Descendants of Rome (#3 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The morning sky began to grow darker as the sun reached its peak and started to descend into the afternoon, becoming host to dark clouds that rolled in from the hills.

Leonidas looked upon them warily, but he wasn't the only one concerned.

His group of two hundred began to grow restless and scared as the sounds of battle reached their ears.

The sound was nothing new to Leonidas and Cato, it attacked almost like a beacon, calling them to it, but the others were not warriors.

Farmers, sons, traders, mothers . . . they had had this choice thrust upon them the moment their homes were stolen from them.

Each of them was scared of what the following hours would bring but Leonidas had no way of comforting them.

He ordered the remainder of the food he had brought to be divided between them all, and they all slumped to the floor and began to eat.

Cato, with his dark hair tied back, was crouched, his back resting against a tree, sharpening his sword when Leonidas knelt beside him.

"I do not know how long I can keep them here," Leonidas cast his eyes at the people around them.

Cato ran a whetstone along the edge of his blade, "There is nothing we can do. Krista told us to wait for the signal."

Leonidas looked at Cato, "It's been hours . . ."

Cato lifted his head as he heard the concerned tone in his lover's voice, "They are fine," Cato told him, not wanting to believe the alternative, "We know how long a battle can take."

Leonidas nodded but Cato knew that he didn't believe him. He knew that Leo was becoming consumed with the possibility that their friends were dead and they were simply hiding in a forest.

"Listen," Cato nodded towards the battlefield where, in the distance, you could hear the clanging of swords and the crying of full grown men as they died, "They're still fighting down there."

Leo's lips parted to speak when someone came running over, frantically calling his name.

"Leonidas! Leonidas!"

Leo and Cato shared a glance before they sprang to their feet, too eager to hear what he had to say to tell him to be quiet.

"The signal!" The young boy panted, pointing to the sky over his shoulder.

Leonidas walked passed him and glued his eyes to the sky.

With the darkening sky above them, seeing a single flaming arrow was difficult.

Sunshine escaped through the gaps in the clouds, blinding them even further.

"Where is it?" Leonidas panicked, had he missed it?

Had the kid imagined it?

If Leonidas took them down there now and it had only been a wayward arrow, not the signal, then he could ruin Krista's entire plan.

But if it was the arrow and he didn't march them down there then Krista and the others could easily be killed.

Leonidas had to make a decision when something caught his eye.

There!

Looking directly in front of him, two arrows had been shot directly up into the sky. They were on fire.

Frieda had obviously deduced that he may have missed the first arrow and this time had sent two of them.

Leonidas ordered everybody to move out when he turned and looked at Cato, "To war then."