Thorne and Miranda: A Tale of Roman Brittania

Flight

It had been a long day for Miranda, Thorne and Mara. Several fights had broken out in the main part of town, making travel precarious. Twice, Mara had broken fingers that had dared reach up into the litter and Thorne had cracked a man's skull with the butt of his spear. Thorne noticed mounted soldiers coming to quell the disturbances about the time they reached the edge of the marketplace, so widespread had the unrest become. Miranda was badly shaken by the ordeal and had gone to lie down before dinner.

As soon as Thorne entered Miranda's rooms, Mara barred the door behind him. He looked at her in surprise. "I have been thinking about it," Mara explained, motioning to the shuttered windows. Her voice was low, telling Thorne that her mistress was sleeping. "If you wanted someone murdered, would it not be best for it to happen on a night when the city is full of unrest?"

Thorne growled his aggravation. "Lucius had men here several days ago by all report, rough men who toured the entire estate. Doku took me aside when we arrived home."

"There were familiar faces among the crowd in the marketplace," Mara told him. "I recognized them from dinners Lucius has held. Do you think it possible that he is trying to riot the entire city to cover his plot?"

"If he is," Thorne realized bitterly, "then he has been planning this longer than we thought, for those dinners started as soon as I was well enough to guard Milady."

"This room is a tactical nightmare," Mara whispered. "How are we going to keep her safe?" She crossed the room to peek out one window then paced from window to window.

"Be still, Little Sister," Thorne told her. She was starting to make him nervous and he didn't want her to waste energy on pacing if there was a fight brewing. "You must save your strength. Nothing may happen tonight at all."

But Mara wasn't listening. Nervously, she folded her blankets up, then his, making them into a bundle. Thorne watched as Mara went and grabbed his spare tunic from the bathing room, then selected a few combs, ribbons and plain pins from her mistress' table. "What I wouldn't give for a long knife."

Thorne laughed. He'd been watching her prepare and realized that she wanted to flee as much as he did. The promise of freedom loomed. "Go to the kitchen and get one then. You are a child of war, Mara. Think free, not as a slave. While you're at it, get a knife for me as well. You might also put grain in a sack and find a jar or skin for water. If we must flee, it would be wise to do so with supplies."

Mara headed for the door. She paused with her hand on the bar. "I will knock twice, then once." Then she was gone. Thorne barred the door behind her and looked around the room.

They could flee through the windows without anyone from the house raising an alarm but once outside, would they be safe? He found himself peering out into the night. In the distance, screams were punctuated by the shrill cry of horses and the clash of swords. The city was in chaos. He glanced around and noticed a red glow of fire in the distance, closer than he liked. The human storm was drawing nearer. Thorne weighed his options.

"Milady, you must wake up now." Thorne made his decision, trusting that Doku would know to carry out his end of the plan. She moaned but didn't rouse. He stroked her hair from her face, taking pleasure in the stolen caress. "Milady, it's time." Gently, he urged her to sit up, then removed the blankets from her bed and added them to the bundle that Mara had started.

"Is it dinner time?" Miranda asked, still groggy from sleep. "Where is Mara?"

"She has gone for a few supplies but will return soon," he assured her, not wanting to panic her. "You need to put on your warmest gown and gather a few things." He paused to see if she understood but Miranda was still struggling to focus. "There is rioting in the city, Milady. For your own protection, we need to leave."