Conn Iggulden - The Gates Of Rome

The knife men attacked the back row again as it passed, one of them going down with a gladius in his ribs before the others bore their man down onto the ground. He yelled in fear as his sword was wrenched from his grasp and then the yell was cut suddenly short.

As they marched on, Gaius could hear hoots of triumph from behind. He sneaked a look back and wished he hadn't as the attackers raised a bloody head and howled like animals. The men around him swore viciously and one of them suddenly stopped, raising his sword.

"Come on, Vegus, we're nearly there," another urged him, but he shook off the hands on his shoulders and spat at the ground.

"He was my friend," he muttered, and broke rank, racing back toward the bloody group. Gaius tried to watch what happened. He could hear the cry as they saw him coming, but then men seemed to pour out of the alleyways and the soldier was torn apart without a sound.

"Steady," Marius shouted, and Gaius could hear the anger in the voice, the first touch of it he'd seen in the man. "Steady," he called again.

Marcus took a dagger from the man on his right and drifted back through the ranks. He was in the last row of three when they passed the dark mouth of an alleyway and four others sprang, their knives held to kill. Marcus ducked and took the weight of an attacker as they crashed together in a violent embrace. He pulled his knife across the throat he saw so close to his own and blinked as the blood spurted out over him. He used the body to block another thrust and then threw it at the remaining attackers. As it landed, the men went down to swift, punching stabs from the three legionaries, who then rejoined the ranks without a word. One of them clapped a hand on Marcus's shoulder and Marcus grinned at him. He ghosted up through the ranks again and arrived at Gaius's side, panting slightly. Gaius clasped the back of his neck for a second.

Then the gates were opening in front of them and they were safe, holding formation until the last man was through into the courtyard.

As the gates closed, Gaius went back to look down the hill they'd walked together. It was deserted; not a face showed. Rome seemed as quiet and orderly as ever.

Marius almost glowed with pleasure and energy as he walked amongst his men, clapping his hands to shoulders and laughing. They grinned wryly, like schoolboys being congratulated by a tutor.

"We've done it, boys!" Marius shouted. "We'll show this city a day to remember a month from today." They cheered him and he called for wine and refreshments, summoning every slave of his home to treat the men like kings.

"Anything they want!" he bellowed. Wine cups of gold and silver were pressed into the rough hands of every man back in through the gates, Gaius and Marcus included. Dark purple wine sloshed and gurgled as it was poured from clay jugs. Alexandria was with the other slaves and smiled at both Marcus and Gaius. Gaius nodded to her, but Marcus winked as she passed him.

Tubruk sniffed his wine and chuckled. "The best."

Marius held his cup high, his expression somber. Silence fell after a few seconds.

"To those who didn't make it today, who died for us. Tagoe, Luca, and Vegus. Good men all."

"Good men all!" Every voice echoed his in a guttural chorus, and the cups were tipped back and held out for refills from the waiting slaves.

"He knew their names," Gaius whispered to Tubruk, who brought his head close to reply.

"He knows all their names," he muttered. "That is why he is a good general. That is why they love him. He could tell you some of the history of every man here and a good portion of the legion outside Rome as well. Oh, you can call it a trick if you like, a cheap way to impress the men who serve. I know that's what he would say if you asked him." He paused to look at the general as he caught a huge and husky soldier in a headlock and walked through the crowd with him. The man bellowed, but didn't struggle. He bore it as it was meant.

"They're his children, I think. You can see how much he loves them. That big man could probably tear Marius's arms off if he wanted. On another day, he'd put a dagger in a man for looking at him with a squint in the noonday sun. But Marius can lead him around by the head and he laughs. I'm not sure you can train a man into that skill-I think it's born into you, or not. You don't even need to have it to be a good general.

"These men would follow Sulla if they were in his legion. They'd fight for him and hold formation and die for him. But they love Marius, so they can't be bribed or bought, and in battle they will not ever run, not to the last man. Not while he's watching, anyway. There used to be a land qualification to be in the legions, but Marius abolished it. Now anyone can make a career fighting for Rome, at least for him. Half these men wouldn't have made it into the army before Marius had his law passed by the Senate. They owe him a great deal."

The men began to walk out of the entrance square, off to be bathed and massaged by the prettiest female slaves on the grounds. Several beauties had taken arms and were already gasping and exclaiming at stories of battle prowess. When Marius let go of the big legionary's head, he immediately called a girl over, a slim brunette with kohl-dark eyes. The big man took one look and grinned like a wolf, gathering her up into his arms. The echoes of her laughter came back off the brick walls as he trotted into the main buildings.

One young soldier dropped a powerfully muscled arm onto Alexandria's shoulder and said something to her. Marcus came up behind the man quickly.

"Not this girl, friend. She's not from this house."

The soldier looked at him and took in the boy's bearing and determined expression. He shrugged and called to another slave girl as she passed by. Gaius stood watching the exchange and when Alexandria caught his eye, her face filled with anger. She turned her back on Marcus and strode into the cool interior of the garden rooms.

Marcus turned to his friend. He had noticed her expression and his own was thoughtful.

"Why was she so annoyed?" Gaius said, exasperated. "I wouldn't have thought she wanted to go with that big ox. You saved her."

Marcus nodded. "That may be the problem. Perhaps she didn't want me to. Perhaps she wanted you to save her."

"Oh." Gaius's face lit up. "Really?"

Marius staggered over to Gaius and his friends, still laughing, his hair plastered to his forehead with wine emptied over him. His eyes were shining with pleasure. He took Gaius by both shoulders.

"Well, lad? How was your first taste of Rome?"

Gaius grinned back at him. You couldn't help it. The man's emotions were infectious. When he frowned, dark clouds of fear and anger followed him around and touched all who met him. When he smiled, you wanted to smile. You wanted to be one of his men. Gaius could feel the power of the man and for the first time wondered if he could ever command that kind of loyalty himself.

"It was frightening, but exciting as well," he replied, unable to stop his lips from smiling.

"Good! Some don't feel it, you know. They just add up supply figures and calculate how many men it would take to hold a ravine. They just don't feel the excitement."

He looked over at Marcus, Tubruk, and Cabera.

"Get drunk if you like, have a woman if you can find one by now. We'll do no work today and no one can leave until it's dark after that trouble we had. Tomorrow, we'll start planning how to bring five thousand men fifty miles and all the way through Rome. Do you know anything about supply?"

Both Marcus and Gaius shook their heads.

"You'll learn. The best army in the world is lost without food and water, boys. That's the thing to know. Everything else falls into place. My home is your home, remember. I'm going to sit in the fountain and get drunk." He collected three unopened jugs of wine from the remaining male slaves and walked away-a man with a mission.