Marcus shook his head and grabbed my shoulder, saying in a hushed whisper, ‘But Cassius, we can’t.’
My friend was concerned about the gold. I wasn’t going to let Aleixo have it either. ‘Blantek, Licinius, come here,’ I asked the animal trainer and our signifer. I turned to Marcus. ‘Give me one other.’
Marcus saw what I had in mind. ‘Longus, come here.’
I pulled the three saddlebags off the horses and ordered the shield wall to part at the furthest point from the outlaws. They did so, and I sent the three horses on their way with a hefty slap on the rump of each horse. The third horse, the one that previously belonged to me, was reluctant to go, but the men shouted and clashed their gladii on their shields and finally the stallion ran off to join its two companions outside our shield wall. A small group of warriors came round to investigate but didn’t seem overly interested in the heavy horses. They were a world away from the sleek agile mounts they rode.
I turned to Blantek. ‘Sorry, as a non-combatant, we need to use you in any way we can.’ I hefted one of the large saddlebags and threw it over his shoulder.
‘Ompf!’ said Blantek. ‘That’s not a light load. What do you keep in these bags?’
I smiled, picking up another and laying it around the neck of the large Praetorian, Longus. The bag made a telltale chink of metal, so I guessed it wouldn’t be long before they worked out what it was. ‘Something that belongs to the imperial family. It’s to be returned to them at all costs. You three are excused from combat.’
The signifer, Licinius, frowned. ‘You need me to carry one too? Don’t expect me to be moving too quickly. I already have the standard to worry about.’
The men wouldn’t accept discarding their standard, so I knew better than to ask it of them. ‘Don’t worry. I don’t think we’ll be moving faster than you can manage.’
The signifer was a large man with broad shoulders, which he lowered so Marcus could lay the heavy saddlebags over them.
Marcus told the three of them, ‘If you get too tired, let us know. We can get others to share the load if necessary.’
Licinius grunted as he stood up straight. ‘We’ll be alright. You need all the others for the shield wall.’
We tried to get the column moving, bunching tightly together in a compact unit as we headed northwards along the road. Just as I expected, as soon as we started moving, the horsemen made another attack on our lines. The legionaries halted immediately and locked their shields together, making an impenetrable barrier that the light Spanish horses refused to assail. Two of the horsemen released their light throwing spears over the top of the shields. One was deflected easily enough, but the other came over the rim of a Praetorian’s shield, injuring its owner’s shoulder.
I kept myself composed as the horsemen rode off, and a legionary saw to the injured comrade, pulling out a bandage from his kitbag. Unfortunately, casualties were going to be unavoidable. ‘Marcus, how many of those horsemen’s javelins do we now have?’ The one advantage of the riders throwing their light spears at us was that we were collecting a number of them ourselves.
Marcus shrugged. ‘We have six now. I was going to wait until we had ten, then we could use them in a volley to repel another attack.’
Each outlaw had originally held two each, so they hadn’t exhausted their supply yet. I saw the riders circle around and regroup. ‘Alright, Marcus, let’s get the men moving along the road. If I’m right, as soon as we start heading northwards, he’ll attack again. But this time, tell the men in the second rank to be ready. I want those six spears all thrown at our attackers, but don’t go for the rider, aim at the horses.’
Blantek overheard and said, seeming concerned, ‘That doesn’t sound very honourable.’
I fixed him with a fierce stare. ‘What? You think war is a game? This is our lives at stake now.’
He nodded and bowed his head. ‘Of course.’
Marcus ran off to relay my orders. I was guessing that these riders were protective of their prize mounts and wouldn’t want them coming to harm. Each of them were beautifully groomed, with silky coats and coloured ribbons in their manes – surely much more than just a useful mount for travel. They were unarmoured, and a far larger target than the riders. When Marcus came back to my side, I said to him, ‘Let’s hope they’re as sentimental towards their steeds as Blantek was to his monoceros.’
