A Fighter and a Scholar

The colosseums in Rome were busiest on the sunny holidays when the citizens were feeling festive and needed entertainment of some sort. So it was in a certain large city in Rome one day, and the central arena was filled with a large and noisy crowd.  

One large family, likely the wealthiest there, laughed the loudest and smiled the widest in anticipation for the fun of the sport at hand.  Among this lively group sat a very tall and powerfully built boy of around eighteen years, who spoke neither to the lordly men or vivacious women around him. He had a noble, boyish face and soft brown hair, and he slouched over his knees and stared into space, uninterested in anything besides his own deep pool of thoughts. 

"Placidus, you don't mean to leave early like you did last time, do you?" asked a young girl with golden curls. She was his favorite cousin. 

"Yes, Flavia," Placidus said in a soft voice that didn't match his great size. "I cannot stand to watch it."

The small cousin opened her mouth to make a contradictory reply, but was interrupted before she could say it. One of the lower gates into the arena was opening to let in the next combatants, and it had distracted Flavia with its unpleasant grinding and squealing. 

Through the gate came two figures, one attempting to drag the other, and the latter fighting back with all its strength. A general gasp went up in the seats.

"I don't believe it!" Flavia gasped, standing up in vain to see over the heads of those before her. "Placidus, you can see better, isn't it...isn't it a child?"

Placidus could see quite well straight into the center of the dusty ring below, and his face turned pale until his cousin became alarmed. 

It did indeed look like a child at first glance, but the build and face betrayed the true age of the small young man...for a young man he was, at least as old as Placidus himself. The crowd realized this in a moment and relaxed.  

Placidus moved not a muscle and stood in frozen disapproval as the boy was tossed roughly to the ground and left. 

When the gates had closed behind his jailor, the boy rose in an instant to his feet, turning in circles to glare at the audience in fiery defiance. He was really very small, probably no taller than five feet and two inches, perhaps shorter, and he didn't seem to have any muscle at all on his thin bones. 

Placidus, whose eyes were good, stared in awe at him. The other boy's thin frame leaned forward in readiness, and his dark eyes flung around him restlessly and sparkled in reflection of the sun. His mouth was set in a firm and unafraid line, and even his black curls seemed to defy all things neat and orderly. 

"He cannot fight, he is too young!" Placidus exclaimed, running his hands frantically through his hair and sitting back down. "Against a lion...he will surely die, it cannot be allowed!"

"Oh, don't worry yourself cousin," Flavia said loudly above the noise. "I remember now, I've heard of this one...a horrible criminal, and he struck an officer, I believe."

The tall scholar would not be appeased, however, and stood up again in a jerky move, breathing heavily and looking distressed as the grinding gates announced the arrival of a giant and vicious-looking lion.

In a sudden state that almost felt like madness, Placidus left his family's row in the audience and stumbled down the steps that led to the edge of the ring. Tripping on his toga with no regard for rips and dirt, he shot past all the rows of amused spectators. 

The lowest ring of seats was raised above the arena circle so that there could be no danger of harm to the spectators, and Placidus found himself looking out over the dust beyond the wall to where the boy stood. 

Now that Placidus was closer he could tell that the other boy was shouting in a small voice that still sounded like it belonged to a lad of twelve. The little fighter shouted insults at the top of his lungs, scowling blackly at the faces around him. He seemed determined to be louder than the loudest man in the place, but his shrill voice could hardly be heard past the first row. 

Placidus had felt gripping pity when he had first seen the young fighter, but now he felt quite an unexpected admiration for the boy's bravery and gumption. The pity returned, however, when the boy whirled around and fell silent at a deep growl from the animal that circled him threateningly. 

Suddenly, the boy in the arena found Placidus with his wandering eyes and the boys stared at one another transfixed. Placidus was taken aback at the intensity of the other boy's eyes and the strange look on his face...could there be an expression of fear?

The lion, which had been watching the boy warily and twitching its tail, unexpectedly roared and leapt forward, tired of stalking its prey. 

Prodded by the sound, the boy in the arena jumped into action and ran in a random direction. Because of where he had been looking, this direction happened to be straight toward where the Placidus stood, now gasping in horror. 

In seconds, the boys were within five feet of one another, and the lion was just behind, its jaws already opening. Placidus, for once in his life, did not think before he acted, and he did not hesitate. 

He reached out his long arm and grasped the boy by the collar. 

