Behind the scenes

[Chevi]

(Continued from Cerealia)

Azarion had had enough of the arena. The killer was dead, in a bloody and brutal way, and the anger and spite that had been moving him for more than a year was just... gone. Giving way to... something he could not quite name. It felt empty. And he was done with the whole Roman gladiator bullshit. So, he went to the place he always felt better: back to the stables.

But this time, he was bringing a guest.

Ione followed him. He was not sure why; she really should know better than to follow a strange man, after what had happened to her. But she did. It was a short walk from the amphitheater to the Circus where the Whites' horses were stabled for more upcoming runs and spectacles. But tonight, pretty much everyone was at the arena. Other than some guards, slaves and stable boys, it was surprisingly quiet as they walked through the door. Azarion, obviously, was not talking either. But they knew him and they let him in, not asking questions about the girl either. Apparently, that was a pretty common occurrence.

@Sara

[Sara]

Ione followed Azarion wordlessly, oblivious to the danger she was putting herself in. As with most things, Ione was comically naive to the ways of the world that had cast her into slavery. Besides, the man was friendly. Sort of. The looks he occasionally cast spoke of annoyance but he was young and a charioteer and...evidently wanted to show her his work. Her eyes widened as they passed through the gates and she took in her surroundings. 

"I've never been to this part of the city." she admitted as she span on the spot, taking it all in. "Do you want more wine?" She offered him the wineskin but tilted her head, watching him carefully. "Are you going to show me all your gold from your famous races?" she offered him a gentle grin. 

 

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[Chevi]

She looked around, amazed. Sure, the stables of the Circus, the whole building, really, was impressive, but he had gotten used to it. Azarion smirked, watching her. As she offered, he took the wine skin and drank, handing it back to her. He chuckled at he question and shook his head. Instead, he nodded to her, leading her down to where the horses were. Borena poked her nose out of one of the stalls, and Azarion made an affectionate sound, petting her. Who needed gold when he had horses?

@Sara

[Sara]

She smiled as he took the wine and gratefully took it back when he was done, taking a hefty sip herself before she followed him, still smiling gently at his chuckle. And then a horse poked its head out and she jumped, clutching a hand to her chest and her eyes were wide in panic. 

"I..." She swallowed and shook her head, hesitating far back as Azarion petted the horse. "I...I have never seen a horse this close." Her family didn't have them and the slavers that took her walked their slaves. She'd seen them in the distance and in carts that rumbled through the streets but...they always scared her. Their big eyes, their powerful bodies. "Is it...safe?" She asked anxiously. 

 

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[Chevi]

She jumped when she saw Borena. That was a strange reaction to Azarion; horses were generally a lot more trustworthy than people. Then again she had not seen one... this close? He quirked an eyebrow. Strange. He couldn't imagine not... knowing horses.

"Is it...safe?"

Azarion nodded, waving her closer. Borena could be a handful, but she was fairly calm in the stables, and susceptible to bribery. He walked away to the corner where he kept the apples and returned with one, showing her how to hold it on her palm.

@Sara

[Sara]

Ione hesitated - for once not doing what she was told as she watched the horse suspiciously. She was a beautiful beast but...she was still a beast and only when Azarion fetched an apple and returned did she take two tentative steps closer. The horse was just out of her reach and made a neigh of protest that she couldn't have the apple that was handed to Ione. Ione jumped, skittish. 

"You are comfortable around them...you have worked with them before?" She asked, trying to distract Azarion and the horse with conversation as she wrung the apple between her hands. 

 

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[Chevi]

Borena did not appreciate being baited and she neighed, which scared Ione. Azarion smirked. The question was silly. Before what? Before he was a charioteer? Before... he was a slave? Either way, he nodded. He turned, showing her the tattoo on her calf. He doubted she would know what it meant, beyond him being a barbarian, since it was a deer, not a horse. Whatever. Bornea snorted and shook her head. Azarion stepped closer, resing one hand on Borena's nose, and holding the other hand out to Ione.

