Roman Hostage

To young Ruric, life with his Visigothic kinsmen was near perfect. He spent hours swimming, wrestling, horseback riding, and mastering the weapons of his tribe—the spear, sword, and shield. And with the older warriors, he roamed the forests of Germania hunting deer and bear and other game. But when the Visigoths left their camp north of the Danube River and sought refuge from invading Huns within the Roman Empire, Ruric’s life collapsed. He, like all Gothic boys between the ages of twelve and sixteen, was torn from his family and taken hostage by the Romans, who thought this would ensure the Visigoths’ loyalty. Under a Roman centurion’s guard, Ruric was sent to Constantinople, center of the Eastern Roman Empire, where he faced not only the uncertainties of a new language, a new way of life, and a new master, but also the heart-stopping danger of an event that will live in history for its infamy and horror.