Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 12] Roman Wall (35 page)

The Navarchus and Furax looked at the devastation of the Coriosopitum.  The inhabitants of the vicus, destroyed in the fighting, now returned to rebuild their homes. The half century of Tungrians were delighted to see the ships.  They were a sign that they were not forgotten. The optio gave two horses to them and an escort.  “The Legate and the rest of the staff are at Cilurnum.”

Furax wondered why the Legate did not retire to his estates in Surrentum. It was the most beautiful of places and Hercules seemed to have grown years younger since he had retired there. The young captain realised it must be a sense of duty.  He was a product of Rome’s slums.  He did not understand this duty to the state.  He owed duty and loyalty to the man who had rescued him from a life of poverty and crime.

When they reached the fort the VI
^th
had already left with every auxiliary who could be spared.  Julius Demetrius was up and about but Furax was appalled at how thin and wasted he looked.

“Good to see you Furax and you Navarchus.” He gestured for them to sit.  “Navarchus, how many ships do you have at Arbeia?”

“The two river boats I brought and one bireme.”

Julius was disappointed, “Where is the fleet?”

“It was summoned to Gaul and Batavia.  There were uprisings there.”

Julius controlled his anger.  He turned to Livius and said, coldly, “The Emperor thinks the wall is the end of problems here and the new Governor is too far away.” He shook his head. “Livius I shall appoint you temporary Legate until I return, I will travel with Furax to Rome.” Furax was delighted and his face showed his joy. “Navarchus I want you to use your river boats to resupply Coriosopitum and the wall.” He saw the question on the sailor’s face. “I will write the orders for you.  Then I wish you to patrol the river.  The new legate, here, will need support until the rebellion is over.”

The Navarchus did not like his orders.  There was too much danger on the river.  The barbarians were too ready to attack anything Roman for his liking but orders were orders.  “Yes sir. And the orders…?”

“Will be ready by the time I leave.  You are dismissed.”

After he had gone he shook his head irritably. “Hercules and you are sailors to my taste.  The Navarchus just objects to taking orders from a landsman. Julius!”

The clerk came in, “Legate?”

“Make a list of all the supplies we need and add a quarter.  Make it into a requisition and I will give it to the Navarchus.”

“And men sir?”

“And men.  They may not be available yet but we will put our request in first.”

Livius smiled, “You should think of retirement sir.”

Furax nodded his agreement. “This land is too cold.” He spread his arms, “And this is their warm season!”

The two older officers laughed. “I will write your orders out personally Julius.  I want you to be able to order the VI
^th
to keep soldiers here on the wall. I have no doubt that we have snuffed out this rebellion but there will be sparks and so long as Caronwyn and the like are around then they will be fanned.”

They both looked south. Livius said, “I hope that Marcus succeeds.”

“You are thinking of his brother?”

“Aye, the last time they faced a priestess Macro died.”

“Marcus is not his brother.  He will survive.”

Felix found the place where the horses had left the road. The fresh animal dung told even Marcus of their route. “I wonder where they are going.  I expected them to head west.  What is south of here?”

Gnaeus ventured, “It might be a long way Decurion, but Mona lies to the south west.”

“If she risks that then there will have to be a good reason.  The XX
^th
lie across her path at Deva and they keep a tight watch on the road. There is little point in idle speculation.  We follow. How far ahead are they Felix?”

The scout picked up some of the dung and smelled it.  “Eight hours or so.”

They found the camp the rebels had used and the embers of the small fire confirmed Felix’s view.  “We have gained time.  They will be but four or five hours ahead now.” Marcus pointed south.  “Felix, find them.  It will be quicker than going at our pace.  Use Drugi’s signs to lead us.”

Felix was happier to be on foot and unshackled.  He handed his reins to Gnaeus. “Wolf, scout!” The dog raced off and, after adjusting his bow, Felix loped off after him.

Gnaeus shook his head.  “Those two are as fast on foot as some horsemen I know.”

“We are lucky to have them on our side.”