Up came the smaller boy, hauled clear over the wall by the hand of Placidus, who had a soldier's build and could have lifted a much larger person if the need had arisen. The two boys saw for a terrifying moment the powerful jaws full of sharp teeth, opening widely to kill, before they tumbled into the front row of viewers. 

Jumping to their feet, the two boys hastened to flee before the shocked people around them could process what they had just seen. The smaller boy tugged along the taller, the latter nearly too bewildered to remember the way out, and together they slipped out of the first exit they saw. 

They were out of the colosseum. 

Placidus' mind had begun working again, and he realized by the time he'd been tugged out into the street that the other boy had the right idea. The two of them had to run before any of the guards could get through the crowds and capture them. 

"Down here!" the boy shouted up to Placidus, and shot away from the main street and down a narrow alleyway. 

Placidus followed, having to turn his broad shoulders to fit where the smaller boy could run through easily. 

"Here," panted the boy ahead shortly, and he vanished into an open doorway. 

Placidus ran too far, skidded on the loose dirt, and fell. Scrambling to his feet, he threw himself into the small doorway and fell once again. 

"Clumsy, aren't you?" breathed the other boy as he hastily shut the door and latched it securely. 

Placidus did not answer, too shocked to even register that he had been spoken to. He lay on the hard dirt floor and looked around himself at the first house he'd entered without invitation. He had certainly never been in a place like this in his life, for it was the house of a commoner, and was poorly furnished and unbeautiful. 

"Come, they'll see us through the windows, my friend," the other boy said in a low voice. "Let us go upstairs, I do not think they're at home."

Placidus followed like a very large lost lamb and was led to a steep staircase that wound up to the higher levels of the building. He found the steps to be small and difficult not to trip on and reflected to himself that whoever had built them had not considered tall people. 

"Good, they are away," stated the other boy's voice from the top of the stairs. "I thought so when I saw the open door, for those who are poor air out their houses so when they go out. They have nothing worth stealing, and hide what they have well."

"Yes, I know," Placidus said in a rather flat voice, for he was still not out of his shock. "But I don't think of such things as quickly as that."

"I have had to all my life," said the other in a cheerful voice, almost laughing.

Placidus had reached the second floor and looked around at the small space, where there were one small bed and a low floor table made of coarse wood. There was another window that was curtained with a thick material, and through it drifted the shouts of the soldiers who were searching for them. 

A noise made Placidus look around, and he smiled to see the other boy lying on the bed as if he owned it, his knees crossed and his hands cushioning his head as he stared at the ceiling. 

Placidus realized as he looked at his fellow partner in crime that he himself was quite exhausted from all the excitement. He sat down at the table and dropped his head wearily onto his arms. 

"Saved my life, you know," remarked the other shortly after a few moments of listening to the soldiers. Even when he wasn't screaming at people his voice was charged with energy. "Odd thing to do, probably never done before. Another second and that beast would have had me...I'd be very much dead, but now I'm not."

Placidus laughed a little at the bluntness of the words but didn't raise his head. 

"Why did you do it?" the other boy insisted, now sitting up and leaning forward on his knees. "It's not like a wealthy roman to care, especially for a criminal. What bewitched you?"

When Placidus didn't answer, the insatiable other came over to him and nudged him with his foot, intending to annoy him into speaking. 

"I don't know why I did it," Placidus groaned, raising his head a fraction to rest his brow in his palms. "No, I do. I've always hated the colosseum, and it's about time I did something about it instead of sitting around complaining."

The other boy sat.

"I'm Benjamin."

"A Jew?"

"Yes."

The boys looked at one another for a moment, then shrugged, and Placidus put his head back into his hands. 

"Criminal, aren't you?" Placidus mused aloud, thoughtlessly. He earned a hard punch on the arm for this question, as well as a glare that showed more hurt pride than anger. 

The taller boy shifted away from Benjamin, out of reach of his fists, and carefully worded his next inquiry. 

"Have you any family to take you in and hide you from the soldiers?" 

Benjamin broke out in a smile that couldn't quite hide the lonely gleam in his eyes. 

"That's an amusing thought, me having a nice family to take me in and hide me. Me! Not a soul has taken care of me in my life, and look at me!"

Placidus did look at him, his mild eyes showing a sympathy that made the other squirm uncomfortably. 

"Yes, look at you: nearly eaten by a lion," Placidus reminded him quietly. 

