Felix and the Ultimate Treasure
I know the spelling and grammar are awful but my story is here for you to see.
Felix and the Ultimate treasure.
By Ronaele Nitram
Hey there, my name is Felix. A couple weeks ago, I was a regular slave belonging to master Lucius Salvius Iucundus. It was my thirtieth birthday, the minimum age a slave can be freed. Things seemed normal. However little did I know that within twenty-four hours I would embark on one of the biggest adventures of all time. I got up before dawn to start my cleaning duties before my master woke up and had his regular breakfast of bread and a cup of water. After the mourning meal I would go let my master’s clients into the atrium. It was one of the few duties that I didn’t mind. The majority of the clients were old friends and fellow slaves who were now feed men. They would come in, greet my master and receive a smell amount of money from him. In exchange for this money, they would help out an support my master on public occasions. Sometimes they worked for him as well.
Someday I hoped that I too would be freed, I didn’t know what I hoped to do with my life, but I did know that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my days cleaning.
However I’d have been lying if I said my life was boring. My master is anything but boring. He’s generally a funny, nice guy who treats his slaves well. He was true to his word, an attribute I admired in him. He would never break a promise even if he was completely drunk when he made it, which unfortunately he often was. My master was notorious for being a heavy drinker, and one of the richest people in all of Pompeii. He also was known for his hospitality and awesome parties. It was at one of these parties that my adventure began.
The eve of my 30th birthday was a nice one. It was summertime so my master and his guests were eating in the inner dining room that faced out onto the garden. I went to offer him and his guests some wine.He turned his head slowly to look at me. “felicshh…whys donts yers comes heeere” he said, evidently drunk. This was not unusual but what he said next made my jaw drop. “Yers should cum and eat with urss. Hic.” “Sir!” I responded. “That would make me a freed man…” After that he loudly proclaimed in front of all his friends that I was a freed man. There are several ways to free a slave, among them are inviting them to recline on the couch at dinner, declaring there freedom in front of friends or a legal ceremony. My master didn’t free me for the usual reasons like, as a reward for good service or as a sign of friendship, but there was no doubt I was free. Deciding that my master might regret his decision when he was sober, and thinking I would leave with a bang, I ran out of the house screaming “liberty!” I didn’t know what exactly I was going to do with my freedom, but one thing I did know. My days of labor were over. I felt optimistic, and ready to face the world as a civilian.
However as the night progressed, I felt increasingly vulnerable. My status had only changed from being a slave to being a hobo. I had no where to turn for shelter or food. I was beginning to think I would just curl up and die in solitude when a hand grabbed me from behind and shoved me into a dark ally. I was about to scream when I turned and faced the person who had grabbed me. He was tall, skinny and had the dark hair common to most Pompeian’s. I gawped. There stood the masters son Julius, grinning at me. Julius and I were great friends, I was the slave who was supposed to escort him to and from school and inform my master of his progresses. However in reality, we skipped class and got into all kinds of trouble together. We were partners in crime from when he was 7 and going to the ludi magester for lessons. When he turned 11 and switched to the gramaticus we had to stop our “adventures” because people found out we were skipping. Julius continued to hate school until he was 15 and got to go to the rehtor to learn about debating. Julius was one of the best public speakers in all of Pompeii.
I hoped Julius would help me, though in truth I was surprised to see him. Three months ago Julius ran away from home, and I was about to find out why.
“Felix! Old friend, what brings you to the city streets at this late hour? Surely my drunken father is hosting another one of his wretched parties? I would think you would be there right now. How is it that you come to be roaming the streets looking like kicked puppy?”I quickly told my friend the story and begged his help in finding a home and job. It then occurred to me to wonder why we were talking in the shadows of a dingy old ally. “Of course, I would be happy to be your benefactor Felix, though, In return I wonder if you help me out.” Julius had a look of mischief in his eyes.“I’m happy to volunteer my services in any way possible, but how can a homeless freed man possibly help you?” I tried to interrogate my old friend further but he evaded all questions, saying that we needed to talk elsewhere.
It was very late now as Julius led me down the straight roads that divided Pompeii into neat blocks. I tried to take in were we were going. We passed a long street full of closed shops. I recognized it. It was northeast of the stadium and the baths. It was the main shopping place, next of course to the forum. For the most part, the streets were empty, aside from the sign painters, painting slogans by torchlight. Many used ladders to reach high places. Most of the messages were political, even tough the election wasn’t until the end of March. At last when I thought my feet were going to fall off, we reached what looked to be a dingy old tavern, in the back alleys of Pompeii. A warm flickering light sneaked through the shutters. Julius knocked three times on the door and then waited. I heard the thump as the wooden plank that served as a lock was removed. Then the door swung open to reveal a big muscular man who I took to be the bouncer. I was a little surprised when the man saluted Julius, like he was the dominant person. I had no time to ponder the mater further because at that point Julius ushered me in to the dimly lit room.
The room was packed with people, sitting at a bar, at table’s playing cards, arm wrestling, eating and above all drinking. They all called greetings when they saw Julius and asked who the new guy was. Normally I’m quite sociable but just then I was feeling irritable. I was so tired my brain wasn’t working properly. I had worked all day, and then walked for hours before and after I met up with Julius. I was hungry to; I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten today. I was about to complain that I didn’t want to speak and my main priority was finding a bed, when I felt my legs give way. I am a little ashamed to say that I fell into a dreamless sleep right there on the cold stone floor.
When I came to, the sun was already up. I got up slowly, still feeling sore from the night before. I appeared to be in a sort of dormitory. I walked over the door but didn’t open it, because I had just heard Julius mention my name. “…..He’s an old friend, I saw him wondering the streets looking lost, and I thought he could help us.” “Is he trust worthy and does he have the skills necessary?” a deep female voice answered.“Course! We were always Nicking stuff on market day” Julius respondedI smiled for a moment, every 9th day of the month was a market day, and we had the day off school, same as public festivals. What Julius said was true, we were always stealing stuff, mainly food. Still, what did they need me for that involved stealing? I was would have listened longer but just then Julius said would go wake me up. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping I hurried back to my bed and pretended to sleep. Then I had to pretend to wake up and come for breakfast.
