Cato 05 - The Eagles Prey by Simon Scarrow Page B

fight was progressing. Despite the initial ferocity of their charge, the Britons were outnumbered and outfought, and the Roman line was never in danger of being broken.
    Above the clash and thud and cries of battle Cato heard a command being passed along the cohort, and saw, away to his right, the First Century edge forward. Then he heard Centurion Felix’s voice, nearby, bellow an order.
    ‘Advance!’
    As the Fifth began to press forward Cato repeated the order to his men and the legionaries leaned into the curve of their shields and pressed into the loose ranks of the enemy. With the Roman line thrusting forwards, the tribesmen had even less space to wield their longer blades and the exultant battle cries of a moment earlier died in their throats as each man sought to get away from the vicious blades of the short swords that stabbed out from between the broad shields. As it was only a skirmish there was no mass of bodies behind them to pin them in place and the Britons began to back away. Cato, watching over the metal rim of his shield, saw the men in front of him give ground, then there was a clear gap between the two sides. The legionaries continued to tramp forwards in close formation, then they passed over the line of those struck down by the javelin volley. They killed the injured as they tramped by and moved steadily on. There was no pretence of further resistance now, and the Britons broke and fled.
    Ahead lay the river, and as soon as they realised the danger of being caught in between the iron and the water the Britons started to run towards the flanks of the cohort, hoping to escape round them while they still could. But the decurion and his men lay in wait with a half-squadron at each end of the Roman line. They spurred their horses on and cut down the fleeing warriors without mercy. Denied any escape on the flanks the Britons turned once more towards the river and, with the current gliding peacefully at their backs they made ready to die. Cato estimated that there were more than a hundred of them left, and many had lost or abandoned their weapons and stood with clenched fists and bared teeth, wild-eyed with terror. They were finished, he realised. All that was left to them now was death or surrender. Cato drew a deep breath and called out in Celtic.
    ‘Drop your weapons! Drop them, or die!’
    The warriors’ eyes turned towards him, some filled with defiance, some with hope. Still the legionaries closed in on them, and the warriors retreated, splashing into the shallows of the Tamesis, then wading out until water reached their waists.
    ‘Throw your weapons down!’ Cato ordered. ‘Do it!’
    At once one of the warriors turned and tossed his sword out into deeper waters. Another followed suit, and then the rest threw down their weapons and stood in the slow current watching the Romans anxiously.
    Cato turned down the line of the cohort, cupping a hand to his mouth. ‘Halt! Halt!’
    The centuries slowed and then stood still, a few paces short of the river bank. Cato saw the cohort commander break away from the end of the first cohort and come trotting down the line towards him.
    ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Maximius barked as he reached Cato.
    ‘I told them to surrender, sir.’
    ‘Surrender?’ Maximius raised his eyebrows in frank astonishment. ‘Who said anything about taking prisoners?’
    Cato frowned.’But, sir, I thought you wanted prisoners . . .’
    ‘After what they did? What the hell were you thinking?’
    ‘I was trying to save lives, sir. Ours as well as theirs.’
    ‘I see.’ Maximius glanced round at the Sixth Century and leaned closer to their centurion before he continued quietly. ‘This is no time for noble sentiments, young Cato. We can’t afford to burden ourselves with prisoners. Besides, you didn’t see what they did to the men back in the fort. My friend Porcinus . . . They have to die.’
    ‘Sir, they’re unarmed. They’ve surrendered. It wouldn’t be