Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 01] The Sword of Cartimandua (25 page)

“Your work at Eboracum will mean nothing if we are defeated.  We must risk all if we are to beat these Romans.”

She nodded. “Perhaps some of your warriors could raid the settlements of the Roman families.  It worked for Boudicca.”

“That is why I love you Fainch you have a chieftain’s mind in a princess’s body.”

“There is something else oh mighty king. My sisters joined with me for the dreaming. We dreamed a powerful dream.”

“And?” Venutius felt a range of emotions; a good dream would give his men the heart and desire to rid the land of the Romans.

“We dreamed an eagle which took a lamb. Before it could eat it a wolf came and devoured the eagle and the lamb.”

“And I am the wolf?” She nodded. Excellent I will tell my chieftains at the muster. With that dream we cannot lose.”He turned to his men.  “Mount we return home.”

His men cast furtive, curious glances as they left wondering, not for the first time, what powers the witch possessed. Some of them had heard her tell the king of the dream and it both pleased and frightened them. None of them would dream of crossing her even though she appeared to be a slight, pretty female; to them she was a monster transformed by the gods and they were glad she was on their side. Fainch, for her part smiled the secret smile of a woman who was superior to all she knew. Venutius was merely a pawn in her grander, greater plan.  The Romans were an obstacle which could be removed by Venutius, if not Venutius then another leader; as long as they believed in her supernatural power they would not oppose her. The return to Eboracum would give her time to plane her campaign of treachery and death. They would pay for the destruction of Mona and her love.

Chapter 14

Morbium

“This looks a good place for a fort.” Alasica sat astride his horse on a steeply sided bluff overlooking the river.  His engineers had already begun to build a wooden bridge which would enable him to harass the rear of the Carvetii forces.

Quintus Aurelius, one of his young tribunes ventured a suggestion.  The area to the north of the river looks flatter and bigger.  It would make a better fort.”

“You have a good eye Quintus and it may be that we will build a permanent fort there once we have subdued the barbarians but right now this site will protect the bridge and can be held by a small force. Archers could wreak havoc on a barbarian force trying to cross the bridge.  Get the men started and keep the cavalry patrols out.  I do not want to be surprised whilst we are so few in numbers.” Almost without thinking the young general looked over his shoulder to the south almost as though he expected the twentieth to be marching towards him.  At the moment his forces were too few in numbers to be anything more than an annoyance for Venutius; the legion would give him real striking power.

“Sir the scouts are back.”

Galba dismounted as the three Tungrian scouts returned.  Their mission had been to follow the river as far as they could.

They saluted and the leading man spoke. “There is nowhere closer to the sea to cross the river.  There are other places to build bridges not far from here but this is the narrowest. The river goes North West to the point where it is a waterfall.  From there on men could walk across the river. It would be half a day’s travel for the barbarians.”

Galba dismissed the men with a wave.  His intuitive military mind had chosen the best site for a bridge; the east did not worry him. The Brigantes who lived there were allies. It was in the west where he would face his stiffest opposition.  His eyes drifted to the thin line of hills to the west and he wondered how his isolated forces were managing.  The white edge to the hills told him that it would still be some time until he could get a messenger to them.  He could only hope that they would still be alive and still be able to be an asset by the time the main force arrived.

Venutius’ scouts leaned forward over their ponies to keep a lower profile as they watched the Romans like busy bees scurrying around the river.

“I could take the leader out with an arrow from where we are.”

“Ay and if you missed our heads would be hanging from the saddles of those Roman scouts.  Our job is to report back to the king and I think we have seen enough.”

Brocavum

By the time they reached the king they were exhausted; a mixture of thick snow and an icy wind as they crossed the summits took its toll.  Even so they were careful to report immediately to the king whose fiery temper was legendary. “They are building a fort and a bridge north of Cataractonium.  They are few in number; some legionaries building the bridge, archers and horsemen.”We should attack now lord while they are weak.” The speaker was a grizzled old warrior with so many scars it looked as though he had been carved from ancient oak.

“Eneit you are a brave warrior and if the snows were gone I would do as you advise but not all the warriors we summoned have arrived and we would be weak after travelling through the snow.  No be patient.  They believe their fort will help them but it will not.  When we have all our men mustered we can strike at their weak points.  We are protected by these steep hills while they have their people in wide open plains where we can make our numbers tell. By the next moon the snows will be melting and then we will strike.”

His men knew of the witch Fainch and felt that she could see into the future.  All would be well and they would drive the Romans back into the sea and claim the Brigante land for themselves.

Eboracum

At Eboracum, in the wide open plains Venutius’ plan was already working. Fainch had set her web of women to cause as much trouble as possible. The plan to fire the ships would have to wait as there were none in port and so the warehouses were empty. There were, however, many Roman soldiers in the town and although Fainch’s spies could not enter they could cause problems when the legionaries left the safety of the fort and ventured into the huts and hovels which were springing up. Food could be poisoned; wine and ale could be tainted.  Occasionally an optio could be murdered. Fainch was careful to avoid causing so much fear that the Romans reacted by tightening security.

For the Roman’s part they put the large number of men down with stomach disorders down to the poor local food and climate. The deaths were small in number but the sick list was becoming a problem.

Fainch realised that she had begun to affect the Romans when Alasica and his bodyguard returned to Eboracum. He immediately went to the commandant’s house and spoke to Quintus Valerius Corvus. “You have suffered some losses which were not sustained in battle.  How did they occur?”

“The men became ill and some died.  I do not know where the disease came from.”

“Were the men who became ill from the same barracks?”

“No they were from a number of barracks.”

“And the men who were killed where did their deaths occur?”

“They were killed in the town.”

“They were all officers?”

