by Ben Kane
‘It’s not for me to question my mother’s decisions.’ Nor for you to do so either was the implication.
Agesandros took the hint. ‘How long will you be staying?’
Aurelia bridled, but it wasn’t an unreasonable question. ‘Only one night.’ Any longer than that and her mother would probably arrive. She wanted to avoid the indignity of being dragged back to Capua. As it was, Aurelia wouldn’t be surprised if she met Atia on the road the following morning. Even that would be better than Agesandros seeing her chastised. She glanced at him, seeing his curiosity. Let him wonder why I’m here, she thought fiercely. It’s none of his damn business. He’ll find out about my wedding soon enough – from Martialis’ slaves, most likely.
‘While you are here, I would ask that you stay close to the house.’
‘Why?’ demanded Aurelia, her temper flaring. It had been her intention to walk to the clearing where Quintus had taught her to use a sword.
‘Need I spell it out? An estate ten miles south of here was pillaged and burned a week ago. Only the arrival of a strong Roman patrol stopped the guggas from raiding more properties in the area. The patrol has moved on since, which means the threat of attack is as severe as it ever was. If you were to be found alone in the woods, the gods only know what kind of fate you would have.’
‘Who are you to tell me what to do? I shall do what I please!’
To her surprise, he did not get angry. ‘You know my family’s story,’ he said, his dark eyes full of pain. ‘I will not have the same happen to you. Aside from what your parents would do to me, I could not bear it myself.’
Aurelia found herself feeling a little sorry for Agesandros. During the previous war against Carthage, his wife had been raped and then murdered, together with his young children, by Carthaginian soldiers. That was still no reason to kill Suni in cold blood! she thought angrily. Yet the stiff cut of his chin told her that he was capable of holding her in the house against her will. A tickle of fear licked the base of her spine. Perhaps he was right to be so cautious. ‘Very well. I will stay close to the house.’
He gave her a penetrating look; then he nodded in satisfaction.
To Hanno’s right, the Apennines ran from north to south in an unbroken line. In the bright sunshine, their slopes were a mottled mixture of brown, green and grey. He had grown to love their look, despite the fact that it wasn’t Carthage, wasn’t home. The countryside here was a stark contrast to his homeland, which had few peaks. There were mountains far to the south and west of Carthage, but he had never set eyes on them. As far as he’d seen, it was impossible to stand anywhere in Italy and not see some. To his left, an occasional peak pushed up towards the sky. It had been the same since they’d come down from the Apennines. The largest he’d seen was Vesuvius, which had risen an impressive distance from the surrounding plain. The mountains here were smaller, and the terrain was mostly open farmland. It ran down towards the sea, a day’s ride to the west. He had never visited here in his life, but it felt familiar. For good reason. Fabricius’ farm lay no more than ten miles away. His life had turned full circle, Hanno reflected. The last time he’d been in the area, he had been a runaway, fleeing for his life. Now he was part of an invading army, with nearly two hundred spearmen under his command.
Part of Hanno burned to march to the farm: to see if Aurelia was there; to kill Agesandros; to show them all that he was no slave. But the rest of him was glad that Zamar, the Numidian cavalry officer with whom he was patrolling, had deemed it too risky. Zamar’s scouts had reported the presence of enemy forces to the north. The Romans had a new policy of shadowing their foraging parties and ambushing them, and Hanno didn’t want to suffer the grisly fate of a number of other patrols. Hannibal’s orders were that, if a situation appeared risky, discretion was the better part of valour. Hanno and the Numidian had conferred with Mutt earlier in the day, and accordingly taken the decision to turn back towards their army in the morning. There was every reason to do so. Their mission had been an unqualified success. All contact with Roman troops had been avoided; their mules were laden down with sacks of grain and amphorae of wine and oil; close to five hundred sheep and five score cattle were penned up in the temporary enclosures beside their camp. His men had slain plenty of Roman farmers, but not too many women and children; as far as he knew, there had been little rape. Achieving that had been no mean feat.
