by David Black
‘What happened to your face, who hit you?’
The girl shook her head rapidly and walked swiftly to the entrance. She stopped suddenly and turned. For the most fleeting of moments she stared at Arminius. It was a strange look, and for an equally fleeting moment it unsettled him. Throwing back the curtain she left the dwelling. Rolf turned and watched her disappear. He shrugged.
‘She’s pretty but not much of a talker is she?’
Night had fallen hours earlier. Below a star studded sky the two Cherusci remained confined in the hut under close guard. There had been no message of agreement from Segestes and no further sign of the girl since their scant meal earlier in the day.
Arminius looked at his cousin, who was sitting in the shadows. Keeping his voice down to a whisper he said.
‘It looks like Segestes is taking his time over his decision. Do you want more broth?’
Rolf grunted. The fire had gone out and he couldn’t stomach the thought of swallowing more pieces of fat and the slimy scum the cold cauldron contained.
‘No. It was bad enough when it was hot...’
Arminius nodded. Rolf was right.
‘It’s strange about the girl. She seemed terrified of Segestes but wore no markings of a slave?’
In the darkness Rolf replied in a whisper. ‘Perhaps that’s how the Ampsivarii treat their women?
‘Perhaps you’re right?’
Arminius shrugged in the darkness and went back to thinking of the girl.
Suddenly, there were heavy footsteps outside the hut, followed by muffled words exchanged between guards. The leather curtain was thrown back and one of the Ampsivarii warriors thrust his head through the gap in the doorway. He growled at Arminius and Rolf.
‘You, come with us.’
Both men were on their feet in a moment. They left the gloom of the hut and followed the guard. He led them back to the council chamber in the middle of the village. The guard turned to the two men and pointed at the doorway.
‘Go in.’
The council chamber was illuminated by burning torches and crowded with more than twenty older Ampsivarii men. A fire burned brightly in the middle of the circular chamber. Smoke drifted lazily through a round hole cut high in the thatched roof. The men around Segestes sat murmuring to each other on the floor with their backs to the wall, so all could face their leader and be heard. Most fell silent when Arminius and Rolf entered. Segestes sat opposite on his wooden throne. Seeing the two men enter he clapped his hands for silence. He came straight to the point.
‘It has been decided that we will help you against the Romans, but my people will not fight under your command. I will decide where and when we will strike. Any tribe who stand in our way will die. I will not tell you when or where I choose to attack. Whatever we seize from the Romans is ours by right and will not be shared with others. Prisoners will be ransomed only if I decide it so; they will be mine to do with as I please.’ Segestes stared intently at the two Cherusci. Scowling he demanded an answer.
‘Do you agree to my terms?’
Arminius nodded. Negotiation would be dangerous with this man. Having the wild Ampsivarii attacking supply columns and isolated outposts at random over the next months was exactly what he wanted.
CHAPTER 14
‘Yes Segestes, it is agreed. Your terms are fair. Your people should profit from their fight....When will you begin to move on the Romans?’
Segestes stroked his untidy beard for a moment. A cruel smile played across his lips.
‘It will be soon Herman, son of Segimer, as soon as we are ready.’ The Ampsivarii looked towards one of the guards; their meeting seemed to be at an end.
As Arminius and Rolf turned to leave, Segestes held up his hand and growled.
‘Wait!’
Both men stopped and turned back to face him. Segestes stood up.
‘It is the custom of my tribe that we make blood sacrifice to our Gods before going to war. I think it only fitting that you join us at the ceremony, to bring their blessings on our new alliance.’
There were nods and murmurs of agreement among the elders who stared up at the two Cherusci. Now was not the time to offend the Ampsivarii leader or his council. Arminius bowed slightly and spoke gravely.
‘It will be our honour to be a part of your sacred rite.’
Segestes motioned to his elders, who stood up and began to file out. As the last of them left the guard grunted to the two men to follow him outside.