I opened the door to a large bar room, dimly light by what sun crept in through the shutters. I soon saw I wasn’t the only one who had slept late, people were sitting at tables with breakfast in front of them. Some clutched there head in there hands, others were groaning. I smiled to my self, if those men and women didn’t have a hang over, then my master wasn’t Lucius Salvius Iucundus. I remembered the dormitory I had slept in. It was a long room with plenty of beds. I guessed that most of the people I saw lived here, either that or they were to drunk last night to go home.Sitting at the bar was Julius, he was being served a glass of water by a tall muscular women. I guessed her to be the woman that was talking to Julius earlier. She had pale skin and blond hair. There was no way she was roman. Her appearance was uncommon, even in as diverse a place as Pompeii. I had grown up seeing Africans, Jews, Greeks, Spaniards and others. I guessed she was a freedman like me, probably taken to Pompeii by pirates. There were many ways to become a slave, I was born to slave parents, thus making me a slave. You could also be taken as a prisoner of war. Most teachers were. The Greeks soldiers were well educated so it was a waste to kill them.Julius bid me good morning and invited me to sit down. He introduced me to the women, her name was Bjork Snorlessen and apparently she owned the tavern. Bjork smiled at me in a maternal sort of way and asked me what I would like to eat. Normally it’s uncommon to have a large meal at breakfast but I fell asleep before I had a chance to eat last night so today was an exception. As I was stuffing my face, Julius told me exactly what he and I were doing here.“Have you ever heard of the phrase Honor Among thieves Felix?” I snorted loudly into my food. It never occurred to me that honor and thieves would ever be used in the same sentence.“Well anyway I assure you such a thing exists, but you need to join us before I can tell you more” At this I was taken aback,
It appeared that I would have to join before they told me what exactly I was getting into. Julius looked at me apologetically. “I promise you will have food and shelter, if you join, but the work is perilous and I will understand if you say no.”As much as my mind told me that working with Julius would be big trouble, I just couldn’t think of an alternative. “Alright, let’s hear what this is all about; I’m in” Julius grinned “Welcome to the thieves’ guild Felix!” I felt my eyebrows rise, but I couldn’t say I was all that surprised, what with the conversation I had overheard. Then Julius told me the rest of his story.
Three months ago Julius caught a thief trying to steal wine from his father. Rather that send her to the authorities he got to talking with her (well that’s Julius for you) anyways It turned out the thief was none other then Bjork Snorlessen. Bjork was freed when her master died, being a women she could not find work. In her old country she ran a bar with her husband, so when she found an abandoned in, she cleaned it up and set about steeling some stuff for her to sell.Now Julius was a thief himself (though at the time no one but me knew) so he made Bjork a deal, he would not turn her in if she helped him out. It had not taken long for a quick witted man like Julius to see that they could make bigger profits if they worked together. Soon they recruited many other thieves and formed the thieves’ guild. The thieves’ guild home base was Bjork tavern, Julius lived there after he ran away. Since many of them were wanted by the law, most of the thieves lived there too.
Julius pointed out the regulars and told me stuff about each one. There was Clemens, a tall gangly fellow who apparently was very smart, though this was often over looked because of his speech impediment. There was Syphax, a blind man who was so sensitive to noise that he could here people coming long before other look outs saw them and raised the alarm. Syphaxs other senses were so good that he was better at moving around in the dark then those who relied on there eyes. There was the pugnacious Pugnax, a man who fit his name well. Pug (as his friends called him) used to be either a slave or a condemned criminal who was sent to become a gladiator. Thankfully he was very good at fighting. As a successful gladiator he received many gifts from his admirers. Eventually Pug earned the wooden sword, witch meant he was freed from life as a gladiator and would never have to fight again. However this did not apparently suite pug, for he was glad for the opportunity to join the guild and take part in it mischief. He had made a large donation too, most of which went to furnishing the tavern.Last but not least there was Grumio, a Mendacious and deceptive man and a real hazard to anyone not in the thief’s guild. Thankfully for us, he regarded the guild and all its members as family and would never cheat any of us.
After I had been introduced to everyone we all went to go to the baths together. Apparently it was a sort of tradition when a new member joined the guild. When we got there I was a little worried, The Ostiarius (the doorkeeper) required a small fee to let us enter, and although it wasn’t much, I had left my masters house with nothing at all. However Julius paid for me. The Ostiarius wasn’t surprised to see so many of us, for it was common to go to the baths with friends. We changed in the apoditarium and handed our cloths to the slave who put them in stone cubbies. The bathes are really more like a social club. We talked, played sports and got to know each other better. By the time we left I felt like I had been friends with these men all my life.
After me and Julius bid farewell to the others and left for the forum. Bjork needed some shopping done and I needed some new clothes, ones that did not mark me as a slave. People filled the streets of the forum as wheeled traffic was not allowed to enter. It was really no wonder, as I frankly just couldn’t see how any wagon would manage. I looked at the various carved and painted pictures that showed what each shop sold, I could read because I had learned when I escorted Julius to school, but to those who couldn’t these pictures serves as signs. We entered one that had a carving of a goat, it was a dairy. There we bought fresh cheese for Bjork. After we entered one shop that depicted a person selling clothes. We bought a white toga for me along with sandals, slippers and a tunic. I gave Julius a strange look when he picked out these items, he explained to me that the Slippers would help be move about quietly and that the tunic was easier to move in then a toga. I have expected Julius to steal the items but he paid like everyone else. Later he said that he avoids stealing from hard working fold when possible. He mainly robs rich men who can afford to lose some Denari. When we were finished shopping we went to check the bulletin board for news. The bulletin board was fixed across the pedestal of three statues. There were official announcements, as well as many personal messages. Julius said sometimes people offer rewards for stuff they stole, and oddly enough the reward is often worth more than the object is itself so sometimes they got Pug to dress up like a respectable man and return it sayings some story about how he beat up a lot of thieves to get it back. Most of the time people don’t question him, come to think of it, I wouldn’t question the old gladiator. After he was done looking at messages Julius inscribed a message of his own in writing that was barely legible. I wasn’t good enough at reading to make out what it said, but Julius told me later that it was a advertisement selling our stolen goods, we had to be careful about selling, least the owner come and recognize there stuff. It was about noon when we heeded back to Bjork’s tavern, where Julius said what was on the thieves’ agenda that night. t was about noon when we heeded back to Bjork’s tavern, where Julius said what was on the thieves’ agenda that night.
When Julius and I got back to Bjork’s tavern it was still a little early so most of the Guild members hadn’t arrived yet. Grumio was there so we talked, Some how we all got into a heated debate. I had said that Julius’s late uncle must be sad because he was not barred on a very busy road. Everyone knew that the dead liked to be near the living. At that point Grumio said that he was a follower of the Greek Epicurus and did not believe in life after death. He said that when a person died there life dissolved into the air. Bjork joked that that was why Grumio could commit so much sin, because he didn’t believe that he would pay for it in the next life like she did. After this conversation it really struck me how different our backgrounds were. We were all surprised to find out that Pug was actually Christian. Evidently that was his crime when he was sent to be a gladiator. Now a day he kept his god to himself. This made Julius angry, and I could tell he was thinking about doing something about it. Julius asked Pug if a person had betrayed him to the authorities and whether that mans name was Hermogenese Belicimus Quintus. At this, Pug was shocked and asked how Julius came to know about that. Julius said that Pug had mentioned the name Hermogenese to him before, and after that he had manually gone through all the Hermogenese in Pompeii until he found the right one. Everyone in the room went silent, we all had the feeling that Julius’s story was not yet over.
