Simon Scarrow - The Eagle In the Sand

'They're running for it! Get after them! Cut 'em down!'

The men poured out of the breach behind him and quickly spread out across the body-strewn area in front of the wall as they chased after the enemy. Moments ago the Judaeans had been pressing home their attack and now they were fleeing for their lives. Cato was shocked by the sudden reversal in the tide of the battle, and then he regained control of himself and ran forward with his men, chasing the enemy back up the rubble slope. He reached the crest and paused at the sight of the enemy streaming away from the fort like rats in the loom of the flames from the fort and the torches of the enemy lines. He could not risk this brief moment of victory rushing to his men's heads, or they would be annihilated. Quickly he sheathed his sword and cupped a hand to his mouth.

'Second Illyrian!' he bellowed as loud as he could. 'Second Illyrian, on me! Back inside the fort! Now!'

The nearest men heard and turned to respond, reluctantly giving up the chance to slaughter more of the enemy. A few others carried on a few paces before their blood rage faded and they retreated towards the fort. But a handful, maddened with battle rage, charged on and were lost amid the dark shadows of the Judaean ranks. Cato waited for the last of his men to clamber down the rubble slope, then turned to follow them, ducking as a slingshot zipped close overhead. Macro was waiting for him in front of the breach, grinning.

'I tell you, Cato, you're losing it. A few more wild charges like that and I'm sending you into the arena. You'd scare any gladiator out of his skin.'

Cato felt himself blush, instantly angry that he had made himself look so foolhardy.

'Oh, come now.' Macro clapped him on the shoulder. 'You and the lads did well. They won't be coming back again in a hurry.'

'Maybe not in a hurry,' Cato conceded. 'But they will be back.'

'Of course they will.' Macro nodded over his shoulder at the flames rising up from the buildings a short distance behind the inner wall. 'Meanwhile we've got other problems to worry about…'

07 The Eagle In the Sand

They made their way back through the breach and went to find Centurion Parmenion. The veteran officer was working alongside his men pulling down the cohort's stables in an attempt to create a firebreak so that there was still a way through to the rest of the fort for the men defending the breach. A short distance away fire was consuming the granary and the roaring of the flames was punctuated by explosions of sparks from the building's timbers. Cato and Macro felt the heat hit them as they approached Parmenion and Macro had to squint as his eyes began to sting. Parmenion ordered his men to continue the work as he made his report to the prefect. His face was streaked with sweat and grime.

Macro pointed towards the stables. 'Where are the horses?'

'Scrofa took them to the far side of the fort, sir. He's tethering them along the east wall.'

'Fair enough,' Macro conceded. 'Good job. Better move the hostages there as well, in case the fire spreads to their cells. Now then, what's the news on the fire?'

'We're not going to be able to stop it spreading, sir. This firebreak's only going to divide it, keep an avenue open for you and the boys on the inner wall, if you get pushed back.'

'If we lose the wall, we lose the fort,' Macro responded bitterly.

'Maybe not,' said Cato. 'Not immediately at least. If we lose the wall then we have to use the fire as the next line of defence. It won't burn itself out for some hours.'

'And then?' Macro tipped his head to one side. 'Well? What then?'

It was a good question, Cato realised.The answer was straightforward. 'Then they march over the ashes and massacre us. Or we try to make a break for it. Leave a few men behind to make it seem as if the wall is still being defended, while the rest of us head out of the eastern gate and try to get as far from the fort as possible before daybreak. After that, head north to the Decapolis.'

Parmenion shook his head. 'They'd cut us to pieces if they caught us in the open. Those Parthians would pepper us with arrows so that we'd have to stop and cover ourselves with shields. They'd pin us down until the rest of Bannus' force turned up and finished off what was left. Battle of Carrhae, all over again.'

'All right, then,' Cato responded. 'We try something else. Something they can't possibly expect.' His eyes gleamed with excitement.

'Here we go again,' Macro muttered, turning to Parmenion. 'Brace yourself… All right, Cato, let's hear it.'

'If we stay on the wall, the flames will either get us or force us out of cover so that we'd have to face them on the ground outside the walls. If we retreat through the firebreak and close it off with burning debris, then we're just postponing being slaughtered a few hours.'

'Yes. So?'

'So we leave some men to man the walls, take the cohort out of the eastern gate, circle round and strike at their camp.' Cato looked from one man to the other. 'Well?'

Parmenion shook his head. 'That is the most hare-brained idea I've ever heard. No offence, or anything.'

'None taken. But what's the alternative?You're already agreed that we can't just wait and see what happens. Bannus won't be expecting us to take the initiative.'

'With good reason!' Parmenion snorted. 'He outnumbers us four or five to one.'

'Which is why he won't even think it is us.'

Parmenion frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'I think I know what the lad's thinking,' Macro interrupted. 'We hit them from the north, making as much noise about it as we can, and Bannus might just think that it's a relief force from Syria. Is that it, Cato?'

Cato nodded. 'They just might.'

Parmenion chuckled mirthlessly. 'And when morning comes and they see exactly how few we are, they just might take us for lunatics.'

Cato ignored him and kept his attention focused on his friend. 'We could carry it off, sir. If we strike from the darkness, the enemy will have no idea of the size of the force attacking them.They'll assume the worst and panic. It'll take a while before they even guess at the truth, and by then we could have scattered them, burned the surviving onager and sacked their camp. It'll take Bannus days to recover.'

Macro was not yet fully convinced. 'What if it goes wrong? If they don't run, but stand their ground, then we'll be given a good kicking.'

'No worse than if we just stayed put and waited for a good kicking here in the fort.'

'Good point,' Macro conceded. 'All right, we'll give it a try. After all, we've nothing to lose.'

'Except our sanity,' Parmenion muttered. 'And our lives.'

Macro glanced round at his officers, all those who could be spared for the operation. Parmenion and the others were manning the west wall and towers, doing their best to move around as much as possible to give the impression that there were far more men defending the breach than was the case. Macro was briefing the rest of the officers in the courtyard of the headquarters building. During the night Scrofa, Postumus and the men of the reserve squadron had been busy creating a firebreak along the route that bisected the fort, pulling down buildings on either side and carrying off the combustibles.The fire had raged across half of the fort and finally seemed to be shrinking in intensity now that it had exhausted its fuel. Unfortunately, not before it had gutted the prefect's quarters. All the fine murals and furniture that Scrofa had surrounded himself with had already been consumed by flames.

'The trick of it will be to get our men into position without alerting the pickets that Bannus has established round the fort.That's why we have had to wait for the fire to die down – can't risk them seeing us quit the gate. A party of scouts will go out ahead of the main force and clear the pickets on the north side so they can't give any warning to Bannus. We'll have to go carefully until we clear the belt of defences, but then I want the cavalry to run down the pickets closer to the enemy camp. Centurions Scrofa and Postumus will be in command of the cavalry squadrons. Once the pickets are dealt with they will move half a mile north of the enemy camp and form up on the flanks. Centurion Cato and I will follow with the infantry. When the line is complete we'll approach in silence for as long as possible and when I give the signal we sound every horn we have. Make sure the men give it full voice when they respond. I want Bannus to think every Roman soldier between here and Armenia is charging down on him. Tell your men to go in hard.They're to charge on until they hear the recall.At that point everyone is to retire through the breach, covered by the cavalry.' Macro opened his hands. 'That's it. Any questions?'