Marcus’ announcement that he was going to do as the letter said, and bring his brother’s remains home to his father, was not surprising. What was surprising was that he had begged, borrowed, and scrounged enough money to buy a second horse, a small bay gelding, so that Mulberry and the baby could ride.
“You intended to bring the woman and the baby with you, Marcus? Not just send them home to your family?” Petro asked in disbelief, his hand resting on the neck of the smaller, bay horse. The animal snorted and returned to grazing as Marcus loaded clothing into saddlebags intended for the larger, dapple gray animal.
“I am not going to just abandon Aurelia, Petro!” Marcus exclaimed, “And how can I trust Mulberry to bring Aurelia to my home when Mulberry has never been there before? Besides, she hates me. I need to keep an eye on her. And it’s not like I can take care of Aurelia myself.”
“But Marcus,” Petro pleaded, “This is ridiculous.”
“I don’t care,” Marcus retorted, lifting the saddle bags and positioning them on the horse’s back.
He was looking for the clasp to cinch them on when the horse shifted positions and the bags slipped off onto the grass. Petro sighed and picked up the bags, placing them neatly on the back of the grey horse. The horse grazed placidly. Petro tightened the girth and commented, “Don’t leave it like that, eh, Marcus? She’s gotten nervous and blown herself out. You'll need to tighten it when she’s forgotten you think she’s useful. You always forget about that, don’t you?”
Marcus sighed, “I don’t know what I’ll do without you on this trip.”
Petro shrugged, then grinned, “I wouldn’t worry. I was talking to the commander, and,” his grin broadened, “I got permission to tag along.”
Marcus blinked, “What? You’re kidding. You can’t come.”
“Can, and will,” Petro said stalwartly.
“No, you can’t. What about that promotion you've been angling for?”
Petro smiled, “It can wait. It’s only a small raise, anyhow. An insult to my excellent service. It isn’t like I could leave you alone at a time like this, either. Besides, Mulberry and Aurelia need someone to protect them. And you know my horse is better than these two nags.”
Marcus ignored the insult to his horse. He punched Petro’s arm, saying, “Thanks. I appreciate this, Petro. Really I do.”
Petro smiled, but internally, he sighed. He really might miss out on that promotion, but he couldn’t let Marcus face this alone. Well, alone except for a girl who couldn't be trusted - she was a slave, after all - and a baby who couldn’t exactly talk or walk yet. Petro had no brothers, but he did have sisters. And if one of them had died, well, he’d want a friend there. Especially if he was the one sent to break the news to his parents. Accompanying Marcus felt, well, inevitable.
YOU ARE READING
The Baby and the Battlefield
FantasyA baby? On a battlefield? Marcus is a clerk in the Imperial army. When he finds an abandoned baby on a battlefield, he has no idea what to do with her. His best friend is no help; he thinks Marcus is a sucker for taking the kid in. The slave who end...
