The Captain of White Guard Looks up As the Runner Approaches

Ground Ivy: 4383208/11/2018

New Arrival

The Captain of White Guard looks up as the runner approaches. “Sir I have a message.” He states, as if that wasn’t self evident from his mere existence.

“Go on Soldier.”

“Metellus sends word. He says there is some one who needs passage.” The runner responds.

“So?” Aurelius asks.

“They are calling in the Mellor Debt.” The Runner adds, though it is obvious he has not idea what it means.

“Ahh.” Aurelius puts down the stylus he was using.

Prydan looks up. “You want me to check this out with Aaron?”

“No. He’s got enough on his plate at the moment. I’ll get it.” Aurelius stands. “Won’t be long.”

Valli watches as Metellus is approached by a well built dark haired man with a broken nose and a scar on his left temple. The two men greet each other with a clasp of hands and talk rapidly in latin, some old dialect that she can not really follow. She hears Aarons name mentioned and then Metellus points to her. He walks over towards her. As he gets closer she can see that despite the combat inflicted ugliness his eyes are dark and clear and she gets the felling that once he was quite handsome.

“Aurelius” He states. It takes her a few seconds to realises it is his name after the overheard conversation.

“Valli.” She replies.

He frowns at the name, caught between confusion and half recognition. “Do you come fromLazio?”

“Yes. Selci to be exact.” She replies, confused about how he might know. May be he is good at spotting accents, but of a single word that seems unlikely.

He laughs “Ahh light dawns. Metellus said Aaron Mellor told you to come here.”

She nods.

“You have to understand something. If you come with me there is no going back. The Path to this world will be closed off soon. Permanently. This is a one way ticket.”

“I know Metallus said.” She asserts. “But I can’t stay. Not knowing what I know.”

He nods. “Ok then.” He holds out his hand.

She stands up and takes it and he leads her towards the walls in silence. She recalls Paul’s comment about the walls being part of the way out of the world. For a second she feels apprehensive. This is a big step she is taking. But she knows it’s the right thing to do. She looks up at her guide who grins slightly at her, some amusement in his face.
“What’s wrong?” She asks

“Nothing.” He says as they start up the steep steps onto the walls, but his expression implies that that is far from the case. At her continued glare her says. “It’s just one of those Caester moments ok. Something that happens when time lines wrap round on themselves. It’s hard to explain with out telling people about things that are still future for them.”

“Oh.” She responds, recalling some of the moments Aaron told her about that involved him knowing about future events.

“It’s nothing bad.” He assures her softly.

They walk round the walls. It’s a bright sunny day and the city is full of dark sharp shadows and patches of light. As they teach East gate and the clock he pauses.

“Last chance to change your mind.”

“It won’t change.” She tells him firmly.

“Ok then.”

He leads her down the steps and on to the cobbles. But she is sure that east Gate used to be tarmaced. Then as they walk other things change too. Buildings shift, brickwork gives way to glass, Steel to wood. She realises she is clutching his hand tight enough that her knuckles are white. But he does not seem to be bothered by the pain. And then he is leading her back up the steps onto the walls again at the clock.

“Just a short hop for your first trip.” He tells her. “This is Caester three.”

“Where I came from was Caester zero.” She says, not totally sure where she gets the term from.

“That right.” He smiles at her.

“Caester one is where the Daemons originally attacked. It’s kind of the front line. Exciting but not some where you’d want to live. Caester two is our main assembly point for the guard and the watch. Kind of like the office. This place is where a lot of us live.”

“But there are billions of Caesters aren’t there.” She says, recalling Aarons description of how many realities and his hints that most of them contain a Caester.

“Oh yeah.” He grins. “So it’s not like we can’t spread out if we want to.” He laughs. “Good job really you know how families can fight.”

She smiles thinking at the spats at Maenan Hall.

“Hoe would you like to meet up with first?”

“Aaron.” She says hopefully.

He grimaces. “Ah. Sorry. He’s out at the moment. But I’ll get Prydan to put a call out with the watch so we know as soon as he gets back.” He looks at her “Can I tempt you with Sergeant Maynan?”

She looks a little confused but he leads her down off the walls and along a narrow road with high buildings. At the end the road opens out into a large and obviously new complex. Shops with residential areas above. A large sign says “North Gate Complex.

He types a code into a door at the bottom and leads her up onto a balcony. Tapping on a door at the end.

“Hang on!” The voice is familiar and when the door opens the face is even more so; Gemma. She looks confused at her guide and then smiles warmly at Valli.

“Come in. Watch the toys. I’ll put the kettle on.” As she turns and heads for the kitchen Valli realises Gemma must be eight months pregnant at least.

