Each day followed another within the walls of the seaside city of Sinuessa en Valle.  Every day brought new discoveries, some welcome... others most assuredly not.  Spartacus found his position as Chief Leader over the rebel forces morally burdensome at times.  The taking of the city had been bloodier than any his followers had experienced so far.  More women and children were struck down during the uncontrolled frenzy of bloodlust than in the past, much of that thanks to their ranks swelling with embittered ex-slaves.  It didn't help calm things when the Aedile of the city, Ennuis, soaked a large portion of the grain stores with pitch before being cut down by Spartacus.  His actions lessened the amount of food available for the rebels, giving them more of an incentive to call for dispatching even those small numbers of Romans who had survived the first day of the massacre.  The reasoning was that the reduced food supplies would be wasted on the prisoners.  Spartacus couldn't even rely on his closest Generals for unqualified support in sparing the survivors.  Crixus and Agron were not in favor of such leniency.  Crixus, spurred on by his lover, Naevia, and Agron, carried such a strong hatred for Romans that they were unable to feel any compassion for them.  Not even the age, sex, or circumstances of any Roman softened the hearts of those three, and many others of like mind.  Only the firm hand of Spartacus kept the small number of Roman survivors alive, although barely.  They were kept on open display in the town squares, shackled by the very same chains they had once used on their slaves.  They were treated as poorly as the worst Roman masters had once treated their slaves.  Even those who had never raised a hand against any slave, or had the means to own a slave of their own, were dealt with cruelly. 

There were, of course, those rebels who were not so harsh.  Nasir was one of those.  His sentiments were shared by Justinus, a freed slave (so Nasir thought) that Nasir had begun to form a friendship with quite quickly after he and his lover had been rescued from imprisonment.  Perhaps it was the kindred spirit he felt when with Justinus that led Nasir to finding the young man so interesting.  The first thing Nasir noticed about Justinus was how solicitous he was towards his companion, Brion.  Brion had no trouble keeping up with them when Nasir showed the two men where the assembly of healers had started to set up stations to care for the wounded.  However, he could see how much pain Brion was in once the medicus began rubbing an ointment into the deep lacerations on his back.  What impressed Nasir was Justinus's reaction each time Brion flinched at the woman's touch.  Justinus grimaced even more than Brion, as if he was the one in pain.  Nasir recognized the look on the young man's face.  He'd seen that same look on Agron's face when he was badly injured rescuing Naevia from the mines.  Agron couldn't stand to see him in pain, and it was obvious that Justinus felt the same way about Brion.  Before leaving the couple on their own, Nasir made a mental note to seek them out again once things settled down.  He felt it would be worth his time getting to know them better.

While Brion was tended to, with Justinus by his side, Nasir rejoined Agron.  The final bloodshed that first night occurred when Ennuis tried to burn the grain, and was killed for his efforts.  All Romans who had been forced from their homes, and yet lived through the night, were gathered together and chained by the time the Sun began to rise over the horizon.  It was a rather large city, so there were those few Romans who had managed to hide themselves away without being found.  Among those was one man who could easily destroy Justinus... his own father, Craigh.  It was sheer luck that Craigh escaped detection.  After leaving Justinus and Brion to their fates, he entered Ennuis's main house, looking frantically for a place to hide away.  All he found were the dead bodies of a number of slaves.  His heart sank when he heard odd sounds coming from one of the rooms off the central courtyard close by.  If the sounds came from the rebels, he knew he was a dead man.  He was about to turn tail and run for his life, when a figure emerged from the doorway of the same room the sounds came from.  Craigh instantly recognized the man, though his face, arms, and clothing were dripping with blood.  It was Cassius.  He held a sharp dagger clutched in his hand.    

"Finally!  The last of Ennuis's swine loosened tongue and revealed knowledge of a room secreted in this house.  Follow me.  We will gather food and drink from the kitchen to sustain us.  Once word is delivered to Rome of the fall of Sinuessa, deliverance will arrive.  The rebels will feel the full weight of Rome and we will live to exact revenge for their actions this night," Cassius vowed.

Craigh knew there was no time to question Cassius.  The two men hurried to the kitchen, stepping over the bloodied body of the cook Cassius had slain when she could, or would not give him the answers he sought.  They gathered jugs of water and wine and loaves of bread, along with fruits, vegetables, and dried meats from the larder.  They wrapped all they could carry in cloths.  Craigh then followed Cassius.  He was led to the very back of the large house, to a room that was used for storage of unused furnishings and trunks of various sizes.  Cassius moved some of the larger trunks piled against a wall.  When he did so, Craigh could see that there was a full-sized decorative rug covering most of the back wall.  Cassius moved the rug aside, revealing a small, inconspicuous hook embedded in the wall.  Cassius pushed on it and stepped forward as a section of the wall slid inward.  A small empty space was now visible to the men.  Craigh looked around the room, and then along the wall, that no longer appeared solid.

