The Writing Bear's Cave

Domus

UrsusMajr

June, 92 AD

"Sir! Please wait, sir!" The young boy ran up, panting. Rufus called to the oxen to stop and turned to see who was calling to him. He recognized the innkeeper's youngest son.

"Yes, boy, what is it?" The boy was panting, trying to catch his breath and answer at the same time.

"A letter, <gasp> for you and the other gentle <wheeze> man, it was left with <gasp>..."

"Here, take your time, boy." Rufus got down from the cart and walked over to the boy, who apparently had run all the way from the inn to catch him. Once the boy had caught his breath, he said, "Now, what is this? Are you sure it's for me?"

The boy nodded. "A tradesman left it with my father, saying to be sure and give it to either the big man with the black beard, or the shorter man with the copper colored one." He looked Rufus up and down. "That's you, right enough." Now that he had recovered from his exertion, his natural cheekiness was surfacing. He held on to the scroll.

"Well, hand it over, then."

The boy made to hand it over and then withdrew it. "It's a hot day, and it's a long way back to the inn, sir..."

Rufus chuckled and withdrew two quadrans from the pouch at his waist. "Here you are then, you young rogue." Rufus took the scroll and watched as the boy skipped and ran back down the road. He got back on the cart and lightly touched the whip stock to the oxen's rumps. They lurched into motion back up the road. Once he was confident that the oxen were under way, he examined the scroll. He immediately recognized the seal. 'Why, it's from Lucius. Now, why would he be writing to us?' thought Rufus as he rode along the bumpy track that served as the road between Rocca and his and Maximus' smallholding in the foothills south of the town. He broke the seal and slowly read the letter, frowning more and more.

To my dear friends Rufus and Maximus, salvete!

I trust this letter finds you both in good health. A kindly merchant has agreed to take this message to your town of Rocca when he travels to Clusium. I am well, but I have sad news to relate. My beloved Lucius passed on this last Ides of Aprilis. I found him in the garden, sitting quietly, when I went to rouse him for the midday meal. He had died peacefully; he did not suffer, his face was quite composed. I am glad of that, but I miss him dreadfully.

Lucius was a skilled and successful businessman and left me well provided for. He has left the fundus to the two boys, Marcus and Lucius Tertius. They will likely sell it. They inherited their father's business skills but not his fondness for the countryside, I fear! Cornelia has asked me to come and live with them in Rome, but she and Septimus are expecting their third child soon, and in any case, I think young couples should have their homes to themselves. I will help with the birth, of course; but I will look for a small place of my own. I still have many old friends in Rome. Anna, Sabina, and Decimus will come with me, of course.

I know that a trip to Rome would be an undertaking for you, but I should like to see you both one more time; so if you ever get to Rome, DO come and see me. Rufus, you know where Cornelia lives, and she can tell you where I end up. Lucius left a small memento for each of you, and I shall take those with me when I leave here, which will be soon. Either I or Cornelia will have those for you.

You know how much regard Lucius had for the pair of you, myself as well. He was very sorry not to have seen you one last time before he met the ferryman. Bless you both, and may the gods always watch over you.

Antonia

Rufus was overcome with emotion as he read Antonia's letter. He had known Lucius and Antonia literally all his life, and Antonia had been very much like a mother to him after his own had died a few years after his birth. Lucius and Antonia were kind to all their slaves, but Antonia seemed to hold a special affection for the happy little red haired boy, the son of her long time personal slave. It had been Antonia who had taught Rufus to read and write, originally intending him to be a scribe. When he showed an unexpected talent for numbers, he was kept on in the household and eventually became the dux servus of the domus. It was a tribute to the fair and considerate treatment of their slaves by Lucius and Antonia that there was little friction in the domus, but also to the levelheadedness and sensitive nature of Rufus in his eventual role as chief slave. Though he was young for the role, he was well liked by the other slaves, and behaved like a manager rather than a master. Cheerful and easy-going, he was never above sharing in whatever work needed doing.

Approaching their small farm, Rufus reflected on their state in life, as he often did when arriving back home. 'Sometimes,' he thought to himself, 'I think I am dreaming, that it's all an illusion that will vanish if I wake up. And then I feel my Beast's body next to me in bed, or I see the horses coming to fence to see who's riding up the track, and I realize that it is all real, that we have a home, together, that we can be together and free, never to be sold'. Those thoughts gave great joy, especially if other events were threatening clouds.

When Rufus arrived at the fundus, he unloaded the cart while Maximus unhitched the open and let them into the field. "Here, I'll get that," Maximus said, shouldering an amphora and heading inside. "Wine, I hope."

"Yes, that one is. The other is oil. Its the first pressing of the olives and it's quite good, I think. It cost enough!"

"What's that, Wolfpup?" Maximus said, nodding towards the scroll with the broken seal that Rufus had tucked inside his belt. "You look sad... something wrong?"

"It's a message from Antonia. Here, sit and read it. I need some water, I'm parched." Maximus slowly read the scroll as Rufus dipped some water from the pail, freshly filled from the well, and joined him at the table while his Beast read.

"Wolfpup, I am so sorry." Maximus continued to read. "What's this word here? I don't know it." Rufus leaned over Maximus' shoulder, looking at the word Maximus was pointing at.

"Memento... it's a kind of keepsake, something to remember the person by."

"Lucius has... had already done more than enough for us. We can never forget him, that's absurd to think we could ever forget him. We owe just about everything to him." He put his hairy arm around his Wolfpup's waist and hugged.

"True. But I also know he and Antonia have always felt they owe their lives to us." The were both silent for a while, remembering.

"Wolfpup, I think you should go to Rome and see Antonia." Before Rufus could object, Maximus hurried on. "I know we can't leave the place unattended, and I know you won't like traveling alone. But Lucius, and especially Antonia, meant and mean a lot to you. I know that. You should go, and tell Antonia that I grieve for her loss as well. I know she will be very happy to see you again, and she will understand why I could not come."

"Beast, all you say is true. She would be disappointed but understand. But being apart for a month, traveling alone, I just don't think..." Rufus swallowed hard and look straight at Maximus. "No. No, I don't think so. Not alone. Not without you. Maybe sometime in the future, but not now." Rufus' face showed the inner conflict he was feeling.

Maximus got up from the table. "All right, love, we can leave this for now, I know it bothers you. We'll think on it for a while." He gave his mate a long, tight hug, and then got some water for himself.

That night, in bed, the big man held his slightly smaller love close throughout the night, folding him in his arms, humming softly as he finally fell asleep, and stroked his chest and belly when he turned restless in the night.

Several weeks later, Rufus was returning from his weekly trip to Rocca. He usually stayed over night, returning home in the late afternoon of the following day. This gave him almost two days in town, where he was a part-time scribe and accountant for several businesses. Rocca was still a small rural town with few literate citizens and no magistrate, and few large businesses; but there was a need for someone to manage the paperwork required by Imperial taxation, and other business concerns. There was just enough work to keep Rufus busy for a day or two each week. Word had gotten around about his honesty and skill. His script was much admired. So the cheerful, stocky man with the red hair and striking copper beard was a welcome sight in the town.

Word got around about the horses, too: good, sturdy stock, well-bred and cared for by the big, honest, bearded hulk who sold the occasional yearling or two-year-old at a decent price.

Initially, there had been the usual questions about the newcomers who lived outside of town and raised horses. The cover story that Lucius had suggested to them years earlier had satisfied the rural curiosity. Of course, everyone knew of the epic disaster of the Vesuvius eruption; and the two men who had lost everything, business, family, all of it, told a tale that was accepted as Lucius predicted it would be. And if any wondered about the two men who kept to themselves and did not seem interested in finding new wives... well, who could blame them, really. It must have been hard indeed to see your loved ones crushed before your eyes; perhaps to even feel some guilt at surviving when they had not. In any case, both men were pleasant enough and willing to chat a bit and to share a mug of posca when they visited the town.

The innkeeper mentioned to his wife, "It's odd, the big one is nice enough, cheerful, will talk your ear off about his horses. But ask him about his family and he clams right up."

"I'm not surprised. Now, you leave off pestering him, Gaius. I heard that he saw his young wife and their infant son crushed by a falling wall as they were fleeing, and his business partner had to pull him away from trying to lift the entire wall off them. He must be still grieving, so you leave him be, you hear? And I know his business partner lost his family in the mad crush in front of the Temple of Venus Pompeiana, trying to escape that awful volcano. Trampled to death, they were, right in front of him." Seeing her husband's questioning look, she snorted and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on Gaius, you know who I mean, the one with the red beard, he keeps our books for the tax man... and I don't want him upset, either. He's honest as the day is long, which is more than you can say for anyone else you've hired for that job!" The wife frowned and bustled off into the kitchen, intent on preparing the mid-day meal for their guests, and left her husband shaking his head as he imagined the horror of fleeing Vesuvius.

Finally nearing home, Rufus guided Clover, the small, gentle horse that he had become used to riding, towards the stable. Clover was his transportation into town when he didn't need the ox cart to bring back supplies. He still wasn't entirely comfortable on horseback, and to distract himself, he had been thinking of Maximus' hairy body and the thick cock that jutted out from the black pelt that covered his crotch. His own erection poked up under his tunic, demanding attention. He thought of their lovemaking, sometimes stroking himself, 'priming the pump' as his Beast called it. He hurriedly dismounted and removed the double bags that he carried his writing materials in. Maximus heard him and strode out of the stable, a wide grin on his face. Rufus practically ran towards Maximus with open arms.

Maximus put his arms straight out, to fend off Rufus. "Oh, no, Wolfpup, I stink of horse and sweat!" Rufus seized his lover anyway and buried his face in the thick mat of hair that covered most of Maximus, rubbing his face and beard all over the Beast's chest.

"I love the way you smell, love. It's you, and it makes me feel safe and, well..." Rufus took his Beast's hand and placed it firmly on his surging erection. "Take me, love, be my stallion, breed me." His low growl was muffled in Maximus' pelt, felt more than heard.

With only a brief moment to wonder, 'What brought this on?', Maximus yelled,"Yes!" and swept Rufus up and into his arms and carried him into the barn. "Is this all right? Here, I mean?"

"Yes, let's give the horses some lessons on proper breeding." Rufus nuzzled into Maximus' chest again.

Maximus laughed. "I don't know if Nocte needs any lessons, he seems to be doing well enough on his own. But you and I will give them a show." He set Rufus down on a hay bale and spread a blanket out over a pile of sweet smelling fresh hay. He stripped off his sweat soaked tunic and turned to face his lover, his erection reaching full extension with his foreskin half retracted over the head of his cock. Rufus was pulling his own tunic off over his head. He gazed lovingly at his big, hairy Beast.

"Take me, Beast," he repeated. "Fuck me, breed me. Put yourself inside me." He knelt on all fours on the blanket, pushing his red furred rump up, his ball sack full and tight, his cock rigid. He looked back over his shoulder. "All the way home, I was thinking about... I need you so bad, Beast."

Maximus knelt behind his Wolfpup and spat in his hand twice, and worked it into his lover's ass, pressing one blunt finger into the opening. Rufus grunted and pushed back. Maximus continued massaging the muscle ring and eventually worked a second and part of a third finger in.

"Holy Priapus, that feels so good, Beast!"

"Ready?"

Rufus nodded and braced himself. Maximus spat in his hand again and coated his rigid cock, then dropped to all fours then reared up, placing his chest and belly on Rufus' furry back. He flexed his cock and maneuvered around, feeling his way towards his lover's warm open ass. He was deliberately mimicking Nocte's behavior when he was servicing a mare. Once he felt the slick anal orifice with the tip of his cock, he lunged, spearing Rufus but not entering all the way. Rufus gasped and then grunted.

Maximus braced and lunged again, sinking his cock into Rufus, balls deep. Both men grunted together, and Maximus began a slow, steady fuck rhythm, but Rufus growled, "No! Breed me fast, fuck me hard!" He pushed back against Maximus' thick member, buried in his gut. Maximus hunched over his lover, belly and chest pressed tight, arms holding Rufus' sides tight, looking more and more like a prime stud stallion, fulfilling his purpose for existence. He rocked his hips forwards and back, increasing speed with each stroke. Under him, Rufus was panting, his own rigid cock drooling, jerking and bouncing with each lunge of his stallion.

Suddenly, Maximus hunched one last time, surged forward and roared in triumph as he shot his seed deep in his lover. Two birds who had been resting in the rafters of the stable startled and took flight. One of the stable cats slunk away, it's mid-day nap disturbed. Maximus' rump clenched three times, and then he backed off of Rufus, his cock softening and sliding out, followed by a flow of his seed. Rufus was pushing some of that out, to complete the image of equine breeding.

Maximus flopped over on his back and pulled Rufus to him. "I expect a good sturdy foal out of you!" he teased. Rufus laughed, and hugged his sweaty stallion tight.

"Oh, my Beast. I love you, heart and belly and cock, I do!" He hugged Maximus tight. "And speaking of stink, now we both do!" He made to get up, but Maximus stopped him.

"No, stay here for a bit. I've something to say." He looked into his lover's eyes. "I really think you should go to Rome, and soon. Antonia isn't getting any younger herself, and we never know what the gods have in store for any of us." Rufus started to interrupt, but Maximus shook his head. "I know, I know. You've said before that you won't go without me."

"And I won't. And I know you can't leave the animals... who would care for them for weeks?"

"I think I have a solution, Wolfpup. And one where I could go with you."

"But... how?"

"The innkeeper you keep records and write letters for has three sons. The oldest one is usually in the stable, so you've rarely see him when you visit the inn. He knows animals. He's of an age now, and I happen to know he hates the idea of working in the inn for the rest of his life. We've talked. He wants to join the legions, see the world. What do you think of my offering him a temporary job caring for the place for the month or so we'd be gone? We'd pay him, and he'd have to stay here, of course; and that would get him away from his father pestering him about the inn, and his mother trying to talk him out of the legions. What say you?"

Rufus thought briefly. "It's a good idea, Beast. Do you think he'd take you up on the offer?"

Maximus smiled. "I'd say he'd jump at the chance."

Rufus looked lovingly at his Beast. "You know, I think that people tend to underestimate you, but I never do. You don't miss much and you are a good judge of people." Rufus leaned over that kissed his lover, long and deep. "Beast, it's a great idea, and it means we can travel together and not worry about things here. Yes. We'll go."

"I'll go to Gaius at the inn next week and make the arrangements. Now, let's sluice each other off and get some of that pork we had last night. I'm starved. Studs and breeding stock need to be fed!"

July, 92 AD

On a hot day, ten days after Ides of the month of July, Maximus rode into town and stopped at the inn. It did not take him long to strike a deal with Gaius to have his son stay at the fundus for a month, taking care of the animals and generally watching over the place.

"Young Gaius will be paid for his efforts, of course. But I wouldn't want you to be inconvenienced by his absence, I'd offer you a sum to make his absence easier to bear." All this was accompanied with good cheer, some jokes and several rounds of watered wine, paid out of Maximus' purse. The older Gaius made a show of reluctance but eventually 'gave in' to Maximus' proposal. In reality, he had nearly come to terms with the fact that his oldest boy was not cut out for running an inn, and that he would most likely run off to join the legions sooner or later, probably sooner. He would need to get his middle son accustomed to working with the animals and the myriad of other chores an innkeeper's lot involved, and this would give them a good start on the process.

"It would be best if he could come to us by the end of this week, will that suit?"

"Oh, yes, I think that could be arranged. Will you speak to the boy, or shall I?"

"Don't trouble yourself, Gaius, I know you have work to do. I'll chat with the boy on my way out, and let him know that you approve. But first, one of your wife's excellent pork pies, I think!"

A bit later, Maximus put his proposal to young Gaius, who was currying a customer's horse prior to his departure. A big grin split the young man's face. "Truly? A whole month? Yes! I will, yes!" As Maximus had predicted, the son had jumped at the chance.

"Excellent. I've arranged this with your father. Come to us at the end of the week and we can show you what will need to be done with the animals and where things are kept. Bring whatever you will need for yourself. If your father will let you bring a horse, that will be fine, too."

They bid each other a good day and went their ways, each pleased that things had worked out to their mutual satisfaction.

At the end of the week, young Gaius arrived on foot, his father having denied him the use of a horse. "Not to worry, Gaius, you can use Daisy if you need to return to the inn for any reason."

"I thank you, Maximus." Young Gaius was looking about at the neat house and the large stable and the horses grazing in the pasture. "You've truly fixed this place up. My father said it used to be run down, and he was pleased when he heard that someone had bought the place. He says it's not good to have an abandoned property close by."

"Your father is quite right," Rufus said, joining in the conversation. Ferox was standing at attention next to Rufus, eyeing the stranger with suspicion.

Gaius looked at the large, sturdy dog with the lopsided ear and large teeth. "Will he be here?" nodding at Ferox.

"Oh, no, Ferox will be traveling with us. He'd never let us leave him behind. But he won't harm you once he knows that you're here with our permission." Rufus turned to Ferox. "Ferox. This is Gaius, he is a friend. It's all right that he is here." He reached down and pet the dog and scratched behind his good ear. Looking at Gaius, he said, "Come closer and let him sniff you. Don't move suddenly, and call him by name, but softly. Don't try to pet him just yet, let him get used to you. He's quite protective of us, but as long has he sees that we are all right with you, he will be reassured and there will be no problem."

Rufus stood by Ferox, resting his hand on the big dog's back. Gaius approached slowly, holding out his hand for Ferox to sniff. "Hello, Ferox. You're a handsome beast." The dog carefully sniffed the young man's hand thoroughly, and then gave it a single lick.

"There you go! A successful introduction. And now, do you want to see the stable? Maximus will show you all you need to know, and I will get some cheese and grapes for a snack. It's a hot day." Maximus and Gaius moved off, with Maximus pointing out gate latches and the location of the water basin as they walked to the stable. Rufus went back inside to get the food and met them later in the shade of the old oak tree that grew at the side of the house. He had a jug of cold water from the well near the house, and put some down for Ferox in a shallow bowl.

The afternoon was indeed hot and it was pleasant in the shade of the large old tree. They sat, munching cheese and grapes while Maximus went over the daily routine of animal care. "I am glad you know horses. They are all good beasts and should give you no trouble. Even Nocte is pretty placid, as none of the mares are in season right now." Maximus took another hunk of cheese. "Have you ever milked a cow, Gaius? Butter will need daily milking." Gaius shook his head. "A bit later, I'll show you how. She gets milked late in the afternoon. And you'll get to meet the barn cats, they always seem to know just when it's milking time. They want their share!" Gaius smiled, and picked more grapes from the cluster.

"I noticed when I arrived that there is a carving over the doorway to the house. I am not literate, can you tell me what it says?"

