Infinite Courage

by J. Clifton Slater

  Alerio climbed the rocky slope with the other squads. While they traversed the hill just below the crest, he fell out and sat next to the officer and NCO.

  “I’ll take two men into the city with me and find out where they’re holding Ambassador Sergius,” he offered. “Lance Corporal Lucius Tescum and Private Palinurus should make good cover.”

  “You’re going to travel with the smallest and largest man in the Century?” quizzed Megellus. “According to Tribune Velius, you are an accomplished agent. Sneaking in with two men of opposite stature isn’t exactly stealth.”

  “A woodworker and a stonemason,” Alerio pointed out. “And yes, they do stand out.”

  “How are you going to search for the Ambassador with the brothers Centaurus and Lapithes following you around?” inquired the infantry officer.

  “Sir, Private Palinurus is hardly half man, half horse,” Alerio protested. “Even if he’s almost the correct size. And I don’t believe Tescum has any connection to the Greeks in the Thessaly mountains.”

  “I think the Centurion was teasing about them being the mythical twins,” corrected Gustavi. “But he has a point. How are you going to secretly search with them in tow?”

  “I’m not going to search,” Alerio replied to the officer and NCO. “I’m going into Centuripe and ask.”

  “And no one will be suspicious of you asking for the whereabouts of a prisoner being held by their militia?” challenged Megellus.

  “Not in the least, sir,” Alerio assured him.

  By then the Century had moved off the backside of the hill and started up a dry wash. The Centurion rolled forward onto his hands and feet and crab walked after them. Before Alerio moved, the Sergeant rested a hand on the arm of his Tesserarius.

  “Sisera. This is going to get deadly really fast, isn’t it?” suggested Gustavi without looking Alerio in the eyes. “Understand, I’m not looking forward to dying but I’m not afraid of having my strings cut.”

  “I understand, Optio. We need to get into the city where we can take advantage of the narrow streets,” Alerio informed him. “If the Century is caught in an open field, the Centuripe militia will outflank our formation and cut us to pieces.”

  “What I am trying to say is that you have the wellbeing of the entire Century in your hands,” Gustavi advised. He rolled forward into a stooped position and, this time, stared into the Corporal’s eyes. “I know you have had issues with the Centurion and me and with a few of the Squad Leaders. I hope none of the past problems will keep you from doing your best.”

  “That’s where you have miss interpreted the situations, Sergeant.”

  “What did I miss?”

  “I never had a problem with any of you,” Alerio related. “It was you, the Centurion, and the Squad Leaders that had problems with me. We should move, Optio.”

  ***

  Later, the Century dropped down into a dale running east-west. Out of sight from the walls of Centuripe, they moved closer to the city. While the slopes lacked the cover of trees and heavy growth, the landscape provided high rolling hills and interconnecting valleys. By staying in the low areas and avoiding farms and villages, they worked their way around to the western side of the city. Unobserved, the men settled into a gorge a couple of ridges from the western gate of Centuripe.

  “It’s late, Corporal Sisera,” Megellus observed. “You’ll probably want to wait for the morning before going into the city?”

  “No, sir. The evening is perfect,” Alerio replied. “The Century needs food beside the hard wheat cakes we packed. And we need to get a feel for the layout of the city.”

  “You’re going to get us food?” questioned the Optio. “I thought the reason for sneaking around all day was to hide from the militia?”

  “The purpose was to disguise our approach,” Alerio informed the officer and NCO. “Now that we’re here, we have a problem.”

  “Just one?” Megellus inquired. “How about we’re camped outside a hostile city without our armor and shields? And the reason for our presence is to free a Republic Ambassador. That adds up to more than one problem.”

  “Lance Corporal Tescum and Private Palinurus, on me,” Alerio ordered as he stood and pointed at 10th Squad. Then to the Centurion and NCO, he stated. “Actually, sir, our biggest issue is that our supply wagons are delayed.”

  “We have supply wagons?” questioned Gustavi.