“I think I recall that Hermogenese had some vary valuable antiques did he not?” Said Julius now grinning. Pug nodded, confirming the fact.
“I think, for the sake of our friend Pug, we should extract those valuables from Hermogenese home tonight.” Every one of us cheered, we liked the idea of stealing from someone who had wronged Pug.
Some how Julius had come across the blue prints of Hermogenese house. Clemens laid it out on the table and told everyone there duties and where they would be. He was a little hard to understand because of his speech impediment, but there was no doubt it was a good plan. Syphax would stay outside and be the lookout. Pugnax would break in and fight of anyone who tried to stop us. Also he would double as a distraction, everyone would be focused on him that they would not notice me and Julius sneak inside from elsewhere to steel the antiques. Bjork would be staying behind in case we all got caught and needed help. After everyone Knew there role, they dispersed. My first break in would begin at midnight.
By the time it was midnight I was trembling all over, I felt terrified, exhilarated and bored as I sat and waited for everything to begin. I had changed into my slippers and tunic and also had a sac that held various things such as rope, bandages, an unlit torch and a portable water jug. Julius said we could use the water to help reduce our sent if we were tracked by dogs. Julius had also given me an old leather belt with many pouches. In it was some dried meat (In case we needed to bribe some animals) an iron dagger, a money bag (again, for bribes) and a set of lock picks. I was not very good with the lock picks, Julius had only shown me how to use them just this evening, but I was good enough. Besides Julius would be with me and he was a master lock picker.
Julius and I were stationed at the back exit of the house. Pugnax was waiting at the front door with Grumio, who would give us a signal when it was time for us to enter. Syphax had gotten up onto the roof, I had no idea how he managed this because roman houses had very high walls and little to hold on to because the windows were high up as well. Besides that Syphax was blind as a bat. Syphax was directly above the atrium, which was smart as the compluvium (the opening in the roof) allowed him to hear what was going on inside and out side the house. Clemens was up there with him acting as Syphax’s eyes. Everyone was in there places, it was time to begin.
Pug entered the house without trouble. Apparently the whole house slept like a log. When Grumio gave us the signal, it was show time for me and Julius.
We crept silently down the halls, our steps muffled by our slippers. Hermogenese house was nice, it was full mosaics, statues and portraits of a sour faced man whom I took to be Hermogenese. Pug was looting a chest in the atrium that contained some family treasures, so we made our way to the study. In the study we found some unfinished accounting. I looked at the account log and Julius found the box in which hermogenes money was stored. We left enough money so Hermogenese could pay for taxes and some food, but we took all the money for cloths, entertainment and other luxuries. Julius grinned; it would be a tight month for Hermogenese. I also pocketed a rather old scroll and a rather important looking document because I had seen the words valuable, roman treasure, and map written on it. I also stole Hermogenes account book, and incinerated it in the fire of my torch, just to annoy him. We were leaving the study feeling quite victorious when I herd a shout and a splash of water coming from the atrium. My heart turned to ice as I turned to look at Julian, I could tell he had come to the same conclusion I had. In the next moment Julian and I were racing down the hall, even as we herd people in the household wakening up. My heart was thumping so hard I was certain everyone could hear it.
When we reached the atrium my fears were confirmed. Syphax (or maybe Clemens, I couldn’t tell in the dark) had fallen into the impluvium (a marble lined pool for catching rainwater. Pugnax was fighting of the guard dogs that had awoken. Grumio was trying to lift the person who I now saw to be Clemens, because had sprained his leg, or maybe broken it. Ether way Clemens was to heavy for Grumio to carry alone. Julius and I gave our bags of loot to Grumio and took Clemens. Syphax was now in the front doorway yelling at us to get out. We didn’t need another warning, Julius and I ran awkwardly supporting Clemens. Grumio speeded ahead with the loot. Syphax was shouting at Pugnax who was still fighting the dogs. Pug ran out the door and Syphax who was waiting slammed it shut so the dogs couldn’t follow. However it would not be long before we would be perused. Julius and I were to slow with Clemens, so pug took him and flung him onto his shoulder. Together we sprinted through the dark streets, Syphax listing for followers. It had started to rain, which was a blessing and a curse. It was good because it meant the hounds couldn’t smell us, but it was bad because it also meant the streets were slippery making running much more difficult. Finally after what seemed like hours of slipping in the dark we reached Bjork’s tavern. Not wanting to draw attention to ourselves we slipped quietly inside. Syphax said we had not been followed, but we bolted the door anyway, just in case. Then we all collapsed on the floor, exhausted.
No one said anything for quite some time, we were all to busy catching our breath. Clemens looked green from his ride on pug’s shoulder. Bjork came over and gave us all something to drink, she was curious but she waited for us to cool down before she asked about the night.
Syphax told Bjork everything as she tended to Clemens. Thankfully it was only a sprain, frankly I couldn’t see how he didn’t break anything. Bjork just shrugged and said the gods must have smiled upon him. Then we all sat in a circle and examined our findings. We divided the coins, giving a third to Bjork because she paid for our meals and the in and then divided the rest between ourselves. Pugnax had found many things in the chest in the atrium. There was gold jewelry, writing equipment, and a bunch of other stuff. But the main article of interest was the documents I had picked up. Julius, who was the best reader out of all of us read it, it apparently described an ancient roman treasure, but Julius refused to tell us any more until he had deciphered the rest of it. I was curious, but everyone else was more interested in the gold and valuables. Everyone was talking about what they would buy. Syphax wanted to buy a dog, so that it could see the stuff he couldn’t. He also liked spending money on food. Pug and Grumio wanted to buy new weapons. Bjork would spend her money on the inn, and save the rest. I asked what she was saving up for. She stared into space for a bit and said nothing for a long time, when she said simply that she was saving up for a ship. Then she got up and said she was going to bed. I looked at Julius, He had known Bjork the longest, perhaps he knew what was up. He took me aside and told me the story.
Bjork never told anyone how she came to be a slave, or how she came to be freed. She didn’t like to talk about her old life, but she couldn’t forget about it either. Apparently she had two daughters, and one day she wanted to return to them.
I felt that Julius’s story had created more questions then answers but at any rate it was time for bed.
It was way too early in the morning when I was shaken awake. I grumbled complaints and rolled over in my bed trying to go back to bed.
“Don’t be an ass Felix, its festival day, there’s a show at the amphitheater! We want to get there early to get good seats! I grumbled about how it’s stupid that we would want to get there early so we could sit on the hard seats even longer. I got up anyway and my mood improved as I woke up more.