Rufus answered. "It says 'Domus'. When we first bought this place, the roof needed a lot of repairs, and the wooden lintel and door frame were rotted. We got a stone mason from Rocca to make a new lintel of stone. We had that carved into it. It means our home, a shelter and refuge, the welcome at the end of a journey. We both thought it was the proper name for this," he said, gesturing all around him.

"Maximus, Rufus, I have another question." Both men tensed a bit inside, expecting questions about their former lives or why they had not remarried.

"Yes?" Rufus said.

"Could you tell me about how you escaped the eruption? The tales we have heard here are just horrible." Rufus and Maximus in turn related an abbreviated version of their escape, omitting earlier details of their lives, and focusing on their trek eastwards out of the doomed city and their witnessing of the final wave of heat and ash and mud that had erased the city. Gaius was suitably awed.

"My mother says that you both lost everything, family, homes, businesses..."

Maximus hurriedly said, "That is all true. We were very, very lucky to escape with our lives, as were the several families that fled with us. So very many did not."

Rufus added after a short pause, and before Gaius could ask anything else, "Seeing everything that we saw... well, it's painful for me, for both of us. Please don't ask about it again."

"Oh, sirs... I am sorry, I meant no offense. I did not mean to cause you pain. I won't mention it any more." He hung his head, wondering if he had ruined his chances at a month away from parental pressures at home.

"It's all right, Gaius. We aren't... well, not offended actually, it's just that we don't mention it if we can avoid it. The memories are horrible, and they will never leave either of us." Rufus cleared his throat. "Now, I've made up a pallet for you in the rear-most stall in the stable, it's empty and there is plenty of room. I've put in a spare blanket, but you likely won't need it. There's jug for water and a basin. I'll show you where the well is when you are finished in the stable."

"When will you leave?"

Getting up, Maximus said, "We plan on an early start tomorrow. You will come with us in the cart, and then bring it back here. It's not that far to Clusium, but we want to get there by mid day. We need to arrange passage on one of the river boats. Now, let's get you squared away with the other livestock, and teach you how to milk Butter." The two headed towards the barn while Rufus went inside to prepare a simple evening meal for the three of them, and to pack what would be needed for the trip to Rome.

Later that night, after young Gaius had been bedded down in the stable and the two men had talked over the events of the day, Rufus turned to his Beast in bed and whispered, "You know, this will be the last chance we'll have of privacy for a while..." He grinned at the amused Maximus.

"You are a true devotee of Priapus, aren't you? You do the god proud!" the big man said with a chuckle. He reached down and cupped his Wolfpup's balls and cock with his hand, feeling the warm flesh as it thickened. "We can't let that go to waste! The god would be very disappointed."

They embraced and kissed, passion taking them both. By unspoken consent, they spoke in low whispers or not at all, and avoided the shouts of triumph that sometimes escaped during their lovemaking. They kissed and tongue wrestled, and nuzzled in each other's beards. Each sucked and chewed on each other's nipples, a favorite form of foreplay for them both. Finally, Maximus rolled on his side, facing away from Rufus and raised his left leg. Rufus got up on his knees and reached for the bottle of oil on the low cupboard by the bed they shared. He tipped out some of the sweet oil and worked it in between Maximus' warm, hairy ass cheeks. Maximus grunted and pushed back on Rufus' fingers. "Yes! Mount your Beast. Take my ass!" Maximus whispered intensely. Rufus needed no encouragement. With an ease bred of years of experience, he slid his rigid cock through the slick jungle of hair and into his Beast's rectum in one go. He did not stop with the slight 'pop' of the ridge of his cock forcing it's way through Maximus' muscle ring, but continued until he was in as deep as possible. This was a satisfying position for them both, allowing for deep penetration as well as the ability to reach down and stroke a belly or back.

"I want to savor every moment, my Beast."

"Me, too; take your time, Wolfpup."

Rufus continued fucking, now faster, now slower; varying his angle slightly to rub his Beast's prostate more effectively until he whispered hoarsely, "I am going to fill you now, Beast." Maximus nodded as Rufus gripped his pelvis and pressed in tightly and gushed seed into his Beast's willing gut. "Aahhhhhhhhhhh," Rufus emitted softly. When his cock stopped pumping, he slowly withdrew and lay down, his belly to Maximus' furred back. He put his arm over his lover's middle and drew him in close.

"Your turn, Beast."

Maximus pulled Rufus' arm in tighter. "Later, maybe. Sleep now, we need to be up early tomorrow. I want to go over things one more time with Gaius before we leave."

"All right, love. Wake me if you want later on." Within minutes, Maximus was snoring lightly, with Rufus following shortly thereafter.

A bit before sunrise, Maximus got up silently and padded over to the bedside cupboard and coated his rigid cock with oil. He returned to the bed and knelt on the bedding. Rufus woke and felt Maximus poking his ass cheeks with a hard pole of hot flesh. Smiling to himself, he raised his leg, repeating Maximus' position from the night before. Without speaking, Maximus pushed himself into his mate's red-furred butt. Both men sighed at the feeling of penetrating and penetration. This was love and lust, home and contentment to them both, and they never lost the sense of wonder at having ended up as they were, free and together. Maximus gasped quietly as he came in his lover, and Rufus tightened his sphincter at the feel of the hot splash of his mate's seed deep in his gut.

Early August, 92 AD

They both rose as the sun was barely peeping through the window. Maximus headed out to the stable, and Rufus to the kitchen to make posca for the three of them. He brought the mugs of the hot morning drink to the stable, where Maximus was reviewing the daily routine with Gaius. "Now, do you have all of that? I know it seems like a lot." Maximus was still a little bit worried about leaving the fundus entirely in the young Gaius' care, but was reassured when the young man repeated everything back correctly.

"I won't fail, sir. It will all be done correctly, you'll see. I like caring for animals, and I am good at it. You'll have no cause to regret taking me on, sir." Gaius smiled shyly. He found himself liking the two men. They both had an air of confident masculinity, strong and competent; but without the overbearing attitude or abruptness that so many adults seems to exhibit towards him.

"Good. Now, help me with the oxen. On the way back, you will need to stop in Rocca and pick up the feed we've ordered." While the two were hitching the oxen to the cart, Rufus went back inside to finish packing for the trip to Rome. They would not need much on the journey, but Rufus did pack his and Maximus' best tunics for when they visited Antonia. Other than that, just a few daily necessities and a leather water flask would be needed. Each would carry some of the remaining money they had brought back from the bank in Rome ten years before. Maximus' size and fierce look, and Ferox's imposing size and bark, would serve as a deterrent to any cut-purses along the way. The remainder would stay safely hidden at the fundus.

They had been frugal with the funds, spending carefully, with an eye to value and to making the funds last. They supplemented the money with earnings from the sale of horse stock and earnings from Rufus' scribe work. They were not wealthy, but they were comfortable, with a cushion for emergencies. They would treat this trip to Rome as a kind of vacation from the hard work of their daily lives.

Less than an hour later, they were on the road, bumping along in the empty ox cart. Gaius was placed in the middle and given the task of driving the oxen. The three passed the time to Rocca in pleasant conversation, unobtrusively steered by Rufus to topics about Gaius' family and his interests and plans. When they reached Rocca, they stopped at Gaius' parent's inn and got meat pies and flagons of wine for each of them for a morning meal on the road to Clusium.

Just before they reached the outskirts of the town, Maximus turned to Gaius. "I don't want to sound like your father, but I would urge you to think carefully about the legions. It's a twenty year commitment, you know; and one fraught with a lot of danger."

"I know that. And I have thought about it, a lot. I just want more than a life running an inn, is all. I want to see things, new things, not the same old town and people. But I've never in my life been away, so I am not sure..."

"You are a sensible lad, Gaius, and the decision is yours to make, no one else's. And you are right about seeing the world." He smiled at the young man seated next to him. "A lot of travel, new places and peoples to see, at least potentially. Just don't be hasty. If it is what you truly want after careful thought, then seize the opportunity!"

"But please, wait until we get back from Rome!" Rufus said, and they all laughed.

They reached Clusium by mid-day. They bid good bye to Gaius there. "Bonam fortunam et incolumem itineribus!" Gaius waved cheerfully to them as they walked towards the dock area by the Tiber, Ferox following closely behind. Gaius turned the oxen and headed the cart back towards Rocca. He was whistling, happy at the prospect of being truly on his own for the first time in his life.

Rufus turned to Maximus. "Do you think he will be all right?" Maximus nodded.

"I think so. He's a good lad, from all I've seen and heard. I know he's happy to be out on his own. I'm not worried." He smiled at his Wolfpup. "Now, let's get ourselves a ride down to Rome."

Rufus had insisted that Maximus do the bargaining for passage on a river boat to Rome. "You'll do it much better than I can... any sensible captain will be afraid to cheat you!" Maximus snorted, but was secretly pleased. For all his imposing size and strength and confident masculinity, he did harbor some self-doubt. It was important to him that he contribute equally to their life together, and he sometimes felt that he was less of a contributor than Rufus. They were always equals in bed, and had been from the very first; but Maximus was keenly aware that Rufus was educated, and had been raised in much better surroundings than he himself had. But he also knew that he had useful skills of his own, and moreover that he was a quick study. He easily picked up the more polished manners that Rufus exhibited, as well as the literacy skills Rufus had taught him at his request when they had ended up in Rocca. The respect Lucius had accorded his groomsman and master horseman went far in bolstering Maximus' self-esteem, as had Rufus' obvious worship of his thick, hairy body. And Rufus had never, ever condescended to his Beast.

In a way, Rufus was the mirror of Maximus' feelings. Sexually, Rufus was confident and secure in the knowledge that he satisfied his mate, and had his full love. He did not need to be attractive to women, or any other man, only desirable to his Beast. He realized that his body was not the Greek or Roman ideal, and Maximus' obvious appreciation of his stocky, hairy body was a constant joy. He was comfortable with his orientation, knowing he would always prefer sex with a man over a woman, and above all, with his Beast. He harbored no doubts there. What self doubts he had concerned his contributions to the physical labor on the fundus. He had not expected the daily labor to be so hard, and it took a while for him to adjust.

"Don't make things easy for me, Beast. I will do my full share. I want to work beside you, not lag behind." It had taken time, but he toned up and added muscle to his stocky frame and wide shoulders. He found he truly loved the work, but not for itself; it was the fact that he was working with his lover... like two horses, harnesed together, working as one. It was deeply satisfying to Rufus.

So it was that Maximus was doing the looking for river transport to Rome at the docks. As it worked out, the first captain Maximus approached had no room aboard, nor did the second. The third, however, was glad of the extra coin passengers would bring his purse. "Mind you, I have many stops along the way, it won't be a fast trip. And you will need to take your meals ashore, I have no facility for cooking on board. There will be plenty of time while we load or unload. We tie up at night, and I and the crew sleep on board. You can, too, if you like, or at an inn ashore."

A price was negotiated, and Maximus waved to Rufus and Ferox, who were waiting dockside. They climbed the gang plank, and the captain eyed the dog warily. "He's coming with you?" The pair nodded. Ferox growled. "He sounds dangerous, I won't have him bothering my crew."

"It's all right. He's protective, is all. Once he sees you mean us no harm, he will ignore you. There will be no trouble, I assure you." Rufus could be very convincing when needed.

"Very well. I leave in an hour. Be on board, I won't wait. There a taberna just over there, you should get something to eat now, I won't be stopping again until nightfall this day." The captain turned to leave, and Rufus and Maximus did the same, heading for lunch with Ferox following. Within the hour, they were back on board, and the boat cast off and headed into the current of the Tiber, heading south. Ferox settled surprisingly fast, considering this may well have been his first time on a boat. He positioned himself close to Rufus. Every once in a while he would glance up to reassure himself that Rufus was there, and all right, and then put his head back down between his forepaws.

The Tiber was a highway of trade going downstream, and riverboats came in all sizes. A goodly portion of the produce of the farming areas, as well as the mines north of Rome moved south on the river. Food stuffs were mostly consumed in the region where they were produced, but other goods might travel good distances across the empire. The roads were much safer now, thanks to the Emperor's Domitian's morality crusade (and his brutal punishments of convicted criminals), but it was still much faster, and a bit cheaper, to send goods by river boat or by ship for longer distances.

August 12, 92 AD

The trip was uneventful, but long, as promised; with the boat landing at nearly every river town along the way. After the novelty of having full days of leisure wore off, Ferox, Maximus, and Rufus were all of them fidgety. Pacing up and down the deck did little to relieve those feelings, and they were usually the first down the gang plank when the boat docked. They strode up and down the dock areas, stretching muscles, getting food, and relieving themselves. Finally, nearly five hours past midday on the fifth day, they docked at the southern-most of the Rome river harbors. Because of the curve of the Tiber, most of the river docks were either between the Aventine and Capitoline hills, or at the base of the Aventine. This one was overlooked by the Aventine. They bid good bye to the captain and headed out.

"You know where Antonia's daughter lives?"

Rufus nodded. "I was there several times with Antonia and Lucius, before and after they moved to Pompeii. It's up there, on the Aventine," Rufus said, gesturing towards one of the seven hills that made up Rome on that side of the Tiber. "Septimus likes to keep a close eye on his businesses, so they live very close to one of the business districts there." Rufus forged ahead, with Maximus and Ferox in tow, making his way out of the crowd. "It's cursed hot, and it's late. I say we find a place for a meal and a room for the night and then head to Cornelia's tomorrow morning early. Agreed?" Rufus looked at Maximus, who was sweating in the heat.

"Agreed. Do you know this area?"

"Not well, no. But there's bound to be an inn or someplace with rooms and food... like that!" Rufus pointed to a moderate sized building that seemed to be doing lot of business from their food counter, facing the street. A sign above a doorway advertised 'ROOMS'.

"All right, we'll try it." The pair entered the dim interior and found a short, wizzened old man sitting behind a tall counter at the back of the room.

"And what would the fine gentlemen be wanting today? Food? Accomodation?"

"Both, actually," Rufus answered. "But accomodation first, I think."

"Ah... well. Two rooms?" The old man looked over the counter at the pair in front of him and waited for an answer.

"Just the one room, with your largest bed."

"Ah." A pause. "Well." Another pause. "I see." Pause. "And for how long?"

"One night only," Maximus interjected, having taken a vague dislike for the man.

With a knowing leer, the man said, "Well, I am sure we can find something suitable for a pair like yourselves." At this point, Ferox made his presence known with a loud bark. The old man startled. "Oh, we don't allow animals inside," he said primly, frowning at Ferox, who growled.

"The dog stays with us or we go elsewhere," Rufus snapped, having caught the leer and it's implication and decided that he, like Ferox, didn't much like the man either.

There was a long pause, with the old man locking eyes, first with Rufus, then with Maximus. "Oh, well, in that case... if the dog stays in your room and does not wander, and does not disturb the other guests, and makes no mess, well...." The old man obviously was weighing house rules against the loss of income. Ready money triumphed. "Get yourselves something to eat out front, we have some fine items on the menu, and I will have the room made up. And mind what I said about the dog."

That night, in the heat of the second floor room, Rufus and Maximus slept fitfully. Ferox seemed on edge, too; frequently getting up to pace about the room, but not whining or barking. In spite of the old man's leering inplication, they had simply lain next to each other, holding hands, but not otherwise touching due to the heat in the room. The following morning they left for Cornelia's house early, enjoying the somewhat cooler weather.

"Hades take all this construction," Rufus muttered as they detoured yet again around a construction project. "I'm getting turned around again, Beast. I need to ask someone..." He stopped a passing slave and asked for directions to the Baths of Licinius Sura in the heart of the business district, and close to where Cornelia and Septimus lived. The slave's directions proved accurate. They stopped at the Baths, paid their fee and washed each other off, finishing with a dunk in the frigidarium, which was very crowded. The pair attracted more than a few furtive gazes, being easily the hairiest men in the baths. Rufus' copper and golden coloring was quite striking even when wet. Maximus looked like a sleek if especially bulky sea creature, with his copious black fur slicked with water. They dried off and donned their best tunics and made their way to Cornelia's house. Fortunately, there was no construction to bar their way in this quarter.

When they reached the house that Rufus remembered, Maximus turned to him. "You should go on, they don't know me here, and I don't know them."

"Nonsense, Beast. It's not like we're naked or likely to use the doorstep as a place to fuck. Besides, I imagine that Antonia has given them the necessary details." He knocked on the door, before Maximus could object. A slave answered.

"Yes, sir? What can I do for you?"

"We are here to see the Lady Cornelia. I believe her mother, the Lady Antonia, has let her know we will be here and will need direction to the good Lady's house." The slave looked them over with some hesitation. "I grew up in the Lady Antonia' house as a slave, and Maximus here and I were manumitted by Lucius several years ago. We are in Rome at the Lady Antonia's personal request." Maximus stood behind Rufus, immovable.

"Ah, I see. Please come in and I will announce you to Domina. She is with the children, so please, sit. She may be a bit." The slave glided off down a hallway.

Rufus and Maximus sat on a padded bench, just inside the door, facing the impluvium. The splashing fountain at least made the room feel cooler. The street noise from the nearby market was already intruding. It was obvious that some money had been spent on the furnishings, and on the very pretty fresco that adorned the wall facing the door. Somewhere from the back of the house an infant wailed loudly. Eventually, Cornelia entered, carying the wailing infant.

"Gentlement, avete." She shifted the infant to the other hip. "I'm sorry for the noise, Alba has been fussy all morning. I had to let the nurse go last week, you just cannot find good slaves these days." She had the good grace to color slightly. "My apologies, gentlemen. You must be my mother's expected guests, am I right?" The pair nodded. Alba wailed louder. "Septimus is out, I'm afraid."

Rufus spoke. "I remember you from earlier days, Lady, and of course, I came here with Lucius several times as well. I'm Rufus and this is Maximus. Your father bought him when they moved to Pompeii, so I don't think you ever met him."

"Oh, of COURSE! I couldn't forget that bright, bright hair of yours. Oh DO leave off, little one." She was bouncing the child gently, but it wasn't quieting the child at all. If anythng, the wailing increased.

Maximus stood up, desperate to stop the noise. "Lady, if I may?" He gestured to the child and, somewhat surprised, Cornelia handed the little girl over. Maximus held the child to his chest and began to hum one of the little tunes he used with horses then they were skittish or out of sorts. Little Alba immediately shut up and stared wide-eyed at the large bearded man holding her and making pleasing noises and vibration. She reached out and stroked and petted Maximus' bushy facial hair. Both Cornelia and Rufus stared as blessed quiet descended.

"Well, Vesta be praised! I've never seen the like!" Cornelia was smiling as her daughter giggled and tugged on Maximus's beard.

