Silvius laughed. It was good to talk about Lavinium as it had been.

‘And he got so red and hot I thought he’d burst!’

There was silence for a moment. ‘Things are different, though. We’re all under siege. We’re crammed in together … I’ve been patrolling all day, every day. I leapt at the chance to come here with the message. I envy you, Silvius.’

Silvius was surprised. ‘Why?’

‘You’ve seen the world.’

‘Some of it …’

‘Tell me … is it true the Achaeans eat their children?’

Silvius could not suppress a snort of disbelief. ‘Of course not!’

The two whispered late into the night, talking of things they’d done back home, until Silvius heard Drusus’s deep breathing, and then he slept too.

The next day dawned cloudy, the sun’s rays peeking timidly through a thick mantle, and the mood on the beach was grim. ‘Has Apollo removed his favour?’ asked Silvius, anxiously.

Helenus prepared a small sacrifice. In his care and duty, in the diligent way he laid the thigh bones on the fire, he reminded Silvius of Aeneas as he led the men in prayers, and when they had finished, the sun appeared, giving them hope. Helenus’s silver staff blazed, and he seemed surrounded by an aura as the men cheered and roared in praise of the god.

They left the ships with a small guard, and went onwards, following Drusus, who was at the front of the vanguard. Helenus strode purposefully, and Orestes, despite his limp, went with him, Tisamenos by his side, gaze hard and downcast, whilst Elissa and Silvius walked in tandem behind them, bearing the Bow and Arrow of Apollo. There was comfort in the Arrow on Silvius’s back, and in the breastplate, though it rubbed against his skin.

‘An Achaean army,’ said Elissa. ‘Coming into Italia not to conquer, but to help.’

‘War makes strange bedfellows,’ answered Helenus as they went. ‘To think that our parents were busy slaughtering each other not long ago …’

Silvius agreed. The bigger evil was to come. They had to face it together, as one.

The way was trackless. Here Silvius began to help, as his forest skills were equal to Drusus, and they were able to find a path ahead.

Often they had to scramble down steep banks, or ford streams, where some soldiers were detailed to construct wooden bridges for the carts to follow with provisions. The army marched in small units, and behind them straggled the supply lines to the beach.

After splashing through a ford, Silvius came up against a thick tangle of bushes. So thick that the army would not be able to pass through it. The entire army came to a halt behind them.

‘It’s no good,’ said Helenus. ‘We’ll have to retreat and find another way.’

He began to make the orders to turn about.