Roman Romance

Aquila, now seeing the events that had unfolded, crept towards the building which the girl had climbed on top to. He made sure no one noticed him and stealthy scaled the building. Once at the top, he crouched on one knee just a small distance away from the girl. He subtly cleared his throat and spoke in a gentle voice. "Ex...excuse me miss," he sat quiet for a moment seeing no reaction from her and then spoke up, "Excuse me miss, why are you being chased by the guards?" He had not heard the conversation that took place, and simply knew she ran off, being tailed by guards.
 
Callista jolted at the sound of the sudden voice, and she very nearly lost her balance on the rooftop. However, she quickly recovered, and turned to the boy. "They were going to take me to jail for simply being out of my house." She frowned. "Stupid rule in my opinion, so I bolted. Besides, I like it up here. It's quiet and peaceful." A soft smile spresd across her heart-shaped face as she gazed out over the amazing view which the rooftop offered.

"I expect that the guard will have told my father, but I do not care. I can simply sneak out of the house if he tries to keep me inside." Callista had always been quite deft with her fingers, and even though she wasn't a thief, she was particularly adept at picking locks and escaping. She couldn't help it - she was just someone who was born to run free, away from societal customs.
 
Aquila smiled in return and then shared a gaze of the view. He then collected him self and spoke. " That seems quite a nonsensical reason to be after you. Nonetheless they are guards and will arrest anyone for about anything." Aquila pondered a moment, recollecting all the past times he had had run ins with the fine guards of the city. Being a loner and on the low end of the classes, he would do anything for a scrap of food, or a nice place to stay. Usually illegally. After a few moments of memory lane, he looked back over at the girl. " What's your name? I'm Aquila. It means eagle. My parents always believed I was an eagle because I love climbing and they constantly found me jumping from building to building across the skyline. Like an eagle...." He caught himself rambling as he often did and quickly closed his mouth. He laughed slightly under his breath and scratched the back of his head, to try and conquer the awkwardness he placed himself in.
 
Callista turned to him with a smile. "I'm Callista Etruscilla and my name means 'most beautiful.' My parents chose it for me, because they say that when I was born, I was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. That was before my father decided to just ignore me, unless it is to order me around like one of his dogs." She spat bitterly onto the rooftop beside her as she mentioned her father. "I don't want to go back now - I'd rather stay up here."
 
" Well you are bea..." He quickly paused before the words escaped and tried to lean towards a new thought. "Uhh, lucky...You are lucky, to have a family I mean. Why would you want to stay from them? It must be pleasant having a family to be with, even if just for your mother" Aquila looked down and stared with mournful eyes. He hated being alone, and even after all the years of it, the pain still resided in his soul. He stood up and brushed off his pants. " How long do you plan to hide from them?"
 
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The captain. tucked the helmut under his arn. "I am Postumus Plotus. I regret to inform you sir that your daughter has been found guilty of a crime against the empire. Do you know of her whereabouts?"
 
She shook her head. "I don't want to ever go back. I don't want to go back to a life of sewing, and household things, when there is a whole world out here for me to explore." Callista looked at Aquila, and softly asked, "I'd love to be like you - living freely." She ran a hand through her brunette hair as she spoke, letting it fall loosely down her back.

Caius Etruscilla swore under his breath, and growled, "That bloody girl's getting on my last nerve! If you find her, arrest her if you will - she can find out that she's better off at home. I have no idea where she is right now, and nor do I care. Little ragamuffin has been acting up since her mother passed last year."
 
Aquila paused for a moment, thinking many things at once. So many thoughts raced through his head until finally he blurted out, " Well, if you want to leave so bad," he paused once more in full realization of what he was about to say, but did not stop himself," You could come travel with me. I don't have much. Way less then I imagine you're accustomed to. This would all be up to you though." Aquila took a moment to let what he just offered sink in. Was he crazy? Asking a noble girl to escape with a peasant boy. It seemed like something out of a romantic play. The feeling of shock slowly seeped throughout his body as he waited for a reply. At that point, he was expecting the worst.
 
Her dark brown eyes lit up when he offered to come and travel with him, and she nodded eagerly. "That would be amazing! And I don't mind that we wouldn't have much - I'm quite handy as a lock-picker, and I am small, so I can easily and quietly sneak places." A smile spread across her face. "Thank you!" Callista hugged him tightly, and then pulled back when she realised that he might not be comfortable with strangers hugging him, her face blushing a deep red. "Sorry about that. Anyway, since we'll be spending lots of time together, call me Callie."
 
The response she gave was quite unlike what he expected. He was so surprised that after she had hugged him, he gave a foolish smile and half laughed under his breath. "Well, Callie, if you need to get anything before we leave this area, I would do so now....and discreetly." Aquila walked over towards the edge of the rooftop and started scouting an easy escape route. " But if you're ready, I have a small spot I call my temporary home. I can tell I...well we will need to move again. Anyways, I might have some things for you." The entirety of this moment seemed like forever. He was short of breath and knew the feeling in his heart was not pain, but rather an emotion. One he did not want to admit, or to surface.
 
She shook her head in response. "I don't need anything from that house. I have everything I need." She pulled up her dress just enough so he could see the small pouch of money attached firmly to her ankle, and she then grinned, "And I keep a dagger on my person at all times so if I ever get attacked, I can look after myself." Callista smiled, and stood up, easily keeping her balance.

