LEANORE 22 By Heck Comments to heck@beadeye.net CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO SHE WAS FORTUNATE that she had a full day to recuperate before having to face Taran Tarah. The medical orderlies had waited only long enough for the Emperor to acknowledge her victory before rushing her from the arena and into the far from sterile surroundings of the infirmary. Regardless of the opinions of her peers, Julia Domina had followed Leanore right into the hospital, pushing imperiously past all in her path. It was no place for a lady. Leanore had been hoisted onto a high table from which the fluids and debris of other casualties had been hastily swabbed, while the orderlies and healers clustered round. They staunched her blood and drew the edges of the wound together with sutures made of sheep intestine. Luckily, the splendid muscles of her abdomen were relatively undamaged, but she had lost a fair quantity of blood. They dressed her wounds and made her drink a bitter but stimulating tea, and told the Domina that what was required was bed rest. She had been put to bed in a ward, surrounded by wounded and dying gladiators and the stench of festering wounds. But the sights, sounds and smells of suffering had been too much for her patronne and, by order of that lady, Leanore had been taken to Julia's own private rooms, where she had slept for eighteen hours straight. Now, feeling much better, she tried to sit up. A sharp pain in her belly told her not to be so hasty. She half rolled off the bed and stood up, examining the bandages that encircled her belly and left hand. "Leanore!" Claudia had just entered as she stood, and rushed to her side to offer a supporting shoulder. "What are you doing up? You have to rest!" "When a girl's got to go." Leanore smiled with a nod toward the garderobe. Claudia insisted on helping and Leanore allowed it, although it wasn't strictly necessary. When they returned, Julia Domina was sitting on the bed, smiling brightly. A canvas bag lay beside her. "You look like the lion cub that stole the meat", Leanore greeted her. "What are you looking so chipper about?" "Sit down, sit down". Julia patted the bed by her side and stroked Leanore's broad shoulder as she complied. "I have news, but first, tell me how you are?" "Better", Leanore nodded. "The pain is nearly all gone" she lied. "Except for a bit of stiffness. The healers were right; rest was the key". "Will you be fit for tomorrow?" The urgency of the nenentus's tone told Leanore it was important to her. "Should be". "But can you take him? Can you take Taran Tarah?" "Ah, now that I don't know. I mean, I've studied his matches in the pictograms, and I've talked to people who've seen him fight. He's all brute force and ignorance. Fully fit, I think I could handle him. I'm not short on brute force myself, and I'd like to think I have more finesse. But now, in this condition". She waggled a hand in the air. "I don't know". Julia's creamy shoulders drooped slightly, and she lowered her eyes in thought. In the beginning, she had seen Leanore only as a means to an end. A beautiful and desirable means, to be sure, but no more than a slave who had the potential to make her, Julia, a lot of money and notoriety. Things had changed since then, and she now looked upon the gladiatrix with affection, as a lover and a friend. She thought very highly of her protégée, and hated to think of her in pain. Hated even more to think of her being beaten. It was clear that she faced a dilemma, and was having difficulty coming to terms with it as she absently stroked Leanore's thigh. Some of the brightness left her eyes. Leanore and Claudia waited in silence, knowing that this was not the time to interrupt the redhead's reverie. They watched as her expression altered according to the state of her thoughts, all part of the decision-making process, and could tell when she had come to a conclusion. "OK". Her visage lifted, and some of the light was restored to her lovely face. "All the way through this, I've left it up to you to decide whether or not to carry on, and so far you've done magnificently. I couldn't have asked for more from you". She draped a graceful arm across Leanore's wide shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "I'm so proud of my big, beautiful amazon. You've done everything I expected and more, and whatever you reply to the question I'm going to ask, I'm going to give you this anyway". Julia fished inside the canvas bag and pulled out a leather wallet with the Domina's own seal embossed on the flap. She leant forward and kissed the larger woman on the cheek, handing the pouch to her. "What's this?" "Oh! Oh! I know, I know!" Claudia danced and clapped her hands, clearly delighted. Julia shushed her. "Shh! Don't give it away! Open it, Leanore". The gladiatrix reached inside and pulled out a sheaf of parchment, closely covered with neat writing. She leafed through them, brows furrowed in