‘Or for nothing at all,’ Ferox said.

‘Well, we have our duty, centurion. And yours will be with Cerialis and the advance guard tomorrow. I’ll camp half a mile from the walls. Cannot expect them to accept all these men into their city.’

‘That’s if they’re willing, sir.’

‘Indeed. Well, we shall find out tomorrow.’

It rained in the night, the first rain for many, many days, and perhaps the last for even longer. Caecilius was awake and ran about getting men to catch what they could in any barrel or vessel already empty.

Next morning as they prepared to set out before dawn, there were soon patches of mud along the most frequently trodden paths. Crispinus summoned his officers to a consilium, and explained that the order of march would be different.

‘While I hope that the city’s leaders will see sense, prudence dictates that we prepare to meet resistance. We are not going far, so the advance guard will form as usual, but the legion will depart in two columns, each of which will wheel into a line to follow. After that we shall see.’ There were many more details, questions, answers and discussion, and Ferox stood at the back and listened because it all really depended on whether they were in for a fight before they even reached the city.

The earth in each gateway of the camp was churned to mud as the vanguard left by the front gate and a legionary column through each of the side ones. Since there was a chance of fighting, the standards were no longer concentrated, save that each cohort put them at the head of its column. Shields were uncovered, crests mounted on helmets, and equipment polished as bright as was possible.

‘If there is a fight, let’s put on a good show,’ Crispinus had urged his officers.

The Brigantes were among the first to leave, although to Ferox’s surprise Cerialis instructed him to form his men to the left of the main body of the ala. ‘Don’t want you frightening anyone, do we! And you are the fastest riders I have because you don’t care so much about keeping ranks. Might be a surprise if we need to unleash you.’

The advance guard was in position by dawn, with the two cohorts in close order behind the cavalry. Six caroballistae, the light artillery known as scorpiones mounted on and able to shoot from the back of a two-wheeled cart, were with them. Most of the labourers had returned to their units and only the sailors stood ready to help clear a path. Half an hour later the two lines of legionaries had deployed, the first line longer because it included cohors I on the right flank, and after some shuffling and dressing of ranks they were ready. There was a fifty-pace gap between each cohort’s line, with the one in the line behind stationed to cover it. Two scorpiones, ones on ordinary mountings this time, were in each gap, for these were light enough for the crews to carry and keep pace with infantry, at least until the cohorts charged. The remainder of the army was to protect the baggage train as it advanced and then start laying out the new camp.