by Griff Hosker
The prefect looked round at his decurions. They had grown into an efficient team. They each had friends they preferred to work with, Agrippa and Lentius, Gaius and Macro, Julius and Decius but they could work with any other decurion. They all deferred to Decius but he never took advantage of that. He saw that they were easy in each other’s company. They joked and laughed and took the ribbing which was inevitable in a male society. He could not ask for better officers.
“Gaelwyn has scouted the two hill forts and it seems that they have got wind of our little incursion. Warriors are pouring in to help defend them. The good part of that is that when we defeat them,” his decurions all grinned at each other when he used the positive words, ‘when we defeat them’; it was another sign that they would win, “there will be few enemies left to fight and we should be able to negotiate as young Julius so ably demonstrated the day before yesterday. I will not attack until we have another bolt thrower built and while it is being built I want the willow we saw down by the stream cutting and making into man sized shields, not to hold as a shield but to be a barrier to protect the archers and artillery. If we weave the willow we can still see though it but it should stop the arrows that they use. If we get them finished tomorrow then we attack the day after. Any questions?”
“Sir?”
“Yes Decius?”
“You did mention to me about more archers.”
“Good man! Of course. I want one in two of your men armed with a bow. We know they can use them and it demoralises the enemy. In addition Gaelwyn said that the two hill forts are close enough to support each other which means we will have to watch one while we attack the other. We will have fewer troops available.” He was delighted that the idea did not affect them. They were confident enough that they would succeed, no matter what was thrown at them.
The following day the prefect took Decurion Demetrius and Gaelwyn with him while he confirmed the negotiations at the villages which had acceded to the Roman demands. Decius chivvied and chased the men manufacturing the bolt thrower and spare bolts. The rest of the ala practised with their bows.
“Thank you for taking me along sir.”
“You deserve it Julius. It was a good idea to offer them peace. The sooner we can pacify this area the sooner we can move on to the harder nut which is Caledonia.”
It was a pleasant day to be riding with a pleasant breeze from the south bringing the tang of the sea. The birds were busily singing and everything was green and lush. The three men found that they did not need speech to fill the silence. Eventually Julius ventured. “Sir do you think I have a future in the auxiliary?”
“You have had a letter from your father.”
“How did you know sir?”
“I knew you had had a letter and you have been a little quieter of late as though debating something.”
“Yes sir. He thinks I ought to return to Rome and take my place in the Senate or perhaps join one of the Emperor’s legions in the east, where I will attract more attention.”
Marcus pondered this for a few moments. “Both good choices and were you my son and I was an important patrician I might make the same suggestions. The east and the Emperor is where the glory is. Rome is where the power is. Here we are a backwater at the end of the civilised world. If you were in the east or Rome you would be amongst civilised peoples with all that attends its, fine food, comfort and the potential for great glory. Here you will never find glory for who cares about Britannia, apart from the general of course. The diving Claudius used it to get himself a brief moment of glory and then promptly forgot about it.”
“So you are saying Rome or the east is a better choice?” Julius was confused. He had expected the prefect to try to talk him out of a move; perhaps he was not bothered if the young man stayed or not.
“No Julius I am saying if I were your father I would suggest those choices. As a father you want the best for your son in your world. This is my world Julius. I was taken from my family before my eighth summer. I have never lived anywhere which is civilised. I have never sought glory, fame or power. For me the First Pannonian Cavalry is all I aspire to. Had my family still been alive I might have said that this was part of my journey to a quiet life raising horses with my son but that can never be.” Julius was touched by the sadness in Marcus’ voice. “As for your question which was have you a future then I will give you a totally different answer. I will give you the answer I would give to any of my young decurions, Gaius, Macro, and Domitius, any of them. You have a future in this ala because this is my family. You especially could rise to the highest rank, you could be prefect but that will never bring with it the status f a legionary posting or the glory of the east nor the power of the Senate. But you do have a future here Julius. A future with comrades who would fight for you, bleed with you and die for the ala.” He looked at the wide eyed young man. “Does that answer your question?”
“Yes sir. I will write to my father and tell him I am staying in Britannia.”
“Good for that is the answer I wanted.”
Gaelwyn riding behind them smiled. For a Roman Marcus had much of the Brigante about him. He admired the prefect’s sense of family, not just blood but comrades. He admired the fact that he fought so hard for what he believed in but most of all he admired him because he cared about everyone.
Late in the afternoon they rode back into the camp. Decius had worked hard and they could see the second bolt thrower being assembled next to a pile of bolts. The Decurion Princeps wandered over to the prefect as he rode in. “How did it go sir?”
“It went well. Young Demetrius had done the hard part. They seemed to quite like him. Perhaps it is his young innocent face.”
“Good job you didn’t send me then. One sight of this ugly gnarled tree trunk of a face and we would have had a war.”
Marcus laughed. “One thing you will learn as a leader is use the weapons you have to their best advantage. When we attack tomorrow it will be you ugly face which leads it. I hope to terrify them into submission.”
“Did you visit their fort?”
“Aye. They are about two miles apart. It will be difficult for when we attack one the other can attack us.”