Quintus looked up surprised.  He had not made the connection but now he had had the suggestion made it became obvious.”All of them.  Do you think there is a connection?”

“I think that we need to stop the men frequenting the town first of all.  I know the merchants will squeal and the men will moan but I care not. Then I want you to have the preparation of the food supervised.  I am worried that, as the Queen was poisoned the men may be suffering the same fate. Let us see if this cures the problem. Increase the patrols and admit no-one to the fort. It may be a coincidence but in light of the death of the Queen I am not willing to take any chances.”

Fainch realised that her original plan was not working and she began to put in place her secondary plan, not as dramatic but designed to disrupt insidiously, slowly, painfully. She knew that the soldiers might obey orders but they would also obey their lustful needs. They would find a way to seek out women, or boys, who would satisfy their desires. They might not be the officers but it would be a drip feed. She knew where the objects of the soldier’s desires housed and it was simple enough to sell beer at low prices to the prostitutes around the camp. The tainted beer would not kill but would cause such wracks of pain and sicknesses that they would not be able to work or fight for days. The fact that some of them might die would be a bonus.  The ships which now made their way up to the new jetties were also a means of subversion; the drinks she sold, again at much reduced prices, would cause death or illness when the ships were on their way back to Gaul. The effect would not be apparent for a while but it would eat into both the ships and the morale of the sailors. Her final plan was to find some way to rid her land of Alasica who was far too effective to be allowed to live.

Glanibanta

Ulpius and Marcus took a stroll in the first morning light to survey the work at Glanibanta. Even at this early hour they could see the men picking river and lake mussels to supplement their diet. Once they had built a boat they would be able to fish. “It is going well sir.  The walls are finished and the gates and towers are now ready to be defended.”

“It is.  We were lucky that there was so much stone around here. Although I think,” he looked up and touched the amulet he had taken from the Queen’s body, “that the Queen had all of this planned. I think she intended this to be our home. Are the outposts complete?”

“They are and manned. It means that we are two turmae short but they can both be back here in a short time. The docks and jetties are finished but until we have ships they are not needed.”

Ulpius nodded and looked towards the barrack fort that Orrick and his men were building.  The houses had been the first thing to be built, unlike the Roman way which built walls first but the winter weather had made that decision for them. The plentiful timber and slates had made the job easier; had the enemy harassed them it would have been a different situation for then the men would not have been able to devote so much energy to building. “I will be happier when their walls are finished. The gods have favoured us so far but with this snow melting so rapidly we must be vigilant for I cannot believe that the Carvetii will not pay us a visit soon.” The snows had indeed begun to melt and there had been no serious snowfall for many days. The paths around the settlement and to the northern outpost were just a slushy mass and the first spring bulbs were beginning to erupt. Soon they would come and as he surveyed his command he realised that his men both Roman and allies would be ready. The Via Praetoria and the Via Principalis both made life moving around the camp easier and gave the men a sense of order. The Praetorium was built and, as in all forts, the hub of activity.

He glanced over at his young subordinate who was looking towards the strongly made home just inside what would be the Brigante fort.  He was thinking of his princess and their child.  The hurt inside of him did not diminish but it softened his pain to think that someone else would have the family that had been so cruelly wrenched from him.

“How is the princess?”

“She is well. Her condition seems to make her even more beautiful.”

Ulpius smiled at the young man’s love. “Ay motherhood will do that.  We should thank the Allfather that she has prospered in such a dark and dank climate.”

“I have already made a sacrifice.”

“Good.  It does not do to anger the gods. Who takes out the patrol today?” He asked the question already knowing the answer. It was Marcus’ duty but he wondered if his devotion to Macha would have made him delegate that duty. He was pleased with the reply.

“It is my duty. I thought I would take the trail to the north east. We have seen little sign of life to the south and west.”

“Be careful. Now is the time when they will have their patrols out and I would prefer us to see them first. Take no chances.” Even though it was still dark Marcus would leave to give him, and the patrol the daylight they needed.  This time of year saw the days become a little longer but not by much.

Decius Flavius had not stopped being the moaner of the turma but over the winter he had become a harder working member of the troop and Marcus could see that he had potential as he was both clever and a good soldier.  He was someone on whom he could rely.  It was for that reason he sent Decius with young Gaius as the lead riders, scouting just over the horizon. The fact that they were the smallest men in the troop also helped as it meant they were harder to spot on the skyline.

They had already worked out that the eastern valley was a dead end and too steep to allow many men to use it; they had come down the north to south valley and so Marcus head north and west.  The first part of the patrol was relatively easy and there were trees and bluffs to hide them.  He could see in the distance great craggy mountains which would be impassable to his horse.  There was a curving twisting trail through the woods which severely tested both riders and horses but it meant they were shielded from enemy scouts. He could only hope that he could find a pass once he reached the ridgeline.

They were resting their horses at a small lake when Gaius rode in hard and at speed. “Sir, Carvetii.”

Instantly his men mounted their horses and took a defensive position around the leader and his scout. “Where?”

“To the north. There is a large lake and the land around it is flatter than here. Decius is hiding and watching them.”

“How many are there?”

“It looks to be about three turmae of men, about a hundred.  There were others with them, boys and old men but the warriors were armed and some were mounted. Decius thought they were heading for Brocavum.”

Marcus nodded.  That made sense. Realising that he could be walking into a trap he summoned one of his younger troopers. “Ride back to the fort and report to the decurion princeps.  Tell him we are heading North West to investigate a hundred warriors who look as though they are joining Venutius. We will stay with them until we know where they are heading. ” The trooper saluted, vaulted his horse and set off at a gallop. Marcus shook his head; at least the message would arrive quickly. “Mount. Gaius you lead.”