LEANORE 25 By Heck Comments to heck@beadyeyenet CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE LITTLE SPOTS OF LIGHT danced behind her eyelids as Leanore lay on her back in the grass, he forearm draped across her brow. Beside her, Julia stirred restlessly, beginning to regain consciousness. Around the stub of the quarrel still embedded in her thigh, the flesh had turned an angry red and the first assault of an insidious infection festered under the puckered skin. Nearby, Marcellus sat beside the child whose name, he had learned, was Antonia. He stared transfixed at the scene of carnage and destruction below, while the last grumblings of the eruption carried over the valley to his ears. A thick pall of greasy smoke hung over the remains of the city. Almost totally engulfed by the flood of lava, only the tops of the walls and a few of the tallest buildings showed above the cooling black crust. He could hear the clink, clink of the stone as it cooled, and here and there angry incandescent red scars showed through, proving that the rock below was still molten. On the surrounding hills, little dejected knots of people stood around in bewildered silence. Marcellus reckoned there were three, maybe four hundred of them, and he prayed that some would have escaped by other routes. Still, from of a city of tens of thousands, a few hundred pathetic survivors was a pitiable amount. Among the group nearest to them a brusque, businesslike middle-aged woman appeared to be ministering to the injured. Marcellus hoped she was a healer, or if not at least had some nursing skills. Cautioning Antonia not to wander off, he picked his way over to speak to her. Leanore groaned in pain as she sat up. She clutched at the hot knives of agony that speared through her belly, where the wound had opened and was beginning to ooze into her filthy bandage. She looked over Julia, whose eyelids were struggling to open, and turned to the small, frightened child. "Hi", she said, as brightly as she could. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Leanore. What's your name?" "'ntonia". The small nervous voice was barely audible. "Antonia. That's a pretty name". Leanore patted the grass at her side. "Why don't you come sit next to me?" Antonia edged closer, but carefully kept a few inches space between her and the gladiatrix. Leanore visually examined her leg and saw that the shinbone was bent unnaturally; a greenstick fracture, she thought she had heard that type of injury called. Covered in powdery ash, the child looked tiny, miserable, and very vulnerable, and Leanore felt a lump of emotion rise in her throat as she gazed at her. "Where's Marcellus?" she asked. Silently, Antonia raised a finger and pointed. Leanore followed the tiny finger with her eyes, and saw him talking urgently to a woman a little way off. "Let's hope he's getting some help", she whispered. "We could do with it, eh?" Antonia nodded, her bottom lip protruding. She tried bravely to smile, but her chin began to wobble and she started to cry again. Leanore opened her arms, wincing as the girl huddled against her stomach, sobbing in pain and anguish. "Oh, there there". Leanore stroked her matted hair, feeling a little awkward. Comforting small children was new to her. "It's all right. Ssh. It's all over, now. Look. The mountain isn't throwing fire any more and the lava's cooling. It's going to be all right". "Mommee!" Antonia wailed. "I want my mommy!" Sudden moisture sprang to Leanore's eyes as she gathered the girl close, holding her tightly against her breast, ignoring the pain in her own belly. There was nothing she could do, nothing she could say, to lessen the child's grief. All she could do was be a strong foundation for Antonia to lean on. Her own tears coursed silently down her cheeks and she chewed her lip as all the fear and emotion of the last days piled into her, battling to keep control for the sake of the little girl. Like a dissipating fog, clarity returned to Julia Domina. The first emotion to wash over her was a feeling of terror. The last she knew, she was being carried in Leanore's arms through the inferno that was the Hippodrome, with falling timbers and brickwork crashing all round her, and it took a moment for her to realise that this was no longer the case. She raised herself on an elbow, gasping at the pain in her thigh. Her sharp intake of breath attracted Leanore's attention. "Julia!" The big woman's voice was full of genuine concern. "How do you feel?" "Oww! My leg hurts like hell, and I've got a splitting headache. The rest of me feels like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards, and I'm covered in filth". She managed a weak smile. "But hey. I'm alive, you're alive, and that's what matters, eh?" Leanore returned her smile. "That's what matters", she echoed. Julia reached out and laid a hand on her forearm. "I guess I have you to thank for that. If not for your strength and courage, I'd be dead now". She shuddered as she nodded to the half buried city, her voice trembling and losing volume. "Under all that. Just one of thousands. I can't bear to think of it". She appeared to notice the child for the first time, and injected a note of forced brightness into her words. "And who's this?" "Julia Domina, may I introduce Antonia", Leanore announced, mock-formally. "Antonia, this is Julia Domina". Even through her tears, the girl remembered her manners. