IXILLIUS STALKED THROUGH the encampment, speaking only as required, quickly memorizing the new layout and understanding the new command. Right now he was a returned Centurion, the orders that sent him and his greatest friend to rescue Alex had been leaked into the rumors only a few days after their departure, and men were happy to see them safely back. In a few hours, those who waved and joked would be rigidly greeting him as their First File.
Such an uncomfortable thought.
Almost as uncomfortable as the thought of being out here, fetching the 'bad drink' under the order from his slave that he'd been idiot enough to marry. He was tempted to wait the full four hours before returning, but he knew Quintus and Marcus would go back to Verus's tent once their errands were completed, and he needed their accounts of what had been happening while he was away. He wanted to be there if Verus woke up, as well, as he planned to have his command laid out by the rightful First File; there had been too much change in too short of a time and the men were strained. Keeping Verus as the decision maker would help keep stability in the new command structure, and then Ixillius may not have to deal with the insubordination he heard in the silences between all the rumors.
He retrieved the alcohol as promised, and collected a few names of other men who stilled their own, then stalked back toward Verus's tent. He'd be lying to himself if he thought he didn't want to continue his argument with Alex. He should have let her draw. The thought was ridiculous that what she'd completed tonight was a surgery, so she must have gotten the words wrong and then he didn't let her correct what she'd said. Or she'd gotten the words right and expected him to be an idiot. He'd seen four surgeries attempted over his time in the Legions with his own eyes. Two of the men died outright. The other two died later from... from infections.
His steps slowed for a moment and his gaze locked on the side of Verus's tent. He could see shadows moving across the light from the lamps inside, but no details. He cursed at his own anger leaving him unable to listen and hurried back toward the entrance, ready to pick up the fight where they had left off before he'd stormed out: right when Alex was going to start drawing. She hadn't pointed at her stomach to mean her guts, she'd pointed at her own worst scar when she talked of surgery, of this 'Mikayla Wyss' healer that fixed the hurts inside of men. Alex had survived a surgery!
Her father had returned stronger after seventeen years. Wherever Avilius had gone, wherever Alex was from, she'd just told him tonight that surgeries were common enough for a healer to do them as a dedicated trade. Men and women survived.
***
Alex returned to inventorying the items on the table once she and Marcus had gotten Verus up, per his insistence, and settled at the table. Verus had chided the Spanish Auxiliary Legate about attempting to play a game of wits with Alex between grumbling at her for his leg now feeling worse than before he'd passed out. Alex rolled her eyes and sent Marcus to get a meal for the rightful First File. Verus had scowled fiercely that she wanted him to eat while he felt so terrible, green eyes flashing, but Marcus left as if on fire before Verus could contradict her. The issue that Heliodoro had come to discuss was quickly dealt with, as expected, and Verus dismissed the Auxiliary Legate.
"He must stay," Alex stated before the commander could stand up.
"I believe –"
"No Ixillius, no Marcus, no Quintus," Alex interrupted Verus, crossing her arms as she turned to face him. "You fall again, big brother, and your beautiful face will break on the ground, and I will drag you to your pallet and hurt your leg, or let you bleed where you fall. So he must stay."
The commander in question cleared his throat to try and break the glaring contest between Alex and Verus. Verus's breath hissed out and he faced back to Heliodoro.
"You see what I have to deal with?" Verus asked, petulant but no longer arguing. "She's like this all the time."
"Only when you do not listen, or when you are wrong," Alex replied, kissing Verus on the cheek he angled up for that reason before going back to her inventory.
"Ha!" Verus scoffed. "Dear one, there were very few times I was wrong before you. Now every day I am contradicted."
"A woman often has that repercussion," Heliodoro offered, shifting to sit more comfortably on the stool.
Alex shot the Auxiliary Legate a quick smile. The two men chatted amiably about the complications they'd encountered in dealing with their sisters and wards – neither was married, Verus because he preferred men, and Heliodoro because he hadn't wanted to yet – and compared sibling survival stories while Alex finished with the contents of the table. Verus lounged, leaning against the table as he spoke and watching Heliodoro, who couldn't speak a full sentence without engaging both arms. She burst out laughing at one of Heliodoro's stories from his childhood as she pulled the only other stool beside Verus and sat down.
"There is no wonder why you are very good in the Auxiliary," she chuckled.