The show was great. Most people liked the pantomimes (a sort of mix between opera and ballet) the best. The plots in pantomimes are often taken from Greek myths. I find them to serious though. I preferred the short plays written about Italian everyday life. These were very funny and had a lot of dirty jokes and horse play. At the end of the day we were all in high spirits, we went to the forum and spent all our winnings from the previous night. Syphax did buy a dog. It was very big, and had curly silver hair. Syphax named it Nero. I have absolutely no idea why. Nero was very protective of Syphax. He would make an excellent Seeing Eye dog. The only one who didn’t approve of Nero was Bjork, She clamed that he would annihilate her food stores. She calmed down when Syphax said that he would pay for Nero’s food. We went home and had dinner, it was leftovers but we didn’t care. After we had all finished eating Julius pulled out the papers I had stolen from Hermogenese. I wasn’t sure I liked the look in his eyes. If I knew Julius, he was scheming something. When Julius was a boy that look always meant trouble, Trouble with a capital T.
“Well friends, it seems the gods are smiling upon us, or at least they’re smiling upon Felix, because these papers contain information that is more valuable than anything we could ever dream of.”
At this we all shifted uncomfortably in our seats. Every thief knew that valuable information was dangerous. Julius spoke again.
“Relax friends, this is not information that will get us hanged. On the contrary, you could say it was addressed to us. For this is a challenge to the thieves, from none other than Mercury, the thief god himself.”
“From Hermes?” asked Grumio. Grumio was Greek and new the gods by different names.
“Yes,” Julius replied, “but let me finish my story, or actually let me tell it from the beginning. Hermogenese is actually a thief himself, because these documents do not belong to him, they belong to Rome and the temple of Hermes, as they are a relict of the gods. Some how he stole these documents.”
“All well and good Julius but what are these papers?” I asked.
“I already told you”, said Julius, a little impatient. “It is a letter from Hermes, proposing a challenge to all thieves.”
“Surely we shall die if we are found with such a treasure”, said Syphax who was clearly worried.
“That my friends, is the best part. This is NOT the original. It is a copy that Hermogenese thought was original. Hermogenese stole these copies of the original text thinking they were real, but he is not a true thief, or else he would have known a fake when he saw it. Regardless, no one will care that we own a copy of a sacred text. This is an exact copy, and has all the information of the original, so we are free to take on the challenge.”
“Why would we want to go on a goose hunt?” I asked a little confused.
“You will see when I read you the challenge.”, and then Julius read to us:
Mortals of the shadow, stealth and guile,
I speak to all who call themselves thieves
And place upon them a challenge
For which the rewards are greater than you could ever know
But you must use all your skills to find
The greatest treasure.
Find a boat that was earned by thievery
Sail it to Rome and find
The things that will lead you to your goal
Find a traitor who seeks redemption
And help him on the path of light
Find the one with a bloodied past
And lead him to his home.
Take from each person you meet
One small piece of advise
And follow their word to the golden lock
You’ll already own the key
There you will find treasure and become the kings of thieves
But keep in mind,
Though you may set out with seven
One will be left behind.
When Julius finished there was silence in the room. I don’t know how to explain it but I knew that everyone had reached an unspoken agreement. We would take on this challenge, no mater how crazy it seemed, it was only a question of when we would begin.
“I want everyone to pack up tonight,” said Julius, “We leave on the morrow.”
Everyone was shocked. Why leave so soon?
“Everything has been arranged. We will steal my fathers boat.” At this the others seemed surprised. Julius didn’t often talk about his father. It probably hadn’t occurred to the others that he had one. I realized that aside from me and Bjork, none of them new anything about Julius’ background. They probably had no idea exactly how rich his family was.
“It is a cargo ship, supposed to leave tomorrow to trade and that’s why were going so soon. It’s stocked with enough food for all, and I’ve convinced a couple of my father’s sailors to help us sail to Rome. But enough chitchat. You guys have from now to 5 o’clock to do whatever you need to before we leave.”
After that, we dispersed. I snuck back to my master’s house to say good bye to some old friends. It finally occurred to me that I didn’t need to think of him as my master anymore and that thought made me feel very odd. I pondered this as I went back to Bjork’s tavern to pack up what little belongings I had.
I was shoving the last of my clothes into my bag when I heard muffed sounds coming from Bjork’s room. Being a woman, Bjork had her own room.
I wonder what the matter was. The question that had been bothering me all day formed in my mind. What had happened when Bjork was a slave? The life of a slave can be very difficult, but something told me something else happened to Bjork. Bjork was strong. As strong as any man, but some how I did not think she was always that way. I decided that I would go talk to her.
That turned out to be easier said than done. After all, what do you say to strong a middle aged woman who is crying? I certainly didn’t know. I looked around the room, searching for something to say. I had never been in Bjork’s room before. On one wall there was a large mural of the fates. In the corner there was a bed, where Bjork sat. On a wall there was a wooden sword, as well as a real one. Aside from that the room was empty. Bjork looked up at me. Everything I was going to say rushed from my mind. Seeing the gladius on the wall I blurted, “Did you know that gladiator games were originally meant to be a way of appeasing the gods and adverting Rome from disaster?” You can imagine how stupid I felt when Bjork cried harder then before. It was a very awkward moment for me. I was about to give up and leave when Bjork said, “In 11 AD free born women under age 20 were forbidden from being gladiators.” I stared into space, I had absolutely no Idea what Bjork was talking about. I remembered vaguely that emperor Domitian had arranged for female gladiators, otherwise known as Amazons or Gladiatrices, to fight dwarfs in the arena. I wondered if Bjork was waiting for a response, but she didn’t seem to be talking to anyone in particular, she was lost in her own memories.
“It was cold when they came, there was snow. I had told the girls to run while I held them off. I was not as strong then as I am now, but I still fought them. They seemed to think the idea of a women fighting rather entertaining. So they took me to the arena.”
“Bjork?” I asked uncertainly. She seemed to snap out of her weird daze. When she spoke again she talked like a normal person.
“I have lots of bad memories of Rome, Felix. When I was captured as a slave I was sent to be a female gladiator.” Bjork spoke quickly like she needed to get all the words out before she lost the courage to say them.
“I’m not surprised if you haven’t heard of us, we were not very common. We were a novelty, I mean, women fighting like men? quite the specialty act. I fought because I had to, but most of the other women? They were wealthy. It was mostly the rich roman women who fought in the arena.
“But why?” I asked.
“Mainly they fought for attention rather then money.” said Bjork. Then she pointed at the gladius hanging on the wall. “That was the sword I fought with. We were equipped similarly to the men. We had an arm protector, and an Ocrea, a metal body shield. However, we fought without tunics or helmets.”
Bjork’s voice died out, she didn’t seem to be able to say anymore. I was speechless myself, but when I looked at Bjork I knew it was ok. Really, she had just wanted to tell some one her story.
“I think that I will never return to Pompeii after tomorrow. I’m going home when we are done”
I tried once again to say something, but Bjork had gone to sleep. I went back to my room. I wondered what the future held for me. How much would change? Would I ever be home again? How would we get on if Bjork left us to find her family? I didn’t know. You never really know when you start on an adventure, especially if you have Julius with you. With that thought, I smiled and fell asleep. Tomorrow, we were off to Rome on a stolen boat to find a, “traitor who seeks redemption.”
