I saw the loveliest girl that I have ever seen in my life this morning.
I was only on my way to the ale-house, so I changed direction to follow her. Which wasn’t difficult, given that she was carrying a large beam of wood, and that she was being encouraged towards the city South Gate by a squad of four Roman soldiers.
I ran and overtook her. She had a slim figure, what could be seen of it beneath her shabby robe. She was elfin faced, with grey-green eyes that were like gazing into deep pools of water. And she looked at me in a kind of adoring way that made my heart skip a beat. The kind of girl that you can only dream about, and only meet once in a lifetime. She was totally perfect. The kind of girl that you’d give up the world to be with. A sign around her neck informed me that her name was Alicia, and also that she was guilty of murder. I couldn’t believe that a girl like that could be guilty of anything, apart from breaking hearts.
“Hello, Alicia,” I said. “My name’s Scaevola. You look like you need some help?”
“Fuck off and leave her alone!” growled one of the guards, a hand on the hilt of his sword. Alicia just looked at me, a look of despair and terror in her eyes. I heard no sound, but her lips formed the words ‘Please! Help me!’
I was truly, madly, hopelessly in love with her by now. She was so, so, beautiful, and clearly on her way to die. How could this be? Madness possessed me. I had to save her. I swear that Roman never even saw my sword. He did have quite a look of surprise on his face as his head rolled into the gutter.
Not that I had much leisure time for such observations. His three companions recovered from their shock surprisingly quickly. They were competent swordsmen, and gave me quite a run for my money, but I am an ex-gladiator, and I have killed more men and better men than these in one sitting. Soon enough, just Alicia and I remained alive, but we were surrounded by curious onlookers.
“Anyone else fancy a challenge?” I brandished my sword, and the crowd melted like ice on a summer’s day. I slashed the ropes binding the beam to her arms, took it from her, and threw it on top of a dead Roman. I took the ‘murder’ sign off her, and that finished in the gutter next to some dog shit and the first Roman’s head.
“Come on, lass, let’s get out of here!” I grabbed her hand and we ran towards the South Gate. But after what she’d been through she couldn’t run fast. The gate slammed shut ahead of us and there were more soldiers there than even I could handle. A good ten of them were heading our way.
Discretion was by now the better part of valour and Alicia and I disappeared into a side alley.
Happily I knew this city like the back of my hand and we dodged left and right until we came upon a horse tied up outside a merchant’s house. I practically threw Alicia up onto the saddle as I took the reins, and leaped up behind her. We took off in a cloud of dust, reaching the West Gate before the alarm could be raised.
The guards shouted in dismayed surprise as we passed through the gate at a full gallop, but we were half a mile away by the time their mates had caught them up with the news.
I laughed merrily. Like taking candy from a baby!
To be continued...
I was only on my way to the ale-house, so I changed direction to follow her. Which wasn’t difficult, given that she was carrying a large beam of wood, and that she was being encouraged towards the city South Gate by a squad of four Roman soldiers.
I ran and overtook her. She had a slim figure, what could be seen of it beneath her shabby robe. She was elfin faced, with grey-green eyes that were like gazing into deep pools of water. And she looked at me in a kind of adoring way that made my heart skip a beat. The kind of girl that you can only dream about, and only meet once in a lifetime. She was totally perfect. The kind of girl that you’d give up the world to be with. A sign around her neck informed me that her name was Alicia, and also that she was guilty of murder. I couldn’t believe that a girl like that could be guilty of anything, apart from breaking hearts.
“Hello, Alicia,” I said. “My name’s Scaevola. You look like you need some help?”
“Fuck off and leave her alone!” growled one of the guards, a hand on the hilt of his sword. Alicia just looked at me, a look of despair and terror in her eyes. I heard no sound, but her lips formed the words ‘Please! Help me!’
I was truly, madly, hopelessly in love with her by now. She was so, so, beautiful, and clearly on her way to die. How could this be? Madness possessed me. I had to save her. I swear that Roman never even saw my sword. He did have quite a look of surprise on his face as his head rolled into the gutter.
Not that I had much leisure time for such observations. His three companions recovered from their shock surprisingly quickly. They were competent swordsmen, and gave me quite a run for my money, but I am an ex-gladiator, and I have killed more men and better men than these in one sitting. Soon enough, just Alicia and I remained alive, but we were surrounded by curious onlookers.
“Anyone else fancy a challenge?” I brandished my sword, and the crowd melted like ice on a summer’s day. I slashed the ropes binding the beam to her arms, took it from her, and threw it on top of a dead Roman. I took the ‘murder’ sign off her, and that finished in the gutter next to some dog shit and the first Roman’s head.
“Come on, lass, let’s get out of here!” I grabbed her hand and we ran towards the South Gate. But after what she’d been through she couldn’t run fast. The gate slammed shut ahead of us and there were more soldiers there than even I could handle. A good ten of them were heading our way.
Discretion was by now the better part of valour and Alicia and I disappeared into a side alley.
Happily I knew this city like the back of my hand and we dodged left and right until we came upon a horse tied up outside a merchant’s house. I practically threw Alicia up onto the saddle as I took the reins, and leaped up behind her. We took off in a cloud of dust, reaching the West Gate before the alarm could be raised.
The guards shouted in dismayed surprise as we passed through the gate at a full gallop, but we were half a mile away by the time their mates had caught them up with the news.
I laughed merrily. Like taking candy from a baby!
To be continued...
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