He preened under the compliment, flashing an easy smile and launching into another tale. Alex listened, chuckling where appropriate and laughing when the conversation was actually funny, always watching Verus for signs that another fever peak was coming. He watched her in return – but without explanation for why he was doing so. She shrugged off his amused stare because he was looking better, but now was much too soon to tell if what she'd done had helped or not.
The Auxiliary Legate had relaxed around her, which would make any further interactions with him that much simpler. His comments toward her had stopped being double edged, and Verus had spoken plainly of Legion matters while they conversed socially – something she'd come to understand as not being done while women were around – which had immediately escalated Heliodoro's outward opinion of her. She had no idea what his internal thoughts were, though.
As the tale wrapped up, she decided to speak with Brasus, Ixillius's greatest friend and his Optio – the second in command of the 6th and 4th century that Ixillius had been the Centurion of until tonight – and find out what rumors and truths Brasus knew of Heliodoro. Or that Brasus could find out.
***
Ixillius paused at the entrance to Verus's tent as he heard Alex laugh. So as not to look overly conspicuous, he took up a waiting station as though the conversation inside was not his business, and listened as the speaker launched into another tale; some childhood story, bearing nothing of importance within the current situation other than Alex was present to listen. And she was laughing.
He ground his teeth against the jealousy that piled on top of the earlier anger, trying to force his face and stance to something less aggressive than he was feeling. Verus would see through him in a glance, but that didn't mean the rest of the camp needed to. The story was coming to a close, though, and he should've already been inside and getting orders from Verus for dealing with tomorrow. He cleared his throat as the laughing died off, announcing his presence.
"Come," Verus called clearly, the strength of his voice a small relief, and another reason to question Alex.
"First File, Lady Avilia," Ixillius greeted them both with a nod.
"First File," Verus replied, nodding in return. "Come in and meet your Auxiliary Legate, Heliodoro Idoya Luz."
Ixillius exchanged pleasantries with the Spaniard mercenary, focusing on the immediate needs of his promotion and prompted the Auxiliary Legate to provide a quick briefing on the happenings within his men. Verus glanced between his chosen First File and Alex, amusement and concern flashing across his features and then disappearing any time Heliodoro turned back to him.
Rather than standing there and seething as the Spaniard took his leave, bowing much too close to Alex and receiving a genuine smile in return, Ixillius stepped over to the table and deposited the skeins he'd bought. For her. He'd regained control of himself and was able to remain respectful with his farewell, alluding to the rumors in the camp as the source of his distemper. The Auxiliary commander had finally left after – again! – taking leave from Alex.
Alex remained poised for a few moments after Heliodoro exited, making sure he was gone before resting her elbows on her knees and rubbing her temples with her fingers. Verus's hand settled on her back, then slid up to her neck and pulled her to lean toward him so he could kiss the side of her forehead.
"I do not to know how to do this," she gestured to the now empty stool where Heliodoro had been sitting, shaking her head.
"So practice," Verus chuckled. "You did well and, now, instead of only visiting me for my excellent conversation, he finds you charming."
"Isn't he in for a shock," Ixillius growled from behind them, making Verus laugh. Alex flashed a grin at her husband, but he didn't turn to see. Anger radiated off him like a stink and he gripped the edge of the table hard enough that his fingers were turning white. Two full skeins sat on the table in front of him, and he glared at those.
"Settle your pride, man," Verus cautioned, still grinning. "You and I have a Legion to discuss."
***
Marcus arrived with the meal soon after Heliodoro departed. Verus grimaced at the plate, finally eating after Alex threatened to force feed him. Assured that he'd at least taken a single mouthful, she rummaged through one of his crates and pulled out one of his personal wine skeins.
"He may have the wine when half the meal is eaten," she instructed as she handed Marcus the skein. Verus opened his mouth to protest and she held up a single finger. His mouth snapped shut on another small bite and he made an exaggerated show of chewing and swallowing.
Quintus returned and the conversation quickly turned to Legion matters. After a few minutes, Alex ducked out of directly participating and walked over behind the drape around the washstand. She stripped off the travel-worn clothes she'd been living in for a month, loosed her long hair from the braided bun high on the back of her head, and filled the wash basin with water. She took her time, luxuriating in the relative warmness of the tent while she washed every inch of her skin and hair, listening closely as the men discussed what had happened, what was happening, and what would be the best course of action over the next couple of days.
From where she was standing, she could see all of her things were laid out as she'd done herself every night since Ixillius had sent her to Verus. There was even a replacement under-tunic, identical to the first one she'd stolen from Verus to sleep in, neatly folded at the top end of her pallet.
