into hand, holding the bird in place by a leather band tied to the bird's leg, and displayed the rabbit. I would not have believed had I not seen for myself: the man used the Hawk as an arrow, and cooked the Rabbit for himself!

        Ixillius threw the letter on the rug and scrubbed both hands over his face.

        "You told me back in Bonna that she said she'd traveled south to be in that village you razed," Verus said quietly. "And my brother goes on to describe a display at that same market of sparring which, in his letter, resembles what I was learning from Alex, done with swords he dimensions almost exactly to the one she now carries."

        "The king who sheltered Hludwolf, he was having his men display the bodies of a man and woman from the East in the village center," Ixillius stated, his voice flat. "By their clothes, they'd been ill-used for years. The king didn't seem to know what the sword was, and when she demanded the ransom for being held hostage, he relented with little hesitation."

        "She knew a good blade was inside the pretty covering." Verus relaxed visibly as Ixillius nodded and looked away. Verus coughed and shifted in his blankets, wincing as his leg moved.

        "So my dear sister was correct; you are angry with her for not being able to tell you the parts of her story that she doesn't know the words yet to describe."

        "You give her ignorance too much credit," Ixillius scoffed.

        "Why?" Verus countered immediately. "Because she can speak at length about Legion matters and horses? Because she can bicker and argue until a man would hang himself to be free of her? Ha! She's learned only to speak in the common words that we've given her in our conversations. Ask her about her learning or street directions anywhere she's lived and the woman is utterly incapable of replying. She couldn't buy a scarf to stop from freezing to death."