Scene - Caius in the swamp

Approaching the edge of the swamp, Caius turned to his companion, a barefoot young woman in tatters. Her clothes and well kept long black hair and clean milky skin were a striking juxtaposition to Caius, bald and tanned, dressed in a red doublet, tight leather pants and boots. Her wrists were bound with a silver chain which Caius held at one end.

"Is this the place?" he asked.

"Close by, master," replied the woman.

"I hate it when you call me like that."

"You won me fair and square, I am yours to do as you please, master."

Caius spat on the ground and adjusted the saddlebags he carried on his right shoulder. "Told you before, Morgas," he said, "once this is done, you're free to go. Now, lead me to the fountain," and he pushed the Morgas in front of him.


Two hours later, hours spent wading in the bogs around Venice, Caius slapped his neck where a horsefly just bit him.

"Goddammit!" he yelled, "are we there yet?!"

"Close by, master," replied the woman.

"Fuck you and your master! You said close by hours ago! Where are we? Did you get us lost??"

"Distance is nothing but an illusion, master"

"Oh fuck you!" yelled Caius and kicked Morgas in the back. Morgas fell face first into the water, and Caius pushed her down with a boot. "I told you to stop with that shit!" he screamed at her as she trashed in the water.

Caius took a step back and regained his composure. Morgas got on her knees coughing and spitting swamp water.

"You bastard!" she finally said, trying to fix her hair with her bound hands.

"Yes, I'm a bastard alright. I told you not to mess with me," he spoke calmly, "if you'd just take me to that damn fountain we'd be done already and you'd be free." He looked at the sun low on the horizon and cursed. "Look! It's going to be dark soon! We have to find shelter.. a place dry enough to start a fire or something."

Morgas got on her feet with difficulty. "Free me," she said smiling and showing his her hands, "and I'll conjure a magical fire for you, and a meal like you never tasted."

"Yeah, right, and in the morning I'll wake up with my throat cut," he shook his head. "No, we'll lay by that tree over there. I'll figure something out for the food."

"I'm hungry, master," she pleaded Morgas, "allow me to cook for you, something simple with what I could find here."

Caius walked to a small dry area with a tree in the middle and dropped his saddlebags. "If you don't shut up," he said pulling on the silver chain and securing it to the tree, "I'll give something to drink, just like I did earlier."

Morgas hissed but kept quiet and sat against the tree.

Caius gathered a few dead branches and dead leaves, and heaped them in a small stone circle he prepared as fire pit. He poured on the wood some gun powder, then rained sparks on it with his flint and dagger. The gun powder fizzed and made a black cloud, and this lit the leaves and wood. Caius tended to the fire a little longer, then opened his saddlebags and took out a wine bottle, half a loaf of bread, and a small package of oiled paper. He opened the package and took out a square of salted beef. He took his dagger and cut it in pieces, then he cut the bread in two pieces roughly the same size. He cut the package's paper in two large pieces, and split the beef and bread on the paper pieces, then took the wine bottle and pulled out the cork with his teeth.
He took half of the food and the bottle of wine and sat next to Morgas who was looking at him with a frowning face.

"What do you want from me?" asked Morgas.

"No more master? Good. Don't worry, I just want to feed you," said Caius.

"I won't have any of that.. thing.."

"Don't be daft, woman. You need food just as much as I do," said Caius, and put a piece of salted beef to her mouth.

"Get away from me!" said Morgas turning her head away. "After what went on today, I wouldn't accept a glass of water from you. Anyways I don't eat anything that has been murdered!"

"Look, I'm sorry for what I've done to you." Caius sighed, "I'm sorry for hurting you, for keeping you tied up, for being an all around jerk, but believe me, you need food, and tomorrow I'll let you go as soon as I get to the fountain. I swear on my honor."

"You have no honor, Caius of Imola," and with that she turned away from him and pretended to sleep.

"Jesus Christ, woman! Suit yourself!"

Caius ate the salted beef and bread, and drank more than half of the wine bottle, then put the rest of the beef, bread, and the bottle within reach of Morgas, and went to lay down close to the fire. Within minutes Caius was asleep.