Path of the Tiger

enhanced by this magic, whatever it was. He could clearly perceive objects on the distant curve of the earth’s horizon, and night became as day to him, so clear was his vision in the dark. Indeed, with his wolf eyes he could see light of a completely different spectrum to that which his dull human eyes could perceive, and in his wolf form he could detect many things that were invisible to the eyes of men.

With regard to sound, a deer stepping on a twig a mile away amidst the trees sounded as precise to him had it occurred but a foot away.

After he had healed and had become accustomed to his animal form, he had begun to discover that he missed Rome, and that the rustic settlements of the Gallic tribes with whom he sometimes stayed and shared meals no longer held the fresh charm they had when he had first journeyed out to the edges of the Empire.

So it was that he had turned and made the long journey back to his home, a trek in which he had covered most of the distance through the wild country in his wolf form, for he found that he possessed far greater speed, agility and stamina as a wolf than as a man.

While he had initially been convinced that this magic had been a blessing from the goddess Diana herself, he soon came to question the veracity of this belief. Demonstrating his ability to switch between the forms of wolf and man to some Celtic peasants in a remote village almost led to his execution, for they had been of the opinion that he was a demon of the forest taken human form, rather an exceptionally lucky man, blessed by the gods. After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the superstitious villagers, he had learned to be a lot more cautious about who he revealed his secret to.

Now, though, it seemed that someone had found out – this Octavian and his Huntsmen thugs had called him ‘wolf’. They knew, and they had decided that because of the ability he possessed, he had to die.

For five years he had managed to evade them. A few times they had sent troops after him, and he had had a few narrow escapes, the closest of these being on the evening on which he had first brought the gladiator Viridovix out to Batiatus’s ludus. Thereafter he had generally moved about under the cover of darkness, while also assuming a new identity. He had changed his ostentatious tunics of purple, scarlet and gold velvet for rough-spun peasant tunics of brown, and he had grown a beard, while also dying his hair different colours with regular frequency, and wearing it at different lengths … yet still these Huntsmen always managed to find him. It was all he could do to stay but a step or two ahead of them.

‘Lucius?’ Batiatus said, snapping him out of his trance of memories. ‘The Huntsmen – what have you learned of them, these past few years?’

‘I, er, I…’

‘Yes? Speak man, speak! If I’m to continue to protect you, I need to know who I’m protecting you from, and why I’m protecting you from them.’

Lucius was not certain whether he could explain anything about what he knew about the Huntsmen without giving away his own secret. His thoughts raced and collided haphazardly about the corridors of his mind as he scrambled for an answer, his usual quick wits deserting him.

‘I … I believe they are funded by another ludus, jealous of your gladiatorial success,’ he muttered, choking on the lie.

Batiatus scratched his square jaw.

‘Rivals eh? Well, I have plenty of those, I won’t deny. And it is true that by eliminating you, who has provided me with some of the finest gladiators Rome has ever seen in the last ten years, my ludus would be at a severe disadvantage in the future.’

‘Yes, yes,’ Lucius spluttered. ‘They covet your glory in the arena. Their gladiators are of such poor stock that they cannot possibly compete with ours, er, yours. I am the one who has found the raw material, material that has been moulded by your skilful hands into such glorious fighters, yes. This is why they want me dead … because of my loyalty to you, and my insistence upon delivering the best gladiatorial material to you, and you alone. Of course, I say this not to detract from your personal glory, for as I said it is you, Batiatus, who takes the men I provide, and through your genius and craftsmanship, shape them into that which is the embodiment of perfection…’

Batiatus huffed and frowned.

‘Yes yes, enough of this flattery now, Lucius. You know me better than that. As I just explained to that Octavian buffoon, I’m a soldier first and foremost, not some soft senator who thrives on hollow praise and empty promises and insincere compliments. Save your tongue for the whores you fuck, and let’s keep this plain and simple: I need you, you need me. Our business relationship has proved most successful and profitable over the last ten years, and I have no desire to end it, so stop looking so worried, Lucius. You’ll remain under my protection, so long as you remain in this area and don’t visit Rome too often. Remember, I’m far less able to protect you there than I am when you’re here in Capua.’

Lucius nodded, but he could not shake the consternation that stirred its discomfort within the marrow of his bones. Something still did not feel right. Nonetheless, he bowed to Batiatus, said his farewells and then left, feeling his friend’s eyes boring with strange, unsettling intent into his back as he strode across the polished marble floor.

39

SPARTACUS

Spartacus attacked with a lunge of his gladius, right after using his tall shield to batter open a gap in Viridovix’s guard. The point of the blunted training sword, which he intended and fully expected to crash into Viridovix’s midsection, slashed nothing