END OF PART ONE
Felix and the Ultimate treasure.
By Ronaele Nitram
Hey there, my name is Felix. A couple weeks ago, I was a regular slave belonging to master Lucius Salvius Iucundus. It was my thirtieth birthday, the minimum age a slave can be freed. Things seemed normal. However little did I know that within twenty-four hours I would embark on one of the biggest adventures of all time. I got up before dawn to start my cleaning duties before my master woke up and had his regular breakfast of bread and a cup of water. After the mourning meal I would go let my master’s clients into the atrium. It was one of the few duties that I didn’t mind. The majority of the clients were old friends and fellow slaves who were now feed men. They would come in, greet my master and receive a smell amount of money from him. In exchange for this money, they would help out an support my master on public occasions. Sometimes they worked for him as well.
Someday I hoped that I too would be freed, I didn’t know what I hoped to do with my life, but I did know that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my days cleaning.
However I’d have been lying if I said my life was boring. My master is anything but boring. He’s generally a funny, nice guy who treats his slaves well. He was true to his word, an attribute I admired in him. He would never break a promise even if he was completely drunk when he made it, which unfortunately he often was. My master was notorious for being a heavy drinker, and one of the richest people in all of Pompeii. He also was known for his hospitality and awesome parties. It was at one of these parties that my adventure began.
The eve of my 30th birthday was a nice one. It was summertime so my master and his guests were eating in the inner dining room that faced out onto the garden. I went to offer him and his guests some wine.He turned his head slowly to look at me. “felicshh…whys donts yers comes heeere” he said, evidently drunk. This was not unusual but what he said next made my jaw drop. “Yers should cum and eat with urss. Hic.” “Sir!” I responded. “That would make me a freed man…” After that he loudly proclaimed in front of all his friends that I was a freed man. There are several ways to free a slave, among them are inviting them to recline on the couch at dinner, declaring there freedom in front of friends or a legal ceremony. My master didn’t free me for the usual reasons like, as a reward for good service or as a sign of friendship, but there was no doubt I was free. Deciding that my master might regret his decision when he was sober, and thinking I would leave with a bang, I ran out of the house screaming “liberty!” I didn’t know what exactly I was going to do with my freedom, but one thing I did know. My days of labor were over. I felt optimistic, and ready to face the world as a civilian.
However as the night progressed, I felt increasingly vulnerable. My status had only changed from being a slave to being a hobo. I had no where to turn for shelter or food. I was beginning to think I would just curl up and die in solitude when a hand grabbed me from behind and shoved me into a dark ally. I was about to scream when I turned and faced the person who had grabbed me. He was tall, skinny and had the dark hair common to most Pompeian’s. I gawped. There stood the masters son Julius, grinning at me. Julius and I were great friends, I was the slave who was supposed to escort him to and from school and inform my master of his progresses. However in reality, we skipped class and got into all kinds of trouble together. We were partners in crime from when he was 7 and going to the ludi magester for lessons. When he turned 11 and switched to the gramaticus we had to stop our “adventures” because people found out we were skipping. Julius continued to hate school until he was 15 and got to go to the rehtor to learn about debating. Julius was one of the best public speakers in all of Pompeii.
I hoped Julius would help me, though in truth I was surprised to see him. Three months ago Julius ran away from home, and I was about to find out why.
“Felix! Old friend, what brings you to the city streets at this late hour? Surely my drunken father is hosting another one of his wretched parties? I would think you would be there right now. How is it that you come to be roaming the streets looking like kicked puppy?”I quickly told my friend the story and begged his help in finding a home and job. It then occurred to me to wonder why we were talking in the shadows of a dingy old ally. “Of course, I would be happy to be your benefactor Felix, though, In return I wonder if you help me out.” Julius had a look of mischief in his eyes.“I’m happy to volunteer my services in any way possible, but how can a homeless freed man possibly help you?” I tried to interrogate my old friend further but he evaded all questions, saying that we needed to talk elsewhere.
It was very late now as Julius led me down the straight roads that divided Pompeii into neat blocks. I tried to take in were we were going. We passed a long street full of closed shops. I recognized it. It was northeast of the stadium and the baths. It was the main shopping place, next of course to the forum. For the most part, the streets were empty, aside from the sign painters, painting slogans by torchlight. Many used ladders to reach high places. Most of the messages were political, even tough the election wasn’t until the end of March. At last when I thought my feet were going to fall off, we reached what looked to be a dingy old tavern, in the back alleys of Pompeii. A warm flickering light sneaked through the shutters. Julius knocked three times on the door and then waited. I heard the thump as the wooden plank that served as a lock was removed. Then the door swung open to reveal a big muscular man who I took to be the bouncer. I was a little surprised when the man saluted Julius, like he was the dominant person. I had no time to ponder the mater further because at that point Julius ushered me in to the dimly lit room.
The room was packed with people, sitting at a bar, at table’s playing cards, arm wrestling, eating and above all drinking. They all called greetings when they saw Julius and asked who the new guy was. Normally I’m quite sociable but just then I was feeling irritable. I was so tired my brain wasn’t working properly. I had worked all day, and then walked for hours before and after I met up with Julius. I was hungry to; I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten today. I was about to complain that I didn’t want to speak and my main priority was finding a bed, when I felt my legs give way. I am a little ashamed to say that I fell into a dreamless sleep right there on the cold stone floor.
When I came to, the sun was already up. I got up slowly, still feeling sore from the night before. I appeared to be in a sort of dormitory. I walked over the door but didn’t open it, because I had just heard Julius mention my name. “…..He’s an old friend, I saw him wondering the streets looking lost, and I thought he could help us.” “Is he trust worthy and does he have the skills necessary?” a deep female voice answered.“Course! We were always Nicking stuff on market day” Julius respondedI smiled for a moment, every 9th day of the month was a market day, and we had the day off school, same as public festivals. What Julius said was true, we were always stealing stuff, mainly food. Still, what did they need me for that involved stealing? I was would have listened longer but just then Julius said would go wake me up. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping I hurried back to my bed and pretended to sleep. Then I had to pretend to wake up and come for breakfast.
