Blood of Rome: Caratacus (The Blood of Rome Chronicles Book 1)

by John Salter

  Varro saw a large Briton appear at the side of the gap in the wall as the dust began to settle and clear. He hefted a large sword above his head and shouted something unheard at the advancing Romans. He wore scruffy looking plaid trousers and no clothing over his upper body, his skin was covered in blue woad enhancing a muscular upper frame. Long grey hair was tied at the back and swung about as he gestured down the hill. He suddenly ducked and moved to the left as a large ballista bolt flew by that was aimed directly at him, he laughed and raised his sword shaking it at his enemy. Placing the hilt at his crotch, he aimed the blade at his attackers and simulated fucking them.

  The second testudo was now on the base of the hillside and moving upwards as it began to take arrows to the front and above, the first already looked like a large advancing hedgehog with dozens of arrows embedded into its shields. Ballista bolts continued to fly over the advancing men as the attack was pushed forward, dust rose from the earth from their shuffling hobnail boots. As the first line of men in the original square got to within fifty paces of the now gesturing Briton, he turned and waved for something to come forward from within the settlement. Varro strained to see what was happening and stood up straighter but couldn’t see clearly as the advancing troops blocked his view.

  He suddenly heard shouting from above and saw Roman shields thrown into the air and men at the side of the square breaking away from the testudo and then turn and run back down the hill. He was shocked as he hadn’t expected anything other than a quick assault on the relatively small hill fort. Men in the first square however, were now shouting, panicking and fully turning to retreat. Shields were thrown and abandoned as panic set in and the former square was rapidly reduced to a rabble.

  As the men in the rear ranks jumped or turned to run, Varro saw what had happened. The Britons had rolled large logs into the advancing testudo knocking them over and backwards into the ranks behind sweeping the front rows of the shield wall aside. Their archers had then turned their full attention on the soldiers nearest to them and as they began to find their targets, more heavy infantry began to fall.

  Injuries or loss of life was always expected in engagements of this nature but it was always a surprise when it happened especially when facing barbarians like this who were presumed to have had little tactical awareness. As the soldiers raced back down the hillside they tried to avoid the second testudo as it had now halted and had dug its shields into the ground. More Britons ran outside the hill fort and took up positions with bows and picked off the men further forward of the Roman line. Varro saw they were targeting legs in order to disable them and bring them down.

  More Britons flooded out armed with spears that they hurled into the air at the retreating men. The first attack was quickly turning into disarray and more injured lay on the ground screaming in agony on the bloody hill. As the first of the rolling logs now crashed into the second testudo, it held firm but it now began to take more arrows to the front and above. The men formed up in tight ranks inside the testudo, huddled together their shields interlocked. Men from the first wave ran past them some who still had their shields tried to hold them over their backs as arrows fell.

  Some of the Britons now ran forward and attacked the men who were injured, some with legs broken by the heavy rolling logs, unable to move. More screams broke the air as the Britons stabbed and slashed at the prone men already injured on the ground. Varro saw the enemy desperately searching for gaps between his comrades armour as they lay helpless on the slope, screams revealed they had found the flesh below. Where they couldn’t stab deep inside the invaders flesh they ripped away the armour and found their mark or chopped at their exposed faces. The second testudo could do nothing to help or it to would start to take casualties in the same fashion, all it could was hold firm for the time being.

  Shouted orders could be heard from inside the second square as it slowly began to retreat backwards. The front rank had embedded their shields into the soft earth where they left them forming a wedge between their formation and the logs as they moved away. Shields were passed forward from the rear to cover what had been the front line.

  The injured troops near the top of the hill were butchered where they lay all except three who were dragged inside the fortification screaming and kicking as best they could. As soon as they disappeared from sight the wall that Varro thought had fallen down was pulled and dragged back into place and the wooden wall was whole again except for where the ballista bolts had punched holes. Where those bolts had obliterated logs and parts of the fort, the Britons worked furiously from inside to repair or replace them or cover the damage.

  Vespasian shouted orders and the blast of a horn resulted in the second testudo halting and digging in where it stood, it was still within range of the missiles from above. The already retreating men reached the safety of their own lines where an Optio barked orders for the injured to get treatment from the medicus and his orderlies at the rear. Slingers ran forward and took up a position behind the remaining testudo. Vespasian’s face red with rage, barked more orders, he was clearly determined to defeat the defenders above no matter what the cost.

  Another horn ordered cavalry forward from somewhere in the woods, the horses cantered behind the existing testudo and slingers out of range of the falling arrows. As the ballista began to fire again, their bolts rattling forward into the air, the men already on the slope formed up in the tortoise formation began to advance once more, the slingers prepared their weapons. A direct hit from an accurate missile could kill a man as easily as an arrow or pila.

  “Your general is determined to crush the settlement and isn’t afraid to lose valuable men in the process it seems, surely he could just retreat?” Brenna said pulling Varro out of his concentration on the battle.

  He turned to look at her, “He can’t afford to do that, we can’t afford to do that. Any backward step would be seen as a sign of weakness, any weakness isn’t something the General does.”