puzzlement. "OK", she said. "Joke's over. You know I can't read very well yet. What is it?" Julia's brilliant grey eyes sparkled. She looked like a joyful child bursting to say something. "These are ... your Articles of Freedom!" Claudia squealed with delight. Leanore sat with her mouth open in stunned shock, mouthing silently. "My ... my what?" she managed to get out. "Articles of Freedom", Julia repeated, beaming widely. "Put your mark here, and you're a freewoman. A citizen of the Empire". "Stylus! Stylus!" Leanore held out an urgent hand for the writing implement and dipped it in the ink Julia produced from the bag. She made her distinctive mark; twin columns of four lines arranged in echelon. "That's it. You're free!" Claudia whooped with joy. She completely forgot herself and seized her mistress's face in both hands, kissing her soundly. Julia let her get away with it this time. Leanore still sat in dumbfounded shock. She was actually trembling, and the document in her hands rustled as they shook. "Well?" Julia prompted with a radiant grin. "What do you say about that?" Leanore just stared at her blankly. The import of what had happened to her had yet to sink in. Tears welled in her soft brown eyes and her chin wobbled. Claudia was weeping openly with joy, and even Julia was getting moist eyes. She had dreamed of this for so long, nurtured the prospect of freedom in her breast for so many months, years, even, that now it had actually happened she could hardly believe it. "Free?" she whispered. "I'm free? You don't own me any more?" "No, I don't". Julia's words were almost as quiet. "You own you". Leanore gave a great convulsive sob and gathered the red haired beauty to her, hugging fiercely. All her emotions hit her at once, and she wept loudly and wetly against the other woman's neck. Julia put up with the constrictive embrace as long as she could. "Leanore", she croaked, tapping the powerful shoulder. "Can't ... breathe". "Oh, sorry". Leanore was genuinely contrite. She held Julia at arm's length. "Free?" Julia laughed and nodded, wiping a tear from her own cheek while she caught her breath. Then she gave a girlish squeal as Leanore, letting go a great whoop of pure happiness, encircled her trim waist with one brawny arm and hoisted her from her feet. The gladiatrix grabbed Claudia too, and lifted her with her free arm and, laughing almost hysterically, whirled the two women around the room. "Leanore!" Julia shouted, laughing almost as hard. "Leanore, your wound! Don't burst your stitches!" "Hells with my stitches! This is the greatest day!" She took heed of the warning, though, and placed the women back on their feet. Her exuberance was not spent, however, and she enfolded them both in her arms, hugging them with real affection. After a while her mood subsided a little. She released them and turned to Julia. "How can I ever thank you for this? I was supposed to win the championship three times to earn it. That was our deal". "So? I changed the deal. I am Julia Domina. I can do that". "Thank you" Leanore gushed. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou". She kissed the redhead with true feeling. Julia returned it with gusto. Finally, Leanore ended the kiss and stood back. "You had a question?" "Yes. Yes, I did". Julia sat on the edge of the bed and let her eyes roam unashamedly over Leanore's long, muscular body. "But I have something else to tell you, first. As a freewoman, you're entitled to a cut of everything you've won for me, and everything you will win. Twenty-five per cent, in fact. Potentially, after tomorrow, that's worth close to six hundred gold pieces to you". "Six hundred? Six hundred?" "Yep. That will be enough to set you up with that smith's forge you've always wanted". "This day just gets better and better! So what was your question?" "Well, I went to the senate this morning, and spoke top some very influential people. I told them about the incidents with the carriage and the poisoned sword. Who was that woman, by the way? You seemed to know her". "Just an old enemy from long ago. Go on". "So, I told them everything. I even implied that Abraxas might have been responsible for that barbarian attack weeks ago. They agreed to look into it, and Abraxas will be stripped of his lands and wealth and be banished from the Empire. But if they do it now, the people will turn against them for ruining the climax of the games. And if Taran Tarah wins and they act, they'll turn against them for the same reason". "I see. And.?" "So in order to see Abraxas get his comeuppance, you have to face Taran Tarah and win". She pointed at Leanore's bandaged hand and midriff. "As a freewoman, I have to ask you if you'll compete; I can't order you any more. But if you don't feel up to it, I'll understand". "Are you kidding?" Leanore made no hesitation. You give me my freedom and enough money to make a life, and you have to ask? Of course I'll fight! "And I'll take him, too".