provocation, had the luxury of time in which to draw out a carefully calculated silence of his own before responding.
‘Prefect Equitius, this man is a trained praetorian centurion. He and I fought together on the road outside Yew Grove, when tribesmen surprised our party, and I saw no lack of courage in his eyes on that day. He also wounded an armed horseman in mounted combat during his escape from an ambush outside Yew Grove. He also marched from Yew Grove to this fort in nine days, thirty miles a day. Yes, he is tired, dirty and footsore, but he has courage and determination that you and I should be grateful to call our own. With the right guidance he …’
The prefect’s calm voice trampled over his sentence, used to being heard with deference under most circumstances.
‘Guidance? And that would be imparted by whom, in your opinion? I’ve got a civil war brewing to both north and south of my sector of the Wall and only four of my centurions with recent combat experience. I’ve got problems enough without having to nursemaid an untrained officer. Besides, my First Spear would laugh in my face – just as you would in his place.’
Rufius shifted his position slightly, weighing his last weapon of persuasion before throwing it.
‘Your chosen man Dubnus seems to think reasonably well of him …’
Equitius’s eyes narrowed at the name. He stood and walked around the desk, stopping in front of Rufius to speak softly into the retired officer’s right ear.
‘Dubnus? Now you do trouble me. What part does our very own Brigantian warrior prince play in this tale?’
Rufius thought quickly, praying that Marcus would remain silent.
‘Dubnus and his tent party intervened to save our lives when the barbarians attacked us on the road. Then he chanced upon me and the young man as we were being hunted through a murky dawn, by killers hired by the imperial appointee at Yew Grove. Only his impressive skills in combat saved us both from swift and ignominious death at the hands of those heartless mercenaries …’
‘I was coming to that. And you can keep the fancy language for the next time you want to overcharge Annius for a consignment of fish pickle. As I’ve received the news, a decurion of cavalry from the Second Asturian Horse at Cauldron Pool and two of his men, part of a detachment serving with the Sixth on attachment, were ambushed by this man and his cronies. Murdered before they had time to arm themselves. All three of them were left dead at the roadside, apparently, and to add insult to injury two of their horses were butchered for their meat. You’re telling me that Dubnus was a part of that ?’
Rufius allowed himself to bridle slightly.
‘That he defended our lives at the risk of his own, taking us for innocent travellers beset by robbers, yes. That he attacked defenceless cavalrymen, no . These men were without uniform or insignia, and attacked us without hesitation. Your excellent chosen man saved both of our lives.’
Equitius stared hard at the retired officer, his face set hard.
‘The decurion, in the reports I received, showed signs of torture. A small blade had been used to inflict severe pain upon him as he lay trapped and dying underneath his dead horse. The Asturians have sworn bloody revenge on their altar to Mars. You wouldn’t know anything about that , I suppose?’
Rufius shrugged, his face remaining impassive.
‘More robbers would be my guess, Prefect. Desperate to have the decurion’s money perhaps? He made the mistake of abandoning his uniform and, since he looked like any other traveller, he paid a severe price.’
The other man turned away, his face shadowed by disbelief.
‘Hmmm. And Dubnus brought him here.’
‘Only as the result of a request from Legatus Sollemnis, passed on by me. I work for him in a minor capacity …’
The prefect spun back to face Rufius, speaking into his ear so quietly that Marcus could barely pick out the angry tone of his voice.
‘I know
‘Prefect Equitius, this man is a trained praetorian centurion. He and I fought together on the road outside Yew Grove, when tribesmen surprised our party, and I saw no lack of courage in his eyes on that day. He also wounded an armed horseman in mounted combat during his escape from an ambush outside Yew Grove. He also marched from Yew Grove to this fort in nine days, thirty miles a day. Yes, he is tired, dirty and footsore, but he has courage and determination that you and I should be grateful to call our own. With the right guidance he …’
The prefect’s calm voice trampled over his sentence, used to being heard with deference under most circumstances.
‘Guidance? And that would be imparted by whom, in your opinion? I’ve got a civil war brewing to both north and south of my sector of the Wall and only four of my centurions with recent combat experience. I’ve got problems enough without having to nursemaid an untrained officer. Besides, my First Spear would laugh in my face – just as you would in his place.’
Rufius shifted his position slightly, weighing his last weapon of persuasion before throwing it.
‘Your chosen man Dubnus seems to think reasonably well of him …’
Equitius’s eyes narrowed at the name. He stood and walked around the desk, stopping in front of Rufius to speak softly into the retired officer’s right ear.
‘Dubnus? Now you do trouble me. What part does our very own Brigantian warrior prince play in this tale?’
Rufius thought quickly, praying that Marcus would remain silent.
‘Dubnus and his tent party intervened to save our lives when the barbarians attacked us on the road. Then he chanced upon me and the young man as we were being hunted through a murky dawn, by killers hired by the imperial appointee at Yew Grove. Only his impressive skills in combat saved us both from swift and ignominious death at the hands of those heartless mercenaries …’
‘I was coming to that. And you can keep the fancy language for the next time you want to overcharge Annius for a consignment of fish pickle. As I’ve received the news, a decurion of cavalry from the Second Asturian Horse at Cauldron Pool and two of his men, part of a detachment serving with the Sixth on attachment, were ambushed by this man and his cronies. Murdered before they had time to arm themselves. All three of them were left dead at the roadside, apparently, and to add insult to injury two of their horses were butchered for their meat. You’re telling me that Dubnus was a part of that ?’
Rufius allowed himself to bridle slightly.
‘That he defended our lives at the risk of his own, taking us for innocent travellers beset by robbers, yes. That he attacked defenceless cavalrymen, no . These men were without uniform or insignia, and attacked us without hesitation. Your excellent chosen man saved both of our lives.’
Equitius stared hard at the retired officer, his face set hard.
‘The decurion, in the reports I received, showed signs of torture. A small blade had been used to inflict severe pain upon him as he lay trapped and dying underneath his dead horse. The Asturians have sworn bloody revenge on their altar to Mars. You wouldn’t know anything about that , I suppose?’
Rufius shrugged, his face remaining impassive.
‘More robbers would be my guess, Prefect. Desperate to have the decurion’s money perhaps? He made the mistake of abandoning his uniform and, since he looked like any other traveller, he paid a severe price.’
The other man turned away, his face shadowed by disbelief.
‘Hmmm. And Dubnus brought him here.’
‘Only as the result of a request from Legatus Sollemnis, passed on by me. I work for him in a minor capacity …’
The prefect spun back to face Rufius, speaking into his ear so quietly that Marcus could barely pick out the angry tone of his voice.
‘I know
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