Free Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 00.5] Ulpius Felix- Warrior of Rome by Griff Hosker Page A

another’s.”
    Darvas laughed, “I never knew you were such a pretty boy Gerjen.”
    Gerjen leapt at Darvas with his dagger in his hand. Wolf smashed his own hand down on to the back of Gerjen’s making him drop it.  “Stop this now! You have both taken two oaths, one to the standard and one to Rome. That means that we do whatever we are ordered to.  It is as simple as that. We may not like everything we do but did we like everything at home?  Is this not a better life?  Here we serve the wolf, “he pointed at the standard in the corner, “and that is enough.  The Decurion told me that Rome was founded by two boys who were suckled by a wolf.  Is this not a sign? I do not like this bare and itchy face and I miss my hair hanging down but I will get used to it.  We all will.”
    Sura and the other disenchanted Pannonians whispered in the dark. “I am not having my hair cut. I will look like a woman.  These Romans all smell like women and I do not wish to stay in their army.”
    “But where will you go?”
    Sura pointed beyond the tent walls to the north.  “We will cross the river and join the tribes who fight the Romans.  We came to fight and to kill.  We can continue to fight the Romans.” He ran his hand down his scarred face.  “I still remember the Roman who did this to me and I will have my revenge. Are you with me?”
    There was a murmur of ayes and one lone voice said.  “I will stay. I like this Roman army.  May the Allfather be with you.”
    Sura turned to the man who crouched at the rear of the tent. Smiling he put his left hand on his shoulder and murmured, “And may you be with the Allfather soon.” The pugeo sliced across the man’s windpipe and he died silently.
    Sura and his men slipped out of the tent.  While his warriors slipped to the entrance of the camp and the guards, Sura sought the others who did not like the Romans. Twenty warriors made their way to the entrance where Quintus was on duty.  The smiling Decurion spoke to the two men on guard at the entrance and then went on his patrol around the other sentries positioned in the middle of each wall.  As soon as he had disappeared the twenty eight men with Sura surged forward and overpowered the two young guards who died as silently as the single protestor had done. The night was silent as they crept towards the horse lines. There were three sentries there and one of them managed to cry out before being silenced.
    Quintus heard the cry and, knowing how close they were to the river shouted, “To arms! To arms!”
    Sura and his men were, first and foremost Pannonians which meant they needed no saddles.  They each grabbed a handful of mane and hauled themselves onto the backs of the horses.  They kicked on across the open ground to the Rhenus, dark and menacing in the distance.  They did not pause at the river but leapt in and let their horses swim, frantically across. By the time Quintus and the other guards had reached the horse lines all that they could see was the vague shape of dark bodies slipping across the water.
    Marius and the other officers saw the dead bodies and their first reaction was that the Chauci had come across the river to steal horses. As they checked the bodies of the dead Flavius glanced up and saw the troopers emerging, armed from their tents. He pointed to an empty area of tents.  “Sir, there are no men in those tents, perhaps they have been killed.”
    “You and Publius check them. Sextus, have the men line up outside their tents. We will have a roll call.”
    Soldiers from the other camps began to arrive, having heard the commotion. “Whoever it was has fled across the river!”
    The other officers nodded.  “We will double the guards around our camps. It is too dark to pursue them across the river.  What damage have they done?”
    “At least five men killed and a number of horses stolen.”
    Flavius came back; his face displaying his anger. “It was not Chauci.  It was Sura and his