  “As would any crew of mining specialists, Optio,” Alerio informed him. Standing, the Corporal motioned for the Lance Corporal and the Private to follow him up the hill and out of the gorge.

  ***

  “Lance Corporal Tescum, how would you capture the gate?” Alerio asked.

  The three Legionaries strolled up the road. Dressed in rough workmen’s woolens and with their gladii hidden under the shirts and short robes, they appeared to be craftsmen heading into the city for the night. In the distance, two guards stood in the open gateway watching them.

  “There’s no cover for a surprise approach and the walls are built on top of steep slopes. Hades, the slopes are almost walls,” Tescum replied. “Maybe we could sneak a few men over the wall, capture the gate, and control it until the rest of the Century arrives.”

  Alerio indicated the sentries on the walls where the high stone barrier angled away. Unlike the straight, squared walls of cities built on flat or slightly hilly ground, Centuripe’s defensive barrier followed the couture of the terrain. On either side of the gate, the walls stretched to where the ground fell away. Then, the stonework rolled back following the ridge’s elevation. The configuration allowed guards stationed on the wall to see the approach road and anyone heading for the gate.

  “You’d need enough men to take down the guards on the walls,” Alerio advised. “That adds up to about half the Century just to open the gate.”

  “If we come in under cover of darkness, we can scale the wall and gate,” Tescum suggested. Then after a moment of hesitation, he added. “But we’d take a lot of casualties.”

  “And alert the reserve guards. It would hamper the mission if half the Century was caring for wounded while we fight our way across the city,” Alerio described. “Forget locating and securing the Ambassador. We have nothing if we don’t enter the city unobserved.”

  The three continued walking forward towards the gate. Alerio and Tescum’s eyes scanned the walls looking for a way to get the Century into the city. No ideas came to them and there didn’t appear to be a weakness in Centuripe’s defenses.

  “You never asked me, Tesserarius,” commented the big Legionary.

  “Ask you what, Private Palinurus?” questioned Alerio.

  “How would I get the Century into the city.”

  Palinurus was an excellent stonemason and a solid Legionary. But he didn’t have the reputation as being quick-witted or a deep thinker. It never occurred to the Corporal to asked the big man his opinion.

  Alerio stopped, lifted an arm, and pointed to the north where the mining operations were visible. Palinurus and Tescum both halted and turned to face in the direction indicated by their Tesserarius.

  “Which are we looking at?” inquired Tescum. “The sulfur or the salt mine compounds?”

  “Palinurus, how would you get the Century into the city?” Alerio asked while ignoring the Lance Corporal’s question.

  “Around the right side of the gate, about hallway to the first guard position is a washout,” Palinurus explained. “It must have eroded away during a heavy rain. Pooling water against a wall will do that.”

  “How would water pooling against a wall help us?” challenged Alerio.

  “Not outside the wall, Tesserarius,” Palinurus replied. “The water pooled on the other side of the wall.”

  “How do you know that?” inquired Alerio.

  “From the hole under the wall.”

  “There’s a hole under the wall?” gasped Tescum.

  “They filled it in but the stonemasons weren’t very good at their job,” Palinurus sai
d in disgust. “The angry stones have shifted. It’ll take me no time to dislodge the rocks and tunnel up inside the wall.”

  “Where would the tunnel come out?” inquired Alerio.

  “Your guess is as good as mine, Tesserarius,” Palinurus responded. “But that’s why we’re going into the city, isn’t it?”

  “It is now,” Alerio agreed with the big man.

  ***

  A hundred paces farther on, one of the guards stepped away from his partner and challenged the three strangers. The other sentry stepped deeper into the gateway ready to block any attempt by the trio to force their way through or to run for help.

  “It’s pretty late in the day to be entering the city,” the soldier insisted while lowering his spear. “What’s the purpose of your visit?”

  Alerio pointed at the mines to the north, puffed up his chest, and replied, “We’re an engineering crew here to locate and dig a new mine shaft. Our supply wagons got delayed. Most of our men are camped out not far from here.”

