The Blood Crows (Roman Legion 12) Read Free Page A

that spread out on either side of the river. Much of it had been cleared of trees and small farmsteads dotted the countryside. There was also a handful of larger buildings with tiled roofs, evidence that the stamp of Rome was making its mark on the new province. Macro broke off his musing to glance at his companion a short distance away, resting his elbows on the ship’s side rail as he stared blankly at the ruffled surface of the river gliding past. Macro cleared his throat none too subtly.
    ‘I said, the place has changed.’
    Cato stirred and then looked up and smiled quickly. ‘Sorry, miles away.’
    Macro nodded. ‘Your thoughts are turned towards Rome, no doubt. Don’t worry, lad, Julia’s a good woman, and a fine wife. She’ll keep it warm for you until you get back.’
    Despite the fact that his friend outranked him, an easy familiarity had been forged between them over the eight years they had served together. Once Macro had been the senior officer, but now Cato had surpassed him and risen to the rank of prefect and was ready to take up his first permanent command of a cohort of auxiliaries: the Second Cohort of Thracian cavalry. The Second’s previous commander had been killed during the last campaign season and the imperial staff back in Rome had chosen Cato to fill the vacancy.
    ‘And when will that be, I wonder?’ the younger man responded, his voice edged with bitterness. ‘From what I’ve heard, the Emperor’s triumphant celebration of the conquest of Britannia was somewhat premature. Like as not we’ll still be fighting Caratacus and his followers until we’re old men.’
    ‘Suits me.’ Macro shrugged. ‘Better some honest soldiering back with the legions than all that cloak and dagger stuff we’ve had to put up with since we were last here.’
    ‘Thought you hated Britannia. Always going on about the bloody damp, the cold and lack of decent food. Couldn’t wait to leave, you said.’
    ‘Did I say that?’ Macro feigned innocence, and then rubbed his hands together. ‘Still, here we are. Back where there’s a decent campaign on the go and a chance for more promotion and awards and, best of all, a chance to top up my retirement fund. I’ve been listening to reports as well, my lad, and there’s talk of a fortune in silver to be had in the mountains to the west of the island. If we’re lucky we’ll be sitting pretty once the natives have been given a good kicking and come to their senses.’
    Cato could not help smiling. ‘Kicking a man seldom induces him to be reasonable, in my experience.’
    ‘I disagree. If you know where to kick a man, and how hard, he’ll do whatever you need him to.’
    ‘If you say so.’ Cato had no wish to enter into a debate. His mind was still troubled by the prospect of being parted from Julia. They had met a few years earlier, on the empire’s eastern frontier where her father, Senator Sempronius, had been serving as the Emperor’s ambassador to the King of Palmyra. Marriage into a senatorial family was a considerable advance in status for a junior legionary officer like Cato, and the cause of some anxiety at the prospect of being sneered at by those from old aristocratic families. But Senator Sempronius had recognised Cato’s potential and had been pleased for him to marry his daughter. The wedding had been the happiest day of Cato’s life, but there had been little time to become accustomed to being a husband before he had received his marching orders from the imperial secretary. Narcissus was under growing pressure from the faction which had chosen the young prince Nero to succeed Emperor Claudius. The imperial secretary had sided with those supporting Britannicus, the Emperor’s natural son, and they were steadily losing influence over the doddery old ruler of the greatest empire in the world. Narcissus had explained that he was doing Cato a favour in sending him as far from Rome as possible. When the Emperor died, there would be a scramble