The first thing Logan noticed was that his entire body ached. It was a dull, throbbing ache that speared to every part of his body. Oddly enough, he also felt incredibly comfortable. He was lying on something soft, was covered by a thick blanket and also had a warm body pressed against his side. Without even having to open his eyes, Logan knew that it was Marie who was lying next to him in their shared pocket of warmth. Her deep, even breaths indicated that she was still asleep. Still mostly asleep himself, Logan lifted an arm and reached across his body to clutch at Marie’s waist, pulling her closer.
Logan had very vague recollections of the night before. Even his battle with Vittorio seemed like a distant memory. He dimly recalled defeating the larger man, but that was where things got confusing. The only moments that stood out clearly where ones that he was being held in Marie’s arms. The way her touched soothed him and her voice helped to calm him.
“Love you....” Logan mumbled as he drifted off to sleep once again.
The second time Logan awoke, he could hear sounds of people talking quietly. Marie was still lying pressed against his side, though this time she was awake because he could hear her talking with Jubilation and Reynaldo.
“Are you certain you know the way to Tusculm?” Marie asked, her fingers moving lightly over his chest.
“Fear not, I will get us to Tusculm without incident, Lady Marie. You worry unnecessarily,” Reynaldo said, the smile distinguishable in his voice.
“I am putting not only my life, but Logan’s as well in your care, Reynaldo. I think that gives me cause enough to worry,” Marie reminded the other man.
Hearing her voice so close, Logan forced his tired eyes to open. A brilliant ray of sunlight seeped past his lids, blocking everything else from Logan’s view. Marie’s voice, though, could still be heard plainly.
“I daresay my aunt will be most amused to have vexed my father so,” Marie commented sounding very content with that fact.
Turning his head slightly, Logan was able to see without the intense light shining in his eyes. Marie’s face was the first thing that Logan saw. A slow smile spread across his face and he sluggishly lifted a hand to cup her cheek. Marie gasped at his touch and turned her face towards him.
“Logan! Thank the gods. I was so worried about you,” Marie cheered as she reached out to cup Logan’s cheeks in her hands. “Are you all right? Are you in any pain?”
Logan shook his head slightly, bringing his free hand to hold over hers. “I’ve felt worse, believe me. Help me sit up.”
Frowning pensively, Marie sat up herself and assisted Logan as he pushed himself off his back. As he moved, the long gash on his stomach was stretched bringing a pained gasp from deep in his throat. He felt Marie stiffen at his gasp, but cast her a quick grin in an attempt to reassure her that he wasn’t hurting badly.
Marie chewed nervously on her bottom lip as she helped Logan steady himself. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather lie down? It would put a great deal less strain on your stomach.”
“Seeing as how I will need to be sitting up in order to ride, I think that it’s best if I get used to sitting up,” Logan reminded her.
Logan could tell that Marie was still worried about him, but chose to remain silent about it. Seeing her fidgeting out of the corner of his as though she wanted to pull him back against her, Logan reclined backwards and allowed Marie to pull him into her arms. He could almost sense the tension and worry fleeing her body as he leaned his head against hers, turning slightly to press a kiss against the corner of her jaw.
“You look cold,” Jubilation said suddenly, startling both Logan and Marie.
Until she had said the words, Logan hadn’t actually noticed the cold. Alerted to it now, Logan could feel the cold seeping into his exposed flesh causing him to shiver. Before he even had a chance to react, Marie was pulling a thick blanket around him.
“I have some warm clothes for you to wear,” Marie announced as she slipped out from behind them. “I am not wholly sure that they will fit, but they’re better than nothing.”
“At this point anything will do,” Logan told her, grinning up at Marie as she stood up. As Marie headed towards the horses, Logan forced himself to stand up. He was having trouble and had no choice but to allow Reynaldo to help him. “Thanks, man. I fear I will burst if I don’t get some relief soon.”
Reynaldo grinned and patted Logan on the shoulder. “I know the feeling.... If you will excuse us, Lady Jubilation, I do believe that Logan and I have some business to attend to.”
Logan couldn’t contain his smirk as he and Reynaldo exited the main area of the temple and headed towards the rear of the ancient building. Still feeling faint traces of the opium Marie had given him the night before, Logan was a little unsteady on his feet. To keep him from toppling over, Reynaldo was place a hand on his back to steady him whenever he would start to lean too far in one direction.
“Look, now that I’m fully aware of what’s going on, I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me and Marie,” Logan said as he and Reynaldo came to a stop. “We wouldn’t have been able to do this without you and I will forever be indebted to you.”
Reynaldo ran a hand through his short blonde spikes and ducked his head down. “Wish I could say that this was purely unselfish, but it’s not.”
“Lady Jubilation?” Logan guessed, grinning over at the other man.
“The Lady Jubilation,” Reynaldo agreed, grinning at Logan. “It is impossible to deny the woman anything.... Nor would I attempt to.”
Logan absently reached a hand up to touch the torc he still wore about his throat. “I know the feeling, my friend. I would do anything for Marie.”
“I believe that at this moment she’s content enough to have you still breathing,” Reynaldo commented, arching a brow in Logan’s direction.