Hanno scowled. By rights, he should be a happy man. But he wasn’t. The sensible thing would be to leave this place and never look back. If I do that, he thought, I will never have the opportunity to see Aurelia again. To ask her about Suni. All day, that awareness had been rattling around in his head like a stone in a gourd. He took another look to the north. She might not even be there; the majority of the farms in the area had been abandoned. It didn’t matter, he decided. If he didn’t seize this chance, he would always regret it. If he borrowed a horse from Zamar, he could make good time. Thanks to the war, the roads around were empty of traffic. When it got dark, the night sky would still be bright enough to follow the road to Capua. The turn-off to Fabricius’ farm was easy to find; so too was the property itself. If things went well, he would be back before dawn. No one apart from the Numidian and Mutt would be any the wiser. A fierce grin split Hanno’s face at the thought. He hadn’t been this excited since . . . since he couldn’t remember when.
The gods were smiling on Hanno that afternoon, and he made good time from his camp. The only travellers he encountered were a priest riding a mule, and his acolyte, who trudged along in the dust behind his master. Both stared suspiciously at Hanno, but after his hearty greeting, the priest let out a mumbled reply. Neither party stopped to talk. It was good that he’d donned some nondescript clothes and taken one of Zamar’s more scruffy mounts, Hanno decided. To the unsuspecting eye, he was no Carthaginian. True, he was abroad when few others were, but what would an enemy soldier be doing on his own?
There was yet light in the sky as he came up the road that led to Fabricius’ farm. The entrance lay about half a mile further on. It would have given Hanno considerable satisfaction to ride up the avenue to the house, but there was no point being foolish. If Agesandros was about, and he had no reason to think otherwise, his first greeting would be a hurled spear. Best to travel the last distance on foot. A patch of buckthorn and juniper that formed the junction between two properties was the perfect spot to secrete and hobble his horse. Then, hand on sword hilt, he crept through the fields towards the farm, joining the track that led to the villa halfway along its length.
The oddness of the situation sank in as Hanno saw buildings outlined at the end of the line of cypresses. His heart thumped in his chest with excitement, but he forced himself to walk at a snail’s pace. If the place hadn’t been abandoned, Agesandros might have set guards. Or dogs! Too late, Hanno thought of the huge hunting hounds that Fabricius used, great slavering things the size of a boar, with temperaments to match. They were usually let out at night. Sweat slicked down his back. Why hadn’t he thought of the damn dogs before? They’d tear him to pieces.
His head twisted to and fro, gauging the distance to the property’s boundary. It was a few hundred paces at most. There hadn’t been a sound from the villa. If he retraced his route, there was every chance that he’d get away. He turned, but made no more than a dozen steps before his feet dragged to a halt. What kind of coward are you? To get this close and not even try to see if Aurelia is there? Hanno swallowed down the bile that had risen to the back of his throat. The dogs tended to run in ones and twos. If they attacked, he would be able to kill one and then the other. With any luck. Slipping his blade from the scabbard, he began creeping towards the group of buildings once more.
He reached the last pair of cypresses without difficulty. Their branches moved in the light air, filling the air with a gentle creaking. A memory slowed him. The last time he’d stood here in darkness, it had been after Quintus had set him free. That debt had been repaid, he thought harshly. He’s an enemy
now. Then why are you trying to see his sister? came the instant response. To that, Hanno had no answer. All he knew was that the compulsion burning him up was impossible to ignore.
A movement in the shadows between the farm buildings and the villa; the excited whining of dogs. The villa had not been abandoned, far from it. He shrank against the trunk of the nearest cypress.
‘Ho, Zeus! Ho, Mars! You’re eager to run tonight, aren’t you?’ A chuckle. ‘You two are always the same. Bear and Fang are always the ones to hang back a little. Still hoping for another scrap of food, aren’t you? Sorry to disappoint you, boys, but it’s the same routine as usual. No food for you until the morning. Hunger makes your noses keener, or I’m no judge.’
I know that voice! thought Hanno in amazement and rage. That’s Agesandros, the bastard.
‘Good boys, good boys. Just let me unclip your leads, and you can run free.’