Clean under-clothes and the usual woman's dress were sitting, folded neatly, on the stand beside the basin, opposite to where she'd set the man's tunics, and soft leather pants and sleeved shirt she'd been travelling in. She tied on the clean breast wrap, then the underwear – grinning that the guys all called them 'little bindings underneath' – then stood there combing out her wet hair and debating which set of clothes to wear tomorrow as Verus listed through the spoken and whispered rumors of late. Hearing the latest gossip about the growing factions within the Legion and Auxiliary, she sighed and started washing the pants and shirt. She'd figure out some kind of outfit combination tomorrow that should offend everyone equally, and still be functional if fighting became necessary.
She hung the freshly cleaned clothes to dry as the conversation turned to the best ways to manipulate the rumors and which new ones to start. The drape around the washstand was hung to block anyone from seeing in to where she slept, so she pulled on the new wool socks and walked over to her pallet to pick up the new under-tunic. The soft felt hung on her, a size too big and the hem barely below her knees which, for a woman, was way too short. Verus and Marcus were used to her habits and neither would bat an eye that she was dressed like this and, she reasoned, Ixillius was her husband. Quintus probably hadn't yet recovered from Verus including her in the war-room conversation, she thought, so this would simply keep him unsettled rather than causing another shock. She braced herself for a chastising from Ixillius, as was now normal when she wasn't as 'Roman' as he expected, and walked back out to join the group as they plotted.
Ixillius frowned sharply at his wife. He'd been able to bury his anger with her in the planning for the next few days, but her re-emergence – with her hair down and dressed like that! – was enough to flare his temper. Her glance was level, as though she knew this would incite him, before she walked past him and to the table where Verus's half-eaten meal was sitting. Quintus paused in his recounting of the latest rumors from tonight, stammering back into speaking at Verus's insistence.
Alex moved a few things on the table, then sat on the tabletop, her feet swinging slightly as she focused on the conversation. Quintus finished his report, and then Marcus added some variations that he'd heard as well. Verus drew Ixillius back into the planning, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth as he engaged Alex as well. Ixillius was able to grudgingly admit that her contributions were sound, and be further angered by the pride in his wife that rose up in his chest.
"The four hours you requested are nearly complete, Lady," Quintus stated as Verus attempted to start dismissing the men in his tent. Verus's eyes narrowed and he glared at Alex, who had been quietly moving things on the table the past couple of minutes.
"And just what orders have you given now, dear one?" he asked.
"The infection is very bad," she replied. "We must clean the wound again."
"So again with the salt and alcohol and boiled water you mentioned previously?" Alex only nodded in reply. Verus's breath hissed out between his teeth.
"Do you still have the packets I sent to you?" Ixillius asked. He wasn't looking forward to going through this again and, as there was a way to provide the healing without Verus being awake, that was the better option in his mind. Watching what had been done was bad enough. The thought of having Verus conscious...
"Even you look away, uncle?" Verus asked quietly when Quintus avoided his gaze.
"The draught is a better way," the old Legionnaire replied. With a heavy sigh, Verus pulled the three packets from the pocket of his cloak. Alex slid off the table and stepped close, kissing Verus's forehead as she took the three packets.
"You know how to make the medicine," she stated, handing them to Ixillius. Her fingers were cool where they touched his hand. He wanted to question her and find out exactly what she knew about surgery, to get a single full truth from her. Instead he turned away and picked up the nearly empty wine skein from beside the half-eaten meal.
"Don't you dare, First File," Verus threatened. "Marcus, find some wine that already tastes like shit. I'll not have my family's best ruined."
"Any strong wine will work," Ixillius said when Marcus turned to him with a questioning look.
"Uncle, rescue that skein," Verus commanded, nodding at the wine Ixillius held as Marcus left. Alex took the wine from Quintus, both of them trying not to smile during the handoff, and returned the skein to the crate.
"Do we delay the march in the morning?" Quintus asked his commanders, referring to the fact that the draught would take time to wear off.
"We won't make the winter spring tomorrow if we do," Verus stated. "And we need the water."
Ixillius considered the options that he had. With traveling so light, carried water had been minimized, which then led to a shortage because the river had been flooded and unsafe to drink when they crossed. Alex came back and leaned on the table, beaming a smile at Verus.
"No," the First File argued, making her smile increase. "No," Verus repeated, a smile starting to break past the stern look he was pretending.
"You have to stay in the cart," Alex sang.