Free Eagles at War by Ben Kane

a few days after him. The warrior hurried off, and Arminius leaned over the cauldron that was suspended from a tripod above the flames. The venison stew within was from a deer that he’d brought down with an arrow some hours before. Its butchered carcase was still hanging from a branch on the nearest tree.
    ‘Ho, Arminius!’ called a voice. Maelo stalked up, and he and Arminius embraced. The other warriors didn’t rise, but they greeted him with respect. Brown-haired, Maelo was of medium build, but he was as solid as a block of stone. He leaned over the pot. ‘It smells good. What is it, venison?’
    ‘Aye. We’ve been hunting.’ Arminius indicated the carcase.
    After a little talk about the day’s sport, Maelo’s expression grew serious. ‘Which chieftains did you manage to speak to?’ he asked in a low voice.
    ‘Only those of the Chatti and the Usipetes,’ Arminius replied.
    ‘There’ll be time enough to talk to the other tribes later, once the legions march east. How did you fare?’
    Arminius’ eyes flickered at the others present, and back to Maelo.
    Maelo took his meaning. ‘Let’s take a walk.’
    ‘Yes.’ Arminius stirred the stew, before tasting a spoonful. ‘It’s good. Don’t let it burn,’ he ordered one of his men. He scooped up two lengths of fishing line and hooks from the entrance to his lean-to. ‘Follow me,’ he said to Maelo. ‘There’s a stream not far off where we might catch some bream, even a salmon if we’re lucky.’
    ‘Salmon as well as venison? Lead on,’ said Maelo.
    They walked a distance from the men before Arminius spoke again. ‘You shouldn’t have said a word until we were alone. They mix with Roman soldiers all the time!’
    ‘Every one of them is a warrior of your own damn clan, Arminius,’ protested Maelo.
    Arminius’ frown eased, but then returned. ‘Imagine, though, what might happen when we’re on the other side of the river, and they’re on the piss in the inns and catching the pox in the whorehouses. A man’s tongue loosens when he’s got a bellyful of wine, or a whore has sucked him dry. Most people don’t pay any attention to drunken gossip, but it would only take one filthy Roman to hear something suspicious for word to reach Varus. All our hard work would be undone, just like that.’
    ‘I won’t mention it again.’
    Arminius clapped him on the shoulder. He trusted Maelo as few others; the man had saved his life more than once.
    Reaching the stream, they sat, baited their hooks and tossed the lines into the water. ‘Tell me then!’ demanded Maelo. ‘How were you received? Do you bring good news or bad?’
    ‘For the most part, it’s good. The Chatti didn’t take much convincing, which was no surprise. I think their chieftains might have been planning something. I was accused of being an upstart Cheruscan, and trying to steal their thunder. I kept calm, and praised them to the heavens as mighty warriors, and told them that they’d be free to do as they wished once the battle started.’
    ‘Will they wait?’
    ‘I think so. Their priests said that as long as the omens continued to be good, the Chatti would do well by rising against Rome with us. One of their oldest chiefs spoke in my favour, saying that I knew the empire’s ways, and how its soldiers fought.’ Arminius’ grey eyes took on a darker, colder colour. ‘That I would spring the best ambush, which would cause the most casualties.’
    ‘And so you will, brother!’ Maelo agreed. ‘Varus likes you. He trusts you. When you fill his ears with tales of a tribal uprising, he’ll lead his army off the Roman road just as we have talked about.’
    ‘I need at least four tribes on our side first,’ said Arminius, chewing a nail. ‘Varus won’t march east of the Rhenus without two to three legions at his back.’
    ‘We have three tribes already.’
    ‘Two.’
    ‘The Usipetes weren’t convinced by your plan?’
    ‘I thought at first that the chieftains would agree,