Slave Girl Pt. 02 Ch. 26-36

***

Chapter 30

When I get back to the villa I find Rosa and Cassie in the open roofed courtyard at the center of our peristyle. Since the front door had been left open I am able to pass through the entryway and approach without being immediately heard.

Cassie was standing dead center of the area looking down at the earth then up to the sky and back again. "Except for midday this area won't be getting any direct sun. Your herbs you'll want outside, we can find a nice sunny spot. But you could grow some greens here. Mustard, chicory, scarola, that sort of thing."

"Mmm. That sounds nice." Comes Rosa's voice from seemingly nowhere. As I get closer and I am able to peek over the waist high wall that surrounded the yard and spot my slave squatting with her hands on the earth. I notice her near ear perk and tilt my way. "Don't you think so Master?"

"Huh?" Cassie turns to look. "Oh. Hello Quin."

"Hey you two." I come to lean on the low wall. "Well, I got myself a job."

Rosa rises and hurries toward me, arms outstretched. As she gets close I reach out to guide her in the last couple of feet where we hug across the wall. "That's wonderful Master." She says softly into my ear. "I knew you would."

Again I note Cassie noting the master-slave affection. While far too publicly affectionate by traditional Roman standards I was glad that she saw Rosa and I's love for each other just so that she knew exactly where things stood in relation to my heart. Hugging Rosa extra hard I kiss the top of her head between her horns.

I am all smiles. "It's only for harvest. But that will keep me busy for awhile."

"And it will get us started." Rosa strokes the side of my head. "I'm so proud of you Quin."

I blush at Rosa's praise, especially in front of Cassie like this, but I surely wasn't going to protest. I look to Cassie. "Thank you so much. This means more than you can know. I will make this up to you. To you and your family."

Cassie shrugs. "Able bodied man right next door? Dad was bound to rope you in sooner or later."

"My Master does have a tendency to find himself roped in and tied down." Rosa quips as my blush warms. "With work that is."

"Ahem." I stand straight. "Your family seem like good people Cassie. I like'em."

"Yeah. They can be a bit much sometimes but I know I'm blessed to have them."

"Although..." I grimace. "...about your brothers..."

A look of horror and exasperation washes over Cassie. "Oh no. What did they do?"

"There was a bit of a dust up."

"Fighting again Master?"

"Yeah. Unfortunately. Trouble seems to find me like flies to dung."

"Ew!" Rosa does that cute nose scrunch thing she does. "Don't say it like that."

"Lucas!" Cassie mutters angrily. "I am so sorry Quin. It won't happen again."

"Lucas wasn't so bad." I say. "At least he squared up. Felix tried to blindside me though."

"Oh gods. I will talk to them." She says. "You best believe I'll be talking with them."

"I think your Ma's got it covered." I chuckle.

"You didn't hurt them too badly did you?" Rosa asks.

"ME hurt THEM?" I exclaim. "It was two on one!"

"You forget that I've seen you in action." Rosa says. "So? Did you?"

I grumble. "Just a few bruises is all. They're fine."

"Well they deserved it no doubt." Cassie sighs. "My brothers are morons."

"Ah, it's alright. They were just looking after their sister. I get it." I shoot her a look. "It seems folks think that you and I are a thing."

"That would be Granny." She says apologetically. "You must be some fighter to take both of them."

"More than you know." Rosa finds my hand to hold it lovingly in both of hers. "My Master saved me from a harpy. Slayed it with just his dagger."

"He...what!?" Cassie exclaims. "Are you serious?"

"It's not like it sounds." I say humbly. "If not for Rosa it would have had me." Then adding more grimly. "It nearly did."

Rosa, absolutely beaming with pride, brings my hand to her lips to kiss the back of it. "My Master can do anything. He is the bravest, mightiest, most kind hearted man in the Empire." Closing her eyes she hugs my hand to her breast. "And the finest lover I've ever had."

"Aw, geez. Rosa!" I groan embarrassedly. Now she had both Cassie and I pink in the cheeks. Leaning down I whisper. "Stop. Please."

"Forgive me Master." She whispers back.

"I'm living next door a real life hero. You really are a Hercules." Cassie says. "A harpy! Gods!"

"No!" I protest. "Please, don't spread that around. It really wasn't what you think. I am no hero."

