by David Adkins
I thought they were going to argue but then Hector shrugged and put a restraining hand on Phibus, who had obviously thought about taking everything. “As you wish,” he agreed.
My hand had been on my sword but I relaxed as the two men rode off at speed to catch up with the merchants. We still had four horses and more than enough supplies for the two of us to reach Petrila. The road to the border town was clearly marked and it was probably no more than a few days ride away.
Petrila – Summer AD88
Chapter 15
The remaining journey to Petrila was trouble free but we were more watchful and alert after the warning we had received from the merchants. Perhaps Decabulus would be content to act as client king for the Romans and had learnt a lesson from his defeat by Tettius. It was not wise to remain an enemy of Rome and perhaps even Decebalus might recognize that fact. Three days after Hector and Phibus had deserted us we rode into the small town of Petrila under a scorching sun; it was by far the hottest day of the year so far.
The town was deserted. It was a blistering early summer morning and the streets were strangely empty, but not even the heat could account for the lack of inhabitants. We approached the central square of the little settlement and a man emerged from one of the buildings and approached us nervously. “I am seeking a woman named Kotys – I believe her father is an innkeeper in the town.” I said as he looked at me inquisitively.
“That is the inn over there,” he indicated one of the larger buildings in town.
“Do you know if Kotys and her father are there?” I asked.
“Gifford died a short time ago. There is nobody in the inn or the village because they are all hiding in the mountains. I am about to join them and I suggest you do the same. We have had word that a Dacian army is heading this way.” He mounted his horse. “I hurried into town to rescue some valuables before they arrive,” he explained.
Glyca was pointing into the distance with alarm written all over her face. “Can you see all that dust, Hylas?” I followed her gaze. They were still a good distance away but there was no mistaking the sign of a large army on the march.
“Follow me,” the man said and rode at top speed towards the sanctity of the distant mountains. Glyca followed him and I fell in behind her.
Two warriors came into view from out of nowhere and were yelling at us in words I could not understand. They were obviously Dacian scouts who were riding ahead of their army. “They are shouting at us to stop,” said our new companion.
“I do not think that is a good idea,” I said, and encouraged our horses to further efforts. Glyca and the villager followed suit and we galloped at top speed with the lofty peaks getting ever closer. The Dacians followed us for a short time and then to our relief gave up the chase.
“They have stopped their pursuit,” gasped a thankful Glyca.
“I think they must have decided that we were not worth the effort,” I offered. I turned to our companion. “My name is Hylas and this is Glyca.”
“I am Settius. The townspeople are hiding in the mountains so we must make absolutely sure those scouts are no longer following us.” The Dacians had stopped and were now simply watching us as we rode further away from them.
Settius veered his horse to the left. “We will go a long way round. I do not want them to know in which direction we are heading.”
I nodded agreement as did Glyca. Just before they disappeared from sight we saw the two Dacian warriors turn their horses round and start to ride back towards the huge dust cloud on the horizon which seemed to be getting ever nearer. When Settius was satisfied that we were no longer visible to them he changed direction once again. We were now riding through the Southern Carpates, continually entering one pass and leaving another. It seemed to me that we were making our way around a mountain maze. Settius was obviously well acquainted with these mountains. We rode for several hours and then, at last, we entered a large clearing and discovered the small population of Petrila safe in their hiding place. I wondered if Solanus and Kotys were among the hundred or more people taking refuge in this mountain hideaway.
*
Settius dismounted and spoke with a villager but I could not hear what was said. Then he turned to me. “You are both welcome to stay here until it is safe to leave. I asked about Kotys and he has gone to fetch Miranda, who is a friend of Kotys.”
“Thank you, Settius,” I said, and dismounted. Glyca followed suit and joined me; she had been strangely silent but then she was searching for Sotan and not Kotys. However, like me, she perhaps thought that the whereabouts of these two were probably linked.
I noticed two women striding towards me. They were both small in stature with dark hair and though one was older than the other it was obvious they were sisters. “I am Miranda,” said the older one. “I am a good friend of Kotys.”
“I am seeking Kotys and Solanus Fuscus for I have important news for them.”
She looked at me suspiciously. “Who are you?”
“I am Hylas, from Rome. I am a Praetorian Guard and I have been sent by Paulinus, the Praetorian Prefect, with news from Rome that Solanus would very much wish to hear.”
“He is not here,” she said.
Once again I felt the burden of failure threatening me. “Do you know where he is?”
“He is seeking happiness with Kotys for they have enjoyed little of that precious commodity in recent times.”
“Do you know where they are seeking that happiness?” I asked, growing impatient.
“Are you delivering more unhappiness to them?” she inquired.
“I am delivering a choice that he must make. I must make him aware of developments in Rome.”
“What developments?”
I sighed; I was going to have to tell her. “An enemy of Solanus is on trial in Rome. It is the senator, Marcus Gracchus, but for this conspirator to be convicted Solanus is needed as a witness. I believe Solanus would wish to give evidence but the choice will be his. I am merely the messenger who will acquaint him with the situation.”