The cave was on a hillside above the river. The four warriors were left with the horses by the river and the priestesses, Briac and Flavia climbed the path to the entrance. The warrior priestesses changed from their Roman war gear at the foot of the path and donned their plain white shifts.  They still carried their weapons but Caronwyn would not risk sullying the sanctity of the cave with Roman equipment.

Briac made a fire and they lit some rush torches.  Caronwyn would not risk anything which might make the spirits angry. When all was ready they entered the stygian dark of the cave.  They had to duck beneath the entrance.  Caronwyn led the way.  She held one torch and, at the back, Briac held a second. Flavia shivered.  It was not just the cold there was something else.  The cave felt alive. She pressed closer to Caronwyn.

“Fear not child, the spirits are those of the land.  They will not harm you.”

Once they reached the rear they saw fantastic rock formations.  The priestesses bowed their heads and stood in a half circle around their leader. Briac suddenly said, “That rock looks like a woman!”

Caronwyn turned on him and snarled.  “Fool! Leave the cave and rejoin your men! Do something useful and build a camp!” The chastened Brigante happily left the sharp tongued priestess.

When he reached the river he saw that his men had led the horses and tied them in a line close by a clearing where there was grass for them to graze. “We will be camping here tonight. Pedair, take Aed and you see if you can hunt some food.  I have had enough of berries.”

Carnac said, “I will put some lines in the river.  We may be lucky.”

The five Brigante were pleased to be doing something.  It had galled all of them to flee from Coriosopitum but they all knew that to stay would have meant certain death.  This way, at least, they could learn from their defeat and rebuild.

Felix and Wolf spotted Carnac as he laid his fishing lines in the river. They hunkered down to watch.  He only saw the five warriors and he wondered where the women had gone.  Suddenly his eye was caught by a flash of white from half way up the hill. It was one of the women.  She disappeared into what looked like a cave.  Having located the men he focussed his attention on the cave. He saw that it lay beneath a tumble of rocks.  A rogue tree had grown out at an angle and held the rocks.  It made the cave look as though it was crowned with hair. Felix shivered.  The women in the cave were witches.  The cave looked to be part of their domain. He was a brave scout but he would not risk the wrath of the mother.

His patience was rewarded when he saw the line of women emerge from the cave and descend the path. The tendril of smoke from behind the trees told him that they were camping. He could return to the decurion and tell him that their prey was close.

Caronwyn was satisfied.  They would drink from the river and then purify themselves for the ceremony of the dream. It would just be her and the priestesses who would sleep in the cave. The men would hinder the spirits and she was not certain if Flavia would cope with the sometimes traumatic and unpredictable dreams which haunted such places.  Her only disappointment was that the sisters who she had expected were not there; not alive, at least.  She had seen the petrified bones of what looked like two priestesses.  They must have died in the cave and the cave had consumed them. She knew that their spirits would linger yet in the wet gloom of the cave.

Briac appeared like an eager puppy. “We have tethered the horses and my men hunt food.”

“Then you and your men can eat it.  Until we have dreamed my sisters and I will eat nothing. You are to guard the cave.  Once we enter then no one must defile it until we emerge in the morning.” She turned to Flavia, “Briac and the men will protect you.”

She looked fearfully across the river.  “What if the Romans come?”

“We have lost them and they will not come.  We have time.  Fear not, the river and the cave will protect us.”

Marcus and his turma reached the bluff overlooking the river well before dark. He went with Gnaeus and Felix to scout out the barbarians. “They are over there, decurion, you can see the cave and their camp is in those trees.”

Gnaeus peered down at the river.  They could cross there but it would mean they could be easily seen by their prey.  “Felix, find us a crossing point upstream.”

The scout and his dog trotted off west. “If they go in the cave sir we will have a hard job to winkle them out.  Some of those caves can go back for miles.”

“I know but that doesn’t worry me.  If they are in the cave then they are trapped. I want them secure.  The last thing we need is to lose them.  This would begin all over again.”

They reached the turma.  “You four stay here with the spare horses.  We are going to attack them.  If they try to escape then you cut them off.”

“Sir!” The men he had with him were not only the ones who were still unwounded, they were also the most experienced troopers in the ala.  They could all be relied upon to use their initiative.

