"If we have a chance to get out, the gods will not abandon us, and your people will come to rescue you."

Cold, hunger, put the legionnaires in the camp on the verge of despair. Denise sat in the tent, encouraging the gloomy Appis. She had hated the Romans, but now she and the Roman man in front of her had a common enemy, and that was the leader of the Picts outside the camp, the Nix. Toles. The tribal leader, known as the "ghost wolf", killed her father and will avenge him for the rest of her life.

But it seems, the Roman legionary general in front of him did not have much high-pitched morale. Perhaps because he had experienced too much, Appis no longer had much hope for the unknown. Especially knowing that your situation is actually difficult.

"We have a chance to get out, but my people may not come to my rescue, Denise."

Lapis lay on a simple wooden bed and said to Denis. Denise was puzzled by this statement, and she had the impression that as soon as one Roman disappeared on the territory of the tribe, other Romans would immediately come to the tribal leader for accountability, either as an emissary or as an officer. In short, it will come. But Apis said that his people would not come to his rescue? This left Denise scratching his head. Just looked at him in bewilderment.

"Don't be confused, Denis. Some things are not as simple as they seem, and your people will have internal strife and discord, and the Romans will do the same. When you occupy certain positions and infringe on the interests of others, these people will think about how to deal with you. That's what I am. I occupy a position that many people want, and what I have done has violated the interests of many people, so there are many people in my kingdom who want to kill me, and there are many people who want to replace me. Now, I'm trapped, I'm in trouble, and those people have the best opportunity to target me, and even want to keep me here forever, and they're in power, and it's a fight, it's cruel, it's inhumane, but that's what human nature is. Just like your father, he was killed because he was the head of the clan, and if he wasn't the leader, no one would care about him, let alone want to kill him, it's as simple as that. ”

Denis was not threatening, Appis said with emotion. Along the way, there are supporters, and there are opponents.

……

That night, the legions began to retreat, and Denise was presented with the mastery of Roman engineering. It turned out that for several days, Appis had ordered a tunnel to be dug directly below the camp, leading directly outside the barbarian encirclement. Since there were not many soldiers left in the camp, such a long excavation did not attract the attention of the enemy. Fall back...... To live is to win.

In order to prevent the Celts from discovering the retreat of the legion, Appis left a small number of soldiers to hold their posts and light bonfires at night to create the illusion that the army was still in the camp. Of course, these people will eventually have to be evacuated. It's just a matter of staying one more night to cover the large army and go further.

By this time, there were less than 800 of Aphes' men left, and the number of people who had died of disease and starvation had increased considerably.

The hungry and cold party was then forced to scatter and flee, leaving the barbarians with no target to follow.

"Eat, you have to replenish your strength. There is no food. ”

Denise grabbed a fluffy mouse in his hand and handed it to Centurion Terry Ali.

In the snow and ice, there is almost nowhere to find food. It's a blessing to be able to find a living thing.

But the centurion clearly had difficulty accepting this.

"No, I'm a Roman, not a barbarian."

Triali refused, pushing away the "prey" offered by Denise.

"You have to take it, eat it, replenish your strength to make it back to Karentim alive. Just like I have taught you before, you have to learn to eat raw, and when necessary, it can keep you alive. You've even eaten the flesh of a corpse, and it's nothing. My centurion. ”

Seeing that his men refused to eat raw, Apis came over and persuaded him solemnly, with a commanding tone in his words.

At this time, Tri Ali reluctantly took the prey handed by Denis, cut off the head of the rat that had struggled to escape, and bit it down, tearing the flesh and blood inside with his teeth until his face was covered with blood.

……

"Mom, when is Father coming back? Didn't he say he would be back home when the fall was over? It's winter now. ”

In Lugdunum's Villa Appis, the young daughter Nevia falls into the arms of her mother, Tertila, and asks coquettish questions. She didn't know that outside, the news of her father's death had already gone viral. The darkest time after the occupation of Gaul. The cries of the commoners and the obstruction of the aristocracy formed two distinct currents, and fierce arguments were going on in the Great Hall every day. And some well-intentioned people are already quietly leading the way to advance the election of the next official appointment.

"Something happened, my daughter, father will come back. He was on some unfinished business in Britain. ”

Faced with her immature daughter's question, Tertilla was heartbroken, but she had to use lies to coax her daughter. She knew that outside this villa, there was a fierce fight between those who supported her husband and those who opposed her husband, and even the commoners would shed blood because of it. But she couldn't tell her daughter the truth.

"Britain? Is that where my father fought? ”

And the young daughter didn't even know where Britain was.

"Yes, a beautiful place. Nevia, wait, my father will be back soon. I still remember what he told you, when the eagle banner appeared at the gate of the city, it was the time when he returned. We waited together. ”

Tertilla said softly.

"It's really touching, I heard that Appis has died in battle in Britain, and you, here, are deceiving your daughter. Tertilla, you really have faith in your husband. ”

Bunodius did not know when he broke in, and as the naval commander under Apis, he often came and went in and out of the villa, and the servants did not pay attention and opened the door for him as usual. But today, the young admiral, it seems, did not come with concern, but with a strong hostility.

"Shut up, my husband Apis is not dead, there is no evidence that he has died in battle, Bunodius, are you also on their side? Want to stop Appis from returning to Gaul? ”

Tertilla was shocked by Bunodius' appearance, then disdainful and angry. The admiral whom Appis trusted the most turned out to be a defective at a critical moment. It seems that he has received a lot of benefits from those aristocratic factions.

"No, no, no, I certainly don't want to prevent my general from returning home if Apis were still alive, but now, the fact is that Apis is indeed dead in battle, and no one will survive more than three months in winter, in the barren North Britain. The legion had not been heard from for three months, and had either been wiped out by the barbarians or starved to death in the desolate north. ”

Bunodius said with sarcasm.

"I don't want to believe the so-called facts, and I don't want what you say. Now, please get out of my house. ”

Tertilla replied loudly.

"Ma'am, are you angry? Well, you're so gentle even when you're angry. ”

Bunodius said, taking a step closer. It's almost against Tertilla's face. Instinctively, Tertilla stepped back.

"Let me put it this way. Gaul was now in disarray, Octavian had six legions in the south, and we needed more legions, more soldiers, to guard the border. Moreover, domestic spending is also increasing. And in the whole of Gaul, most of the property is in the hands of your husband Appis, and I have heard that the treasury of Apis is just below this mansion. ”

"Do you want to destroy it?"

Tertira asked angrily. At this moment, the quarrel between the two attracted the attention of the armed servants in the villa. Several black men broke into the guest hall in an instant. They will be merciless to all who threaten the hostess.

At this time, Bunodius walked away with interest, and when he left, he did not forget to leave a sentence-

"I forgot to tell you that Crassus the Younger has agreed to take over Lugdunum, and sooner or later Gaul will need funds. Selfless people are the greatest. Honorable Madam. ”