up against a tent, as if that might hide her. Legionaries burst through gaps in the eastern tent line, sprinted across the road and disappeared to the west. If they noticed the escaped captive, they had more pressing things on their minds.
She toddled along in small steps, looking into each tent. They all contained eight neat little camp beds, legionaries’ travelling gear, and nothing else. No weapons, no chain-smashing anvil and hammer.
Germanic howls and the clash of iron on iron rang ever closer from the east of the camp. She reached a crossroads, looked to her right and there was a gang of German soldiers, six women and one man, blooded and brandishing weapons. They were wearing even less than she was.
They came at her.
“I’m on your side. I’m a Gaul,” she said.
“We’re not Gauls,” said the foremost, stepping forward and raising a pace-long broadsword. It was one of many sorts of weapon you didn’t want to face when your hands were chained and your movement was restricted to two-footed jumps.
“Chamanca!” came a shout. It was Carden’s voice.
“Carden?” shouted Chamanca.
“You know Carden?” said the swordswoman.
“No, I just guessed that might be his name.”
The woman looked confused, but she took a step back.
Carden and Atlas arrived at a run. Atlas swung Chamanca on to his shoulder without a word and they set off running again.
“Hello?” said Chamanca.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” said Carden.
“But you breached the Roman camp? The Germans are winning the battle?”
“They’re not. They’re routed on the left and in the centre. We led the right as far as the camp, but right now the Roman reinforcements are swinging round and … never mind. Point is we’ve got to get out of here.” They’d reached the cleared area between the wall and the tents, where the legions would usually keep their horses.
“No horses,” said Atlas. “Didn’t think there would be.” They ran on, Chamanca bouncing on the big Kushite’s shoulder.
Chapter 26
“Who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing?” shouted the praetorian, very close to his face.
“I am the envoy of Julius Caesar. The man I am sitting on is Ariovistus, king of all the Germans, who I have killed.”
The praetorian leant back, eyed Ragnall beadily and stroked his wide chin, then walked on without a word.
He waited. The praetorian, he knew, would be one of an advance guard, checking that the camp was safe for Julius Caesar to ride in bravely at the head of the army, officially the first Roman into the German base. Sure enough, the general arrived a short time later, followed by his guard and a crowd of varied tribunes, top centurions and others.
The praetorian had clearly briefed him, because he walked his horse directly to Ragnall and dismounted. Ragnall stood and Caesar embraced him.
“Bravest of the British!” cried the general, indicating Ragnall with an outstretched hand, while addressing his retinue. None of them looked like they’d been in a battle, apart from Titus Labienus, who had a bloodied bandage around his neck. “Who now can doubt my envoy’s loyalty? Ragnall the barbarian, taken captive by the Germans, has slain the tyrant King Ariovistus! No longer shall he be called Ragnall the barbarian. Caesar grants him the greatest honour. Hail Ragnall the Roman!”
“Hail Ragnall the Roman!” They all shouted back. “Hail Ragnall the Roman!”
Ragnall found himself smiling. So he was a Roman now in name as well as in spirit. It felt right.
Chapter 27
Manfrax stood up from from his grim throne, arms open,beaming with what Bruxon suspected to be false hospitality. A new but equally miserable gaggle of naked, injured and chained captives surrounded him. One was leaking blood and pus from a black-crusted eye socket into his own smashed up mouth, another had splinted spikes of bone instead of hands.
“I’d heard the British were cowards but that must be wrong!” His strange accent made it sound like he was singing. “Here you are, strolling in as if you were visiting your favourite aunty.” Next to the king, the narrow-eyed Queen Reena looked even less friendly than before. Manfrax continued, his smile a little less bright: “Because only very brave men would dare suggest that I’m going to break that blood shake by coming to check up on me. Did you not understand what it meant? That is why you’ve come, isn’t it? To make sure that I’m going to invade and that I’m not going to break my oath?”
Bruxon opened his mouth to speak, but could think of