by Griff Hosker
The others all had similar fates until there was just one left; he was the youngest looking of the recruits and Wolf prepared for another fall. No-one had struck him yet but many had come close. The troopers had fallen about laughing and they eagerly watched the last one. He looked confident as he galloped around he had a calm expression as he raced up to the Decurion. There was a collective intake of breath from both the recruits and the troopers as the horse was but ten paces from the officer when the recruit grabbed the reins and pulled savagely back. The horse’s nose snorted into Wolf’s face but it was a hand span away. Wolf looked up at the youth who grinned and said, “Like that sir?”
“Well done son. What is your name?”
“Marcus Aurelius Maximunius, sir.”
“You ride that with some ease. Are you Roman?”
“No sir, my home is in Hispania and my village was destroyed by the Romans. The one who captured me, the centurion, sold me as a stable boy and gave me my name. I have had it for seven summers.”
“Well Marcus you can ride!” He looked at the others. “Take lessons from this one. He is the nearest thing to a Pannonian I have seen. Mount and I will find out who you are.”
He walked down the line. “Gaius sir, from Gaul.”
“Lentulus from the Atrebate tribe.”
“Metellus the Catevellauni tribe.”
“Drusus the Gaul.”
And so it went on. He had a disparate team from both Gaul and the province but they all showed keenness. None of them had shown fear after they had fallen and had all tried it again. For Ulpius Felix it was the superb rider who would need no training which had made his day. He would, once again, have the best turma in the ala.
After they had finished their training for the day Wolf joined the others in the office they shared. They used it like an informal club. There was normally an amphora of wine and dried venison strips. Osgar was an excellent hunter but his nephew Gaelwyn was even better and, as the new scout in the ala was keen to win praise, his hunting expeditions did so.
“I hear you have a rider amongst the recruits?”
“Yes Cava. He stopped his horse that far from my nose.“ He demonstrated. “I nearly shat myself!”
“Makes a change; most of them can’t tell the tail from the head.”
“But they are keen Aulus.”
He leaned over to pour himself a large beaker of wine. “Aye but they are keen for the money. If the infantry paid better salaries they would join them.“
Sextus chose a large piece of jerky. “Be fair Aulus it’s why we joined the cavalry and not the infantry, the money.”
“Speak for yourself I just didn’t fancy being one of Marius’ Mules and carrying my life on my back.”
“Yeah I prefer life from a horse and speaking of pay. You are the new paymaster. When is the next payday?”
“Same as always the end of the nundinal cycle.”
“Now don’t confuse me you know I am an old man. The old nundinal or the new one?”
“Don’t give me that Sextus you are not old you are just crafty and you know that if it is the new one, which it is, then it is tomorrow and you have gained a day!”
Sextus shrugged. “I am just saving for my retirement and I want to make sure it is safely in my box.”
“Are we letting the lads into the vicus then?”
“Not certain Lupus. It depends on the Decurion Princeps. The last thing we need is a bunch of lads pissed up around the vicus.”
“You mean like we were in Germania.”
“I mean exactly that.”
“Well I think they deserve it; they have worked hard. How about if a couple of us had a wander around to make sure they are behaving themselves?” Wolf cared about his young recruits, especially as he had felt so guilty about the young ones who had died at the battle of Carl Wark.
“Count me out I have a bad leg.”
“Now you are getting old Aulus. There was a time when you would have been the first to go and keep an eye on them.”
“Well I have changed and what good will a one eyed man be to keep an eye on them!”
They all laughed and Wolf affected outrage. “I can’t believe you are mocking the afflicted. Luckily I am in a good mood and I will turn a blind eye to that comment.”
Cava laughed, “Your jokes do not get any better but I will join you. Might be interesting to see them off duty.”
Eventually the Pannonian officers with their friend Gerjen decided to take a stroll after payday to ensure that their charges behaved themselves. The vicus had grown because of the fort. The Brigante who lived there could be sure of safety from bandits and raiders; the new road as they called it, the Via Nero passed through and ensured visitors and businesses flourished. There was an inn which put up merchants and visitors for the natives had learned they could make money out of Pax Romana and there was an alehouse marked by the sheaf of barley hung outside. The woman who ran it, Maeve, was a widow whose husband and sons had been killed in a raid by the Caledonii. She wanted her daughter safe and saw the chance to be safe and to make money. She was a powerfully built woman and had fists like a man. There was little trouble in her alehouse. The rest of the dwellings contained those who made money from the soldiers; tanners, leather workers, smiths and weapons makers. There were also a couple of girls who were prostitutes. Some of the troopers took a turn at them but, after a while, their lack of expertise and the fact that they just lay there made them less enticing and most men went back to the tried and trusted solo method. The two girls would make their money when the new recruits visited them for the first time. The virgins were the ones they liked the best; they had no means of comparing.
Wolf and Cava made sure that they were in the vicus before the troopers and they warned the businesses that the troopers would be coming but they did not want the recruits robbed. Cava had huge fists and was particularly persuasive. Maeve just grinned. “Do you want I should water it down Decurion?”
