Christopher Buckner - Swords of Rome

Gaius stumbled back, eyes wide as a large man stood before him, seemingly not noticing the boy who had to tilt his head; eyes panicked as Gaius squared himself, fist clenched into a tight ball.

The burly man was about the age of Gaius’ father, only a bit larger and with a thick grayish beard. He wore a lion-skinned cloak over his shoulders; its paws dropped down over his chest, which was covered with a loose-fitting, brown leather chest plate, which bore the same engraving of the white wolf that Gaius had seen several times. It was, however, what was in the man’s hand scared him the most, a small dagger.

As the stranger finally looked down, Gaius could see a long scar that ran from the top of his brow and ending just above his cheekbone. It seemed recent, and gave him a menacing appearance.

At first, the man’s expression hardened his stare cold as he studied the boy who was standing before him, and then he spoke.

“You don’t look like much. I expected you to be bigger by now,” the man said in a deep and raspy voice.

Gaius could smell the scent of cheap wine coming off of the man’s breath as he spoke.

“I guess it could be worse. You could have taken after your father,” the old soldier then laughed as his expression suddenly changed to a friendly grin.

The man raised his knife to his other hand and sliced a piece of dried beef, before putting the meat into his mouth and began to chew; with a big grin as he continued to take in Gaius, who stood like a statue.

“Very funny coming from someone with a face like yours,” Julius spoke from behind the old soldier, which too sounded as if he had been drinking all day.

Julius stepped out, moving the other man aside so he may stand in the doorway. His hand was placed on the stranger’s shoulder as he looked down at Gaius with a big, uncharacteristic smile that reached from ear to ear.

“Gaius, I would like you to meet an old friend of mine, Legate of the Six Legion, Claudius Augustus Valerius.”

“You said that already,” Valerius mused. “And actually, I have met you once before, lad. Only then you were too young to remember me as you were just a little nip, still suckling on your mother’s breast.”

Gaius’ face hardened, not liking the picture that formed in his head as Valerius knelt down and extended his hand. However, he refused to take it.

“Now don’t be rude, Gaius,” his father spoke.

Gaius hesitated for a moment, but then obeyed his father and reluctantly accepted Valerius’ gesture of friendship. As he took the legate’s wrist, he tried as best he could make sure his grip was tight, but compared to the veteran, he might as well be a bug standing next to a bear.

“Well, we need to fatten him up, put some muscles on him and hair on his chest before we can call him a soldier,” Valerius chuckled as he stood to his feet

“He comes from fine Gallic stock,” Julius added.

“That he does,” Valerius laughed as he tapped Julius’ shoulder, stepping aside as he walked over to his horse.

“Well old friend, I will be waiting out here. Take all the time you need.”

“Are you leaving?” Gaius asked a bit rudely, but neither his father nor Valerius took notice of it.

“Come inside, Gaius. There is something very important that I need to talk to you about.”

“What about my friends?” Gaius asked, sounding more than a bit nervous.

“They can remain out here. Come now.” Julius placed his hand on Gaius’ shoulder and urged him into the house, before closing the door. Both Antony and Julia looked on with concern, but they weren’t leaving as both settled in for the wait.

Gaius watched as his father cleared the table, moving aside several empty wine jugs, before pulling the stool out.

“Sit down, son. There is something that I need to talk to you about.”

“Father?” Gaius spoke nervously, but he did what he was asked as Julius move to the other side of the table and took his normal seat.

“Who is the man outside, father?” Gaius spoke first as Julius interlocked his fingers, looking unsure about how to begin their discussion.

“He is a Roman soldier, commander of the Six Legion, my former legion when I served the Republic. We fought together during the last war and many before, and as I said, he is a dear friend of mine.”

“I do not recall you ever speaking of him before this day,” Gaius noted.

“I know, and that is my fault. Nevertheless, believe me, son, I trust no one more in this world, aside from yourself, than I do Valerius. He is as close to me as blood and, well…” Julius paused as he tipped over one of the wine jugs, seeing that it was empty.

“Why is he here? Is he just visiting then?” Gaius asked, but he knew it wasn’t that simple. Otherwise, his father wouldn’t be acting the way he was.

“No, I asked him to come here some weeks ago. I’ve… I have come to a very difficult decision that concerns you, Gaius.”

“What is it?”

“You see, Gaius…Damn, I wish this was easier to say.”

“Just tell me, please.” Tears were already beginning to form under Gaius’ eyes as he eagerly awaited to hear what troubled his father so much that he held his tongue, afraid to speak.

“I’m dying, Gaius. I don’t know how else to say it.”

Gaius’ eyes opened wide as tears began to fall, rolling down the side of his cheeks. Flashes of his mother’s passing flooded his mind, seeing her so sickly, waiting, and even wishing the gods would take her, just so he didn’t have to see her suffer much longer. He knew what his father said was the truth, his heart told him. He knew for a long time: his father’s difficulties sleeping, his apparent weakness, his headaches and fainting spells, but he prayed to the gods that it would pass. Clearly, Julius knew it would not.

“Why? You can’t be. You just can’t…Why do you say such a terrible thing?” Gaius balled.

“I’m sorry, son. I don’t know how else to tell you. The gods have deemed it fit that my time on the earth comes to its conclusion. I don’t know when, exactly, but I do know it will be sooner than either of us wants it to be. I won’t be able to take care of you, and you’re still too young to take care of yourself. I have to look out for your safety and try to ensure you have a future.”

Julius stood from his stool and walked over to Gaius, dropping down to one knee and tried to look at his son in the eyes, but Gaius turned his head away, not wanting to let his father see him cry.

“There is nothing that can be done. I’m grateful for the time that I was allowed. I should have died a long time ago. It was only by the grace of the gods that I was given this time, to find a woman I loved, and for her to give me a son that I care so much for, even if I’ve failed to express it as I should have.”

Gaius lowered his head as he couldn’t control himself. He wanted to be strong and not cry, but his father’s words ran through him like knives, more painful than anything since his mother’s passing.

“I’m sorry, son, there was so much that I wanted to teach you; I wanted to show you. We’ve had little time, and I fear that I was not always the father whom you needed me to be, not since your mother left this world. However, I won’t leave you alone, not ever. That man outside, Valerius, he will watch over you like you were his own. He will do this because we are close as any two men can be without being brothers by blood. He will teach you everything you need to know; how to survive in this world. He will guide you down the path of honor; you will become a great warrior who will stand for his country, and one day, a long time from now you will lead men who you will pass the knowledge you’ve learned, as Valerius will you.”