  “If three men arriving at your gate makes you nervous,” Tescum suggested. “Imagine your panic if all thirty-five of our team had come with us.”

  Alerio ignored the lie. If the Lance Corporal had reported that eighty men were camped not far from the gate, the guards might have panicked.

  “Your purpose?” the soldier repeated.

  “Food and beverages for our people,” Alerio replied. “Where’s the best place to buy supplies?”

  “There’s a pub not far from the lower guard barracks,” the sentry answered. “They treat the militia good and their food is clean.”

  “Thank you,” Alerio acknowledged as the soldier stepped to the side.

  The Corporal and his Legionaries walked through the gate and Alerio breathed a sigh of relief. Then the stonemason offered an observation.

  “I noticed you said the food was clean, not good,” Palinurus commented to the sentry.

  Alerio took the big man’s arm and hurried him away from the portal.

  “I’d like it better if they treated the militia clean and the food was good,” Palinurus stated.

  Alerio picked up the pace to prevent further dialogue with the guards. Once the three men were away from the gate, one of the soldiers turned to his companion.

  “I thought we were supposed to double check anyone coming in,” he advised.

  “That’s for the eastern gate,” the other soldier replied. “The Republic’s troops will come up the Simeto River and form up in the valley. If we report those three, Captain Cheir will increase the guard and keep us on duty all night.”

  His companion nodded in agreement and strolled to the other side of the gate.

  “You’re right,” he acknowledged as he lowered the butt end of his spear to the road. “It’s only three miners. Not anything for us to worry about.”

  Chapter 18 – The God Dolos

  As if the gentle grade of the approach road along the spine of the ridge was a jest, once through the gate, the punchline burst on the travelers. A half a block from the walls, the Legionaries were forced to lift their forward foot to take a step. Doorways at boot level seemed mismatched with the adjacent store entrances just one building up the grade.

  “I’ve hunted mountain rams,” Tescum related. “And I don’t remember the climb or the stalk being this difficult.”

  “It’s as if Centuripe was built on a set of massive steps carved out by a titan,” Palinurus offered. “The siege by the Legion is going to be bad. But the house to house fighting to secure the city is going to cost a lot of Legionaries their lives.”

  Before anyone could comment on the usually slow Legionary’s remarks, Palinurus turned off the road and ducked down an alleyway. Alerio and Tescum, walking a couple of steps in front of him, had to turn back before hurrying to catch up with the Private.

  “Where are you going?” Alerio asked.

  The stone pavers in the alley stretched out flat and the two normal sized men found themselves jogging to keep pace with the long-legged stonemason.

  “Palinurus. What’s the rush?” Tescum demanded.

  “I’m losing the light,” Palinurus said without breaking stride.

  They left the alley, crossed a road, and reentered the alleyway on the other side. A quick glance up the road showed the terrain continuing to climb. Four cross streets later, Palinurus hooked a right and rushed downhill. He reached the city wall, studied the stones on the street, turned, and passed Alerio and Tescum as he walked back to the mouth of the alley.

  “I’m tempted to find a pub and have him come to us when he finds what he’s looking for,” suggested Tescum.

  Alerio started to agree when the stonemason vanished off to the right. By the time the Corporal and Tescum reached the end of the alleyway, Palinurus was downhill and nearing the city’s defensive wall.

  The stonemason Legionary stomped his feet on the stones covering the street, then with a satisfying grin on his face, crossed his arms, and leaned against the rocks of the wall.

  “The tunnel will come up here,” Palinurus announced. “These pavers are larger than standard and roughly laid. The subsurface isn’t properly compacted.”

  “What does that mean?” questioned Alerio.

  “It means the repair crew from the city did a poor job repairing the storm damage,” Tescum informed Alerio. “It’ll be easy to dig our way up but someone will have to pry loose the pavers and roll them out of the way.”

  “If not?”