Logan chuckled quietly, all that his sore stomach muscles would allow in the way of laughter. “She’s not the only one grateful that I’m still breathing. For a while I was unsure of what would happen myself. I am still not even fully sure how I managed to get out of that arena alive.”
Reynaldo let out a loud breath and nodded his head. “That, my friend, was pure desperation.”
“I have to agree with you on that,” Logan muttered as he lightly fingered the gash across his stomach. “That man was a mountain with legs.... Plus he could wield a sword. I was fortunate to escape fully intact.”
“Reynaldo, bring Logan back here! He shouldn’t be moving about so much yet!” Marie called as she rounded the wall of the temple. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her chest, holding her cloak tightly bout her body.
Logan spun around a little too quickly and ended up stumbling, held up only by Reynaldo who reached out and grabbed hold of his arm. As soon as she saw him stumble, Marie rushed to his side, concern written all over her features. The instant that she was close enough, Marie reached up to cup the side of his face, sliding her other hand up his chest to wrap around his neck.
“I’m fine, Marie,” Logan assured her, lightly clutching her waist in his hands.
“Is that so? Then what did I just see?” Marie asked sternly as she stroked his cheekbone with her thumb. “You didn’t look fine to me.”
Leaning forward slightly, Logan pressed a kiss against her forehead. “What you saw was me turning around faster than I should have. Considering everything that happened yesterday, me being a little dizzy is a good thing.”
“That’s you’re opinion,” Marie mumbled as she wound her arms about his neck, pressing her face against his chest. “You’re not the one who has to watch.”
“No, but I am the one who feels like he was trampled by a chariot,” Logan reminded her, giving her a tight squeeze. “I am also incredibly cold and would like to go put something warm on.”
Marie pulled back immediately and all but dragged Logan back towards the area of the temple the four had encamped in. Logan went more than willingly, eager to put on something other than the leather kilt he was already wearing. For winter, the weather was much warmer than he was used to. Still, the temperature was too cold to go around wearing the same amount of clothes he would in the middle of summer.
By the time Reynaldo had finished preparing their breakfast, Marie had inspected all of Logan’s wounds to her satisfaction, spreading healing balms on all the cuts and scrapes. To Logan’s complete disbelief, Marie also insisted on cutting his hair. He tried to dissuade her, trying to convince her that his hair was perfectly fine.
“There is nothing wrong with my hair, Marie. It really isn’t that much longer than Reynaldo’s and I do see you going after him with your scissors,” Logan muttered as he dutifully sat still while Marie trimmed the hair at the back of his head.
Marie thwacked him lightly on the shoulder. “Your hair is wild as a madman’s, Logan. I will not cut it too short. Just short enough so that it will fall neatly and not stick out every which way.”
“In that case, I feel that it is my duty to warn your that my hair will stick up every which way no matter what the length of my hair,” Logan said with a smirk that soon turned somber. “It always used to vex my mother terribly.”
Leaning forward, Marie pressed a kiss against his shoulder. “You’re mother would be very proud of you, Logan. Just as I am.”
Once Marie was satisfied with Logan’s hair, she brushed all the clippings from his shoulders and neck before handing him the warm clothes she had acquired for him. The thick tunic was a dark green and the leggings were a sandy brown colour, both of which provided Logan with a great deal of warmth. The haircut and clothes combined with his cloak made Logan appear every bit the average Roman. The finery of the garments hailed him to be of richer stock than a common farmer and gave the illusion that he was an aristocrat. His roughened hands hinted at soldiery which was the only part of his new persona that Logan wouldn’t have to invent.
Rather, the only fact besides his love of Marie. His devotion to her would never need to be faked because Logan had every intention of loving her until the end of his days.
By mid-morning, the four travellers had packed up their camp and were once again on the road, following a path that only Reynaldo seemed to know.
Being on horse for the first time in many long months, Logan felt as though he had only ridden the day before. The animal that Marie had chosen for him was remarkably similar to the one he had owned back home. A three-year-old jet black stallion that could be directed with a simple nudging of his knees just as easily as it would with the reigns.
Despite Marie’s constant worrying, Logan rode easily with barely any pain. That which he did feel could quickly ignored. Logan was not about to be concerned with something as minor as stiff muscles in his abdomen when he was a free man after many long months of captivity. What Logan did now was his own choice. He had free range of movement in all his limbs and was no longer enslaved by a thick metal collar on the end of a chain.
As Logan helped Marie down from the saddle late that afternoon when they stopped for the night, he held her close, smoothing a few wind swept strands of hair from her face with a gentle hand. “You gave me my freedom, fair Artemis. Something which I had never dared hope to experience again.”
“I am only sorry that I could not grant it to you sooner, glorious Cernunos,” Marie murmured softly and she fingered the carved silver caps on each end of his torc. Her dark eyes, however, were trained on his face as she spoke.
Logan lightly cupped her cheek and lowered his forehead against hers. “This means that I am yours forever, my beautiful goddess.”
“As I am yours, my brave god.” As she spoke, Marie’s eyes slid shut and a tender smile spread across her face. “For eternity.”
“For eternity,” Logan agreed, allowing his own eyes to close.
“These horses do not unpack themselves,” Reynaldo said as he passed close to where Marie and Logan were standing. “So I suggest that Artemis leave Cernunos be long enough for him to unload your horses unless you plan on sleeping on the cold, hard earth.”