@Sara

[Sara]

He nodded and gestured at his calf. Ione squinted and then bent down so she could see it better. A tattoo. It was an animal, although she couldn't work out what one. In any case, it suggested he came from lands on the borders of the empire - she'd learned from her time in brothel that those from the farthest reaches were the most likely  to have tattoos. She gave him a weak smile and nodded, still unnerved. 

And then he extended his hand and she glanced at him and then back up at the horse. So beautiful. Majestic, even. She bit her lip and then hesitantly reached for Azarion's hand, gripping it tightly as she drew closer. She could feel the horses breath on her neck and she fought the panic that told her to flee. She did whisper though; "She's beautiful..." Gently and with clear anxiety she opened her palm with the apple in it. 

 

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[Chevi]

Ione held his hand, which made Azarion blink; he'd meant to guide her other hand with the apple, but of well. She seemed skittish, but then again so were many of the horses. He had practice with that. He allowed her to get closer at her own pace; she admired Borena. Borena liked to be admired. Azarion gave her a proud nod, then showed her how to hold the apple on her palm again. This time, Bornea took it calmly with a satified huff. Azarion patted her nose again, allowing Ione to do the same if she wanted to.

@Sara

[Sara]

If Ione had done something unexpected by taking Azarion's hand, she didn't realise it and instead just threaded her fingers through his. For a girl as naive as she was, the one thing she wasn't shy about was intimacy. How could she be, with what she did? Then again, she'd always been affectionate - lounging in hugs and kisses and being held. 

So she gripped Azarion's hand as she held open her spare one with the apple in it. Borena took it with almost no disagreement and Ione gasped, a delighted, shocked look on her face - accompanied by a plastering grin. "So gentle!" She exclaimed and then tentatively moved her hand to stroke the horses nose. "...and soft!" She grinned at Azarion. "They are not so bad close up I suppose...I see why you like them. Is this one yours?" 

 

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[Chevi]

Azarion would have found this strange, child-like enthusiasm annoying from most people, but somehow from this girl it seemed genuine. He snorted at her last question, gesturing at the building, and tapping his slave tablet. I'm a slave, lady. I don't own jack shit. But he watched with a smile as she patted Borena. He stepped to the next stall, making some cooing sounds; the other mare Tabitha, poked her chestnut head out of there. She was the steadier of the two. Azarion pointed at the two of them, and mimed driving a chariot again.

@Sara

[Sara]

Oh. She grimaced and chuckled, still gripping his hand as she softly stroked Borena's nose. "Yes...I suppose we can't really own anything." She sighed and shook her head. "I do have a lamp though." She said with a small triumphant grin. Courtesy of Spurius' coin. This one hadn't been smashed in part due to the better clientele her dominus was now bringing into the brothel. 

She finally released the grip on his hand as he moved to the next storm. Dutifully she followed him and saw another horse, a beautiful chestnut colour. Ione was happy with Borena but a new horse piqued her anxiety and she was more hesitant in reaching her hand to stroke her mane. She glanced at him as Azarion gestured and then her eyes widened, understanding. "These are the ones you race?" She grinned. "The famous charioteer's steeds?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

A lamp. Azarion smirked. Everything this girl said, with her completely naive cheerfulness, would have sounded ridiculous from everyone else. She finally let go of his hand, but as he showed her Tabitha, she looked hesitant again. Tabitha, on her part, watched her patiently with her large, dark eyes. Ione finally caught up to what he was trying to show her.

"These are the ones you race? The famous charioteer's steeds?" 

Azarion snorted, and Borena, sensing his mood, snorted too. Famous charioteer, indeed. He nodded, though, because she was technically right. He took a few more steps, picking up another apple on the way, and tossing a second one to Ione. A few stalls further there was another horse. Pagos. The infamous one he rode when he was riding instead of driving in the races. He mimed riding a horse, pointing at him.

