"(LOUD MOOING)" "Marcus FIavius AquiIa." "Second Legion." "Come to relieve the command." "acting senior officer." "Where's the garrison commander?" "sir." "CouIdn't wait to get away." "Duty roster and the keys to the pay chest." "No paymaster?" "We're too small a garrison." "that job fails to you. but we have someone working on it." "unsuccessfully." "So far." "sir?" "It is." "What made you choose Britain?" "I believe." "No." "I've noticed the fort." "It's in a poor state of repair." "We'II need to do something about that." "sir." "(RHYTHMIC DRUMMING OUTSIDE)" "move!" "fall in!" "(DRUMMING STOPS)" "Marcus FIavius AquiIa." "Where's our newly- minted commander?" "probably unpacking his rule book." "GALBA:" "You mark my words." "Marcus Aquila is tainted." "you know who his father was." "GALBA:" "The man who lost The eagle of The Ninth." "000 men." "GALBA:" "That was a little absentminded." "LUTORIUS:" "I heard he asked to be sent here." "GALBA:" "To this shithole?" "LUTORIUS: (LAUGHS) Yeah." "I'm telling you." "I've marched with the eagles 23 years." "I know a bad omen when I see one." "The boy's a bad omen. father of our fathers." "Help me lead my men well." "Do not let me dishonor my legion." "Please help me regain my family's honor." "(HORN SOUNDING)" "boys!" "(PANTING)" "Your lives depend on these defenses!" "CENTURION:" "Move those poles over there." "You must be accurate with your striking!" "speed and accuracy!" "Just been told the grain delivery hasn't arrived." "I want you to send out a patrol to investigate." "it's nothing here." "it is to me." "Send out the patrol." "too dangerous." "We've had reports of a Druid roaming the villages." "I would not send out a patrol." "too." "forward march!" "left." "(GASPING)" "sir." "(FAINT RUSTLING)" "Did you hear that?" "Sir?" "I hope the patrol's all right." "Seems I may have got you up for nothing." "What did you hear?" "most likely." "(RUSTLING)" "There." "That." "Did you hear it?" "(EXCLAIMS SOFTLY) Damn the dark." "should I call the men to arms?" "they won't thank you." "Better angry than dead." "call them out." "But in silence." "sir." "wake up." "(EXCLAIMS) bloody helmets." "move." "(SIGHING ANGRILY)" "(BATTLE CRY)" "MARCUS:" "hold the line!" "hold your positions!" "hold your positions!" "Bring me a torch!" "hold steady!" "hold your line!" "hold the cohort!" "(MEN SCREAMING)" "It's coming out!" "sir." "sir." "Sir." "brother." "sir." "Is there any sign of the patrol?" "LEGIONARY:" "Sir!" "(GRUNTS)" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(ALL CHEERING)" "(CHEERING)" "I'm not leaving them to die." "Muster 50 of the reserves and hold them at the gate." "let me lead them." "It was my decision to send out the patrol." "It's my responsibility to bring them back." "Muster the men." "(CHEERING)" "CENTURION:" "Move it!" "Move it!" "Prepare for battle. let me not bring misfortune to my legion. accept whatever sacrifice that I may not bring misfortune to my legion." "we form testudo!" "Ready!" "Open the gates!" "march!" "(BATTLE CRY) form!" "CENTURION 1 :" "Move forward!" "CENTURION 2:" "Move forward!" "Move forward!" "Advance!" "forward!" "forward!" "CENTURION 3:" "hold the circle!" "MARCUS:" "hold the circle!" "hold the circle!" "Tighten the circle!" "hold the circle!" "(ALL SHOUTING) cut the others free." "hold the circle!" "hold!" "(HORN SOUNDING)" "close the circle!" "(HORN CONTINUES SOUNDING)" "fall back!" "fall back!" "Run!" "Charge!" "(URGING HORSES)" "MARCUS:" "Run!" "Run!" "(NEIGHING)" "Father?" "(YOUNG MARCUS LAUGHING)" "(INAUDIBLE)" "(MARCUS SHUDDERING)" "Father?" "(EAGLE SCREECHING)" "(EAGLE SCREECHING)" "Rest now." "Lie still." "still." "Where am I?" "You're still in Britain." "CaIIeva." "CaIIeva?" "Your fort surgeon had you transferred here." "200 leagues in a mule cart." "it's a wonder you didn't die." "AquiIa." "these are not the best circumstances so we'II have plenty of