Looking to Cassie Rosa asks. "Is he blushing?"

"Erm." Cassie glances up to my face. "Yes."

"He is such a cutie." Rosa smooths my tunic across my broad chest. "Don't you think so Cassie?"

"Errr..."

"Don't answer that." I laugh. Putting my head to Rosa's I say. "You are being a naughty slave again."

"Yes Master." She giggles

"I want you to be good now."

"Yes Master. I'll try."

Stealing a line from my Lady I say softly. "Tell me you love me."

Rosa smiles and sneaks a little smooch to my lips. "Love you Master."

"I love you too." I reply with all of my heart. On this I was not embarrassed. On this I would cry it loudly from the rooftop for the world to hear.

Cassie, shaking her head in disbelief with her hands on her wide hips, chuckles. "I've never seen a pair like you. Not ever."

"You'll learn that in this house we make our own rules." Rosa says. "We're free to be who we want to be. And as long as you respect our privacy, so are you Miss Cassie."

"Be who I want to be?." Cassie smiles warmly. "That sounds...nice."

"Yeah." I say. "If you ever need a place just to let loose and be yourself, or even just to get away from your family, we're right next door. We won't judge you."

Cassie looks from me to Rosa, studying us as if we might be trying to fool her, before finally saying. "You two talk and act so differently than how we are supposed to. It's refreshing. It's...it's wonderful."

"I hope this means we can be friends Cassie." I say, really leaning on that platonic term 'friends'.

"That would be nice Quin." Cassie says. "I am so happy that you two ended up here."

"Well." I say. "You gals seemed to be in the middle of something and I've got more work than I know what to do with. I won't keep you any longer. I'll be around if you need me."

"Yes Master." Rosa nods and steps back. Holding out her left arm she says in the familiar firm timbre that makes me instinctively snap to attention. It was the commanding voice of the Lady...but for once it was not addressing me. "Miss Cassie." She says. "I will show you outside. Perhaps we might find a spot for that garden."

I look to our neighbor, worried how this free woman would react to being addressed like that by a slave. In many houses Rosa would receive a lashing simply for addressing her betters with that tone. Though taken aback at first thankfully she takes it with good humor. Walking up beside Rosa Cassie takes her arm. "Your wish is my command." She jests.

Rosa hugs her arm tight to her side and pats the larger woman's hand. "Atta girl." With a trouble making look on her impish face she tilts he head my way. "Was there something else you needed Master?"

"Huh? Oh, no."

"Off you go then." She waves me away as if I were the slave and she the Master. My submissive heart beats just a little faster. "Leave us be now. We'll call you if we need you."

Cassie and I look at each other, both of us free citizens bemused by this diminutive slave's impudent behavior though for very different reasons. For Cassie Rosa must have seemed the most eccentric and playfully disrespectful slave she'd ever encountered. For my part I was resisting a powerfully deep urge to kneel down and show off my proud submission to my beautiful demon Lady. Cassie wasn't like Peisandros and Aemlia though, she was not a member of our secret culture. Neither was she Ignatius those ensorcelled soldiers whom I would never see again, she was our neighbor. I dare not reveal such a thing that might be seen as shameful for a man to do to an outsider who did not understand our ways. Resisting my need to yield as much as I can I give a slow, bowing nod of my head and walk away.

As they go their way I catch Cassie say. "Quin is a master of a different sort isn't he?"

"My Master is a one of a kind."

***

Chapter 31

Knowing that I had employment starting in two days really lit a flame under me to attend to what I could around the villa. Once begun the harvest would entail weeks of sunup to sundown toil as we raced against the approaching cool and damp of autumn. I would need to speak to Rosa about what she'd be doing while I was in the fields but it gave me heart that Cas was willing to take her on for that period of time.

With some good tools at hand and nothing to slow me down I set to work. My first task is to get my woodshed in order. Pulling out the rotted wood and chasing out the mice that had made their home there, one unlucky one getting snatched up and gulped down by a skulking Danae, I find the shack to be in good order overall. The old wood I add to the burn pile out front then I set off into the woods to the North of the entry path.

