Each of Logan’s pained moans felt like a knife digging into her heart. As they rode through the darkness, Marie did her best to soothe Logan’s pain. She touched him gently, running her hand up and down his chest and brushing her lips against his forehead. It would work momentarily. Logan would be silent for a few minutes until a sudden jolt in the road would bring a soft cry from his lips.
“Reynaldo, how much further is it to the temple?” Marie called softly, not wanting to disturb Logan who had lapsed into a light doze.
“We are nearly there,” Reynaldo informed her. He pointed towards a dark structure in the landscape a short distance away. “That’s the temple over there. We’ll be there very soon.”
Marie nodded her head, letting out a relieved sigh. The sooner they got to the temple, the sooner Logan would be able to rest peacefully. More than anything, rest was what Logan needed. Marie didn’t think that his injuries weren’t too severe. He just needed some tending to and hopefully sleep would take care of the most of it.
“Marie....” Logan mumbled, moving his head slightly.
Sliding her hand down, Marie laced her fingers though Logan’s. “I’m right here, Logan. How do you feel? Do you hurt more than before?”
Logan was silent for a moment then shook his head, squeezing her hand briefly. “It throbs.... less than before. I think.... Hurts.... Want to sleep....”
“Soon, my love. Very soon,” Marie murmured in his ear, placing a soft kiss against his temple. “For now I want you to relax. We’ll be somewhere you can sleep soon enough.”
“Hold you...?” Logan mumbled, moving his head so that his lips brushed against her throat.
Marie nodded, leaning her head towards Logan’s. “You can hold me as long and as much as you want. I’ll not complain. But, for now, rest. You need to conserve your strength. We have a long journey ahead of us.”
Within half an hour, the four of them reached the ruined temple. The roof still remained on the back half of the temple which would provide the perfect shelter for the night. There was a clear view of the road from the temple and the surrounding landscape was uneven enough so that any pursuers wouldn’t risk their horses on the rugged terrain.
While Marie and Jubilation rushed to get the blankets spread out in the more protected corner of the temple, Reynaldo helped Logan from the horse and through the mess of tumbled columns and section of roof. Even in the near darkness, Marie could see Logan grimace with each step that he took.
“Jubilation, go fetch the saddlebag with the medical supplies in them,” Marie instructed as she helped Reynaldo ease Logan down onto the blankets that would serve as her and Logan’s bed that night. As soon as Logan was settled, Marie began unwrapping the linen from one of his hands. “Please, Reynaldo, I want you to remove these things immediately. I can’t bear Logan wearing them a moment longer.”
Reynaldo offered her a reassuring smile. “Fear not, Lady Marie. I have no intention of stitching together the wound on Logan’s stomach while he is still wearing those claws. He’s liable to lash out and disarm me.”
“I am sure that Jubilation would be most vexed by that,” Marie returned, smiling warmly at him before gently lifting Logan’s head onto her lap. He was blinking his eyes owlishly and lightly tossing his head from side to side. Marie tenderly smoothed his hair away from his face, attempting to get him to lie still. When Jubilation appeared a few moments later with the saddlebags Marie had asked for, Marie instructed the other woman to find the vial of opium sedative.
“No opium....” Logan mumbled, feebly struggling to roll him onto his side. Failing that, he stared up pleadingly at Marie.
Marie shook her head, leaning forward to brush a kiss against his forehead. “You need the opium, Logan. It’ll help with the pain so you’ll be able to rest better.”
Whimpering softly, Logan arched his neck. “F... fine....”
“You are most certainly not fine, Logan,” Marie chided as she accepted the vial of opium from Jubilation. “Now I want you to take the opium, Logan. It will help you.”
After much protesting from Logan, Marie was eventually able to convince him to take the sedative. He kept his eyes trained on her as his eyelids began to slide shut. Just before he drifted off, Reynaldo managed to get one of the claws off and Logan sluggishly lifted his hand to cup the side of her face. Marie smiled down at him then turned her head to press a kiss against his bruised wrist.
“Sleep, my love,” Marie murmured, lightly squeezing his hand. “You’ll feel better when you wake up.”
“Ionúin....”
Before Marie could ask Logan what that strange word meant, he was asleep. The drugs had done their work and he would be able to rest peacefully while she tended to his injuries. Hopefully when he awoke the following morning, he would not be in so much pain. It was the best that Marie could hope for since she wasn’t foolish enough to believe that all would be perfectly well as soon as he awoke.
“I hope that you brought sutures,” Reynaldo said as he slipped Logan’s hand from the metal the encased it. “At the very lease, his arm and his stomach need to be stitched.”
Taking her lips between her teeth, Marie solemnly nodded her head. “Yes. The needles will be in a small tin case and the threads are... the threads are in a vellum packet. Jubilation, would you pass them to me. I must stitch Logan’s arm and stomach.”
“Are you sure you would rather not me do it?” Jubilation asked as she searched through the saddlebags for the items Marie had requested.
Gently easing herself from under Logan’s head, Marie slid over to sit next to his injured arm. “I will tend to Logan myself, Jubilation. Pass me the needle and thread,” Marie instructed as she gingerly lifted Logan’s arm onto her lap and began unwrapping the linen bandage from about the wound.
