Something shimmered in the darkness at the edge of the woods. I frowned and moved closer, peering through the gloom.
“Mallt, wait!” called Belis from behind me, her voice sudden and sharp. The shimmer moved forward and I realised my mistake too late. The rising light of the day glinted off the centurion’s helmet as he stepped into the glade.
Chapter 21
The centurion moved forward, the sunshine flashing off his helmet illuminating every hair of the snow-white crest. Three soldiers appeared beside him, their shortswords drawn for battle.
“You’ve led us a merry chase,” said the centurion, taking another stride forward, his eyes fixed on Belis. “And I see that you were not lying, if that red-headed chit there is indeed your sister. But it is over now, no more chances. The legate wanted you alive but he’ll settle for your heads. After two escape attempts he will understand why I could not let you live.” He smiled then, or tried to; grief and pain twisted his face until the expression was nothing more than a baring of teeth.
“I have prayed to the gods for strength to obey my orders, to deliver you alive. Now I see they have granted the prayer of my most secret heart.” He drew his sword. “Vengeance. I will cut your hearts out and lay them on the altar of Mars to give thanks to him.”
I started forward but one of the soldiers moved to meet me, grabbing my hand and pulling me back. I kicked at him, struggling in his grip, but he was a head taller than me and he held me fast. Dormath had vanished into the trees.
Belis leapt to her feet, her hand lifting the sword we had stolen.
“Mallt!” she called, looking frantically between me and her sister, still sitting on the ground behind her.
The centurion nodded to his men. “Stay where you are, these deaths belong to me. If they try to get past you, turn them back but don’t injure them.”
I could see the knuckles on his sword hand whiten and he whispered something I couldn’t quite hear. I thought it might have been a woman’s name. Then he charged.
Belis met the first blow, bringing her sword up to block his as it slashed down at her. She threw him back, turning all her weight behind the riposte. He snarled and stabbed at her again, short, quick motions that sent Belis stumbling backwards as she dodged.
I writhed in the soldier’s arms, trying to catch him off guard. I almost got loose but he wound a fist in my hair and dragged me back. The pain made me yelp and Belis flinched, darting a look at me. The centurion moved in, taking advantage of the distraction and sliding his sword right under her arm. She twisted at the last moment but hissed. When she danced free there was blood glittering on the Roman’s sword and a slash in the fabric of her tunic.
There was a scream from behind me and I saw Dormath, fur sticky with blood, clamp his jaws around a legionary’s throat. There was a crunch and the scream broke off. Dormath growled and leapt for the second man but he was warned now and my dog had to dodge his lance and shield.
“For my family,” the centurion shouted, pressing his advantage. Belis stumbled backwards, tripped on something and went down. The centurion crouched on one knee, scraping his sword along hers until the blade bit into the skin of her face. Belis howled in pain and flung him off, using his weight to pull herself up. With another step forward she stabbed her own sword into his side.
The centurion clenched his teeth, bringing his sword back up to block her follow-up attack. Belis stepped back, blood covering the tip of her sword.
Catrisca had managed to clamber to her feet and stagger to Belis’s side. She wiped the blood from her sister’s face.
“Cati, go, run,” Belis said to her, still keeping her eyes on the circling centurion. “Take one of the horses. I’ll hold them off.”
“I’m not leaving you again, sister, I’ve spent enough time cowering from these wolves,” Cati said, drawing a long knife from her boot. “We stand together now.”
The centurion charged. Belis met his sword with hers, leaving Cati to dash under his arm with her long knife.
The sisters fought together as if they were dancing, each seeming to anticipate the other’s moves before they had made them. The centurion was driven back, pressed hard against the edge of the glade. Blood loss was beginning to slow him. The soldiers watching were shifting nervously.
“Sir,” called one of them when Cati managed another cut to his leg, “should we join you?”
“Stand by, men,” snapped the centurion, “I’ve not soldiered for thirty years to be brought down by a pair of barbarian wildcats.”
As if heartened by his own words he straightened and began a blinding series of blows, raining them down against Belis and Cati. He drove a fist deep into the younger girl’s stomach, knocking her to the floor. Her ankle gave a sickening crunch. She tried to get up but slid almost immediately back to the ground.
I twisted desperately against the soldier’s hands but there was nothing I could do. I watched frantically as Belis tried to fight off the centurion, standing over her sister. I would have given anything to save her, to save them both.
I collapsed, sagging back against the soldier. He was unprepared and I almost slid from his grip. While he was pulling me back up I made a grab for his knife, driving it up through the meat of his forearm. He screamed and let me go. I dashed for the fighters. The centurion was bringing his sword down, Belis had hers raised, but she wasn’t going to make it. I saw the path his blade would take, inexorably bound towards Belis’s heart, and in that moment I found a little of my old speed. I threw myselfforward, diving down beneath the moving sword. I gasped as I felt it pierce my chest, sliding through my ribcage and out the other side.
“No!” screamed Belis, finishing the arc of her own sword thrust in the centurion’s throat. He sagged to the floor, clutching at his neck. There was blood everywhere, his and mine, swirling in the mud, soaking the dark earth.
Belis caught me around the waist, pulling me close. I could feel the metal of the blade grating against my ribs. Strangely, it didn’t seem to hurt.
Cati grabbed her sister’s shoulder.
“Bel, the other legionaries. We have to get to the horses now!” She pulled herself up, knife in one hand, the other leaning on her sister. “Come on!”
