Jack Whyte - The Eagles' Brood

"How many of the enemy did they count?"

"Approximately four hundred that they could see, all mounted and preparing to move out again, coming this way."

"Were they seen, our men?"

"They don't think so."

I glanced around at the faces of my companions. "What's our plan?"

"We haven't time to do anything too elaborate. Uther and Flavius are riding to meet them with five hundred horsemen. They'll take Lot's people as and when they meet them. It will be our disciplined horse against their lack of discipline."

I grimaced. "We hope! I would think it required some strongly disciplined manoeuvring to surprise our camp there. Who was in charge?"

"Lucius Sato."

"That's what I thought. He was a good man." My mind was fully occupied in grappling with the logistics of what faced us. Finally I nodded, satisfied that I knew what to do. "So Uther and Flavius will tackle Lot's men to the southwest. What about the others? To the north? How much time do we have there?"

My father answered me by looking to Gwynn.

The big Celt shrugged. "We rode hard to get here, and when we left, the fleet was still on the water. They couldn't have landed before yesterday afternoon. That means they can't get here until tomorrow."

I frowned at him. "You mean you didn't see them land? Then how do we know they are attacking us? They may have landed on the northern coast of the estuary. They may be looking for the gold-mines again."

"No." Gwynn shook his head emphatically. "We thought of that. The beacon fires were to be lit if the Scots were coming this way. The fires passed us on the way this morn- mg.

I turned back to my father. "What, then?"

"We leave immediately. If all three thousand of them come this way, we'll stop them in the valley fifteen miles north of here, the one with the bog. It's a natural trap. We'll let them walk in and then spring it shut on them." He turned to Uther and Flavius. "You two can be on your way. Good luck and may Mithras the god of soldiers ride with you."

"Hold!" I stopped them before they could even salute. Both of them turned to stare at me. "Father, why are you only sending five hundred men?"

"Against four hundred? Because it is enough."

"I disagree. And if Uther thinks about it honestly, he will, too. They have four hundred and they're coming this way quickly. Their morale is high, remember, they've already slaughtered one contingent of our people."

My father frowned at me. "What are you trying to say, Caius?"

"I'm not trying to say anything. I think we should send Titus's two hundred with Uther and Flavius, too. Seven hundred against four. Give Lot's people a taste of numerical weakness. Then let them try to fight against our tactics in the field. Smash them now, while we have an early opportunity. They don't know we know they are coming. Let's teach them not to invade our Colony. Smash them, Father, now!"

Uther intervened, his face clouded. "We can do that with the troops we have. We need no more."

"Be sensible, Uther," I snapped. "Forget about the glory, and see the perils! These people are dangerous. If Gulrhys Lot has made alliance with the Hibernian Scots we can't afford to let a man of his escape. Take the extra two hundred and hammer him flat."

He looked at my father, who was frowning at me and who now spoke for Uther. "I see your point, but what about the north? We'll need those two hundred horsemen there."

"No we won't, Father. Between your men and mine, we will still have four hundred cavalry. If you want to trap the Scots in the valley, we can bring our four hundred horse behind them and chase them into our hidden infantry. The Scots have no horses. We can hide two thousand infantry and more along the sides of the road out of that valley, among the trees, and have another thousand waiting for them when they crest the hill on the far side. We can hit them front, rear and flanks all at the same time. we arrive there soon enough!"

My father's eyes flashed. "You're right, Caius!" The decision made, he swung to Titus. "Titus, take your command with Uther and Flavius. Among you, wipe Lot from your path. We will take the others in the valley to the north. Now let's move, gentlemen, we have no time to waste." The trumpets started blaring immediately in the courtyard outside as the party began to stream from the room. My father had hold of big Gwynn by the arm and was talking urgently to him.

I stopped beside them. "Father, I have to arm myself. I'll join you in the yard." He nodded and I turned on my heel to walk from the room, and then I hesitated and looked down at my feet. I was standing on the shortest floor board, the one that hid Excalibur. I felt a sudden thrill at the thought of carrying that burnished blade into battle.

"What's wrong, Caius?" My father's voice was impatient.

"Nothing, Father." I started walking again. "I just had a thought, that's all. It's not important."

By the time I emerged at the run from my quarters, trying to fasten my war cloak around my neck, my father and our senior officers were all mounted. I ran to my fresh horse, a huge black, and had my foot in the stirrup when my father called my name. I turned to look at him.

"One moment, Caius." He kneed his horse over to where I stood, so he looked directly down on me. "I meant to mention it at the time, but I was distracted and forgot. One day, about a month ago, while we were standing face to face, discussing something, I noticed that I was almost looking up into your eyes..." He smiled, and I saw love and pride in his face. "Almost, I said. Bear that in mind. I don't think I've ever had to look up into anyone's eyes since I was a child, but the fact is, my son, you are now as tall, and every bit as big, as I am." He beckoned to someone, and I turned to see a soldier approaching me with a great black war cloak held across his arms. "We were to have had a ceremony tomorrow," my father continued, "but now is as good a time as any. New standards for yourself and Uther. His is a golden dragon, yours is this." The soldier carrying the cloak swirled it open and presented it to me. The inner lining was white, like my father's own, but across the shoulders of the black exterior a great, rearing bear was depicted in heavy, silver embroidery, its arms flung wide to show its massive claws. It was magnificent. I was speechless, for my father and I had almost quarrelled a short time before over such a creature—he, angry that I had endangered my self rashly by fighting it, and I that he should belittle my single-handed victory over the monster. This was an olive branch.

"Wear it," my father shouted. "Our enemies should grow to fear it as soon as possible." There was a shout of laughter as I unclasped my own plain cloak and the soldier helped me to don my new one. As I fastened it, the soldiers in the courtyard gave a mighty cheer and I felt grand. I stepped up into my saddle and another soldier appeared by my side bearing a shield decorated with a silver bear, and a long, black-shafted spear. I took them and sat very tall and proud on my great, black horse. My father raised his arm again and there was a clatter of hooves as yet another soldier drew near, this one carrying my new standard of black and silver. General Picus dropped his arm, the trumpets blasted, and we rode out through the gates of Camulod, on our way to war again.

From the road outside the gates, we could look down on the plain beneath us, where our three thousand infantry were already moving out in cohorts of five hundred men each. Dust shrouded our view, but we all knew that we were looking at a phenomenon: the largest armed force our Colony had ever assembled for an aggressive strike. We had two hundred men to avenge, and we meant to succeed.

BOOK THREE - Raptors