@Sara

[Sara]

He nodded and she smiled, speaking more to herself than to him. "Imagine somebody like me meeting a famous charioteer...The other girls won't believe it." With good reason because clearly Azarion wasn't famous. She was focused on Tabitha as the apple collided with her chest. She blinked at Azarion and then with no negativity, bent down to scoop it up - holding it out hesitantly to Tabitha...who munched it down delightedly. 

From the corner of her eye she saw Azarion gesturing between himself and another horse. She was happily stroking Tabitha and so didn't move to look at it but she understood the gist. "So...you chariot race these two and ride that one?" She gestured at it. "Are you allowed to take them out to ride when you want? Into th ecountryside?" 

 

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[Chevi]

"Imagine somebody like me meeting a famous charioteer...The other girls won't believe it." 

Azarion was not sure if she meant it, or if she was joking. Obviously he was not famous, she should suspect that by now. Or maybe she didn't. She did seem a little... cheery.

"So...you chariot race these two and ride that one? Are you allowed to take them out to ride when you want? Into th ecountryside?" 

Azarion snorted again and shook his head. Out to the countryside, indeed. He lifted his arm, showing her the FVG brand on it. No one was going to let him leave the city on a horse. He patted Pagos on the nose, offering him an apple. He gestured at her and the horse. Did you ever want to ride one?

@Sara

[Sara]

She sighed when he shook his head and gave him a sympathetic smile and a nod, as if saying; I understand. No slave - no matter how well respected or important to a household's function was ever truly free. Slaves at the bottom of the pile - like her in the Elysium, and him with his obvious FVG brand, were certainly not. It rarely bothered her, she didn't know what she'd do with freedom anyway. Spurius had asked her once and she'd merely said she'd find a man and raise a family. She didn't have grand dreams and few marketable skills. Still, she longed for the day she could do something other than open her legs. 

She watched Azarion carefully as he offered an apple to another of the horses and then tried to work out his gestures. It took her a long few moments and she glanced between herself and the horse almost comically, and with a slightly weak smile. "Have I ridden one? No." She confirmed. That was obvious by her skittishness around them. Then she expanded, in case he'd meant the other possibility. "And I don't think I'd want to ride one. I'd be too scared it would take me far away and I'd get lost, or it would throw me off. I saw some nasty injuries at home from men who'd tried to ride other horses. Broken arms and legs and..." She sighed and shook her head. "Then again they were fools who'd tried to steal them from the Roman garrison, so maybe the Gods punished them for it." 

 

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[Chevi]

Of course she had not ridden one. She seemed wary of horses. Pagos looked at her calmly, trying to see if she had an apple too. 

"And I don't think I'd want to ride one. I'd be too scared it would take me far away and I'd get lost, or it would throw me off. I saw some nasty injuries at home from men who'd tried to ride other horses. Broken arms and legs and..."

Azarion smirked and shook his head. Idiots.

"Then again they were fools who'd tried to steal them from the Roman garrison, so maybe the Gods punished them for it." 

He grinned at that, shaking his head again and gesturing. Not my gods. The gods of the Sarmatians would bless anyone who fucked with the Romans. So she wasn't Roman either, as far as he could tell. He tilted his head with a questioning look, gesturing at her. Where are you from then?

@Sara

[Sara]

He shook his head and he frowned. He seemed to enjoy the image of the thieves riding away on the Roman's horses. She shuddered herself, shaking her head. "They should not have done it. The Romans are...powerful." She sighed. Achaea had been conquered by  them for as long as she knew. People needed to respect it. 

But she understood his questioning frown and gesture. "Where am I from? Achaea." She smiled softly, "Or not the mainland I mean, it's an island, it's called Kefalonia. It's the most beautiful place - crystal clear waters and beaches and peace and quiet." She hummed to herself. "I wish I could see it again before I die." But she was under no illusion that it was unlikely in the extreme.

 

TAG: @Chevi