Heartwarming / The Eagle of the Ninth

• The book starts with Marcus leading his newly acquired legion to their posting. The narration notes that Marcus firmly believes that his is the best legion in the whole of the Roman army. Later, after the big battle that invalids Marcus out of the army, he tells his lieutenant to tell the legion how proud he is of them.

  Marcus: And tell the troops that I always have said that the Fourth Gaulish was the finest Cohort with the Eagles.

• Loyalty abounds in Marcus' legion. Marcus pulls a suicidal stunt to buy his troops time to escape, and his troops in turn come back to rescue him.
• Marcus' father seems to have been a good dad from Marcus' memories, gone a lot because of his job but warm and affectionate when he's home. Marcus' mother is on familiar enough terms with her husband (not a sure thing in this era) to tell him of her concerns (unfortunately well-founded) about the soundness of his new legion, and Marcus' father reassures her while not dismissing her.
• Esca hears of a chance to go wolf-hunting. Marcus' leg won't let him go to his chagrin, but he encourages Esca when he realizes Esca would really like to go.
• As Marcus is convalescing, he suggests to his uncle that Marcus should be looking for a job so as not be a burden. His uncle, though not very demonstrative and who had never met Marcus before his forced retirement, waves off any suggestion that Marcus is a burden and insists that Marcus remain with him.
• Afterward, Esca brings Marcus a pet wolf pup he rescued from the hunt. While the house slaves are not thrilled at this new addition, the cook/housekeeper stands up for Marcus' pet on the grounds that why should they with two sound legs begrudge Marcus a whole pack of wolf pups.
• An arrogant jerk puts Esca down for being a slave, making it clear he thinks of Esca as an object, not a person. Marcus is quick to reassure Esca of his value as a human, not property. Later, when the arrogant jerk is visiting, Marcus is concerned if it will bother Esca.
• When Cub is full-grown, Marcus and Esca take him out to the forest so Cub can choose if he wants to leave or go. Neither are entirely certain if Cub will return but want the choice to be his. That evening, Cub returns to the house and swarms Marcus in full doggy fashion, making it clear what his choice is.
• When Marcus asks Esca to come with him on his dangerous quest, the same arrogant jerk points out that of course Esca would agree to come with him - as a slave he has no choice. Marcus' response is an immediate, "You know what, you're right," and promptly fills out the legal paperwork to free Esca before asking him again, as an equal, if he'll come with him. Even better, it's clear that in Marcus' eyes Esca is already a friend and an equal, and the paperwork is just making it official and making sure Esca has his legal rights back.
  • On Esca's part, he doesn't hesitate to come with Marcus either as a slave or as a freedman, even though it will be dangerous and the Eagle is no personal or national concern of his.
  • Even the arrogant jerk has a soft spot for the adventure Marcus is getting himself into, and can't help wishing that there was room for three on the trip, or that he didn't have his own duties elsewhere.
• When Marcus and Esca realize that they left behind evidence that will set the Epidaii on their trail, Esca tries to devise a scheme that will help Marcus get away even at the cost of Esca's life. Marcus returns his loyalty by refusing to escape without Esca.
• Near the end, when Marcus and Esca are trapped in an old tower and will shortly be discovered and probably killed, Esca tells Marcus that it was worth it.

  Esca: I have once again been a free man among free men. I have shared the hunting with my brother, and it has been a good hunting.

• The fact that the Britons (including Cottia and the Seal Tribe), who don't fully understand what the Eagle means to the Romans, immediately understand why Marcus is so dedicated to getting it back once he tells them it is his father's Eagle. Hell, Liathan's grandfather immediately puts together who Marcus' father is as soon as the Eagle is stolen, and tells Liathan to return his father's ring to him, before killing him. Really hammers home just how similar the Romans and the Britons can be.
• When Marcus and Esca return from their quest, Cub, who hasn't seen his master in months, nearly knocks Marcus over with the affection of his greeting.
• When Marcus and Esca arrive home, it's a bit awkward for Esca, who is dealing for the first time with being a freedman in the country where he was a slave. Uncle Aquila's friend, Claudius, who witnessed Esca's manumission papers, treats him as an equal and draws him out with discussion about domesticating wolf pups.
• Marcus and Cottia get engaged. Homebody Uncle Aquila complains about having to go talk to Cottia's guardians now and get everything arranged and how quiet and peaceful it was before Marcus came, but it's clear that he's happy for them.
• Marcus gets his farm after all, which he'll share with Cottia and Esca, and because of his experiences with Esca, he chooses to run it with free labor, not unheard of but certainly not easy or common.