  They watched as the formation of shield covered soldiers continued up the hill, waiting for the inevitable counter attack from those inside, they didn’t have to wait long. As the testudo got to within a hundred paces the Britons appeared again and rained arrows and spears into the shields. The tempo picked up from the artillery as the ballista bolts intensified and hammered the un-armoured defenders outside the fort. Bodies stood launching arrows one second at the advancing men who were instantly propelled backwards in the blink of an eye. Some were blown and ripped backwards and vanished from sight instantly as others were pinned to the wooden walls behind them taking more with them who were unfortunate to be stood behind. The bolts even at this range, were so powerful that some passed through bodies before their victims were even aware of their injuries. Shock registered seconds later as they fell to the ground dead.

  Light infantry now began the march upwards to the right as the cavalry readied themselves to join the fray from the left. More legionary archers launched their deadly volley from behind them and the skies darkened in front of the testudo as the arrows fell to their targets. Despite the barrage the Britons continued to spill out of the settlement whilst others fought in vain to repair the hill fort walls that were now succumbing to the torrent of iron hitting and shattering their timber.

  Another cohort of cavalry galloped away from inside the woods, skirting around the base of the hill to support an attack elsewhere moving off to the left. The Second Legion was now throwing everything at the fort and there would be no escape for the brave natives holed up inside. As the cohort disappeared from view, astonishingly a group of Britons ran out of the front of the settlement hurling spears at the testudo now only feet from the former entrance. The first cavalry cohort galloped up in support followed by the light infantry running and struggling to keep up. Neither got to the Britons before they launched themselves onto the shields of the now dug in Roman square, who were hunched behind their overlapping shields taking cover from the onslaught. The natives were wild eyed and screaming as
they tore at the shield wall trying to find its soft underbelly to stab. Sword points were thrust out at them, when they managed to force an opening wounding the attacker’s hands, arms and legs. Screams of agony filled the air as furious Britons stood their ground seemingly impervious to their wounds.

  In the blink of an eye the cavalry closed on the natives and unleashed their short spears throwing them at a closer range than they were used to because of the gradient of the hill. As they started to take their toll, the horses were amongst the enemy, their rider’s long swords slashing and gouging at flesh and felling the enemy like wheat. A few of the defenders tried to turn and run as the men inside the testudo leapt out from their positions and joined the battle, engaging them with their short swords. The natives were trapped between them and a wall of horses as they began to meet their end.

  A small group of about ten men managed to break free of the melee including Cavaltergex. They fought as they ran but didn’t get far as spears and arrows cut their numbers down quickly. Cavaltergex wasn’t the last to die but he fought like a lion until he was cut down by a series of blows to his head and torso from three legionaries. As the chopping and slashing began to slow and the screams began to fade, the light infantry ran past the bloody carnage straight into the ravaged fort to complete the obliteration of the enemy.

  “Brenna turned to Varro once more, “Will they spare the women and children?”

  He turned and walked away from her replying, “Anything that lived in there before the battle won’t be alive by nightfall.”

  Angrily she followed him, “Is that any way to win peace, to kill women and children? What does your General hope to achieve by this?”

  “It’s the way of things, it’s how it is. If they had surrendered when they had the chance, they would have been allowed to live but they attacked our soldiers. We have to teach these tribes that they cannot fight or defy us and get away with it, they have to be destroyed.”

  She grabbed his arm and he stopped and stared at her with a cold angry expression but he saw the pain in her eyes. “I’m sorry Brenna that’s the way of things.” She let go and allowed him walk away.

  As darkness started to fall, the former hill fort had already started to be transformed by the men of the Second. Bodies of the dead had been removed, the roundhouses burned to the ground and now a small military fort was already beginning to take shape. The three wounded men that had been taken into the settlement were found mutilated and stabbed to death. By the next night the defences would be up and the base would be better fortified than what had stood there before. The attack on the hill fort had come at a cost however, twenty three had died and twice that many were injured, at least five more weren’t expected to make it through the night.

  Later Varro and his small group were on their own sat round a fire eating mutton, with victory came the spoils of war and the legion would eat well tonight. Brenna had said very little since learning that that her countrymen, women and children would be cut down for daring to defy the invaders.

  “Come, walk with me.” She said standing and holding out her hand. Varro stood wiping his mouth with his forearm as the others watched. They walked further into the trees away from the sprawling fires of the army camped behind them.

  “Where are we going?” He asked as she squeezed his hand, “I want to give you something.” She said smiling.

  He frowned, “I don’t understand.”

  “You’ll see soon enough” They walked until the camp fires were barley visible through the trees, a strong smell of fir in the air. She walked to a large oak tree and turned to face him, pulling him closer reaching between his legs as she kissed him.

  “Oh I see.” He said smiling and returning her kiss.

  Sometime later they lay wrapped around each other still sweating from their exertions, their clothing was discarded all around them.