time to make your acquaintance." "please lie still." "The patient must rest." "I hope the medicine he's gonna give you does you some good." "It smells repellent." "Like one of his farts." "My men." "What happened to my men?" "Your men were saved." "Thanks to your effort." "Rest now." "AQUILA:" "Marcus?" "Marcus?" "You have a visitor." "Lutorius." "Sir." "The men have been asking after you." "And how are they?" "Anxious to know how their commander fares." "You have some news for my nephew?" "Yes." "Sorry." "We have received word from Rome. the Fourth Cohort of GauIs has been awarded the gilded laurel." "their standard will carry its first wreath." "tell the men I couId not be more proud." "sir." "They've awarded you a military armiIIa for conspicuous gallantry." "And an honorable discharge because of your wounds." ""Honor and faithfulness."" "MARCUS:" "Honor and faithfulness." "LUTORIUS:" "May I be the first to offer my congratulations?" "It was good of you to come so far." "Sir." "Lutorius." "(MARCUS SCREAMING)" "Stephanos." "Leave him." "There's no medicine for that." "(MARCUS GRUNTING)" "(SHUDDERING)" "CENTURION:" "Run!" "(PEOPLE CHEERING)" "AQUILA:" "Ease him down." "careful." "gently." "Fun." "go!" "What was my father like?" "Your father? and everything that that implies." "The man who lost The eagle was the perfect Roman?" "no one knows. he died honorably." "That's what we tell ourselves." "But what if he didn't?" "What?" "What if he was a coward and ran?" "And now a fight to the death!" "(ALL CHEERING)" "AQUILA:" "It's a slave." "A gladiator and a slave's never a fair contest." "Never!" "Come on." "Come on." "Fight." "Fight!" "AQUILA:" "There's bravery." "He's going to give himself his death." "(ALL CHEERING)" "fight." "AQUILA:" "Look at that." "Look at that." "(GRUNTING) go!" "GLADIATOR:" "Fight!" "Fight." "Fight him!" "slave." "WOMAN:" "Get up and fight." "Get up." "Fight." "Come on." "(PANTING)" "(CHEERING)" "MAN 1 :" "kill him!" "MAN 2:" "kill him!" "ALL: (CHANTING) kill!" "kill!" "kill!" "(PANTING)" "kill him!" "Life." "Life!" "Life!" "let him live." "you fools!" "life!" "Let him live." "Get your thumbs up!" "Get your thumbs up!" "Life!" "you fools!" "Get your thumbs up!" "Life!" "Life!" "Come on!" "Let him live!" "(ALL CHEERING)" "that I was not expecting." "Why did you save him?" "Stephanos!" "Stephanos!" "I decided Stephanos is too old to serve two masters." "I bought you your own body slave." "I don't need my own slave." "Marcus." "I should have been consulted." "you weren't." "slave!" "His name's Esca." "I've no use for you." "I had no wish to be bought." "You should have run." "My uncle wouldn't have stopped you." "You saved my Iife." "I have a debt of honor to you now." "Against your wish." "No man should ever beg for his life." "You didn't." "on your behalf." "And I meant nothing by it. who never broke his word." "My father's dagger is my bond." "I hate everything you stand for." "Everything you are." "But you saved me." "I must serve you." "SURGEON:" "Who searched this wound?" "The surgeon at the fort." "Was he drunk?" "I've never seen such a mess." "You must have been in constant pain." "AQUILA:" "Sent him 200 leagues in a mule cart." "nearly killed him." "SURGEON:" "I'm gonna have to re-open it." "There's still metal in there." "right?" "It'II be over before you know it." "I have the best knives in the business." "Some wine." "Ready?" "Ready." "You can go." "No!" "I'm gonna need the slave to hold you down." "MARCUS:" "Can't my uncle do it?" "Me?" "No." "I've grown to hate the sight of blood." "especially the blood of someone I'm quite fond of." "Be strong." "quickly now." "hold him down." "slave!" "Harder!" "Take a deep breath." "" let it out." "Now!" "(GROANS)" "(EXHALES)" "Did I shame myself?" "Thank you." "There he is." "(LAUGHS)" "(GRUNTING)" "Spear!" "Now!" "Cut him off!" "Cut him off!" "he seemed pretty fond of