Maximus had spoken of a large force marching towards them, and if the Dacians were true to character what was visible would only be a part of their true strength. There was no good reason for them to wait, especially if they knew – as they surely would, that two hundred cavalry had ridden out before dawn and headed down the valley. Ferox did not hold out much hope for the supply convoy, but wanted to give its escort a chance and give the garrison any chance at all of getting the supplies it was bringing. In the official orders, the centurion Cunicius was in charge, but Claudia Enica and Vindex had also gone, with Bran and Minura to ride on either side of the queen, and he was confident that they would behave with sense and caution. That was almost all his cavalry. They should have a good chance unless they met a very large force, and perhaps they would be the only ones to escape if things went badly here. Yet it was odd that no word had come from them, since they had to camp out for at least one night

The night was almost spent, the moonlight long gone, but the pale, thin light of the dawn not far off. The enemy had not come and had not attacked, nor even shown the slightest sign that they were out there at all. Ferox glanced at the other men on the tower, at the legionaries and Vepoc with three more Brigantes. Their nervousness was fading as exhaustion washed over them, and even though he could not make out their faces he knew that all the men on the rampart top and in the other towers would be in the same state. These were the ones who had rested for the first half of the night, before coming to relieve the others, and then they had waited, staring into emptiness, fearful and swinging between boredom and excitement depending on each character. The enemy had not come, and all he had achieved was to deprive the garrison of rest and what might be the last good night’s sleep they would get for some time.

There was the sound of creaking wood as someone came up the ladder to the top of the tower, and he did not turn because he suspected it was Sabinus or one of the other officers and that he would have to admit that he had been wrong. There was a simple water clock under a little roof on the back corner of the tower, but he did not need to check to know that there was little more than a quarter of an hour until dawn. Ferox could feel it, and then heard the first chirrups of the birds waking to the new day.

Someone coughed to attract his attention, but it was a gentle clearing of the throat, not only unmilitary, but distinctly feminine.

‘Good morning, centurion,’ Sulpicia Lepidina said. Her hair was in her usual bun, for the hood of her cloak had fallen back to show her pale face. ‘Or nearly morning, at least. I thought that you all must be cold and tired, so have brought soup.’ She held up a small, lidded cauldron. ‘I am afraid that there are no bowls, so you must all share the same ladle.’