  “The pavers will fall down the hole and take out the squads doing the digging,” Tescum replied. “Seeing as that includes me, Tesserarius, I’d appreciate a promise that you’ll move the stones.”

  Alerio glanced around at the stone buildings bordering the wall. Most were the lower backs of structures, their entrances higher up and facing the alleyway. Only a few had doorways for root cellars or rear stairs. Few shops or businesses faced the narrow passageway between the defensive wall and the stone walls supporting the businesses higher up.

  “The area is sparsely used,” Alerio observed. “One man should be able to remove the stones and secure the area until the Century comes through.”

  “Wouldn’t that depend on the militia patrols?” Tescum inquired while pointing up the street.

  Four men carrying spears and shields and dressed in armor with tall helmets turned from the alleyway and marched up the road. As the patrol moved, one soldier stepped out of formation and checked the doorway of a store.

  “What do you want to bet, once they’ve checked one side of the street, they’ll check the other,” remarked Tescum. “Then, come down to the wall and walk the perimeter to the next street?”

  “Have you had your physical training today?” inquired Alerio.

  “You know we haven’t, Tesserarius,” Palinurus replied. “We’ve been on the march all day.”

  “Well, you are about to make up for it,” Alerio said as he motioned them to a spot behind the corner building. “We need to be up the next street and through the alleyway before the patrol sees us.”

  “Sounds a lot like sprint drills,” offered Tescum.

  “Not a lot, Lance Corporal,” Alerio corrected. “It is sprint drills. Now, run.”

  With robes flying, the Legionaries’ hobnailed boots pounded the pavers. Their footwear being the only Legion attire they brought from Fort Rhégion. Even in rough workmen’s clothing, they feared the mining crew description wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny. To compensate for the lack of shields and armor and for security, every man in the Century carried his gladius and a knife under the woolens. Everyone except Corporal Sisera, who had on his dual gladius rig and the Ally of the Golden Valley dagger strapped to his lower back.

  The one thing that gnawed at the Legionaries’ pride was the cost of the clothing. Purchased in the city of Rhégion by the Legion’s Tesserarius, the expense went against the Century’s account. It was necessary as their pack animals and clothing were lost in the transport herd. Unfortunately, the ex
pense would be deducted on the next payday.

  “You can feel how solid the street stones are,” Palinurus observed.

  “Less talking, more running, Private,” Alerio ordered.

  “Absolutely, Tesserarius.”

  The three reached the adjacent street and turned uphill. They were halfway up the grade before the militia patrol reached the defensive wall and the unstable paver stones.

  ***

  The trio of Legionaries huddled outside a pub. Long shadows draped one side of the street in darkness leaving the other side softly lit. They stood in the shadows.

  “Take these coins. Buy meat and bread for the Century,” Alerio said while handing Tescum a purse. Then to Palinurus, he instructed. “Wait for moonrise before digging out the tunnel.”

  “Aren’t you coming in with us?” inquired Tescum.

  “I’m going to find the Ambassador,” Alerio replied.

  Palinurus glanced around as if looking for a sign or a hint of where the Republic’s representative was being held. Not seeing anything, he leaned in and spoke to Alerio.

  “Don’t forget to relocate the street stones, Tesserarius,” the Private reminded him.

  “They will be moved,” Alerio assured the Legionary stonemason before he turned and walked away.

  “Corporal Sisera seems to have the second sight,” Palinurus observed while watching Alerio fade into the darkness. “Do you think he’ll stroll around the city until the Ambassador’s location comes to him?”

  “You’ve seen how his gladius’ blade is always ahead of his opponent’s. It’s almost as if the Goddess Nenia does direct his arm. And why did command choose the 25th Century for this mission? Because of him, and certainly not because of Centurion Megellus,” Tescum said listing the martial skill of their junior NCO and the circumstances of their Century being selected for this mission. A job that rightly should have gone to a veteran unit. “Things happen around Death Caller. I’m just not sure it’s healthy to be too close to him.”