VI 

"Frieda . . ." Diomed drew her name out cautiously as he watched her strip the uniform from the dead Roman's body that lay at his feet, their actions lit only by the moonlight filtering in through the open tree branches above them, "Frieda, I'm not sure about this." 

"Why?" She asked, not pausing as she hoisted the tunic over the man's head and let his lifeless body slump to the ground afterwards. "Oh, there's blood on this," she muttered to herself concerned, not listening as she tapped her chin and pondered for a moment before she just shrugged and said, "Just tell them that it's mine if they see it."

Diomed decided not to tell her that she wasn't bleeding so the blood could not be hers but he was fairly certain that she would just cut herself to make it more convincing and he did not want that. "Frieda, will you listen to me, this is not going to work."

Frieda looked at him with her blue eyes, captivatingly glinting in the moon light, "Why do you say that? I think this could be our best plan yet."

"For starters, there is just two of us!" Diomed exclaimed, praying she would see sense, "And there must be at least a hundred soldiers in that garrison if not more camping nearby for this upcoming war with Calgacus." 

"Well, ninety-nine now," Frieda joked, pointing to the dead centurion at her feet, which just earned her a very unamused glare from Diomed. "Look, there was not that many of us when we fought Pompeia and-"

"-and we lost," Diomed reminded her, "Krista had to be captured and nearly killed to defeat Pompeia. I do not wish for history to repeat itself here." 

"Do not fret, it will not," Frieda sighed, ignoring the way her stomach flipped a little when she heard his concern for her but she dismissed it, "There is just the two of us. With you disguised as a guard and me your prisoner we will easily be able to slip inside and find Alena. We can get in and out without anyone even noticing us."

"And how do we get out?" He asked to which Frieda paused, she had not thought of that, "It is the middle of the night yet I doubt they will take kindly to two "slaves" just being marched out the door without orders." 

"We will make up a story like we have before or I shall just have kill more guards, it does not matter to me. One more dead Roman does not matter to me." As the words left her lips she realised who she was speaking to and apologetically looked across at Diomed, "You know what I mean," She muttered defensively. Diomed just looked away, trying to not show how her comment cut at his insides. Did she think that about all Romans, including him? But then he remembered that Krista was Roman and Frieda would die for her. But Krista had been a slave, not a soldier like he was.

"Diomed, I cannot leave Alena in there and I need to do something before Eoghan screws it all up," Frieda hurried on. 

"We do not even know if Alena is in there, Eoghan has not seen her in an age," Diomed emphasised as he stepped over the dead body at his feet and stood in front of Frieda, their chests less than an inch apart. Diomed swallowed around a lump in his throat as he smelt her hair whilst Frieda just stared at his chest, "Are you going to risk everything in an unplanned mission to possibly find out your wrong? You- we could be killed in there, Frieda." 

"I need to know," Frieda looked up at him in that moment Diomed felt like he had been punched in the ribs. Her eyes were larger than he had ever seen them and a thin layer of tears covered those wide orbs as she let her guard down for a few brief seconds. It had the desired effect and Diomed conceded defeat. He could not deny her anything, even their possible death.

"Okay," Diomed nodded but to his surprise they just stood there, looking into each others eyes beneath the moonlight, their warm bodies drawing closer together as the cold air caressed their skin. He looked from her cerulean blue eyes, dark in the shadows, and down to her plump lips. How he wished to press his own against them and to feel Frieda return the gesture, but the moment was broken as Frieda turned away. Diomed saw the proverbial fences come back up around her exterior as she picked up the Roman's uniform and thrust them into his arms.

"Get dressed," Frieda said, not looking at him, as she stepped around him and began untying the guards sandals from his feet. 

* * * 

Back at the camp Eoghan rounded up his men and decided that they had waited long enough. Calagcus had entrusted him with the task of putting the most eastern Roman garrison out of commission and knew that he must strike now. If Frieda was true to her word then she would attempt to sneak into the garrison and would most undoubtedly be caught and the Romans would most definitely increase their security measures. 

Eoghan could not risk any more hurdles to be erected between him and his victory. Calagcus trusted him and this was his chance to prove his worth. If he could remove their garrison it would be a magnificent victory for the rebels and hurt the Roman supply line towards Mon Grapius where Calagcus had decided he would make their stand. Anyway Eoghan could help their war effort and prevent good men from dying he would, even if it would cost Frieda her life. After all, what was Frieda to him; just a girl he would play with from his village when he was younger and just so happened to be bundled together when the Romans came? Was it his fault she had been too scared to follow him that night and escape? He did not leave her to her fate, Eoghan rationalised, she had decided to stay rather than risk everything to live freely. That was not his fault. And her alliance with this Roman solidified his suspicions. He did not know what happened after he left that place, Frieda herself could be a spy for the Romans, brought here to trick him and gather information. 

As these thoughts crossed his mind Eoghan's urgency increased, perhaps she was going to the garrison not to sneak in and save her sister but rather to report to her employer. Frieda could be in on this with her sister- Alena had been with the Romans long enough to have her mind warped and if she was romantically involved with the commander of the garrison Eoghan knew that that type of connection could sway a young girl's weak mind. 