“I wish them both to be left alone – they have already faced enough dangers – but I know Solanus would wish to hear what you have to say. I know about his history in Rome and how his father and Gracchus plotted against the Emperor. I know how those two nearly killed my dear friend Kotys and did kill her sister Bendis.”
“So you will help me then? I give you my word that I mean them no harm,” I encouraged her.
“Solanus returned to Petrila from Sarmizegatusa two weeks ago. He had taken a prisoner to the Dacian king, Decebalus, a Roman legate named Priscus who was guilty of the massacre of a Dacian village. While he was in Sarmizegatusa Decebalus, who was appointed client king by the Romans, rose up against the small Roman garrison and destroyed it. Solanus was given permission to leave Sarmizegatusa by Decebalus but was warned that the Dacian army would soon be on the march south. Kotys waited for him in Petrila until his return.”
“The Dacian army is in Petrila even as we speak,” I said.
“So I have been told. It is on the way to Philippopolis to sack the city because it is an easy target with only a small number of soldiers to defend it. I just hope that they do not destroy our village. In the meantime, thanks to the warning of Solanus, we vacated our settlement and took refuge in the mountains, aiming to stay here until the Dacians have passed through.”
“Surely there is no reason for them to destroy Petrila,” said the younger sister.
“Who knows, it is an army on the march,” Miranda replied.
“So where are Solanus and Kotys now?” I asked.
“There was nothing to keep them in Petrila. Gifford, Kotys’s father, was killed recently by Romans. They had fond memories of a place called Aquileia and they were going to try and make that city their home. They wished me to go with them but my duty is to my family in Petrila. They were headed first for Singidunum as it was on the way and Solanus wished to see a business contact there.”
“Do you know his
name?” I asked.
“His name is Mannox. I believe he is a trader and banker.”
“When did they leave?” I inquired.
“Almost immediately after Solanus returned from Sarmizegatusa so about two weeks ago.”
“Do you know of a man called Sotan?” interrupted Glyca.
“I have not heard that name,” Miranda replied.
“He would probably have been travelling with a man with distinctive fair hair called Decarian,” she added.
“I do not know of two such men but Lydia and I will enquire for you among the villagers.”
“They too would have been asking about Solanus,” I said.
“In that case, no, or at least it is unlikely. As far as I know you are the only ones to ask about Solanus. If there had been others they would probably also have been directed to me but I will still ask around.”
“Thank you, Miranda, for all this valuable information and assistance. I will leave for Singidunum as soon as it is safe to do so.”
“You are welcome to stay with us until then. Once the Dacian hordes have moved on we will return to our village. If they have destroyed it then we will rebuild it.”
“You are most kind, Miranda.”
*
That evening I pitched my tent on the grassy slope of a hillock hidden among the higher mountains of the Southern Carpates. It was a warm summer evening and the world seemed at peace, in contradiction to the real situation that weighed heavily upon us. Once again Romans would soon clash with Dacians and the garrison of Pancratius at Philippopolis stood little chance against the vast Dacian hordes about to descend upon them. Philippopolis was a fine and modern town which had been made the Roman capital of Thrace, but it would soon be destroyed and the people butchered or enslaved. It was a sobering thought that just a short while ago Philippopolis had been my temporary home and then prison.
“We need to talk,” said Glyca.
“Can it wait until morning? You sleep in the tent and I will sleep outside. The night is warm and the counting of the stars will bring me welcome sleep.” I settled down and closed my eyes for the day had been a difficult one and I was very tired.
“I am sorry to disturb your sleep but it cannot wait. We need to sort something out.” She waited impatiently for my response. Glyca seemed cold and distant and had not been the ideal travelling companion. Like Aria she was attractive with long dark hair and eyes to match, but unlike Aria she had little humour or sense of fun about her. It reminded me how much I was missing Aria but, to be fair to Glyca, she was deeply worried about her husband and, I thought, beginning to fear the worst.
I opened my eyes and sat up. “What do you wish to discuss?”
“You will soon leave for Singidunum,” she stated.
“Tomorrow I will climb up higher until I can get a view of Petrila and I will do that each day until the Dacians have dispersed. I will then, as you say, set out for Singidunum and try to catch up with Solanus and Kotys.”
“What do you think has happened to Sotan and Decarian? I cannot understand why they have not been to Petrila asking questions about Solanus.”
I looked at the concern on the face of Glyca and decided that now was the right moment to acquaint her with the information I had received from Pancratius. “There is something I have not told you,” I said.
A look of anger and curiosity crossed her face. “What is it that you have not told me, Hylas?”
“The reason that Sotan and Decarian do not seem to have been in Petrila was probably because they were in a hurry to reach Sarmizegatusa.”
“How do you know that they were going to Sarmizegatusa?” she gasped.
“I do not know, I just surmise. Pancratius told me that during part of April and May, while I was your captive, Solanus was a guest in the governor’s mansion at Philippopolis.”
“You mean he was just a short distance from us and we did not know it?”
“It seems that way,” I confirmed.
“But how would Sotan and Decarian know that Solanus was going to Sarmizegatusa?” she asked.