"MAMAAA!" wailed a different young voice from elsewhere in the house. A war seemed about to start, likely between the two older children.

"Lady, we'll not take too much of your time, you obviously have your hands full. We simply need directions to your mother's house. I do not know the way. I assume she had told you that she wanted to see us?"

"Yes, she did. But it's quite warm today, and it's not a short walk, and I didn't have time to write out directions." She turned towards the hall and shouted, "Oh, hush!" Turning back to Rufus, "I can have Marcus drive you there in the small cart." She walked to the hall and called out for Marcus. She returned and looked closely at Maximus, who was allowing Alba to chew on one of his fingers. "You must have children of your own, uh... Maximus, is it?"

"No, Lady, he has horses. Apparently, his horse magic works with babies, too." Rufus was grinning at his Beast, who seemed to be quite taken with little Alba, now that she was quiet. "And we will gladly take the offer of a ride, if it is not an inconvenience."

"Oh, no trouble at all. Here comes Marcus." She turned to the slave. "Marcus, I need you to take these gentlemen to Mother's. Oh, there's a crate with fittings that Septimus wants you to bring to the Via Podesta warehouse as well."

"Yes Domina. I will see to it. Gentlemen, if you will meet me just outside when you are ready." Marcus returned to the back of the house, presumably to get the 'small wagon' and crate and bring it around to the front of the house.

"Lady, we thank you. Please give our best your husband when he returns." Rufus nudged Maximus, who was being wrapped around little Alba's finger, and oblivious to his surroundings. Maximus reluctantly handed Alba back to her mother, and the child began wailing again. "Valeas, Lady."

"And wish my Mother well, if you will."

"We shall!" Maximus and Rufus climbed into the waiting cart and Marcus drove off. The wailing receeded into the distance. It was fortunate that they had a ride, for the trip was both long and mostly up hill. But the air grew noticably cooler as they climbed, and there were many more trees providing shade along the way. Eventually, they reached an open square, with a fountain in the center and several handsome villas fronting on the open area, and an inn on one side.

Rufus tapped Marcus on the shoulder. "I thought that private transport was forbidden within the city... how was this possible? Has the law changed?" Rufus remembered everyone walking everywhere from his earlier days in Rome.

"Sir, no, it has not." Marcus smiled. "But this is a business errand, and so it is permitted. You are just 'extra cargo'. I am sure Domina had that in mind when she offered the ride to you."

"Well, thank you for the ride, Marcus, legal or not. If you don't mind, let us off here. We'd like to surprise the good Lady. How far is her house?"

"It's just at the top of that street there, on the right. Are you sure you don't want me to take you?"

"No, we will be fine now. Vale!" Rufus and Maximus climbed down and took their packs. Marcus turned the cart around and headed back down the street.

"Beast, that inn over there looks several steps above where we slept last night. If we take a room there now, we can leave our packs, maybe have a drink, and then head up the street. What think you?"

"I agree, Wolfpup. I'm getting tired lugging that pack anyway." They secured a room, and this time there was no problem about having a dog. They had a mug of posca each, and headed up the street Macus had pointed out to them. "He said the top of the street, right?" Rufus nodded. "And have you noticed how much cooler it is here? Is the heat breaking, do you think?"

"I don't think so. I think we're just up a lot higher than we've noticed. And all the trees. Almost feels like being in the country. The air is fresher, too." Rufus led the way, with Ferox trotting along next to him and Maximus on his right. On the way, he teased Maximus about his skill with babies. "Maybe we should put you out to stud so you can have a couple of your own!" He got a swat for his efforts. Then, looking up, they both saw a figure standing at the side of the street, waving. They hurried along.

Earlier in the week, Antonia had charged Decimus with lookout duty. "Now remember, I want you to tell me the moment you see them at the base of the street, no dilly-dallying. You can't miss them, one is big with a charcoal black beard, very bushy, and the other is a bit smaller, with a copper colored beard."

"Yes, Domina, I remember."

"Ah, that's right you did meet them once, I had forgotten." Antonia was forgetting more things these days, she found.

"Yes, Domina, and I will keep a close watch. Shall I bring you your morning meal now?"

So, each day for nearly a week, Decimus had kept watch, not knowing exactly when the two men would arrive. Finally, he saw the two making their way up the street. He hurried to the garden. "They are coming, Domina." Antonia moved to the atrium and stepped out of the doorway and waved.

"Rufus! Maximus! Salvete! It is so good to see you both at last! Come in, come in." Antonia stood aside and beckoned the men into her house.

"And before I forget, your daughter sends her greetings and hopes you are well," Rufus said, entering the house. The pair followed their former domina across the small, cool atrium and into a rather bright colonnade surrounding a small garden. Ferox followed Rufus.

"Oh, this is very nice, Lady," Maximus said.

"Lucius would have fretted at the smallness of the garden, but it, and the house, suit me perfectly. Not too large and not too small. Cornelia and her husband Septimus found it for me, you know." Antonia smiled at them both. "And please, I am Antonia to all my friends, you must not be formal with me."

"We will try, La... Antonia." Rufus laughed a bit. "It's hard to break a lifetime's habit."

"Please." Antonia motioned for them to join her on the wide couch. "This is quite pleasant most of the year, sitting here; but I especially like spring, watching the birds flitting about and the flowers starting to bloom. It was Lucius' favorite season, too."

"It seems much cooler here. It's beastly hot down by the docks." Both men were glad they had stopped at the baths prior.

"Yes, I think Septimus is jealous. When they found this place for me, it was winter, so it just seemed cold, and rather out of the way. But now that summer is making things difficult, I think he envies me the cool breezes." She turned and looked at both men. "How well you both look. And Rufus, you've filled out some, haven't you. Country life agrees with you, both of you."

"Yes... Antonia. Rufus has become quite a stable hand. He can toss a bale of hay as well as I can now!"

"Oh, hardly," Rufus laughed. He turned to Antonia. "And I had no idea of how hard the work could be, caring for animals. But I find I like it. It's a good life, and I like helping where I can."

"Now tell me about yourselves. But first you must tell me how you found this handsome beast." Maximus looked at Rufus and raised an eyebrow, and Rufus started to laugh again.

"No! No, I know how you met your handsome beast, Rufus. I mean him," she said, gesturing towards Ferox.

For the next few minutes, Rufus and Maximus took turns narrating the story of how Ferox came to live with them and how he got his name. "Three wolves, you say? He certainly earned his name, then. And you sewed him back together? With needle and thread? Remarkable." Ferox, sensing he was being discussed, sat up, straight and proud. "He certainly looks sturdy and... intimidating. He comes to your waist, Rufus. But that ear sort of takes the edge off the menace, don't you think?" Ferox cocked his head to one side, and all three laughed.

"It does!" Rufus said. "But he is a good guard dog, and an excellent alarm when anyone strange approaches. His growl stops men in their tracks."

"And he's utterly devoted to Rufus," Maximus said, proud of both his lover and his canine friend.

"Do you think he might let me pet him?" Antonia asked.

"I think so... we can try. Here, give me your hand." Rufus took Antonia's hand and holding it, brought his and Antonia's towards Ferox, saying to the dog, "Easy... good boy. It's all right. This is Antonia. She's a friend." Ferox thoroughly sniffed Antonia's hand and arm, and then gave it a lick with his rough tongue. Antonia flinched slightly. "No, it's all right, La... Antonia. He's letting you know he accepts you as part of our 'pack', in a way. Go ahead, pet him now. Scratch behind the good ear, he likes that." Antonia did so, and smiled when Ferox bumped his head against her hand when she stopped. "He's telling you he wants more!" Antonia complied.

While she was giving Ferox some extra attention, Rufus looked carefully at the woman who had almost been a mother to him, as well as his domina. Her hair was now totally white, and growing thin. When she had greeted them at the door, both men noticed a slightly stooped posture, very unlike the upright stance they remembered. She walked now with a stick, and moved slower. Age was catching up. But her soft gray eyes still sparkled with wit and intelligence.

"Ferox, give Antonia a break. Here," he said, pointing, and Ferox immediately positioned himself at Rufus' feet and lay down, content for the moment. "Antonia, we both want to express our sadness at Lucius' passing. It is indeed sad that we did not get to see him, one last time. If I might ask, how was his passing?"

"I think Lucius never really recovered from that awful day, at least not fully. He appeared to be his old self to others in public, but then I would catch him staring off to the west when he was alone, muttering to himself. He was much more tired than he wanted to let on, but I noticed. His sleep was often disturbed, and he reluctantly confessed to bad dreams." Antonia paused. "Do you ever dream about... well, that time?" She was addressing them both.

"Sometimes, yes. I don't think we will every be completely free of those memories."

"I know I won't," Maximus said, placing his hand on Rufus' knee. The were all silent for a while, then Antonia spoke again.

"They say time heals all, but I don't think that is true, at least with those of us who survived. But you were asking about Lucius. He had been more quiet than usual for several days, in spite of it being Spring. He always liked Spring. That morning, he had been especially attentive to me, telling me how fortunate he felt, to have married me and had such fine children. 'It's been a good life, hasn't it, my dear.' I think he knew then that his time was close. When I went out to call him for the midday meal, he was so still that I knew at once the ferryman had called. I sat with him quietly for a good while before calling Anna."

Rufus spoke after a respectful moment. "I know it's only a small comfort, but he was both loved and respected by many, and I always thought you were both very lucky in finding each other and in your lives together. He was kind, and generous; and a man of his word who treated others with fairness and respect. Not a bad epitaph for a Roman." Maximus nodded agreement.

"Now, we want to know what has been happening in your life since you moved back to Rome. You said that Cornelia and her husband found this place for you?"

"Yes. It's very nice, don't you agree?" Both men nodded, glad for the change in topic. "She or Septimus stop by once or twice a week. I think they feel I need to be checked up on! But I do like seeing them, and the grandchildren. Of course I stayed with them for the birth of little Alba... such a pretty, bright thing! So now it's two boys and a girl. Cornelia is very happy." She took a sip of the wine that Decimus had quietly brought in for their refreshment. "My children have all made successful marriages and have families of their own now; but truthfully, their children do tire me out sometimes. The peace and quite when they all leave after a visit to their grand-mama is heaven. I would never say that to them, of course! I am quite fond of the chattering little magpies, in small doses!" She sipped more wine. "The only real problem here is that there isn't much room to entertain. I did enjoy doing that, but, well... times change. My friends and I exchange visits in the afternoons for gossip and light refreshment only these days. It's enough." She paused. "Now, you must stay for the evening meal, I've plenty room for that, and a extra room and bed for you both."

Maximus spoke for them both. "We don't want to cause any extra work for Anna or Sabina, we have a room at the inn across from the market not far from here."

"Nonsense, it's no trouble at all."

"But Sabina would need to..."

"Oh. Oh dear, I forget you don't know. Sabina died a little over a month ago, so it is just me, Anna, and Decimus now. You know, she still had that beautiful pan you gave her, Rufus. She wouldn't hear a bad word said about you."

Rufus sighed. "Ah, I am sorry to hear that. She was an excellent cook, and always kind to me. But what do you do for your meals then? I know Anna never liked to cook. Does Decimus?"

Antonia laughed out loud. "That lad could burn water. No, we make do with bread and cheese and fruit and posca for our mid-morning meals, and Decimus collects our evening meals from the inn off the square at the base of the street. We are regular customers and they do a very good job for us, often things that are not on the regular menu." She turned and called out, "Decimus, we will be two more for dinner tonight. Let the inn know, will you?"

"If you are sure, Antonia. It would be very nice to sit and catch up, if it won't be a bother."

"Now, both of you, you are no trouble at all. And I must get the things that Lucius wanted you to have. Excuse me a moment, will you?" Antonia got slowly up from the couch and left the room, returning a few minutes later with two parcels, neatly wrapped.

"Now, this one is for you, Rufus. Open it." Rufus took the square parcel and began to unwrap it. Inside the wrapping was a beautiful inlaid wood and ivory box, a kind of flat rectangular container with polished brass hinges and a clasp. He recognized it immediately.

"Oh, Lady! It's his writing box! I remember it on his desk, he used it almost daily. I packed it in the wagon when we fled." Rufus opened the lid. Inside were three beautiful ivory handled styluses, along with two shallow glass bottles to hold ink.

"He thought it would be useful to you in your work, Rufus."

"Gratias tibi ago... I will think of you both each time I use this." He was having trouble not tearing up.

"And Maximus, this is for you." Antonia handed the big man a fairly small parcel that was nonetheless heavy. He carefully unwrapped it. Both Antonia and Rufus looked on expectantly.

"Oh. Oh! It's... it's beautiful!" Maximus was holding an exquisite bronze figure of a horse in full gallop, so skillfully done it looked as if it might move at any moment. He looked up at Antonia with a questioning look on his face.

"It's Etruscan, and very old. I found it in Pompeii in a shop that specialized in antiques from all over the empire. It was shortly after we had moved there, and had purchased the fundus in Nuceria. He was looking for horse stock, and I said I had a horse for him. He had no idea what I meant. He was delighted when he unwrapped it, much as you were. He always had it on his desk at the farm house." Antonia smiled. "So you see, in a way it is something from both of us. He always said you had a real understanding of horses, and loved them."

Unsure of what to do, Maximus looked at Rufus for guidance. Rufus nodded and reached out and took one of Antonia's hands in his, with Maximus following almost immediately. "Thank you." The simple words spoke volumes.

The five of them ate their meal from the inn together in the small triclinium. "We always take our evening meals together now. It's just the three of us, and it seems much nicer this way." Antonia laughed as she sipped more wine. "Some of my friends are scandalized at the mixing of social classes, and I find that delightful. I'm an old widow now and I can do what I want and say what I please, some of it quite undignified, I've no doubt." She reached for the glass decanter. "Have some more of the Falernian. Septimus and Cornelia gave me two large amphorae of it as a housewarming present. There's plenty. I've developed quite a taste for it." She smiled delightedly. "Shocking, isn't it?!" She raised her glass and offered a toast. "Bibi multis annis" They all drank and were about to set their glasses down, but Antonia said, "Wait. I have one more." She looked directly at Rufus and Maximus. "To love. May you both have the joy that Lucius and I had, may it make you strong, and may it give you long life, as it has me." They all drank.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly with the two men filling in the other three on all the aspects of their lives in the past few years. Antonia, Anna, and Decimus had rather less information to share, their lives being much quieter now; but enjoyed hearing the stories of the two former slaves about their adventure in Rome some years ago, the purchase of their own land, getting the house in shape, the things Maximus looked for in breeding stock, Rufus' funny stories about the foibles of some of his clients in the town of Rocca, and how Clusium had grown and changed. The ladies were shocked at the brutality Maximus and Rufus had endured when they had come to Rome to claim the monies Lucius had deposited in their names, and aghast at the close call with death they had endured.

Antonia refilled her wine glass and offered to the others. "That explains the broken nose. I was wondering how you acquired that. And you say that all this provided the evidence needed to break up that criminal ring? Moneta be praised! But you both had a very close call, near fatal, it sounds like." Rufus and Maximus added some details to the story, but left out most of the graphic parts. The conversation continued later and later into the evening. Decimus particularly wanted to hear again the tale of how Ferox fought off the three wolves. Eventually, though, the late hour and the wine made them all sleepy. Rufus helped Decimus clear the triclinium of the remains of the meal.

"It's not necessary, honored sir, I can manage."

"It's no trouble, I used to help Anna with this all the time." In the kitchen, he dropped his voice some. "But tell me, Decimus... how are they doing? Anna and Antonia?"

"Well enough. They are both showing their age more and more, but they seem to be managing. Sabina dying was a shock of course, especially for Domina; and I know she misses the Dominus dreadfully. It's a quiet life now, and that suits them very well. As it does for my part as well. I can manage anything they need, though Anna will try to do everything herself." The two men re-entered the triclinium.

"Decimus, please show our guests to their room, will you? Anna, I will go up now, too. Will you get the extra blanket? I'm rather cold." They all proceeded upstairs, with Anna watchfully climbing the stairs immediately next to Antonia, with Ferox taking up the rear.

Showing them their room and lighting a small oil lamp from the one he carried, Decimus turned to the two men. "I hope you will not take this amiss, honored sirs, but may I say that I am glad you found each other and that things have worked out so well for you. Dominus always spoke well of you. Domina, too."

"Thank you Decimus. And thank you for taking such good care of Antonia and Anna and Sabina. It's a lot to deal with, I know; and you've done well."

"Will you want an extra blanket? Domina is right, it actually gotten rather chilly. I wonder if we'll have rain?"

Rufus chuckled and said, "No, we're fine. I have my own blanket," nodding towards Maximus. "And I have mine," Maximus said, nodding towards Rufus.

"Then may Somnos and Priapus give a good night," Decimus said with a sly smile. Rufus bid Decimus 'bonum nocte' while Maximus turned down the bed. Ferox stood by, waiting to see which side his master would take. Both Rufus and Maximus were laughing quietly as Decimus closed the door softly behind him as he exited.

Maximus lit the second oil lamp as they both took off their tunics for bed. "Ha! No flies on him! It's nice not to have to pretend, isn't it? I confess I was a bit worried about talking freely in front of Anna and Decimus." He sat on the bed. "Hold a minute, Wolfpup." Rufus turned towards his Beast. "I never tire of seeing you naked, you know that? All that beautiful gold and copper fur. Turn round. Antonia was right, you are filling out."

"Am I looking fat, do you think?"

"Not at all. It's mostly muscle now, but I love the feel of your soft belly when I hold you in bed at night, or when you lay on me after fucking. Your body is perfect. You are my handsome Wolfpup." Rufus blushed lightly and went to his Beast and hugged him tight.

"You know I feel the same way about you... broken nose and all!" Rufus got a swat for that, but just hugged Maximus tighter. Later, before sleep, they suckled each other, taking pleasure in feeling each other's flaccid cocks plumping and growing thick and solid in each other's mouths. Fed and content, they slept well, snugged against each other in the cooler night air.

The next morning, the pair went down to the triclinium and shared a simple morning meal with Anna, Antonia and Decimus. Antonia smiled at the two men. "I imagine you both must be anxious to get back to your fundus, but DO stay for lunch. I know this trip was not an easy one to arrange, but I want you both to know how very glad I am that you were able to come and see me one last time."

"Oh, Antonia, don't say..." Rufus started to say, but Antonia interrupted him.