"Gather your weapons," Eoghan shouted as he stormed out of his tent, followed by his closest advisors and marched through the camp, "Leave everything else behind! Gather at the gates to march!" 

He had not let Frieda jepordaise him when he was younger and he would not allow it again now.

* * * 

A short while later Diomed and Frieda were walking towards the front gates of the garrison, a short length of rope connecting the both of them. One end wrapped around Frieda's wrists, loose enough so that she could get free if needed but tight enough to hold up against any scrutinisation, and the other grasped in Diomed's fist. A shiver ran across Frieda's skin in the cool night air as she hunched her shoulders against the cold. She saw Diomed's head turn to glance back at her but he said nothing, the silence between them almost deafening.

The front gates began to loom larger in front of them and beneath the torch light Frieda could see the guards on duty perk to attention when they heard them rustling through the grass towards them.

"Remember," Diomed sighed outwardly, "You're my prisoner. Don't try anything until I tell you." Frieda granted him that cause she knew her track record so she just nodded and instantly felt the slack rope grow taut between them as he picked up the pace, half dragging her behind him. 

"Open the gates!" Diomed shouted in his native tongue, though it felt strange to him now. He was afraid he had forgotten it but it seemed not. The guards did not move except to look at each other as they drew within ten feet of them and came within the light of the torches. "I found this one prowling the perimeter," Diomed cursed as he grabbed the rope in his hands and pulled Frieda forward, knocking her off her feet and pushing her onto her knees in front of them. Frieda kept her head lowered. 

Diomed's heart was pounding in his chest as he stared at the guards who had not yet said anything apart from turning to look at each other. He could see the doubt beginning to grow in their eyes and he knew he had to put in more effort. 

"Look are you fuckers going to let me in or not?" Diomed shouted, "This one has given the run around-" Diomed planted his foot against Frieda's back and kicked her forward onto her front, "-so I want to be rid of her, put her in the cell with the others and get some warm grub. I have been out here all night and this island's weather is really pissing me off." Diomed did not know if they had a cell but he took an educated guess and hoped is anger threw them off the scent. There was a long pause in which both parties just looked at each other before the guard on the left nodded his head. 

"Open the gates!" The guard shouted behind him before he turned back to Diomed, "Get that vermin in the cell."

"Gratitude," Diomed nodded his head as the gate began to open, the wood creaking. Reaching down he grabbed Frieda beneath the arm and hurled her up before he shoved her forward, ordering her to march. As he was about to walk in the guard reached out and caught Diomed by the arm. Diomed stopped breathing as he looked at the man.

"We can interrogate her tomorrow together," the guard winked at Diomed before he let out a deep guttural laugh. Diomed awkwardly nodded before he turned away and told Frieda to keep moving. As they stepped within the gates they both began to walk carefully forward, their eyes looking over everything. To Diomed it looked like every Roman garrison he had been in before, bringing up some memories he would sooner forget. 

"Vermin?" Frieda gasped under her breath as she stood a few feet in front of Diomed, "and don't think I forgot your boot in my back," She hissed back at him. 

"Be quiet," Diomed told her as a Roman soldier walked past them unbeknownest shouting for them to hold the gates, probably wanted to visit a local whorehouse Diomed thought, "I got us in, didn't I?" Frieda could not deny him that. "There, look," Diomed pointed to the far corner of the courtyard, "Stairs. They probably lead to the commander's chambers." Most of the soldiers were sleeping as they hurried across the courtyard, Diomed started to think that perhaps they could pull this off afterall. 

However before they could make it halfway up the staircase a deafening, roaring sound obliterated the night's peacefulness and his muscles froze. It was a sound he remembered from his past all too well. 

"What the hell is that?" Frieda shouted as she pressed her fingers to her ears. 

"Hurry," Diomed gasped as he grabbed her still bound wrists and took the stairs two at a time in front of her. Breaking out onto the landing, the noise still blaring apart from a small gap between each blow as the horn blower took breaths, Diomed ran down a stone corridor around the perimeter of the courtyard.

"Quick! Shut the gates! Archers!" 

"Diomed? What is it?" Frieda shouted as she ran after him, not taking her hand from his. 

As they reached the part of the corridor that equated to the front of the garrison a set of wodden steps led up to the walkway that looked out over the front gate. Taking those steps without pausing Diomed came to an abrupt halt directly above the front gate, Frieda almost barrelling into his side, and looked out into the distance. 

Frieda no longer needed to ask why the horn was blaring, she could see why. In the distance, barely five hundred feet away, was a large cluster of torches presumably being held by Eoghan's force of banded farmers marching on the garrison. 

"Eoghan?" Frieda asked and Diomed nodded, there was no one else it could be and now they were going to be caught in the middle of a battle. Panicking, Frieda removed the rope from around her wrists, threw it to the ground and took Diomed's hand tightly in hers, "We need to find Alena and get out of here. Now."

Diomed looked at her and nodded, squeezing her hand. "Let's go."