Sword of Rome by Douglas Jackson

Author:Douglas Jackson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Ancient, History, rome, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9781448127610
Publisher: Transworld
Published: 2012-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Later, when they’d lost their pursuers, they found shelter in a cave Valtir led them to. ‘I feared the thunder of the gods and I ran. Once I had run I was too ashamed to come back.’

‘Why did you not tell us you could speak our tongue?’ Valerius asked. ‘It might have made a difference.’

Valtir continued to quarter the carcass of a small mountain goat he’d trapped before the Spaniard caught up with him. ‘Sometimes it is better not to know.’

He darted a fearful glance at the gladiator as Serpentius growled: ‘He’s been listening to every word we say. We should cut his throat now and take our chances.’ The words were said in the matter-of-fact voice of a man discussing the price of eggs and Valtir shrank back against the wall of the cave.

Valerius shook his head. ‘No. I don’t think he has. Remember how he always slept farthest from the fire? I think he truly didn’t want to know, because the minute you thought he did you’d have got rid of him. We all ran from the avalanche, even you. The only difference is that Valtir was quicker and he didn’t stop.’

The Spaniard produced a bitter smile. ‘First the auxiliary and now a stinking Celt who somehow crawled out after his mother birthed him into a sewer. You’re going soft.’

‘We’re soldiers, Serpentius, even without a uniform or a rank or an eagle to follow. Soldiers. Not murderers. Just because Mars is stirring his cauldron and we’re teetering on the edge, we can’t just jump in.’

‘The auxiliary was trying to kill you.’

‘He was doing his duty. Following orders.’

‘Aye, and look where following orders got us in Syria. Six months on the run with Nero’s assassins breathing down our neck.’

Valerius was reflecting on the truth of the Spaniard’s words when Valtir’s soft voice interrupted from the far side of the cave. ‘I can take you to the soldiers’ road.’

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