Radko had chosen well. The horses, the supplies, the equipment... all were quite suitable. It was with high hopes and a large dose of confidence that Civis motioned to them all to mount up and take the road east from Tyre.
Radko led the pack animals, a mix of mules and heavier, slower horses, but all being surefooted beasts. The two youngsters each rode a horse of their own, a few hands smaller and a few stones lighter than the others. Gaius Accipiter rode one of his favorite horses. Titus rode the horse he was riding when Civis first met him. Marcus Horatius rode a horse obviously bred for use in the Legions and Septi's horse was one of the local breeds. Civis had two horses. One that he rode this morning was black and built for travel. The other, tied to the line of pack horses, was a white stallion which he used for special occasions, ceremonial or in the severest of unfriendly situations.
The expedition worked its way up the streets of Tyre, the huge, thick wooden gates now open and looming before them. Through the gates they passed, the sun still low above the horizon before them. The last of the pack animals passed through the gates. Gaius, riding near and to the side of Civis with the children on either side, leaned over in his saddle and said loudly so they all could hear, "At long last, we travel the Silk Road!"
Civi and Sin Ying, who was barely speaking to the boy after his antics aimed at Septi the evening before, looked about with eyes wide open and minds awhirl. There were low dryish plants along the road and as far as the eye could see. Here and there stood small, thin copses of woods, mostly cedar. There were larger forests of the aromatic wood farther north, but the forests around Tyre had been thinned or eliminated by hundreds of years of harvesting beginning the day Tyre was founded.
The Silk Road twisted and turned in between these copses and in one place well ahead, actually passed through a stand of trees that had sprouted around a mass of piled boulders. It was from this copse of trees that they all could hear, faintly for the moment, the shouting of men and the baying of hounds.
Hours passed and the travellers were now within sight and sound of the trees with boulders for neighbors. There was a party of men up ahead, one on horseback and the rest on foot. Hounds were barking and snarling at something in a tree that grew from under one of the boulders.
The company drew up to this place that intersected the road and Civis called a halt to their progress. He put spur gently to horse and trotted up to the side of the lone Tyrean horseman. Civis recognized him immediately as the portly Tyrean named Publius who sat at the table in the Inn the night before. "Is there some help I might render you, Sir," said Civis as a means of introduction.
"No. I need no assistance." Publius turned his head away and yelled at one of five men carrying bows with arrows nocked. "Go ahead, I say. Bring him down. One dinarii to the man who scores the first hit!"
"What are you shooting at, Sir?" asked Civis, waving to Gaius Accipiter and Titus to ride up and join them.
Publius seemed distracted but answered Civis only after a brief hesitation. "Huh? Oh, my escaped slave, a murderer. He's in that tree over there. Can you see him? The one the hounds have surrounded."
In fact, with only a little squinting in the morning sunlight, Civis and the other two, who had just then ridden up, could see the figure of a man in the tree. Twaaanggg! An arrow flew towards the tree. The man quickly positioned himself against a thick tree branch putting it between himself and the arrow. Thunnnkkk! The arrow sank its point into the branch. Twaaang! Another arrow flew towards its target, this time from a different position. The arrow struck the branch only inches from the man's side. Thuuunk!
"Oh, so you are the Publius we heard of who is seeking the slave named Dania."
Publius responded immediately. "That is so, but you have the advantage of me. I do not know your name."
"Civis Romanus, Advisor to Caesar Marcus Aurelius. With me... the Tribune Titus and my associate, Gaius Accipiter."
Publius stopped and stared at Civis. "And I am to believe you are Romanus? What proof?" Titus reached into his shirt and withdrew a gold object, a sealing ring, bearing the imperial mark of Marcus Aurelius.
"I carry his proof, Publius of Tyre," said Titus.
Publius stared at the ring and then at each of the three travellers in turn. "What do you want with me?"
"Nothing at the moment Publius," said Civis. "I want to speak to the slave. Tell your men to lower and drop their bows, if you please."