The flat beyond seems small and full of stuff. A small boy is buzzing round with a wooden plane. He runs at Aurelius and launches himself off a sofa, obviously totally confident that the man will catch him. Valli watches in amazement as the man lifts the boy up and swings him round. They carry on a conversation in the same ancient Latin she heard him use with Metallus. She moves over to the window. A balcony outside looks down onto a communal garden area where the residents are lazing and enjoying the sun shine.

“Silas will be back in about half an hour.” Gemma tells her. “He had to nip down to the castle to sort out some paper work for the Commander.” She hands her a cup of dark coffee. “You’ll stay for Tea.” It’s not a question.

“Thank you.”

“’Lus?” She turns.

“I think Prydan is expecting me back.” He says momentarily holding the small boy still. The child wiggles in his grip.

“Phone him.” She tells him. “Silas went playing, we have plenty.”

He smiles. “Well fresh caught Salmon has always been a weakness.” He puts the boy down and heads for the phone.

The boy bounces over. Valli is beginning to wonder if the child is capable of just walking. Gemma ruffles his hair.

“This is Alan.” She introduces. “Alan say hello to Valli.”

The boy looks up. “You’ve got Alexy eyes.” He says firmly.

The comment takes Valli by surprise.

“He is talking about one of his relatives.” Gemma explains. “I’m sorry it’s a bad habit but it’s something he does to try and keep track of people. I have tries to tell him it’s not polite but…”

The boy picks up his plane again and runs off to fly it up and down the hall. Gemma watches him run off with a resigned look on her face. “I dread the day Silas teaches him to open Ley gates, He’ll probably only come home when he is hungry.”

“I keep telling you, you need a bigger house.” Aurelius states

“We are on the list ‘lus, but until Silvia pops out.” She pats her belly. “We don’t have the points. Unless we can persuade some one to take on this place.”

“Well I might have a solution to that one.” He says dropping himself into the sofa. Then he grimaces and reaches behind him to pullout a wooden train.

“Sorry.” She says.

“I should have looked.” He responds. Dropping the train onto the floor at his feet.

Alan returns and throws himself onto the sofa next to the man. He crouched on all four and start to head but Aurelius’s hip. Aurelius says something in Latin again and Valli is sure she hears the word Daemon amongst the stream of ancient phrases. Then most of what he is saying is drowned out by the screams of delight as he start to tickle the boy. As he stops she is sure he says “Do you want to go out?”

“Yeah.” The boy responds in excited English.

Aurelius looks at Gemma. “I’ll take him down to the play area until tea. Give you and Valli some peace. If Pry turns up send him over.”

Gemma smiles at him gratefully.

Aurelius stand up, lifting the child over his shoulder and heads for the door.

Between them they clear off the sofa, and Valli even locates a toy box and gets most of the toys in it, insisting Gemma sits for a while as it is clear her back is troubling her.

“Alan’s pregnancy was never this hard. But then I suppose with him I didn’t have a hyperactive toddler to deal with as well.” She excuses. Then she looks at Valli. “So.” She prompts. “What brought you out of Zero?”

Valli looks confused. She is not sure how to phrase it. “I just felt like I didn’t belong there any more.After it was all done. I tried to go back to a normal life but…”

“To boring eh?”

Valli shrugs. She is not sure that is accurate, but there must be something in it.

“I found myself missing Aaron.” She admits, almost embarrassed to say it.

Gemma laughs. “That’s got to be a rarity. Most people can’t wait to see the back of him.”

“We spent a lot of time together. I owe him a lot.” Valli justifies. “It’s just I didn’t realise that until he was gone.”

Gemma shrugs. “I’m not sure it’s mutual. But he plays his card close to his chest, so.” She leans forward and takes Valli’s hands. “Don’t get hurt Valli.” She warns her. “Mellor is a dangerous man to know.” She twitches and rubs her belly. “You end up irritatingly pregnant.” She says with a grimace.

Valli looks shocked.

“No. No. This is Silas’s. All my kids are Silas’s.” She assures her, realising the wrong impression she just gave. “It’s just. Well you do things around Aaron that feel like your idea at the time and then later you discover they are all part of one of his plans.”

The door opens and there is the sound of keys being dropped into a wooden dish.

“Quiet?” A voice asks.

“’Lus took him down to the park.” She shouts.

“Brill. Couple time.” Silas, wearing some military uniform, walks round the corner. He tries really hard not to be disappointed when he sees they have company, and for a second doesn’t pull it off. Then he realises who the company they have is and his smile widens into something genuine. “Valli.” He holds his arms out wide offering a hug.

She stands up and goes to him.

“Ah I’ll sacrifice couple time for this.” He says happily. “When did you get in?”

“May be an hour a go.” She says.

