Shadows formed and reformed against the walls of the sleeping chamber, cast there by the flickering flames of a single candle.  Brion stared in awe at the beauty of his lover, sitting astride his hips as if riding a great stallion.  The candlelight illuminated beads of sweat all over Justinus's body, causing them to sparkle as if there were tiny crystals embedded in his skin.  The couple had returned to their private room after sharing the evening meal with Agron and Nasir.  Agron was quieter than usual the entire time.  It was obvious he was on edge and had too much on his mind, most of which appeared to be bothersome.  Agron was the first to excuse himself and retire to his room.  Nasir followed close behind after apologizing for Agron's moodiness.  Justinus brushed the apology aside, remarking that Agron had good reason to be fretful, considering they had been forced to deal with the enemy trying to sneak into the city, along with distrustful negotiations with the Cilicians to worry about.  All three men had heard Agron's opinion of the pirates and knew he doubted their veracity.

Once Brion and Justinus also retired to their room, Brion grabbed his lover from behind and pulled him close to his chest.  His arms snaked around Justinus's waist, while his lips sought out a sensitive spot just behind his ear.  He placed kisses there, while one hand moved down to cover Justinus's groin.  It took mere seconds for Brion to feel the length of Justinus begin to expand and fill out.  Brion's touch was all it took for the young Roman to become inflamed with desire.  Brion loved the reaction he always got from his lover.  He was more than happy to reward Justinus for his enthusiasm.  He turned Justinus around, never taking his hand away from his prize.  With his other hand, he seized the back of Justinus's head and pulled his face close to his own.  Their lips melded together as tongues greeted one another warmly. 

Justinus was eager to repay Brion's attentions with his own.  His hand reached for Brion's cock.  It was already engorged and needed no other incentive, although Brion drew in a sharp breath at the touch of his lover.  He savored the touch as much as Justinus did.  They continued sharing kisses and caresses through their clothing for some time.  The foreplay only stalled long enough for them to rid themselves of their tunics and subligarias.  The moment the clothing was shed, the couple fell to their bed. 

The lovers shared equally in their lovemaking, each taking a turn while kissing, stroking, and tasting the other's manhood.  Tongues reached for places meant to thrill, causing skin to shiver in response.  Finally, Justinus begged Brion to take him, to make them one again.  Brion loved nothing more than watching his lover's face as they made love, so he laid back and invited Justinus to mount him.  Justinus straddled Brion's knees.  He dipped his fingers into a small jar on the side of the bed, spreading the slick oil all around Brion's impressive cock, from tip to balls.  He dipped a second time and reached back to coat the entry to his body.  With preparations over, Justinus scooted forward until he was now astride Brion's hips.  He leaned forward and kissed Brion passionately.  Brion grabbed his inflamed cock and steadied it so that Justinus could feel the tip nudging at his sphincter muscles, begging them to relax and allow him in.  It was a request gladly accepted, as Justinus straightened up and lowered himself slowly down the length of his lover.  The ride had both men drenched in sweat as they took their time, stopping and starting their movements repeatedly to make the pleasure last as long as possible.  As with all lovers, they reached a point of no return at last.  Brion spilled his love inside Justinus, only moments before Justinus decorated Brion's chest with his own release.  The couple grabbed a cloth they kept next to their bed and wiped themselves clean, after sharing several more kisses to end their evening.  They settled next to each other on their bed and pulled the thick cover over them to keep out the night chill.  Brion would have gladly drifted off to sleep, but Justinus's voice prevented it.

"Brion, does memory serve that I had words to break with you, of a matter most serious?"

Brion pulled back enough to see Justinus's expression.  The look on his face was not what Brion expected after they had made such magnificent love.  Concern colored his voice.

"I recall your need of my 'wisdom' on thoughts you carry, but recall no mention of seriousness."

Justinus suddenly felt nervous.  He turned away from Brion.

"Now may not be time for such discourse.  Matters of the mind can wait till better opportunity presents itself."

Brion sat up.  He pulled Justinus back around to face him. 

"Your tone speaks otherwise, Justinus.  Unburden thoughts now and see them lightened.  I will not have weight of them cause distress."

Justinus knew by Brion's reaction that he could not delay what he wanted to ask.  Not telling Brion what he was thinking would now only make his lover worry. 

"Concern does rule my thoughts, Brion.  Laeta has given word to keep silent, truth we hide from Spartacus.  You lay trust in her.  I have no cause to doubt her either.  Yet sight of her brings thoughts of discovery to the surface.  We have need of a champion, Brion... someone to trust who would speak for us if truth is unveiled."

Brion said nothing for some time.  Justinus could see the wheels turning in his head.  He wished Brion would say something... anything.  Finally, he did speak up.

