Anthony Riches - The Leopard sword

Marcus raised a hand.

‘If I might comment, brother?’

Julius raised his eyebrows and looked up at the ceiling with a smile.

‘If only I’d seen Morban and placed money on a lecture from our only properly educated brother I might very shortly be a good deal richer. Go on, Marcus, but keep it quick.’

His friend returned the smile.

‘Your brothers are all expressing the blindingly obvious, Julius. It has to be you. Dubnus, Caelius and I are too wet behind the ears..’ The older centurions all nodded vigorously. ‘Otho, Milo and Clodius are too solid between the ears…’ He ignored the good-natured grumbling that greeted the opinion and pressed on. ‘And Titus…?’

The massive centurion turned to face him, bending slightly to look him in the face, his eyebrow raised.

‘Yes, little brother? Are there ears involved?’

Marcus kept a commendably straight face.

‘Titus is simply too terrifying a prospect for any of us. After all, he is rumoured to collect ears…’

The big man nodded knowingly, while the men around him muttered their apparent disgust at his evident failure to take offence, as Marcus continued.

‘You were First Spear Frontinius’s chosen replacement were he to fall in battle, and there’s not one of us will go against his judgement in making this decision.’

Julius looked around his fellow centurions one last time, and to Marcus’s eye his face took on an expression that was almost pleading.

‘You’re all sure?’

‘For fuck’s sake, man, accept the sword so that we can have a bloody drink!’

Bowing to the ever irascible Clodius, Julius nodded.

‘Agreed, brother Badger. But before we pour the wine again and celebrate our fallen brother’s achievements in life, we have an empty slot to fill within this brotherhood. I will move to command the First Century, as is expected of me, which leaves the Fifth in need of a centurion. And in response to that need, my decision is this. Acting Centurion Qadir will assume command of the Ninth Century, and Centurion Corvus will move to command the Fifth. And look after them properly, you young pup, I’m genuinely quite fond of one or two of them.’

Heads nodded around the circle.

‘And now, I think it’s time to drink the rest of that rather tasty Gaulish wine that Petrus sold us back when he was just a merchant.’

Wine was poured, and the officers fell to talking amongst themselves. Marcus watched in silence as his new superior walked across to the barrack window and stared out at the city’s east gate, before slowly walking across to join him.

‘For a man who’s just reached the pinnacle of his career, you’re not the happiest soldier I’ve ever seen.’

Julius replied without taking his eyes off the gate’s massive timbers, his eyes shining in the daylight streaming in through the window.

‘I don’t know if I can do it, Marcus. Fifteen years I’ve wanted this, and now that I have it…’

Marcus patted his shoulder.

‘Your life has changed in more ways than you could have expected. You’ve seen more fighting in a year than most men see in twenty-five; you’ve had friends killed and wounded; then, just when you take on the biggest, most unforgiving job of your life, you have a woman to care for, one you thought you’d never see again.’ He waited in silence until Julius sighed, nodding his agreement. ‘In which case I’ll remind you of a conversation we had in the bathhouse a few days ago. You told me that family was my main responsibility, and I’ll turn that advice back on you. Except this cohort is your family and, like it or not, you’re now our father. Why else do you think we all deferred so readily to your taking the sword? These men will go through torture for you, they will stand and die with you when all else is lost, but they need you to lead them, and to give them the certainty that we will always come through whatever shit we’re thrown into. And if your woman doesn’t understand that then she’s not as astute as I make her out to be. So take a moment to get a smile back on your face and join your brothers, First Spear. To remind you of your own words, do it for them, if not for me.’

Julius smiled quietly back at him, took a deep breath and turned back to the room with his cup raised for a refill.

‘Fair advice, Centurion. Just don’t start treating me any differently. And make sure that Dubnus learns to stop stealing my.. ’ He paused, looking around the room. ‘Where is Dubnus? He was here just a minute…’ He looked about him again, his face hardening with sudden understanding. ‘Bugger, Dubnus! Where’s my bloody vine stick!?’