Shit! Hanno cursed his stupidity for pushing his luck this far. The hounds were so close that they’d catch his scent within a few moments. He began tiptoeing backwards. The further away he got before they were released, the better. If he had any favour remaining with the gods, the dogs might run off in a different direction. Then one of the hounds barked, and fear seized him. That notion was downright foolish. He seized the lowest branch of a cypress, knowing it would do little good. Without a doubt, the dogs would tree him. When Agesandros realised, he would force him down at the point of a spear. A howl; and then another one. All hope left him as he swung himself up on to the first limb. Tanit, do not desert me now, he prayed. Don’t let me die here, like this. It was an instinctive response, a rhetorical question. Divinities did not intervene like that, at least not in his experience.
‘Agesandros?’
Hanno froze. No. It can’t be.
‘What are you still doing outside, Aurelia? It’s late.’
Aurelia was here? Hanno nearly fell out of the tree with surprise.
‘I want to sit outside for a while,’ she said.
‘I was just about to set the dogs loose.’
‘That can wait, can’t it?’
‘I’d be happier if they were running about now—’
‘If I’m here, all they’ll do is hang around, looking for treats. Please, Agesandros. I won’t be long.’
A short pause. ‘Very well. I’ll return them to their pen. Find me in my room when you’re coming in.’
‘Thank you.’
Hanno was so astonished that he almost expected to see Tanit herself urging the Sicilian away. He watched with delight as Agesandros’ shape returned to the yard. It seemed beyond belief, beyond all possible coincidence that she should be here on the very night he had crept in. Yet, as he breathed, Aurelia stood not twenty paces away. He longed to call out, but what could he say? She would have no idea that it was he. Her most likely response would be to scream for Agesandros and the dogs. He peered at her again, and was relieved to see that she was walking closer. Where was she going? Hanno dropped lightly to the earth, placed his sword on the ground and waited. As she drew alongside, he darted out behind her. Grabbing her waist with one hand and her mouth with the other, he whispered into her ear, ‘Don’t make a sound. It’s me, Hanno!’
She writhed beneath his grasp, but he held on to her for dear life. ‘I swear it to you. It is I, Hanno. I have come to see you.’ She wriggled again, but Hanno detected less resistance than before. He was suddenly aware of the warmth of her back and buttocks against his flesh, and of the feel of her breasts heaving against his hand. Was that perfume she was wearing? A wave of desire rushed over him; it was followed by huge embarrassment. Without thinking, he released her and stood back, every nerve jangling.
She spun, mouth open in shock. ‘H-Hanno?’
He took a step towards her; then he stopped. ‘Yes.’ Words failed him.
‘What? Where? How did you get here?’ The words tumbled from her mouth.
‘I rode.’ It sounded so stupid, a giggle left his lips. ‘From my camp. It’s only ten miles away.’
‘Oh gods. Are you going to raid the farm?’ Her voice was full of terror.
‘No, no, of course not. Aurelia, I would never—’
‘I’m sorry,’ she interjected. ‘Some of the stories I’ve heard have been terrible.’
‘I know. I’m sorry too.’ He wanted to add that her people had done the same and worse to his in the previous war, but there was no point.
‘These things happen in war,’ she said sadly. ‘But I don’t want to talk about that. I can’t believe you’re here again, when I am too. I’ve been living in Capua recently. But seeing you, it’s so unexpected – but wonderful! I have prayed for you.’
‘And I for you.’ He still couldn’t believe his eyes.
They smiled at each other, suddenly shy because they had both changed so much in the time since they’d last seen each other. She’s become an adult, thought Hanno. She’s beautiful. Little did he know, but Aurelia was thinking similar things of him.
‘Is Quintus alive? Have you heard from him?’
‘He’s fine. We heard about how you captured him at the Trebia and set him and Father free.’ Her voice caught a little. ‘That was good of you.’
‘It was the least I could do, after what he’d done for me. And your father?’
‘He is also well, thank the gods. May the gods keep them both safe.’
‘Yes indeed.’ He asked for the same for his own family. ‘I wouldn’t have slain Flaccus,’ Hanno felt impelled to say, ‘but my brothers overrode my decision. Our orders were to kill all enemy troops who fell into our hands.’ He remembered the resentment he’d felt at the discovery that Flaccus was to marry Aurelia.
‘I don’t blame you. I was relieved,’ she whispered. ‘I scarcely knew him. We had only met once.’