“Ah. Really recent then.” He smiles.

“They are staying for tea.” Gemma informs him.

“They?”

“Aurelius brought me.” She says.

“Ah. No one else from zero then.”

“No.”

She is not sure if he is disappointed or relieved.

“There are all ok though. Catrina got into Oxford. She is reading History, She was complaining how wrong it all is.”

Gemma laughs. “Oh I can so identify with that.”

Valli spends the next hour being gentle interrogated by Silas as he wants to know everything that has happened since they left. She can’t help thinking about Aurelius warning that the path will be closed and wonder how the man will cope with never getting news of his family again.

Aurelius and Alan return, with a tall fair haired man in tow who is introduced as Prydan. He embraces Valli as if he has known her all his life, which makes her feel welcome but a little confused.

The fish is gorgeous and shortly after they eat Silas takes Alan to bed to read him his bed time story and Valli finds three sets of eyes focus on her.

“So. You will need some where to live.” Aurelius says.

“I suppose so. I probably didn’t think this through very well. I didn’t even bring a change of clothes.” She admits.

“Not a problem, we look after our own.” Prydan says.

“I’m sure I have plenty of stuff to see you through the next few weeks.” Gemma says. “I can’t fit in most of my stuff myself, you may as well get use of it.”

“Thank you.”

Aurelius and Prydan look at each other and she gets a twinge of paranoia. “We have a flat.” Prydan says. “It’s in Caester two, but if you want it it’s yours.”

Then Aurelius looks at Gemma. “Then we’ll take this place and that should give you the points to get that three bed on Albion.”

She looks at the two of them and laughs. “Have you been planning this?” She teases.
“May be a little.” Aurelius admits. “We just need some one to start the chain.” He looks at Valli hopefully.
“Well given it’s that or a park bench.”

“Well don’t turn down the park bench. You haven’t seen his flat yet.” Aurelius jokes.

“It was a perfectly good bachelor pad until you turned up and filled it with your junk.” Prydan defends.

“Yeah exactly.” Aurelius points out.

The two men look at each other and then Valli suddenly realises just how much of a couple they are. As if to confirm it Pydan darts forward and kisses Aurelius.

Gemma yawns. “I’m sorry.”

“No. We’ll move.” Aurelius stand up. “Give you and Silas some quiet time together with Diabolus in bed.”

Gemma frown at him “Don’t call him that!” She protests.

“You call him worse yourself. “Prydan point out.

“Not until he is much older.” Gemma corrects mysteriously.

Aurelius looks down at Valli. “Sofa tonight.” He explains. “Then if you like the flat we can sort out something better.”

The two men leader her up onto the walls at water gate, Once again she is lead round them and then down into the city. This time the shifts are more subtle. More changes in décor that the massive alterations she encountered on the walk from east gate. Again it finishes with another trip round the walks and a short walk past an allotments to a row of Victorian houses which have been converted into flats.

Prydan’s flat is small, a bed room, kitchen, bath room, lounge and small box room come study. The décor is very masculine, perhaps not surprised with two men living in it. She has to see past it to see the potential but she realises there are lots. The large west facing window looking over the allotments insures it gets a lot of light.

By the morning she realises that she can see herself staying here for a while, once it has been decluttered and given a major lick of paint.

To her surprise and confusion there is never a mention of money. It seems accepted that as she needs the clothes now and as soon as the flat is sorted, furniture, kitchenware and everything else she needs to turn it into a home will be found. Over the next few days she meets a lot of Silas, Aurelius’s and Prydan’s work mates as people turn up with boxes of “I thought this might be useful…” and “We don’t need this so…” She begins to realises the significance of young Alan’s ‘Alexy eyes’ comment. So many of them are clearly related and the family resemblance makes it difficult to keep track. It reminds her of Maenan hall and the assemblage of twins. Surnames seem to have gone out of the window and whenever she asks more often than not she gets “Maynan”; so she soon gives up.

A few days later both Aurelius and Prydan are off duty at the same time, and as it seems to be a rare event she decides to given them a bit of space.She finds herself sitting in the Pantry; a small café just outside the castle gates. It serves an almost wholly meat based diet which she is sure can not be good for the Soldiers who frequent it regularly, but it is still the best place in Caester for a bacon butty.

In front of her is a “gift” from a Captain Maynan, dropped off one evening my one of the watch runners. “Some thing to keep you busy.” on a sticky note on the front. Inside proved to be a large Arch leaf file of raw notes collected from the Maynan Lea walkers of popular ley routes used to get to nearby realties that did not have a active Caester. Some are maps, others descriptions, a few appear to be little more than scratches on leather strips. Pulling the information together into something resembling a coherent useable map is going to be a challenge but one she is looking forward too.