“You went to a party that got a bit out of control,” answered the senior man.
That was when it came back. The bonfire. The fur traders. The crowd turning on him. He felt suddenly short of breath. “Where’s the boy?”
The man said, “You can see him when we’ve tidied you up.”
“Is he all right?”
The man said, “Tell him.”
The trainee took a breath. “Bruising to the arms and face,” he said. “Some rope burn around the neck and wrists. No broken bones that we can detect, and nothing life threatening.”
Ruso tried to steady his breathing. Tried to think. This was something he knew about. “Did you check him all over?”
“Of course.”
“Head injuries?”
“None. And he’s eating everything he’s given.”
Ruso made an effort to relax. “I feel as though I’ve been kicked by a horse.”
“They slashed through the ties on your lorica,” said the senior man. “Then they unpeeled you like a prawn.”
It was not a pleasant image, picturing the iron plates of the lorica wrenched apart to reveal the vulnerable torso inside. He said, “What have you put on the boy’s rope burn?”
There was silence for a moment. Then the trainee said, “D’you think he might be a medic, sir?”
“I doubt it,” the other one said. “What would a medic be doing on his own late at night at the Three Oaks?”
Ruso clutched at the side of the table and tried to pull himself up. “I need transport. I need to get the boy back to Parva.”
They both laughed at that. “You’re not going anywhere, my friend,” said the senior of the two. “Doctor’s orders.”
Chapter 69
Tilla took a couple of deep breaths and the cold air sliced down her throat. She felt slightly calmer now that she was doing something. Walk. Keep walking. Put your mind on one thing. Do not, however much you want to, scream. By the time she reached the place where the track divided, Albanus was far behind and the twisting feeling in her stomach had become nausea. Sacred goddess, holy mothers, great Lord Christos, let those two soldiers be safe . . . Not only because one of them was definitely innocent and had tried to help her, but because she could not bear the thought of the consequences for everyone else if the thing she feared was really happening.
The track to the farm was invisible in the shadow of the trees. Unable to see what was beneath her, she slid in soft mud and cold water seeped over the tops of her boots. It was no worse than she deserved.
It had not been up to her to do anything about Mallius. That part of the message had been for the tribune. Yesterday her husband had told her very clearly that she could not tell Daminius what to do, but she had thought she knew better. Now she had not only shamed her husband, she had put his comrades in danger too.
“It will all be all right when the sun rises,” she whispered, as if speaking it aloud would make it true. “Perhaps in the morning my husband will come back with Branan and everything will be all right again.”
They might even have the wedding blessing. That would please Aemilia.
Aemilia. How could she have forgotten to tell her cousin the blessing was withdrawn? Was there anything she had not made a mess of lately?
You should not have used Daminius.
“Oh, shut up!”
There was no sign of the dog as she pushed open the gate, which was not good. Holy Christos, mothers and goddess, let them all be asleep in bed. Let them not be a part of whatever is happening. Then I can run to the fort for help. Tapping a knuckle on the door, she said, “It is the Daughter of Lugh. Is anyone awake?”
To her surprise the creak of someone getting out of a chair was immediate. A quiet female voice that she recognized as Cata’s mother came from the other side of the door. “Go away, Daughter of Lugh. It is not safe for you here.”
“I need to talk to Senecio and Conn!”
“They are not here. Nobody is here. Only me and Cata, looking after the children.”
“Where did they all go?”
Silence.
“Are you still there?”
“Go!” the woman insisted. “They do not trust you. They know Branan has been taken north into the high mountains. Somebody spoke to a messenger from Coria.”
“What have they done with the soldiers?”
Silence.
“Are they here?”
“You can do nothing for them. Go a long way away. Go back to Deva with your Roman before Conn takes you too. He does not listen to the old man anymore.”
“Are the soldiers still alive?”
The woman hesitated for a moment. “They said if we did not want to watch, we should mind the children.”