Nick Brown - The Emperor's silver

Simo was calling his name. He rolled out of bed and ambled to the top of the stairs. The Gaul was standing by the front door, holding a lamp.

‘What is it?’

‘Master Cosmas is outside, sir.’

‘Well, let him in.’

Clad only in his sleeping tunic, Cassius held on to the wall as he descended the stairs. By the time he reached the bottom, the sergeant was inside.

Cosmas turned and looked back through the doorway. ‘Come inside, please. Come on!’

Cassius stood beside Simo as Cosmas pulled Mahalie in, then shut the door behind her.

‘What’s going on? Where’s Indavara?’

Mahalie reached out to Simo and clutched his hand.

‘One of our patrols found her wandering the streets.’ Cosmas put a hand on her shoulder. ‘Come on, girl. You must tell him what you told me.’

‘They … they took him.’

Cassius felt his entire body shiver. ‘What?’

‘We were walking back to the inn. They came out of nowhere. Six or seven at least. He fought them, told me to run. By the time I reached the inn and looked back they were gone. He was gone.’

‘She said they were all in black,’ added Cosmas. ‘Hoods. Not one of them said a word.’

Mahalie threw herself into Simo’s arms.

‘What will I do now?’ she wailed. ‘What will I do?’

The Gaul just stood there, comforting the girl, staring at his master.

‘Sir,’ said Cosmas, ‘I’ve got a squad out there now. I’ve alerted all the sentries at the gates, we will do everything we …’

Cassius heard nothing more. He walked away and sat down on the stairs.

They were never after me.

They were after him.