‘Send in the fifth century to support the attack.’ Valerius watched from a raised earth platform as the eighty men of the fifth century of the Third cohort trotted towards the fiendish combination of ditches, palisades and blind entries the defenders of Cremona had created to confound any assault. Once within range of the fort’s archers, slingers and carefully sited onagri and scorpiones, the century formed a protective testudo. Maintaining their steady pace, they crossed the first ditch unscathed. Good, they’d chosen their line well, meeting the obstacle exactly where the Seventh Galbiana’s engineers had bridged it with bundles of branches. ‘The palisade on the bank beyond was demolished by the first attack, so it shouldn’t delay them too much.’ Claudius Ferox’s dutiful optimism was welcome, but didn’t quite succeed. Valerius’s eyes never left the compact shell of shields. Who was leading them? Of course, Geminus. He’d promoted him to centurion after the battle by the causeway.
