Playing the Game

Chapter 5: Journey through the Past

The carriage was beyond saving, and we were down two horses. Our only option was to relinquish our cramped wagon for the women and the remaining possessions that were unharmed. Shailene scoffed at the idea of travelling in a cage, but she readily accepted once she was presented the alternative.

"You will walk then?"

Tiberius knew this would break her composure. She jumped into the wagon with exaggerated exasperation, ordering her maids to follow her lead and the guard to keep the door open for propriety. Even our Dominus knew how bad this looked, so he promised his wife to buy them another carriage as soon as they hit the Capitol so their family could be presented to the Emperor properly. With Tiberius mounted on his stead and the second strapped to the wagon, this left us walking in chains in procession. By Shailene's request, the scruffy man was chained first in our lineup so he remained closest to the wagon door. She was still shaken by the attack, wanting the men who protected her close at hand just in case. I wanted to tell her the truth; that they only stumbled upon her by accident while returning to Tiberius, just to watch her squirm, but that would blow their alibi for running into the forest at all. They couldn't care less about her safety, but they kept up the illusion. Theo and Newt were chained behind the scruffy man for appearance sake, with Bash, Evander and myself bringing up the rear. Two of the remaining guards kept a watch over us as the third drove the wagon. Tiberius took the lead, both as our Master and as our strongest protector.

We had been walking for hours. My newest injuries still prickled under the touch of the makeshift bandages I made out of one of the Galacian's sleeves. The scruffy man had the same idea, wrapping his arms with a torn smock.

Tiberius took all of their weapons as a token of loyalty for the Emperor; a gift to explain our unconventional arrival and to ensure the Emperor that the Galacian threat on Romallian soil was breakable. The blades, bows and arrows rattled on the floor under the driver's perch, haunting the women by their mere presence.

I wanted to take one for myself, to put the scruffy man's plan into action. But it was no use. Just as the scruffy man predicted, Tiberius and his three remaining men were on high alert. We might outnumber them, but it would still be foolish to try.

We were all hungry, but most of our food was burnt and left behind. What remained belonged to our Master, Mistress, the maids, and if there were any left, the guards. Gladiators were last on the food chain, even if we needed nourishment for the upcoming tournament. Tiberius told us to grab whatever we could find along the way, but it wasn't much. A few sour berries and edible greenery were all we were provided, but I thanked my lucky stars for all those years on the run with Marcus. Anything was better than nothing, which is what we would have been left with if I hadn't correctly identified some of the meager things we ate as children to stay alive. I kept my spirits up about the whole thing by finding amusement in watching Shailene force down the stale bread that was meant for us, cursing the Galacians for destroying her finer feasts stowed away in her carriage.

We were quiet for most of the trip, but the gladiators couldn't keep their mouths shut the moment they saw the Capitol on the horizon.

I, on the other hand, closed right up. I shrunk back as both Evander and the scruffy man gave me sympathetic looks. I didn't want their sympathy. I wanted to look brave.

Easier said than done.

~*~*~*~

"So what's your plan?"

Evander settled beside me as I took in the familiar streets on the cusp of the Capitol. As promised, Tiberius stopped our procession the moment he found a carriage seller. He and his wife were conversing with the salesman as the guards kept a watchful eye on the rest of us. The maids waited in the caged wagon for instruction, and the gladiators clustered on the floor behind it to rest. The scruffy man moved closer when he heard Evander's question.