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a nagging wife s tongue.
The Quadii had made camp in a rough circle in a sheltered area surrounded by
large boulders about sixty feet across. The male slaves were kept together
under the watchful eye of three guards. The rest of the perimeter was walked
by another four. Casca removed his sword belt and scabbard and carefully laid
them on the ground. He didn t want to take any chance on anything making
noise. He kept his sword in his right hand, ready for use.
Glam held his axe close to his side. The moonless night gave them good cover
as they crept and crab-crawled closer to the camp. The only light came from
a smoldering fire in the center. Casca tried to make sure the leader was
bedded down, but no luck. In the dark there was no way to make out one hairy
mass from another.
The girl stayed close behind them carrying the bag of stakes. Making their way
around the edge of the surrounding boulders, they came down on the side where
the male captives were kept. The women had been separated from them and were
being kept on the other side of the fire with the children. Inch by inch they
moved in, slowly, carefully, reaching the side of the boulders nearest
the prisoners. Casca removed his helmet and set it aside. He whispered to
Glam and the girl. They nodded agreement and he lay back on his belly. The
feel of the damp grass was cool, soaking through his robes. He crawled,
keeping his body as close to the rocks as possible, one yard, then another.
The prisoners were darkened masses lying together in huddled clumps. Casca
watched the guards.
When they turned to walk away, he rolled silently into the body of the male
captives, becoming one with the dark. He moved close to a young man, who
grumbled in his fitful sleep at the movement. His eyes jerked open with a
terrified snap when a strong hand clamped over his mouth and held him
still. A
strange voice whispering in his ear quieted him. He nodded his head under the
restraining hand and he was released. A gentle tugging at his bonds and his
wrists were cut free. He didn t move. He just lay in the same position and
bumped his head against his neighbor until the man woke, protesting. A few
soft, quick words and he too was silent while another body moved close to him
to free his hands and press a short knife into them. Moving as if still
asleep, he twisted and cut his feet free. The two prisoners, obeying the
stranger s orders, each woke the man next to him, spoke, then freed him,
passing him a knife to do the same to his neighbor, until all six were free.
They waited, keeping their same positions, lying as still as possible. Being
this close to freedom, it was hard not to break and run.
Casca took his bundle of stakes out of his robes and handed them over to be
passed around to the men. While he was doing this, the same action had been
repeated on the women s side of the camp by the girl. The prisoners were free.
Now they had to take out the sentries. Casca whispered in the ear of the young
man he had just freed. He knew the youngster was grinning, even though it was
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too dark to see his face.
Casca snapped his fingers twice. The sound brought Glam to a standing position
behind the boulder; it also brought two of the guards closer. They
weren t suspicious, only curious. These two would be
Casca s and the youngster s meat tonight. Glam was already moving around the
other side of the boulder to take out the remaining sentry. A distant, wet
thump told Casca that Glam had reached his target and the axe had fallen.
Glam held the man s body up so it wouldn t make any sound falling. He dragged
it back into the shadows and quickly stepped out to take his place, careful
to stay in the shadows away from the fire so that his face and size wouldn t
give him away. The dull sound of their comrade dying turned the other two
around in their tracks. Hesitant and uneasy, they fingered their weapons. One
called out softly, Madorg, you all right? The figure in the shadows raised
an arm with Madorg s spear in it and waved back. They both sighed, tension
released, and began to walk their rounds again.
Casca nudged the young man next to him and slowly turned onto his belly.
Gathering his legs under him, he held the short sword to the ground where it
couldn t be seen and slowly raised himself from the earth as the two guards
turned their backs to the captives and began to walk back toward the other
side.
The youngster did likewise. The others kept their positions. Taking a deep
breath, Casca moved on the nearest man. One knotted, muscled arm went around
the raider s throat, cutting off any cry as the broad blade of the short sword
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