“Do you think this will work?”
I turned to see Masala, evidently freed fromhis duties of being Primus’ shadow for a moment, since the commandgroup marched ahead of the prisoners and behind the 8thmarching vanguard.
“I think so,” I said, then amended, “I hopeso.”
I gave him a curious glance, asking, “Aren’tyou going with the Praetor?”
For it had been agreed that Marcus Primuswould go with the baggage and prisoners, ostensibly in “command,”despite it being no secret among the senior officers that he wasbeing kept out of the way. I will say that it was not something hefought very hard; I think he had gotten his fill of military lifeby this point, and he certainly did not seem upset to be shovedaside.
“I got his permission to stay with thearmy,” Masala answered. “If this turns out to be the last battle ofthe campaign, I want to be part of it.”
“Well, I’m touched by your confidence thatthis will all work out the way I hope.” I said it as a joke, yet intruth, I was somewhat touched by his belief, however naïve it mayhave been. “Stick by my side then, and we’ll get your sword wet.And get you through in one piece.”
He nodded gratefully, then the cavalryrearguard came walking by, and it was time to join them. I trottedOcelus up the column, Masala behind me. The vanguard reached themouth of the valley, moving alongside the river, slowlydisappearing around the shoulder of the mountain where the fortresssat, it also seemingly deserted. Our men were in there waiting,left behind when the working parties came back to the camp, Calduswith them. I told them that they could remain outside their hidingspots, just out of sight from the ramparts until we passed by,where they would hear a signal from one of the othercorniceni, because that horn carries farther than thebucina. This would tell them to go into their spots, andthey were not to move until the right moment. Once the vanguardreached the narrow draw that eventually led up to the spot we hadselected for them, the men were forced to reduce their front fromthe standard eight abreast to just four men and, even then, therewere spots where they were forced to step aside to make room. Thiswas the one part I worried about most; if the Thracians arrived atthe fortress too quickly, the dust from the Legions would still bein the air, pointing straight up the draw to where we would behiding. This was simply a risk that had to be taken, and I hopedthat the combination of time and the undergrowth that choked thesides of the draw would trap most of the dust before it could risehigh in the air. From the fortress, looking south, there was a viewup the valley a distance of at least two or three more miles beforethe road following the river curved out of sight, following thecourse of the water. Even if the column was not completely out ofsight; that was actually a good thing, since it would be thebaggage train that the Thracian scouting party would see. Thecavalry would have already pushed ahead of the column now that thetrain was out of danger from Serdica, and the dust from the wagonswould obscure what lay ahead. To their eyes, everything wouldappear to be the same, at least so I hoped.
I rode Ocelus a short way up the slope towatch the army split in two, and I saw the surprised looks on thefaces of the Thracian prisoners, realizing that something washappening that was more than just a march. Even from where I sat, Icould hear the excited buzzing of talk as men called to each other,and I knew that some of them were thinking about the possibility ofan opportunity to escape. That would be next to impossible; the menwere bound, one hand chained to another man’s, and while their legswere free so they could walk, each man had a loop of rope aroundhis neck, leading to the man directly in front and behind. If therewas an attempt to escape, it would have to be by a whole group ofmen who could manage to move simultaneously without any of themtripping, or being slower than their comrades. In short, they werenot a threat to escape or cause any real mischief, so I did not seeany point in trying to shut them up. The 13th reachedthe spot to turn off, and began their own ascent. A few momentslater, the baggage train went rumbling by, the wagons rocking overthe rough road, the axles screeching and the contents rattlingabout inside. Seeing the end of the column, I turned to follow therest of the army, Ocelus picking his way through the rocks thatlittered the floor of the draw. Everything that could be done hadbeen, and now it was all in the hands of others, a veryuncomfortable feeling for me. I just hoped that by the end of thisday, Serdica would be ours, the relatively easy way.
It is so rare that a plan works exactly theway it is designed that in all of
