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Authors: Simon Scarrow
Tags: General Fiction
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had been watching the rocks on either side of the pass and caught sight of movement there. A face staring at them. Another man in the shadow of a rock, holding a spear and shield.
‘Enough of this foolishness!’ Caesar snapped. 'Out of my way!’
Mandracus stood his ground and drew out his axe, swinging it loosely at his side. At the signal, more men appeared from behind the rocks and moved out into the path. Marcus saw at least thirty of them. Some looked as solid as Mandracus, but most were thin, their faces pinched by hunger, and desperation gleamed in their eyes. But all of them were armed, with a mix of spears, swords and axes. Their leader gestured towards them-
‘As you can sec, we outnumber you three to one. And five to one oncc the rest of my men come up the road behind you. There's no way out.'
Festus’s hand slipped to the hilt of his sword and Marcus and the rest of the bodyguard followed suit as they waited for Caesar’s lead. The former consul regarded the men in front of him and then folded his arms. ‘And what is it that you want from us, Mandracus?’
‘There’s a certain procedure to be followed.’ The brigand smiled. ‘First, do you have any slaves with you?’
‘Slaves?’ Caesar gestured towards Lupus, who was trembling with cold and fear as he sat in his saddle. ‘Just my scribe.’
‘Then we shall have to deprive you of him. No man is a slave in my territory. Second, I shall have to ask you for any gold or silver you may have, together with your weapons and horses. After that you are free to continue through the pass. Or return the way you came. You will find shelter from the snow closer in that direction.’
‘And if we refuse?’
Mandracus’s expression hardened. ‘Then we shall be forced to kill you all, except the slave, and take what we want anyway.’
There was a brief silence before Caesar spoke quietly through gritted teeth, just loud enough for Marcus and Festus to hear. ‘When I give the word, we charge that fool and his rabble. Ready?’
‘Yes, Caesar,’ Festus and Marcus muttered.
Caesar drew a deep breath and was about to make his reply when he was interrupted by the sound of hoof beats. Marcus turned to see that the horsemen had crested the final rise along the road and were now approaching the pass. They fanned out across the open ground on either side of the road and readied their weapons.
Mandracus shrugged. ‘Like I said, you are trapped. You have no choice but to do what you’re told, if you want to live. Now throw down your weapons and get off those horses! Do it!’
Marcus concentrated his attention on Caesar as he clamped his thighs to the side of his mount and wrapped his fingers firmly round the handle of his sword. Caesar let out a sigh, as if surrendering to the inevitable, and casually reached for his own weapon. But instead of drawing it out and tossing it to the ground, he snatched it out in a blur and thrust it towards the path as he shouted at the top of his voice.
‘Charge!’
7
Marcus flicked his cloak back and ripped his sword from its scabbard. Around him he heard the metallic clatter as the other bodyguards followed suit. Only Lupus was unarmed and he looked on in horror. With a curse, Marcus transferred his reins to his sword hand and groped for the dagger on the other side of his belt. He steered his horse closer to Lupus and held out the dagger by its blade. ‘Take it!’
The other boy hesitated briefly before he grabbed the handle and held it in an overhand grip, raising it above his head ready to strike. There was no time for Marcus to tell his friend the correct way to wield a dagger and he spoke through gritted teeth. ‘Stay close to me, Lupus. If any of those men get close to you, don’t stop to think about it, just stab them or they’ll kill you first.’
The other bodyguards surged forward, kicking up a spray of snow as they followed Caesar. Marcus dug his heels in and chased after them, leaning forward in his
‘Enough of this foolishness!’ Caesar snapped. 'Out of my way!’
Mandracus stood his ground and drew out his axe, swinging it loosely at his side. At the signal, more men appeared from behind the rocks and moved out into the path. Marcus saw at least thirty of them. Some looked as solid as Mandracus, but most were thin, their faces pinched by hunger, and desperation gleamed in their eyes. But all of them were armed, with a mix of spears, swords and axes. Their leader gestured towards them-
‘As you can sec, we outnumber you three to one. And five to one oncc the rest of my men come up the road behind you. There's no way out.'
Festus’s hand slipped to the hilt of his sword and Marcus and the rest of the bodyguard followed suit as they waited for Caesar’s lead. The former consul regarded the men in front of him and then folded his arms. ‘And what is it that you want from us, Mandracus?’
‘There’s a certain procedure to be followed.’ The brigand smiled. ‘First, do you have any slaves with you?’
‘Slaves?’ Caesar gestured towards Lupus, who was trembling with cold and fear as he sat in his saddle. ‘Just my scribe.’
‘Then we shall have to deprive you of him. No man is a slave in my territory. Second, I shall have to ask you for any gold or silver you may have, together with your weapons and horses. After that you are free to continue through the pass. Or return the way you came. You will find shelter from the snow closer in that direction.’
‘And if we refuse?’
Mandracus’s expression hardened. ‘Then we shall be forced to kill you all, except the slave, and take what we want anyway.’
There was a brief silence before Caesar spoke quietly through gritted teeth, just loud enough for Marcus and Festus to hear. ‘When I give the word, we charge that fool and his rabble. Ready?’
‘Yes, Caesar,’ Festus and Marcus muttered.
Caesar drew a deep breath and was about to make his reply when he was interrupted by the sound of hoof beats. Marcus turned to see that the horsemen had crested the final rise along the road and were now approaching the pass. They fanned out across the open ground on either side of the road and readied their weapons.
Mandracus shrugged. ‘Like I said, you are trapped. You have no choice but to do what you’re told, if you want to live. Now throw down your weapons and get off those horses! Do it!’
Marcus concentrated his attention on Caesar as he clamped his thighs to the side of his mount and wrapped his fingers firmly round the handle of his sword. Caesar let out a sigh, as if surrendering to the inevitable, and casually reached for his own weapon. But instead of drawing it out and tossing it to the ground, he snatched it out in a blur and thrust it towards the path as he shouted at the top of his voice.
‘Charge!’
7
Marcus flicked his cloak back and ripped his sword from its scabbard. Around him he heard the metallic clatter as the other bodyguards followed suit. Only Lupus was unarmed and he looked on in horror. With a curse, Marcus transferred his reins to his sword hand and groped for the dagger on the other side of his belt. He steered his horse closer to Lupus and held out the dagger by its blade. ‘Take it!’
The other boy hesitated briefly before he grabbed the handle and held it in an overhand grip, raising it above his head ready to strike. There was no time for Marcus to tell his friend the correct way to wield a dagger and he spoke through gritted teeth. ‘Stay close to me, Lupus. If any of those men get close to you, don’t stop to think about it, just stab them or they’ll kill you first.’
The other bodyguards surged forward, kicking up a spray of snow as they followed Caesar. Marcus dug his heels in and chased after them, leaning forward in his
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