To Kill A Gladiator

Chapter Three: Felix

When I wake up, the sunlight is streaming through the half open shutters and I blink in tired grogginess. I look over to wear Camilla is curled up in a pile of blankets and looking at me through a tangled mess of blonde hair like a sleepy cat, once she notices I've clocked her she turns away from and snuggles back into her blankets. If I didn't know better I would say her eyes were red from crying. I twist my head further around and notice my dagger on the bedside table, strange, I'm sure I had put it under my pillow like I always did in case of trouble, but I guess not...

Camilla sits up with her back to me looking at the window, her head haloed by the early morning sun streaming in, the blue tunic she's wearing is crumpled and her hair is even worse then I thought, its all swept over to one side making her look like she'd been in some freak storm.

"Camilla..." I say trying not to laugh.

"I know..." She says looking over her shoulder at me through the tangled mess of hair, "And please, call me Cami."      

I'm shocked, maybe our little chat last night had some softening effect on her, maybe we could be friends once she gets over Lucius. I get out of bed and start stretching my cramped muscles.

"Well then Cami," Which suits her a lot better than Camilla, "We'd better get going if we want to keep on the good side of Atticus."

Cami smiles, I look closer, her eyes are red, but if they're from crying I don't know. My thoughts are interrupted when we both look towards the door as someone rapps on the wood. That woman Julia is standing with a bowl of water and some clothes over her arm. She looks flustered, her mousey brown hair falling out of her messy pin up, her roundish face red from exertion and white flour covering her hands.

"I'm very sorry but you two must leave..."

"Now?" Asks Cami, faint surprise showing on her face. Julia looks over her shoulder conspiratorially, takes a step into the room and shuts the door behind her with her foot.

"There are three men searching all the local taverns looking for a suspicious looking young man," she says this looking at me, "And a girl with cursed eyes..." Damn, Marcus, Cato and Magnus were already catching up with us.

"Please me and Atticus don't want any trouble so we would really appreciate if you left as soon as possible."

Cami smiles reassuringly at Julia, "We'll be out of your hair as soon as possible."

Julia smiles gratefully and sets the bowl on the table next to the window, "I've found you two some spare tunics, maybe a change of clothes will help you stay under the radar." She says laying them on the bed.

"Julia!" Comes a distant voice.

"That'll be Atticus." Says Julia as we listen to angry footsteps climb the stairs. The door swings open with a bang and the unwelcome sight of grumpy old man (Atticus) greets us. He opens his mouth but Julia stops him.

"I've told them, they'll be leaving as soon as they can."

That seems to satisfy him. "Good well, come along Julia." He commands, slamming out of the room as loudly as he had come in.

"As you know Cami my dear, he's not a morning person." And with a final long suffering look she leaves us to get ready. I walk over to the tunics that Julia had placed on the bed. There is a large white cotton one with yellow stitching on the sleeves and a smaller powder grey one for Cami, nice and plain, good. I go behind the flimsy screen in the corner of the room to get changed. I emerge to find Cami already changed, the tunic was a bit small and showed a bit more long, slender leg than the wearer probably intended. She was self consciously tugging at the hem, "You look fine," I say surprising myself, thankfully she just looks at me, eyebrows raised ironically. I groan internally, what in the Gods names was that?