As the fire roared gently amongst a round of large river stones and driftwood, she sat with her blanket over her lap, her bag to one side and a mug of wine to her other, and a worn book in her lap. She liked the story she read, of a warrior taking down a swamp creature, saving the village from terror and destruction. She invisioned it being read in Marcus's voice, as he had read the story to her months ago, before they left Calleva.
Esca had fallen asleep a while ago, and so had Marcus; the long day of riding north on horseback had left them tired. But Lullaby couldn't sleep; her mind was uneasy. Marcus's health was below par, though he insisted he was fine. His leg wound he sustained back at the fort wasn't completely healed. Marcus was strong, but Lullaby still worried about him.
She lifted her mug and sipped her wine; the wine from Calleva was better than the excuse for wine from the fort. It was sweeter and stronger, and she felt like she was on clouds. It helped soothe the racing of her mind.
A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders; a gentle kiss landed on her cheek.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" asked the deep voice of the Roman; he was different from the Romans of the fort, who she was a slave for. This Roman seemed to care about life, about her. He'd saved her from that place, and gave her a reason to live.
She leaned back against the Roman. "Should you?"
Marcus Flavius Aquila tightened his grip around her, pulling her against him. "I was. But then I couldn't feel you beside me. And here you are, awake, with a book and some wine."
She passed him the mug. "Strong stuff, it is."
Marcus accepted it, finishing it off. "Especially when you need it to quiet the mind." He kissed her forehead. "You need the rest. Let me worry about everything else."
She closed the book and leaned against him; her eyes suddenly felt heavy. "But I worry about you, Marcus."
"Sleep, Lullaby. All will be right by morning."
As sleep began to take her, she held the fabric of his blanket, and heard his steady heartbeat against her ear. "Marcus?"
"Yes, Lullaby?"
Sleep was sinking in faster by the second. Her voice was just a simple whisper when she told him, "I love you."
His arms tightened around her. "And I love you."
She fell asleep to the sound of his heart beating, and the crackling fire die down.
YOU ARE READING
365
Non-FictionI had this idea last night after a few drinks, a pounding headache, and an excessive amount of throat lozenges. In order to inspire me to write more often than I currently do, I am planning to write a new post every day and publish it, allowing me t...