I opened the door to a large bar room, dimly light by what sun crept in through the shutters. I soon saw I wasn’t the only one who had slept late, people were sitting at tables with breakfast in front of them. Some clutched there head in there hands, others were groaning. I smiled to my self, if those men and women didn’t have a hang over, then my master wasn’t Lucius Salvius Iucundus. I remembered the dormitory I had slept in. It was a long room with plenty of beds. I guessed that most of the people I saw lived here, either that or they were to drunk last night to go home.Sitting at the bar was Julius, he was being served a glass of water by a tall muscular women. I guessed her to be the woman that was talking to Julius earlier. She had pale skin and blond hair. There was no way she was roman. Her appearance was uncommon, even in as diverse a place as Pompeii. I had grown up seeing Africans, Jews, Greeks, Spaniards and others. I guessed she was a freedman like me, probably taken to Pompeii by pirates. There were many ways to become a slave, I was born to slave parents, thus making me a slave. You could also be taken as a prisoner of war. Most teachers were. The Greeks soldiers were well educated so it was a waste to kill them.Julius bid me good morning and invited me to sit down. He introduced me to the women, her name was Bjork Snorlessen and apparently she owned the tavern. Bjork smiled at me in a maternal sort of way and asked me what I would like to eat. Normally it’s uncommon to have a large meal at breakfast but I fell asleep before I had a chance to eat last night so today was an exception. As I was stuffing my face, Julius told me exactly what he and I were doing here.“Have you ever heard of the phrase Honor Among thieves Felix?” I snorted loudly into my food. It never occurred to me that honor and thieves would ever be used in the same sentence.“Well anyway I assure you such a thing exists, but you need to join us before I can tell you more” At this I was taken aback,
It appeared that I would have to join before they told me what exactly I was getting into. Julius looked at me apologetically. “I promise you will have food and shelter, if you join, but the work is perilous and I will understand if you say no.”As much as my mind told me that working with Julius would be big trouble, I just couldn’t think of an alternative. “Alright, let’s hear what this is all about; I’m in” Julius grinned “Welcome to the thieves’ guild Felix!” I felt my eyebrows rise, but I couldn’t say I was all that surprised, what with the conversation I had overheard. Then Julius told me the rest of his story.
Three months ago Julius caught a thief trying to steal wine from his father. Rather that send her to the authorities he got to talking with her (well that’s Julius for you) anyways It turned out the thief was none other then Bjork Snorlessen. Bjork was freed when her master died, being a women she could not find work. In her old country she ran a bar with her husband, so when she found an abandoned in, she cleaned it up and set about steeling some stuff for her to sell.Now Julius was a thief himself (though at the time no one but me knew) so he made Bjork a deal, he would not turn her in if she helped him out. It had not taken long for a quick witted man like Julius to see that they could make bigger profits if they worked together. Soon they recruited many other thieves and formed the thieves’ guild. The thieves’ guild home base was Bjork tavern, Julius lived there after he ran away. Since many of them were wanted by the law, most of the thieves lived there too.
Julius pointed out the regulars and told me stuff about each one. There was Clemens, a tall gangly fellow who apparently was very smart, though this was often over looked because of his speech impediment. There was Syphax, a blind man who was so sensitive to noise that he could here people coming long before other look outs saw them and raised the alarm. Syphaxs other senses were so good that he was better at moving around in the dark then those who relied on there eyes. There was the pugnacious Pugnax, a man who fit his name well. Pug (as his friends called him) used to be either a slave or a condemned criminal who was sent to become a gladiator. Thankfully he was very good at fighting. As a successful gladiator he received many gifts from his admirers. Eventually Pug earned the wooden sword, witch meant he was freed from life as a gladiator and would never have to fight again. However this did not apparently suite pug, for he was glad for the opportunity to join the guild and take part in it mischief. He had made a large donation too, most of which went to furnishing the tavern.Last but not least there was Grumio, a Mendacious and deceptive man and a real hazard to anyone not in the thief’s guild. Thankfully for us, he regarded the guild and all its members as family and would never cheat any of us.
After I had been introduced to everyone we all went to go to the baths together. Apparently it was a sort of tradition when a new member joined the guild. When we got there I was a little worried, The Ostiarius (the doorkeeper) required a small fee to let us enter, and although it wasn’t much, I had left my masters house with nothing at all. However Julius paid for me. The Ostiarius wasn’t surprised to see so many of us, for it was common to go to the baths with friends. We changed in the apoditarium and handed our cloths to the slave who put them in stone cubbies. The bathes are really more like a social club. We talked, played sports and got to know each other better. By the time we left I felt like I had been friends with these men all my life.
After me and Julius bid farewell to the others and left for the forum. Bjork needed some shopping done and I needed some new clothes, ones that did not mark me as a slave. People filled the streets of the forum as wheeled traffic was not allowed to enter. It was really no wonder, as I frankly just couldn’t see how any wagon would manage. I looked at the various carved and painted pictures that showed what each shop sold, I could read because I had learned when I escorted Julius to school, but to those who couldn’t these pictures serves as signs. We entered one that had a carving of a goat, it was a dairy. There we bought fresh cheese for Bjork. After we entered one shop that depicted a person selling clothes. We bought a white toga for me along with sandals, slippers and a tunic. I gave Julius a strange look when he picked out these items, he explained to me that the Slippers would help be move about quietly and that the tunic was easier to move in then a toga. I have expected Julius to steal the items but he paid like everyone else. Later he said that he avoids stealing from hard working fold when possible. He mainly robs rich men who can afford to lose some Denari. When we were finished shopping we went to check the bulletin board for news. The bulletin board was fixed across the pedestal of three statues. There were official announcements, as well as many personal messages. Julius said sometimes people offer rewards for stuff they stole, and oddly enough the reward is often worth more than the object is itself so sometimes they got Pug to dress up like a respectable man and return it sayings some story about how he beat up a lot of thieves to get it back. Most of the time people don’t question him, come to think of it, I wouldn’t question the old gladiator. After he was done looking at messages Julius inscribed a message of his own in writing that was barely legible. I wasn’t good enough at reading to make out what it said, but Julius told me later that it was a advertisement selling our stolen goods, we had to be careful about selling, least the owner come and recognize there stuff. It was about noon when we heeded back to Bjork’s tavern, where Julius said what was on the thieves’ agenda that night. t was about noon when we heeded back to Bjork’s tavern, where Julius said what was on the thieves’ agenda that night.
When Julius and I got back to Bjork’s tavern it was still a little early so most of the Guild members hadn’t arrived yet. Grumio was there so we talked, Some how we all got into a heated debate. I had said that Julius’s late uncle must be sad because he was not barred on a very busy road. Everyone knew that the dead liked to be near the living. At that point Grumio said that he was a follower of the Greek Epicurus and did not believe in life after death. He said that when a person died there life dissolved into the air. Bjork joked that that was why Grumio could commit so much sin, because he didn’t believe that he would pay for it in the next life like she did. After this conversation it really struck me how different our backgrounds were. We were all surprised to find out that Pug was actually Christian. Evidently that was his crime when he was sent to be a gladiator. Now a day he kept his god to himself. This made Julius angry, and I could tell he was thinking about doing something about it. Julius asked Pug if a person had betrayed him to the authorities and whether that mans name was Hermogenese Belicimus Quintus. At this, Pug was shocked and asked how Julius came to know about that. Julius said that Pug had mentioned the name Hermogenese to him before, and after that he had manually gone through all the Hermogenese in Pompeii until he found the right one. Everyone in the room went silent, we all had the feeling that Julius’s story was not yet over.
“I think I recall that Hermogenese had some vary valuable antiques did he not?” Said Julius now grinning. Pug nodded, confirming the fact.
