“Today, Paulina, today it was a very good day.” Polo replied.
“Too much sun on your head… ‘Policio’?”
“I am serious,” insisted Polo. “We have planted very important seeds, both with customers and with rival fishmongers.”
Polo was standing up on the boat as they were floating southward, and he was looking back north toward Opterg. The sunset light was shining on him, and Aurelia was looking at him with admiration. He was a completely different character from the usual fisherman or farmer. Polo, in the meanwhile, explained himself:
“I am playing a long game, Paulina. If you base it just on today’s return, it might appear as a loss, but I am thinking about the future. And you will see that Opterg is going to bear a lot of fruits for us…”
“Assuming it will still be standing!” Paulina quickly replied. “It’s more likely it will be razed to the ground by Longobards anytime soon. And there goes your seeds and your fruits, ‘Policio’!”
“Paulina… how can you plan your life if you are so negative? We might as well crawl into a hole and wait to die with this kind of attitude. I can’t help but assume for the best, and plan accordingly. We can make great commerce in Opterg… I know it.”
Several months had passed in Sleghe, and Primo had also integrated into his new community. He hoped that the others had survived, but he really did not believe so. And besides, he fled so far that he was not even sure he could find his way back. The Cimbrians were very different people, but he had learned their language fairly well, and overall he was happy with these new mountain surroundings. He was now in the middle of alpine woods in the midst of Cimbrian lumberjacks who were chopping down timber. Primo was learning this new trade straight from the expert Gaesorix.
“I think we have plenty of timber to bring down to the plains,” Gaesorix said while taking a break. “If we chop any more, I am not sure how we would manage to bring it down the Brint River.”
“So we are going down toward the sea soon?” Primo enquired.
“Yes, its’ fall season, and if we don’t get moving soon, it will get cold and snowy. Believe me. We get a lot more snow up here than down there where you come from, Latin!”
Boiorix and Lugius were nearby and approached Gaesorix and Primo.
“I say we are done,” Boiorix stated firmly. “Back in Sleghe we have the cheese and the wool packed already. With this timber, we have plenty to trade. I hope that we will be able to reopen a channel with the Latins. It has been a couple of decades since I last went to Patavium.”
It was also fall in Patavium, and inside a modest brick house Tiberio was conversing with his wife Lucilla and his daughter Livia.
“Lucilla, it has been months since King Rothari has ordered me to negotiate a Cimbrian subordination to his kingdom…” Tiberio was sounding desperate. “Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut…? I should have let those barbarians go fight the Cimbrians and get lost in the alpine woods for good…”
“But you gave them a wise advice…” Lucilla attempted to console her husband. “It is not your fault if communications with the Cimbrians have been lost for decades…”
“I know it’s not my fault! But if I don’t deliver it will be just an excuse to execute me! When King Rothari is gone, perhaps with Adalulf I can still reason, but Castald cannot wait to get rid of me… I should have kept my mouth shut! Why does it have to be me being the local advisor! Why!?”
Tiberio and Lucilla were interrupted by a knock at the door, and their daughter Livia went to open it. It was Fulvio, Tiberio’s commercial partner and friend.
“Tiberio! You won’t believe it… Cimbrians have been spotted coming down the Brint River! They are bringing high quality timber and wool. I imagine they also brought down plenty of their special cheese…”
“Fulvio, that’s excellent news! We must meet them upstream. We don’t want them to come to Patavium and deal directly with the Longobards. Quick, go prepare the river barge and fill it up with salt. We leave first thing in the morning!”
“Father?” Livia interrupted Tiberio. “You are only going to offer them salt in exchange?”
“Salt is a precious commodity that we have here in the Adriatic, my dear, even Byzantium wants it,” Tiberio replied. “But you are right… Let’s bring the fine cloth we still have in the emporium… and Lucilla, let’s also prepare for transportation a barrel of that fine wine your relatives brought up from Ateste.”
“Tiberio…” Lucilla objected. “Isn’t that wasted on those mountain men?”
