The Last Centurion by Lawrence Hebb

Author:Lawrence Hebb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lawrence Hebb
Published: 2023-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

XXVII

Fleeing the enemy

"Sir" a voice whispered from further up, towards the front of the column, "I think you're needed up at the front, sir" Marcus realised it was the soldier in front of him who’d turned around as they went to ground.

Marcus was at the back of the column as they double-marched through the forest. He'd hung back to count off how many had made it out of the compound, but his second in command was leading them. Septimus knew the forest like the back of his hand. He’d been the one who’d signaled them to halt and go to ground, something was up, and it didn’t feel good.

"Why? What's wrong?" He whispered before moving.

"Don't know sir, just got the message passed down, you're wanted at the front sir," the young soldier replied shrugging his shoulders.

By the time Marcus got halfway down the column he could see that the men at the front had stopped and were in a defensive position. He also saw the worry on their faces.

"Good men, keep the good work up" He didn’t really know what to say, but knew he had to say something, even if only to sound as if he knew what he was doing. The men showed a little more confidence, they drew into a tighter circle facing outwards, swords drawn and ready for use.

"What's the problem?"

"You better come and see for yourself sir" Septimus, the second in command replied. He stood a little way off the track. He signaled Marcus to head that way. It was something he really didn’t want to do, something he was scared he would find that would break him. His feet felt like lumps of lead as he moved forward. Heart in his mouth, he swore he could hear every heartbeat in his ears. Were his wife and children lying there, their throats slit open? Septimus waited for Marcus to get level with him, and then he pointed in the direction they needed to move off in. Marcus went first, with Septimus right at his heels, a third soldier followed behind.

Marcus recognised three of the bodies even before they got there. He had known the three men a long time. The scene he saw made him feel sick in his stomach, but he had to hide it. The men couldn't be allowed to see any weakness or indecision. He just feared what was coming next.

"What about the rest?" He asked, there wasn't any need to spell anything else out, Septimus would know what he meant.

"Just three bodies sir," Septimus replied, "but it looks like the cart they had was turned around and taken back that way," he pointed towards Salvum "I think the Saxon scum took the womenfolk prisoner"

Marcus fell to his knees, his wife was one of the prisoners. He dreaded to think about what she must be going through. Marcus retched up and kept being sick. He held his guts as if in pain, and he was, but it wasn’t physical. Septimus felt awkward, but that’s the reason he’d made sure they were off the track.

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