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Midday

Oppius waited just inside the tree line at the edge of the settle his knife, as Teucer returned from his reconnaissancelies into their ears and drinks down their throat in that large hut closest to us The three picts are with hi, but they can hold their drink as well as hold their own fighting anyone They&039;re well ar shields as well as swords and axes I overheard which settle to next - and they&039;ll be heading along the track leading this way into the forest"

"We&039;ll lie in wait for theet into the forest, as our boill be redundant there At the same time we should wait until they&039;re away fro the fray Do you see that tree stump by the track? We&039;ll hit them there There&039;s no cover We&039;ll both take out one of the bodyguards with our bows The third will prove more difficult as his shield will be up I&039;ll race over to take hient, to prevent hi to capture, rather than kill, hi him back with us?" the archer asked, his tone laced with a warning at how difficult the task could prove

"Yes Those are our orders To quote one of Fabius&039; poems, ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die What&039;s that though?" Oppius asked, nodding his head towards an iteht back with him, wrapped in cloth

"A present," the Briton replied, handing over the bundle

The centurion unfolded the cloth and held up the gladius, the polished steel glinting as brightly as the soldier&039;s aspect

"Soht like it"

"It&039;s the gift that keeps on giving," Oppius re to wait before the picts, forent, appeared Teucer had not been exaggerating about the size and strange fearsoe and powerful as Roscius All were croith shaggy locks of long red hair Oppius thought they h Teucer had re in so hiht, spindly He was dressed like a barbarian but pick off that scab and Oppius would recognise the kind of haughty Roman who could tax both your patience and income The centurion recalled Caesar&039;s co, how he distrusted ht in this instance The agent carried a dagger, but had the look of a politician rather than soldier He was more likely to stab himself with the weapon, rather than anyone else, Oppius fancied

Both men took a breath and nooked an arrow

"You take out the one in front of the agent I&039;ll deal with the one on his left," the centurion ordered, his tone devoid of emotion Soldiers killed people Lucius Oppius was a soldier Therefore Lucius Oppius killed people The syllogisht and true to the centurion as Teucer&039;s aim