“You are probably right, but it is an important first meeting…Why don’t you package also some of that olive oil from Istria?”
The next morning Tiberio, Fulvio, Livia and a few other Patavium men were ready to move upstream on the Brint River, on a river barge pulled by two mules. Adalulf and Castald suddenly approached them.
“Latin, stop for a moment…” Adalulf ordered. “Where are you going with all that salt?”
“I am finally going to meet the Cimbrians, and have them officially bow at your lordship, my master…”
“Do you have to ‘buy’ their subordination by bribing them with salt and other goods?”
“No, no, no, my lord…” Tiberio was quick to reply. “They are bringing down timber and wool, as a sign of their devotion to your rule. I am simply providing them with some salt, as they will face a long cold winter at that altitude. Just taking care of the wellbeing of your soon to be subjects, my lord. It’s on me…”
“Do you need to be escorted?” Castald interrupted. “I can arrange to have twenty men ready on the spot. I can’t have any more soldiers ready without King Rothari’s permission on such short notice…”
Castald could not care less to provide protection for Tiberio. The old Latin could die on this trip for all he cared. But he was suspicious, both of Tiberio’s real intentions and also of those mountain men who had killed one of his trusted soldiers. However, Tiberio could read Castald like an open book.
“Thank you, Castald, but I don’t want to trouble Longobard warriors for a mere formality between a Latin advisor and some modest mountain herders. We are venturing not very far north of Patavium, and it’s so safe I am even bringing my daughter Livia! It’s just a short excursion…”
“Very well, Tiberio,” Adalulf concluded, “bring me proof of their subordination. But we might not be here when you come back. King Rothari is ready to move the army toward Opterg… That is the last remaining inland town still under Greek protection.”
Adalulf signaled to two Longobard guards that Tiberio had permission to go, and so they went.
By mid-day, Tiberio, Fulvio and Livia were not that many miles north of Patavium. They noticed how Longobards had begun to settle all over the territory. It was not just warriors, as there were many Longobard dwellings taking root just about everywhere. They had just passed a Longobard village when they finally encountered the Cimbrian convoy.
From the other side Boiorix instructed Primo:
“Primo, time for you to be useful as a translator. Introduce me and state what we bring.”
“Salve, esto est Boiorix, major Sleghe. Nos gabemo ligna, lana et caeso,” Primo greeted Tiberio with these words in the Vulgar Latin they both spoke.
Tiberio answered in the same corrupted Latin, and Primo translated for Boiorix:
“That man says he is Tiberio, a trader from Patavium. He welcomes you and has brought in exchange salt, cloth, but also fine wine and olive oil from Istria, wherever that is…”
“He said ‘wherever that is’?” Boiorix asked Primo looking puzzled.
“No, I said ‘wherever that is’, I don’t know where this Istria is…”
“You still have lots to learn, Primo. We can even see Istria from our mountains on a clear day. It’s a land east of the Adriatic, not too far from the lagoon you come from. Anyway, tell Tiberio we wel
come the exchange, and hope to have many more next spring.”
Primo conversed with Tiberio, and then Primo translated again for Boiorix:
“Tiberio says he also wants to resume trade with Cimbrians, the way it was before Patavium was conquered by the Longobards a few decades ago.”
Boiorix nodded in approval to Tiberio, and Primo continued translating:
“He also mentioned that because they are now Longobard subjects they must provide proof of this exchange. He has brought a document for you to sign.”
Tiberio had already moved toward Boiorix with a parchment of animal skin. The leather was inked with incomprehensible Latin words. Boiorix realized that he should have waited for Primo to complete the translation before nodding, but he wanted the exchange to go smoothly. Therefore, he took the parchment from Tiberio’s hand, and with his fine knife, he carved some incomprehensible doodles as a sign of acceptance. Boiorix then replied to Primo:
“Primo, we also need to coordinate more precise exchanges for next spring… We cannot always be so generous and give so much wood and wool for just some salt and rags. I want you to spend the winter in Patavium with them, if they accept. You will be our ambassador and make the trip from Patavium to Sleghe to coordinate trade.”
