Guardian of Rome (#2 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Dianna stood at the front of the crowd as she watched Krista and the others return to camp.

Dianna had done what Krista had asked and sent for Artorius but Dianna was shocked to see that the man from the forest wasn’t dead; he wasn’t even wounded.

He was walking by their side, a bow slung casually across his chest as he gazed upon their faces in marvel. As if he could not believe what was before his very eyes.

But it quickly covered it up with a smile and turned back to face the front.

This man had stopped Dianna from killing Krista; she had been so close.

Krista had finally learnt to trust her; she had been teaching Dianna how to fight, alone.

A twist of her wrist and she could have slipped the dagger into Krista’s stomach and had her revenge but this man had to arrive and put all of that planning to waste.

Dianna saw his shaved head and thin physique as a weakness among gladiators but there had to be something special about him for Krista to spare his life.

He had trespassed upon their camp; Krista had seen him as a threat but something had changed her mind.

Dianna needed to know what as she saw Krista’s generals step through the crowd and join Krista’s side as they started to ascent to her tent.

* * *

Artorius didn’t trust him; for many reasons but the most important question at the front of his mind was why?

Why now? The man with a wounded scalp, who introduced himself as Diomed, had already confessed to following them for the past few weeks since the attack at the Roman villa where he had saved Krista’s life.

Artorius would be indebted to him for such an act as he unwillingly saved two lives instead of one that day.

But if he truly was an ally then why did he hide in the forest, watching them, before he made his approach?

Artorius didn’t like it but Krista seemed calm enough as their tent was filled with Leonidas and Frieda.

“This is the archer?” Frieda raised an eyebrow when she first set eyes on Diomed, “Hmm,” She scoffed as she took her space beside Krista, obviously not impressed.

“And you’re the Briton,” Diomed stated in a distasteful tone of voice causing Frieda to narrow her eyes at the man.

Artorius and Krista shared a glance at Diomed and Frieda’s reactions to each other but they said nothing.

“And you’re Leonidas, the Gaul,” Diomed turned to face Leonidas who was leant against the desk, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

Leonidas bristled beside Artorius as Diomed insulted him for being a Gaul, “Do you like your head attached to your shoulders?”

Diomed smirked at the remark but said nothing more as he turned back to face Krista.

But Diomed had gotten his point across; he knew who they were and where they came from. What else did he know from his time spent watching them?

“Why were you following us?” Artorius asked him, wanting to know the answer.

Diomed looked at Artorius over his shoulder, “I wasn’t following you,”

Artorius’s brows drew together before Diomed turned his head back to gaze across at Krista, showing exactly who he had been following for the past few weeks.