Roman Enslavement

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Roman Enslavement
Part Ten

"Mozelle."

Mozelle grumbled, turning on the thin pallet as a tiny finger poked
into her ribs. "Wha?" A small body snuggled down beside
her. "Gaius? Again?" It wasn't even daylight yet. Not even the
faintest grey seeped under the crack of the door out to the garden.
She glanced toward the dark lump that was on the larger bed. A mild
snore emerged from it. "What's wrong? Did Tessa wake you up?"
Gaius shrugged. "Need the chamberpot?" He shook his head. She
looked down at him. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she could barely
make out his face. Finally she said quietly, "Lonely?" He nodded.
She sighed, and put her arms around him. "Me, too."

It wasn't surprising that he felt a little alone. Middle children
often experienced that, even in the closest families. And, she'd
noted the Roman method of child rearing in this age, at least for
this class, did not involve a lot of closeness. Gaius loved Tessa,
who had practically raised him, but Tessa was preoccupied these days
with the baby. Mozelle was kind and interested, and it wasn't
unexpected that he'd fixed his affections on her

"Go back to sleep, kiddo. We've still got some time." She moved the
narrow, rough blanket to cover him as he curled against her and
closed her eyes.

Malanda poked Rentic sharply. \"Husband."\ Rentic groaned, but
otherwise did not respond. She poked again, harder, hissing.
\"Rentic! Get up, I hear someone in the kitchen. It's scarce dawn."\

Rentic rolled out of bed, fumbling into his tunic. He took a thick
staff from beside the bed, and peered out into the kitchen. Someone
was crouched by the hearth, feeding a small fire. He lowered the
staff, and turned back to his wife, grinning. \"It's only Master
Lupus. You've forgotten what an early riser he is, what with him
being away so long."\

\"That I have!"\ She threw off the blanket and started to rise.
\"I'd best attend..."\

\"Don't bother, Malanda."\ Malanda gave a small shriek, snatching
for the bedclothes as Lupus appeared in the doorway. He grinned at
the plump, blushing woman. \"There's plenty of bread, cheese, and
fruit. That's all I need. I'll feed Gaius and get him off to his
tutor. You drag your husband back to bed for an eye opener."\ He
winked cheekily, and left.

Malanda shook her head. \"How he can be so impudent and so
thoughtful at the same time..."\ She eyed Rentic archly, then
flipped back the covers. \"Well, husband? You heard the young
master."\

Lupus padded down the shadowed hallway toward the children's room,
and almost tripped over the two figures sprawled across the doorway.
Gaius was nestled next to the new slave, her arms curved around him
protectively. He was wrapped in the one thin cover.

Lupus watched them for a moment. His little brother looked peaceful,
and content. Mozelle looked a little tired. No doubt the pallet
wasn't all that comfortable. The tile floors were aesthetically
pleasing, and practical, but damnably cold without a rug to warm
them. He wondered if she'd like the chance for more comfortable
sleeping arrangements. His own bed was quite nice, rather large, and
very empty at the present.

He reached out and stroked Gaius' hair with one hand, touching
Mozelle's shoulder with the other, whispering, "Gaius, Mozelle.
Wake."

Mozelle stiffened even before her eyes opened, and her arms tightened
around her small charge, who emitted a sleepy squeak. She looked up
at the man squatting beside her apprehensively, then recognized
Lupus. Some of the tension left her, but not all.

He squeezed her shoulder. "Up. Breakfast. Then take Gaius to school."

Mozelle shook Gaius gently. "Time to rise, sunshine."

Gaius sat up, rubbing his eyes, then leaned across her to hug his brother. \"Lupus. Do I
have to go to Napatha today? I'd rather stay here with you."\

\"Yes, you have to go. You want to be ready for the Academy next
year, don't you?"\ He nodded. \"Then you can't neglect your studies.
I suppose Rentic has been walking you?"\ Another nod. He glanced at
the woman, who was stifling a ya\"Do\"Do you know the way? Could you
show Mozelle, if I sent her with you?"\

\"Sure. She's smart. But are you gonna let her go out alone? I
mean, without a grownup? Papa says she's real new. She might try to
run away."\ He whispered, \"Don't tell her I said that. It might
hurt her feelings. But I don't want her to run away. I like her."\

\"So do I. I don't think she'll run. And if she does..."\ He
ruffled the boy's hair. \"I'll find her. All right?"\

\"All right."\

Mozelle eased to her feet, stretching. Then she eyed him, and
said, "I need to go to the kitchen to get the water for Gaius's wash
up." Lupus gestured for her to pass. He was standing in the
doorway. "There isn't room. Please let me by." Lupus crossed his
arms, looking at her. "I know you understand me." He smiled. "You
aren't going to move, are you?" No reply.

She sighed, examining the narrow space left to her. Finally she
squeezed between him and the doorframe, facing him. She had to brush
rather firmly against his side to do it. Just as she got between him
and the doorframe he leaned on her. Gauis giggled. It was a good
joke to him. Mozelle bit back a curse, and wiggled out, heading for
the kitchen.