you." "Marcus." "Marcus FIavius AquiIa. and the esteemed Legate of the Sixth Legion." "Your uncle's an old sparring partner." "Tribune Servius PIacidus." "An indispensable member of my staff." "pleasure." "Supper's ready." "boiled eggs and fish." "Don't all rush at once." "(ALL CHUCKLE)" "I'd be a soldier all my Iife." "my father will insist I go into politics." "Have we met before?" "Your name sounds familiar." "I doubt it." "in Rome?" "(CHUCKLING)" "I was only a Cohort Centurion." "I remember now." "FIavius AquiIa." "did he not?" "He commanded the First Cohort of the Ninth." "Of course." "The Ninth." "Every Roman remembers the Ninth. there's been rumor recently along the wall." "Rumors." "Rumors!" "Britain's full of nothing but rumors." "CLAUDIUS:" "They say The eagle's been seen receiving divine honors in some tribal temple in the far north." "An eagle in the hands of the Painted people." "A potent weapon." "One has to wonder how any Roman could let it go." "surely we should act." "what would Rome say?" "all lost. no senator's gonna risk thousands of lives on a tainted Iegion." "My hands are tied." "MARCUS:" "Not if you sent one man." "AQUILA:" "North of the wall?" "No Roman could survive up there." "Has anyone ever tried?" "militarily." "To try would be to fall." "How do you know?" "One man can hide where an army can't." "No one would even know he was there." "It's too risky." "PLACIDUS:" "Quite right." "The loss of the Ninth was humiliating enough without adding another pointless death." "AQUILA:" "Marcus." "Marcus." "You can't let the likes of him do this to you." "He has no notion of how you and I have lived our lives. like my father." "I know. riding away for the Iast time." "I can still feel how proud I was." "Centurion of the First Cohort of the Ninth Legion." "Can you imagine anything more magnificent than to be a soldier and to serve Rome with courage and faithfulness?" "son." "For what?" "For what?" "An honorable discharge?" "That is fate." "That's in the hands of the gods. they asked me where I wanted to be posted." "I knew the answer before they had even asked it." "Britain." "Britain." "This is where my father lost The eagle." "This is where I was gonna win so much glory that no Roman would ever dare bring up his name again." "What do I do now?" "What do I do?" "I sit and I listen to some siIk-ass politician's son piss on our family's name! rotting and remembering." "(LAUGHS INCREDULOUSLY)" "If I can't win back my family's honor then I'II do it by finding the lost eagle." "You can't." "No Roman can survive north of the wall alone." "You can't." "Then I'II take Esca." "I can use his knowledge." "He speaks the language." "Esca?" "Why not?" "Because he's a Briton. but he's a Briton." "And he will slit your throat the minute you're alone." "He wouldn't do that." "How do you know?" "He gave me his word!" "His word?" "He's a slave!" "He says what he says and he does what he does because he has to." "Once you're beyond the territories... then I'II die." "And that's how it should be." "Where are you headed?" "North." "(GUARDS LAUGHING)" "Didn't they tell you this is the end of the world?" "soldier." "(RATTLING)" "Roman." "MARCUS:" "Who did this?" "Rogue warriors." "I dream that I'II find my father alive up here." "That he survived in some hidden place." "Is that why you're here?" "To find your father?" "No." "We're here to find The eagle." "How can a piece of metal mean so much to you?" "The eagle is not a piece of metal." "The eagle is Rome." "It's a symbol of our honor." "Every victory." "Every achievement." "we can say that Rome did that." "You wouldn't understand." "How could you? bearer of the blue War shield of the Brigantes." "Lord of 500 spears." "you took our lands and we rose against you." "My father and two brothers died." "also." "My father killed her before the Iegionaries broke through." "He knew what they would do to her." "She