Ferox wondered whether the senator was already composing in his mind a heroic – perhaps even a poetic – account of the campaign. The truth was less impressive. They had burned farms, but not fought a major action, so on balance they had given the Selgovae plenty of good reasons to hate Romans and little reason to fear them. Few of the warriors had been taken or killed, and their families were safe as were their livestock. Homes could be rebuilt before the winter arrived. It would be a hard time for the clans, which would only make the tribesmen’s hatred deeper and provide fertile ground for druids preaching vengeance.

Claudius Super was delighted with the operation, and that was yet another reason to doubt that they had achieved very much good.

‘They’ll not despise us again!’ he declared, his mood so ebullient that he was friendly even to Ferox. ‘My dear fellow, it is so good to see you. We must have a drink to celebrate the triumph once the camp is pitched. This is a glorious day!’ From what he said it was clear that the legate’s force had begun laying waste to the farms several days ago. ‘They did not pay their tax so have only themselves to blame. This is justice!’

Ferox was glad to leave him when Crispinus asked him to take Vindex and his men and patrol the lands behind the column to make sure that no one tried to harass their rear as they went through the pass. For the next few hours they covered a wide area and saw plenty of warriors, all keeping their distance and tending to gather on the high ground. In the meantime the Vardulli escorted the baggage train over the saddle and down into the valley. The sun was low in the sky when they followed, so that he was all the more surprised to see the Tungrians still behind the ramparts of the old fort. Looking down from the top of the pass he could see no other Roman troops closer than a mile and a half. The camp was another mile beyond that, a dark rectangle of tents lit by lines of fires.

‘Something’s wrong,’ Ferox said and trotted over to the old rampart.

Titus Annius hailed him from the gateway. ‘Do you have new orders for me, centurion?’

Elderly gateposts stood on either side of the entrance, but the gates themselves had gone long ago. There were cattle pens inside the walls, and the daily movement of the herds to get water and food left the entrance way churned into a mire.

‘Afraid not, sir. To be honest we did not expect to see anyone still up here.’ Ferox was just outside the entrance to the fort, able to lower his voice.