Descendants of Rome (#3 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Frieda dusted off her hands and admired their work.

The Alesia Pass, which the Romans would need to take to reach Octavia's camp, had been successfully blocked.

The high cliffs on either side of the path acted as a funnel for the rocks which fell between them, piling them high enough that they could not be moved or passed quickly. The Legions would have to be directed around the rock slide.

Dust still lingered in the air from where it had been disturbed, clinging to their hair and skin.

If they had not caused the rockslide, Frieda was fairly certain Mother Nature would have intervened for them in the near future.

"Not too bad, eh?" Leonidas smiled, hands on hips.

For once Frieda had to admit that the Gaul had been the perfect man for the job. After all, she momentarily thought, he did look like a boulder with his powerful physique.

"Not too bad," Frieda nodded, agreeing with him, when her eyes turned skyward.

Dark was settling.

"We should return to the fort," Leonidas followed her trail of thought, "Krista shall be looking for us."

Frieda nodded as they made a move to their horses, tied up safely away from the engineered rockslide.

Planning the orchestrated avalanche behind them, Frieda and Leonidas had a clear ride straight back to the fort.

As they reached the horses, peacefully grazing on the grass beneath them, she caught Leonidas looking at her from the corner of her eye.

"What?" She turned to him.

"Nothing," Leonidas snapped his head away.

His silence worried Frieda, "What is it?"

"Nothing." Leonidas told her again.

Frieda was close to running him through with her sword, and she told him as much.

Leonidas caught her gaze and Frieda saw the fear that glittered there.

It knocked her back a few steps to see the warrior she had once idolised become afraid, it seemed almost unnatural, when Frieda knew the opposite.

Fear was the most natural thing in this world.

It was not a fear that had just sprung to life, it had been festering there for a while.

Frieda guessed, since they had arrived at Alesia.

"What is it?" Frieda asked him, "You can tell me."

Leonidas moved across to his horse and untied her from the branch, "Do you ever get the feeling that this time it will end differently for us?"

Frieda untied her horse beside him, "What do you mean?"

"For decades now, I have taken Cato across the continent fighting the Romans."

"And?" Frieda shrugged. She had assumed that was their destiny, not that she believed in such a thing but if she did, that was theirs.

"Was it a waste? Should we have settled and become a family?"

Frieda turned and gained all of Leonidas's attention as she told him carefully, "Cato loves you, any fool can see that, and saving lives is never a waste. I only regret that I could not stay and help you."

Leonidas nodded, understanding her, "We did have a good time, and I would not change him for the world."

Frieda gave a single nod, happy that she had helped settle Leonidas's nerves as they each settled into their saddles and began to slowly turn the horses back towards camp.