After the glorious cavalry came the pack train: mules and ponies supervised by a few soldiers and around eighty personal servants and galearii, slaves owned by the army, given boots, uniform tunic and cloak, knives and old patterned helmets to wear. Behind them, at the very rear of the column, walking their horses through quite a few piles of fresh dung, came Vindex and his scouts, their numbers raised to nearly thirty by some fresh men sent by his chieftain, They sauntered along, chattering or ogling the women in the crowd. Vindex winked at the maid as he passed, prompting a burst of giggling and feigned modesty until her mistress glared at her.

‘Lady, I had better go,’ Ferox said. ‘I do hope that the boy’s condition continues to improve. After all, we Flavii should stick together!’ He had brought her water from Covventina’s Spring to add to the sick child’s broth, and whether by this or something else, Cerialis’ son’s fever had broken.

‘Thank you. You have been very kind.’ Sulpicia Lepidina stood close to him, and, unseen because of her heavy wool cloak, her hand clasped his for just a moment. ‘Good fortune,’ she added, her blue eyes staring up into his.

‘I’m sure your husband will return in glory,’ he said.

‘I am sure he will.’ For the first time since he had met her she looked fragile. ‘Good fortune,’ she said again, before dropping her voice to a faint whisper. ‘Come back.’

‘I will.’ As he mouthed the words he wondered what he was doing. Her song at the feast still echoed in his mind, as did her good humour and signs of pleasure in his company whenever they met. He was drawn to her, but then surely any man with blood in his veins would be drawn to such a woman. What he did not understand was why she seemed interested in him, and he could not quite make up his mind whether she was singling him out or was simply always so full of charm. He tried to stop them, but in the last days wild, absurd and dangerous dreams kept bubbling up in his mind, feeding his good spirits as much as the activity.

Philo waited with his horse.

‘You should stay here,’ he told the boy for the tenth time.

‘My place is with you.’

‘You won’t enjoy it,’ Ferox said.

‘That is the lot of a slave.’