"Where are we going first?" The sixteen year old asked curiously as she quickly tied her long dark hair up into a knot at the nape of her slender neck.
 
"Well I need to stop and collect some things from my place by the towns aqueduct." He looked back and admired the pleasantness she had about her, but quickly looked back to avoid being creepy, at least he thought. Aquila nodded towards Callie, " Alright then, let's make haste." He jumped down to a roof slight below the one they were on and walked towards the edge, trying to spot any potential guard threats. He surveyed the area and then crept along before jumping down to a smaller roof, and then eventually to the market ground, slipping behind a general goods stand.
 
She easily kept pace with him, just staying a little bit behind him so that she could follow where he was going. Callie watched him as they darted across the market place, and she couldn't help but notice that he was incredibly good-looking underneath the layer of dirt and dust that had probably gathered over a period of time.
 
Eventually the two made it to a small foxhole with a clothe strung over it, being held by two large sticks. It was under the aqueduct, out of the blazing sun. " Well, here we are. My home if you will. Desmond went to a large rucksack and pulled out an old, damaged piece of military chest armor. He took of his original vest and put it aside, placing the piece of armor on. He looked back at Callie. "Just in case we run into trouble. It was my fathers." He picked up some food and varied drinks before placing them in his bag. Then made is way to a small puddle forming under the aqueduct where he took and drink and washed his hands, which were filfthy from the climbing and descending. Finally he looked at her. " Well, I'm not too sure what to do now, honestly. It won't take long for the guards to be tracking you. If they haven't started already. We can rest here a bit. Most people don't even care to look around here. It is rather out of the way. We might be able to make it across town in a few hours, between scouting and hiding." Desmond took his dagger from his boot and placed it in a small sheath on the front of the armor. He hoped he would not have to use it. "Would you like an apple, I also have some aged wine with me." Desmond felt like he was never going to succeed with this. He barely made it by himself, how would he handle himself and the care for Callie, whom he now felt a strong bond to, in this little time itself.
 
Callie listened to what he said, as she glanced around the small area. "Would it not be better to just wait until dark? That way we can get out of the city easier." She pointed out with a smile, and sat down. "We could travel over the rooftops until we reach the edge of the city, and then it would be so much easier to get out." Her mind usually worked in a very practical manner, and that was the reason that she had got interested in puzzles, and things that were traditionally masculine, such as chess. She had secretly taught herself to play due to the fact that if her father found out, she would be in even worse trouble.

She shook her head with a sweet smile. "Only if we can share it." She held up her bag of dates that she had already bought before the guards had acosted her. "And we can share these as well."
 
(Sorry for changing my name! I am getting confused with all these role plays! haha I just noticed)

"That sounds like a great idea. And I'm not too hungry. You can have what you please Callie." Aquila smiled and tossed her the apple. He sat down and pulled out a small journal. He then took out a small bottle of sephia ink and a brush. He began writing down different notes and ideas. The book contained drawings, notes, passages, and other assorted entries all the way back from when he was a child. Aquila treasured this journal and it contained many secrets from his past. Many which he hoped no one would ever see. Unless, perhaps, it was the right person. " If you get tired, you can rest on my blanket over there. It's not much but the sand can really act as a comforter if you push it around underneath." Aquila smiled once more before returning to his journal, occasionally dipping his writing brush into the ink, and would continue writing.
 
Callie took a few dates from the bag and popped them into her mouth. She sat back, watching Aquila thoughtfully for a moment or two. He was handsome, kind - who else would have offered what he had? - and also he just had something about him that fascinated Callista. She softly spoke curiously after a while, "What are you writing?"
 
Aquila looked up and cracked a slight smile. "I write just about everything in here. My day's events, what I've noticed or scouted...things along that line. Don't worry, I didn't say anything bad about you Callie." He laughed and wrote a few more things down before closing his journal. Now it was time to wait. There was still some time before the sun set and night fell upon the city. Aquila decided to give clean his body, at least his stomach to his face, with the puddle from the dripping aqueduct.
 
She smiled at his response and stretched out her legs and arms. Callie was a petite girl, with slim limbs and a lithe frame - her mother had told her when she was little, that she was actually a pixie who had been turned big. It had always made her smile, even now when she remembered her mother.

After a few minutes, she decided that she needed to do something to her dress. She pulled the dagger out from it's hiding place, and quickly cut the skirt of the dress so that it reached just above her knees. She also cut the top of it so her arms and shoulders were free. It would be much easier to move around when she was like this.
 
After Aquila had finished, he turned to her, noticing her new appearance. He found himself caught in a gaze. He couldn't believe someone as beautiful as her had agreed to come along with him. He couldn't help but compare himself to the finer men of the city. He was poor and considered filthy to many in the city. To them, he was a thief, vagabond, and some claimed he was a murderer. He had a sour reputation in the city and it was only because of his class.

Aquila sat back down, but kept the chest piece off. It was hot and he didn't mean any disrespect by only wearing his pants and shoes. "Do you have any plans for after we leave the city Callie?" Deep down he was hoping this was a long journey for he wanted all the time he could with her. Aquila had developed a small crush for Callie.
 
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