“What, are you going to make it all water or just going to piss in it?”
She laughed, “I just do that for the officers.”
“And we can tell.”
When they visited Eide and Sare, the two whores, they used Wolf’s persuasion rather than Cava’s intimidation. For some reason his injury made him attractive to women and the two young girls were always trying to bed him, normally together. Wolf called them girls but he thought they were his age. It was hard to tell for they put a red substance made from beetles on their lips and the dye from flowers on their eyes. To the recruits it would appear exotic. “Oh Decurion we’ll do you for free!”
“A tempting offer but I am on duty. Now if we hear you have charged these recruits more than the going rate we will stop them coming here altogether. Do you understand?”
Eide pouted, “But they are virgins and we are doing them a favour really teaching them how to be lovers.”
“If you are doing a favour then it should be free eh?”
“You are so persuasive Decurion. Just a quickie?”
“Sorry Sare. We have more businesses to see.”
Gaius Cresens had tired of his function as Legate’s aid. It meant he had to run around after the Legate. He had hoped for promotion before now but that seemed unlikely. He had seen enough in the time her had been in Britannia to know that he did not wish to be an infantryman. Although the officers sometimes rode, they frequently joined their men marching and fighting in a shield wall. He had watched the cavalry fight and saw that there were opportunities to hang back and avoid the fighting; especially in the auxiliary. He had decided to ingratiate himself into the good graces of Prefect Marius Ulpius Proculus. He was, therefore, really annoyed to find that the Prefect was not at Cataractonium but had chosen to visit Derventio which was just a little too close to the blue painted savages who inhabited the land north of the Dunum. It was too late to return to Eboracum which was nothing more than a building site and quite basic and the officers of the ala, most of them barely beyond
barbarians themselves shunned him. He eyed the vicus; he would spend the night there and perhaps, away from prying eyes indulge himself in those pleasures he enjoyed the most.
Trooper Marcus Aurelius Maximunius was more popular with the other recruits since he had demonstrated his skill as a rider. Even more importantly he had a natural ability with horses. It was almost as though he could talk to them and the more nervous of the riders had reason to thank the young Spaniard for he had helped them control their horses. He was the youngest of the troopers and he and the next youngest, Lucius, had formed a close friendship. The barracks was a noisy and intimidating place and Lucius, in particular, was a shy youth with a face which made him look little more than a child. He was lucky to be in Wolf’s turma for they were protective as well as proud to be serving what they took to be the best turma in the ala.
As they headed towards the vicus they were all excited. They had their first pay and it was burning a hole in their purses. They couldn’t wait to get into the vicus and spend the money. “They have whores there!”
Lucius’ eyes widened, “Women who sell their bodies for money?”
Drusus laughed, “Well I hope so or I will have to spend more on the ale they sell in the tavern.”
Metellus put a bear like arm around the two young troopers. “Tonight boys, is the night we become men and we find out what a woman feels like.”
The two young troopers looked at each other in terror. They were still close to being children and to them women meant mothers. Marcus shook his head. “Perhaps next time. Lucius and I haven’t had ale before, well not men’s ale. We just had small beer. We are looking forward to that.”
Drusus laughed, “Well I can manage both. My dick is so big the women will be begging me to drink more ale and make it smaller.”
“I never knew a Gaul yet who wasn’t hung like his horse! “
“I am from Gaul Lentulus and I do not boast.”
They all laughed as Drusus said, “We all saw the way you fell from your horse and we aren’t sure you have anything left down there at all.” He turned to the two young troopers. “You are probably right lads. Pick another night because after they have had Drusus then I have ruined them for other men!”
Once they reached the vicus they split into two groups; Marcus and Livius headed for the tavern while the others headed for the queue outside the whore’s hut. Drusus shouted. “The rest will join you lads quickly but I may be some time. Don’t drink all the ale.”
Metellus shouted over his shoulder, “He’ll probably take one look at them and spill his seed there and then!”
Marcus was glad that he and Lucius were not going to the whore house; he had barely known his mother, having been taken from the corpses of his tribe at the age of seven but, to him, she was always smiling, pretty and loving. It would take some time before he would think about a woman as Drusus and the others did. They saw Wolf and Cava outside the tavern. They both stood to attention and saluted. “Sir!” They chorussed.
Wolf smiled. The two lads were about his age when he had joined and he wondered had he ever looked that young, with baby faces that did not need shaving and the terrified look of frightened deer when officers appeared. “Relax lads. You are off duty. Are you going in for an ale?”
“Yes sir, I have never tried one before.”
“Well take it slowly Lucius. Strong ale can make a man behave differently and Maeve serves strong ale.”
“It’s not a problem sir. I will look after him.”
Wolf looked at the young rider with a raised eyebrow, it made his good eye seem absurdly huge, “Oh and you are the experienced drinker eh?”
Shyly he said, “Well not really sir but when I worked in the Thracian stables in Gaul I watched the troopers drinking. Two is my limit besides I don’t want to waste my pay in one night do I sir. I think I will save up and have a nice little pugeo made.”