“If they knew then I do not know how they found out. I feel that they are either on the way to Sarmizegatusa or their lifeless bodies are somewhere in the mountains.”
“It still does not seem likely to me that they knew that Solanus was on his way to Sarmizegatusa.”
“Think about it, Glyca. Pancratius told me, and I am sure Miranda could confirm it, that Solanus was travelling with two Dacian warriors, a merchant, a Roman soldier, and a Roman prisoner. That is a very odd group to be travelling together. Anybody they encountered on the road would be curious and bound to ask questions. If those curious people then met Decarian and Sotan on the road, who would also be asking questions of fellow travellers, then they may well have found out that assorted bunch of travellers, including Solanus, were heading for Sarmizegatusa.”
“I suppose that is possible,” she said reluctantly.
“It would account for why they never took the short detour to Petrila as we did. They wanted to press on to Sarmizegatusa and catch up with Solanus.”
Miranda approached us. “I am sorry to interrupt, but I hoped to catch you before you slept.”
“What is it, Miranda?” I asked.
“I thought you would like to know. My sister and I have asked around about your friends, Sotan and Decarian. No villager has seen or spoken to them so I can say with certainty that they have not been to Petrila.” It was a timely interruption.
“When Solanus first came to Petrila with his prisoner did he have two Dacians, a Roman soldier, and a merchant, with him?” I asked.
“He did, and they went on to Sarmizegatusa. Kotys stayed behind to wait for him to come back as she was hurt by the cruel governor of Philippopolis and needed to fully recover.”
“Thank you, Miranda, for giving me some more valuable information. That cruel governor is soon going to be in desperate straits,” I commented.
“I will let you both sleep now.” She walked back towards the main area of tents.
I turned to Glyca. “Solanus returned from Sarmizegatusa. If Sotan and Decarian arrived there some time after Solanus left they would have walked straight into a successful uprising.”
She looked grim. “They would be Romans in a place where Romans would be murdered on sight.”
I nodded. “I’m sorry, Glyca. But it is still possible that Sotan may survive.”
She composed herself. “I will travel with you to Singidunum.”
“Is that what you want?” I asked.
“What else can I do? I do not intend to go to Sarmizegatusa searching for them under present circumstances. I cannot go back to Philippopolis with the city under severe threat. I have no wish to stay here.”
I could see her point. “If that is your wish we will travel together to Singidunum and find this banker, Mannox, who should be able to help me. Then when I have given my message to Solanus we will decide what is to be done.”
“I am no longer interested in Solanus Fuscus, but it does sound like our only reasonable plan,” she agreed. “Now I will let you sleep, Hylas.”
*
The next morning after I had eaten I began the long climb to the top of the hill in the hope that I could get a better view of the surrounding countryside. My efforts were rewarded though I had to climb higher than I had expected. The valley in which the little town of Petrila stood was quite visible to me in the far distance. I could see even from this far away that the Dacian army was leaving. I thought I could see Decebalus, the great enemy of Rome, on his black charger leading the way. Their large numbers meant that they had to keep on the move and much of the horde had already vacated the town. Though there were ribbons of smoke ascending into the atmosphere, indicating some fires, the town looked relatively intact, which would be excellent news for the villagers. By tomorrow the army should have completely left and it would be safe to continue our journey.
I scrambled down the mountainside pleased at the tur
n of events and was met by Miranda. “They are leaving and the village is relatively unharmed,” I said.
“That is wonderful news,” she replied. We were then joined by Glyca.
“When do we leave?” asked Glyca.
“We leave tomorrow morning. It should be safe to do so by then but we shall have to be careful and watch out for any Dacian stragglers.” We made our preparations and once again I was ready to continue my mission. This time I was heading for the Roman fortress town of Singidunum to find a banker named Mannox who I hoped would lead me to Solanus Fuscus. Miranda had words with Settius who agreed to guide us through the mountain pass to the village of Motru. From there we were assured it would be easy for us to find our way to Singidunum.
The next morning soon after sunrise the three of us rode out of the mountain hideaway bound for the pass that would take us through the highest range of the Southern Carpates. It was yet another hot summer’s day and the sun shone brightly, like a vast glowing orb caressing the dusty landscape with its heat. It was early and yet I was already mopping the sweat from my brow. However, far better the summer heat than the winter snow when the pass was unassailable. I rode alongside Glyca with Settius leading the way.
“When you have persuaded Solanus to return to Rome will you also go back there?” Glyca asked.
“There is a woman in Rome,” I said, smiling. “I will go back there. What about you?”
“I have to make a decision at Singidunum. Sotan is perhaps dead and Philippopolis is perhaps destroyed.”
“We cannot be sure of that,” I suggested.
“I may also go to Rome and seek my fortune there,” she said, laughing, but the laugh was not convincing. Having bypassed Petrila and thankfully having seen no sign of any Dacian warriors we spent the day steadily climbing uphill towards the pass that would take us through the high peaks towering above us like ominous granite giants. It was a silent world in the mountains, a world ruled by nature set against a huge sky. At night that sky was a black, star-studded backdrop to an eerie silent world disturbed only by the call of birds on the wing.