‘Hard to say.’ Macro looked up at the sky, already darkening to a velvet blue pierced by the first of the evening’s stars. ‘I reckon they’ll wait until first light when they’ll be able to see how the attack is progressing.’ Macro shrugged. ‘At least that’s what I would do in their boots.’

Then they heard the sounds of drums being beaten and the harsh blare of a trumpet.

‘What’s that?’ Cato asked. ‘What are they up to now?’

‘How should I know?’ Macro grumbled. ‘Come on, let’s have a look.’

He beckoned to Cato to follow him and started to climb over the piles of stone, slabs of rock and splintered wooden beams. As they reached the top of the mound of rubble Cato stared towards the enemy camp. A large number of men were forming up opposite the gatehouse, comfortably outside arrow range.The sun, low in the sky, bathed them in an orange hue that glinted off their weapons like molten bronze.

‘Nice!’ Macro nodded towards the wash of colour along the distant skyline. ‘Although I think the view is wasted on our friends out there.They’ve got other things on their minds.’ He turned to Cato with an apologetic expression. ‘Seems I was wrong. They’re not prepared to wait until tomorrow morning. They’re going to attack the fort at once.’

07 The Eagle In the Sand

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

While the enemy massed their forces outside, Macro hurriedly gave orders for the defence of the fort. The cornicen sounded the alarm and the men came running from their barracks blocks, equipment in hand, and went to their stations on the parade square in the lengthening shadows of the headquarters building. In addition to the duty century still on the walls, there were nine other centuries of infantry and four cavalry squadrons who would fight dismounted. There was no time for the customary pre-battle speech to whip up the unit’s fighting spirit. Instead, Macro quickly commanded that the cavalrymen stand firm as a reserve. One century was sent to each of the other walls while the six remaining centuries were sent to the wall facing the enemy.

Macro turned to Cato. ‘I want you in charge of the inner wall. I’m going to need to stand back from this fight and take overall command. So I want my best officer in the most critical position.’

‘Thank you, sir. I swear I won’t let you down.’

‘If you do, then neither of us is going to live to regret it.’ Macro forced himself to laugh. ‘So don’t let those bastards get past you.’

‘I won’t,’ Cato replied. ‘We’ll hold them back until Symeon and his friends arrive.’