Simon Scarrow - The Gladiator

Ajax landed lightly on his feet, and quickly transferred his spear back into his right hand as he sheltered behind his shield. He rose up, glancing to both sides. The man who had climbed the wall ahead of him was battling to the right, desperately defending the foothold he had gained at the top of the ladder. Ajax turned the other way and saw a section of Romans struggling to dislodge the ladders further along as they stabbed down with their javelins and tried to lever the ladders away from the wall. Luckily they had been preoccupied with the threat immediately in front of them and had not seen him. Down in the city he saw scores of the enemy piling out of side streets into the base of the gatehouse and making for the stairs to reinforce their comrades facing the rebels.

Ajax lifted his spear and switched to an overhand grip, resting the head of the shaft on the shield rim as he moved towards the defenders. He took a quick glance back and saw that another man had reached the wall.

'Follow me,' he ordered as he advanced along the narrow walkway. He closed to within ten feet of the nearest Roman before he was noticed. The man barely had time to turn before the gladiator was upon him, thrusting with his spear. The iron head punched into the hand thrown up in a vain effort to ward the blow off. The point passed through it and on into the man's throat, cutting through windpipe and spine before bursting out the back of his neck. Ajax thrust his shield out, knocking the body to one side as he wrenched the spear back, ripping it free before concentrating on his next opponent. A burly optio had succeeded in tipping one of the ladders back and now turned to face Ajax, snatching out his sword as he raised his shield.

For an instant the two men sized each other up. Ajax could tell at once that the optio was an experienced and able fighter. His balance was good and he had lowered himself into a crouch, from which position he could spring into a powerful attack the moment he saw his chance.

Lifting his spear slightly, Ajax feinted towards the optio's face. The man parried it easily and resumed his posture. Then, with a sudden snarl, he lunged forward, his point stabbing towards Ajax's groin. Ajax swung his shield round and deflected the blow, and instantly thrust again with his spear before the optio could recover. But the man was surprisingly nimble for one his size and he ducked under the strike.

Ajax backed off a pace, and risked a quick glance to see how the fight was going. Beyond the section ahead of him, more men were spreading along the wall. Below, in the streets, the enemy streamed towards the steps leading up on to the wall. There was not much time, Ajax realised. If the rebels could not get enough men on to the wall to make their numbers tell, then the assault was doomed.

The optio clattered his sword against the edge of his shield and sneered.' Had enough, then?'

Ajax could not help laughing. Such an obvious taunt was beneath even the greenest of gladiators. He moved forward again, determined to cut the man down and clear a path for Chilo and his men. The optio's shield came up, ready to take the next spear thrust. Ajax feinted high, forcing the Roman to raise his shield still further, then the gladiator went down on one knee, angling the edge of his shield forward and smashing it against the other man's leading shin. There was a sharp crack at the impact and the optio bellowed in pain and rage as he collapsed. Ajax recovered, rising over his victim, and struck home, taking the man under the armpit, driving through his side into his chest. He stamped his foot down on the Roman, then yanked the spearhead free and stepped over the body. With the death of the optio, the other Romans backed away, crowding back towards the first of their comrades who had climbed the wall to aid them.

The gladiator glanced over his shoulder. Ten or more of his men were on the wall now, together with Chilo. As three of them came running along the walkway, Ajax stepped into the parapet to let them pass.

'Keep ' em busy!' he ordered. 'Don't let them press you back.'

He retreated a few paces before turning and hurrying towards Chilo, and thrust his arm out towards the gatehouse. 'That way! Keep the men going that way. We must take the gate, quickly!'

Chilo nodded, calling to his men, ' Follow me!'

Together with several of his companions, Chilo ran along the wall towards the open door leading from the walkway into the gatehouse.

He was no more than a spear's length from the opening when a Roman stepped out, then stopped in surprise as he saw the rebels pounding towards him. The next moment Chilo slammed into him and they crashed back through the doorway into the gatehouse. His men crowded in behind him and the sounds of shouts and the clash of shields and blades carried outside to Ajax. He had already transferred his bloodied spear to his shield hand and was helping a man over the rampart and thrusting him towards the gatehouse.' Go!'

As he waited for the next man, Ajax looked back along the wall and saw that only two ladders were still standing. In the streets, the sound of nailed boots was deafening as more and more Romans rushed towards the endangered section of their defences, and he knew that the rebels could not get enough men on to the wall to hold it for much longer. Already one of the three men tasked with holding the walkway further along was down, doubled over as he curled round a wound to his groin. His comrades were forced back and a moment later the man was dead, killed by the first Roman to step over him.

Another man came over the rampart and Ajax grabbed his arm.

'With me!'

He hurried forward to help the two men faced by impossible odds. Four might stem the enemy tide long enough for Chilo to take the gatehouse. They stood, shields presented to the Romans, stabbing overhead with their spears. Another of the defenders went down, clutching his throat as he toppled off the wall. Then the enemy were up close, shield to shield, grunting with the effort of pressing the rebels back. Step by step, Ajax and the others were forced to give ground, falling back past the top of the other remaining ladder. Then one of his men collapsed, caught by the blade of a short sword rammed through a gap in their shields. Behind him he heard renewed sounds of fighting from the gatehouse and then Chilo ordering his men to fall back.

'No!' Ajax shouted at the top of his voice. 'Chilo! Hold fast!'

But his voice was drowned out by another, cutting through the night as a Roman officer bellowed,'Kill the bastards! Cut ' em down! Come on, lads, on me!'

Ajax felt a nudge at his shoulder as another man who had climbed the ladder joined the desperate struggle. He let the man by to take his place and turned to see how Chilo was faring. There was a sick feeling in his gut as he saw that a fresh wave of Romans had already pushed the rebels out of the gatehouse and was forcing them back towards the remaining ladder. The fight was lost, Ajax realised at once, and instantly knew he must do what he could to save his men.

He leaned over the wall. 'Back! Fall back!'

The upturned faces below him were dimly visible by the fading glow of the burning faggots, and their looks of despair cut into his heart like knives, but there was nothing else he could do. 'Fall back, I said! Now!'

The first of them turned and retreated towards the ditch.

'General!' Chilo came up to him, panting and face spattered with blood. He nodded towards the remaining ladder. 'You first.'

For an instant Ajax was tempted to refuse, before his reason took over. The attack had failed and his men would need him alive.

'All right. But you and the rest get down as fast as you can.'

'Yes, General.'

Ajax swung himself back over the parapet and felt for the top rung with his bare feet. He let his spear drop to the ground below and clambered back down. As he reached the bottom, the first of Chilo's men came after him.