"And who, by the gods, do you see as such a champion?  No, wait!  Let me speak his name.  Nasir!  Does my guess hit its mark?"

"I lay trust in him.  Yes!  His heart holds no hate for the innocent."

"Justinus, my eyes have witnessed his skills in fighting, and my ears have heard stories of his prowess at killing.  His spear has ended the life of countless Romans."

"He but follows Agron.  He would follow Agron into the jaws of Hell, if need be.  His loyalty to his lover is beyond reproach, but their views part ways on matters of concern to us.  I feel no fear of betrayal if we divulged our secret and begged discretion of him."

"Even so, and you guess correctly, what good would taking him into our confidence gain you?  If Jupiter himself came down and offered to vouch for us, there are those among the rebels who would still see you to the afterlife and smile as you breathe your last.  I count Agron among those.  He protects prisoners now, only as loyal friend to Spartacus.  I tremble at thought of his reaction if learning of our deception."

Justinus sat still, taking in everything Brion was telling him.  He still felt uncomfortable hiding his true self from the two men he now thought of as trusted friends.  Justinus had never had such a thing in his life before.  His slave, Ethan, was as close to a friendship as he had ever come... that is, until Brion entered his life.  Justinus had always found it difficult to relate to his peers while growing up.  Nasir and Agron were the first men, outside of Brion, that he felt untroubled being with, except for the one great lie that he was burdened with.  He sensed that he would be safe in revealing all to Nasir, but he had no wish to go against what Brion believed was right.  He had gotten his answer, even if Brion had not bluntly stated he should not speak to Nasir on the matter.

"I would not have worry cloud your mind," he told Brion.  "I seek your wisdom in all matters and trust your judgment, as no other.  If you do not advise it, it shall not be done."

Brion sighed with relief.  He had no intention of forbidding Justinus to speak to Nasir, but he had been nervously holding his breath in anticipation of what the young Roman might choose to do.  He knew he could be wrong in advising his lover to withhold the truth for the present, but it was a risk he felt was better than the alternative.  Only time would tell if he was right.  The couple embraced and settled back down, taking up their now familiar position of Justinus resting safely within Brion's arms.  As sleep claimed them, they were unaware of events happening very close by, which would affect their decision dramatically.

*****************************************************

There was no rest for the man known as Lysiscus, a false name for a false man.  His true identity was Julius Caesar, Roman sub-Commander of the army advancing on Sinuessa.  His true self was hidden well enough to provide the spy free access throughout the rebel-held city.  Caesar knew how to take advantage of this freedom skillfully.  He spent entire evenings ferreting out intelligence for any weaknesses to be found among the rebels.  There were a few.  He also spent time gauging the strength of the leadership of the rebellion.  That was a different story.  The only chinks in their armor were the vocal disagreements over treatment of the prisoners.  It took Caesar very little time to find one rebel, in particular, careless enough to provide information and help him foment discord with others over the question of the fate of prisoners.  That man was Nemetes, another former slave from East of the Rhine, like Agron.  Unlike Agron, however, Nemetes did not hold Spartacus in such high esteem.  He was willing to follow the man for his own benefit, but chafed at the moralistic views Spartacus held. 

Caesar played on Nemetes's greed for loot that Spartacus kept for the benefit of all, and his desire to kill all Roman prisoners, to ingratiate himself with the rebel.  During a drunken night at a makeshift tavern, Nemetes revealed vital information concerning the dealings Spartacus had with Heracleo, the pirate.  Caesar wisely tucked that bit of information into his memory bank.  It was not long after this fateful meeting that Caesar was given a golden opportunity to incite a riot among rebels who thought along the same line as Crixus, Naevia, and Nemetes in regards to the remaining prisoners.  As he stood by watching, all those who chafed at the survival of any Romans took to the streets with blood in their eyes and weapons ready.  Very few Romans remained alive by the time Spartacus learned of the riot and stopped it with a blade at the throat of Crixus.  Once order was restored and Spartacus left, followed like a shadow by Agron, Caesar overheard Crixus agreeing with Naevia that separating from Spartacus seemed to be the only step they were now left with.  Crixus favored going out to meet the forces of Crassus and his army, convinced they would be defeated as easily as all the other forces thrown at them.  Spartacus counseled patience and remaining safely within the city walls.  Caesar's smile behind the backs of the departing leaders spoke volumes.  He knew a divided force would be no match for Crassus and his men.

