Guardian of Rome (#2 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Rheia sunk her blade into the back of an unsuspecting peasant, the tip protuding out the opposite side, before she placed her boot against his back and pushed his lifeless corpse off her blade. Bodies and limbs covered the ground covered in their own blood as her men continued to push through; though they were outnumbered their skill and training enabled them to hold the upper hand.

Krista's men were weak, ex-slaves that had never held a sword in their lives, and they fell easily against their strength. This would be an easy battle. Turning her head to the side, Rheia looked across the forest and paused. Past the bodies and through a gap in the trees, Rheia saw a face she did not expect to see. Hurrying over, Rheia's path was blocked by one of Krista's women. She was a frail thing with dirty blond hair and blue eyes filled with fear, but there was courage as well. It was the only thing that could have made her step in front of Rheia. She momentarily thought about sparing her, just for that fleeting look in her eyes, but she knew she couldn't. 

Kicking the sword out of her hands, the girl stumbled back as it fell to the ground with a soft thud. Rheia stepped forward into the space she left, gripped the girls shoulder with her left hand to hold her steady as her right hand drove her sword into the soft flesh of her abdomen. Rheia watched the small flickering of courage in the girl's eyes fade as her warm blood covered Rheia's hands. This is Krista's fault, Rheia thought to the young girl as she removed her blade and her body dropped to the ground. 

Stepping over her, Rheia looked back up across to the trees to where she'd seen Dianna and continued running. As she grew closer, blocking wayward strikes from passing fighters and dodging the thrusts of shields, Rheia was panting as she got close enough to see another person, a different person, she remembered that had her body freezing to the spot. Freida. 

Rheia's pounding heart filled her ears as she stared at the marvellous Briton. Rheia remembered her from the arena but now she looked . . . smaller. Frieda was cradling one of her arm's against her chest, badly injuried from the blood that flowed freely down it from an unseen wound, as she used the other to keep a pair of Roman soldiers at bay.

Frieda hadn't seen her so Rheia looked beside her and that was when she saw Artorius. He was knelt on the ground, a dagger protruding from the back of his thigh that kept him from standing, but he still continued to battle on. Raising his sword above his head, it was only a matter of time before the Roman's bore down on him with their strength and he lost the battle. Then she saw Dianna, stood closer to her, almost hidden from sight. 

Rheia grabbed Dianna by the arm and threw her to the side, her back connecting with a tree and a small noise left her lips, "What in Jupiter's name are you doing here!?" Rheia hissed. 

Dianna seemed frantic, babbling away to herself, barely recognising Rheia, as her wide eyes kept flickering back to Artorius and the dagger in his leg, "She will be happy now," Dianna bit at her nails, "I did good. The Empress will be happy now." She seemed to have been driven to the ends of her mind.

"Yes," Dianna suddenly snapped her head back to Rheia, "You shall tell the Empress what I did!"

"Traitor!" Frieda's voice rang through the air like a knife causing Dianna to shrink back, terror flashing across her features as they both turned to look at the Briton. 

There was a sword to Artorius's throat now, the point drawing a pin prick of blood as it's owner heaved with exertion and she could tell from the way his arm shook that he wanted the killing blow but they had their orders. Looking across to Frieda, Rheia remembered why her body had frozen at the sight of her. She was magnificant in her determination. She fought now like a mad creature. One of the soldier's Rheia spotted was unconscious on the floor leaving Frieda to face the one left and even in her injuried state, Rheia did not hold much hope for the soldier.