“Nooo...”
“Yes, love, just a tiny bit...”
Marius’ eyes flew open, looking lost, mildly panicked, and Kyle clutched at his hand in the darkening cave. “Roll over...” He helped him, and Marius sighed, feeling the soft bedding under his body. After weeks of sleeping on the hard wood of the cage, it felt like heaven and he cried, letting his sobs overcome his mind.
Kyle stroked his arm. “Can you stay awake a bit?”
He nodded, his face in his hands, trying to catch his breath.
“Alright, a fire is not an option, but I have found some eggs and berries and we still have that raw horsemeat. We should eat it fast. Here, drink first.”
Marius sat up, his lips quivering. They ate the meat, berries, and eggs, then night fell, dark around them. Kyle munched the herbs with some water, spitting a thick paste out in a bowl.
“Here, let me rub this into your wounds...”
He applied the warm paste gently on his feet, wrists and neck, Marius’ eyes lost in space, watching the stars being born in the night sky.
His voice was soft in the velvet night. “Was it like this for you? When you were caught?”
Kyle’s hand stopped, and he wiped it on his trousers, sitting next to him. “Yes, it was similar... but we were several in a cage... and I couldn’t keep my pants... and... at night, we were taken out and they had their fun with us...”
Marius closed his eyes. “I’m sorry…”
“What for? You were not there.”
“But I’m a Roman...”
Kyle quieted, his thoughts on his words.Did it matter now? No... not anymore. Not to him.“So what? First and foremost, you are Marius... and I love you.” Their eyes locked and Kyle pushed him down, locking him in an embrace, trying to give some of his warmth to his tortured body.
Marius sighed. “You could have gone with them...”
His grey eyes shone in the darkness of the cave. “I don’t know what it will take to make you understand that I'm not going to leave you, not ever...?” He mused. “You have a hard time accepting love...”
Marius’ throat choked, his tears welling up. “I have not been loved a lot...”
Kyle leant down to him, kissing him, pushing his lips apart, the taste of blood invading his mouth as his tongue snaked into his mouth, roaming it, lavish strokes which made Marius moan, his aching body hungry for him.
“So... I’ll just have to love you even more... just kissing for tonight... and caresses... you can’t do anything in your state...”
They kissed until Marius fell asleep in his arms, Kyle watching the night stars, Marius’ arm on his chest, his head on his shoulder.
They were up at dawn, before the sun was fully up, the sky still dark, hurrying as best as they could, Marius walking on his own but limping with his wounds and stiff muscles. He still put himself in a military march, and Kyle followed next to him, both breathing hard, determined to get away from the barbarians, the mountain air cold around them.
Lothar also got his chasing party to rise early, and they followed the river, riding fast, until they found their prints darting in the forest. It was all easy until they reached the rocky landing and Lothar cursed softly, his eyes on the mountains.
His friend rode next to him. “So?”
He smiled. “So... they are probably lost and have no idea what’s coming...” They eyed the grey clouds close to the summits. “Snow, and soon... they will freeze to death... still, let’s ride a bit further and then wait. Without a fire, they are as good as dead...”
Kyle and Marius had been walking almost all morning, a sudden chill in the air making them shiver, Kyle’s worried eyes on Marius’ pale face.
They sat down on some rocks, shivering, rubbing their hands. “We have to get down from here... somehow...” The mountain landscape stretched endlessly between the peaks, not a valley in sight for now. Kyle breathed into his hands. “If we light a fire, they’ll see it. I gather they are after us...”
Though they had made sure to walk on rock mainly, climbing sometimes, trying to take paths where horses could not follow. Kyle sat silently and then shot to his feet and gathered some wood from the nearby trees.
Marius followed him with his eyes. “What are you up to?”
“Lighting a fire...”