"Now Rufus, you know I have always been truthful, and I don't intend to change at this late stage in my life. I feel tired. I miss Lucius, and although Anna and Decimus and my friends are a great comfort to me, I find myself looking forward to a good, long rest. There are fewer and fewer of my generation left, you know; and some days I feel as if there are not that many days left, either. Now, Anna and Decimus both have been devoted to me, and have taken excellent care of me; so this is in no way a reflection on them. It's just that I am old, and there doesn't seem to be much reason to prolong this life. It's been a good life, mind you; but I am content to meet the ferryman whenever the call comes." She took a sip of posca. "My, this has taken a sad turn, and I do not mean to make you downcast. I truly am content to meet whatever my fate may be, so do not be sad for me! And it pleases me greatly to know that you two are happy and making your way in the world. Lucius would be pleased, too, I know that as well."

They ate a companionable lunch, chatted some with Anna and Decimus while Antonia took a short nap. When Antonia rose and came down stairs, she joined them all in the triclinium and sat on one of the couches. "Sharing stories of the old times? Good. I do miss those days, but life moves on. Anna, do you remember when these two came to visit and Rufus brought you that beautiful blue scarf you treasure?"

"I do, Domina. I could hardly believe it. And Sabina's lovely pan." She looked at Rufus shyly and smiled at the memory.

"Now, I know you both must be anxious to be on your way at last. No, no, I don't mind at all," brushing away their protestations. She rose, and the rest stood, too. "I am not sure I put much faith in the gods any more, after... well, you know. But whatever attention they DO pay to our affairs, may they always watch over and protect you both." Her eyes were shining with tears.

As they were saying their good byes, Ferox padded over and nudged Antonia's hand. She laughed, and scratched behind his good ear, and he licked her hand. She and Anna and Decimus waved to them as they made their way back down the narrow, quiet residential street, each carrying their memento from Lucius. Both Rufus and Maximus looked back and waved one last time. The were silent as they made their way back to the inn at the base of the street, the one that had provided their evening meal.

"This neighborhood is nice. I am glad that Antonia lives in such a pleasant place. Much more restful than other places in Rome, to be sure." Rufus nudged Maximus. "You know, we have time, I'd like to show you the Forum, and the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. We never got to do that the last time we were here. There will be crowds and heat, but really... they are not to be missed. I expect no one else in Rocca will have seen them but us!" A distant rumble of thunder held the promise of rain and a possible break in the August heat.

Their visit with Antonia had made them both reflective and a bit subdued. Their love making that night was slower paced, more thoughtful. About an hour before sunrise, Maximus awoke and impulsively reached over and hugged his naked Wolfpup tightly. "I love you so much," he whispered. Rufus smiled and gave his beast's encircling arms a tight squeeze.

August 15, 92 AD

The overnight rain storm had broken the heat and humidity, and the dawn was fresh and cool. They sat outside, eating a light breakfast and sipping posca, Ferox laying quietly at Rufus' feet. "I wonder if it rained at home?" Maximus stretched his arms over his head and then took another bite of bread.

"I don't know, but not from this storm. Wrong direction for this time of year. This came up from the south." He refilled his cup of posca. "So, shall I play tour guide for my Beast? All the best sights in Rome, guaranteed!" He bowed to Maximus' bark of a laugh.

"Yes, let's. It's nice and cool today. Where to first?" They finished their meal and began walking towards the Capitoline with Ferox trotting behind. Rufus gave Maximus a running commentary on the city's history.

"Originally, there were six hills making up Rome. The Aventine wasn't inside the wall that Romulus built. Remus wanted the Aventine to be the center of the city, but Romulus disagreed. It got ugly, and in the fight, Romulus kills Remus, and excluded the Aventine from the city. It wasn't until much later that the wall was extended and enclosed the Aventine, which by that time was important to the city as a river port. Now, the Capitoline is the center of it all, and the Forum is the center of the Capitoline. The Senate House is there, and many other fine buildings."

They trudged on towards the Capitoline. The cooler weather was a blessing, making the journey much easier than it might have been. Maximus was content to listen as his lover rambled on, dispensing little nuggets of information about this building or that person, until at last they arrived at the Forum itself.

"Really, it's the Forum Magnum, but nobody calls it that, just 'the Forum'. It's really the center of the Empire."

"But... I expected it to be on top of the hill?"

"Actually, it's in a shallow valley between the Aventine and the Capitoline. The silt in the run-off from the streams and rainfall has gradually filled it in. But notice how all the main buildings are on, well, platforms, like? You have to climb stairs to get into each of them, and it makes everything seem higher." Rufus was pointing south to various buildings. "That's the Basilica Julia, with law offices and the courts. And next to it is the Curia Julia, the Senate 's offices. The Divine Julius had both of those built. Behind us is the Senate House. And over there," gesturing across the vast open plaza, "where you see those soldiers? That's where the Vestals live. The Temple of Vesta is just there. We should go in and see the sacred fire, it's always kept burning."

"Can we see the Vestals?"

"Not unless you want to die an especially painful death, Beast."

They spent the rest of the late morning looking about the busy center of civic life in Rome. "Is it all paved with marble? It's huge!" Maximus asked.

"Yes... at least this open area is. That was the Divine Augustus' work. Most of the buildings that I've been in with Lucius are, too; though some are just cement. The open area is big enough to hold gladiator contests and races when games are held in honor of someone or something. And all the Triumphal Parades end here." They stood together, gazing at the might and wealth of Rome arrayed around them.

They ate a stand up lunch from one of the many food vendors in the area. The owner of the cart looked at Ferox. "He's a handsome beast. What happened to his ear?"

"A fight. With three wolves," Rufus said, proudly.

"You're putting me on!"

"Not at all, it's the solemn truth, as Jove is my witness," Maximus said, raising his right hand as if taking an oath. "I saw it all!"

"Well, well... I think that deserves something a little extra," the man said, handing Rufus an extra chunk of roasted fowl. "Hail, the conquering canum!"

After finishing their late midday meal, Rufus said, "I want to show you the Temple of Jupiter, and the Baths of Agrippa. I hear the Emperor has had them completely rebuilt after the fire. But we should probably save that for tomorrow, it's getting late."

"You're the tour guide, Wolfpup. I am content to follow you, but I think Ferox is getting tired." The patient dog was panting. He was content to be at Rufus' side, but tourist activities really didn't interest him.

The pair headed back towards their lodging on the Aventine. The much cooler temperatures made more vigorous love making possible, and the pair took full advantage.

"Futuo, that is SO good, Beast!"

"Is there anything better on this earth than fucking the one you love?" Maximus stroked the fur on his Wolfpup's back and shoulders as he looked down on his lover, impaled on his thick cock.

"Yes... being fucked by him!"

Maximus watched as he withdrew slowly, past the ridge of his penis but not all the way out, and then slowly slid his meat back in. He repeated the motions again and again, constantly rubbing his Wolfpup's sphincter, something that Rufus found he really liked. Eventually, though, he had to yield to his immense desire. He sank his shaft all the way, deep inside his lover, and pressed him down onto the bedding. Rufus grunted and pushed back as best he could. When he felt Maximus' belly and thigh muscles tighten, he whispered, "Yes! I am yours, Beast, fuck me! Fill me with your seed!" Maximus happily obliged.

Spent, he rolled off of his reddish-golden fur-covered Wolfpup. "I love you, Wolfpup, heart and belly and cock." He sighed contentedly. "Holy Priapus, may we never tire of this!"

"We won't, and we will always honor the god," Rufus said, sleepily. They fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day, after their simple morning meal, they walked back to the Capitoline again with Ferox, who would not be left behind in any case. Standing before the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Rufus said, "You remember yesterday when I said that all the Triumphal Parades ended in the Forum?"

"Yes."

"Whoever has been accorded a Triumph dismounts his chariot there, and then walks up the hill to here, to offer a sacrifice of gratitude." They both gazed in awe at the huge, beautifully proportioned building. "This isn't the original temple, there have been four. The first was destroyed by fire, and the second was destroyed in rioting during the year of the Four Emperors. Vespasian built the third temple, but it burned in the great fire during Titus' reign. This is the fourth temple, most lavish of all of them. Domitian built it, just after restoring the baths, I think." Clouds of incense wafted out of the great open doors.

They entered and saw the gigantic statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, ivory and gold, seated, with a scepter in one hand and a thunderbolt in the other. Several people, including a Senator, were making offerings and saying prayers.

"Have you ever seen a Triumph, Wolfpup?"

"You mean in person? No, but Lucius told us all about one he had seen for the general Cornelius Balbus, it was during the reign of Augustus. He said he had seen nothing like it, before or since. There were captives and foreign princes and slaves and all kinds of exotic beasts in cages, and cartloads of treasure. Legions, too, of course. Lucius said the sun on their polished armor was so bright it hurt the eyes. The parade went on for hours."

"It must have been quite a sight!" They spent the rest of the morning walking around, marveling at the number of elaborate temples and public buildings, tourists in the center of their known world.

After their noon meal, they went to the Baths of Agrippa. The baths were extremely popular with the Roman populace, and when they were almost completely destroyed in the fire that swept parts of Rome at the beginning of the second year of the Emperor Titus' very short reign, his successor, his brother Domitian, had that building rebuilt before any other. The rebuilt baths were both grander and larger than the earlier version. Their reconstruction, so soon after their destruction, sat well with the people of Rome, and went far towards fostering the initial good will that Domitian enjoyed early on in his reign.

Rufus found a city slave inside the rotunda and paid him to watch Ferox, who was not allowed inside the baths themselves. "I know he looks fierce, but he'll be all right once I've introduced you to him. And here's a piece of dried meat and bone, you can give it to him and he'll lay quiet and chew quite happily." Rufus did the introductions in the usual way. Ferox looked really doubtful, but the slave's offer of the meaty bone sealed the deal. Rufus and Maximus headed back inside.

"Jupiter! I know you said these baths were impressive, but this is almost beyond words." Maximus was looking around him in pure wonder, only having been in the very small baths at Nuceria once and just two days before at the much less elaborate Suran baths. "And you say it's all free?"

"It is. When Agrippa died and left all his property to Augustus, it came with the stipulation that the baths would thereafter be free to the citizens of Rome in perpetuity, and maintained by the government." Rufus gazed about him. "Lucius took me here once when I was a boy. This is bigger than I remember, but at least as magnificent." They made their way across the immense rotunda that echoed with the voices of throngs of citizen bathers, going and coming.

"What pays for all this? I don't mean just the baths, I mean all of this," Maximus said, gesturing to include all of Campus Martius.

"Lucius always said it was trade, taxes, and tribute," Rufus responded. "If you ever wonder where it all goes, you're looking at it... or part of it, at least." He nudged Maximus. "Let's find one of the changing rooms, and spend some time soaking, and watching."

"You are shameless!" Maximus leered at his Wolfpup.

They spent a very relaxing afternoon, soaking away the tiredness from their muscles in the caldarium and then moving to the tepidarium. The seemingly endless parade of naked men, of all shapes and sizes and endowments, provided plentiful visual entertainment. Rufus was less self-conscious about looking than he had been all those years ago, and the pair got their own share of looks in return. At one point, Rufus leaned over to Maximus and said in a low voice, "This brings back memories of when Lucius took me here many years ago. I was fifteen, and it was the first time I had seen so many men in one place, and naked. I couldn't stop looking! I think that was when I fully realized where my interests were and the type I truly responded to... your type, my Beast."

Maximus responded, equally quietly, "I think we are the hairiest men here."

"Maybe. But wait, look over there," Rufus said, nodding towards another man just lowing himself into the pool on the far side away from them.

"Ah! Then I am not the only one!"

Rufus reached over and squeezed his Beast's muscled thigh. "As far as I'm concerned, you are!"

Eventually, wrinkled but relaxed, they got out of the tepidarium, took a quick dip in the frigidarium, and headed back to the changing room, water streaming off their fur and beards. They dried each other off and dressed. Looking around to see if they were alone, Rufus pulled Maximus down and gave him a deep kiss. "I love you so much, my Beast." Maximus hugged Rufus tight, lifting him a bit off the floor in the process. "My love."

Two smooth young men passing the hall outside the changing room glanced in, unnoticed. "I thought so," one said to the other. "There was just something about them, in the pool." As they proceeded down the hallway, the other said in a disapproving tone, "Well, they could both have a shave and lose some of that fat." "I don't know, it looked more like muscle to me. But so much hair... who would want that next to them in bed?" They turned a corner towards the gymnasium. "Let's go to my place, after. You owe me one, after last night."

Rufus and Maximus left the baths and headed back towards the inn. The late afternoon sum was casting long summer shadows. "Should we look for someplace to eat, try something different, maybe?" Maximus said as they took one last look at the buildings around Agrippa's baths. Some still bore the scars of the immense fire that had swept the place twelve years earlier.

"Sounds good. You pick the place, Beast... just make sure Ferox is welcome!" The pair walked on, taking their time, enjoying the late afternoon. Maximus settled on a small taberna that was serving a variety of fish dishes, and accepting of Ferox. Midway though their meal, Maximus nudged Rufus' leg under the table.

"Wolfpup, don't turn around, but I think I know that man at the table by the door. I'm almost certain of it. He's looked this way twice now, when he thought I wasn't looking." He finished the last spoonful of the delicious fish stew. "Oh, I wish I could remember."

Rufus smiled. "You know there's only one thing for it, Beast. Go over and speak to him. Oh, go on, you know you won't rest until you know. You can always apologize if you really don't know him."

Maximus pushed his chair back and walked over to the man at the table by the door. "Excuse me, but when I saw you come in earlier, I was sure that I..."

"Maximus! It IS you!" The man smiled. At the sound of the man's voice, the memory clicked into place in Maximus' brain.

"Cassio? Is it really Cassio?" Cassio nodded and stood up. The two men embraced, like long-lost brothers.

"Jove's balls, this is a true surprise. Here, come over, you must meet my mate." Maximus practically dragged Cassio over to the table where Rufus had been watching the scene unfold. "Rufus, this is Cassio, a slave and friend. We were slaves together at Livius Caseo's, before you and I met. Cassio, this is my mate, Rufus." The two gripped forearms in the socially accepted fashion of men being introduced to each other for the first time. Ferox sat at attention.

All three looked at each other, and then began talking at once. "What brings you..." "Are you no longer..." "How come you are..." "Where did the dog..." They all laughed.

"Listen, there are some tables out back in a sort of garden. If you are both finished, we could sit there and talk. It's a nice evening." Cassio looked at the two, almost hopefully.

"We're finished, aren't we?" Maximus looked at Rufus, who nodded. They paid for their meals, and made their way to the back garden with Ferox. Maximus bought them all mugs of wine. The garden was empty, so they had their choice of tables. They sat, and sipped the wine, which was rather good.

"Here, Ferox." The dog obediently padded over to Rufus, leaving the tree that might well have had a squirrel in it. He lay at Rufus' feet, head on his forepaws, watching the tree.

"You must tell us your story, Cassio. What has happened that you are here? Have you been sold? Is Livius still such a podex?" Both Maximus and Rufus looked expectantly at the older slave.

"Ah... where to begin?" He thought for a moment. "You remember when Livius lost that lawsuit and sold some of the slaves, you included?" Maximus nodded. "Well, about a year later the cook died. Livius had been making use of her for some months. To tell the truth, I always wondered a bit about that, but slaves die all the time and no one cares. Besides, who would listen to the doubts of a slave? Of course, this was before the recent law reforms. Anyway, Livius returned from the slave market with a youngish girl as the new cook. The thing was, the girl had two daughters, a ten year old, and the other almost twelve. Even then, it was illegal to sell children away from their mothers until they were twelve." Cassio took a sip of wine. "You can guess what happened next. Livius forced himself upon the new cook, Servila, multiple times over the next few months. Finally, once, when it was Servila's time of month, Livius insisted. In spite of her pleading, that man continued, not even respecting the sacred dictates of the goddess about these matters. Servila struck him, hard. It left quite a mark, both cut and bruised him."

Both Rufus and Maximus were taken aback. Neither had spent a lot of time in the close company of women, but all knew of the restrictions placed on intercourse during a woman's period, restrictions sanctioned by the goddesses Juno, Venus, and Minerva. Even the foreign goddesses that were becoming popular cults in Rome forbade the forcing of a woman at that time. "That's terrible," Rufus blurted.

"It was a terrible household, Rufus. We all lived in fear, of him and of that bitch of a wife of his. And Livius had the law on his side when it came to Servila having struck him. That's death, as you know. He locked the little girls in a room, and the next day took Servila to the yard, and bashed her head in. He had paid a compliant magistrate to be the official 'witness' to the 'just' punishment of a slave that attacked her owner." Both Maximus and Rufus shuddered, but Cassio simply took another sip of wine.

"Maximus, you and I know that Livius was not a small man. He had become visibly excited when he bashed cook's skull in. I will never forget that sight. That night, I could not sleep. I finally gave up and went outside, thinking it might clear my head. I don't know what made me walk across that yard and toward the back of the house, but I did. I heard a harsh voice, and whimpering. I moved closer to the open window and stood very still. The voice was Livius, the whimpering was the two little girls. Livius was saying the most filthy, depraved things to those girls, telling them in detail what he would do to them and how it would feel. The girls were cowering on the floor, in the corner, the younger behind the older, who was trying to protect her little sister. Then Livius started to take off his tunic." Maximus and Rufus continued to listen in stunned silence.

"Something inside me snapped, then. I was not thinking, only acting. I quietly eased the door open. Livius was so intent on his foul desire he did not hear me. His tunic was off and that awful cock of his jutting out obscenely as he moved toward the two girls. I did realize, dimly, that I would only have one chance, and I made it count. You remember that heavy onyx cube he used as a paper weight on his desk?" He looked at Maximus, who nodded, having seen it often enough during his time there. "I took that and swung it, hard, at his head. I must have hit true, he dropped like an ox, felled for sacrifice. I stood, dumbly, and watched the blood pool under his head and slowly run across the floor a ways before stopping."

Maximus reached forward and gripped Cassio by the shoulder. "Good! Good for you. I wish I had been there!"

"Ah, but my tale is not complete. I stood there for I don't know how long before I heard a noise behind me. I turned and saw Quintilius Varus standing in the doorway. Quintilius was a retired city magistrate. You remember, he lived in the neighborhood. 'What is this?' he said looking first at Livius, then me, then the girls, then me again. For a moment I could only stammer."

"Quintilius looked at me hard. "Cassio, is it?" I nodded. "All right, tell me what happened. And be quick about it."

His eyes grew wider and his mouth hardened as I told him of what I had heard and seen, and what I had done. I knew I would be executed for what I had done, but I didn't care. I only cared that a foul person would no longer be able to harm other people. Quintilius quietly stepped over to the girls, who were still on the floor in the corner, although they were no longer crying. He walked over to them. "Is this true?" he asked. "What this slave says, is it true?" He spoke quietly, but there was no mistaking the authority in his voice. The older girl nodded, then both did together. Otherwise, they were mute. Quintilius thought for a moment, then turned to me and gave the shock of my life.

