Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 03] Invasion- Caledonia (21 page)

They headed east and soon came upon the camp of the Ninth. While Marco saw to the horses and the general went to find the prefect Marcus went to visit his old friend Decius Brutus, now First Spear.

“Good to see you Marcus, sorry, prefect.  I should say sir and kiss your arse now that you have been promoted.” Decius was grinning as only old friends can do when they insult each other.

“Decius it is good to see you and I am pleased that you too have been promoted.” First Spear in a legion was the highest promotion a legionary could hope for. “It seems such a long time since Glanibanta.”

“Yes they were interesting times. I wonder if the fort still stands.”

“It does. My ala spent some time there. It is still a beautiful place.”

“Of course, your ala.  Marcus’ Horse. It has a good sound to it. Ulpius would be pleased and proud.”

“Yes Decius for you knew the man and I would have preferred it to be called Ulpius’ horse but the general insisted.”

“Do not be modest you deserve it. I have heard great things about the deeds of Marcus’ Horse.” His face darkened,” Would that the general would allow the Ninth to have a chance of such glory.”

“I think he hopes to but this land does not suit the legions. It is a little too much like Teutonberger Forest and we know what happened to Varrus there.”

“Varrus was an arse. Besides he did not use auxiliaries and this general is wise enough to use you horsemen and those Batavians.”

Marcus laughed.  “He has also used us as infantry in Mona. Decius is almost half the man you knew with all the running up mountains.”

“So the old fat goat is still alive.”

“And what of your men?”

“Oh they are trained enough but they have not seen action since the battle of the Taus.  The odd skirmish does not make you a warrior and I worry that they are becoming a little soft. Where are you based?”

“Decius is building a fort just three miles that way. We will be within singing distance of you.”

“And the general is with you?”

“For the moment. He is formulating a plan to bring the enemy to battle.  They are behaving like seawater in your hand the moment you think you have it, it slips through your fingers.”

“I would ask a favour of you.”

“It is given whatever it is.”

“I would like my cohorts to train with your turma. If we are to fight in the forests then cooperation is vital. We need to know how each other fight.”

“Done. I will mention it to Agricola while we ride back.”

The general emerged from his meeting and Marcus took the opportunity to mention Decius Brutus’ idea. “I think that is a sound plan. How do you know First Spear?” On the ride back Marcus told the general of the joint vexillation years before. “You see,” he said slapping his leg enthusiastically; “I knew that we could find ways for the legions to fight alongside the auxiliary effectively. Well done Marcus. You and your predecessor were obviously visionaries. We will continue this successful close liaison.”

Three days later and the fort was finished. The very next day Agricola and Marcus took two turmae to the Ninth’s fort and began manoeuvres in the forest. At first the legionaries found it difficult to understand how they would fight alongside cavalry but when Marcus dismounted a turma and showed them it became much simpler. Although exhausted they returned to the auxiliary fort pleased with their first attempt at joint action.

The Venicone warriors gathered in the eaves of the forest.  The witch Fainch watched from a distance; Calgathus wanted to present himself as the master planner for, as he said, the Venicones see women as something a little higher than beasts of burden. Fainch accepted this for she knew of the folly of many men. Her reward would come when Calgathus destroyed this Roman army and reversed their fortunes.

“The Romans think they are secure in their walls of wood. They think that we are afraid to take the war to them.  Tonight, warriors of the Venicone you will do what no tribe has ever done before; you will enter a Roman fort and destroy a whole legion.”

Some of the warriors looked sceptical.  They might outnumber the five thousand legionaries but everyone knew how well the legionaries fought. Calgathus could see the doubt on their faces.  He pointed to Fainch, “What if I were to tell you that the priestess over there witnessed far fewer men than you enter a Roman fort and spirit away their leader what would you say then? Are the Ordovice braver warriors than the Venicones? Your chief says you are the bravest warriors and I believe him.”

One bearded warrior with streaks of grey rippling through his hair stepped forward. “But they have walls and ditches.”