In the flickering torchlight, from the corner of his eye Arminius saw suspicion drift across his cousin’s face, but he ignored Rolf’s concern and whispered nothing to reassure him. Beckoning them to follow, the guard led them in the opposite direction, away from the girl’s hut towards the outskirts of the Ampsivarii village.
The elders were filing one by one into a large hut which was surrounded by a ring of wolf’s skulls mounted on wooden posts. Above each gleaming skull a burning torch flickered in the darkness, throwing shadows and light across each one. From inside the hut the two Cherusci heard a deep and unearthly growl. The guard grinned at them. He said.
‘Feel for the wall and stay close to it. Keep silent and wait for the ceremony to begin.’
Both men smelt a rancid and overpowering musk of something inhuman as they entered. It was very dark inside. Arminius sensed rather than saw others close to him. He felt Rolf’s hand brush his shoulder as they both stopped abruptly with their backs tight against the wicker wall. There was another echoing growl just below them, louder this time as the unseen beast smelt the men around it. Arminius and Rolf could hear something big and powerful sniffing the air as it paced back and forth, but still the darkness defeated them; they could see nothing.
The hoarse and crackling voice of Vorlec suddenly filled the blackened chamber.
‘It is time to make sacred sacrifice to the Gods of war to ensure our victory.’
It was the signal. Two Ampsivarii entered, holding burning torches before them. They stood to one side as light spilled into the chamber. Arminius’s eyes were immediately drawn into the depths of the pit before him. Pacing back and forth, a huge bear lumbered, its shaggy head raised high as it sniffed the air. The monster’s slavering jaws and teeth dripped in the torchlight. It let out a deafening roar of excitement and reared up on its hind legs. Behind the beast, Arminius saw gnawed bones littering the bottom of the pit. His eyes narrowed with realisation. The bones were human.
Vorlec stood on the edge of the pit and waved his rattle magically over the bear below. He cried up to the heavens and chanted his prayers to the Gods of destruction, as a boy beat a slow rhythm on the tightly stretched skin of a drum.
The elders had arranged themselves shoulder to shoulder in the darkness, with their backs to the round hut’s wall. Like Arminius and Rolf they stood several feet back from the edge of the deep pit. There was the gleam of anticipation on their faces as they began to chant their responses to Vorlec’s exaltations.
The noise in the chamber grew louder as the drum continued to beat. Vorlec exaltations were drawing him into a growing frenzy. He shivered and shook to the rhythm of the drum; his cries got faster and echoed over the pit and the snarling beast it contained.
Suddenly both he and the drum stopped, filling the chamber with a foreboding silence.
There were muffled curses and the sounds of a scuffle outside the entrance. A struggling figure was half carried and half dragged inside. In the light of the torches Arminius recognised the man’s garb instantly; he wore a torn and dirty tunic of the Legion. The wretched legionary was tightly bound hand and foot. The captive saw the beast pacing across the pit and let out a cry of pure terror. Vorlec grinned triumphantly. He laughed and savoured the man’s rank fear. As his guards held the soldier in their vice like grip, Vorlec began to mutter incantations as he smeared dark liquid from a clay gourd over the terrified man’s face and body. Both Arminius and Rolf caught the smell of the viscous fluid. Only one thing smelt like that. It wa
s the powerful odour of blood.
When he was satisfied he had covered his victim with sufficient magical swirls and symbols, Vorlec passed his rattle over the cringing legionary for the last time. Despite the chill in the chamber his face and arms were covered with glistening sweat. Vorlec turned and faced his leader. Through half closed eyes he watched Segestes, whose cruel smile betrayed his enjoyment of the prisoner’s terror.
Segestes nodded grandly towards Vorlec to show his approval. The surrounding elders began their chanting again. They looked towards the terrified legionary and gestured into the darkness of the pit.
Segestes stood and slowly drew his sword. He raised it towards the roof and the star filled heavens outside. The elders quickly fell silent. The hungry bear paced back and forth growling and snarling with growing excitement and hungry anticipation. It too had smelt the blood. The deathly hush among the gathered elders passed as Segestes lowered his eyes towards the terrified legionary.