"All right. Listen to me carefully. None of this happened. I will go across the road and get my wife. You are to stay here. Do you know if there is money in the house? Valuables? Jewelry?"

I nodded. "I have seen Livius counting money and hastily sweeping it off his desk and into a box on several occasions when he summoned me to service his sexual needs. Once I saw him hide that box behind a panel in the wall. He did not know I had seen that, and I stepped back and then forward into the room so he did not suspect."

"Did he often make use of you in this way?"

"Yes." I hung my head in shame.

"Others?"

"Yes."

"Many?"

I could only nod.

"I thought so. Very well. Now, listen to me. Find that box, and get some other valuables you can find without waking the rest of the household. They are not to be involved, do you hear?" I nodded. "Good. I will return quickly with my wife." He turned to the girls.

"This slave has saved your lives, and avenged your mother's death. Stay here, and I will be back shortly to take you to safety. You will have no reason to fear any more, I promise." He quickly left and just as quickly returned with his sleepy wife in tow, carrying two blankets. He had obviously filled her in on the outline of what had happened. She went to the girls wrapped them both in blankets and, talking softly and comfortingly to them, took them away from the bloody horrors they had witnessed.

Quintilius said to me, "All right, Cassio, this is what happened here. You heard a noise and got up. You saw your master and another person, a man, you think, in a struggle. There was a cry, and a loud thud. You burst into the room, the thief dropped the things he was trying to steal, and ran past you and out into the night, knocking you down before you could react. You passed out and came to some time later. You are to forget everything else that happened. Now, help me. We need to get his tunic back on." That was more difficult than anything else we did that night.

"Now, lift Livius and press the back of his head to the corner of the table. No not his desk, the marble one there, against the wall." He made sure that a quantity of blood transferred to the corner of the table. The skull made a kind of soft crunching noise as it was pressed into the corner of the table. "Now help me turn him over. I'll stretch out his arms, like he is reaching for something. Take his hand and dip it into the blood on the floor. Pull down his tunic, get it bloody if you can." I must have looked like I didn't understand, for he looked me in the eye.

"Cassio, I know what this man was and some of what he has done over the years. We are making this look like he fought with someone trying to rob him and in the struggle, he hit his head hard on the corner of the table. He tried to crawl, but expired just here, where the pool of blood formed. The thief fled in panic, leaving the things he intended to steal when Livius interrupted him. Scatter those things between here and the door. Ah, you found the money box. Good. Open it and scatter some of the coins as well. I will dispose of that paper weight." I did as he instructed.

"Now Cassio, are we clear on what happened here?" I nodded. "Tell me what happened." I repeated the story as he had dictated it to me. It was slowly dawning on me that Quintilius intended to help me avoid being charged with Livius' murder. "Good. Very good."

"What about the girls?"

"My wife will take care of them for now. They will be safe. She is a good, kind woman, you needn't worry about them. We will work something out about their futures. Poor things, they have seen things they should never... well. It's over for them now, he can't hurt them any more."

We finished setting the scene. At the end, Quintilius turned to me. "Take some of the money for yourself. You have earned it." I refused, but he insisted. "You may have need of it, depending on what happens here in the next few days. Hide it well, but keep it close." He looked over the room one last time with the practiced eye of one who had investigated crimes for a living. "All right. You are a brave and good man, Cassio. Remember all I have said to you, and things may yet turn out well for all of us."

Rufus and Maximus looked at each other, still aghast at the depravity and violence of Cassio's story. "What happened after?" Rufus asked.

"Surprisingly, not as much as I feared. I scraped up my arms and dirtied my tunic, waited a while than then feigned 'coming to', staggered into the house and woke the household. I told my story, and one of the city guard was summoned. The magistrate was brought in and all of us slaves were closely questioned. That's not pleasant, as you can imagine, but the rest of the house slaves only knew what I had told them, and so their ignorance was convincing." Both men nodded. "As it turned out, the magistrates had already been investigating several complaints about Livius. He was not well-liked in the neighborhood, even less among the tradesmen in the area. I don't think a very vigorous investigation was made. When the wife came home from her sister's, she saw her fondest hope realized. By this time, she frankly loathed her husband, and his death released her. She consigned all of us to the slave sellers, sold the villa and land, and left, who knows where. Before she left, Quintilius visited her to ask about the girls. 'They are no concern of mine,' she said to him. 'I can't sell them, more's the pity; and I won't feed them. Do with them what you will.' The last I heard they are still with Quintilius and his wife, and are doing well. They never had children, so it fills a void." He stopped, and looked at both Rufus and Maximus directly.

"So there you have it. I am a murderer and a thief. But I am not a runaway. I used nearly all the money Quintilius made me take to buy my freedom from the slavers. There's hardly any left, but it was worth it."

"By the gods! That is some tale! And truly... you are a hero, Cassio!" Maximus got up and pulled the older man into a tight hug.

"No, the real hero in all this is Quintilius. Without his steady actions, I would certainly be dead, the rest of the slaves flogged within an inch of their lives, and who knows what would have happened to those little girls. No, it's Quintilius who's the hero."

"You are too modest, but if you say so, we'll agree... sort of. One thing, though. What brought Quintilius to the house at that late hour?"

"Oh, that. I found out later that he had come to confront Livius about the first cook's death, and the second cook's punishment and death. He had heard one too many things about Livius that bothered his retired magistrate's mind." He smiled slightly. "Slaves will talk, you know." He drained his cup of wine.

"Now, you must tell me about your lives. Have you been in Rome all this time? Where did you end up, Maximus? And how did you meet this handsome man with the fiery hair?" Rufus blushed.

"Well, for starters, we are both free, like yourself. We were manumitted together, after..."

"Together? You were together as you are now? How...?

Rufus interrupted. "It's a tale that involves a good dominus and domina, and a lot of good luck. Originally, I..."

At this point, the owner of the taberna came into the garden. "Gentlemen, I must close now." He stood there, arms folded, waiting for them to leave. The three got up, Ferox following, left their empty cups, and walked out to the street. While they had been talking, evening had crept up on them, and it was now quite late.

"Oh, this is embarrassing. I do want to hear all about your lives, and would invite you back to my lodgings, but they are very small. I doubt you would fit, Maximus, and I am not being funny. I can barely turn around in the room myself." The chagrined Cassio stopped and rubbed his nose. "Could we meet somewhere tomorrow? I must hear of your lives."

"Is there another place around here that might still be open?" Rufus asked.

Cassio looked surprised. "At this hour? Of course not. The Emperor's decree, you know."

Maximus suddenly understood something. "Cassio, we do not live in Rome any more. Haven't for some years now."

"Ah, that explains... I thought... Now, I am sure there is a tale attached to that! Please, let's meet tomorrow. Can we say here, at the quarta hora?"

Both Rufus and Maximus nodded. "We will look forward to that, Cassio. Tomorrow, then." The three embraced, this time fully, as friends. "Vale! Securi dormite!" They parted their separate ways.

Later, in bed, Rufus and Maximus were on their sides, facing each other, playing with each other's fur. "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Rufus looked at his Beast with love.

"Yes, he does. He looked out for me when no one else would take the risk in that household. He helped me with some hard-earned tips on dealing with Livius, to make it easier for me; cared for me when that spurium used my ass too hard. He was a good man in a hard place. He was my friend."

"And a good and brave man in a situation that put him in mortal peril for being so." Rufus thought for a bit. "We should tell him everything about us tomorrow, yes?"

"Yes, we should. Now, come and nuzzle with me." Maximus pulled Rufus in close, kissing the top of his head while Rufus sought his Beast's fur covered nipple. Finding it, he latched on sucking and chewing lightly.

"Oh, that is so good, my Wolfpup. Yes! Futuo, feed on me. Holy gods!"

Rufus knew just how far he could go with his actions before his Beast would lose control. He pushed beyond that limit.

"Priapus! I am going to cum! I can't hold it, Wolfp..."

"Then don't!" Rufus dived down and enclosed his lover's erecting cock with his mouth just as Maximus let loose with volley after volley of hot, salty seed. He swallowed some of the load, and then moved back up and shared the rest with his Beast. They both slept soundly that night.

The next morning they met Cassio at the appointed time and place. The taberna was just opening. "Come in and have your morning meal with us, Cassio."

"Oh... no, thank you. I've eaten."

"Oh, come in and have something with us anyway. It's our pleasure."

"Well, thank you! I shall." They went in an ordered a simple, but filling repast.They pushed back their empty plates, and Cassio said, "I need to relieve myself, there's a good clean foricae just up the street. I'll be right back, that is, unless you need to as well...?"

Under the table, Maximus put a cautionary hand on Rufus' thigh. "No, we're good. We'll be right here, no rush." Cassio got up and headed out to take care of business. Maximus turned to Rufus as soon as Cassio was out of the door.

"Are you thinking what I am?"

"That he did not eat before coming here? I saw how his eyes lighted when we said it would our pleasure, and how rapidly he ate." Rufus was looking steadily at Maximus.

"More that he couldn't afford to eat before coming here. And I wonder about his lodgings. He looked like he slept rough last night. He said he used almost all of that money buying his freedom. I wonder..."

Rufus reached out and put his hand on Maximus'. "We should say something to him. If he is short on funds, we could help some. There's not much left in either of our wallets, and we still need to get back home; but even some for a few meals would help him, I'm sure." The two looked at each other, reading each other's thoughts with the practice of people who had lived and loved together for years.

Cassio returned just then and sat back down. "Now, you must tell me your story, and start at the beginning, I want to hear it all."

Maximus started, filling in the details about how he had been purchased by Lucius because of his skill with horses. "You see, he and his lady wife, Antonia, had moved to Pompeii and built a house. Lucius was newly retired and restless, so he bought a fundus with the intent of raising horses. He got me to set things up and select stock for breeding. That's were I met my Wolfpup, here."

Rufus pitched in, giving the backstory of his life in brief. "My mother had been Antonia's personal slave, so I was born into the household. My mother died a couple of years later, and Antonia took a liking to me, and was almost a mother to me, taught me to read and write. It seems I have a natural skill with numbers, and instead of selling me as a scribe, they kept me and I eventually became the dux servus. My entire life as a slave was with Lucius and Antonia. Maximus and I met at the fundus, and fell in love. We met whenever we could, which was not often enough." The two men smiled at each other.

"You mentioned Pompeii..."

"Yes," Maximus said. "I had brought in a horse that one of Lucius' friends had purchased. There were a couple of jobs to do at the Pompeii house so I was there when the mountain blew. Rufus and I organized an escape, and got some of the families on the street to follow with us. Antonia had injured her foot and could not walk, and Lucius had to fight his way back from the baths to the house, and was in poor shape. We got them both into a cart and made our escape to the east. We barely made it before that awful wave of ash and death erased the city. We saw it all. It was horrible."

Rufus took over. "It was just at the time of the eruption that Lucius told me he knew about Maximus and I, that he had loved a man once in the Army, and that Antonia did not know. 'I've kept your secret, now you keep mine.' And he did. He never told anyone, although it turns out that Antonia had guessed about us on her own. And we've not said anything until this day."

"A few months later, Lucius manumitted both of us as a gesture of gratitude. 'We owe our lives to you', he said; and not only that, he settled a considerable sum of money on us both. We've used that to purchase land north of here, in Rocca, near Clusium. We have a small fundus, and Maximus raises horses for sale, and I do bookkeeping and write letters for businesses in Rocca. It's a good life."

"Oh, that all sounds exciting! A dramatic escape, a reward, and an happy ending! You are indeed lucky!" Cassio saluted them with his mug of posca. "But then, what brings you south to Rome now?"

Rufus answered, "Lucius died last Spring, and Antonia moved back to Rome to be close to her daughter. She wrote, asking to see us, saying that Lucius had left a small memento for each of us. It took a while for her letter to reach us; well, we are kind of remote. We came here last week to see her. It was a nice visit, but most likely the last time we will see her."

"And then we ran into you!" Maximus was smiling. He then looked at Rufus. Rufus nodded very slightly. "Now," Maximus said, "we could go on and on with our stories, but we don't want to keep you from any business or work you need to deal with."

"Oh, I've nowhere to go..." Cassio stopped, realizing the slip he had just made. "What I mean is, I..."

Maximus looked at Cassio and said, very gently, "I think I know what you mean, old friend. Please be honest with me, for friendship's sake. Do you have anywhere to stay, any funds at all?"

Cassio hung his head and sighed. "I may as well confess. I do not. I could not afford to pay the rent any longer on the hovel I had been sleeping in and the landlord kicked me out two days ago. I have not been able to find any work other than the most menial hard labor. I did try that for one day, and was let go because I could not keep up with the younger, stronger men. Besides, slave labor is cheaper than a free man's wages. Last night, I decided on one last treat and I spent my last few quadrans on that meal where we ran into each other." He sighed again. "I spent nearly all that money from Livius' cash box to buy my freedom. For a while, what was left was enough to live on. There is nothing left now, and little work for an old man. It's a sad little tale, I know. But I will make do. There are ways, even for an old man like me, to earn a quadran or two, down at the docks. There's always someone who's standards are low."

"No. No, you will not." Maximus looked at Rufus, eyes pleading. "Can I make the offer?"

"Of course, love. But let me do it for both of us, so Cassio knows it is coming from both, not just his old friend." He turned to Cassio. "Cassio, we have a suggestion to make. Please, come with us to Rocca, stay with us. We have space, we even have a kind of caldarium to soak in. It's a pleasant, quite place and you will be most welcome." Cassio started to say something, but Maximus interrupted.

"It's not charity, Cassio. You would be solving a problem that has been vexing us for years. It's just the two of us, and one of us always has to be around, to feed the animals, and to milk Butter. If we both need to be in town for some reason, we can never stay long, it's always a rush. It was a major undertaking to get a young lad to stay at the place while we made this trip. If you came with us, it would really help us out. And it wouldn't be heavy labor, mostly just seeing the animals have water and feed, and milking Butter once a day if we were gone overnight. Rufus here is gone usually one night a week with work, and if I have to get in supplies, or take an animal for sale, it has to wait until he gets back. With you there, the problem would be solved!"

For the first time in many months, hope and the gods smiled for Cassio. "Truly? You know I have nothing to offer, I could not pay rent. If you think my being there would truly solve a problem for you, and that would be sufficient payment, I... I..."

Maximus put his large hand on Cassio's smaller one. "Do not worry, friend. You took care of me at a time when I needed it. The gods smile when a debt is repaid, without reservation." Rufus laid his had on top of the other two on the table. Ferox barked.

"See? Even Ferox knows this is right!" Both Rufus and Maximus were smiling, and Cassio was looking like he still could not believe his luck had changed so dramatically.

"Excellent!" Rufus said. "Now we should make plans. Cassio, how soon can you be ready to leave?"

"I could leave now. All I have is this tunic and this pair of caligas."

"Then I suggest this. Beast, if you will go to the docks and get passage for three and a dog north to Clusium, I will take Cassio to the baths for a nice long soak. I think my other tunic would fit him... well, maybe a little big. We'll make do. We'll wait for you at the inn, Beast; and we can all have our evening meal together. Agreed?"

"Yes. I should be able to frighten a boat captain into giving us a good rate for passage." Maximus grinned, wolfishly.

"Ferox!" The dog sat up straight, looking at Rufus. "Go with Maximus. Go." Rufus was pointing at Maximus. The dog got up and walked to Maximus' side, and looked back at his master. "Yes. Good dog. Good boy." He nodded and smiled, so Ferox would both see and hear approval. He would go with the other member of his pack, because that is what his master wanted. Maximus and Ferox headed off to the docks.

Walking back to the inn, Cassio asked Rufus about a couple of things. "First, thank you, but I must ask. Are you sure this is all right with you?"

"Of course it is, Cassio. Beast has told me more than once about how kind you were to him when you were slaves together. And something you should know about both of us. We are honest men, and the offer was honestly made. But I have a question for you, though. I assume that you are like us?"

Cassio tensed a bit. "In what way?"

"In that you prefer men to women, and that you accept and honor love and sex between men." Rufus leaned forward. "I only ask to be sure that you will not be put off by Beast and I being openly affectionate, even sexual, with each other. We are naked sometimes, we touch and hug and kiss a lot. We are mated. We are a team, the bond between us is iron, nothing on earth breaks it."

"It will not upset me. It makes me glad that Maximus has found love."

"And please understand that we do not expect any anything untoward from you in return. This will never be another kind of servitude for you. You are a friend, not a concubine." Rufus stopped, a bit embarrassed "I hope I have not said anything wrong here. It's just that I know you were terribly used by that vile man, and that experiences like that can leave scars. I wanted to set your mind at ease, that this would be nothing like that."

"Gratius tibi ago! It is a joy to know that human kindness is not dead in this sorry old world." He paused, rubbed his nose, and continued. "I hear you call Maximus 'Beast'. Does he not object? I mean, given his size and his..."

"You mean his fur coat?" Rufus chuckled, glad for the lighter topic. "You've not seen me naked yet. I am almost as furry as my Beast, though I don't have his size. No, he does not mind at all. I have a nickname, too. I am his Wolfpup. They are affectionate names we have for each other. We used to use them only in the most private moments we could manage. But as we've gotten older, we seem to care less and less about other's opinions."

They walked on to the baths. Once there, Rufus paid the modest fee and the two stripped and stowed their clothes, and soaked a bit in the caldarium and then in the tepidarium. Cassio leaned over to Rufus. "I see what you meant." Rufus blushed. "You are a handsome man, and a striking one, all copper and gold. You must cause great comment at the baths."

"A few looks is all. First there is no public bath in Rocca, too small a place. That is why we built our own caldarium, you'll see how it works when we get there. And second, I am not the shape of man that excites much desire in most men. The stockiness, or the hairiness, or both, put off most people."

"But not Maximus."

"Oh, definitely not, thank the gods!" He smiled happily. "Now, may I ask, what are your tastes in men?"

"Ah." Cassio paused. "No offense to either of you, but, well... more Ganymede than Silenus." Cassius rubbed his nose. "The Greeks did those archetypes better than us, if you take my meaning."

"I do, and no offense taken. Cassio, the eye likes what it likes." Cassio smiled at that, and seemed to have gone back in time.

"In my younger years, I was rather handsome, if I do say so. I got my share of attention. The problem with being a slave is that you do not choose. Once, though, I was in a household that I could have contentedly stayed in for many years. Oh, I know it wasn't love on his part, but I was well-treated, and never forced. I was, willingly, enticed and not compelled." Cassio smiled at the memory. "He had the body of an Apollo."