"Place your bows on the ground! Let this man approach the slave," shouted Publius.
Civis watched as bows left the hands of the Tyrean's men and then he guided his horse to the tree protecting the trapped slave. One of the hounds made as if to nip at the leg of Civis' horse, then thought better of it and retreated from the tree with the other hounds when called.
Civis looked up at the bedraggled man clinging to the thick, arrow wounded tree branch. "Roulv Dania, I presume," said Civis. "Escaped slave and murderer?" he added.
Dania had watched this man with brown hair and piercing blue eyes approach Publius. He was relieved to see the arrows end, but had no idea who the man was or why he was able to stop the shooting. "I am an escaped slave but not a murderer. Who am I supposed to have murdered?"
"Artigan, your friend." Dania's heart sank. His friend is dead?
"He was alive when I saw him last. I told him to return to his hut, that it wasn't safe for him."
"Safe from whom, Dania?"
"From Butades. He wants us both dead. That's why I fled... Sir? How did he die... Artigan, my friend."
"They say they found him with your knife in his chest."
"Who said this?"
"Butades," replied Civis.
"It cannot be, Sir. Why... my knife is here, belted to my side." With that comment, Dania pulled the knife from its sheath and showed it to Civis. But in so doing he lost his grip on the branch, slipped to the side and fell the distance to the ground, his knife falling to the ground with him. Immediately the other slaves were upon him.
Civis' voice boomed out. "LEAVE THE MAN WHERE HE IS! DO NOT TOUCH HIM!" His hand went to his sword and it slipped almost noiselessly from its sheath. The slaves stopped dead in their tracks when they heard Civis' command and saw the sharp-edged, gleaming gladius in the Roman's hand. "Publius must hear the man, first!" shouted Civis.
Roulv Dania groaned and then sat up, somewhat dazed, but having enough presence of mind to grasp his fallen knife. Titus and Gaius rode up, dismounted and assisted the slave to his feet, then guided him to Publius. Civis rode just behind the three, his sword free and ready.
Dania told his story to Publius. The Tyrean scratched his head in concern. "There is the ring of truth about it... but there is still the matter of the knife. These knives are common among the slaves permitted to carry them. Only the most trusted are given such a knife."
"Master, with permission," said Dania. Publius nodded. "All slaves who have these knives keep them at their side at all times. Artigan's knife was at his side, you have said. My knife is here, at my side. But Master... How many knives did Butades carry? And how many knives did Butades have when he showed you the knife that killed Artigan?"
"One is all I gave Butades... and also one is all he showed me. I saw no knife at his side," replied Publius, his brows knitting into a frown. "I think you may not be the murderer Butades claims you to be."
Dania bowed his head. "I am a runaway slave; only that master... And that is the truth of it. The whole truth."Civis, who had sheathed his sword when the runaway slave was brought before Publius, now spoke. "How much in the market to replace this slave, Publius?"
"Three dinarii at most, Commander."
Civis looked over towards Titus. "Pay Publius 3 dinarii for the slave and 3 dinarri for his horse."
"My horse?!"
"Yes, your horse. Is there something wrong with the price?"
Publius saw the blue eyes focussed on him and decided he should say nothing more. "No, Commander. They are both yours." Publius dismounted immediately.
A scrap of scroll was signed transferring ownership of the slave and horse to Civis. The expedition rode off passing Publius and his slaves as they walked back to Tyre. Neither said anything more to the other. Dania rode Publius' horse and looked the other way as he followed among the pack horses. Radko rode up to Civis side to speak to the Commander.
"I fear you have paid too great a price, Master."
"You think the price of the slave too high, Radko?" replied Civis.
"Oh... no, Master. The price of the horse was too great. These Tyrean breeds are not the finest I've seen."
"Thanks, Radko. I will remember that in the future." Radko, satisfied that he had made his point, returned to the pack train to keep an eye on the animals... and the slave.
[This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 03-04-2001).]