‘Your sacrifice will bring us great fortune Roman. The Gods will be with us!’
Wild-eyed, the prisoner didn’t understand what the chieftain was saying, but he understood his fate. A terrified sob escaped from his trembling lips. His fearful face filled with dread as hot urine ran down his legs. It collected in a steaming puddle around his naked feet.
With a bloodthirsty sweep Segestes slashed his sword down towards the waiting bear. The laughing guards understood. With a scream of pure horror the struggling legionary was pitched forward, into the bone littered depths of the waiting pit below...
‘Return these men’s weapons and horses.’ Beneath a sky pinpricked with points of light, outside the sacrificial chamber Segestes turned from his men to Arminius. ‘You will leave.’ He cast his eyes around his assembled elders. His eyes glittered with feral anticipation. ‘Vorlec says our Gods are pleased with our sacrifice. They are with us now, and we have a war to arrange.’
Rolf and Arminius rode carefully through the darkness, the shining moon lighting their way. Their guide had left them, having seen them onto the track which would lead them back to the border fort. Each man was lost in his own thoughts until Rolf broke the silence between them with a whispered question.
‘Why do we need the Ampsivarii savages to begin attacking now Herman? Won’t that put the Romans on their guard and make things more difficult for us when we launch our own attack?’
Arminius nodded in the darkness.
‘Yes indeed, it will alert the Romans Rolf. But that is exactly what I want to happen.’
Confused, Rolf turned his head towards his cousin.
‘I don’t understand?’
Arminius grinned to himself in the darkness.
‘When the time is right and we are ready to launch an all-out attack, I want the strength of the Legions to be drained. Using the Ampsivarii will split them and reduce the number of cohorts we will have to fight when the time comes. When Segestes begins his attacks and Roman losses of men, food and material begin to rise, Varus must move quickly to reinforce all the smaller garrisons defending strategic settlements throughout Germania, in case they are overrun and destroyed by the Ampsivarii rebels. The old General’s plan to increase trade will come to nothing if he cannot maintain order in the province. I have no doubt that we can convince the tribes who are already with us to add to the drain on Roman manpower by demanding protection from the wild tribe that is raiding from across the border. That is after all, the other side of the Pax Romana agreement. Rome promises armed protection to those who submit to her dominion.’
Rolf nodded, it was a cunning plan, but he could see a weakness.
‘Surely the Romans will withdraw their men as they usually do before winter comes, and then march all of them to safe winter quarters over the Rhine?’
Arminius shook his head.
‘No Rolf, I don’t think so. Now that trade has started flowing freely in the province, as we have secretly arranged with our allies to permit, Varus cannot leave such a valuable network of trading settlements undefended anymore, even during the snows of winter. He will be obliged to leave sufficient soldiers stationed throughout the province on a permanent basis to keep trade flowing freely.’
Rolf looked at his cousin with admiration. If it worked, it was a simple but brilliant plan, but he still had one more question.
‘But what of the soldiers who guard the settlements? I thought we would banish the Romans forever before winter comes?’
Arminius’s eyes glittered in the moonlight.
‘The garrisons are remote and isolated from each other Rolf. There will be no hope of relief. We will send men to surprise and destroy them one by one, at the same time the Legions are being cut to pieces.’
They rode on in silence but then Arminius added.
‘We will need to show our allies the futility of open war. I must arrange a demonstration for them and then show them the path to victory.’
The men continued in silence, picking their way carefully along the track to avoid injuring one of their horses’ legs in a concealed pothole or hidden warren. There was still a long way to go. A lame animal would severely delay their return, and Arminius had other things to plan and do.
The journey continued uneventfully. The night remained dark and still, save for the occasional bark of a prowling fox or distant hoot of a hunting owl. Rolf was happily chewing on a hunk of stale bread when Arminius suddenly whispered.
‘There’s something moving behind us Rolf.’
Rolf stopped chewing, turned in his saddle and stared back into the darkness.
‘I see nothing cousin. Are you sure?’