  “How many days will it take the army to get to the west coast do you think?” She asked. He thought for a moment, “If today is anything to go by, I don’t know. I don’t think the general expected this much resistance. If we have to fight our way to the coast it could take months, maybe years. We’ll know better after we ride out again and find out what lies ahead of us.” His hand brushed up and down her naked back as he spoke, he felt himself getting aroused again.

  “Let’s not waste our time together.” He pulled her up onto him grinning as they kissed again, unaware of hidden eyes watching them from some thick bushes some distance away. Eventually the watching men quietly moved off having learned how the invaders attacked the fort.

  Sometime later Varro lay on his back wearing just his loin cloth, Brenna massaging his temples. “It won’t always be this way, will it?” She asked.

  He looked up at her, “It will for the foreseeable future, blood, death and battle, that’s what the immediate future holds anyway.”

  “It won’t be forever and it doesn’t have to be that way.”

  He looked at her curiously and grinned, “I wish you were right but the General has his orders and after losing so many men today he’ll be more cautious next time and will launch more carefully co-ordinated attacks.”

  She looked at the night sky where stars sparkled like jewels in the black night. Her feelings for this man were growing stronger, she felt that he wasn’t just a barbaric killer as some of his comrades were, there was more to him. If only they had met under different circumstances she thought as sleep began to take her.

  Chapter Nine

  The next morning the sun rose casting a warm blanket of air over the earth. As Varro opened his eyes he was suddenly aware of being watched. As his adrenalin started to build and his heart race, Brenna placed a calming hand on his shoulder as he began to rise.

  “Shhhhhh. It’s okay, everything is fine.” She smiled at him as he started to relax and lay back down.

  “What were you doing?” He asked suddenly aware that his sword and dagger were not even in arms reach, as they would have been last night. They had been moved and put with his uniform, women he thought to himself ‘always moving things with no idea of the consequences.’

  “I was watching you sleep. Without your armour and weapons I can see you much more clearly, how you should be.” She said.

  He frowned obviously confused. Maybe disarming a man and leaving him open to attack enabled a better view of his unprotected skin. He looked down at his body and felt himself stirring again.

  Brenna smiled, “I don’t mean like that.” She said as she stroked his chest and then sat back, he looked disappointed.

  “I mean looking at you at your aura and who you really are, your journey and where you’re going, what kind of man you really are.” She tried to explain.

  He looked confused. “And what kind of man am I really do you think?”

  “Kind, loyal, you always try to do the right thing. Our teachings tell us how to read these things, how to translate auras and see what they mean.”

  He raised his eyebrows, “Do you mean like a soothsayer or druid?” He sat up on an elbow. “Is that what you mean? We have many soothsayers at home. Many people that believe they can see the future and can tell what the gods have in store for us. Nobles and common folk alike use them, it’s a good living I’m told, they even sacrifice animals and read their organs, have stalls in the markets and in the shops near forums. Obviously there’s no proof to what they say and by the time the things they predict either happen or don’t they are long gone. Rarely do they hang around once they’ve been paid.”

  Brenna smiled, “I’m surprised that you say this. Romans accept these practices at home and yet they try to destroy them here and in Gaul. Most soothsayers as you call them move from place to place because of the suspicions they evoke. Just like you did then you don’t trust in them, yet you pray to unseen gods.”

  The frown returned to his face but before he could respond she continued, “Lay back and relax, let me show you it’s true and not made up to get money and then you can make your ow
n mind up.”

  He did as he was told and Brenna moved around to his head kneeling with her knees either side and started to massage his temples, he began to relax almost straight away.

  “Listen to the sounds around you, the mild breeze, the birds singing in the trees and the water of the stream nearby.” Her voice softened as she spoke. They were far enough away from the Legion not to hear anything from that direction and so he let his senses become absorbed by his surroundings. Varro felt his troubles ease as Brenna’s hands moved to his neck and shoulders.

  “Just relax, lay back and allow all your worries to float away. I’m going push all the stress in your body out through your hands and feet.” He lay still not moving enjoying the feeling of his muscles being manipulated. Brenna started to use her nails gently, lines following the curves of his flesh covering the muscle, as she brushed a nipple he smiled lightly.

  “Relax.” She ordered mildly, “There will be time enough for that later.” He took a deep breath and exhaled leaving himself fully under her control, as her hands moved across his skin her voice lowered more.

  “Feel yourself relaxing deeper as your muscles and bones relax. I’m going to push outward from your middle moving the strains and stresses to you limbs. See it in your mind like a small cloud as it moves from around your heart as I cleanse your organs and body.”

  Fully relaxed now, he did as she said barely clinging to consciousness seeing in his mind’s eye a small cavity where the cloud was being pushed, dragged and persuaded to the sides clearing it of harmful elements. Satisfied that she had completed his trunk she moved to his limbs starting with his arms that tingled when she got to the hands. As he lay there his inner vision saw his body and now arms starting to clear as she worked her ‘magic.’ He didn’t know what she hoped to achieve by this but no longer cared as he moved deeper into a relaxed state that he hadn’t experienced before. He could see things clearly mentally but his eyes were closed and now he was aware his hearing was beginning to reduce, bird noise was no longer audible and the sound of the breeze in the trees started to disappear.