"I wasn't planning on it," Carrick said quietly. "There's something I want to show you upstairs. And something I want to talk about." he leaned forward for another soft kiss, then stepped back, drawing his lover with him.
Carrick kept hold of Russell's hand as he moved through the house and up to the the top floor. He unlocked a door and stepped silently through it. The room beyond was divided in two by an archway, a curtain hiding the other half of the room from view. In the section closest to the door stood three large glass cases of the type seen in museums, glowing softly from below with only the barest hint of light. A mortal would have found it hard to pick out the details of what was inside.
One case held a bronze helmet and the remains of a crimson horsehair plume, the metal of the helmet much dented and hammered back out, along with a spear point and an ancient shortsword, their blades blunted with use and with centuries.
Hanging in ragged folds in another case was the remains of a flowing cloak made of crimson wool, the fabric now so thin and fragile that it would crumble into dust if handled. The final and largest case held the most precious object of all - a heavy round bronze shield emblazoned with the Greek character Lambda - the symbol of the Spartan army.
Carrick stepped wordlessly forwards and glanced at the cases before his gaze met Russell's. He did not feel the need to speak.