They got up and out of the lukewarm pool. "Wait here, I will get a bottle of oil." Rufus went to the small kiosk that had small bottles of cleansing oil and simple strigels for scraping it off. They went to one of the side rooms off the tepidarium and oiled and then scraped each other clean. They finished by sluicing each other off with buckets of warm water taken from the pool.

"That was wonderful. I haven't felt really clean for weeks. Thank you! That was one thing I always persisted in, taking every chance that came along to get clean."

"You will love our private caldarium then!" They dressed and headed back to the inn. They arrived just before Maximus returned.

"Did you have luck?" Rufus asked. "And did Ferox behave and not eat anyone?" He was scratching Ferox behind his good ear.

"He was excellent, a model citizen. I think most people are afraid to approach either one of us, I can't imagine why." He grinned with feigned menace. "And I did have luck. The boat leaves tomorrow at the first hour." Maximus snorted. "You will have a good laugh at the name... she's called the Venus of the Tiber!" They did all laugh.

"Does she look the part?" Rufus asked.

"Ha! She looks like a hag, but she is sturdy enough. So, we will need to be at the docks early."

"I'll see to a room for Cassio for tonight and see if we should pay tonight or tomorrow." Rufus went inside to find the inn keeper.

"Did you and Rufus have a good soak?" Maximus sat on one of the benches outside the inn, and Cassio joined him.

"Yes! It's wonderful to be clean again." He paused, looking around and then back at the big man next to him. "Maximus, I can't thank you and Rufus enough, for everything. And I want you to know how much it pleases me that you have found love and your own home." Cassio shyly put a hand on Maximus' thigh. "So many of us die without ever having known those things."

"We know we have been very lucky. But you have, too, you know. You meted out justice for those two poor girls, and escaped a murder charge and certain death in the process. You were able to buy your freedom! Those are no small things."

"That is true." Cassio was quiet for a while. "But you can't eat freedom." Both were silent, reflecting. Rufus stepped outside just then and joined them.

"Cassio, there was only one room available, a small one, and it's not close to us. I took it anyway. And the innkeeper said we should pay tonight and not wake him tomorrow if we leave early. Frankly, I think he was afraid we might try to sneak off before dawn without paying."

"I imagine that happens."

"I'm sure it does. Now, let's get something to eat and maybe have an early night, if we're to be up early." Maximus chuckled. "All this laying about and taking things easy is making us soft and lazy!" The three men had an ample supper and then bid each other bonum nocte.

Before falling asleep, Maximus hugged Rufus' hairy back to his own pelted belly. "We're doing a good deed here, Wolfpup. Thank you for being agreeable." He kissed Rufus and hugged him tight, letting the contact speak more strongly than his words. He nuzzled his thick beard against Rufus' neck. "I only hope that he will feel comfortable with us. We are so used to being on our own, and able to be open with each other. It will probably be different with someone else around."

"Beast, I think it will be all right. We talked a bit at the baths. He is genuinely happy for us and says that our open affection for each other won't bother him." He hugged Maximus' arms tight. "And I found out that, frankly, we are not his type sexually. And I made it clear to him that we expect no 'favors' from him."

"My kind and thoughtful Wolfpup! I do love you!"

"I just hope he won't be disappointed in our cooking!"

Maximus laughed out loud. "Oh, love, we both know it's not 'cooking'. It's just 'heating things over the fire'!" He let go of Rufus and turned him so they were face to face. "This well be our last chance for a while." Rufus nodded, but instead of saying anything, he began kissing his Beast everywhere he could reach. The next hour was spent in using their bodies to give joy, release, and peace to each other. Content, they both slept solidly, pressed to each other.

The following morning, all three were up early. "We must hurry. It wouldn't do to keep a goddess waiting!" Rufus was putting on his pack and adjusting it, while Ferox circled his legs, sensing another expedition.

"We are coming, oh divine one!" Maximus shouted.

Rufus nudged his Beast. "You are happy to be heading home, aren't you? I can tell. But we should get something to eat, I imagine there will be no meals on board."

"True enough. Look, over there." Maximus pointed to a stall that was just opening, a tantalizing odor of fresh baked meat pies wafting in the air. They all headed towards the storefront. "What will you have, Cassio?"

"Oh, I think just a mug of posca. I am too excited to eat anything."

"All right, if you are sure?" Rufus whispered to Maximus, "Get an extra pie or two for him." Then, raising his voice, he said, "We should get some for on board, as well. And a flagon of wine, and one of water." Ferox sat at attention, salivating. The aromas meant food, and he was hungry. Rufus broke off a piece of one pie and handed it to Cassio.

"Here, he needs to see you as a friend. Giving him food will help with that. He takes food well, but just hold it in your open hand. He won't bite. Call him by name, quietly, and say, 'food'. After he takes it nicely, praise him, but don't try to pet him or scratch behind his ear until he has finished eating.

Maximus collected the rest of the food and they all headed towards the docks, in time to get on board before the Venus untied and steered into the river. The boat's sail, unneeded on a southward journey, bellied out in the breeze, and the boat slowly moved upstream against the current.

The trip up to Clusium took longer than the trip down to Rome had, but there were a number of stops and it gave Ferox and the three men chances to get off the boat, stretch their legs, and get a bite to eat. Their money was running low. Maximus quietly asked Rufus about their finances while Cassio was relieving himself. "We should just have enough, there's only a day more to Clusium. When we get back, we'll need to get some of Lucius' gift money from the hiding place."

"How much is left of that?"

"A bit more than a thousand sesterces."

"Well, I plan on breeding the two new mares, give Bella a rest. And I could put Nocte out to stud. There's a farmer from Clusium who keeps asking any time I see him in Rocca."

"I think we are in good shape, Beast. We've rarely had to dip into that money, once we had the house and roof taken care of, the stable built, and stock purchased. We make enough, the two of us, to get by comfortably, and that money handles emergencies and extras. We are doing fine, don't worry. Let's keep Nocte's seed in our own mares!"

Cassio returned just then, and asked about the horse breeding business. Maximus eagerly began explaining, as Rufus watch both men, smiling, and fondling Ferox's good ear and neck. The dog's eyes were closed in bliss.

They passed much of the time sailing up-river telling each other some of their past, and Maximus and Cassio shocked Rufus with tales of the foibles, pleasant and not so pleasant, of their former masters. "I truly was lucky in my life. I've had none of the drama either of you had, growing up or in service. I knew that some slaves were mistreated, we all heard those tales. But the kind of abuse you both endured..." Rufus shook his head.

Cassio rubbed his nose before commenting. "I think it comes from not seeing slaves as human beings in any way. We are tools and commodities, nothing more to most. I know from what both you and Maximus have said that the Hirtulius domus was a caring one, but I do think they were the rare exception. Disposable objects aren't worth much thought." Cassio was beginning to open up and share honest opinions as he became more comfortable with the other two men.

"How did you become a slave, Cassio? I don't think you were born to it, were you?"

"No, not at all. My parents, my sister and myself lived in Salonae, on the coast across the mare Adriaticum. We owned a fine taberna. One summer, a group of slavers were raiding up and down the coast. They hit our village hard. My father died trying to defend us. My mother and I were taken. They killed all the old men and women in the village, they were of no worth in the slave markets."

"And your sister?" Rufus asked.

"She had died two years before. I am thankful she never had to see our father butchered, or our mother or myself raped. My mother and I were kept in the hold of that stinking ship for a week. When we landed, the men and boys were put in one pen, the women and girls in another. That was the last I saw of my mother. I was lucky, I think because of my youth and looks. I was auctioned off to a decent enough man from Calabria. Most of the men from my village were sold to owners of the salt mines in Numidia."

"That is awful!"

Cassio looked directly at Rufus. "Yes, it was."

"Where was the navy?" Maximus interjected.

"We asked ourselves that, many times. Eventually, they did flush the slavers out. But that was too late for us. I heard later that many of them were captured and used in one of the Emperor's public Games, as unarmed contestants against lions and other beasts. I would have enjoyed seeing that."

The conversations helped make the trip seem shorter, and if the crew overheard any of the talk, they made no comment.

Early September, 92 AD

As it turned out, they arrived at Clusium the morning after they were supposed to. It was a fine day, and with an unusual hint of fall in the air. The Venus tied up at one of the few open docks at Clusium and began off-loading cargo. Rufus, Maximus, Cassio, and Ferox walked down the gang plank with their packs. Maximus was heading towards one of the city foricae to relieve himself.

"Rufus! Rufus Hirtulius! Over here!" Rufus turned to see who was calling to him, and recognized one of his merchant clients from Rocca. He waved at the man who was walking towards them.

"Salvete! I thought you were in Rome?"

"We were, we just got back." Ferox recognized the man in front of him from the sound of his voice and his scent, and was content to simply be watchful. "And this is Cassio, a friend of Maximus' who will be staying with us. They knew each other years ago in Rome. Cassio, this is Appius Quirinus, a client of mine."

"Ah! And where is your business partner and his big black beard?"

"Peeing, I expect. He headed off that way," pointing towards the foricae.

"Well, I am glad to have found you. I need you to look over the books, tax time is coming soon, and I have two important letters for you to write. Are you heading to Rocca now?"

"We had thought to, yes."

"Well then, ride with me. Your friend and the dog will have to ride in back, I'm afraid, but there should be room. I'm not returning with much."

"Thank you! That will save us a walk! And here comes Maximus." Rufus motioned Maximus over to them. "Maximus, Appius Quirinus has offered us a ride to Rocca."

"Oh, excellent!" He turned to Appius Quirinus. "Salve, and sum valde gratius." They gripped forearms.

"I'm just over here," Appius Quirinus said. They walked to Appius' wagon and climbed in. The horses and wagon moved off with Rufus and Maximus at Cassio's insistence sharing the front, with himself and Ferox in the back. As they rode, Appius filled them in on the gossip and news from Rocca. It was a pleasant day, and the journey passed quickly. They were in Rocca by noon, and stopped at Gaius' inn for a quick lunch. Appius bid them farewell.

"I will see you in three days, Appius, and we'll deal with those letters and your books. Receipts, remember... I'll need your receipts!" Rufus waved cheerily as Appius drove off.

"Well, let's get something to eat. I am anxious to get home. And I'll let Gaius know his son will be returning today." Maximus headed off to the inn with Rufus and Cassio following with Ferox. After Maximus talked with the older Gaius, Rufus and Maximus discussed simply getting meat pies and cheese to take with them instead of waiting to be served at table. After agreeing, Rufus ordered their food and paid with the last of their money. Seeing the elder Gaius, Rufus echoed Maximus. "And we'll send young Gaius along later today."

"Make sure you pay him what's owed to hi..."

"GAIUS!" Domitilla Pulchra, Gaius' wife, came scuttling out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a soiled towel. "Your pardon, gentlemen, my husband needs better manners. We've had several customers leave without paying this week, and my husband is apt to forget that he's talking to honest upright citizens, more's the pity. Our apologies." She glared daggers at her husband for potentially offending longstanding customers and an excellent accountant and secretary.

Gaius had the grace to look apologetic. "Oh, of course you will pay my son what he is owed. I didn't mean... that is... well... I... I... I have work to do in the back. I hope you had an easy journey. Good day." Gaius moved quickly towards the stable to avoid his wife's wrath. Maximus and Rufus looked at each other and shrugged and smiled as they gathered their cheese and pies and left.

Ferox and Cassio had waited outside. Ferox was becoming more used to the older man, and content to sit at attention next to him beside the inn's doorway. When the two emerged, Ferox stood and all of them moved off, walking at a steady pace towards their own fundus. Rufus broke off a piece of his mutton pie and handed it to Cassio. Cassio reached down and held it for Ferox to take. Ferox did so, this time without looking at Rufus for approval. "Good boy," Cassio said, pleased. Rufus smiled.

"Now, I'm afraid I have to warn you about one thing, Cassio." Maximus was striding along, with Cassio struggling a bit to keep up. "It's about meals." Cassio relaxed. "I'm afraid that neither of us can 'cook'. We eat well enough, we have fresh milk, and meat and eggs from the chickens, but it's nothing fancy, just simple fare."

"Oh, but that is no problem! I can cook!" Rufus and Maximus looked at Cassio as if he had just said he could spin straw into gold.

"Really? But how did..." Before Rufus could finish his question, Cassio began explaining.

"My mother taught me. You remember my father and mother had the best taberna and served the best meals on the Salonae coast. After my sister died, my mother started teaching me to cook all her specialties, along with the everyday dishes. When the slavers came, that all ended, but I still remember the skills. I've not had the chance to put them to use for years... until now." He paused and looked at Maximus first and then Rufus. "Please, let me cook, it's something I can do for you, for us. I know I can't handle much in the way of heavy labor anymore, but I can cook!"

"Well, Vesta be praised! Wolfpup, I think our mealtimes are about to get a whole lot better!" Maximus looked at Cassio, then hugged him. "Gratius tibi ago!"

As they got closer to home, Ferox hobbled ahead fast and faster, recognizing his home territory. As they rounded the last curve, the horses all put their heads up and the mares moved to the fence, with Nocte not far behind.

"You have a greeting committee, Cassio!" Maximus strode to the fence and rubbed each of the mares' velvety muzzles in turn. Nocte put his head down and was rewarded to a scritch behind his big black ears. Rufus did the same, but Cassio hung back.

"No, Cassio, come close. They need to get to know you, as Ferox did." Cassio approached, and Nocte pushed his way ahead of the mares. He appeared to be staring Cassio directly in the eye, and then turned his great head towards Maximus, who nodded. Nocte turned back and nosed Cassio, sniffing him thoroughly. Satisfied, he stepped back and allowed his mares to do the same.

The younger Gaius came out from the stable, waving, having heard their voices. "Maximus! Rufus! Receperint retro! How was Rome?" The young man was obviously pleased to see them. Rufus whispered quickly to Maximus.

"Keep him busy for a bit while I get the money for his wages." He didn't mistrust Gaius, but a near lifetime of hearing Lucius remarking, 'Caution is always best in business' had left it's mark. Maximus nodded

"Well met, Gaius! Rome was good, big and noisey. I hope one day you get to see it, it's quite something. How did things go while we were gone?" He looked around and saw that things looked tended. "Any problems?"

"None, sir, none at all. I got on quite well... I do like animals, you know. Though Nocte didn't seem too sure about me. And the first few times milking Butter were a bit, well, comical. But I got the hang of it. You'll find all is in order."

"And did you like being on your own?"

"Oh, YES!"

Maximus chuckled. "And have you come to a decision?"

"I have. I will join the legions. Much as I liked it here, it's not what I want for the rest of my life. It's given me time to clear my head, to think about what I want." He stopped for a moment and gazed over the pasture. "I thank you for that chance, sir. I am much more sure of what I want."

"Well, good for you, Gaius. It's a big step, and Rufus and I wish you bona fortuna. Oh, by the way, this is Cassio, a friend of mine from many years ago in Rome, before I moved to Pompeii. We ran ito each other by chance." Gaius and Cassio gripped forearms. Rufus came out with Gaius' wages.

"There you are, and with our thanks. And there's a little something extra there for you, get yourself a nice jug of wine, or anything you might need. Did I hear that you have decided on the legions?" Gaius nodded. "Well, sit tibi bonum omen!"

"I will get my things and be on my way, if I may; I'd like to get back before the evening meal. I will tell my parents of my decision then. They will try to talk me out of it, but my mind is settled." Gaius went into the stable and gathered his things, while Maximus and Cassio headed into the house. Maximus poked his head out of the door and said good bye to the young man, and Rufus waved. Gaius headed down the road, whistling.

"I think he's happy to have made up his mind, don't you think?" Cassio had moved off to have a closer look at the pasture and horses.

"Yes, Wolfpup, I do. Now, we need to get Cassio settled. Have you given thought to where he will sleep?"

"Yes, but see if you agree. I don't want him in the stable, it gets cold in winter there, even with the animals, and that's not too far off now. He could sleep in the room off the kitchen, and we could all eat in the kitchen."

"But where will you work?"

"If you build me a small table, I could move my writing things to the bedroom. We'd need to move the bed and put the table under the window, for light, but it should work. And we'll need to build a bed for him, maybe a cupboard. I know he doesn't have any possessions now, but..."

Maximus embraced his mate in a tight hug. "Thank you for being willing to take him in." They kissed. "And it is good to be home, isn't it?"

"Oh, yes." They embraced, and each felt the other's cocks rising. Rufus whispered, "Later, Beast. We will fill each other, but now, we have a new resident to get settled." Ferox repeatedly nosed Rufus' hand and whined. "And a guardian dog to feed!"

Cassio came into the house, visibly excited. "The horses are so beautiful! That black stallion is... just... so impressive. What is he called?"

"That's Nocte. He's very protective of his herd, but he know's who the boss is!" Rufus looked with pride at Maximus as he said this. "Now, let's get you settled, Cassio."

"Yes. Come over here, Cassio. For tonight, I'm afraid it's bedding down on the floor in this room," Maximus was showing Cassio the small room off the kitchen. "Tomorrow, I will build a proper bed for you. We live simply here, but a good bed is not a luxury, it's a necessity. I'm sure Wolfpup will agree with me!"

Rufus smiled slyly. "Yes, a good sturdy bed is a necessity!"

And as simply as that, their lives settled into a comfortable routine, Maximus working with the animals, Rufus helping there and doing his weekly trips to Rocca to write letters and handle bookkeeping, and Cassio keeping the house neat and cooking. As Cassio settled in and became more confident of his place in the household, he began to take solo trips into Rocca, for food items, and sometime to drop off finished letters that Rufus had completed and that could not wait until the following week.

And it did indeed appear that Cassio was not bothered at all by Rufus and Maximus' open demonstration of their affection for and attraction to each other. At first, both had been somewhat shy around Cassio. "I don't want to make him uncomfortable," Maximus said. "It's not that I don't want to touch and fondle you, Wolfpup, it's just..."

"I know, I know."

Cassio had entered from outside just them, having heard the conversation as he was about to enter. "Maximus, Rufus, sit down. Please." He motioned to the kitchen table. "I could not help but hear. I told you that I would not be offended in any way by your expressions of love for each other, and I meant it. I do not want you changing the way you behave towards each other, ever. It gives me joy to see the two of you together, and you will not stop doing that for my sake. Now, I hope you will believe me and take what I have said to heart." He turned and went back outside to fill the water bucket from the well.

"I feel as if we have just been chastised by the paterfamilias for misbehaving, don't you?" Rufus looked at Maximus, half smiling.

"I do, in a way. But, if that is truly what he feels... Come here." Maximus reached for his Wolfpup and buried his face in his love's belly, hugging tight, and then stood up, pulling Rufus up and spent the next few minutes deeply kissing and caressing the love of his life.