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and sat up, inclining her head politely. "Pleased to meet you, Domina". "Pleased to meet you, too, Antonia". She offered a grimy but still elegant hand for the girl to shake. "We both seem to be indebted to Leanore for our safety. Have you thanked her properly?" Antonia gave a minute shake of her head. Julia's eyes softened with her smile. "Well, let's do it together. Ready? One.two.three." "Thank you, Leanore", they chorused. "You're very welcome", Leanore acknowledged. "I can't think of two finer ladies I could have rescued". "Where are her parents?" "I don't know. I assume." Leanore lifted her chin in the direction of the city. "Ah. I see". "But I found Marcellus. He's over there, trying to get some help". In fact, Marcellus had found help. He could not persuade the woman to leave until she had done all she could for the group she was with, but now he approached striding over the turf followed by what Leanore hoped was a healer. "This is Calpurnia. She is a healer. Domina. Good to see you back with us". "Marcellus. Good to see you too". "Thank you for coming, Calpurnia", Leanore greeted. "This is Antonia. I'd be grateful if you'd look at her first". "Of course". The woman's brisk, efficient manner did much to reassure the survivors as she knelt to examine Antonia's leg. "Hello, Antonia. My, you're a brave little girl. You've hurt you're leg, haven't you? Well, we'll see to that". She turned to Marcellus. "You. Go find two strong, straight pieces of wood about so long. Then get some kindling and get a fire going. And find some water. And something to boil it in. Well? What're you waiting for?" The captain, used to giving rather than receiving orders, nonetheless jumped to obey. "We'll make your leg all better", Calpurnia reassured the child, before moving on to the women. "This stomach wound isn't fresh, but you've busted your stitches. I'll have to re-stitch it, but other than that all it needs is cleaning up and a fresh dressing. The Lady, here", she continued, somehow recognising Julia's status despite her filthy and dishevelled appearance. "She's a different matter. The cloth in the wound and the bolt itself will have to be cut out. It's going to hurt like the devil. I'll get to it when I've set the child's leg. Can't do nothing about the hair, though". "Hair?" Julia's hands flew to her head. Her fingers recoiled from the patchy, blackened stubble. "Oh, my hair! My beautiful hair!" She hid her face in her hands and wept, mourning the loss of her crowning glory. Leanore dropped a strong hand on her shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "It'll grow back", she said. "And until then, you'll just have to wear a hat". *** EPILOGUE LEANORE AND JULIA stayed together for nearly six months, taking care of each other and growing ever closer as friends and lovers. Marcellus was quickly recalled to his unit, sent off to fight in some senseless war somewhere. Before he left, he had testified before what was left of the senate and confessed to his art in the conspiracy to defame Julia Domina's name and subvert the outcome of the games. He had no need - Abraxas and most of his string of gladiators were dead, and the few survivors had no wish to attract blame. But it weighed heavily on his conscience, especially since Leanore had been instrumental in saving him from the volcano. He should have been discharged with dishonour, or at least reduced to the ranks, but the army had been severely depleted by the eruption and there was a shortage of experienced officers. So he was heavily fined and sent off to war. The women returned to Julia's provincial villa, and life proceeded as before. Well, almost. Along with the Emperor and most of his colleagues in the senate, Julia's husband had been killed at Capitol. She was surprised at the degree of loss she felt, but a lot of things surprised her about herself since Leanore had become part of her life. From a cruel, heartless self-centred bitch [her own word] she had evolved into a warm and caring human