‘You deserve a better man than Flaccus,’ he said gruffly. ‘A man like Suni, maybe. Was it long before he left the shepherd’s hut?’ She didn’t answer at once. Hanno cursed to himself. ‘If I offended you, I’m sorry,’ he said awkwardly. ‘It’s just that Suni is a gentle soul. He would make a good husband to you.’ Still she didn’t speak. He began to feel uneasy. ‘Aurelia?’
‘I-I don’t know how to say this. How to tell you.’
‘What?’
‘Suni is . . .’
‘Not . . . dead? No. No.’ He staggered back a step.
‘I’m so sorry, Hanno.’
‘But his leg was healing!’ he cried, raising his voice.
‘Shhhh. Someone will hear.’
Hanno took a deep breath. ‘He would have had a bad limp, but that’s all,’ he whispered. ‘What in Melqart’s name happened?’
In a trembling voice, she told him.
‘Agesandros,’ he muttered in disbelief. ‘That whoreson killed Suni?’
‘It’s my fault. I should never have brought him into the house.’
‘You’re not to blame. If you hadn’t taken him in, he would have died at the hut.’
‘Didn’t you hear what I said? If I hadn’t spoken his name, Agesandros might never have realised. Suni might still be alive.’ She began to weep.
Before he knew it, he had stepped forward to take her in his arms. ‘It was a slip of the tongue, nothing more. Anyone could make the same mistake. Besides, you know what Agesandros is like. He would have discovered Suni’s real identity sooner or later.’
‘I was so terrified the whole time.’ She pressed herself into his chest. ‘It was even worse when Suni was gone. Agesandros had no reason to harm me, but that’s not how it felt.’
‘I ought to go in there and kill him right now,’ Hanno said from between gritted teeth.
‘No, please don’t. He has armed all the male slaves. At least three are on watch in the yard. I couldn’t bear it if you were killed, when you’ve only just returned from the dead.’
Hanno doubted whether a few agricultural slaves could stop him, but Aurelia’s heartfelt request held him where he was. ‘The filthy dog will have to
pay for what he did one day,’ he swore.
‘The gods will see to that.’
Or I will, thought Hanno grimly. There was no way that he could let the murder of his best friend go unanswered. Already his mind was racing at the thought of raiding the farm once Aurelia was gone. He discarded the notion at once. He knew and liked many of the slaves here. Unless a good number of them were to die, he would have to keep his soldiers away.
‘It is so good to see you.’
Hanno’s attention shot back to Aurelia. She was looking up at him, her face so close that he could see every detail. The strands of black hair on her cheek. Her eyes, fixed on his. Her half-open lips. The pulse at the base of her throat. It was mesmerising. He felt a great urge to kiss her.
‘Since you and Quintus left, and Suni was killed, I have been so lonely. Mother and I fight all the time. There’s been no one for me to talk to. Gaius was here for a while, but he’s gone now too.’
‘Quintus’ friend? The one who helped Suni to escape?’
‘Yes. He serves with the socii cavalry.’ Aurelia felt guilty at the mere thought of Gaius. Had she fantasised about him because she’d thought never to see Hanno again? She wasn’t sure about that. What she was certain of was how good it felt to have Hanno so close to her. Bitterness took Aurelia. What did it matter? There was a war on. Hanno could not stay, and she was to marry Lucius.
‘Gaius is a good man. The gods will protect him as well.’ That didn’t seem to make her any happier. Hanno bent his neck the tiniest fraction, towards her. She didn’t pull away. ‘Do you know why I came back?’
‘No. Why?’ Her breath came fast and shallow.
‘Because you asked me to. Do you remember?’
‘Of course. I cried myself to sleep that night.’
Hanno could take it no more. He crushed his lips to hers, felt them melt beneath the pressure. His tongue darted out and was met by hers. They kissed long and hard, their hands roaming all over each other’s bodies. Aurelia moulded herself against him; he could feel her breasts against his chest, her groin against his stiffness. Hanno cupped her buttocks with both hands, felt her gasp with desire. It was all he could do not to tear off her dress and take her right there. Yet that was not how he wanted it to be. It was also far too dangerous to linger. ‘Come away with me,’ he urged. ‘We could be back at my camp before dawn.’
