Plautius nodded. ‘Very well. Your request is noted. I’ll see what can be done. Now then, back to the plan. The aim is to close Caratacus in bit by bit, so that he must come to battle, or continually fall back — away from our supply lines, and the territory we already occupy. Eventually he’ll run out of land and be forced to fight us, or surrender. Any questions?’

Vespasian looked over the map, projecting onto it the movements the general had just described. Strategically the plan looked sound, albeit ambitious, but the prospect of dividing the army was worrying, especially as they no longer had any accurate intelligence about the size of Caratacus’s re-formed army. There was no guarantee that Caratacus would not switch back to more conventional operations to take on an isolated legion. If Caratacus was to be prevented from slipping across the Tamesis, there had to be a force ready to deny him any crossing points, and that role had fallen to the Second. Vespasian looked up from the map.

‘Why us, sir? Why the Second?’

General Plautius stared at him for a moment before replying. ‘I don’t have to give you my reasons, Legate. Just my orders.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘But you would rather I did?’

Vespasian said nothing, wishing to give the correct impression of soldierly imperturbability, even as his curiosity demanded an answer. He shrugged.

‘I see. Well then, Legate, your written orders will be delivered to your headquarters tomorrow morning. If the weather’s clear I expect you’ll be wanting to make an early start.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Good. Now then, let’s finish this wine.’ Plautius filled both goblets and raised his for a toast. ‘Here’s to a quick end to the campaign, and a well-deserved leave in Rome!’

They sipped the lukewarm wine. Plautius grinned at his subordinate. ‘I expect you’re keen to get back to that wife of yours.’

‘I can’t wait,’ Vespasian replied quietly, conscious of the emotion any mention of his wife caused him. He tried to shift the general’s attention away from himself. ‘I expect you want to get back to your family just as much.’

‘Ah! There I have the advantage over you.’ Plautius’s eyes glinted mischievously.

‘Sir?’

‘I don’t have to return to Rome to see them. They’re travelling out to join me. As a matter of fact, they should be arriving here any day now…’

When The Eagle Hunts

Chapter Five