being. She had even adopted the orphaned Antonia, and delighted in the way the child readily called her "Mommy". The Domina's hair grew back thick, luxuriant, and as glossy as ever, but her newfound priorities left her little time for primping and preening, any more. Leanore thought she was all the more lovely because of it. Leanore's wound healed, in time, and she soon regained all of her remarkable strength. She was never quite as agile, after, but only the most sharp-eyed observer would notice a difference. She spent her days honing her metalwork skills, and crafted many steel blades of ever-increasing quality. One of the first things they did, upon their return, was to seek out a Notary, where Julia re-issued Leanore's lost Articles of Freedom. From that day on, Leanore could walk the streets as a free citizen of the Empire and never had to fight in the arena again. Eventually the time came when Leanore felt it was time to make her own way in the world. For several weeks, she had been beginning to feel restless. For all that she felt loved and secure in Julia's household, she knew she had to try and make it on her own. One morning, she came down to breakfast with a full kitbag slung over her shoulder. Julia took one look, and the wetness welled in her eyes. "You're leaving, aren't you". It was not a question. Julia knew. When she replied, Leanore's voice was very low and had a catch in it. "Yes. It's ... it's time". "What will you do?" "I thought I'd set myself up with a little forge, somewhere. Learn how to shoe horses and be a proper blacksmith". "It's what you always wanted". Julia let go a deep sigh. "I knew this day was coming. I just didn't think it'd be so soon". She chewed her lip, desperate to hold back her tears. "What's wrong?" Antonia's childish voice piped. Julia could not answer and shook her head silently. Leanore hunkered down and held out her arms. "Come here, sweetie". Antonia stepped into the embrace and Leanore swept her up, hugging fiercely. "I have to go away. So you have to be a good girl for Mommy, you hear?" Antonia nodded, a wise child who knew when to keep quiet. "Now, you give me a kiss, and leave Mommy and I alone for a little while, OK?" When Antonia had left, Julia just sat looking up at the tall, powerful figure of her beautiful friend. "If I say I'll miss you, will you change your mind? If I ask you to stay?" Leanore shook her head sadly. "Julia, I have to go. I have to make something of myself. I hope you understand". "I understand, right enough". There was a touch of anger in her voice, but she controlled it well. The old Julia would never have been able to do so. "I just don't want it to happen. But." She rose from the table, letting her hands fall to her sides. "I always knew it would. Right from when I first promised you freedom". She came to stand very close. "Where will you go? Back where you came from?" "No. There's nothing there for me now, even if I could find my way back there. I was thinking I'd go north. There's people there who could use a good blacksmith, I'm told, and I don't suppose they've seen many like me". "They're all heathens. Barbarians", Julia sounded really worried. "They have no proper gods, and run around painting themselves blue!" "I should fit right in then". Leanore made a half-hearted attempt at a joke. "I would say take care of yourself, but that would be redundant. If anyone knows how to take care of herself, it's you. I ... oh, come here!" She stepped into Leanore's open arms, and the two women kissed deeply and tenderly for what they both knew would be the last time. * Leanore still stood quietly outside her forge, staring ahead down the road from which the warrior woman had long since dwindled from her sight. Two years she had travelled, after leaving Julia Domina's home. Two years, with a number of adventures along the way, until she had met the Quinqualado and the friendly people had built her forge and insisted she stay. That had been fifteen years ago, and she had been happy and content with her life ever since. Still was, in fact. It was only the arrival of the magnificent warrior woman that had rekindled the old memories and made her wistful for the old days. She doubted she would ever see the woman again, but she had gained another memory to keep her company in the winter nights. Her fingers caressed her biceps as she recalled the indomitable power of the woman and pitting her own against it. Like the irresistible force and the immoveable object. Leanore shook herself out of her reverie. This would never do. She had work waiting. She allowed herself one last look down the road, and smiled as she turned back into the warmth of the forge. THE END Copyright "Heck" 2002. All rights reserved.