Wolf turned to Cava. “See Decurion, they are not all like Drusus and the others. Some of my lads can not only ride but have sense. Enjoy yourselves lads.” The two officers headed over to the queue at the whorehouse where there was a little pushing and shoving taking place.
When the boys walked in the place was relatively quiet as most of the men had chosen to use Sare and Eide before they drank themselves into oblivion. Gaius Cresens was seated in the corner, by the fire; he had booked a room in the inn and was awaiting his food. When he saw the two young boys walk in his eyes lit up. The queue for the whores had meant his first choice was off the menu as he did not fancy following a bunch of hairy arsed barbarians after they had finished with the girls. He would visit them another time but the two boys, well one of them was definitely pretty enough and who knows, they could both be virgins.
Maeve eyed them up as they came in. She had learned to assess potential for danger as soon as a trooper walked in and these two were her perfect customers; young and quiet. She knew that when the rest came in , later on, they would be noisy and boating of their sexual exploits which, she knew from Sare and Eide were all a fiction. The fact that these two had come here first told her of their mettle. “Right lads, two beakers of ale?”
“Yes please.”
Her heart warmed to them. They were polite. Had her sons lived she hoped that they would have turned out the same. The troopers thought she was a hard woman, and she could be, but he could still soften and seeing these two, who would have been of an age with her son, made her eye moisten a little. “Right sit in the corner, where it’s quiet and I’ll bring them over.”
Marcus was pleased that the others had visited the girls first. He had dreaded them all having a drinking contest. He only intended to have a couple and this way they could. They would tell them that they had had five beakers when they came in and then they could return to the barracks. Marcus had seen the Thracian troopers returning to their barracks and spending the night vomiting after a heavy drinking session and the next day he had seen them fall from their horses. That would not happen to him. He suspected Lucius felt the same. “You are from this land then Lucius?”
“Yes, like Drusus I am Iceni.”
“The flat country close to the sea?”
“Yes. Our king Prasutagus, is an ally of Rome and likes all things Roman. He encouraged all the warriors our age to join the Roman army.”
“What about the older ones? Why not them?”
He lowered his voice, “They do not like the Romans and they hate the way our king panders to them. It is said that his wife Boudicca is a priestess of the Mother cult.”
“The Mother cult? I did not hear of that in Gaul.”
“The centre is on Mona, where the legions are fighting the druids and they are a fierce enemy of Rome. They worship Mother Earth and make sacrifices. It is rumoured that the Queen and her daughters are all priestesses.”
Maeve brought their ale and smiled maternally, “Now you take it steady. That will be a denarii and I will give you one more for that price.” Then she leaned over, “And after that go home eh? This will be no place for you when your mates get here. It will be a bit rough.”
“Thank you gammer.” Maeve ruffled Lucius’ head and went back to the back room dabbing her eye.
“What does that word mean, gammer?”
“It is a word of this land it is a term of respect for someone older, a woman, it sort of means, mother. We use the word uncle for a man who is an older man worthy of respect.”
“Ah well to us all older men are gaffers.”
Lucius nodded. “We too are taught to respect our elders.” He sipped his ale. “Tell me Marcus, what happened to the Decurion, his eye I mean?”
“I was told that he was the standard bearer when he was a young man and had no shield. An enemy stone took out his eye.”
“His other one works well enough. He misses nothing.”
Marcus laughed, “He is not called Wolf for nothing but I am glad we serve him. Ulpius Felix is the best officer in the ala, believe me.”
“How do you k
now?”
“I worked with the Thracians for eight years and I saw many officers. You learn to see who the good ones are and who are the nasty ones. He is a good one; although most of the others seem like good officers.”
“What even Decurion Murgus?”
Marcus laughed, “He is all show. You can tell he has a good heart; he is just strict.”
By the time the second ale had come they knew all there was to know about each other. “I think if we go back now we will avoid their stories about how big their dicks are.”
“Good idea Marcus. Thank you gammer.”
Maeve came out to see them off, “Come again boys. You are more than welcome.”
As they reached the door Gaius Cresens pounced. He moistened his pudgy red lips in anticipation of his evening of pleasure. He had watched them from across the room and knew which one was his prey, the diffident shy one. “Ah boys. You serve with the ala?”
They both saw he bore the uniform of the Legate’s staff and they stood stiffly to attention. “Sir, yes sir.”
Cresens put a flabby hand on Lucius’ shoulder, “I have my horse in the stable and as you are cavalrymen I wondered if you might look at him. I am not sure he is walking right.”
Lucius tried to disengage himself. “Marcus is the trooper for that sir.”
Cresens had an edge to his voice and his hand gripped the Iceni’s shoulder. “No trooper. I am ordering you to come with me and look at my horse.”
His eyes pleaded with Marcus for help as he said, “Yes sir.”
Cresens led him off to the stable and Marcus shouted, “I’ll come with you too.”
Cresens face was dark and angry as he hissed. “You go back to the barracks! That is an order.”