“I think, for the sake of our friend Pug, we should extract those valuables from Hermogenese home tonight.” Every one of us cheered, we liked the idea of stealing from someone who had wronged Pug.
Some how Julius had come across the blue prints of Hermogenese house. Clemens laid it out on the table and told everyone there duties and where they would be. He was a little hard to understand because of his speech impediment, but there was no doubt it was a good plan. Syphax would stay outside and be the lookout. Pugnax would break in and fight of anyone who tried to stop us. Also he would double as a distraction, everyone would be focused on him that they would not notice me and Julius sneak inside from elsewhere to steel the antiques. Bjork would be staying behind in case we all got caught and needed help. After everyone Knew there role, they dispersed. My first break in would begin at midnight.
By the time it was midnight I was trembling all over, I felt terrified, exhilarated and bored as I sat and waited for everything to begin. I had changed into my slippers and tunic and also had a sac that held various things such as rope, bandages, an unlit torch and a portable water jug. Julius said we could use the water to help reduce our sent if we were tracked by dogs. Julius had also given me an old leather belt with many pouches. In it was some dried meat (In case we needed to bribe some animals) an iron dagger, a money bag (again, for bribes) and a set of lock picks. I was not very good with the lock picks, Julius had only shown me how to use them just this evening, but I was good enough. Besides Julius would be with me and he was a master lock picker.
Julius and I were stationed at the back exit of the house. Pugnax was waiting at the front door with Grumio, who would give us a signal when it was time for us to enter. Syphax had gotten up onto the roof, I had no idea how he managed this because roman houses had very high walls and little to hold on to because the windows were high up as well. Besides that Syphax was blind as a bat. Syphax was directly above the atrium, which was smart as the compluvium (the opening in the roof) allowed him to hear what was going on inside and out side the house. Clemens was up there with him acting as Syphax’s eyes. Everyone was in there places, it was time to begin.
Pug entered the house without trouble. Apparently the whole house slept like a log. When Grumio gave us the signal, it was show time for me and Julius.
We crept silently down the halls, our steps muffled by our slippers. Hermogenese house was nice, it was full mosaics, statues and portraits of a sour faced man whom I took to be Hermogenese. Pug was looting a chest in the atrium that contained some family treasures, so we made our way to the study. In the study we found some unfinished accounting. I looked at the account log and Julius found the box in which hermogenes money was stored. We left enough money so Hermogenese could pay for taxes and some food, but we took all the money for cloths, entertainment and other luxuries. Julius grinned; it would be a tight month for Hermogenese. I also pocketed a rather old scroll and a rather important looking document because I had seen the words valuable, roman treasure, and map written on it. I also stole Hermogenes account book, and incinerated it in the fire of my torch, just to annoy him. We were leaving the study feeling quite victorious when I herd a shout and a splash of water coming from the atrium. My heart turned to ice as I turned to look at Julian, I could tell he had come to the same conclusion I had. In the next moment Julian and I were racing down the hall, even as we herd people in the household wakening up. My heart was thumping so hard I was certain everyone could hear it.
When we reached the atrium my fears were confirmed. Syphax (or maybe Clemens, I couldn’t tell in the dark) had fallen into the impluvium (a marble lined pool for catching rainwater. Pugnax was fighting of the guard dogs that had awoken. Grumio was trying to lift the person who I now saw to be Clemens, because had sprained his leg, or maybe broken it. Ether way Clemens was to heavy for Grumio to carry alone. Julius and I gave our bags of loot to Grumio and took Clemens. Syphax was now in the front doorway yelling at us to get out. We didn’t need another warning, Julius and I ran awkwardly supporting Clemens. Grumio speeded ahead with the loot. Syphax was shouting at Pugnax who was still fighting the dogs. Pug ran out the door and Syphax who was waiting slammed it shut so the dogs couldn’t follow. However it would not be long before we would be perused. Julius and I were to slow with Clemens, so pug took him and flung him onto his shoulder. Together we sprinted through the dark streets, Syphax listing for followers. It had started to rain, which was a blessing and a curse. It was good because it meant the hounds couldn’t smell us, but it was bad because it also meant the streets were slippery making running much more difficult. Finally after what seemed like hours of slipping in the dark we reached Bjork’s tavern. Not wanting to draw attention to ourselves we slipped quietly inside. Syphax said we had not been followed, but we bolted the door anyway, just in case. Then we all collapsed on the floor, exhausted.
No one said anything for quite some time, we were all to busy catching our breath. Clemens looked green from his ride on pug’s shoulder. Bjork came over and gave us all something to drink, she was curious but she waited for us to cool down before she asked about the night.
Syphax told Bjork everything as she tended to Clemens. Thankfully it was only a sprain, frankly I couldn’t see how he didn’t break anything. Bjork just shrugged and said the gods must have smiled upon him. Then we all sat in a circle and examined our findings. We divided the coins, giving a third to Bjork because she paid for our meals and the in and then divided the rest between ourselves. Pugnax had found many things in the chest in the atrium. There was gold jewelry, writing equipment, and a bunch of other stuff. But the main article of interest was the documents I had picked up. Julius, who was the best reader out of all of us read it, it apparently described an ancient roman treasure, but Julius refused to tell us any more until he had deciphered the rest of it. I was curious, but everyone else was more interested in the gold and valuables. Everyone was talking about what they would buy. Syphax wanted to buy a dog, so that it could see the stuff he couldn’t. He also liked spending money on food. Pug and Grumio wanted to buy new weapons. Bjork would spend her money on the inn, and save the rest. I asked what she was saving up for. She stared into space for a bit and said nothing for a long time, when she said simply that she was saving up for a ship. Then she got up and said she was going to bed. I looked at Julius, He had known Bjork the longest, perhaps he knew what was up. He took me aside and told me the story.
Bjork never told anyone how she came to be a slave, or how she came to be freed. She didn’t like to talk about her old life, but she couldn’t forget about it either. Apparently she had two daughters, and one day she wanted to return to them.
I felt that Julius’s story had created more questions then answers but at any rate it was time for bed.
It was way too early in the morning when I was shaken awake. I grumbled complaints and rolled over in my bed trying to go back to bed.
“Don’t be an ass Felix, its festival day, there’s a show at the amphitheater! We want to get there early to get good seats! I grumbled about how it’s stupid that we would want to get there early so we could sit on the hard seats even longer. I got up anyway and my mood improved as I woke up more.
