There were mysteries aplenty, but for the moment the dangers they might pose were distant, and there could well be a real enemy waiting for them up ahead, so there was no sense in thinking about anything else.

‘Is Brigita well?’ Ferox asked. He had fought alongside the children and seen one Mother die to protect her pupils. She had been succeeded by Brigita, once queen of an Irish tribe, who had trained on the island in her youth.

‘The Mother cares for her children,’ Bran replied.

‘Sister, have you given the Lord Ferox the Mother’s message?’

Minura shook her head just slightly, and for the first time seemed abashed.

‘Come, it is what she asked of you.’

Minura kicked her horse so that she caught up with Ferox and rode alongside, staring straight at him, reins loose.

‘The Mother asks you to remember,’ she said, still gazing into his eyes. Then her left hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder, her right went to his chest, and for all his surprise his arms moved to grab her, until she kissed him full on the lips. Ferox pulled her body towards him, as he kept his mouth pressed to hers.

Minura started to pull away. Ferox held her for a little longer before letting her slip free. Her cheeks were red, although he doubted with passion so much as embarrassment.

‘The Mother said that I might be curious. Now I am curious no longer.’

Vindex roared with laughter, and Ferox smiled as he remembered Brigita saying much the same to him all those years ago. He was relieved to see that Enica was as amused as the rest.

‘Does that mean you’re going to hit me again?’ he asked, grinning.

‘I probably shall not waste the energy,’ Enica replied. ‘One of the soldiers can do it for me when it becomes necessary.’

‘Always happy to oblige, lady,’ Vindex announced. ‘Want him beaten up, just say the word.’

Ferox hissed for silence and raised his hand. One of the outriders was holding his spear above his head as a signal.

‘Wait here!’ Ferox told them and urged his gelding into a canter. He heard the hoofs coming up behind him as Vindex came up on one side and Enica on another. The bright green silk of her trousers shimmered in the sunlight.

‘You should not be here,’ he told her.

‘Neither should you, husband.’

‘It is too much of a risk,’ he said, ‘and it is unnecessary.’

‘No more than the commander of the garrison galloping headlong into trouble.’

‘Want me to rough him up, lady?’ Vindex asked cheerfully. ‘Wouldn’t be any trouble.’

‘There you are, I told you it was dangerous,’ she said, and the scout laughed so much that when they reached the man who had signalled to them he was obviously baffled.

‘Ignore them,’ Ferox said as he shaded his eyes to see better. ‘I see them,’ he added. It was not difficult. There were nine dark shapes in the grass a few hundred paces away. Smaller than the dead horses and mules, but standing out because they were so pale were the white corpses of the men. Ferox counted. ‘Looks like all of them,’ he said and was not surprised. ‘You,’ he said to the cavalryman who had signalled. ‘Ride back to the main force and tell them to come up and wait here, just where you have been. Tell the decurion not to do anything else unless I signal.’