Once there she located the covered kettle that hadn sin sitting in
the ashes all night long, and opened it. The water she had placed
inside had evaporated a little, but there was still enough for her
purpose. She dipped up a basin, and carried it carefully back to the
bedroom. Once there, she gave Lupus a warning stare, hoping that
he'd interpret it as 'ou tou try that leaning crap again, you're
going to be very wet.' He might have understood, but he stayed out
of her way.

She quickly helped Gaius wash, sponging his little body as he held
his hands over his head, humming absently. This didn't bother her,
though it would in a couple of years. She hoped she was out of
this situation by the time his hormones kicked in.

She slipped a fresh tunic over his head, ran a carved wooden comb
through his dark hair, and shooed him out into the hall to go to
breakfast. She started to pull her shirt over her head, so she could
have a quick wash herself. Then she noticed that Lupus was standing
in the doorway again. Instead she tossed the water out into the
garden. He shrugged, and motioned for her to follow him to the
kitchen.

Gaius was devouring a thick slice of honey smeared bread when they
arrived. Mozelle located the pot of milk that had been delivered the
night before, and sniffed it carefully. It didn't smell quite right
to her. But then again, she'd been informed that it was goat, not
cow milk, so what did she know? He'd spit it out if it was bad.
She poured a mug and gave it to Gaius, who slurped down the strong
smelling stuff. *Oh, gross. I'll get rickets before I drink that
stuff.*

Lupus fixed another slice of bread like the one Gaius had, and handed
it to her. All right, breakfast. You ate what you were given when you
were a slave. *This isn't bad, but I'd give my back teeth for an Egg
McMuffin and a side of hash browns. Why did he do that? This can't
be usual, the master fixing the slave's breakfast.*

When they were finished eating, Lupus said, "You take Gaius to teacher."

"Me? Alone?"

He nodded. "Alone."

She looked at the younger boy doubtfully. She'd only been out of the
household a couple of times since she'd arrived. Both times she'd been with Rentic, and on the end of a chain, carrying packages as he shopped. The idea of venturing out into such a large, and alien, city was a little daunting. "Well, this shouldn't be too bad. It never takes Rentic more than fifteen or twenty minutes to go and return. Sure."

"I show you." promised Gaius.

"You better, kid. I don't want to end up wandering around out there. The last time I wandered somewhere unfamiliar, I ended up with a permanent necklace." She touched her collar, grimacing.

Gaius led her through the just beginning to bustle streets. He was very careful to point out to her signs and landmarks she could use to find her way back to the house. 'Turn right at this fountain, turn left at this temple, the statue of this goddess faced the way you must return...'

They reached the tutor's house without incident and Mozelle turned to begin making her way back to the house.

\"She's being given more responsibility,"\ Somnus remarked. He looked up from where he'd been settling a sodden doze on a ragged man who'd finished his previous night's carousing just a few moments before.

Dischordia was glaring after the retreating woman, wearing her usual scowl. \"Yes. That means that things are going entirely too smoothly for her."\

Somnus sighed. \"Oh Cordie, aren't you over that yet?"\

\"No. I can't let this sort of disrespect go unaccounted for. I'm a minor deity as it is. Mars gets all the attention. If I don't keep my hand in, then where will I be?"\

\"Don't do anything rash,"\ he warned. \"Remember, Vee is going to talk to Jupiter about her."\

\"Oh, I'm not going to touch her."\ She grinned evilly. \"Not personally, anyway."\ She blinked out. Somnus sighed again. She really could be a vindictive bitch sometimes.

Dischordia winked into existence next to a rather modest statue of herself, and regarded it thoughtfully. \"Not a bad representation, but I don't like the way it's arranged."\ She waved her hand. There was a squealing and grating of stone, and the statue slowly made a quarter turn, ending up facing to the left of it's original orientation. Discordia grinned. \"Yes. Much better."\

She watched as the mortal woman approached the statue. In fact, the slave stoped only a couple of feet away from the Goddess of Mischief and Discord, unaware of the malicious eyes focused upon her. She looked in the direction the statue faced, doubt in her expression. Finally she shrugged, and went off in that direction. Dischordia followed close behind.

Mozelle's steps got slower and slower. This didn't look right. She seemed to be moving into a rather seedy section of town. Shops and stalls were giving way to inns and taverns, and... possibly other establishments, judging by the half clad woman she saw lounging in one doorway. No, this didn't look familiar at all. Perhaps she should retrace her steps?

Dischordia whispered. \"But you took the right turning."\

"I know I went the right direction, I checked the statue."

\"Maybe it's just a little farther."\

"I'll just try a couple more blocks." She kept walking, but finally stopped. "Oh, this does not look right. I wonder if there's somewhere I could ask for directions." She groaned. "If I could speak the language, that is."

As she was thinking this, the door to a nearby tavern opened and three men exited, two of them weaving. The unsteady ones wore the usual rough clothing she'd seen on the poorer citizens. The third, a tall young man with light hair, wore a fine linen tunic, covered by a rich woolen cloak. He also looked considerably cleaner than his companions, while they were stubbled and grubby. Probably a patrician, out slumming.

She was just thinking that it might be better to leave when one of the two drunks spotted her and crowed. \"'Ey! A slave."\

The light haired man turned his attention to her, and she felt a small, queasy flutter in her belly. The eyes were like chips of blue ice. He spoke softly. \"So it is. But you didn't state the most important fact. Not just a slave. A woman."\ And he smiled.