Julius was still with them. “Like Vercingetorix and Caesar at Alesia.”
Decius looked up at him, “What? Where?”
“Julius Caesar was attacking the Gauls at their stronghold and he was surrounded by another Gaulish army. He had to fight on two sides. You know your history Julius.”
“Having been given the name Julius my father made me read the Gallic Wars until I could recite it.”
“You have given me an idea. The two forts face each other. They are like the one we destroyed yesterday, one way in and out. They must have had conflict at some time because the gates face each other. If we make our camp and siege works between them we can turn the bolt throwers to repel attacks. Well done Julius. I had, to my shame, forgotten Caesar.” Julius blushed, habit he wished he could lose. “We will also have to dig some ditches to slow down any counterattack.”
Decius groaned. “Oh for the days when we just rode around on our fat arses admiring the scenery.”
Winking at Julius Marcus said, “Funny that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well Decius that is what young Julius and I did today and it was very pleasant!”
The column took most of the day to reach the belligerent hill forts. Rather than try the diplomatic route straight away Marcus instead, set half the ala to building a camp equidistant from the two hill forts. The other half remained in readiness for any sortie. The barbarians did indeed jeer and shout but the armed warriors kept them at a distance. With this incentive the troopers worked twice as hard and had the camp erected in a time which impressed even Decius. “Looks like the threat of a Novontae arrow up the arse makes them work harder than my vine staff.”
“I want one in three men on duty tonight Decius. I know we will have tired men tomorrow but we cannot risk a night atta
ck.”
“I’ll rotate them sir. If we use the hourglass we can make sure that everyone gets some sleep.”
It was while Agrippa and Lentius were on duty, just before dawn that the attack came. Their attackers came from the hill fort to their left, the one with a chief called Moffat. The warriors approached silently and would have made the vallum had one of the attackers not fallen in the ditch, crying out as he fell. There were many alert defenders and the attack was easily beaten off in a shower of javelins. Later when questioned by Decius about the lack of an alarm for the camp Agrippa explained, “It happened too quickly and they just took off when they found their sneak attack had failed. Sorry sir. Out hands were full but they never even looked like they would get over the ditch let alone the vallum.”
Marcus was pleased that they had repelled the warriors. They took the fifteen bodies from the ditch and slung them on the backs of mules. Marcus and Decius led a turma as an escort for the bodies. They approached Moffat’s hill fort and, outside arrow shot they unloaded them. As a trooper led the mules back Decius, Gaelwyn and Marcus approached the gate.
“No further Roman.”
“We have returned the bodies of those foolish warriors who attacked us last night. It was an unprovoked attack.”
The voice bellowed from the tower. “Unprovoked? You build a fort next to our home and you say you are not provoking us?”
“It is our custom to build camps wherever we travel. Our friends do not find it worrying.”
“We are not your friends. Take your customs back over the river to the cowards who like you. We do no not and we want nothing to do with you.”
“Many villages nearby believe we are friends. They have welcomed Rome.”
“Did Sulian welcome Rome? No and where are his bones now? I do not trust you Roman. Now leave my land before we destroy you.”
“I will give you the same warning I gave Sulian. Join with us and become part of Rome; receive the benefits civilisation brings or fight us and all your warriors will be destroyed and your people sold into slavery.”
“Brave words from a handful of horse soldiers. We will fight you and we will keep our freedom.”
“I am sorry to here that Chief Moffat for this will be the last time we will talk. You have just signed your own death warrant.”
As they rode back they heard the gates open and their warriors race out to claim the bodies of their dead.
“Well you warned him fair and square sir.”
“They will fight prefect. While you were talking I could see warriors arming and preparing to attack.”
“Thank you Gaelwyn. Decius as soon as we get back I want two turmae as a mounted response. The rest can dig a ditch, about here. That should be out of arrow range. When that is complete bring up the bolt throwers, wicker protection and the archers we will start the bombardment as we did at Sulian’s. You can then dig another ditch four hundred paces from the other side of the camp just in case Caolan’s warriors decide to take advantage of our assault. Let Lentius watch that side.”
The barbarians had never witnessed siege works before and they did not know how to react. Inside his stronghold Moffat was having an argument with his headstrong young warriors. “I have seen Romans fight before and they are well organised. They do not fight as we do. Keep to the plan. When they attack us Caolan will attack them while they attack us.”
“Can we trust that cattle thief?”
“Cian, you are bitter. You have a blood feud filling you with such thoughts. We have to forget such things until we have beaten our common enemy.”
“Yes I have a blood feud but look they are busy digging. If we attack now we will kill some of them.”
“I listened last night to Quinn and now we only have their bodies and no dead Romans.”
“Let me take my oathsworn. We are young and we are fearless. Let me kill some Romans.”
Moffat could sense the mood of anger. Cian was a rival if he held firm now he might lose his life with a knife in the back. Letting Cian loose would appease those more aggressive and his failure would diminish the threat to his power. “Very well but just kill a few and get back here we cannot afford losses.”
“Watch a real warrior Moffat and you will see that we will have no losses.”