We started moving north again, and sure enough, Aleixo circled his riders around and swung them in for another attack. This time we waited until they got close before we formed the shield wall, in order to entice them in. When they swung along our flanks, the Praetorians were ready, throwing the six javelins directly at the horses. Two in the lead group went down, the first horse being taken in its heaving chest, the mare screaming in distress as it collapsed, hooves flailing. The second took a spear in its hindquarters as it tried to shy away from our unit, throwing its rider. I’d hoped that the falling horses would disrupt the others riding behind, and we’d benefit from a series of riders falling over those who fell in their paths.
I was to be disappointed. Each of the riders were excellent horsemen, and their horses swift and agile. They veered their steeds away from the fallers, one even leaping the flailing legs of the first downed horse. Still, two of them had lost their mounts; that ought to give them pause next time they attacked. As the riders circled off, we again lifted our shields and tried to make another dash forward. I looked behind me as we went, seeing the fallen riders by their stricken horses. Each kneeled and stroked their horse’s head, before putting them out of their misery and slitting their throats. They stayed by their horses with bowed heads, and even from a distance, I could tell I’d caused them great distress.
The horsemen circled round in front of us and Aleixo approached us alone. We halted the column as he came closer. He rode his magnificent sorrel stallion towards us, before stopping and raising one arm.
‘It looks like he wants to talk,’ I said to Marcus.
Marcus shook his head. ‘I don’t see any olive branch. You shouldn’t risk it. I’ll go.’
I rubbed my chin. ‘No, you stay here. I’ll be fine. I’m interested in what he has to say.’
Marcus ground his teeth but reluctantly nodded. He knew I wouldn’t be dissuaded.
The shield wall parted and I walked the fifty paces to where he stood. As I approached, he dismounted from his horse. Aleixo’s eyes narrowed. ‘I recognise you, Roman. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to find you here. Have you come all this way just to die with your men?’
I shrugged. ‘Something like that.’
Aleixo put his hands on his hips. ‘You are a man full of surprises. I didn’t expect that beast to be so effective breaking through the scutati. I congratulate you.’
I didn’t have time to waste answering any more of his questions, so I got straight to the point. ‘What do you want?’
He smiled. ‘You know what I want. You leave me the gold and I’ll let you and your men go free.’
I must admit, it was tempting. I’d already lost Germanicus’ monoceros, and I didn’t think he’d be happy if I returned without his gold either. But did I really care about that? Surely, I could find a way to make it up to him? Maybe my father could replace the sum – although even his generous largesse might be stretched by the large amounts involved. ‘You think I’d trust you to let us go unharmed?’
Aleixo shrugged and spat on the floor. ‘You don’t have any choice. Soon my caetrati will be here, and then your little ragtag unit will be finished. Leave me the gold, then be on your way.’
If I was going to do this, I needed to do it now. He was right, his other men would be closing; I didn’t have time to negotiate. I looked back at my men, the young faces under their helmets. Surely, I owed it to them to do everything in my power to get them home?
I sighed. Who was I trying to fool? I knew I couldn’t surrender the gold to this bandit. ‘You’ll have to kill every one of us before I give you anything.’
It wasn’t out of a desire to keep Germanicus’ property, or even the reaction of Augustus or Livia when they found out. It was because I remembered what Viviana had told me. How this man could mean ruin for her people if he wasn’t stopped. I’d been brought to Spain by the shade of Decius for a reason, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t to surrender enough gold to a bandit leader so that he could recruit an army. ‘I think we’re done here. I have nothing more to say to you.’
He smiled. ‘Very well, Roman.’ He vaulted athletically onto his horse. ‘You know I’ll get it in the end regardless?’
I looked up to him on his horse but kept my tone level. ‘What do you expect to achieve here? How long do you think you can defy Rome?’
‘Every day that passes, more flock to my banner. Just as the kings of Numantia once broke Rome’s hold on our land, I will do the same.’
I shook my head. ‘You wish to bring the same ruin on this land as Numantia? That city’s fate shows how harsh Rome’s vengeance can be.’
