Skaia (45 page)

Paulinus simply nodded and glanced at Lucius. Even when he looked back at Skaia, he made no comment. He had hoped Skaia would be happy enough to choose his son, for Thaddeus would most likely be keeping him. Glaucus would be making his entry into Roman society when he got home and, hopefully, thinking of marriage.

“
Come,” he said when Skaia had pushed his plate aside. “We’ll take the cart out to the edges of the woods to dig ivy today.”

XIV

A few days later, Skaia sat beside Lucius on the riverbank and they watched together as Thaddeus and Paulinus walked among the slippery rocks of the river. Skaia laughed when Thaddeus lost his balance and fell into the water, but Lucius remained grim. “Is something wrong, Lucius?” Skaia asked, after Thaddeus, with his clothing now dripping wet, stood back up.

“
My old master has no business out there, Skaia. If he fell like that, he’d break his neck.”

“
He won’t, Lucius. Look, they’re coming back now.” Thaddeus had taken his father’s arm, and was leading him carefully. Paulinus was laughing. “See, he’s fine.”

“
Thaddeus should take better care of him,” Lucius chided. But he began to relax as the two men reached the edge of the water.

“
Have you always come here with Pau… with your master?” Skaia asked.

Lucius nodded. “Since before I was your age. We had wonderful times here, when we were younger.”

Paulinus and Thaddeus were out of the river now, walking along a path under the trees. “What did you do?” Skaia asked.

Lucius smiled at the memories and looked at his young companion. “When we were children, we played like Kaleel and Crassus. I loved these woods. We would both run as fast as we could and then fall in the leaves.” Lucius glanced toward the path, as if to assure himself that his master was still on his feet. “Even after Paulinus married and had children of his own, he spent some time with me every day… when we were here. He taught me to swim and ride a horse.” Lucius’ face sobered as he remembered the death of Paulinus’ wife and baby—what would have been his fourth son. “After he was elected to the Senate, our times here were very precious.”
We made love here by the river,
he thought,
perhaps this very spot…
But he had no intention of sharing that particular memory with Skaia.

Skaia looked up thoughtfully, catching occasional glimpses of the sky through the waving branches of the trees. He wondered what he and Glaucus might have done in these woods if Thaddeus had allowed him to come when he was younger. “This is a magical place,” he said finally. “I wish I could have seen it with Glaucus.”

Lucius frowned at the comment. “Glaucus could not have given you the freedom Thaddeus has.”

Skaia nodded. He thought Lucius was probably right, and that Thaddeus would have restricted him here as he had in Rome.

On the day before they were to leave the villa, Thaddeus took Skaia to the smithy immediately after breakfast. “I want the boy’s collar removed, Torin,” he told the heavyset man that cared for the farm equipment.

Skaia looked at Thaddeus in amazement. He’d had no idea this would happen.

Torin stepped forward, wiping his hands on his already dirty apron. “You freein’ this un, too, sir? He’s not like them others ya brought ‘ere.”

“
No, Torin,” Thaddeus smiled, “I’ve already met my quota on the farm. This one is just for my personal pleasure. Sometimes, that damn piece of metal on his neck gets in my way.”

Torin grinned, revealing a mouth full of blackened teeth, before quickly moving Skaia to lean his neck over his large anvil. Some sort of tool Skaia couldn’t see was used to pop the latch, and the collar was soon snapped in two.

“
Anythin’ else, my lord?” Torin asked as he helped Skaia stand, handing him the pieces of the collar.

Thaddeus shook his head. “Not this trip.” He handed Torin a coin. “Maybe next year. Thank you for your service.”

When they left the small building, Thaddeus paused to examine the blotches that the collar had made on Skaia’s neck. They will fade, he reminded himself. “Do you feel better without it?” he asked, running his hand gently over the marks.

“
Yes, Master,” Skaia grinned. “Does this mean I am finally trusted, sir?”

Thaddeus smiled, although he didn’t answer. He just started walking away from the building, motioning Skaia to remain at his side. “When is your birthday?”

Skaia looked up at the unexpected question. “What… Why?”

“
Just curious. Do you even know your birthday?”

“
Not exactly, sir. I think it is sometime in Sextilis. I’m not sure which of my people’s months correspond to the… ”

Thaddeus laughed softly. Interrupting him. “I understand. It’s a problem for most conquered people who are forced to use our calendar. When do you celebrate it?”

