The Eagle of the Ninth

When Marcus and Esca reach the trade markets at Are-Cluta, they make the difficult but necessary decision to sell their horses. Esca will proceed to the market alone and will purchase a pair of ponies for them. With the eagle in their possession and the likelihood that the ring brooch has been found, swapping their easily recognizable mounts for ponies common to the region offers a better chance of avoiding detection as they progress southward. Marcus frets in Esca’s absence, again frustrated by the circumstances that mandate Esca’s action and Marcus’s inaction. Marcus changes cloaks to further alter their appearance. Satisfied that they have made effective changes, the two continue. No sooner has Marcus expressed the happy realization that they should reach Hadrian’s Wall in three days than Marcus and Esca hear a hunting hound, recognizing the sound to mean they have been discovered and the Epidaii are on their trail. They ride at a strenuous pace and without cessation, concerned that their ponies will reach the limits of their abilities, but pressing them forward with no other choice.

As they tear across the countryside, Marcus’s leg throbs and aches, and he struggles to maintain the balance and strength required for such a grueling ride.