Chapter Eighteen: Mark: In which I meet an Interesting Gallic Family
I woke up in a room somewhere and found myself to be very much alive. I didn't have a shirt on but, thankfully, I still had pants on. I was quite bandaged up, too.
The door opened and, to my surprise, Flavia walked in. I quickly pulled the blanket up to my shoulders. She smiled, picked something up from the end of the bed, and tossed it to me. I caught it but dropped the blanket. It was a shirt.
I stood up slowly and stabilized myself.
"Careful." She said. "You've been in an unconscious state for at least a week an' a half an' have been runnin' a fever fer a few days. It broke last night finally. Mama was very pleased." I pulled the shirt on.
"You found me and brought me back here?" I asked. "Even though I'm Remen?"
"You was very kind to me." She said. "One good turn deserves another. Even if you're Remen. Marcus carried ya in here. He's out huntin' currently. I'm the one who bandaged ya up an' took care a ya."
"Thank you." I said.
"Do ya want anythin' to eat?" She asked.
"Yes." I said, realizing how hungry I was.
"Follow me." She said. "Don't judge." She led me into a small room with a fireplace and various stools. An older woman was making something in a pot on the fire. She looked up when Flavia moved a stool out of her way.
"Good mornin' to ya, Sir." She said.
"Good morning, Ma'am." I said.
"Ya hungry?" She asked.
"Yes, Ma'am." She grinned.
"Good." She grabbed some bowls and filled them from the pot. She handed me one and gave another to Flavia, who sat down on the floor by a stool, and set her bowl on the stool. I did the same.
"Potato soup." The woman said. "Family favorite. That and peas." She winked at Flavia who blushed.
"Thank you." I sad.
"Eat up." She said. "You look like you could use a few days of some good food. What've you been doin' that gotcha so bloody and bruised?"
"Mama," Flavia said quietly.
"I was tryin' to lead an army with my brother against my grandfather." I said. "We lost. My brother is worse off than me. He lost his head."
"You poor thing." Flavia's mother patted me on the head. "Who's yer grandpapa?"
"Kaesar." I said.
"Odin's mighty beard." She said. I was saved from sayin' anything else by the arrival of a young woman and a young man.
"Mama," the man said. "Where's Via?"
"I'm right here, Lu." Flavia said. "What is it?" She stood up.
"Liza wants ya." The man said.
"Can Cornelia go?" Flavia asked. He shook his head.
"She asked fer ya."
"Alright. I'll just be a minute." Flavia quickly ate her soup then stood up.
"Sorry." She whispered to me. She left the house quickly.
"Wonder what Liza needs." Flavia's mother said, handing a bowl to the two newcomers. The man took Flavia's seat. The woman moved a stool over and sat down.
"You must be Via's mysterious patient." The man said. "I'm Lucius, Via's younger brother. This is Cornelia. She's right in between me and Via." Cornelia smiled. "An' then there's Marcus, he's a year older 'an Via."
"I'm Mark." I said. "And I'm a year older than Marcus."
"Odin's beard." Lucius said.
Flavia and Liza came over shortly.
"It's nice to see you again, Mark." Liza said.
"It's nice to see you too." I said.
"It's also nice to be around someone who speaks right." Liza said. "Unlike these hooligans."
"You're one of us now, Liza." Lucius said. "Don't ferget that."
"I can't." Liza said. "Not with you reminden me every day." I glanced at Flavia.
"Marcus married Liza the day I got back." Flavia explained.
"Via's speech has gotten better." Liza said.
"That would be my fault." I said.
"So you're the different Remen." Flavia's mother said. "The one who let 'er go." I nodded.
"I'm sorry ya got stuck with Via." Lucius said. Flavia promptly smacked him.
"By the way, Mark," Flavia's mother said. "You can stay here as long as ya like. You'll always have a home here. It's my way of sayin' thanks fer everythin' ya did about Via." She must've seen my bewildered look. "An' call me Auntie. I insist."
"Yes, Ma'am." I said.
"Auntie." She said.
"Yes, Auntie." I said slowly.
"Good boy." She said. Flavia grinned.