Before translating to Tiberio, Primo looked at Boiorix, Gaesorix and Lugius. They had been his family for at least half a year. They saved him from certain death and he felt grateful and loyal toward them. He also realized that he needed to go back to the plains to at least find out if there were any survivors from his farm. Perhaps Fabia had managed to hide, or Tulio and Polo might have escaped. All parties approved to have Primo as an ambassador.
“Tiberio accepts and he says I can be a guest at his house for this winter,” said Primo. “He agrees that this way we can have more frequent and fruitful exchanges starting next spring.”
Primo hugged his Cimbrian family, and after the merchandise was moved from boat to boat, both parties prepared to return to their respective lands.
The way back was much faster for the Patavium convoy, as they were floating down a navigable river, and the pulling mules by the riverbank were now lagging behind. Livia was conversing with Primo, and they immediately bonded:
“So, I can’t believe that just a few Cimbrians managed to defeat Longobard warriors!” Livia commented after hearing Primo’s story. “It’s almost unbelievable how you got saved. This is big news, Primo!”
“No, Livia, it is not big news!” Tiberio abruptly interrupted his daughter. “In fact, it is not news at all, if you want your new friend over here to survive. We have to keep him well hidden at least from Castald, because he was the Longobard involved in that chase, and he wants revenge!”
Not much later, they reached Patavium, and while still on the boat, Castald stopped them. Tiberio had already told Primo to hide underneath some logs and he had Livia sit in front of the opening. The dim early evening light was also helping.
“Good evening Tiberio! Judging by your cargo, the subordination went well!” Castald said to Tiberio with fake gallantry.
“Indeed it did, Castald! I have a parchment here for Adalulf documenting the Cimbrians complete surrender to King Rothari’s mercy!”
Tiberio was holding up high the parchment while standing on the still moving boat. Castald seemed uninterested in the piece of leather since he could not read, and as he walked along next to the river barge he replied:
“I believe you, Latin. But Adalulf and King Rothari are not here. They already left to sack Opterg with the whole army, and they left me behind with a few men, just in case…”
That was not good news for Tiberio. With King Rothari and Adalulf he could reason, but he did not like being at the complete mercy of a hothead like Castald. And it got worse:
“So tell me, Tiberio. Did the Cimbrians mention anything about a farm boy who escaped up there this past spring? Or about a Longobard warrior who died because of a Cimbrian ax?”
The simple answer would have been to just say ‘no, I did not ask’. Even easier would have been to just surrender Primo, and that would definitely get him on Castald’s good side. However, luring a farm boy away from the Cimbrians to please his Longobard masters… it did not feel right. In the meanwhile, Castald continued to pry:
“Or did you just have a meeting with the Cimbrians and did not even dare to ask, because you don’t care about the fate of my warriors?”
Tiberio’s temporary silence had irritated Castald, and he now had a threatening voice. Now replying ‘no, I did not ask’ was out of the question.
“Yes, of course, Castald! Of course I asked them, even though I don’t know their tongue it is somewhat similar to what Longobards speak, so I could inquire…”
Now Castald was all ears. He had not forgotten at all that bastard farm boy that killed Wido, and caused the death of Faruald as well. Tiberio continued:
“But they said no, that they had no idea what I was talking about. I did not want to insist, my lord, as they were already submitting. They might have been embarrassed by that incident and fearful of Longobard retaliation… It was an unfortunate event, but I am sure it helped deliver a swift Cimbrian submission. Let’s look at it from the positive side…”
Tiberio gave a fake smile to Castald that was not reciprocated. Castald walked away without saying another word. Now Tiberio had made a choice. To save a Latin boy who he did not even know, he had put at risk his life and the life of his own family… He was hiding a wanted man at Longobard central.
