Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 04] Roman Retreat (23 page)

Marcus picked up on the title as Livius glanced up at him.  Marcus chose to ignore it.  A title was the least of his problems.  “No sir I do not.”

“You do however know the Governor Sallustius Lucullus do you not?”

“Yes sir.”

“And you follow his orders.”

“Yes sir.”

“And you accept his promotions and pay rises.”

Marcus could not see where this was leading but he determined to keep telling the truth. “Yes sir as did all my colleagues.”

The smile on the Legate’s face was the smile of the wolf as it is about to devour the sheep. “But your colleagues are in the North fighting the barbarians for the Emperor.”

Livius could contain himself no longer. “As was the Tribune.  Two days ago we fought the Caledonii.”

“Ah another Lucullus.  Is Decius Lucullus your cousin?”

“Yes sir.”

“And do you know where he is?”

“No sir.  He serves the Governor managing the gold mines in the west.”

“Indeed he does. Well Prefect,” the word was emphasised. “Your military record is exemplary.  You were a fine soldier.  Tell me, er Marcus isn’t it?” Marcus nodded.  “Tell me Marcus why did you decide to betray your Emperor?”

If Cornelius had slapped him Marcus could not have looked more shocked. “I have never betrayed the Emperor.  I serve the Emperor.”

“As you serve the ex-Governor who is now heading across the Mare Germania to meet with the Emperor. The same ex-Governor who stole money from the Emperor, who raised cohorts to fight against the Emperor and who plotted with the Governor of Germania Superior to rebel and revolt against the Emperor Domitian’s rule.”

“I knew none of that.”

“You knew about the cohorts.”

“Yes but I thought that they were for the war in the North.”

“Well apparently they weren’t.  And you, young Lucullus did you know that your cousin has disappeared with a large quantity of the Emperor’s gold.”

“I did not.”

“You will forgive me if I do not believe you for the other members of your family have all proved that they are liars and thieves and I have to make that assumption about you.” He nodded and the guards produced manacles which they placed on their wrists. “You will be taken from here by sea to Lugdunum Batavorum where the Emperor will decide your fate.”

“But...”

For his troubles Livius was struck about the head by the Centurion’s vine staff. “Prisoners have no voice young man.  Take them away.”

Decurion Macro had been given permission by the Prefect to escort his wife to the civilian settlement of Coria some mile and a half from the fort. “But I want to stay in the fort with you.”

“I am afraid that is impossible.  No officer is allowed to have his wife in the barracks.  Even the Prefect.”

Pouting Morwenna sulked as they rode ahead of the ala.  Macro’s turma smiled at their masterful leader being tortured by his pretty young wife. Macro silenced the few chuckles with a scowl.

Morwenna was working out how she could use this state of affairs to her advantage.  She had hoped to be able to ride up to a burnt out fort with dead and dying soldiers but so far she had seen no smoke and she wondered how her Caledonii brethren had fared.

The Prefect could see the damage to the walls and the piled barbarian bodies.  “Looks like Decius has had a little trouble Gaius.”

“Can’t understand why sir.  The people here are peaceful and they look like Caledonii bodies. How did a warband get past the forts?”

“Yes I wondered that myself.”

As they entered the fort Decius greeted them his face pale and his arm in a sling.  “I am so glad to see you lads.”

“What happened?”

“Come into the headquarters where it is warmer and I will tell you.  I have some warmed wine ready.”When they had warmed through Decius told them of the attack.  “So you see Julius they must have spies nearby and that warband had to be close or they wouldn’t have been able to get here in the time they did.”

“Worrying Decius.  Worrying.  And the Tribune and Livius?”

“Left before the garrison heading for Eboracum.”

“Good then I hope that he managed to convince the Governor to release those cohorts.  We need them now, not later.”

“Where is Macro? I had expected his bulk to be filling the room.”

Gaius smiled.  “Decurion Macro is a changed man.  He now runs around after that pretty young wife of his. He is busy arranging accommodation in the town.”

“I will have to go and pay my respects when we have got the men billeted.”

By the time all of the turmae had found their barracks and Sergeant Cato had seen to the horses Decurion Macro tramped into the headquarters. “What’s up with you then?”

“Women Decius.  They are complicated.  They don’t understand military rules.”