knelt in front of him and he slit her throat." "Rome also did that." "The highlands." "Which way?" "It's up to you." "Five thousand men can disappear in a single glen." "There are thousands of glens." "ESCA:" "We could search for months and still find nothing." "(EAGLE SCREECHING)" "North." "let me do the talking." "they'II kill you." "And me." "(MEN SPEAKING GAELIC)" "Don't look." "There's three rogue warriors behind you across the river." "How many behind me?" "I don't see anyone." "They're there." "Are you ready?" "(PANTING)" "(PANTING) don't hesitate." "Stay back." "(SPEAKING GAELIC) but they never came back this way." "He must know more than that." "He says not." "Ask him again." "No." "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "What are you doing?" "Stay back!" "Enough!" "Enough." "No more games." "No more lies." "Ask him where the legion went." "Ask him!" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(REPLYING IN GAELIC)" "Come on." "(NEIGHING)" "kill him!" "kill him." "Do it now!" "Chin-strap scar." "only a Roman helmet does that." "He's a Iegionary." "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "What's your name?" "What's your name?" "I'm called Guern." "My name is Lucius Caius MeteIIus." "First Cohort of the Ninth Legion." "How have you survived up here for so long?" "My tribe is called the SeIgovae." "made me one of their own." "two sons." "My life is here now." "I don't trust him." "He's a deserter." "MARCUS:" "We don't know that." "He's still a Roman." "He was a Roman when he ran. but all I know" "is that we had it coming." "Why did they have to come north?" "There's nothing here worth taking." "CouIdn't they have been satisfied with what they had?" "They always have to punish more wars." "MARCUS:" "Just tell me what happened. it was autumn." "The worst weather they'd had in years." "For weeks we marched." "No sign of them." "suddenly they just appeared out of the mist." "(VOICES ECHOING)" "one by one." "we just stopped trying to find open ground and we turned and faced them." "I've never been so frightened." "We fought back-to-back." "No sleep." "Pissing where we stood." "They came at us like animals." "This is the killing ground." "AII the northern tribes were here." "But the worst were the Painted Warriors of the seal people." "They hacked the feet off the dead so their souls couldn't walk into the afterlife." "They used those stones as altars to kill the officers." "They ripped their hearts out while they were still alive." "We could hear them being sacrificed." "My father?" "What happened to him? he was surrounded by the warriors of the seal people." "Did he die fighting?" "Did he die fighting?" "I don't know." "I ran before the end." "A Iot of us did." "You coward." "No." "You weren't here." "You don't know what it was like." "Who has The eagle?" "They say the seal people have it." "How do I find them?" "He knows." "He's Brigantes." "They fought here." "didn't you? and all this time you could have told me." "Your tribe was there." "And they butchered my father's men like dogs!" "Your father came to kill!" "He came to punish us 'cause we would not bow to the name of Rome!" "I'd heard of this place." "it is the place of heroes." "How dare you?" "You're still my slave!" "And you'd be dead in a ditch without me!" "I saved your miserable life!" "(PANTING)" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "No!" "What's happening?" "No!" "Esca?" "Esca?" "Esca!" "Esca!" "(MEN LAUGHING)" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(SEAL PEOPLE CHUCKLING)" "(SEAL PEOPLE MUTTERING)" "ESCA:" "Marcus FIavius AquiIa." "SEAL CHIEF:" "Marcus FIavius AquiIa." "Marcus FIavius AquiIa." "(SEAL PEOPLE LAUGHING)" "what's happening?" "You're my slave." "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(ALL CHATTERING)" "(MAN SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(WOMEN LAUGHING)" "(ESCA SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(SHOUTING) KneeI!" "Get on your knees!" "Do it!" "(SPEAKING GAELIC) I will kill you." "(SEAL CHIEF SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(BEATING DRUMS)" "(MEN CHANTING)" "(CHANTING LOUDLY)" "(MEN SHOUTING)" "Marcus." "Marcus." "Marcus!" "(GASPS)" "It's time." "We have to do this now." "It's our only chance." "while they sleep." "I thought I'd lost you." "quickly." "(MEN SNORING)" "(PANTING)" "There's no time now." "Let's go." "We have to go now." "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "(BATTLE CRY)" "Where'd you get my father's ring?" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "What did he say?" "We have to go." "BOY:" "Esca?" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "Esca." "we're dead." "And you know it." "He has no reason to protect us." "Do you trust me?" "He won't betray us." "(URGING HORSE)" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "boy." "(DOGS GROWLING)" "How many days to the wall?" "maybe five." "They'II never catch us on foot." "Have you seen them run?" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "You're wounded." "Why didn't you say?" "It's nothing." "It's your bad leg." "Sit down." "We don't have time." "Just sit down. what did he say?" "there's no time right now." "(DOGS BARKING)" "(DOGS BARKING)" "They're coming." "half a day behind." "The wind always lies." "(URGING HORSE)" "(EAGLE SCREECHING)" "(SQUEAKING)" "No fires." "It's too risky." "I'm not eating that." "I'm not a savage." "Then die a Roman." "You've lost a Iot of blood." "You need to keep your strength up." "Eat." "(GAGGING)" "(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)" "It's time to go." "They can take shortcuts that the horses can't." "(HORSE NEIGHING)" "ESCA:" "Come on." "Keep going." "Come on!" "(URGING HORSE)" "Come on!" "No!" "(HORSE NEIGHING)" "(SCREAMING)" "(CALLING OUT)" "ESCA:" "We need to stick to the river." "They'II double back soon enough." "(THUNDER RUMBLING)" "(MARCUS GROANING)" "(GASPING)" "(MARCUS BREATHING RAGGEDLY)" "Rest." "We can't." "You need to rest!" "Marcus." "You need to rest." "(COUGHING)" "Come on." "Come on." "(GASPING)" "I can't go on." "you can." "You just need to rest." "Take The eagle." "come back." "(COUGHING) just keep south." "Make sure this gets back to Rome." "I'm not leaving you here." "Do not dishonor me." "Take it." "I came this far with you." "I won't leave you now." "I order you." "Take it." "I swore an oath of honor never to abandon you. set me free." "Give me my freedom." "You're free." "my friend." "Take it." "No." "I will return." "(SHUDDERING)" "(THUNDER CLAPPING)" "(PANTING)" "(PANTING)" "(DOGS BARKING)" "(BREATHING HEAVILY)" "halt!" "ESCA:" "Your father's Iegionaries." "You were wrong." "The dead can live. but I watched your father die." "he was not a coward." "He stood his ground to the very end." "I saw it." "The last Roman to hold The eagle was your father." "sir." "You've honored my father's memory enough." "You don't have to do this." "No." "When I ran from your father" "(DOGS BARKING)" "I ran from myself." "(SEAL PEOPLE CHATTERING)" "sir." "Prepare to defend The eagle!" "Esca!" "(SPEAKING GAELIC)" "Out swords!" "(BATTLE CRY)" "(GRUNTING)" "(PANTING)" "MARCUS:" "Let us remember the men who fought and died in the name of honor." "Romans and Britons." "My father and yours. may peace and honor follow you." "May you know no more strife." "May your souls take flight and soar with The eagle of The Ninth." "For my father." "My dear boy." "I congratulate you." "Rome congratulates you." "And your family's good name is restored." "The Senate will want to re-form the Ninth." "Perhaps they can reward you with its command." "However did you do it?" "With only a slave to help you." "He's not a slave!" "And he knows more about honor and freedom than you ever will." "So what now?" "You decide."