The centurion held up a hand. ‘Halt!’ Lulled by hours of steady progress and the peace of the night, the response to the order was a little ragged. Arrian muttered something about discipline in Hispana. ‘Riders coming in!’ Ferox said just at the moment Cerialis spotted them.

‘Brigantia!’ Vindex called out the password agreed for the night. He and another three riders came at a walking pace because between them were two men on foot. They were shepherds, one an old man with a long straggling beard, and the other middle aged with a harelip.

‘Found ’em a mile or so ahead,’ Vindex explained. ‘There’s a boy as well. Left him to keep an eye on their sheep. A couple of the lads are watching him, but none of them gave any trouble. Can’t understand what they’re saying though.’

Ferox tried Greek, which prompted a stream of words, none of which he understood. Arrian ventured a little Aramaic, but admitted that he could not make out the reply.

‘Do we keep them under arrest?’ he asked. ‘Or…’ he trailed off.

‘Kill them?’ Cerialis used Latin, although he suspected that the shepherds were as baffled as they were. ‘We are supposed to be coming as friends, aren’t we? Reckon they can do any harm if we let them go?’ This was to Ferox, and it reminded him of the old days at Vindolanda.

‘Not really. They might spread the word, but I’ll bet that’s been out for hours. Folk like this tend to know when strangers are abroad, and the news passes faster than you’d think.’

‘You would not think it could travel faster than we are going on horseback,’ Arrian said. ‘And reach the city ahead of us, I mean.’

Cerialis smiled. ‘We’re back to “rumour”’ again. No,’ he added, making up his mind. ‘I don’t want to be slowed by captives, don’t want to leave anyone to watch them and I cannot see them as a threat. So I’m not about to turn the country folk against us by slitting their throats. Let ’em go.’

Arrian spoke to them in Aramaic. The reply was briefer this time. ‘I asked whether this was the right path to Nicopolis,’ he explained. ‘They might have said yes.’

‘Well, they know where we are going, so let’s hope we can trust them.’ Cerialis’ tone was arch, until he forced himself to smile. ‘Expect they knew that already.’ Ferox nodded. They were so close now that the destination must be obvious to anyone. ‘Quite so. Vindex, take these peasants back to the boy and let them go. We need to move.’

X

Near Nicopolis

A little later

THE MOON WAS down, the stars fading with the approaching day. Cerialis ordered the column to dismount and lead their horses for half an hour, and by the time they climbed back into the saddle a great orange glow filled the sky ahead of them.

Ferox shrugged. ‘Quickest path is due east.’ He wished that he was wearing one of his old straw hats, so that he could pull the wide brim down and shield his eyes. Philo had never considered the headgear at all fitting for a centurion, and Ferox was not sure where he had hidden them all this time. Like the other officers, he was bareheaded. His helmet with its tall, transverse crest of black feathers, was slung behind his saddle. Cerialis and Arrian had their orderlies carrying their far more ornate plumed helmets. They would want them soon.