Shadows in the Night (41 page)

“It’s as empty as a beggar’s purse,” another voice exclaimed. “By Taranis, we were so close! We can’t lose them now!”

“Come on then, back outside. They won’t have got far!” the first man yelled, and the three of them went out, making too much noise to hear our sighs of relief.

I lay back on the hay, feeling utterly exhausted. Quintus slid his arm round my shoulders and pulled me close, and for a little while we were still. We weren’t waiting to see if our pursuers would return, or planning our next move, or anything else rational; we just wanted to be together, and not to have to move out of that hay-loft for a very long time.

“Quintus,” I whispered. “If it had been Titch the Druids were sacrificing, would you have tried to get him out?”

After a long pause he murmured, “No.”

“But I would. I’d have had to do something. One of our own boys. I know you think that’s stupid.”

His arm tightened around me. “I think it’s stupid, and wonderful. And if you’d tried, of course I’d have tried too.”

There were a series of wild yells not far away outside, and some Druid cursing started. The Oak Tree was being attacked again, and we had to go and help.

The most direct way would have been to cross the paddocks, but that only took us up to the new fence, and was in moonlight too. We chose the longer route, skirting the fields through trees, and came out on the main road near our turning and our new gate.

We stopped where we could see the gate and part of the fence, and as we watched, half-a-dozen warriors started battering at the fence with a tree-trunk as before, roughly at the point where they’d broken through last time. Of course it had been repaired and strengthened, so that got them nowhere, and it wasn’t long before lighted hay-bundles thrown from inside drove them back. But there were a good forty or fifty men outside the fence by now; the senior fighters had come to join the new young warriors, and already they were dividing up their forces into several sizable groups, to attack from different directions. If they did that, it was the end. Even with the good light, our people inside were stretched to the limit.

The defenders were throwing out their fireballs and pouring boiling water, and yelling taunts and challenges back at the screaming warriors. I recognised their familiar voices—Taurus, Hippon, Brutus, and Albia and several of the other girls. She’d got absolutely everyone out and fighting. Only there weren’t enough of them. Unless we could do something quickly, the natives would get inside the stockade by sheer force of numbers.

“What can we do?” I breathed.

“Create a diversion,” Quintus whispered. “Draw them off into the woods.”

“They’ll catch us for sure.”

“No they won’t. We’ll separate. It’s easy to hide in woods at night. In a thicket, up a tree. If we split up and lure them away, we can take cover till it’s safe, and then repeat the process. Keep them guessing.”

“It’s the craziest idea I’ve ever heard!”

“Have you got a better one?” he smiled at me.

“No. All right, let’s do it.”

“We’ll start along the road, then you head away from the river, and I’ll go towards it. Good luck!”

Before I had time to answer, he took a deep breath and called out in his parade-ground yell, “This way, men! We’ll split up and surround them. Fabius, take your lot round the back. The rest of you follow me!”

It certainly made the attackers stop and look around. And sure enough, when Quintus yelled again, several of them turned and began to run up the track towards the main road. Someone called out, “It’s the girl and the spy! This time we’ve got them!”

“It’s working!” Quintus said. “Let’s move.”

We ran down the road side by side, in full view. The exultant yells behind us got closer. “Vanish!” he called, and I swerved to the left, and ran thankfully into the safe darkness of the trees, while he headed into the shadows to the right.

I forced a way through the blackness, tripping over roots, catching my cloak, but always moving. There were some noises of pursuit from the direction of the road, but not very close; if I kept my head, and if the gods were with me still, I’d stay free….

Then my blood froze. I caught the baying of dogs, distant at first, but coming nearer, and there were whoops and yells of hunters encouraging their hounds to the chase. The dogs could pick up my scent and follow my trail in among the trees. Or maybe they’d follow Quintus? Well, if they did, he could get down to the river and walk along it for a bit, to lose his scent in the water. Whereas here in the woods, my only option was….There wasn’t an option.

