The Eagle and the Wolves

'Sire?' Cadminius tightened his grip on the king's waist.

'I'm all right… all right.'

Cato leaned closer to him, talking quickly and quietly. 'Sire, you must tell them who attacked you. You must let them know that Tincommius is a traitor.'

'Traitor?' the king repeated with a hurt expression.

'Sire, please. That man's life depends on it.' Cato pointed towards Figulus.

Verica stared at the kneeling Roman, and his nephew for a moment, and then coughed – a terrible racking cough that left him breathless and clutching his head, wincing at the agony. Then he forced himself to stand as straight as possible and called out to his countrymen at the end of the street.

'It was Tincommius… Tincommius who attacked me.'

'It was Artax!' Tincommius screamed. 'It was Artax! I saved the king!'

Verica shook his head sadly.

'He lies!' Tincommius cried out in desperation. 'The king is being forced to lie by those Romans! See them beside him! Making him say this.'

'No!' Verica shouted, his voice cracking with the effort. 'It was you, my nephew! YOU!'

The warriors at the end of the street turned to look at the prince, and he was aware of the doubt and contempt in their faces.

'He lies, I tell you!'

Cato tore his gaze away from the drama and called out to his men. 'Mandrax!'

'Here, Centurion!'

'Pick twenty men, and get ready to fetch those prisoners when the gate opens.'

'What are you up to?' asked Macro. 'What did you say?'

'I'm going to try to get Tincommius if I can. Then return here as fast as possible.'

'You're quite mad,' said Macro, but made no attempt to stop him when Cato climbed down from the gate, snatched up his helmet and shield and turned to the legionaries positioned there. 'When I give the order I want the gate opened as fast as you can.'

His heart was beating fast with the anticipation of renewed action, and all the exhaustion of earlier had disappeared as Cato's senses quickened. As soon as Mandrax and his party were ready, Cato drew a breath and shouted, 'Open the gate!'

The legionaries slipped the restraining bar to one side and dragged the gate back.

'Follow me!' Cato called over his shoulder and ran out into the street. He made towards the men clustered around Tincommius, and resisted the impulse to draw his sword; it was vital that he did not look as if he was about to attack them. Tincommius turned towards the enclosure and thrust his arm out towards Cato.

'Get them!'

'Wolves! Boars!' Cato called out. 'Hold him. Hold Tincommius!'

For a horrible instant, Tincommius' men turned towards Cato and the centurion was sure they would fight, that he had badly misjudged their mood. But they simply stood their ground and watched as Cato and his men quickly covered the short distance from the gate. Tincommius looked round at his men with a terrified expression and then he turned and ran.

'Stop that traitor!' shouted Cato. But it was too late. Tincommius had burst through the ring of men and was sprinting towards the corner, and the safety of his Durotrigan allies. He might have made good his escape, but the man with the club hurled it after the prince and struck him on the back of the knee. The club was deflected between his legs and Tincommius tumbled headlong into the small huddle of the remaining Roman prisoners. With savage cries of rage they fell on him, beating him with their tethered hands. Cato stopped by the ring of men, who stared at him with uncertain expressions as they held their weapons ready. Cato immediately turned to the crippled men lying in the street and snapped out his orders.

'Get the live ones inside the enclosure! Move! The Durotrigans will be here any moment!'

Whatever authority and urgency there was in his tone, it had its effect. The men hurried towards the Romans on the ground, and began dragging them up the street, the need for speed making them ignore the renewed screams from their former prisoners.

Cato swung round to Mandrax. 'Get the rest of the prisoners up! Make sure you don't leave behind whatever's left of Tincommius!'

Mandrax gri

Leaving the men to carry out his orders, Cato trotted further down the street, round the corner that led towards Calleva's main gate. Then he stopped. Thirty paces away, and stretching all the way down the street were the Durotrigans, resting quietly between the huts that lined the streets. Hundreds of them. Almost at once there was a cry of alarm and one of the warriors jumped to his feet, pointing towards Cato. Others sprang up, reaching for their weapons.

'Whoops!' Cato muttered. He spun round and started sprinting back towards the royal enclosure, as the savage cries of his pursuers rang out. The centurion raced round the corner, and saw that most of his men, the prisoners and the surviving victims of the morning's horror had nearly reached the gate.

'Move yourselves!' he screamed. 'They're coming!'

The growing roar from down the street was all his men needed to hear, and they rushed the remaining distance up to the enclosure and through the gate, heedless of the added agony they caused the injured men they were dragging. Then it was just Cato left, ru

'Come on, Cato!' bellowed Macro. 'They're right behind you!'

He looked up, saw the gate directly ahead of him, then sensed danger at his shoulder and dodged to one side. A sword blade swished through the air and bit down into the earth as the man who wielded it hissed a curse. Cato threw himself forward through the gap left for him and rolled over inside the gate. Immediately the legionaries heaved it into place, but caught, between the gate and the stout timber of the support post, the shoulder and head of the man who had tried to cut Cato down with his sword. With a dull crack the man's skull was crushed, a legionary thrust the misshapen mass back through the gap and the gate was barred once more. The thud and clatter of the enemy on the far side testified to their rage and frustration as Cato strained to catch his breath on all fours.

'Cato!' Macro called down to him. 'You all right?'

Cato waved a hand.

'Good! Then you'd better get up here and deal with this bloody wasps' nest you've gone and stirred up!'

04 The Eagle and the Wolves