The fifty warriors gathered behind the gate. At a nod from Cian the gate swung open and the warband raced out. The men digging were Quintus’ men and as soon as they heard the roar they dropped their tools and took up their shields. Behind them they heard the buccina and. felt immediately more confident for Vettius and his turma were already racing to their aid. Although the wedge of warriors hit them hard and managed to push them back a few paces their shields and mail took the brunt of any blows which the barbarians managed to land. Cian’s war hammer did smash through the skull of a young trooper but the eager barbarian’s joy was short lived as an arrow thudded into his arm. Realising they were now outnumbered the oathsworn grabbed their leader and ran back as quickly as they could. By the time they had made the safety of the stronghold eight bodies littered the patch of earth between the trench and their walls.
Moffat looked down at the pale face of Cian. “One Roman dead and eight less warriors to defend our homes. Next time we will listen to me not young pups who are barely weaned!”
“Thanks Vettius. Take Gaius Vetriculus’ body back to the fort we will bury our comrade later.”
By the time the noon break had arrived the ditches were built and the bolt throwers were in place. The Romans could see the heads of the barbarians as they peered from the towers and palisades at this strange style of warfare. The rear trench still had to have its stakes embedded but apart from that it was finished. “Let your men have a break. They all lost sleep last night. Make sure they get a good meal. It is going to be a long afternoon.”
“Yes Decurion Princeps.”
Inside Caolan’s stronghold they had to peer in the distance to see what was happening. “Lugh you have younger eyes what can you see?”
“They have finished their ditches and now they look to be eating and drinking.”
“These Romans wage war in a strange way. Can you see their mounted men?”
“Yes they are just behind the wood to the left.”
“So they want to ambush us if we attack. Well we can counter that.” He turned to his lieutenants. “Before we attack them we will slip a small band around the rear of the woods then can attack the horse warriors with arrows, spears and stones. After they have been destroyed we will attack them while they are busy attacking Moffat. Take them over the furthest side of the stronghold and follow the burn. That way they will not se you.”
“What about those ditches?”
“We will bridge them with the logs I had the men prepare.”
His lieutenants were far more confident about Caolan as a leader than Moffat’s were. He was a cunning and careful warrior who had survived the debacle of the Taus. Many felt he would be the next king of the Novontae when the Romans were eventually beaten and his men looked forward to slave raids once more.
“Ready Decius?”
“Yes sir the rest break helped.”
“Begin the assault.” Just as at Sulian’s the inhabitants hid in terror as the bolts screamed into the gates. The arrows rained death on those who had neither shield nor shelter and soon Moffat directed all to move from the walls save those with armour and shields. It was almost identical to their first assault, the main difference being the extra bolt thrower which added to the devastation. The two bolt throwers destroyed the gates and towers in a very short time.
“Ready for the assault sir?”
“Not yet. I will take two turma and join Lentius to watch the other fort. I will sound the buccina when it is time.”
While the prefect made his way to Lentius Decius continued to demolish the walls. With two bolt throwers it was a far more efficient and deadly process. Decius wondered what carnage ensued for when they had sacked Sulian’s the bodies had been mangle
d so much that they did not appear to be human. With two in action the results would be twice as horrific.
Marcus arrived close to the woods with the two turmae of Julius and Domitius and greeted Lentius. “Any sign of movement?”
“Not yet but they have been in the towers watching our movements so they know what we are about.”
“Right. Sound the buccina.” The strident notes of the buccina echoed over the hillsides and they heard the roar as the troopers advanced up the hill.
“Look sir.” Julius pointed to the other fort. The gates were opening. “You were right sir.”
“It is one thing to make the right decision and another to ensure you benefit. Form line.”
His turmae formed an oblique line from the woods and he waited for the barbarians to emerge. He needed them in the open and far enough away from the safety of their own stronghold for he wanted this [part of the campaign over with quickly. If he could destroy these two then the rest of the Novontae might fall into line. As the force emerged the prefect could see them glancing over to their left. They knew there were Romans there. “They know we are here. Watch out for tricks. Ready your weapons.”
It was as they were preparing to advance that the ambush was sprung. Slingshots and arrows rained down upon them striking them on their unprotected right side. “Lentius, Domitius wheel! Julius advance on the warband.”
It was as they wheeled that Lentius was struck. First a slingshot cracked into his skull making a noise like an egg breaking and at the same time an arrow slammed into his chin as his head was jerked back. He was dead before he hit the ground. “Follow me!” Marcus drew his sword and headed into the woods. They could not afford an enemy in the rear and Julius would have to manage the best that he could. The barbarians took to their heels and began to outstrip the horsemen who found the confines of the woods difficult. “Domitius keep after them. Turma three follow me.”
The enraged turma were desperate to avenge their leader and they wheeled in a tight line behind the prefect. As they emerged from the woods they saw that the barbarians had reached the ditches and laid logs across them. This meant they were in single files and Julius had wisely taken his turma to the other side of the ditch where his men were picking off the warriors as they gingerly came over one by one. Those who rushed found themselves impaled on the sharpened stakes. Marcus led his turma around the right of the warband to encircle them. With only two turmae they could only slow down the advance. “Use your javelins and bows. Thin them out.”