Slave Girl: Chapter 45

I love her.  She is my Lady.  Yet she is also my slave.  I knew that of course but hearing that reality summed up so clearly in Rosa’s own words drives the point deep.  There is no sadness in Rosa’s voice, if anything there was a genuine excitement, but it didn’t change how I felt about it.  My beautiful Lady deserved to be the center of her own life not an adjunct to mine.  And yet…what could be done?  As a slave Rosa could not marry, own property, run a business, or really do anything that was outside of her role as my slave.  Every right and privilege she had was an extension of her being my property.

I keep my grip tight and my pace steady.  We were heading more Southward now and the land rolled with hills and valleys.  I continue to listen as I mull what I had heard over.

“Well I cannot argue with that.”  Drusilla says in a matter-of-fact tone.  “I wouldn’t have wanted that for a child either.  Take heart my dear, you will touch the lives of others in so many ways.  You don’t need your own children to make your mark.”

“I know.”  Rosa says.  “You are proof of that.”

They chat pleasantly for many more minutes when the old woman calls to me.

“Quintus.”  Drusilla says.

“Yes Ma’am?”

“My eyes aren’t what they once were.  What is that up there?  On that rise?  Is that what I think it is?”

Looking back at her I see her squinting past me.  “Yes, I can see the outskirts of Aeclanum.”

“Ah.”  She says with a hint of disappointment.  They would have a temple here, this is where our paths would diverge.

Rosa picks up on it too.  “Well…I suppose we could continue…”

“No, no, no.”  Drusilla assures Rosa with a pat to her hand.  “You two have your own journey ahead.  Although…perhaps one more rest break before we get to town?”

“Absolutely.  Hang on.”  I say as I pull the cart off of the level road toward a splotch of shade provided by a small lone tree near the edge of a vineyard field.  I hold the cart level as Rosa aids Drusilla off of it then set it down.  The old woman then pulls a short stool from the cart and sets it up in the center of the shade.  She sits and rests as Rosa finds our waterskin to pass it around for a much needed drink.

“You okay?”  She whispers to me as she daubs some sweat from my brow.  “You’ve been going hard all day.”

“Never better.”  I say.

“You aren’t pure human either, I swear.”  She chuckles.

“Young Quintus is a worker.”  Drusilla says.  “A mover and a doer.  The lifeblood of the Empire.  You look after your Master Rosa, he’s got important work ahead of him.  The most important work.”

“I will.”  Rosa smiles.

“He’ll need fuel to feed that work.”  She says bluntly.  “How’s your cookin?”

“Oh, uh, I mean…good.”

“Good?”

“Quite good.  But…”

“But?”

“Well…”  Rosa glances my way sheepishly.  “I’m used to preparing finger foods.  Food for parties.  Appetizers and dainties and the like.”

“Dainties!?”  Drusilla has a good old belly laugh at that.  I can’t help but laugh too.  “Your man’s going to need more than that to sustain him.  Come here girl.  Come and learn.”

I lay down on the grass a few feet away from them.  Not far off the traffic along the road flows by but the three of us have this little space to ourselves.  Rosa sits at the feet of the older woman as Drusilla gives her a crash course in the basics of country cuisine.  My slave devours every bit of knowledge, asking questions and making clarifications along the way.  This woman’s knowledge would be a lasting blessing and give Rosa a head start on her life to come.  I already knew I would be thankful for it.  I close my eyes and relax, not quite napping but just floating near the surface of sleep as the pair of them talk.

“It’s not so hard once you get practice.”  Drusilla says at last.  “You’ll get better with time and find your own style.”

“Well what you taught me will certainly help.”  Rosa says.  “Say, Drusilla…once you are done your pilgrimage, once you’ve made it all the way to Brundisium, what’s the plan?  You sold your land and you’ll be a long way from home.  What is your next adventure?”

“I think my adventuring days are over my dear.”

