“Our orders were to avoid contact with the army as much as possible.” Gaius informed them. “We’re to be discreet. To the rest of the world, we don’t exist.”
“There it is, then.” Saguntus stood and pushed back his black hair.
“We’ll meet here at the sixth hour of daylight in seven days time. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!” the men all stood and began to file out of the cave.
Gaius remained a minute in the cave to extinguish the torches. His eye lingered on the image of Mithras. He regretted not telling them everything, about Julius and the shades he had said roamed the dark of that northern forest. But how could he lead them if they thought he was mad? He knew not all of them would take it as well as Antonius had.
When the final torch was doused, Gaius made for the cave mouth and the late aft