********************************************************************

Several days passed after the riot broke out.  The tension among the rebel forces and civilian slaves was so thick, it nearly choked off all the good feelings everyone first had when taking over the city.  Loud arguments often broke out among the divided factions within the ranks.  There were those who approved of the actions of Crixus and his followers, and those who thought it was far too cruel.  There was very little middle ground.  It was even affecting the relationship between Agron and Nasir.  It wasn't that they actually fought, because Agron always sided with Spartacus, even on those rare occasions when he agreed more with Crixus.  This was a relief to Nasir, who respected Crixus as a fighter and Naevia as a friend, but thought both were far too harsh in their hatred of the Romans.  Even though Agron and Nasir did not get into disagreements, some of the closeness they had shared during the previous year was lost.  Where they once spent hours talking about anything that came to mind, they now ate, worked, rested, and made love in relative silence. 

Although Agron was unable to put a name to what he was feeling, he found himself becoming more and more uncomfortable with the closeness that Nasir now shared with his new friend, Justinus.  It was becoming clear that everywhere Nasir was, no matter what time of day it was, Justinus was close by.  Nasir would not even allow anyone else to train Justinus in weaponry.  Agron really liked Justinus.  The boy was a quick learner and had a very pleasant personality.  More importantly, he truly seemed deeply devoted to his lover, Brion.  Agron was convinced he wasn't jealous of Justinus, or afraid that the young man would take Nasir from him.  He never considered that there was more than one kind of jealousy... that it was not fear of Nasir leaving his bed for Justinus.  It was more a fear that the two young men had so much more in common than he and Nasir had, and that their friendship was deeper than what he shared with Nasir.  It wasn't only Nasir's body that Agron loved.  He loved everything about Nasir, and needed all of him in his life.  He wasn't willing to share the most important parts of his lover with anyone, not even a friend.  He missed the easy camaraderie he shared with Nasir in the past, something he had not done with anyone else but his brother.

As for Nasir, he too had noticed the distance that had sprung up between Agron and himself.  He hated it, but understood it.  He knew that Agron was chafing at the bit, dying to leave the security of the city and move out to confront the enemy.  Agron was a man of action, and sitting around, being forced to guard people he would have been just as happy to see dead, was causing him to feel stressed all the time.  The one thing Nasir, even with all his wisdom, did not recognize was that his bond with Justinus was also causing anxiety.  Nasir felt compelled to spend as much time with Justinus as he could.  He had sensed, for some time, that Justinus was carrying a secret that weighed him down.  Nasir had no clue as to what it was about, but he was certain that his friend would feel a lot better if he unburdened himself.  For that reason, Nasir stuck close by and waited.  The more they talked, the more he felt Justinus would trust him enough to open up.  If there was anything he could do to help Justinus, he would.  He had come to think of the young man as a brother... a worthy replacement for the one he'd lost when he was too young to know the importance of such a connection.  What none of these men knew, was that their world would tip over and come crashing down around them in a very short time.  Jealousies and secrets would soon be the least of their worries.

*******************************************************************

After Crixus turned against specific orders by Spartacus to spare the remaining prisoners, the leader became leery of including his once-trusted ally in his scheme to rob Crassus of much-needed supplies arriving by way of Sicilia.  Spartacus gave Agron the task of protecting the few remaining Romans who yet lived, including Laeta, while he paid for the use of Heracleo's ship to sail to Sicilia with Gannicus and his most trusted rebels.  Heracleo remained behind to indulge his lust for wine and women while his second-in-command captained the ship.  Unfortunately for the rebels, Heracleo allowed the wine to loosen his tongue.  Caesar got an earful, learning of Spartacus's plans and the additional bounty that Heracleo would earn in helping Spartacus to use his ships next to create a surprise attack from behind Crassus's troops.  Caesar was well aware that the pirate held no allegiance to anything but coin.  The man could be bought only by the highest bidder.  By the next morning, Heracleo had formed a new partnership, one that would turn the tide in favor of the Romans for the first time since the rebellion began.

It was on this same day that another Roman citizen came out of hiding for the second time since the city was taken by the rebels.  Craigh was sent out by Cassius to find fresh supplies of food and water.  He had attempted to leave their hiding place once before when the supplies ran dangerously low, but had stepped into a world of madness.  His stealthy moves within the house were unnecessary, as the entire building was deserted.  When he managed to sneak his way to the crest of the hill the estate was built on, he heard the screams of the dying and wounded from below.  They were the same sounds heard when the city was first taken by the rebels.  At first, Craigh felt a thrill course through his veins.  Surely this was the sound of the Roman army retaking the city, he had thought to himself.  But before he could act on it, he saw a man, dressed in filthy, yet still recognizable Roman garb, running up the pathway leading to the gate of the estate.  He was followed closely by another man who was obviously a rebel, based on his appearance.  The man in front failed to reach the gate in time to save his life.  Craigh stood in the shadow of a large boulder, watching the Roman cut to ribbons in a matter of seconds.  He had no way of knowing that half the rebels had rioted and rained down carnage on surviving Romans, but he wasn't lingering around to ask questions.  He hurried back to his hideaway room, scrambling inside like a frightened rabbit.

