Publisher's Synopsis
Time to go to war. An army is assembled for the long journey to Chief Gaelich's fort. However, the Fighting Leader, Brevit, is injured on the way, suffering concussion. Lauren gets inventive, designing hoists for traversing the sheer drops into the Wide Valley. Then arrival, and setting up a siege after the fort refuses to surrender. Cut off from water supplies, skirmishes take place. Eventually, and with their stay time seriously extending, an attack is inevitable. The fort eventually falls, with the aid of Chief Damarion of the Silures tribe, who had been beaten, downtrodden and robbed by Gaelich. Lauren's chariots tear wildly into the fort, the wheel blades tearing defenders apart. Gaelich and his lieutenants are captured. He is tried, and receives just punishment, administered by Brevit and her sister, the formidable Addani, although it is a messy business. Gaelich's second in command, Falcon, agrees to help them to trap hunting bands of Babrani tribesmen, employed by Gaelich to bring slaves from villages to work and die in his fort. Falcon is allowed to join them on parole. Another battle is fought in the Southern Forest to defeat the Tectoverea clan, who are carrying a deadly disease. During the return, an odd accoutrement is found; a Centurion's helmet. It proves to Lauren the Romans have landed, and a new era is dawning. During a forage for food in woods, Brevit saves Lauren's life, but bravely forfeits her own. When Princess Alegia is captured one night, they meet King Cunobelinus of the Catuvellauni. After threatening to kill him, the misunderstanding is resolved and an alliance is formed. Back at their hill fort, Fallow has a premonition, and a strange box appears where the Mist that transported Lauren from modern times, forms. It is full of medical supplies, sent by Doctor Stan Slater, met while Lauren had accidentally moved forward in time with Lalena. A dreadful super-wolf plague hits the country, their fort is about to be overwhelmed. Lauren asks Stan for help, amazingly over a 2000-year time gap, which is given. Then, to everyone's amazement, he and the archaeologist, Fran Bromyard, walk out of the mist into their fort. Fran is desperate to find out more, so they are included in a patrol is about to be formed, Stan and Fran accompany them on a wild adventure. Lauren invents rockets and paper. During the patrol, Wolfy, Lauren's constant companion who had adopted her beside a mountain stream in Book II, finds his mate. Wolfy and Lauren sadly say farewell, and separate. By accident, they find a wounded Roman soldier, of the Ninth Legion Hispana. Enter Vespasian.
