‘The joy of revenge is brief.’ Minura did not look at him, but her words were steady. ‘I am glad that I killed them, but I should not have been taken off guard. They were bad men, and such men never believe that a woman can fight and at first I could not.’ The words started to pour out and Bran sensed that she was on the verge of tears. ‘One was joking, trying to get me to drink with them while we waited and he seemed a harmless fool. Then another grabbed my arms from behind, and although I jumped and kicked the one in front, the other then caught my legs and they wrestled me down.’ Bran could see her torn tunic lying on the ground. ‘They took me, one after the other and I screamed and screamed for my courage left me, and when they were done, they cast me aside and sat around the fire as if nothing was happened.’

‘Warriors can be cruel,’ Bran said. ‘But they have paid. There is only one more to punish.’

‘Not yet, brother,’ she said, knowing what he meant. Sosius had brought the men to their camp, spoken to them and then left her here with them as they went to catch the man he had come for. The freedman cared for no one, but used others as counters in some game which only he – and perhaps his distant master – understood. They had seen his ruthlessness many times since they were sent off with him.

‘I will kill him,’ Bran whispered.

‘Not today, little brother, and when the day comes I will wield the blade.’

‘I am sorry that I was not here.’

‘We cannot change what has been done,’ she said, and leaned her head against his. Never before had she shown such intimacy, for Minura was a woman of few words and stern character. ‘We must face the truth and continue along our path. Is that not what we were taught?’

‘Yet, I long to wipe the smirk from that pig’s face.’

‘The day will come, but we were sent by the queen and must finish the task she set us.’ Her fingers tightened hard around his. ‘If I can bear to wait, then it should be a smaller deed for you.’

Minura stood, the blanket opening a little to show that she was naked underneath. At any other time Bran would have thrilled at the sight, but now he looked away. When he turned back she was covered and smiling.

‘There is a stream not far away,’ she said, ‘and I need to be clean. Stay here.’

Sosius got the captive down from his horse and told him to sit and not be a nuisance. While Bran brought in the horses and saw to them, the Freedman dragged the corpses away and then got the fire going again.

‘When she gets back you can fetch some water,’ he said to Bran. ‘Believe it or not, I started out in the kitchens and haven’t lost the touch. A hot meal will do us all good.’ The boy’s hatred was obvious. ‘Look, sonny, I’m sorry how things worked out, but I can’t change them. If you’d ever lived as a slave you’d know that life is a bastard and that no one is safe. She’s strong and brave, and she’ll learn to live with it because I don’t reckon she is the sort to give in. So we’ll all have a good meal and then decide what to do.’