Arminius replied softly. ‘Yes, I heard something earlier, just after the guide left us and went back to his village.’
‘What did you hear?’
‘It was an odd sound... Perhaps it was a stone being dislodged on the track behind us? Then I heard something again, just moments ago.’
Arminius thought for a moment. Whatever was tracking them must be taken as a threat. Slowly he drew his sword. Rolf saw the movement and reached for his own. Arminius held up his blade and whispered softly.
‘No Rolf, keep your sword sheathed but be ready. When we reach the next bend in the track, take my bridle and lead my horse while you continue forward. I’ll slip down and seek cover in the trees, and wait for whatever is following us.’
Rolf nodded. Minutes later, the track veered sharply to the left. Arminius passed his reins to Rolf. Arminius slipped soundlessly from his saddle and landed lightly on the ground beside his walking horse. Without a word he turned and in a low running crouch disappeared silently into the trees close beside the track.
Arminius didn’t have to wait very long. A single shadowy figure stole quietly along the track on foot. A blade glistened in the stalker’s hand as he hurried after the horses. When the hooded figure had passed, Arminius stepped out from behind cover. Matching the fall of his feet with the figure in front he quickly closed the short distance between them. Arminius could have easily killed with a thrust of his sword into the back of the figure, but he wanted answers. Perhaps their true purpose had been discovered by a spy in the pay of Rome? Was it an assassin following them? He had to know why someone was creeping after them in the dead of night, deep as they still were in Ampsivarii territory.
Arminius was close enough to hear the gasping breaths of the stalker now. Taking no chances from the dagger the figure carried, Arminius swung the flat of his blade at the hooded head only a few feet in front of him. It connected with a dull and muffled thump. The figure instantly fell stunned to the ground. Quickly scanning the surrounding darkness for accomplices Arminius thrust the point of his sword towards the figure’s neck as he wrenched the hood from the stalker’s head.
A terrified shriek pierced the night as the material was ripped away.
‘No please, don’t kill me!’
Arminius’ jaw dropped. The moonlight shone across blond hair and the bruised face beneath it. To his utter amazement, ly
ing frozen with fear beneath his raised sword was the slave girl from the village.
‘You!’
Still dazed from the blow to her head, the girl burst into tears. Arminius heard Rolf galloping back up the track towards him. Alerted by the girl’s piercing shriek, Rolf had drawn his sword and returned, ready for a fight.
Gasping between sobs, the girl remained where she lay. She had lost her dagger when Arminius had struck. She held her empty hand to her head and rubbed it gently.
Rolf climbed down from his horse and walked over to his cousin. Staring down at the prisoner Rolf laughed softly.
‘Looks like you have caught yourself a pretty little fish cousin.’
Fighting to recover some dignity the girl struggled to sit up. She glared at Rolf with a withering stare. With a flash of angry defiance she flared at him.
‘I am no fish, Cherusci bastard!’
Both men grinned. The girl had spirit.
Still grinning Arminius asked. ‘What’s your name girl?’
Rubbing her head she replied. ‘My name is Thusnelda and how dare you attack me.’
‘You are lucky I didn’t kill you.’ Arminius glanced around him. ‘This is no place for you to be creeping around like a thief in the night.’ He stared into the girls eyes. ‘Now tell us Thusnelda, why were you following us?’
The girl looked sulkily at her captors.
Rolf added. ‘Speak truly now girl, before we return you to your village.’
Fear returned to the girl’s eyes as the words left Rolf’s lips. It was the same fear she’d displayed when she stood trembling before Segestes in the Ampsivarii village.
Thusnelda’s hand flew to her mouth. Tears brimmed suddenly into her eyes again. She cringed.
‘No Please! Don’t take me back. He’ll kill me for sure if I return now.’ Both men heard genuine terror in her faltering voice.
Startled by her frightened reply Arminius held up his hand to reassure her.
‘All right, calm yourself. What happens next depends on telling us the truth Thusnelda. Why were you following us, and who will kill you if we take you back?’