“That’s why we don’t let them fight. That’s why the barbarians are barbarians, they let their women fight. So when do I get to meet the woman who has changed the mighty Macro for all time?”

“We have found her a hut and she will have it sorted by tomorrow.  She was busy getting the slaves organised when I left.  She shooed me away.” He sounded indignant.

Decius laughed.  “I will go and find her tomorrow.  Where is the hut then?”

“It is the last one in the settlement, just past the smiths.  She wasn’t happy about that either.”

Decius now knew why he had never married.  No matter how pretty they were, they all ended up as shrews or worse, witches.  Just thinking the thought made Decius think once again of Fainch and his nightmare and he shuddered.

“Someone walking over your grave Decius?”

“Something like that.  Let me show you your quarters and your turma.”

Morwenna left the hut as soon as she could.  The three slaves Macro had purchased for her were busy making it habitable but she need to meet with Aodh.  She left the settlement and walked down the new military road as though she was exploring the neighbourhood. She heard a whistle and she left the road as though she was going to make water. As she squatted Aodh crawled along the ground next to her.

“What happened at the fort/”

“I expected a burning ruin.”

“They put up more resistance than we expected and we lost many men.”

“I am going to the fort tomorrow night. Meet me in the morning at my hut and I will send the slaves away.  I should have more information then about the patrols and how we can destroy them.”

“Good.”

Livius and Marcus were in the deepest and darkest part of the ships as it lurched and wallowed its way across the Mare Germania. They had both emptied their stomachs and it was now merely dry retching. The smell from the bottom of the ship testifying to its previous occupants.

“But we are innocent.”

“I know we are but that counts for nothing.  The Emperor could have us executed, knowing that we were innocent merely to make a lesson for others.”

“But it is so unfair.”

“Life is unfair. I am lucky I have lived longer than you.”

“Surely you are not giving up?”

“No but I am not going to beg either.  If we are given the chance I will give the Emperor the evidence which should prove our innocence but it may be a summary trial and execution.  Be prepared my young friend. We do not know what your uncle has said or what lies have been told.  We are not Romans in their eyes.  We are barbarians fighting for Rome and that is the difference.”

As the ship gave another lurch Livius tried to retch again but the bile in his mouth seemed to reflect the bile in his mind and he began to silently weep.

The snow started to melt slightly turning the well worn paths and roads into a slushy slippery morass. Prefect Demetrius ordered all the turmae to patrol and discover if there were any more warbands in the area. “Go as far as you can, ensuring that you can be back before dark and look for any sign.  Leave those whose mounts need rest or are carrying a wound to defend the fort with the recruits.”

Decius decided he would take the opportunity of visiting Morwenna.  He was not much use with one hand and he felt that the walk into Corio would do him good.  Besides he was looking forward to the opportunity of meeting with the lovely Morwenna. The word amongst the Decurions and troopers was that she was a beauty who could entrap any man. He stopped at one of the stalls to buy her a jug for the house.  He had no idea what sort of presents a girl would like and he had never bought a present for a woman but he felt a practical present would be the best. He walked cautiously for; carrying the jug in one hand and with his injured arm if he fell on the slippery, snow covered path it could be a disaster.

Julius took the opportunity of taking his mount for a gallop. On his way back to the fort he noticed Decius in the distance walking to the settlement.  He remembered that he had said he would visit Morwenna.  On a whim he decided to join him.

Aodh and his men squatted in the hut. Morwenna told then what Macro had told her the previous night. “They know a warband is in the vicinity and they are looking for them today.”

The warriors looked at each other.  “We must hide.”

“No first we must warn our brothers for they are close by. We will leave now and contact you later.”

Decius saw the three men leave the hut and he wondered if this were the right one when Morwenna emerged.  He saw her arm first and called.  “Is that Morwenna, Macro’s wife?”

The three warriors disappeared around the corner and Morwenna turned on her most radiant smile.  Whether it was a trick of the light, or Decius’ dream, he would never know but suddenly he stopped five paces away from the young woman, his face drained of all colour. “Fainch it cannot be you are dead!”

Stepping towards him Morwenna’s hand went to the dagger she had hidden in the folds of her shift.  “No I am Morwenna, Macro’s wife.”