As I park our cart near where I wanted to enter I begin to scan about for a trail or break in the verdant wall. Even using a game trail I quickly discover the forest to be thick with undergrowth. In it's heyday slaves would have maintained this woodland and kept this underbrush tamed but it had been left to go wild many long years ago. My uncle had little interest in the estate beyond the house and garden it seems. Pushing through the dense greenery it is not long before the growth thins out considerably. Under the heavy canopy Sol's muted light simply could not support the type of thicket I'd just walked through.

"Woahhhh." I say in a hushed voice as I take in the sight before me.

It was so GREEN! Ferns and tender shade loving plants filled the spaces between the great trees of the old forest and every stone and trunk was carpeted with a soft veil of moss. Filtering through the dense border of shrubs and bushes as well as down from the unbroken foliage high over head the very light itself was the shade of ripe lime. The air was thick with burgeoning vegetal life and natural healthy decay in equal measure. On some of the dead fall and sprouting among the twisting roots are clusters of fungi from large coppery ear-like growths to twisting spires of purple to round bright red caps which combined to make it appear as if a treasure of coin and jewels had been spilled out across the emerald tapestry. And topping it all off were the gleaming motes of green light disappearing through the fronds. By the time I blinked next...they were gone. Nymphs! We had forest nymphs!

While not quite as dark and not quite as ancient as that glade we'd passed through where Rosa first performed for the Green King there was a resemblance that could not be missed. This was no common stand of trees. I could FEEL in my bones the age of his place and sense the energy of life all around me. I was simply a visitor here and long after I had passed this place would remain. The slope and rugged landscape had saved this plot from being cleared for agriculture but it was surely this palpable sense of the divine that had held back the locals from turning the forest into lumber. Looking back over my shoulder in the direction of my villa I wonder what fool had been so foolish as to build here. Was this why my land was cursed?

I shake my head. "No. This is our life. Our land. Our chance at happiness." Reaching out to the nearest trunk I feel the rough bark in my palm. "What is the span of a human life to you old king? Leave us to live in peace and we shall be gone soon enough."

A twinge of sadness pricks my heart as I realize that Rosa would never see this wild beauty. How I wished I could show it to her. She would live among it her whole life and never once get a glimpse. The very god responsible for it had stolen her chance to look upon his green splendor. I sigh. Shouldering my axe I set off in search of a tree that even Silvanus could not begrudge me for claiming.

After just a few minutes of exploring the area I find a suitable candidate. A good size tree barely clinging to life, choked from light by its larger neighbors as it was, looked to be just the one. I rap on it's trunk to hear the satisfying solidity of wood not too dry nor hollowed out by rot. Looking up I give the trunk a shake to see what shakes loose and I quickly shield myself as a hail of dry branches and twigs comes raining down on me. These I collect and begin a pile. With my axe and knife hooked into my belt I clamber up about twenty feet and begin hewing the larger branches from the main body so that they wouldn't skewer me later as I felled the tree.

I am just about to get to it when, from my higher vantage point, I notice the twinkling specks of nymphs zipping and dancing within the canopy overhead. From ground level they were invisible them but from here I could just make them out. There were so many Dozens. Hundreds. A whole forest nation of the minuscule creatures. Amazing. Looking around I see that I was a sort of midway point between ground and ceiling which allowed me to see over the verge. Behind me I could see the trail that connected my house to the road. To my right I spot the walls of the villa through the intertwining trunks and branches. To my right I could not see the road but I could notice a brightening where the forest made way to the open space of the road. And straight ahead as far as I could see was the forest itself. I spot two deer grazing on the green foliage completely oblivious to my presence.

As my gaze pans across the forest floor closer to me I spot something. Or to be more accurate, I spot an absence. At first I wasn't even sure what I was looking at. It was just green moss, stone and earth like everywhere else. But as I stare at the area it slowly comes into focus. A square. A perfect square of green within the green. The only thing that gives it away was the complete lack of ferns and larger vegetation. In an area about thrice my height across there was only moss and low grass. As I concentrate on just that area it then reveals to me there was four equally sized small boulders at each of the corners. Another moment later I realize that they were not boulders but the broken and weathered bases of four pillars. With this clue revealed my eyes dart about and I spot other stones, brighter than the natural local rock, splayed about. The shattered remnants of the pillars themselves had all fallen directly away from the center of the square. As with the nymphs I never would have spotted it but for my elevated vantage point.