"This is madness.  Discovery is inevitable.  How do we hide the hidden door from prying eyes?"

"If mind conjures better plan, voice it."

Craigh said nothing.  Cassius began lifting several of the trunks, testing their weight.  He finally found what he was looking for. 

"These trunks serve as our shield.  Their weight is heavy and less likely to be moved by the curious. "

Cassius began to outline his plan.  He explained how they would stack as many trunks around the rug as possible, leaving just enough space for them to enter without signs of anyone having been there.  Once they closed the door from inside and the rug was in place, there should be no reason for anyone to suspect there was a room behind the rug.  They quickly checked out the space inside.  There were several full oil lamps and bedding already in place on a very small table in the cramped quarters.  There was even a chamber pot ready for their use, with a deep hole dug into the ground to dispose of the pot's contents when full.  Ennuis obviously did not expect to remain hidden in the tiny space for an extended period of time when he had the room built inside his home, but it would serve its purpose long enough.  At least that was what the two men were relying on.

Cassius entered the room first and had Craigh pass over the bundles they had gathered.  As soon as the last one was inside, the two men quickly replaced the heaviest trunks, setting them up against the wall and in front of the rug.  They were just checking the room for any evidence of their presence when they heard the obvious sounds of others, coming from the front of the house.  There was no time to waste.  They scurried over the trunks, like rats into a hole, letting the rug drop into place so it lay smoothly against the wall.  From inside, they pushed the heavy door closed.  To the naked eye, the wall again appeared to be solid.  Only the most observant eye would question what the tiny hook in the wall was about, or even notice the imperceptible crack in the foundation.  For all intents and purposes, the two men now felt safe.  As Cassius lit the first of the oil lamps and snuffed the torch, they prayed their stay would be short and uneventful.

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Throughout the first week and the next, following the takeover of Sinuessa, Spartacus did his best to control his people, but his forces had grown to an almost ungovernable mass of conflicting opinions and desires.  His main concerns were for food to feed the masses, as a result of the damage the Aedile had managed to cause to the grain supplies before his death.  His second concern was for their Roman prisoners.  Spartacus felt there had been enough bloodshed, and did not want further harm to come to those few dozens who had managed to escape the afterlife.  Not all agreed with him.  Crixus and Naevia were at the head of that faction.  Agron agreed with Crixus, but was loathe to go against any of Spartacus's wishes.  This was good news for Nasir, who felt exactly like Spartacus.  He was more than willing to stand by Agron's side in battle, and kill as many as needed in order to win the day, but he detested wanton killing of the innocent and helpless.  During his time as slave, he had seen kindness and generosity in more than one Roman, if not in his own Dominus.   Agron and he seldom fought over their principles, and even less seldom, discussed their different philosophies.  Nasir saw no point in it.  He loved Agron for who he was, warts and all.

Having such different ideas of what was acceptable with his lover, did lead to what was slowly happening between Nasir and the newly freed 'slave', Justinus.  The day after the invasion, Nasir sought out Justinus and his companion, Brion.  Agron joined him, and the four men shared a meal during the noon hour, while Agron questioned the couple for more details of their history.  Brion and Justinus had plenty of time during that first night and early morning to get their stories straight.  By the time, the other couple had joined them, they had every nuance of their tale finely tuned.  It was Brion who recognized the relationship between Agron and Nasir halfway through the meal.  When Justinus made a comment about the joys of being able to love whom he chose, without fear, Nasir gave Agron a look that Brion translated immediately.  He said nothing about his thoughts at the time.  He saved it for when he was again alone with Justinus.  Recognizing that they all had something in common, the creation of two friendships had its tentative beginnings.

When Spartacus chose the former house of Ennuis as his personal headquarters, leaving Crixus and Agron to claim the guest houses as their own, Agron suggested that Brion and Justinus share the space with he and Nasir.  There were two separate sleeping quarters in the house for each couple.  When Justinus saw that Agron had chosen the house he had shared with his father, he felt nervous over the prospect.  His greatest fear came because they had not been able to locate his father or Cassius, either among the living or dead in the city.  They learned from Agron that only household slaves were discovered on Ennuis's property, and all those were murdered, no doubt by the hand of their masters.  Justinus felt sorrow at the loss of his father's house slaves.  He had grown up with them and remembered their kindness to him whenever he would sneak into their kitchen in search of treats.  He barely knew his father's body slave, but the man had served his father well and deserved a kinder fate.  Brion thought Cassius's act of murder was reprehensible, but did not feel the same sense of loss as Justinus did.  He had never allowed himself to connect emotionally to anyone who shared his household.  It was Brion who reassured Justinus that staying in the house would be a safe plan.  The entire estate had been searched vigorously, and no one living had been discovered.  He convinced Justinus that their hated enemies must have escaped to the outside through some hidden means that only Ennuis would have known of, and revealed to them before leaving, which would account for them not being found.