"Oh...well, I wasn't eaten, was I?" demanded Benjamin, scowling. "I'd call that quite good."

The scholar ignored the ungrateful comment and sat in silence a moment, listening to the distant voices of the soldiers, now down another street. 

"Look," began Benjamin, breaking the silence. "You will be in a large amount of trouble because of this, won't you?"

"Oh, yes," sighed Placidus. "My father will no longer be able to boast of my bright future or my successful studies, and my family may even have to disown me to prove that they are loyal to Rome and not on my side in harboring a crim...well, a wanted person."

"I am sorry," Benjamin said, in an uncertain voice as if he didn't often apologize. "I oughtn't to have run toward you...and my life isn't worth so much, whereas yours meant much to both you and many others."

"That is a foolish thing to say," Placidus said, reverting back to his educated and aloof way of speaking. "One life has individual value that will never change, no matter how little it means to its owner or to others. Of course, if one has killed a man…"

"I haven't," interjected Benjamin hastily. 

"Then you are entitled to life, and not death...especially death in such a place as the arena. Besides, I've told you already that I had to do it, and I would do it over and over again."

Both boys were silent after this, lost in their own thoughts. Placidus slouched in his old thoughtful way, and Benjamin jiggled his legs and tapped the table as if he couldn't bear to keep still a moment. 

"Don't hear soldiers," Placidus remarked after a while. "Do you think they have passed on?"

"Perhaps," Benjamin responded, frowning in thought. "They don't like to lose prisoners though, and they'll look for me for days. I think I'd better get out of the city, just to be safe, especially since many people around here know my face too well."

Placidus began to say something, hesitated, and then plunged on. 

"Well," he said slowly. "I guess I'd better leave the city too. Less shame on my parents if I do, and people in this city will certainly know me anywhere in this area."

Benjamin sat up quickly and stared at his newfound friend incredulously. 

"You can't leave the city over a thing like this! I thought you were educated...don't you know how the law works? You can go back home."

"I do know," Placidus stated firmly. "I know I could go home, but...I've felt it ever since I had a moment to think: I have to see this through. I want to see that you're safe somewhere, and I won't leave you till you've found such a place."

Benjamin sat in shock for a moment, then stood up suddenly and took to striding across the small space of the room, shaking his head and scowling once again. 

"Can't you see it?" asked Placidus urgently and insistingly. "After all this, how could I let you go on the run and go back to my own comfort and luxury, never knowing what happened to you? Besides, you'll be better off with someone else, especially someone who's a bit bigger...I'll protect you."

Benjamin looked fierce again at this last comment and stood up a little straighter, but couldn't hide that he wasn't displeased with the idea. He finally stopped pacing and sat down at the table. 

"Alright," he began tensely. "I don't hate it. I would rather you went back to your family for your own sake, but can see it would mean a lot of shame for all of you."

"Yes, see?"

"A little. Anyways, I don't mind it if I'm being selfish; you've saved my life and I mean to repay you, but how can I if I never see you again, as you say?"

Each boy looked at the other searchingly, as if to see if he meant it, then they both looked away with satisfied expressions. 

"We'll head for my great-uncle's vineyard, far away from here," stated Placidus with conviction now that he had made up his mind. "That way, I can still correspond with my family without embarrassing them by my presence. We can both work there to earn our keep, and my uncle will not give you away, for he is a kind man."

Benjamin nodded rapidly and looked as if this was better luck than he had expected, even with a friend like Placidus. 

"My cousin Flavia, who is visiting our family at the moment, also lives there with my great-uncle, because he's her grandfather," Placidus proceeded, warming to the idea. "She's a great friend, and I'll be glad to spend so much more of my time with her...you would like her too, and we could all live there together...it shall be as if you were a part of my family!"

"I like it," Benjamin stated simply, grinning. "But let's speak of it more on the road. I think we should get moving before the owner of this house returns, and the faster we're out of the city the better."

The boys crept down the stairs once more and cautiously looked out of the first-floor windows. To their relief, not many people were about and there were no soldiers in sight. 

Benjamin began to lift the latch of the door but turned to Placidus before he opened it.

"From now on, things will be a lot different from what you're used to," he warned his friend. "And I don't mean to be suspicious, but I must know that you will not abandon me in the face of danger."

"I shall never abandon you," Placidus vowed in his quiet and yet firm way. "I would no more leave you in danger now than I would my own brother."