He narrowed his eyes and looked down at me. ‘I have heard of the great defeat your Roman army suffered in a distant land. I hear ten legions were destroyed. If they can do it, so can we. Your Roman army will soon be swept clear of this land.’
Was it worth correcting him? I doubted it, but I couldn’t help telling him. ‘You have no idea of the true power of Rome. She will return to Germany and retake the honour that was lost. Soon a new army will be formed, and they’ll take back the three eagles that were taken from us.’
He gave me a scowl of contempt. ‘You Romans fight like cowards. Hiding behind your shield walls, striking unarmoured horses. You are bereft of honour.’
I gave him a grim smile. Many Roman generals in our past had made the same complaint about the Spanish tribes, saying their tactics were akin to those of bandits. It was good to have returned the favour. ‘If you come at us again, you can expect more of the same.’
He gave a sly grin. ‘You’ll see we have many ways to kill you, Roman,’ he said, before kicking his horse and returning to his fellows.
I put his last comment down to bravado and walked back to my shield wall, trying to keep my pace nonchalant and unhurried. It wasn’t easy. I was tempted to run, but I made it back safely enough.
Marcus asked me the obvious question. ‘What did he want?’
I shook my head. ‘Nothing much, he just wanted a chance to boast and taunt me. Let’s get the column moving again. I’ll not be stopping to discuss anything with him again. Time is on his side, not ours.’
I was soon to find out that his last comment on other ways to kill us was no idle threat. As we started northwards along the road at a slow run, the horsemen circled once again. This time however, they didn’t close in on us but pulled out their hunting slings from their belts. I dismissed the threat and signalled our men to continue going northwards. Surely using a sling from horseback was all but impossible? This must be a last desperate ploy.
I was jogging alongside the three men who were carrying Germanicus’ gold. ‘Can you keep up this pace with that weight?’
The signifer, Licinius, answered, ‘Yes, this is an acceptable pace for now, but we might be in trouble if this keeps up through the day.’
I looked at the horsemen riding to either side of our column. They started swinging their slings around their heads. ‘He doesn’t want to risk his horses any more, that’s something.’
Blantek was breathing hard. ‘I hope he’s about to give this up soon, this is more than I—’
Something whistled past my ear and the animal trainer broke off his sentence. He stopped running, a confused look on his face. I stopped alongside him and took his arm. ‘Are you alright? Why did you stop?’
Then I saw it. The spot of blood on his forehead that started to grow bigger into a dark pool. I grabbed him as he collapsed in my arms. I shouted out, ‘Halt, form a shield wall!’
Marcus came over to join me. ‘Is he alright? What happened?’
I looked down at Blantek, the same confused expression on his face. I swallowed hard. ‘Sling-stone to the forehead. He’s dead.’
Marcus knelt next to me. ‘They are better with their slings than I would have given them credit for. We’ll need to keep our shields at the ready and be on our guard.’
‘That will slow us down, but we have no choice.’ I closed Blantek’s eyes and took two coins out of the bag he was carrying. I placed them on his eyes. ‘We don’t have time to bury him. We need to keep going.’
Marcus looked at the animal trainer. ‘It’s a shame. I was getting to like him.’
I growled. ‘So was I. He had a gentle heart and didn’t deserve this. Come on, find another man to carry these bags and let’s get moving.’
We tried our best throughout the rest of the day. We marched forward at the double but needed to stop and raise our shields each time the horsemen came in for an attack. We soon realised that the stone that had killed Blantek wasn’t a lucky shot. One legionary took a stone in the face, shattering his cheekbone, whilst another almost choked to death after being hit in the throat. Both lived, but we needed to be careful, and this slowed us. The prowess of Aleixo’s horsemen wasn’t confined to their skill with horses; they were just as adept with their slings.