“You’d best wait till I get a fire built to do the actual stitching,” Reynaldo suggested as he rose to his feet and headed out of the ruined temple. “There are some waterbags hanging from my saddle. I suggest you clean the wounds with that first then poor some wine on them. It is the best we can do to clean them properly under the circumstances.”
Jubilation had been on her feet and hurrying towards their hobbled horses before the words had even completely left Reynaldo’s mouth. Marie was incredibly grateful for Reynaldo’s presence. Without him, Marie doubted whether or not she would have been able to even get the clawed weapons off Logan’s hands. She would have been in a complete and utter panic and something awful could have happened to Logan in the process. As it was, Reynaldo had shown them to a safe place to spend the night and also knew much more about tending wounds than Marie did. Marie silently thanked the gods for Reynaldo’s company as she reached for the knot that held the bandage on Logan’s stomach closed.
Once Reynaldo had gotten the fire lit, it had taken Marie at least an hour to properly clean then stitch the two deep gashes on Logan’s arm and stomach. Jubilation had tended to his less serious injuries and once that was done the two woman had cleaned and the sand the still healing weals on Logan’s back.
By the time they were finished, Marie was exhausted and barely able to keep her eyes open.
“In all my days, I had never thought to see an aristocrat take such care of a common slave,” Reynaldo said almost absently as Marie began gathered the bloodied strips of linen that had served to bandage Logan’s wounds originally and throw them into the fire.
“Logan is not a common slave,” Marie clarified, standing perfectly still the watch the flames dance for a moment before returning to Logan’s side.
Reynaldo cocked an eyebrow. “Is that so now? And just what makes Logan so different from other slaves? He certainly looks like every other slave I’ve ever beheld.”
Marie pursed her lips, sitting down next to Logan and running a hand along his stubbled cheek. “Logan is different because he is the first person-- other than Jubilation who I have known almost as long as I can remember --who saw me for something other than the work of art my father trained me to be. True, at first, I was his goddess, but then I became simply Marie to him. Besides Jubilation, I have never been just Marie to anyone in my entire life. Logan has such a wonderful heart and a spirit that neither Flavius or his earlier captors were able to break. For that I both respect and love him. That is what makes Logan different from other slaves.... Do you approve, Reynaldo?”
At first, Reynaldo was silent. After a moment, however, a slow smile spread across his lips and he nodded his head. “It is Cupid that decides who we love, not ourselves. It is impossible to deny his intentions or his arrows.”
“Cupid saw to it that my love for Logan runs deep,” Marie said softly as she combed her fingers through Logan’s tousled hair. “I would not dishonour the gods by trying to deny it. I have no wish to. If it means that I must flee to my aunt’s in order to fulfill our love, I will do it willingly.”
“Do you think that Tusculm will be beyond your father’s reach?” Jubilation asked as she discretely pressed herself against Reynaldo’s side.
“My Aunt Livia’s home in Tusculm is but a stopping point. I doubt we will be safe their for long,” Marie said with a sigh. “We will stay there at least long enough for Logan to regain his strength. After that.... I do not know. Perhaps we will go to Greece. Or Alexandria. Maybe Spain when Caesar’s war with Pompey’s sons is over.... It is even possible that we will go to Gaul or Britain.”
Jubilation’s eyes grew suddenly wide. “But, Mistress, that is where the barbarians live! You will not be safe there!”
“I know that, Jubilation,” Marie said, casting a wistful glance down at Logan’s sleeping face. “It is also Logan’s home. You did not see the great love on his face when he spoke of his home the first night we met. It is almost as though a part of Logan is missing and he needs to return to his home in order for it to be healed.”
“I still do not see how he can ask that of you,” Jubilation insisted, returning to her relaxed position against Reynaldo’s side.
“He hasn’t asked me,” Marie said lightly. “That’s the whole point. Logan would never ask something like that of me. He would live willingly in any place I chose for us. I would love to be able to take Logan back to his home. What better way could I show my love for him?”
“Normally a child is enough,” Reynaldo suggested. “Give him a son to carry on his legacy. As a man, I can assure you that a son is what we wish for most of all.”
“For you, Reynaldo, but you do not know what it is like to be displaced from your home and taken to a place where you do not belong,” Marie reminded him as she traced the contours of Logan’s face with her fingertips. “Granted, I left Greece when I was very young so my memories of it are somewhat vague. However, it is still more of a home to me than Rome will ever be. No matter where I live, until the day I die I will always consider Greece my home just as I am sure Logan will always consider Britain his home.”
Discussion between the three dwindled after that and it wasn’t long before they all retired. When it became obvious to Marie that she would not be able to keep her eyes open much longer, she eased herself down next to Logan and pulled a second blanket over the two of them for added warmth. Being extremely careful of his injuries, Marie wrapped herself around Logan, wanting only to feel his solidness under her fingers.
Even in his opium induced slumber, Marie felt Logan turn towards her just before she fell asleep. He turned his head to the side so that his lips were resting against her forehead. With a grin playing on her lips, Marie pressed a soft kiss against his shoulder before allowing sleep to overtake her.