Handling the pieces of his collar, Skaia looked at the ground. “My birthday is not celebrated, sir. But, I mark my age on the ides. This year I will be nineteen.”

Thaddeus looked at him in surprise. “Didn’t Glaucus take notice of your birthday in some way?”

Skaia glanced up. “No, Master.” Glaucus never even asked when it was…

“
No?” Thaddeus made the turn toward the villa. “I’m surprised. I thought he would.”

Skaia followed quietly behind Thaddeus at a respectable distance as they strolled back. Until Thaddeus called him forward again.

“
Walk with me,” he commanded. Skaia obeyed, but continued to fumble with the collar pieces. “You can throw those away now,” Thaddeus reminded him.

“
Yes, sir.” But Skaia continued to hold them. “Master Thaddeus,” he started hesitantly, “did you know the birthday of your other slave, the one who slept on your rug?”

“
Thane? Yes, I knew his birthday. The twelfth day of Aprilis.”

“
Did you… did you ever mark it in some way, sir?”

Thaddeus hesitated. Skaia was obviously comparing him to Glaucus. But there was no reason for falsehood. “Oh, yes. Every year, I gave him something. Nothing major, of course. Just something he wanted, like sweets. He had a fondness for sweets. Sometimes, I would even buy him a small honey-cake.” Thaddeus smiled as he remembered. “I grew up with him. He was very much like you, Skaia. Thoughtful, intelligent.” I
should have taught him to read.
“He fought himself constantly to submit to me.”

“
And you always required that he submit?”

“
Of course. He was my slave.” Thaddeus looked down at the boy beside him. “But… but I tried to be considerate.”
As I am trying with you.

Skaia made no comment, only wondering why Glaucus has never cared about his birthday.

They walked together silently for a few moments. And then Thaddeus finally took the collar pieces from Skaia, and threw them into the trees that grew alongside the path they were taking.

“
Thank you, Master, for removing the collar,” Skaia said softly. He looked up and smiled, though there were tears in his eyes. “And for throwing it away.”

Thaddeus stopped, pulled Skaia close, and kissed him fiercely. When the boy parted his lips and did not try to pull away, Thaddeus stroked his back and buttocks. “Is this so bad for you, Skaia?” he asked softly.

“
You know it’s not, Master. It is never unpleasant to be with you.” Skaia’s hips thrust forward, pushing his groin against Thaddeus’ thigh, and he smiled. “I don’t dislike your kisses.”

Thaddeus chuckled. “Not unpleasant? You don’t dislike?” He released Skaia and started walking toward the villa home again. “I feel so much better.”

This time, it was Skaia who stopped. “What is it you want from me?”

I want you to want me, like you do Glaucus.
But Thaddeus could not say those words. He would not beg a slave for affection. “I want you to submit willingly.”

Skaia fell into step beside him again. “I do submit to you willingly, Master. You… you know that.”

Because you wait for Glaucus,
Thaddeus thought bitterly. “Fall back.” His voice was brusque.

Skaia wondered what had happened. But he fell back to the proper position for a slave, as he was ordered.

As he followed behind he touched his neck, grateful to finally have the collar removed. It had not seemed so heavy to bear as he grew to manhood, but it was pleasant to have it gone. He watched Thaddeus as they walked, and wondered why he was upset.

The wagons were all packed. Crassus and Kaleel were already in one of them, and Thaddia and Thera were supposed to climb into the other. But Thaddia was still arguing with her father about driving. When at last Thaddeus lost his temper, Skaia turned in time to see him heft his daughter into the wagon. Thera scrambled up quickly to avoid the same treatment, moving at once to console her mistress.

Skaia noticed that Thaddia seemed to compose herself quickly under Thera’s caresses, and even hugged her slave girl in return. It made him glad to see it. He had been afraid in the beginning that Thaddia would use her carelessly, but they had seemed to bond almost immediately. He looked to the wagon Paulinus would drive, the one
he
was supposed to ride in. Thaddeus would ride on one of his horses, with the six guards who would accompany them.

Paulinus had not yet called him, and so Skaia stood and watched as Thaddeus led a small mare forward, and was totally surprised when his name was called. Thaddeus had hardly spoken to him at all last night, and had sent him to sleep early on his pallet. He hurriedly stepped forward to see what his master wanted.

“
My father says you can ride fairly well. If you want, you can ride with me, rather than in the wagon.”