Cassio reentered the kitchen then, carrying the full water bucket. "You see? That is what I like to see... real love." He hugged both men, and then started preparing the evening meal.

October, 93 AD

"You know, he looks like a fierce gladiator, but he is so gentle with the horses. The mares seem to want to be near him, and even the stallion seems to enjoy his company. Even when I first knew him, I could see he had a gift for working with horses." Cassio and Rufus were sitting on the pasture fence, watching Maximus working the two new fillies. It had been just over a year since Cassio had come to live with Rufus and Maximus. "You have both been a revelation to me."

"How so?"

"Well... you are both very masculine, very solid in character and manner. For men like us, that is rather rare. I mean no disparagement to others, my mother used to say it takes all kinds to make a world. Still, one might observe me or others, and think, 'yes, definitely'; where they would look at either of you on your own and think 'oh, not at all.'"

"And together?"

"Most people would not be sensible to it, but our kind would probably feel the bond. You are not overt, but that love you have shows itself in many subtle ways." Rufus blushed. "I hope I have not offended," Cassio said with some concern, realizing he might have trespassed into some more private territory.

"Not at all, Cassio. And I agree with something you said to me earlier. The Greeks did seem to manage all this better than we do today." They continued watching Maximus work with the fillies while their mothers trustingly grazed nearby.

"Does he ever get angry? Do you? I've never heard a harsh word from either of you."

"I think I have only seen my Beast really angry twice. Once, at a centurion. Beast threatened to break him in two if he so much as touched me. He meant it too, and the centurion realized that he actually could do it if he chose to. The other time was in that basement in Rome, when we were held captive." Rufus grinned. "And tonight, at supper, we will tell you that full tale. It makes quite a story."

"And you? Anger?"

Rufus reflected for a bit. "I think I am a mostly happy person. I think that comes from growing up and spending much of my life in a kind household, and never having been sold. I like people, always have. And I think most people are decent, if you treat them decently. The only time I've felt true rage, the kind people call 'red rage', was in that basement when I looked over and saw that poor slave, dead; and then Maximus, tied up and slumped over, unresponsive. I thought they had killed him, too. If I could have gotten loose, I would have gutted them all where they stood, and gloried in their screams of agony. And then happily sent them drenched in their blood to burn in Hades for all eternity."

Cassio looked over to Rufus, the words having been so out of character for the sunny, cheerful man he had come to know. Rufus was smiling as he watched Maximus patting the necks of one of the fillies and it's mother. With a touch of awe, Cassio said, "Yes. I can see you doing that, if Maximus was threatened or harmed." They continued to watch Maximus and the horses.

"Cassio?"

"Yes?"

"Maximus got paid for the yearling he sold last week. You had mentioned some improvements for the kitchen. If you will sketch out your ideas and give some idea of measurements, Maximus and I can get started on building them. Then, you and I or you and Maximus can go to Clusium and pick up the necessary iron pieces and some new cookware. Spices, too. A good cook needs good equipment, you know!"

"Oh, Rufus... I really..."

"No, Cassio, it's only right that you have what you need for cooking. After all, we all benefit," Rufus said, patting his belly, now more pleasantly round than it had been last year at this time. Cassio smiled, and then impulsively hugged the red-bearded man. He happily sketched out a plan in the dirt for a larger oven and stove, with two iron grates for pots and an enlarged storage area for wood.

"If we could put some sort of enclosed box with shelves on the wall, just here," Cassio said, pointing to the area adjacent to the where the new oven would be, "A lot of what now sits on the table could be put in there. We could then have a smaller table here as a work surface. I need more room in front of the oven than I have now." He rubbed his nose. "If it pleases you, of course."

Rufus put a hand on Cassio's shoulder. "Cassio. You don't have to 'please us', you aren't a slave any more."

"I know. It's just hard to break a near lifetime's habit. And thank you. Oh, we are ALL going to eat well." Cassio looked happily at Rufus and then out over the pasture. "And I am looking forward to the complete story tonight of the brave men who helped break up a counterfeiting ring in Rome!"

March, 94 AD

Now, almost five months later, the new kitchen had been completed, and there were other additional changes as well. Space for a vegetable garden had been cleared in anticipation of spring, something neither Rufus or Maximus had the time for in the past. A larger oven had been built outside, next the the north side of the house, close to the well. The small cavity in the kitchen stove was adequate for baking small dishes, but the larger one had been built specifically for baking bread. "Real, proper Roman bread, not hard, dry pan cakes," as Cassio had said.

The biggest change was a shed-like addition built into the side wall that ran the full depth of the house. Cassio had been sleeping in the small room off the kitchen that had been used as Rufus' 'office' and a place to sit and eat. Rufus had moved his writing materials upstairs to the bedroom. The light was poorer there, and the table he needed made the bedroom very cramped. Downstairs, having to eat in the kitchen itself made that space even more crowded. So, when the three of them started construction on the new kitchen stove and wood box, Maximus and Rufus both suggested knocking a hole in the kitchen's outer wall and adding an extension on to the house.

"If we add a larger room here, that gives you more space to yourself, Cassio; and the extra space here adds to the the room Rufus used to use as his office. He'll have room to store all his writing materials and we can put a table in there again, and not eat in the kitchen. Unless you'd fancy a triclinium, a large reception hall, an atrium with an impluvium and a statue of a satyr..." Maximus dodged the well-aimed swat that Rufus tried to deliver.

"And I think we should build a circus in the pasture and hold quadrigga races. You could breed the horse teams for that." Rufus was not quite quick enough to dodge Maximus' swat.

Cassio watched the two with amusement mixed with gratitude. He continued to marvel at the easy teasing and spontaneous expressions of their love for each other. That physicality was simply a fact of their daily lives, not something furtively expressed or kept cautiously hidden. He was already planning a feast for his two friends to celebrate the completion of the building projects.

In spite of the banter, and the need of a trip to Clusium for additional cement, the building progressed. In the end, Cassio had a larger, more private room, the kitchen gained a small pantry, and Rufus got his 'office' back. And the bedroom upstairs was once again a bedroom alone.

May, 100 AD

The years passed. Their lives were a very predictable routine, but one that was agreeable to all three. Cassio had never dreamed of such a peaceful, safe ending to his his years. Chores were divided by mutual agreement, and Cassio had fulfilled his promise of good meals for them all. He was in fact an excellent cook. Maximus had added another mare to his breeding herd and usually sold one, sometimes two, horses a year. Rufus had been hired by a wealthy merchant in Clusium to make copies of two extensive books, one of poetry, and one of Greek and Roman myths.

"These copies need to be perfect, and beautiful. They will be part of my daughter's dowery. I want to impress her future father-in-law with my culture and wealth, so do your best work. I was told you have a good hand, very readable script."

"I do. If you would like to see..."

"No, I checked up on the recommendation. I think you will do. Now, as to a deadline..."

Rufus and the merchant came to an agreement to price and time. Fortunately, the merchant was planning ahead and and there were several months before the wedding. Rufus made a tidy sum off the commission, as well as contacts for several other jobs copying various books; and he in turn provided work for a leather craftsman, making the leather cases that held the completed scrolls. The copying became a successful, if occasional, sideline for Rufus.

They were not wealthy, by Roman plebeian standards not quite middle class. But they had all they needed, a cushion of small savings to cover emergencies, and sufficient time to indulge in an extra day off now and again. By their common consent, they took every seventh day as a kind of informal 'nundinae', and did only the bare minimum of work. They would sometimes travel in to Clusium and make use of the public baths there, and eat a special meal. Sometimes, they would each take a horse and just go riding off together into the hills to the north of Rocca, enjoying a day of pleasant spring or fall weather. They were all showing the results of Cassio's insistence on fresh ingredients for his recipes. The vegetable garden he instituted provided those, and in turn, they all sported more rounded bellies, better sleep, and overall good health from a more balanced diet. And they made frequent use of their own private soaking tub.

One early evening, as the three were relaxing, leaning back naked in the caldarium, Cassio asked, "I've never asked, who's idea was this?" gesturing to the small outdoor soaking bath. They had lost any sense of shyness in front of the new addition to their domus years before.

"Oh, it was Beast's!" Rufus said proudly, sitting up.

"Ah, but you made it work, with that water screw idea," Maximus countered, pulling his Wolfpup to him in a tight hug.

"I've never seen anything like that before, anywhere. How did you come up with it, Rufus?" Cassio was genuinely curious.

"It's a Greek idea, actually; and I ran across it one day when I was tidying up in Lucius' study in Pompeii. There was a drawing of it in one of his best scrolls."

The three men continued to enjoy the heat of the water. When it began to cool, Maximus reached up and worked the valve to let more hot water into the bath. As he shifted position, the ripples in the water caused his cock to move back and forth, and Rufus's fur to lazily float about his chest and shoulders. Cassio had no body hair at all, except at the base of his penis. But even as an old man, he had retained the trim figure, if not the skin tone, of his youth. It was still possible to see the remnants of his youthful beauty. His flaccid cock was not as long as Maximus', and thinner than either of his two friends. He, too, had lost his reticence around the other two men when it came to nakedness.

"You have some years on us, Cassio, and I am curious as to what we can look forward to. Do you still desire sex?"

Cassio raised an eyebrow at this.

"I know we are not at all your type, and I am not soliciting any activity here, but do you miss coupling? And please tell me if this is too personal." Rufus was starting to redden, and not just from the heat of the water. It was something they had never discussed before, and he was beginning to regret asking.

"Friends, I am not offended in the least." He paused for some time, enough that Rufus was sure he had in fact offended the elderly man. Maximus cleared his throat, about to say something to beak the silence.

"Forgive me, I was gathering my thoughts. It has been some time since I considered this. I am an old man, and with age comes diminished capacity. I can still appreciate a handsome man, I am not blind. And I do appreciate your energy, and your capacity for love, which I see every day. I mean emotion as well, not just the physical, although that is just as beautiful to these aged eyes. But I find I do not miss the more carnal desires. Frankly, for my part, the energy the pursuit requires is not worth the fleeting reward." He had been looking off into the distance, but turned to face both Maximus and Rufus. "I find that an honest friendship, with men I admire and trust, is far more satisfying. I am more than content." He started to get up. "And now, I am starting to look like a content prune. It is time for me to go inside." Maximus and Rufus both got up and embraced Cassio together, and held the hug for some time.

Stepping out of the bath, Rufus released the drain, and the three headed into their house, naked; two much stockier and far more hairy, one slimmer and smooth, all three holding hands as they padded inside to their supper. "Life is good." The Beast and the Wolfpup both nodded in agreement.

Cassio retired early, professing greater tiredness than usual. These years, he slept soundly at night, at peace with himself and with his situation in life. He reflected on his strong friendship with Maximus and Rufus, and their generosity towards him. 'Truly, life is good,' he thought to himself again as he slipped into sleep.

Late that night, Rufus and Maximus were still awake, gently stroking each other's chest and belly. "Beast, you know Cassio better than I do. Do you think he was offended by my questions? I honestly wanted to know, partly because I am curious as to what to expect now we both getting older, but I did not want to give the wrong impression. I suppose I should have..."

"Wolfpup, don't worry yourself. If Cassio says he was not offended, he wasn't. I've never known him to lie. Well, except after he had killed Livius, but that was a special case, I think." He pulled Rufus close. "Holy gods, you smell good." They spent a good amount of time touching and stroking each other. Maximus' big hand gently caressed Rufus' chest and the spun-gold colored fur there and on his belly. The texture was softer than his own, and made a nice contrast with his mate's thick copper colored beard, now nearly as large as his own. Rufus' shoulders had gained some hair over the years, and his back was much hairier than when they had first seen each other years ago. Cupping his butt cheeks, Maximus felt the downy soft fur that now covered Rufus' butt and down the backs of his thighs. "Truly, Wolfpup, you've gotten hairier. I love the feel of your body!" Maximus growled softly.

Rufus returned the growl and nuzzled in the thicket that covered his Beast's chest and belly. He searched for and found a round fleshy nipple and began to nurse. Maximus groaned and used his free hand to gently caress and hold his Wolfpup close in. They let their passion slowly rise, and then backed off. Both had discovered that this on and off technique greatly increased the pleasure of their ultimate release, as well as the quantity of seed produced. Rufus released the Beast's nipple and went back to gently nuzzling in Maximus' beard. They talked about their plans for the rest of the week, and about perhaps taking a ride up into the hills to enjoy the spring wild flowers.

Once their cocks had deflated some, Maximus began fondling his Wolfpup's ball sack and pole. "Yours relax in the hot bath and hang lower, mine don't seem to. I wonder why?" He continued to manipulate the orbs, gently rolling them back and forth. "And I love to watch your cock grow big and strong, Wolfpup. It just keeps getting thicker towards the base." He moved down and took the erecting meat into his mouth and used his tongue to lap all around the shaft and base, then back up to the tip, forcing his tongue under the thin foreskin. Rufus moaned. "And your skin there is thinner than mine, you can really see the ridge. On mine, you can barely see the tip under the fold." He sucked up the precum that Rufus was leaking. "Mmmmm, so sweet."

"Hold me up and fuck me," Rufus growled softly. Maximus scrambled off the bed, stood, smeared oil on his rigid meat where his foreskin had now fully retracted, and lifted Rufus, who raised his legs as he put his arms around his Beast's neck. "Remember the first time we did it like this? I didn't know what you wanted... well, yes I did know, but not how you would go about it. It was a great idea!" He leaned in and kissed Maximus while the Beast's cock searched for his hole. "That's it!" Maximus started to slowly lower Rufus, a little bit at a time, to make the sensations last for them both. "There is no sausage better in the whole world than yours, my Beast." Reaching bottom at last, he felt the thick meat lodged deep inside. "Hold me for a minute there, Beast. I'm speared on your pole, impaled. And I love it!" He wiggled a bit, and Maximus began to move his lover up and down, using Rufus as a sheath for his penis.

"My beautiful Wolfpup, my handsome man. I love you so much. Sometimes I feel my heart will burst with joy when I am inside you, I want to always hold you and protect you and fuck you and be with you, and..." He inhaled sharply as his cock pumped Rufus full of Beast seed. He lowered Rufus forcefully on his cock so he was in as deep as he could manage. "Oh, my love!" He began to move again, grunted, and came a second time.

Eventually, he had to let Rufus down. "You're getting heavier, you know," he said, as their bellies pressed against each other while they hugged.

"My strong Beast. We've both gotten heavier, I think. But you are as solid as you ever were." They both lay down on the bed.

"And you, my Wolfpup, are more solid than you were when we first met. No, you are! But I love that you've kept a soft layer over your muscle. It feels so good when we hug or make love." He leaned in and kissed Rufus. They tongue wrestled, and let their passion rise again. He ducked his head and latched on to a Wolfpup nipple, knowing that Rufus loved that almost more than he himself did. He spent a lot of time, alternating between left and right, pausing now and then to allow things to cool a bit, and then picking back up. Writhing back and forth, almost unable to contain himself, Rufus finally pushed Maximus' head down to his straining, drooling meat.

Maximus buried his nose in the warm, fragrant fur surrounding Rufus' cock, inhaling the slightly musky, slightly salty, wholly Wolfpup scent there. He engulfed the rigid pole, lapping the sweet drool, and working his tongue up and down the sensitive under part of the shaft. Rufus caressed Maximus' head and he worked, softly growling with pleasure. Suddenly, his cock jerked and he began flooding his Beast's mouth with hot, salty seed. He held Maximus' head tight against the root of his cock and he pumped and pumped. Finally finished, he released his Beast's head. Maximus moved up and kissed Rufus deeply, sharing some of his seed. They broke apart and lay back down on the bed, side by side, holding hands.

Maximus reached over and pulled Rufus to him. "Wolfpup, do you think others, other couples, feel these things as strongly as we do?"

"I hope so. I hope they have that joy. I know we will, always. We will never let go." They nuzzled and held each other, sated and content, as they very slowly drifted off to sleep.

September, 105 AD

The early morning sun was just peeping in the window. The first signs of fall were just making themselves felt, a slight chill in the morning air, some trees just starting to lose their leaves, the evenings getting darker earlier. Maximus stirred in the bed, and Ferox raised his head, glanced at the bed, and, reassured, rose up and padded slowly outside to relieve himself. Rufus grunted softly and turned toward Maximus, moving in close.

"Wolfpup, I don't feel so well."

Rufus was instantly alert. He had never heard such words from Maximus in all the years they had been together. "Is it your back again?" he asked, worried.

"No." Worry creased Maximus' brow.

"Belly ache? Here, let me feel you." Rufus put his hand on Maximus' forehead. "You don't have a fever. What hurts?"

"Belly, sort of. Not hurt, exactly. I just don't feel quite right."

"Well, you should take it easy today, Cassio and I can do anything that's needed. Rest up, you've been working too hard, anyway." He leaned over and kissed his Beast. There was more gray in his hair and beard.

"I might do that. But first, I have to pee." Maximus sat up in bed than then started to stand up. There was a sudden stabbing pain in his gut, and with a loud cry, he collapsed on the floor.

The weakness in the outer sheath of the aorta, roughly midway between Maximus' heart and his pelvis, had been there since birth. The tendency had been inherited from his mother's side of the family but had caused no perceptible symptoms throughout his lifetime. Maximus had always enjoyed good health; he was strong and had good, fast-healing flesh. At the worst, he had mild colds. The inevitable scrapes and hard knocks of the life of an outdoor slave had healed quickly and cleanly. But age is relentless. Over the years the arteries had grown less elastic, more clogged, and his blood pressure had increased. He had felt no warning signs. The slight tear in the sheathing had not caused any issue until the last few months, when the increase in Maximus' blood pressure had spiked. The tear had widened steadily, and then overnight, dramatically; but as long as he had remained supine, nothing else happened. Blood pressure increases when the body starts to wake up, and the physical effort involved in standing sharply increases it. Maximus' aorta, finally deprived of the enclosing strength of the outer sheath, ballooned out, and burst. The aorta is the largest artery in the body, and blood gushed with catastrophic speed and volume into Maximus' abdomen. His great heart, strong and compliant, pumped ever faster as his brain detected dramatically falling pressure throughout his vascular system. This only increased the flow of blood out into the abdomen.

"Beast, what's wrong?" Rufus scrambled out of bed and knelt beside the inert Maximus. Rufus took his hand and squeezed it. "Beast?" Getting no response, he reached up and turned Maximus' head towards him. Maximus' eyes had rolled back, showing mostly whites. Very worried now, Rufus shook his Beast's shoulder. "Beast, talk to me. Beast! Beast!" Maximus struggled to force words out, but failed. Finally, he was able to whisper one word, "Love." His eyelids fluttered, then closed. Rufus felt a very light squeeze of his hand, and then Maximus' chin dropped to his chest. He took one last shuddering breath and was still.