Decius’ face became a mask of fury as he saw what no-one else had seen, this was Fainch’s daughter.  “You are the witch’s daughter and you are…”

Before he could get another word out she had slipped the blade up between his ribs. He smashed the jug against the side of her head causing her to fall but the wound he had received was mortal and he fell in a bloody heap. At the end of the road Julius saw what had happened and could not believe what he was witnessing.  He galloped his horse as hard as he could.  Morwenna knew that the game was up and she raced away as fast as she could.  Aodh and his men were barely round the corner. “I am undone. Help me!  A Roman is pursuing me.”

The three men took their slings from beneath their cloaks and hid themselves as best they could.  Julius’ mount slithered and slipped around the corner.  The three stones hit the horse on the head causing him to fall and throwing the prefect against a hut.  The four of them ran away as fast as they could for people were coming out to see what the noise was.  By the time he came to, Julius could see nothing of them and he remembered Decius lying bleeding.  By the time he reached him the Camp Prefect’s breathing was laboured. “Decius I’ll take you to the fort.”

“No Julius I am done for.” A rivulet of blood ran from his mouth.  He struggled to make his words clear. “It was Morwenna.  She is Fainch’s daughter.  She is a spy. Tell Macro…” with a splutter of blood Decius Flavius once time Decurion Princeps of Marcus’ Horse died; not killed in battle but murdered by a young girl.  Morwenna had finally had her first taste of revenge.  She had killed one of her mother’s murderers.

Chapter 16

It was Gaius who picked up the trail of the warband.  They were moving north eastwards towards the land of their allies the Selgovae.  Although the Selgovae were at peace with the Romans, it was an uneasy peace.  Gaius turned to his turma. “There is a warband ahead.  Looking at the spatters of blood some of them are wounded but we take no chances.  I want an extended line.  When you see them raise your hand.  I do not want them warned.”

At the same time as Gaius was on their trail Macro had moved his turma north. The river cut across his route and he led his men west to find a crossing higher up.  His deviation brought him, unknowingly, across the line of retreat of the warband. The last seventy five survivors were exhausted; a night in the cold with no hot food after a fierce and fruitless battle meant that they were not as alert as they might have been. One of the younger warriors with keener eyes spotted Gaius’ turma and the warband immediately change direction and headed north.  If they could reach the river they would have a chance of evading their pursuers for the river banks were rocky and would not suit the horses of the ala. Gaius saw that they had been seen and his turma galloped hard after the fleeing men. As the warband glanced over their shoulders they failed to notice Macro’s turma appear over a low rise.  The two turmae and the warband collided in a bloody tangle of horses, blades and spears. It was all over in moments.

Macro grinned like a child, happy to be doing what he loved. “The Allfather was with us today Decurion Princeps.”

“That he was.  Let us remove their arms and get our wounded back to the fort.  I think that this is the last of Decius’ foes.”

“Aye the old goat should be happy.”

“You never know Macro; he may even buy some wine.”

The younger troopers were very excited after such a one sided victory.  Gaius listened with a paternal smile on his face as they asked Macro about his skills. “Sir, how did you manage to kill two of them on opposite sides of the horse?”

“Easy.  You need to gauge which is the closer; hit that one and then continue the blade’s arc.  Don’t fight it.  Let it come around in a loop.”

“But you got another one with your shield.”

“Yes that was because I used my mount. I guided him with my knees and used the angle to sweep down low.”

“I’ll never be as good as you sir.”

“It’s just practice but you need to work out.  Build up the muscles.”

The hero worship was apparent in all of them.  Gaius couldn’t help but smile.  His gigantic friend had it all; the adulation of his men, the approval of his peers, a fine son and a wife who adored him. Who would not envy Macro?

They knew something was amiss when they trooped through the Porta Praetorium. Prefect Julius was waiting for them and every face was sombre and dark. Gaius was convinced that one of the other turma had had a disaster but, as he looked around, he could see that all of the other decurions were present and there did not appear to be too many men missing.  Every eye was fixed upon Gaius and Macro. Macro whooped as he slid off his mount. “One warband destroyed.  Tell Decius he can sleep safe tonight.” When every face but the prefect looked to the ground Macro asked, “Where is the old goat?  Sulking because he couldn’t join us? Deciuuuuuus! Come out and play.”