"What the...?" I whisper.

Climbing back down I weave through the forest toward the area. Even knowing that it was there I had to be extra attentive or I might have missed it. I approach from the Southeast corner and feel ahead with my foot. The soft earth beneath the spongy moss turns hard in a perfectly straight line. Taking my axe I bring the handle down and hear the wood pierce through the moss to make contact with stone or cement.

"What are you hiding here old king?" I mutter.

Stepping onto the area I find it flat and nearly level with the surrounding ground. I study the base of the pillar but find it barely more than a hard circular mound. Looking out over the broken pieces of pillar that spread out a dozen feet. There was not evidence of there ever being walls and I could find no pieces of roof either. It seemed to have been simply a square platform with a column at each corner. As I picture what it must have looked like in my mind I come back again and again to the sacrificial altars dedicated to great Neptune and his fearsome pet Kraken dotted along the coast. Though mostly an abandoned ritual now it was not unheard of for towns to still make human offerings when the fury of the sea became particularly dreadful. But I'd never even heard of one of these being anywhere except right along sea's edge. We were nowhere near the sea here. What could one of these being doing so far inland?

Kneeling down I use my knife and my hands to start peeling away the moss. What I find beneath was both surprising and familiar. Surprising because the floor of the platform was not smooth but etched in a pattern of straight lines which intersected here and there. As I peel more away the familiarity sinks in. A maze was carved upon this platform. While much older in style I could not help but notice the similarity with labyrinth mosaic floor that decorated my entry way. Standing up I stare down at the design and try to make sense of it.

Walking about the square I tap the base of my axe here and there as I go. Clonk. Clonk. Clonk. Clang!

I stop at the ring of metal hitting metal. Tapping about I am able to narrow the metallic area to a round plate located dead center of the platform. Cutting the moss away I again peel it back to discover a round plate of heavy copper, a thick green patina coating it. Here the pattern from the stone continued perfectly onto the metal with just a seam the width of a knife blade between them.

I peel it away more until I get to the center. There I find a stout metal ring affixed to the plate. The ring seemed designed to be used to lift the plate from it's place. Was this a covering for a hole? An entrance into something beneath the earth? That would make it the third underground entrance I'd discovered thus far after the one on the garden stairs and the one at beneath the gazebo. So strange! As I brush the dirt around it away I find that the ring was looped into a part of the design that was made up of curving lines, distinct from the straight labyrinthine pattern that made up the rest of the surface. As I scrape the earth with my fingers I see that the ring was affixed...to a nose? As I wipe upward two glowering rage filled eyes are revealed followed by two long sharp horns stretching out from either side of the wide bovine head.

Emblazoned right in the center of the metal is the face of a bull.

***

Chapter 32

I trace the contours of the molded green-blue copper visage of the Minotaur and wonder what it could mean. Did the builders of this place have some special interest in the original legend? Perhaps they hailed from Crete, where the father of that monstrous race hailed from, and this was a reminder of home. Was this a previous ruin that the decor of the house was inspired by or had they been created together? This platform was certainly old, quite possibly predating the house and grounds, but it was hard to tell. The design in the stone was still crisp enough to make out easily but shielded from the elements as it was by the woods and its mossy covering perhaps the condition belied its true age. And why did it resemble those sacrificial altars from the coast? The simplicity of the architecture, just an open sky platform with a pillar at each corner, meant that the resemblance could be merely coincidental.

My most pressing question though was what was under here?

A shiver runs down my back as I look at the terrifying face staring up at me. I was happy that Rosa was not here to see it, and would never see it, given her fear of all things beastly. Taking a grip of the thick nose ring with both hands I set my feet and lift. My sinews strain and my muscles flex but the old copper plate doesn't even creak. I roll my shoulders, tighten my torso, and throw the whole of my considerable strength into the task...and get the same result. This thing was not moving. Not today anyway. Perhaps it wasn't a hatch after all but simply a fancy centerpiece for the labyrinth design, a representation of the monster's inner lair or something like that. Whatever this was I hadn't the time to figure it out today. This old mystery would have to lay hidden a little bit longer. Pulling the sheets of mossy earth back over top of it I get it generally covered again. I linger a moment to ponder this curiosity further before returning to my wood gathering.