“Are the ditches deep? Are the walls high? The answer is no. If we attack at the same time, if we climb the walls at the same time, making not a sound then we can succeed. There will be but forty men on the walls.  Can we not silence forty men? When you are inside the fort where will the legionaries be?”

One voice shouted, “In their tents asleep.”

“And do the Romans sleep in their armour? No. Do they sleep holding their weapons? No. Tell me, “he said looking directly at the warrior who had questioned him, “do you fear sleepy men with no armour and no weapons?”

There was a roar of, “No!”

“Then tonight we attack. Tonight you will destroy the Romans s they sleep.”

Decius Brutus was just finishing his rounds. He turned to the duty centurion who was following him. “Keep your men on their toes. The cohorts today were made to look useless by the auxiliaries. They need to be sharper. They are getting complacent.”

“You are right First Spear but it is hard to make then care when they never fight.”

“Don’t worry I have spoken with the prefect and the general.  They will fight and soon.” First Spear’s words would come prophetically and ironically true even as he slept blissfully unaware of the nightmare which was about to erupt.

The Venicone warriors slithered along the ground towards the fort. The smallest and fittest warriors were in the fore. They had covered their bodies in natural dyes and mud which darkened their skin. The ones who would scale the walls were armed only with knives. Along each of the four walls four warriors carried slings to stun any sentry not silenced by the knives of their comrades. Reaching the ditch was the hardest part of their assault but once there the sentries’ attention was drawn further away. The warriors quickly crawled to the foot of the palisade. One man squatted while another crouched on his back. The signal had been practised back in their camp and as one the squatting man sprang up and the crouching man jumped. The effect was astonishing for the Roman sentries suddenly saw sixty men descend from the skies. The knives flashed as the sentries struggled with the sight they had witnessed. Even as they died the next sixty were springing their way into the air. Sling shots buzzed and struck targets. The Venicone chief, hiding in the tree line began to believe that they would succeed.

Centurion Ballus had, fortunately for him been on his way from one the south to the north wall when the attack began. He suddenly saw his men began to topple, the centurion a fifteen year veteran knew they were under attack,” Alarm! Alarm!”

Realising that speed was of the essence the Chief ordered all his men to attack. While inside the fort men struggled awake as they heard the shouts and screams of the attack. Decius Brutus was awake and out of his tent before Ballus got off his second alarm. “Grabbing his gladius he shouted, “Sound the alarm.” The strident screams of the buccina awoke even the deepest sleeper and men grabbed spears and gladii to face the unseen enemy.

Decius suddenly found himself facing two warriors, one armed with a knife and one with a war axe. The man wielding the axe was more dangerous and he dropped to his knees as the axe scythed over his head and he stabbed the warrior between his ribs. Even as he died his companion slashed at Decius with his knife, slicing through his upper left arm. The gladius continued around in an arc and the warrior with the knife slid to the ground his throat cut. Decius had time to glance around. His men were fighting for their lives but they had no armour and were outnumbered. “To me! To me!” Grabbing the axe in his right hand and holding the gladius in his left hand the centurion became the rallying point and the training of the ninth took over. Men ran to him, automatically forming ranks as though armed, armoured and on parade. Suddenly they had a chance for they were a unit once more. Decius nodded his satisfaction. They might be going to die but they would at least take many barbarians with them.

Vettius raced to Marcus’ tent. “Sir Sir. Come quickly! We heard a buccina.”

Awake in an instant Marcus leapt from his cot. “Sound the alarm.” As he emerged from his tent pulling his mail shirt over his head he saw Agricola similarly dressing himself. “Sir a buccina…”

“I know I heard it. The Ninth must be in trouble.”

“Marcus Saurius guard the fort. Decurion Princeps follow the general and me to the Ninth’s fort.” Leaping on their horses bareback the two leaders raced from the fort.

“Shit!” murmured Decius, “Just charge off don’t wait for us.” He turned to Macro who was also on his horse with three of his turma. “Macro get after the Prefect stop him from taking on all the bleeding barbarians all by himself.” Macro grinned and took off like a greyhound. “Come on ladies otherwise the general and the prefect will kill all of the barbarians without any help from us.” It was a testament to their training that the ala were only a few heartbeats behind their leaders, all of them bareback but all armed.