“Oh pish.”  Rosa giggles.  “I was thinking…if it’s okay with Master, maybe you could come visit us.  Maybe a long visit.  The farm is in Lucania, along the Aciris river.  It would be a much shorter trip then going all the way home again.”

“You are more than welcome.”  I say without opening my eyes.  While caring for an elder would only add to our challenges Drusilla would bring with her an invaluable wealth of knowledge and experience.  Rosa and I were alone, Drusilla was alone, and we all got along.  It seemed a good fit.  Perhaps Ceres put her in our path for just this purpose.

There is long silence before the woman speaks again, her voice low.  “You two…you make an old woman’s heart feel good.”  There is a sigh.  Before Rosa can reply she continues.  “The thing is…this journey, my journey, ends at Brundisium.  If I make it that far.”

“Drusilla?”

I open my eyes to look over at them.  Rosa now knelt at the old woman’s side, Drusilla’s squinting eyes looked out onto the lovely rolling landscape.

“I am having these spells you see, like my mother did in her dying months.  My grandmother too.”  She takes a deep breath.  “This task given to me by my goddess will be my final one.”

“Oh, Drusilla.”

“Shhh.”  Drusilla hugs Rosa.  “It’s okay.  It is the way of things.  As I said, I have had a good long life.  A life better than most.”

Taking the old lady’s knobby hands in hers Rosa squeezes them tight.  Her eyes glimmer with tears but there is a tender smile on her face.  “Yes, yes you did.  I heard it in the stories you told, I saw it in the kindness in your eyes, I felt it in the way our lives touched.  I’ll never forget you Drusilla and I’ll remember those lessons you gave me.  I promise.”

Drusilla nods, a calm joy in her weary face.  “And I know you will have that future you dream of my dear.  You stay close to that Master of yours young Rosa, you stay close and you look after him.  He’s gonna need you and he’ll do right by you in return.  I can see it in him.”  She looks over to me.  “Isn’t that right Quintus?”

“Uh…yeah.  I’ll do my best.”

Drusilla nods in that way older folk did when they really had faith in you.

Rosa gives me a warm look then looks at Drusilla a moment before getting to her feet.  Rosa moves around to behind our travel companion.  Laying her hands on the woman’s hunched shoulders she asks.  “When was the last time you got a massage?”

“Massage!?”  Drusilla laughs.  “Oh my dear, I don’t think I’ve ever really…ohh…ohhhhh!”

Without even waiting for the go ahead my slave begins, kneading her thumbs up either side of the spine below the neck as her fingers grip the shoulders.  “You just sit there and relax.”  She says in a tone that would hear no argument.  “Let me make you feel good.”

“Ohhh my dear girl!  Ohhhhh!”  In Drusilla’s long life she’d never felt anything like Rosa.  “Ohh my goodness!”

I grin and close my eyes again as Rosa’s skillful hands work their magic.  It was probably the best half hour Drusilla had experienced in a decade.

When it is over the old woman had a sort of hazy smile, one I knew well from Rosa’s affections.  Just the way she sat was more natural and less stiff.  She stands and rolls her shoulders and tilts her back in amazement.  “I feel twenty years younger!  You are a miracle worker my dear.”

“Thank you.”  Rosa says.  “Glad you enjoyed it.”

She picks up her stool, a resolute look upon her face.  “Feeling like this I’ll get a mile or two more, easy.”

Sitting up I rub my face, feeling well refreshed from the rest.  “We still have some way to go before town.”

“Nah, I’ve slowed you two down long enough.  I want to know you’re up ahead of me getting on to that new farm of yours.”  She puts the stool into the cart as Rosa and I walk up behind her.  “It gives me strength knowing you two have such a bright future waiting for you.”  She reaches in under the covering and rummages around a bit before pulling out a small woven basket.  In this she searches and finds a cloth pouch, and from out of this she pulls something.  “I want you to have this Rosa.  A little keepsake for our time on the road.”  The old lady turns to face us.

