“Up Arnold, breakfast is on the table!” Beldrak shouted.

I wasn't taken back to Italia overnight. Things rarely change for the better. Unless you make them change.

“Not hungry,” I yawned. I had no desire to leave my warm and very comfortable bed. Looking out of the window I saw that it was snowing. This only reinforced my desire to stay where I was.

“More for us,” the wizard shrugged. “But if you are not at the door in half an hour, clad in mail, I will come up, and I will have a bucket of ice-cold water with me. Just so you know.”

He left, and I watched the ceiling. Putting on armour. Speaking with the mayor. Getting Jim's forgiveness for whatever he is angry this time. These are my tasks for today. And they are all equally pointless. Why did I even bother waking up?

Oh, right. Trueanvil woke me.

Beldrak Trueanvil. The jovial, squat little man, who is no man at all, but a dwarf. He was not so affable these days, was he? More like a nuisance. He won't stop pestering me until I do what he tells me to do.

I stuck out one of my arms from under the blanket. It was cold. Can I change in bed? Where are my clothes? Ah, right, in the bag. And the bag is... No, I can't reach it. Unless...

My sword was lying somewhere besides my bed. I felt the floor until I found the handle. Now all I had to do, was to get the sheathed blade through the strap of my backpack. Then I could drag it in reach.

Alas, I was clumsy. I poked my bag, and it slowly tipped on its belly. So much for that.

There was some reason I should be getting up right now. Putting on clothes. Oh right, Beldrak will come up again, and yell. I should do something about that. Plug my ears, maybe? But with what?

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What are you doing, brother?

Oh, Lucius. What a ridiculous question. I am trying to sleep. So Quirinus can find me. So I can go back home.

Quirinus will never find you. He told you, remember? You are on your own.

On my own. Right. Not right. You are here with me.

I am not really here.

Lucky for you. I shouldn't be here either.

You are the lucky one.

Lucky. Heh. Some luck.

You are still breathing.

Hey, Lucius. Remember when we took Decia Minor to the Tiber?

Shouldn't you be getting ready?

She was afraid to come into the deep with us. But then you took her on your back.

Beldrak will be back with his bucket soon.

You were always a good swimmer.

Start with the small things then. Put the blanket away.

I taught you first, but you swiftly became better than me.

You can't reach your bag like this. You will have to stand up.

Maybe next time we go, you will show a trick or two to me.

Now open that knot. It's not hard. You tied it, you can untie it.

The girls are going to come too. And Mother and Father.

Put on an undertunic too. It's cold outside.

Father will sing, and Mother will make fun of his voice.

Now, where is your armour?

We will swim for hours, until we are too tired to move our arm.

You will never swim in the Tiber again.

Then we are just going to lie in the shallow, watching the clouds and the birds.

And I will never swim anywhere.

Don't say that.

Have you forgotten?

...

I am dead.

I know.

I am dead, Publius.

I know.

I know, I know, I KNOW!

...

Ah, right. There it is. I put my mail under the bed.