Keep calm, Aurelia, and search for a tree to climb. If I can only get up onto a high branch, they won’t find me. Or will the dogs lead them to the base of my tree, and then….Just keep on searching. Concentrate now. There
must
be a tree….

But they were all too tall, without any convenient lower branches to give me a start. I was sweating and out of breath, still trying to run, and panicking more with every step. Suppose I couldn’t find a hiding place? Suppose they caught me….

The pursuit sounded near, or was that just my frightened imagination? No, they were closing in. And still there was no tree that offered me a chance of climbing. It was pitch black; they’d have to be more or less on top of me before they actually saw me, but with the dogs that wouldn’t take long. O holy Diana, I prayed, you’re a hunter. Please, help me now. Show me where to hide.

I made myself stop and listen, trying to decide which direction to take. And then amidst the hideous howling and yelling, I heard quite a different sound, so unexpected I almost called out.

Hoofbeats!

A group of horses were cantering up the road from the Oak Bridges direction, five or six, I guessed. But were they friends or foes? Most likely they were neither; just casual passers-by, riding home late and wanting no trouble, so they’d canter straight past, ignoring us, and get on their way as fast as they could.

But could they be, could they
possibly
be, friends who would help us? From town? From Eburacum even? Cavalry?

No, of course not, Aurelia. You’re tired, you’re scared, and you’re imagining things. Those horses probably aren’t there at all, you’re just dreaming and wishing. Or if they are there, they’ll soon be gone again.

And then above the pounding hooves came a stentorian Roman voice, yelling: “Squadron, to the Oak Tree!
Charge!”

Chapter XXVII

The fight was over by the time I reached the mansio. The warriors, taken completely by surprise, scattered to the four winds, leaving the battle-field to five mounted men, or to be exact four men and a skinny red-headed boy, who was yelling and whooping for sheer delight.

“Titch!” I called. “Where did you spring from? And who are your friends? And, oh, I’m glad to see you, you rascal!”

“I’ve brought me dad,” the boy grinned. “I reckoned we needed reinforcements.”

Quintus appeared then, raced towards us, and ignoring me, ran straight up to the leading horseman and grasped his hand. “Secundus! You’re a sight for sore eyes! How in the name of Mars did you manage this?”

The rider smiled. “Blame this young tyke.” He gestured at Titch. “My son Gaius. He said you needed an extra man or two. Looks like he was right. You always did like to cut things fine, Quintus Antonius.”

The big gate to the mansio flew open, and Albia and the defenders streamed out. Miraculously, none of them had been seriously hurt; Hippon was rubbing a bruised shoulder, and Brutus’ face was covered in blood, but he assured us it was just a nose-bleed. And, equally wonderful, no serious damage had been done.

After a short outburst of joyous confusion Secundus held up his hand and called, “Hold hard, everyone! Let’s steady down. The game’s not over yet!”

“You’re right,” Quintus nodded. “They may come back. Though not tonight, I think. You’ve spoiled the climax to their dedication ceremony.”

“What a shame.” Secundus swung down from his horse, and the rest of his party followed his example.

Quintus said, “Aurelia…Albia? I’d like to introduce our rescuers, Gaius Varius Secundus, ex-cavalryman, and his friends.”

We shook hands, but I couldn’t take it in at first, so they all took a hand explaining it to me.

“I’ve known Secundus a long time,” Quintus began. “We served together in Germania.”

Secundus grinned “He was my officer for a while, when he was a proper soldier, before he skived off and started playing at spies. But I hadn’t set eyes on him for a couple of years, till two days ago in Eburacum.”

“I told you I looked up a good friend in Eburacum? It was Secundus. I’d no idea he was Titch’s father, though.”

“He comes to me and says, ‘Secundus, there’s a couple of fools dressed as cavalry, following me about and wanting to kill me.’ So I says, ‘We’ll sort them out then,’ and he leads the two of them into the woods, and we finish them off.”