The show was great. Most people liked the pantomimes (a sort of mix between opera and ballet) the best. The plots in pantomimes are often taken from Greek myths. I find them to serious though. I preferred the short plays written about Italian everyday life. These were very funny and had a lot of dirty jokes and horse play. At the end of the day we were all in high spirits, we went to the forum and spent all our winnings from the previous night. Syphax did buy a dog. It was very big, and had curly silver hair. Syphax named it Nero. I have absolutely no idea why. Nero was very protective of Syphax. He would make an excellent Seeing Eye dog. The only one who didn’t approve of Nero was Bjork, She clamed that he would annihilate her food stores. She calmed down when Syphax said that he would pay for Nero’s food. We went home and had dinner, it was leftovers but we didn’t care. After we had all finished eating Julius pulled out the papers I had stolen from Hermogenese. I wasn’t sure I liked the look in his eyes. If I knew Julius, he was scheming something. When Julius was a boy that look always meant trouble, Trouble with a capital T.
“Well friends, it seems the gods are smiling upon us, or at least they’re smiling upon Felix, because these papers contain information that is more valuable than anything we could ever dream of.”
At this we all shifted uncomfortably in our seats. Every thief knew that valuable information was dangerous. Julius spoke again.
“Relax friends, this is not information that will get us hanged. On the contrary, you could say it was addressed to us. For this is a challenge to the thieves, from none other than Mercury, the thief god himself.”
“From Hermes?” asked Grumio. Grumio was Greek and new the gods by different names.
“Yes,” Julius replied, “but let me finish my story, or actually let me tell it from the beginning. Hermogenese is actually a thief himself, because these documents do not belong to him, they belong to Rome and the temple of Hermes, as they are a relict of the gods. Some how he stole these documents.”
“All well and good Julius but what are these papers?” I asked.
“I already told you”, said Julius, a little impatient. “It is a letter from Hermes, proposing a challenge to all thieves.”
“Surely we shall die if we are found with such a treasure”, said Syphax who was clearly worried.
“That my friends, is the best part. This is NOT the original. It is a copy that Hermogenese thought was original. Hermogenese stole these copies of the original text thinking they were real, but he is not a true thief, or else he would have known a fake when he saw it. Regardless, no one will care that we own a copy of a sacred text. This is an exact copy, and has all the information of the original, so we are free to take on the challenge.”
“Why would we want to go on a goose hunt?” I asked a little confused.
“You will see when I read you the challenge.”, and then Julius read to us:
Mortals of the shadow, stealth and guile,
I speak to all who call themselves thieves
And place upon them a challenge
For which the rewards are greater than you could ever know
But you must use all your skills to find
The greatest treasure.
Find a boat that was earned by thievery
Sail it to Rome and find
The things that will lead you to your goal
Find a traitor who seeks redemption
And help him on the path of light
Find the one with a bloodied past
And lead him to his home.
Take from each person you meet
One small piece of advise
And follow their word to the golden lock
You’ll already own the key
There you will find treasure and become the kings of thieves
But keep in mind,
Though you may set out with seven
One will be left behind.
When Julius finished there was silence in the room. I don’t know how to explain it but I knew that everyone had reached an unspoken agreement. We would take on this challenge, no mater how crazy it seemed, it was only a question of when we would begin.
“I want everyone to pack up tonight,” said Julius, “We leave on the morrow.”
Everyone was shocked. Why leave so soon?
“Everything has been arranged. We will steal my fathers boat.” At this the others seemed surprised. Julius didn’t often talk about his father. It probably hadn’t occurred to the others that he had one. I realized that aside from me and Bjork, none of them new anything about Julius’ background. They probably had no idea exactly how rich his family was.
“It is a cargo ship, supposed to leave tomorrow to trade and that’s why were going so soon. It’s stocked with enough food for all, and I’ve convinced a couple of my father’s sailors to help us sail to Rome. But enough chitchat. You guys have from now to 5 o’clock to do whatever you need to before we leave.”
After that, we dispersed. I snuck back to my master’s house to say good bye to some old friends. It finally occurred to me that I didn’t need to think of him as my master anymore and that thought made me feel very odd. I pondered this as I went back to Bjork’s tavern to pack up what little belongings I had.
I was shoving the last of my clothes into my bag when I heard muffed sounds coming from Bjork’s room. Being a woman, Bjork had her own room.
I wonder what the matter was. The question that had been bothering me all day formed in my mind. What had happened when Bjork was a slave? The life of a slave can be very difficult, but something told me something else happened to Bjork. Bjork was strong. As strong as any man, but some how I did not think she was always that way. I decided that I would go talk to her.
That turned out to be easier said than done. After all, what do you say to strong a middle aged woman who is crying? I certainly didn’t know. I looked around the room, searching for something to say. I had never been in Bjork’s room before. On one wall there was a large mural of the fates. In the corner there was a bed, where Bjork sat. On a wall there was a wooden sword, as well as a real one. Aside from that the room was empty. Bjork looked up at me. Everything I was going to say rushed from my mind. Seeing the gladius on the wall I blurted, “Did you know that gladiator games were originally meant to be a way of appeasing the gods and adverting Rome from disaster?” You can imagine how stupid I felt when Bjork cried harder then before. It was a very awkward moment for me. I was about to give up and leave when Bjork said, “In 11 AD free born women under age 20 were forbidden from being gladiators.” I stared into space, I had absolutely no Idea what Bjork was talking about. I remembered vaguely that emperor Domitian had arranged for female gladiators, otherwise known as Amazons or Gladiatrices, to fight dwarfs in the arena. I wondered if Bjork was waiting for a response, but she didn’t seem to be talking to anyone in particular, she was lost in her own memories.
“It was cold when they came, there was snow. I had told the girls to run while I held them off. I was not as strong then as I am now, but I still fought them. They seemed to think the idea of a women fighting rather entertaining. So they took me to the arena.”
“Bjork?” I asked uncertainly. She seemed to snap out of her weird daze. When she spoke again she talked like a normal person.
“I have lots of bad memories of Rome, Felix. When I was captured as a slave I was sent to be a female gladiator.” Bjork spoke quickly like she needed to get all the words out before she lost the courage to say them.
“I’m not surprised if you haven’t heard of us, we were not very common. We were a novelty, I mean, women fighting like men? quite the specialty act. I fought because I had to, but most of the other women? They were wealthy. It was mostly the rich roman women who fought in the arena.
“But why?” I asked.
“Mainly they fought for attention rather then money.” said Bjork. Then she pointed at the gladius hanging on the wall. “That was the sword I fought with. We were equipped similarly to the men. We had an arm protector, and an Ocrea, a metal body shield. However, we fought without tunics or helmets.”
Bjork’s voice died out, she didn’t seem to be able to say anymore. I was speechless myself, but when I looked at Bjork I knew it was ok. Really, she had just wanted to tell some one her story.
“I think that I will never return to Pompeii after tomorrow. I’m going home when we are done”
I tried once again to say something, but Bjork had gone to sleep. I went back to my room. I wondered what the future held for me. How much would change? Would I ever be home again? How would we get on if Bjork left us to find her family? I didn’t know. You never really know when you start on an adventure, especially if you have Julius with you. With that thought, I smiled and fell asleep. Tomorrow, we were off to Rome on a stolen boat to find a, “traitor who seeks redemption.”
END OF PART ONE
