Vindex was less impressed. ‘Ugly beast he’s got.’ The Roxolani, like most Sarmatians, liked small horses, thick legged, rather snub nosed, but strong and able to run for hours.

‘Bet your horse says the same about you,’ the decurion suggested.

‘Cheeky bugger.’

Sabinus ignored them. ‘He doesn’t look out for trouble.’

‘They’re all thieves,’ the decurion said.

‘Aren’t we all,’ Vindex muttered. ‘Although the Romans do it in style and steal the world.’

‘Nonsense, we spread peace and enlightenment,’ Sabinus snapped, then scanned the horizon. ‘Cannot see any others, sir. Shall we press on?’

‘Yes, take the column on for another two hours and then camp – and keep a close watch, especially on the horses. We should meet the legatus and his men tomorrow. I will re-join you as soon as I can, but until then you are in charge. If I am not back by the time you meet the legatus, then offer him my sincere apologies and say that I will return within three days if I am able, if not… Ah, told you there would be more.’ A second rider appeared beside the first one, with a third hovering behind.

‘If not, sir?’ Sabinus asked.

‘What? Oh, if I’m not back in three days then I’m dead. They don’t torture anyone longer than that.’

‘Sir?’ Sabinus said, but Ferox was already walking his horse away. ‘Are you sure about this, sir?’

Ferox glanced back at Vindex. ‘Coming?’

‘Oh bugger,’ the scout said, and followed. Sabinus watched them go, saw the three Sarmatians turn and canter out of sight, but Ferox and Vindex did not check and followed them over the brow of the hill.

‘Better go, sir,’ the decurion said after a while.

‘Yes, I suppose we should.’ Sabinus had seventy men under his command and had rarely felt so alone.

*

Ferox and Vindex rode for a few miles. The valley was wide, the fields open, rolling up and down with little hills, and they gave the horses their heads, letting them run. There were farms dotted around, wheat and barley growing well and they avoided the cultivated patches. Now and then they saw the three Roxolani. From one of the higher hills they could see the road and the little figures of Sabinus and his men trotting along, before they dipped down again. Up ahead was a longer, higher ridge and one of the horsemen had stopped on the crest.

‘That’s where they’ll be,’ he called to Vindex and pointed. ‘They like to surprise you.’

‘How big a surprise?’

‘Well, some of them hate me.’

‘I like ’em already.’

Their horses surged as they reached the ridge, racing up the slope, hoofs pounding on the turf. The lone rider waited until they were almost there before spinning his mount and galloping away.

‘Keep going!’ Ferox shouted as he saw Vindex begin to rein in. They reached the top, wide and empty and suddenly it was filling with riders, spilling up over the crest ahead, cantering around them. There were about twenty, and all had bows or javelins in hand.