“Nice tidy job,” Quintus said.

Secundus gave a contemptuous snort. “I should hope so! They were just a couple of amateurs. Anyhow, when that’s done I says goodbye to Quintus Antonius, thinking it’ll be another two years till I get to see his ugly mug again, and then yesterday morning early comes young Gaius, starving hungry and filthy dirty and half dead, saying his friends at the Oak Tree have been attacked, and he’s escaped to get reinforcements, and he got lost in the woods in the dark….”

“Only Dad wasn’t at home yesterday,” Titch put in. “He didn’t get back till last night, and then he had to get hold of his mates….I thought I’d go mad, waiting and fretting!”

“So here we are,” Secundus finished. “Me and three good mates, at your service. But,” he added solemnly, “there’s one thing I do need to know.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Why, the most important question of all. Any chance of a drink?”

“As much as you like! Come in and get it!” I led the way into the bar, and when we’d all got wine-mugs in our hands, I raised mine and said, “A toast, to our rescuers! Thank you with all my heart!”

We drank, and then Secundus turned to Quintus. “Well now, what’s the plan? Those beggars may not come back this night, but they’ll try again tomorrow, I’d bet any money.”

“No.” Quintus smiled, not a nice smile though. “By this time tomorrow, with your help, we’ll have killed their leader and put an end to their campaign of terror. Now we know for sure that the Shadow of Death is Vitalis, all we’ve got to do is catch him.”

“
All
we’ve got to do?” I repeated. “Capture a rebel leader surrounded by a band of dedicated killers? Oh well, I’m glad it’s not something difficult!”

I led Secundus to my study, along with Quintus, Albia, Brutus and Hippon. We took a couple of jugs of wine with us, and sat down around my desk to hold a council of war.

“First of all,” I said, “does anybody know a place called the house in the rock? Junius told us it’s the rebel headquarters, but the name means nothing to me. Perhaps a cave of some kind….Anybody heard of it?”

They were all shaking their heads, when there was a commotion in the passage outside. One of the riders from Eburacum came in with a torch in one hand and a drawn dagger in the other, shepherding a slightly built figure cloaked in brown homespun and followed by a huge dog. “This native,” he said, “wants to see Mistress Aurelia.”

“Hawk! Come in and join us. It’s all right,” I added for the guard’s benefit. “This man is a very good friend and he’s welcome to come and go whenever he likes.”

As the tracker entered the brightly lit study I was shocked by his appearance. He was pale as death, his eyes staring, his face drawn as if he was in pain.

“Can I have a word, Aurelia? In private?” His voice was low and strained.

“Yes, of course, if you want to. But these are friends here…”

“In private. Please.”

I picked up a lamp and led him to our sitting-room. Quintus followed uninvited, but Hawk didn’t seem to mind.

His shoulders sagged and his head bowed, and he collapsed into a chair as if his legs had given way. The dog flopped down at his feet.

I said, “Gods, Hawk, what is it? Are you hurt?”

But Quintus went to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hawk, I think I know. And I’m so sorry. So terribly sorry. I wish there was something we could have done, but there wasn’t.”

“Wasn’t there? Are you sure?” He raised his head and his black eyes looked first at Quintus, then at me, and his voice had an angry edge.

“Done?” I said. “I don’t understand.”

“The boy,” Quintus said, “at the Druid ceremony. I thought there was something familiar. Now I know.”

Hawk slumped down again. “Yes. Teilo. My son.”

I felt all the elation drain out of me. The red-headed boy that I’d mistaken for Titch! I’d been upset enough, thinking they were killing a lad I’d known for a matter of days. Hawk had watched them murder his own son. “Hawk, how dreadful! You saw, what they did to him?”

“Yes. I watched it all. I couldn’t think of any way to save him. But I kept hoping you might have managed something. There were two of you!”