In her hand is a fine silver bracelet.  The hoop is made of two silver wires spiraled around each other to form a nearly complete ring.  Connecting the two ends is a round clasp depicting the two faces of Janus.  Two tiny matching garnets are set into the eyes of the god of a red so deep it bordered on violet.  It is beautiful in a common way.  Simple and elegant, not like the flashy extravagances of the wealthy.

“It has been in my family for generations.  The gods only know where we got it.”  She says as she looks down at it, turning it so that it shines in the sun.  “I wanted to pass it down to my daughter but…well, you know.”  She says wistfully.  “Or even a niece.  Wouldn’t you know it though, my siblings had all boys.”  She chuckles.  “What are the chances?”  She holds the item reverently.  This was something very special to her.  Her most prized possession.  “Janus, god of new beginnings.  Two faces.  One looking to the past.”  She holds it closer to herself.  “One looking to the future.”  She holds it out toward Rosa.  “Seems right that you should have this.”

“No!”  Rosa shakes her head.  

“I ask you pass it on to one of your Master’s daughters if he is so fortunate.”  She says.  “But it is yours now.”

“No, I can’t accept this.”

“Oh yes you can young missy!”  Drusilla says firmly as she thrusts it into Rosa’s hand.  “And you will!”

Rosa gazes down at the bracelet at a loss for words.  “This…I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Say thank you.”  I whisper.

“Thank you!”  Rosa looks back up.  “Thank you Drusilla!”  They hug once more.  “It is lovely.  I will treasure it.”  She slips it on right over her hand, the hoop being a bit too big for her slender wrist.

Drusilla beams happily and nods with the knowledge that she’d made the right decision.  “Now don’t you go selling it in the next town.”

“Drusilla!”  Rosa laughs.  “I would never.”  She brings it close to admire it.  “It is so…”  Her voice catches, her eyes narrow.  Tilting her head she turns it as she inspects it more closely.  “This is magical!”

“Is it?  No it isn’t.”  Drusilla squints.  “I don’t think…it never…”   She leans in further.  “Do you really think so?”

“Yeah…yeah…there, between the coils you can just make out lettering.”  Rosa slides a finger along groove between the spiraling wires where you could just barely make out the edges of inscribed writing.  “This has magic in it.”

“Oh that.  Yeah, we thought it might be Greek.”  Drusilla says.  “Mom always figured it was a prayer to Janus.”

“That’s not Greek, it’s spell script.  My father was a wizard.  I can’t read it but I recognize it.”  

“Well…”  It was Drusilla’s turn to be speechless.  “…all this time?  Magic?  HA!  Who could have guessed?  Ha ha ha!”

Rosa pulls it off again.  “I can’t accept this.  This is too valuable.”

Chuckling away  and shaking her head in disbelief Drusilla turns from Rosa and moves to take up the handles muttering as she goes.  “Magic!  All this time.  My goodness.  Ohhh.  He he he.”  I give her a hand getting set and she gives me an appreciative nod in return.  I take our pack from the cart and stand in front of her.

“Drusilla.”  Rosa says as she moves around to my side with the item held out to return it, to no reply.  “Drusilla!”

Ignoring Rosa’s objections Drusilla looks up to me.  “The goddess’ blessings to you and your land young Quintus.”

“And to you Ma’am.  May she walk with you every step.  Like Rosa said, we won’t forget you.”  I say.  “And if the gods decide you have a bit more road ahead…well, you know how to find us.”

She nods happily then looks to my slave.  “Farewell Rosa.”

Rosa objections quiet, her hand slowly lowers and grips the gift tightly.  She hugs Drusilla one last time and whispers.  “Good bye my friend.”

As the hug parts the woman takes a deep breath, her mismatched eyes staring down the road ahead.  “Well, get going!  I’m having a hard enough time not crying to see you two pass by me again.”

Rosa and I step back and share one more moment of human connection with this treasure of a woman.  I give a nod then turn and stride on down the road, after just a brief pause Rosa hurries to join me at my side.  Behind us we hear the creaking and clack of Drusilla’s cart as she too continues on her own inexorable journey.

Chapter 46