Craigh's second venture out went quite differently.  He was extremely reluctant to risk his life again, but thirst and starvation were now a certainty without making some kind of move.  Once again, the area around the estate was deserted.  He and Cassius were certain that Spartacus and his most important followers were using the Aedile's residence for their personal residence.  It only made sense.  It also explained some of the gossip they had overheard from the hole in their wall.  It was also apparent that the leadership spent little time hanging around resting.  That explained why the residence was empty during both of Craigh's forays outside the wall, even so late in the day.  Craigh made his way for the second time to the ridge overlooking the city.  He saw nothing new within the city itself, but one couldn't miss the large ship now docked in the bay.  Craigh recognized the pirate flag flying from the highest mast.  He wondered if the ship had been captured by Spartacus by sneak attack when it docked, or the pirates had willingly brought their ship in to make a deal with the rebels.  Either way, it wasn't what Craigh wanted to see.  There was no sign of any help from the army of Rome.  They had both known that Crassus was building such an army.  They should have arrived by now.

Rather than worry about things he had no control over, Craigh decided he had no choice but to gather as many supplies as he could and hurry back to his hiding place.  He returned to the house he had just left.  He would check the kitchen and larder first.  Surely there would be what he needed there.  If not, he would check out the two guest houses.  Craigh clutched his dagger close to his body, and began his search, listening carefully for any sounds of approaching footsteps.  It didn't take long to find what he needed.  The only problem was that the food was not in large supply.  There was plenty of water and wine to take without causing too much suspicion, but not near enough food.  If he took as much as he wanted, it would be obvious to anyone that there was a thief amongst their people... one brave enough to steal from their leader.  It could bring the risk of another search.  Craigh thought it over and decided it was a lesser risk to take only a small amount of foodstuffs, and then go in search of more at the other houses on the property.  He chose to head for the house he had shared with his son when first arriving in the city, since he knew the layout of the building.  He next would go to the house Cassius stayed in if he needed to.

Craigh left the main house, sticking to the shadows cast by buildings and trees.  So far, he still did not see or hear any signs of another human being nearby.  He congratulated himself on his good fortune as he slipped into the side door leading into his previous residence.  Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of laughter hit his ears, bringing him to a dead stop.  Craigh retreated against the wall, his heart thumping so hard, he was certain it could be heard over the laughter.  Moments later, he saw two shadows move against the far wall.  Craigh pressed himself tighter to the wall hiding his body from view of the two men walking in the corridor between the entrance and the atrium across the way.  He didn't dare steal a peek at the figures moving away from where he stood in abject fear, but in the next instant, he recognized the voice of one man.  It was his own son, Justinus.  He felt complete surprise.  Justinus was a Roman.  He had fully expected his son to become victim to the rebels.  He doubted the bastard slave that bedded his son would have vouched for him and kept Justinus safe.  Craigh had no faith in the kindness of a slave.  Yet, somehow his son still lived, and was apparently in good humor.  He held his breath as the couple stopped only yards away on the other side of the wall.

"Your face still bears witness to lesson not learned, Justinus.  Your man will find fault with me, I fear." 

"Fault lies only on my head, Nasir.  You warn of lowering guard before striking and each time, I do.  If my face pays the price, it is well-deserved.  I shall warn Brion against blame directed at you," Justinus laughed. 

If Craigh had more knowledge of who the second man was, he might have shown himself to his son.  He knew it wasn't the slave, Brion, by the voice.  Also the shadows on the wall were of two men of equal size... one of the things Craigh's sharp eyes took note of.  No, he was not taking any chances by exposing himself.  He also considered their last parting of the ways, which was far from pleasant.  Craigh did not survive the turbulent times he lived in by making rash decisions.  Instead, he would leave this place and try the second guesthouse to add to his supplies.  He would then return to Cassius with this new information.  He did not know yet what they could do with what he had just learned, which was not much.  At least now he knew what had happened to both his son and Cassius's slave.  They survived the attack by the rebels, and it appeared Justinus lived safely among them.  Perhaps this knowledge would prove useful in future.  Once Craigh heard the voices moving further into the house, he slipped back out the door he had just entered.  There was no time to waste.  As he left for the other house, he glanced back to where he knew Justinus was.

"Take care, my son.  We shall meet again upon a day.  And this time, our fates shall take a different turn."

To be continued.....................