“We’ll stay, sir. Of course.” Junius looked at his comrades. “But if you have some food on your pack horses, we’re all starving, sir.”
“We do,” Gaius said. “Antonius, see them fed. Sparingly, mind you.” He turned back to Junius. “Do you know where the Germans might have a camp in the woods, a village?”
“Oh, we don’t have to go finding them, sir. They’ll be back. All of them.”
The next hours were spent refortifying the camp where the survivors of Varus’ legions had made their last stand. In that time, five of the thirteen survivors had deserted. Only Junius and seven others remained. Gaius had to threaten the others with execution if they did the same, but he need not have worried. The remainder had nursed their anger and hatred during their imprisonment, and were all near suicidal.
“No