By the time news came of the arrival of Silician pirates at the gates of the city two weeks later, Agron, Nasir, Justinus, and Brion had become agreeably settled under the same roof.  Days slipped away.  During that time, Agron followed close on Spartacus's heels, doing his best to help him keep order among the ranks.  Nasir spent his time applying himself to whatever tasks the two leaders required of him.  He was helped greatly with those chores by Justinus, who enjoyed feeling useful.  When Brion explained what his duties had been under his Dominus, Agron put him to work with similar responsibilities... organizing supplies, keeping track of weapons, and organizing work details.  The fact that Brion could read and write in many languages with great skill was a boon to the rebels.  Many ex-slaves were unable to communicate with others distinctly, due to language barriers.  That was when Brion was called on to learn of disputes and requests, which were then forwarded to the leadership. 

Many hours were also spent throughout different locations set up specifically for weapons training.  All slaves, outside of the young and very old, or women who did not wish it, were required to test their abilities handling weapons.  It was the price paid for sanctuary among the rebels.  Justinus and Brion were no exception.  Nasir, who was one of the best instructors among those assigned the task, was amused by Justinus's difficulty at wielding a sword.  He was no natural at the job.  Nasir remembered being clumsy at first when Spartacus taught him, but he had been a quick learner in a very short period of time.  When Justinus became frustrated, and flung his wooden sword to the ground, Nasir laughed and reminded his friend that he too had found the sword cumbersome in the beginning.  He would slap Justinus on the shoulder and urge him to gather the sword up to make another attempt to win over his opponent.  Justinus would huff his displeasure, but always did what he was told.  By the end of the week, he was able to keep the sword in hand, but was hardly what one would call a warrior.  Brion, on the other hand, took to his lessons as if he had been trained for the arena in a previous life. 

Nights in their shared villa would find the two couples exchanging stories of the adventures of their day over their evening meal.  There were occasions when Agron was busy elsewhere with Spartacus.  There were even a few occasions when both Agron and Brion were away at the same time.  Nasir and Justinus felt relaxed in each other's company.  They began opening up more to each other each day.  Nasir confessed that there were times when Agron frightened him, not so much for his own sake, but for the sake of others.  Despite the fact that Agron was always gentle with him, never even raising his voice in anger at his lover, there were times when Agron was so aggressive towards someone else that Nasir feared the outcome of any confrontation.  Justinus confessed that he had never seen that kind of anger in Brion, except perhaps when the two of them had been caught by their 'masters'.  What bothered Justinus was that Brion was so closed off to him.  He did not doubt the depth of Brion's feelings for him, but the man never spoke much about his past or where he came from.  Justinus still did not know the full story of how Brion was captured, and what happened to him before and after he was sold into slavery.  Even gentle prying had not brought out many details so that Justinus could have a clearer picture of the man he loved.  The one thing they both agreed upon wholeheartedly, during their exchanges, was that they accepted their men as they were, no matter what. 

The two younger men became so at ease during these gossip sessions, just between the two of them, that they were completely unaware that both Agron and Brion were beginning to wonder why they often found the two with their heads together, sharing amusement over some little thing.  It didn't help Brion and Agron's moods that their lovers would often pull away from each other when they arrived, and act secretive when questioned about the cause of their merriment.  There were times when either Nasir or Justinus revealed what brought them to laughter, but other times when neither appeared to have an answer.  Those were times when Nasir and Justinus were talking about their lovers, but were reluctant to reveal that information.  They felt it wise to change the subject at such times, never knowing that their reluctance to answer only heightened Brion and Agron's curiousity.  Although Nasir and Justinus only saw each other as friends, their actions were slowly building suspicions in the back of the minds of Agron and Brion.  For the older men, Nasir and Justinus were not merely bed partners and friends.  They were the heart of both their lovers... the heart and soul, which if lost, could never be replaced.

Those minor doubts might have faded away into nothing, given time, but a storm was coming that would stir up turmoil affecting the entire city, especially lovers who had something to hide, and their newly found friends.  Before the storm subsided, many more would lie dead within and outside the city, and secrets would be revealed.  Lovers would find their trust tested to the limits of endurance, and futures would be altered beyond imagining.

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