“Father…” Livia asked after Castald was far enough. “What did you tell that Longobard brute? I could not understand a thing. Did they ask about Primo?”
“Yes, he specifically asked about Primo, and I lied to him. If he discovers that I am hiding him, we are all dead.”
Chapter 4
THE GOLD MEDALLION
Polo could not wait for the next day to arrive. He was helping Aurelia and Paulina prepare baskets by the hut. He would go fishing at dawn with all fishermen, and then go upstream to Opterg with Aurelia and Paulina. While sitting by the hut, Polo saw a messenger from Heraclia. He was talking to Bruno and Elio. They saluted each other, and the messenger headed his boat toward Torcellum. Bruno and Elio approached the hut, and Bruno said to Polo:
“I guess tomorrow it’s Elio and I going to Opterg.”
“Why?” Polo immediately replied. “Is it because you think I give things away for free? Is that what Paulina told you? Uh, Paulina?” He gave a dirty look at Paulina, and then he pleaded Bruno again. “Just give me one more chance, you won’t regret it!”
“No, Polo, it’s not that,” Bruno reassured him. “We all think you are a fine fishmonger. There is a meeting of all village representatives from all of eastern Venetia, or what remains of it.”
“What is happening?”
“Word is that King Rothari is amassing a large army, just west of the Sile River, and Duke Gisulf is doing the same up north.”
“Unless they plan to fight one another,” Elio added, “and Duke Gisulf would never dare to fight King Rothari, the only obvious conclusion is that they are getting ready to annihilate Opterg. It’s the last inland town that is still defying King Rothari, from Liguria in the far west, all the way to Friuli in the far east.”
“They just want a couple of representatives from each village,” Bruno continued, “…so just Elio and I will go. The Byzantine Tribune from Heraclia will be there, and so will the Patriarch of Grado.”
“I must come too,” Polo protested. “If not representing Equilium, I want to be there representing Altinum. I am the last survivor, and we paid our annual tax too.”
Bruno and Elio were surprised by the Altinum excuse, but they could not object to Polo’s reasoning, so they agreed.
The next day Bruno, Elio and Polo attended the meeting in a crowded hall in Opterg. They were among a large group of farmers
and fishermen from all the villages. There were also Greek soldiers here and there, and toward the front of the hall, on a raised platform, were the important people. The Tribune of Heraclia and the Patriarch of Grado, but Polo also spotted Saverio the taxman. The Tribune of Heraclia began to address the hall:
“As you have heard from my messengers we are here to prepare for the imminent Longobard attack. Let me remind you that the Byzantine Empire has prevailed over the Goths more than a century ago, and as our forefathers have been victorious then, so shall we against these Longobards now!”
The crowd cheered.
“Just us Greek soldiers in Heraclia are not going to be enough. We are sea soldiers and we alone cannot match the Longobard cavalry. That’s why we need everyone fighting. Do not feel more secure if you are a fisherman from the marshland. If Opterg falls, Heraclia will too, and everyone will be forced to bow to the new rulers, as there will be no center for our trades…”
The crowd was not as cheerful, now that it was time to sacrifice lives for a common goal.
“So, this is what we are going to do. All able men of fighting age will meet three days from now here in Opterg. Bring whatever weapons…”
“Excuse me!”
A voice from far in the back of the hall interrupted the Tribune. It was Polo speaking, and Bruno and Elio were visibly embarrassed by all the attention directed at them.
“Excuse me. Do we have any line of communications with the Longobards?” Polo continued. “Have we made any attempts to negotiate? Perhaps we can ask them what they want and try at least for a peaceful solution…”
“Present yourself, peasant!” The annoyed Tribune replied.
Bruno was not a courageous man, but he found an impulse to protect Polo as a de facto member of his family:
“Pardon him, great Tribune, the youth’s name is Polo, Polo of Licio, and he lives with us in Equilium…”
“I thought my messengers were very clear in inviting only village heads…” the Tribune shouted back. “…and not to bring women and children… This is not a fair! We are not here to have fun!”
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