The Brigantian faced two horsemen and did not know which way to turn. Ferox saw him hesitate, and then raise his sword at the newcomer, who was already close.

‘Get down you fool!’ someone shouted in Latin and Vindex dropped to the ground. The rider went past, ignoring him, and then neatly chopped the other warrior from his horse. Momentum carried him past until he turned, heading towards the hillock. The man at the crest flung another stone from his sling, but missed, and then made the mistake of running. Ferox heard the horse’s hoofs pounding across the turf, and saw the animal bound up the slope before he and the rider vanished after the fleeing man.

The centurion ran over to Vindex, who was pushing himself up and feeling his leg.

‘Don’t think it’s broken,’ he said. Ferox could see a gash along the scout’s arm near his shoulder, but his mail had taken the force of the blow above that. ‘It’s nothing.’ Vindex took a deep breath. ‘At least we’re alive.’

‘So far,’ Ferox replied, and then came a long scream of bubbling agony.

‘We’re better off than him, any road.’

The centurion began to bind up Vindex’s arm.

‘You in the camp.’ It was the same voice in its accented Latin. ‘I’m coming in.’

XXII

HE WALKED TOWARDS them, leading his horse by the reins, his other hand empty and held up to show that he was unarmed. ‘I want to talk,’ he said, stopping five paces out from the fire. His cloak was back to show a cuirass of scale armour, the gladius at his right hip, with army-issue belt, tunic, breeches and boots. He was bareheaded and his dark hair was shaggy, his beard thick. ‘I am a soldier of the First Cohort of Tungrians and I want to talk to the regionarius. Will you hear me out?’

‘I’m Ferox. Come in and talk. I don’t think there are any more of them about.’

‘I killed the last one.’ The soldier’s tone was matter-of-fact. ‘But I’ll stay here until I am sure. My name is Gannallius. Some say I am a deserter and some say worse. I am neither.’

It was the missing man from the tower, the Trinovantian. Titus Annius had said that he was a steady man and had not believed the accusations.

‘Tell me what happened. Stay there if you want, but I promise that if you come over to the fire you will be free to go unhindered if that is what you want.’

Gannallius tethered his horse next to the others and came over to sit by the fire. Vindex offered him some of their food.

‘Never thought that I would get to miss army biscuits,’ Gannallius said as he broke a piece off and swallowed it. ‘I have not had much to eat for days.’