"NO! Oh, NO! NOOOO!" Rufus wailed, and frantically shook his Beast's still body. "No! Don't leave me, Beast!" With an anguished sob, Rufus fell on the cooling body of his Beast. "Don't leave! Don't go where I can't follow!"

The sounds of his wailing brought Ferox bounding in from outside. The dog stared at his master, and his master's dear companion, both slumped in totally uncharacteristic poses. He nosed Rufus' side, and getting no response, nosed at Maximus' lifeless hand. He stiffened. Some atavistic sense told the dog that life had left the big man's body. He pressed himself tightly against his master and raised his own voice in a loud long howl.

The sounds also brought Cassio into the bedroom. Rufus' body was shaking with anguished heaving sobs. "Quid es..." He stood taking it all in and almost instantly understood. "Oh, no... not this!" He stood for a moment, then tried to lift Rufus up from the floor.

"NO!" Rufus snapped, and clung more tightly than ever to his Beast's body. "No," he said more quietly, then began sobbing again. Unsure of what to do, Cassio backed quietly out of the bedroom and went downstairs. Totally at a loss, he began preparing a morning meal in a daze. When Rufus had not come down by noontime, he went up with a mug of posca and a plate of bread, cheese, and olives. He found Rufus still on the floor beside the now cold Maximus. He put the plate and mug down.

"Rufus, please, let me help you get him up onto the bed. That would be good, no? I will help you." Rufus slowly nodded, stood up and the two of them lifted Maximus' heavy body onto the bed Beast and Wolfpup had shared for so many years. Rufus lay down, turned toward Maximus and away from Cassio. Cassio stood for a moment, then quietly exited the room.

Late in the afternoon, Cassio again mounted the stairs and carefully looked in. The food had not been touched, and Rufus still lay as Cassio had left him earlier in the day, his arm across Maximus' torso, Ferox laying pressed next to him. Cassio removed the plate and mug, and tip-toed out.

That evening, Cassio went up again. He called softly, "Rufus? Are you awake?" Rufus nodded but did not look at Cassio. "Oh, please, my friend, come away. This is not healthy. Come away." He paused. "He is no longer here."

Rufus slowly turned towards Cassio. "No, I can't. His shade is still here... can't you feel it? I will not leave." He said more softly, "Not yet." Cassio left the bowl of soft eggs and cheese and the mug of wine and went back down stairs.

Through the night, Rufus lay next to the cold Maximus, as if to keep him warm. He alternated between weeping, gently stroking his Beast's thick pelt, and smiling at this or that fond memory. At one point he placed his hand on his lover's thick cock, usually so warm and responsive, now slack and cold, and wept anew. "Oh, my love." The old dog kept vigil with him.

The next morning, when he came to the house to prepare breakfast, Cassio was startled to see Rufus sitting at the table in the kitchen, wearing a fresh tunic, his hair and beard combed. "It's... it's good to see you up, Rufus." He moved to the table and sat across from Rufus, feeling a vague unease.

"Yes, I thought it was time. Here, have some wine. I've watered it. There's some garum left, and some bread." He pushed the jug of wine across the table. "Not as good a meal as you prepare, I know. And I've cut up some of the chicken and mashed it with some broth and fed poor Ferox." The dog was chewing his food in the corner, eyes on his master.

"Cassio, first of all I want to thank you for being a good friend to my Maximus when he needed one. I did not know you then, and I know I have thanked you before, but I thank you again for that now."

"It was no trouble. I liked the lad and knew what he was being put though. Any decent person would have done the same." Now he was uneasy.

"In that household? I think not. Nonetheless, I thank you." Rufus toyed with his mug. "Cassio, I need to ask you a favor."

"Anything. You know you needn't ask. Anything I can do, I will do, and willingly. You have both done so much for me." Cassio was struggling to maintain composure, like a proper Roman.

"Thank you, my friend. In a few minutes I will go up stairs with that basin of warm water. I will lay next to my Beast. I've dressed him in a clean tunic and combed the tangles out of that great beard of his. I'll open a vein and let my hand rest in the water, and slip away."

"Oh, no! You must not, Rufus! You...." Rufus held up a hand.

"I know what you will say, and I thank you again. But I thought about this all yesterday and last night, very carefully. I could not face a life without him. Everywhere I'd look, he would not be there. I'd turn at a sound, expecting to hear his voice, turn a corner and expect to see him. Endless, empty days, stretching on and on... Cassio, he and I made a promise to each other, many years ago. We were still slaves, and could not be together as much as we so wanted to. We were naked and hugging tight, and it felt so good and right to us. We said, 'never let go' 'I won't' 'never'. We knew we were not just talking about the hugs, even then." He took a fortifying gulp of the watered wine. "I want you to give me an hour or perhaps two, and then come up. Dig one grave for us both, at the high side of the pasture. Wrap us in one or two of the horse blankets if you can. Take us down and lay us side by side. I can't bring myself to end Ferox's life, so take care of him for the time he has left. I've no idea how old he is but he's going very gray in the muzzle, and the stairs are harder and harder for him, poor thing. Keep him down here until I am finished." He took a final gulp, draining the mug. "The house and property we leave to you. You can live here if you wish, sell the stock if you like. I've left a letter detailing all of this, so there will be no trouble or suspicion. My writing is well known in town, so it won't be questioned." Cassio was openly crying now.

He stood up. "Now, embrace me, Cassio, and do your best not to grieve over much. I am counting on you. Good bye, my friend." They hugged tightly, Cassio nodding assent, unable to speak. Rufus took the basin of water and the sharp knife up the stairs.

He looked at the love of his life for a long last time, and then leaned over him and gently kissed him. "Wait but a little for me, my Beast. I will be there with you shortly." He set the basin down beside the bed, then sat on the bed. The pain was sharp, but brief, and welcome. He lay down and took Maximus' hand in his and then let his other hand lay in the warm water, as the blood welled and colored it pink.

Later, Cassio went in and removed the basin. He brought in two horse blankets from the stable, and then brought Ferox in to say his good-byes. The dog thoroughly sniffed each of the bodies, as if to confirm to himself that his master and his companion were truly gone. He then sat on his haunches and howled his grief. Cassio wept as he wrapped each body in a blanket.

It took a full day for Cassio to dig the grave. The ground was actually rather soft, due to the recent rains, but he was old, and had to stop to rest often. While he was digging, he thought of how he would move the bodies of the two men. He admitted to himself that he was beyond most hard physical labor, but he steeled himself to the necessary effort he owed to the two men he had come to regard as family. But he knew carrying Maximus would be beyond his ability. Rufus, he might just manage. In the end, exhausted, he tore two wide planks from one of the stalls in the stable and laid them on the stairs, making a kind of slide. The next morning, he gently and carefully slid first Maximus then Rufus downstairs. He then took the planks outside and placed one body on each and tied ropes to the planks. It was hard work, pulling the planks across the pasture, but he managed both by midday.

He placed the bodies in the grave, partially unwrapped them, said a few words over them, and then did one final thing for the two men he had come to both respect and love. After, he shoveled the heaped dirt into the grave.

Ferox lay on the grave, head between his forepaws, for the next two days, refusing all food and drink in spite of Cassio's best efforts. The third morning, when Cassio brought out some broth and water for the dog, Ferox was dead.

Cassio scraped away some of the dirt at the base of Rufus and Maximus' grave, wrapped the dog's body in his favorite blanket, and laid him at the feet of the two men. It took the better part of two more days for Cassio to complete the last task he'd set for himself, but with the help of two of the horses he managed to drag several large flat slabs of stone from behind the stable and across the pasture, and place them carefully athwart the grave. Finally, exhausted, Cassio planted some slips of ivy from the hill at the back of the property around the grave. Over the next year, the stones settled so that the grave was flat, and the ivy flourished, covering it all, a kind of green benediction.

March, Present Day

Luigi D'Arco was driving on the outskirts of Clusium, following the directions his good friend Luka Fontini had given him over the phone. "Forget the GPS, just follow my directions and you'll be fine!"

Luigi steered his car over onto the verge at the side of the dirt track on the far side of the construction site to his right. He got out of the car and squelched his way towards the PortaCabin that was serving as a temporary office for Luka's team. He was glad he had worn old shoes. He mounted the steps and knocked on the door, and then let himself in at the sound of Luka's voice.

"Luigi! Friend! Come in, come in! Sit! Sit! The roundish, ebullient Luka embraced his old college friend warmly and motioned to a folding chair. "Grappa?" Without waiting for an answer, he poured a generous slug into a mug and pushed it toward Luigi. Luka and Luigi had met at university and had become fast friends. Had they been American, they might well have been compared to Mutt and Jeff: Luigi, tallish and thin, Luka short and quite round. That friendship endured past their degrees and diverging careers, Luigi's in art history and later fraud detection, and Luka's in forensic anthropology.

"What brings you to Clusium, my friend?"

"Business. Chasing after the seller of a fake Donatello bronze. Well, that, and you," Luigi said, sipping the fiery liquid. "I read the story in the papers about the discovery of that silver hoard, and saw your name there. I told myself, 'Self, you must go and see your friend and his hoard of silver while you are there.' "

"Oh, hardly a 'hoard'. The newspapers always exaggerate these things. No, it's just a small handful of coins. But they are very fine ones. Here, have a look." He took a small coin from a tray on the table next to him and passed it to Luigi.

"Ah! Very nice. The sculpting is so sharp, precise. That's Domitian, is it not?" Luigi asked, pointing to the bas relief of a head on the obverse of the coin in his hand. "It almost looks like it was struck yesterday."

"Very good! Yes, it's Domitian, almost certainly from 82 CE, and all of them the same, in exceptional condition."

"If I remember my history, he reformed the currency, no? Brought it back to the original Republican standard?" He thought for a moment. "You say they are all alike. Any chance these might be counterfeit?"

"On no," Luka said, "we've had them assayed, and they are all between 97 and 98% pure. They are the real thing. They may well have been from the first batch of the new coinage."

"Where were they found? And how did you get involved? I thought you were working for the National Institute in Padua."

"I still work for them. The company clearing this land for construction of a new apartment block ran across some obviously old stone foundations. You remember that the Antiquities Act got several revisions last year?" Luka took another sip of grappa. "They have increased the requirements for handling such finds. The company had to immediately stop work and call in an expert to assess the situation. The Institute was called, they sent Dominic, Dominic assessed, called the Institute back, the Institute sends me. And here I am!"

"Yes, but where were the coins found?" Luigi asked again. Luka had a habit of answering only one question when he was asked more than one at a time.

"Oh, yes... sorry! At the base of one of the stone walls, in a hollowed out area, concealed by a thin stone cover. It was really rather clever; well done, in fact. We almost missed it. Anyway, it turns out that the 'foundations' were actually remains of walls of a stone house, probably a farm house. It appears to have been built in at least two stages. There was a broken stone lintel or maybe a window frame, with a partial inscription 'DOMV', possibly part of a name, not a date. There are remains of a well close by, and a large-ish wooden building over there." Luka gestured vaguely behind him. "Most likely a stable or maybe a barn. That's all wood, so not much left except the foundations. There's also a kind of stone and cement lined pit, probably storage for water for crops. It's all very plain and normal, very like hundreds of such houses and smallholdings scattered in this area during the last century BCE and the first and second century CE. There was one other thing, though, that is a puzzle."

"Oh?"

"Yes. There was a small bronze figure, found in what was likely the middle of the structure's second floor. It's all collapsed, of course, so we guessing a bit there. What is certain is that the figure is exceptionally fine, Etruscan, and far too valuable for a farming family to own. It's of a prancing horse. I wish I could show it to you, but it's already been sent off to be conserved and dated. The photos don't give you a true idea of it's beauty." Luigi pushed several photo across the table.

"No, I can see it's exceptional. Some museum is going to spend a lot of lira to get this in their collection! Were there any other surprises?"

"No, other than that, nothing exceptional in the house or stable... except the coins of course." Luka paused, smiling widely, and asked, "More grappa?"

Luigi held out his cup. "OK, my friend. I know that look. You know something. Ah, you found something else... something more!" Luka smiled more widely.

"Want to see? Come on!" He got up and led Luigi outside and up a short path to a large tent what was sheltering one area of the dig from the rains of the past two days. They stepped into the tent.

"Three days ago, we discovered some stone slabs, carefully arranged, and under those, human remains. Now everything really grinds to a halt, and the construction company is not at all pleased. And we now have unlimited time to examine and prepare a complete report, including forensic evidence and a plan of action, instead of the old one week deadline. All because of these." He stooped, took hold of a tarp, and with a flourish, lifted it up and out of the way.

"Ah! That a lot of bones. Wait, two skulls. So, two bodies?" Luka nodded. Luigi got down on his knees to examine the skeletal remains more closely. "And some kind of animal skull and bones; a dog, if I am not mistaken, at their feet." Luka nodded. "A family companion, do you think?"

Luka nodded again. "If you look closely, you can see that the animal's rear leg had a rather severe injury that healed, the remodeling is quite apparent. There are other bite marks on the skull. This dog must have limped for the rest of it's life. Yet, it died of old age, so it must have been cared for. Beloved, I'd say."

Luigi stared at the skeletons again. "It looks as if they are embracing... no, wait... they ARE!" He turned to Luka, shaking his head. "Is someone pulling a practical joke on you?" Such pranks were not unheard of in the field of archaeology, and every archeo student knew the saga of Piltdown Man.

"No. Almost certainly not. There is no evidence of the site having been disturbed at all, certainly not recently. The strata are totally consistent and undisturbed." Luka continued to smile.

"OK, then. Hmmm... siblings? Or wait! A man and wife, united in the grave throughout eternity." Luigi was rather pleased with his little theory.

"No, and no."

"Perche?"

"First, both skeletons are male, the pelvis is the giveaway there, so not husband and wife. And in spite of the fact that the Romans had no word for the concept of homosexuality, as well as a rather tolerant attitude towards casual same sex couplings, there certainly was no gay marriage back then! And we have done both DNA analysis and carbon dating on the bones. I just got the results today. The two are not even remotely related, so... not siblings, either. And they both were about the same age when they died, roughly around the beginning of the second century CE."

Luigi stood back up and brushed off his pant legs. "Some doctoral candidates are going to be wetting themselves in excitement over all of this. I smell dissertations!"

Luka laughed out loud. "No doubt."

"What do you think the story behind this is?"

Luka thought for a moment. "There is no real way of telling at this point, perhaps never. But I have a feeling that the very small size of the 'hoard' precludes it being the ill-gotten gains from a robbery. It could be, I suppose, but I think not. This was a fundus, and this was a small house, not a large villa. It would seem, more probably, to be the life savings of the farming family or couple that lived here around the middle to end of the first century CE."

"But..." Luka raised a hand and cut his friend off.

"I know. That does not explain why the coins are all the same, and all look almost new. Usually, lifetime savings would be made up of coins from differing reigns, and of differing purity. Even the results of theft, unless from a mint, would likely be from differing time periods. I have no explanation for that, or for the presence of that exquisite bronze. You and I could spin all kinds of fanciful tales to explain it all, but perhaps we should leave it up to the graduate students to fight it out in dueling dissertations?" Both men chuckled.

Just then, one of Luka's assistants came up to them. "Sir, I've locked the tool shed, and put all the batteries on charge, including the drone camera. I'm leaving now."

"Ah, thank you, Sophia. Be careful driving, it looks like more rain, and the roads are still slippery. See you tomorrow." Sophia waved and walked off towards her car as the two men returned to their speculations.

Sophia fumbled in her purse for her keys as she approached the battered old Citroen 2CV. She was thinking again about the feeling she had when she first entered the tent sheltering that part of the dig containing the skeletons that had just been discovered. As she settled into the seat of the Deux Chevaux, she turned the key in the ignition and the car wheezed to life. She reflected that she liked her job, and wished to continue in archaeology field work when she finished her degree. To this end, she had learned early on not to discuss her 'feelings' with her colleagues. On the two occasions she had; they had been labeled 'unprofessional', and she herself as 'hysterically female'. But she knew absolutely what she had felt. This had not been fuzzy or unfocused, a kind of general 'air'. This had been sharp, focused, and very specific. It was not a feeling of fear, or pain, or anger, as she had felt in battlefield digs; or the waves of diffused rage and despair she had felt at the 17th century French prison she had worked on last year. This was a strong sense of peace, and warmth, and connection; and in spite of the mud and rain, almost one of pleasure and comfort. If she had been forced to put a name to the feeling she had encountered in that sheltering tent, it would have to be 'love... deep and abiding love'.

She put the car into gear and eased out into the muddy lane. Rain was beginning to fall again as she drove away.

The End

Author's Notes For Domus

Gentle readers, hala et vale! Except for a couple of historically famous Romans, all the characters in this last part of Rufus and Maximus' story are fictional; but as before, the historical details, customs, forms of address, etc. are all period correct. This is the end of their saga. I hope you have enjoyed reading about their lives and their love for each other. 79 AD, After Vesuvius, Earlier Days, and Domus make up the single story arc. If you are new to the story, it would be best to read them in that order, since After Vesuvius makes reference to events that happen in 79 AD; and Domus references events in the three previous stories. Earlier Days provides more information on Rufus and Maximus (and Ferox!) on their own and as a couple and their lives before and after they met.

Aneurysms can occur anywhere in the body. The most critical ones are either in the brain, or in the abdomen. Aortic aneurysms, if detected early, can be managed or corrected by surgery, but they often go undetected because of the lack of overt symptoms. There is genetic component in some, but not all cases. Without prompt emergency treatment, a ruptured aortic aneurysm is nearly always fatal, as it was in Maximus' case.

Imperial Roman justice was variable, depending on the whims of the emperor of the day. Domitian saw to it that the laws, and his own decrees, were enforced. Initially, in Republican times, slaves (non persona) had no rights at all; and crimes involving slaves as victims were lightly investigated, if at all. Gradually, some protections were extended to them. Claudius decreed that if a slave was abandoned by his master, he became free. Nero granted slaves the right to complain against their masters in a court. And under Antoninus Pius, a master who killed a slave without just cause could be tried for homicide. From the mid to late 2nd century AD, slaves had more standing to complain of cruel or unfair treatment by their owners. Still, a slave was more harshly punished than a citizen for the same crime. A manumitted or otherwise freed slave became a full citizen with all the same rights as one born to that station. As manumission of slaves became more common, the ranks of these free citizens increased. Emperors sometimes granted freedom to whole groups of people at once.

Throughout, I have used BC and AD in dates because that is what I grew up with and what I suspect most of my audience will be most familiar with. The modern professional characters in the stories use the modern academic terms of BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) instead.

UrsusMajr, June, 2024

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Domus