The men were exhausted by the endless attacks, and their arms struggled to lift the heavy shields as they fended off another round of slingshots. The day had been hot, the punishing pace hard. My worst fears were confirmed when dusk approached. I saw a dust cloud arriving from the south, the direction of Aleixo’s main host. ‘They’ll be on us before night falls.’
Marcus sighed. ‘Maybe if we can hold them off we can lose them in the dark?’
I shook my head. ‘You don’t think that’s any more likely than I do. His mounted warriors won’t let us evade them now.’
My gamble in escaping from the hill had failed. Iovis and his men’s stand at the pass had been in vain. I hadn’t expected Aleixo to be so effective in delaying us with his small number of riders, and I’d failed as a result. Now all of our lives were forfeit, and there was nothing to do except decide how we wished to die. ‘Head for that small hill. It won’t be as effective as our last bastion, but it may help us take a few more of them down with us.’
Marcus turned around to where I was pointing. The road went over a small rise. If we controlled the higher ground, Aleixo’s inevitable victory would at least be harder earned. Marcus nodded. ‘Very well, we’ll make our stand there.’
Chapter Thirty-four
We waited for them to approach just as the sun began to set. My tired unit of Praetorians formed a small shield wall on the brow of the hill and looked down at the large host. Marcus and I walked around them checking they were as well prepared as they could be. From the look in their eyes, I could tell they knew it was all over, but I saw no panic – just a grim acceptance, a strong determination to fight until the bitter end. They checked the sharpness of their blades and fastenings on their armour. They were Praetorians, and they were as professional and efficient as their exhausted bodies would allow. Marcus gave the odd word of encouragement, but I refrained from any long speeches or false words of hope. We all knew what the situation was – it was laid out in front of us. Aleixo’s pursuing caetrati light infantry had caught us up, and now they were preparing to finish us. Their numbers had been swelled by the heavier scutati infantry, who’d been broken by the charging monoceros at the pass. The survivors of that clash had evidently returned to their comrades, and now a force well in excess of three hundred were about to assail us.
Aleixo was still mounted, his sorrel stallion running along the front line of his warriors as he soaked up their cheers and jubilant shouts.
Marcus and I joined the shield wall in the centre. There was little point in hiding at the back; this would be over in a very short amount of time. Marcus remarked to me, ‘What a racket. They’re even more noisy than the Germans.’
I gave a soft smile. ‘They’re summoning the
courage to assault us. The men should be flattered that the enemy still fear them.’
Marcus gave a nod. ‘So they should. We’ll give them reason to fear the sight of the scorpion emblem before this is over.’
Aleixo stopped to speak a few words to his men. After each sentence there were more cheers. Marcus loosened his sword arm. ‘At least they’re less rude. Do you remember the insults the Germans used to hurl at us?’
I gave a small chuckle. ‘Yes, Spanish bandits are far more civilised than any German barbarians.’
He looked at me. ‘I suppose it all comes to the same thing in the end?’
I sighed. ‘Yes, Marcus. They’re just as eager to finish us.’
We stood there in silence as the Spanish cheered their leader.
Marcus tilted his head. ‘Do you hear something?’
I looked down at the cheering Spanish warriors. ‘Of course I do, they’re making enough noise to be heard in the underworld.’
Marcus exclaimed, ‘No, not them! Listen!’
I could hear a growing rumbling that reverberated through the ground.
I spun around. ‘It can’t be …’
I didn’t have time to finish my sentence, as hundreds of steel-clad riders on galloping horses suddenly appeared on the rise to our rear and swarmed past us. ‘By the gods!’
‘It’s the auxiliaries!’ shouted Marcus in disbelief.
The Roman cavalry didn’t waste any time; as soon as they crested the rise, they charged down and attacked the stunned Spanish outlaws. There must have been at least two full alae, over a thousand mounted horsemen. They rode in a great flying wedge, armed with long lanceae, and came charging down at the panicked enemy host. Aleixo’s small army lost all semblance of discipline as they broke apart and ran in different directions, terrified by the sudden appearance of so many riders.
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