Marcus, Macro and the general had to slow up because of the terrain in the thick forest. “Sir we are going to have to leave our horses in the tree line.”

“I know Macro.”

“You!” Macro pointed at one of his troopers. “You watch the horses and don’t let any barbarian steal them or it comes out of your pay.”

Agricola and Marcus grinned at each other. They both dismounted at the tree line and they could see Venicone warriors still climbing over the walls although the gates were just being opened. The four Romans were all ready to charge alone when Gaius and his turma arrived. They were fully armed having been the sentries on duty. “Gaius leave someone to watch the horses and then follow us. Wedge formation.” 

Even though some of them were shield less they went into the classic wedge formation with Marcus as the point and Agricola on the right. Marco turned to Marcus, “With respect sir I have a shield,” and he unceremoniously pushed Marcus to the left.

The forty man wedge raced towards the gate and before the Venicones knew what had hit them they had killed those trying to enter. The wedge smashed right into the heart of the fort and Marcus shouted, “Form line!” His well trained troopers immediately formed a solid line of shields and javelins, a wall of death for the Venicones.

Hard pressed with men falling all around him Decius heard the Roman voice and felt the pressure slacken slightly as warriors found themselves assaulted from the rear. “Come on lads. They are Roman voices. It is Marcus’ Horse! Rally and hold!”

Suddenly their situation was no longer hopeless and men who had been about to accept death now fought for life. The Venicones turned to face the new foe and the general found himself, for the first time since Wales, fighting for his life. Fortunately he was next to the killing machine that was Decurion Macro. As more and more of the ala rushed in to back up their comrades the Venicones found themselves pressed between two mighty sets of foes. Soon the battle became a series of individual conflicts and in that situation there could be only one winner, the Romans. The Venicones were brave and they believed the words of Calgathus but gradually the heart went out of them and they began, where possible, to flee over the walls or through the gaps in the clumps of men engaged in a deadly combat.. Those who remained died. Eventually, as dawn broke with a sad, grey drizzly morning the only living creatures in the fort were Romans.

Marcus saw, across a bloody, mangled sea of bodies, his friend Decius Brutus. “Hail First Spear. A good joint exercise I think but next time a little warning might help!”

As the two leaders began to laugh, uncontrollably Agricola shook his head in disbelief. With soldiers like this how could any tribe stand against them? As much as he hated the loss of Roman life the incident had been invaluable for the Ninth and Marcus’ Horse were now entwined as brothers who had fought for each other.  The bond would last and grow stronger. He now knew that, against all the odds, he would conquer the whole of Britannia.

The face of the witch Fainch grew white with hate and anger as she viewed the debacle the attack had become. The Venicone had been on the brink of success when her nemesis, the Roman with the sword of Cartimandua, had once again intervened and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  She had missed her chance on the island of Mona she would ensure that she would not miss her chance here in Caledonia.  The next time she would ensure that he died and at her hands.

As the legionaries began to clean up the fort Agricola spoke to Decius Brutus and Marcus as the two senior officers for the prefect of the Ninth had perished along with more than a hundred and fifty legionaries. “I had thought to do so before this attack but now I am certain of my strategy. First Spear we will move north and we will build a permanent fort. Not a temporary camp which can be assaulted so easily.” He held up his hand as he saw the expression on Decius’ face. “I know, you are sick of building but this fortress will show the barbarians that we are here to stay.” His voice became gentler. “First Spear, does it matter which soldiers have the victory as long as Rome prospers?” Decius hung and shook his head. “We all serve Rome but you know First Spear that we, “he put his arms around both men, “serve and aid each other.”

Decius looked at Marcus and held out his arm. “Thank you Marcus. The Ninth Hispana will never forget this day. There would be far more brave men lying there but for your speed and bravery.”

“Decius had our roles been reversed you would have done the same for me. We formed this bond in the bloody fields of Glanibanta; we are bound by blood and by honour.”