Felix and Wolf appeared as though by magic.  “There is a ford just around the bend in the river sir but you must be careful.  There are two warriors hunting in the woods.”

Marcus turned to his men, “Careful, weapons at the ready.”

They descended through the woods to the river. Marcus handed his reins to Gnaeus.  “I will cross with Felix.  We will wave you across when it is safe.”

The ford was just knee deep but some of the stones beneath the surface were treacherously slippery and Marcus took his time.  Felix and Wolf seemed to almost walk on the water. Once in the woods Felix held up his hand. He moved silently up the bank to a handful of bushes.  He waved Marcus forward and they crouched underneath the bushes.  They saw a couple of young deer in the distance.  They nibbled some hidden bush and then their ears pricked.  They bounced away down the slope and then stopped. Felix mimed pulling a bow.  Marcus nodded.  The deer were being hunted. The deer continued to graze. Suddenly they heard the twang of two bows being drawn.  The deer started towards the river.  One of them fell, struck by two arrows. It landed twenty paces from where they lay hidden. The other deer escaped. Marcus watched as the two Brigante emerged from cover and raced towards the dead animal.

Marcus could hardly breathe as the two Brigante picked up the deer and headed down the slope to their camp. Marcus waited until the two men were well away and then tapped Felix on the shoulder.  He mimed for him to stay there.  Felix nodded and Marcus made his way back to the river.  He waved across the rest of his men.  There were over thirty of them.  He had more than enough to do what he intended.

Briac was delighted with the kill.  It was not a large deer but it would be hot food and they had all night ahead of them. Carnac came from the river with a brace of trout. “Excellent! Pedair and Aed you are good hunters. This will be like a feast.

Caronwyn shook her head, “That is the trouble with you Briac.  You cannot see beyond your next meal. If you were only able to channel your mind and your spirit the way that you fill your belly, then who knows what you could achieve.”

Briac felt humiliated to be spoken to like this in front of his men. Flavia touched his hand. “Men always think better on a full stomach!”

Caronwyn shook her head.  “We will begin our ceremony when the sun dips below the western mountains.  Do not disturb us until it rises again in the east.”

His men had kept their heads down as they gutted the deer.  The dead wood would burn well and not make smoke. All six of them just wanted Caronwyn gone so that they could eat.

The smell of the venison cooking had the troopers salivating.  Spread out in a wide circle they approached the camp slowly. Night had begun to fall as they had slowly closed with the camp. Septimus was almost walking in the river while Lentius was a hundred paces away to the south. Marcus was taking no chances.  He needed these men and priestesses dead or alive. If they escaped then he had failed.

He heard the woman talking to the warrior in the mail. “You could come with me, you know Briac.  I have a fine villa across the sea.  We could live well.”

“And what about Severus?”

“He is either dead or he has deserted me.” She shrugged, “The result is the same.”

“I am not sure.  I believe my destiny is here.  I am descended from Venutius who was the last free king of my people.  If I went with you then I would be letting down my people. I need to fight these Romans.”

Suddenly Marcus and Gnaeus stepped into the firelight. “Put down your weapons Brigante and…”

Marcus got no further. His orders were to bring them back as prisoners and he had tried to do so but Briac and his men had other ideas. They grabbed their weapons and ran at the two men. The rest of the troopers stepped forward.  Briac and his oathsworn knew that they would die but they would die as warriors with swords in their hands. Briac swung his spatha at Marcus.  Neither man had a shield but Marcus had fought far more men than Briac. He spun and evaded the wild swing.  Bringing his sword around Briac frantically blocked the blow. Marcus twisted the Sword of Cartimandua and flicked the end in the direction of Briac’s side.  The sword ripped open two of the mail links.

Marcus stepped back as Briac drew his dagger and came towards Marcus with two weapons.  Marcus feinted and Briac made the mistake of using both weapons to block the blow. Marcus still wanted a prisoner and he did not make a killing strike.  Instead he turned and twisted his blade beneath the hilt of Briac’s dagger.  It flew from his hand.