Corbulo found the Centurion resting against the stonewall of the well. The officer looked tired and his face was streaked in sweat but there was a grim satisfaction about him as he stared at the carnage his men had created.
"Sir," Corbulo said quietly as he glanced at the courtyard littered with corpses, "if you have any wounded men, I am happy to transport them into Verulamium on my wagon."
The Centurion did not reply immediately. He turned to look at the burning barn ignoring Corbulo completely. Corbulo glanced again at the corpses strewn across the ground. The Legionaries were looting the dead of anything of value.
"Optio," the Centurion barked, "Strength report, now!"
Corbulo waited patiently as the officer scurried off to carry out his orders. A few minutes later he was back with a party of Legionaries, some of whom looked wounded.
The Optio halted before his commanding officer and saluted. "Sir, four men lightly wounded, one serious and one of the Thracians fell off his horse and has broken his leg. No dead Sir."
The Centurion grinned and turned to two of his men.
"A Thracian fell off his horse, what a joke," he chuckled.
The Legionaries grinned.
Corbulo was about to open his mouth when the Centurion beat him to it.
"Allright veteran, I never did think much of the Twentieth but as you are here, take my wounded into Verulamium. I will send some of the Thracians to escort you." The officer turned to look at Corbulo with a faint smirk. "Well off you go, there is no point hanging around here. Our work is done."
Corbulo nodded and turned away. He knew why the Centurion did not want him hanging around. By morning everything of value that the villa and the dead had ever possessed would have found its way into the pockets of the soldiers. That was one of the perks of being a soldier.
***
It was dark when the wagon finally approached the earthworks that surrounded the town of Verulamium. Up ahead Corbulo could see torches blocking the road. It had to be Bestia and his men. He pulled the hood of his Pallium over his head and tightened his grip on the reins. In the wagon behind him the six wounded were silent apart from the soft moans of the seriously wounded man. The soldier had been stabbed in the groin and had lost a lot of blood. One of his companions was pressing a bandage to the wound. Further back four Thracian riders brought up the rear, their horse’s hooves ringing out on the paving stones. Corbulo glanced sideways at the young Optio who was sitting beside him. In the gloom Corbulo could see that the officer looked annoyed. The man had after all missed out on the chance to loot the villa.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" a voice suddenly cried out in the darkness. Corbulo lowered his eyes. That was Bestia's voice. The Batavian accent was unmistakable.
At his side Corbulo felt the Optio stir.
"We're the Legionary detachment from Londinium," the young officer replied irritably. "I have wounded men who need treatment."
There was no reply from the darkness. Then a number of flaming torches were coming towards them. Corbulo brought the horses to a halt and waited. Bestia appeared out of the gloom and thrust his torch up so that he could see the occupants of the wagon and as he did so Corbulo inclined his head to the ground. With a bit of luck the Batavian would not recognise him in the darkness and with a hood over his head.
"You driver," Bestia snapped, "Get down on the ground so that I can see you."
Corbulo readied himself to run but just as he was about to climb down onto the ground the Optio leaned forwards.
"Eh arsehole, maybe you didn't hear me," the officer said sharply, "I said that I have wounded men who need treatment. Why are we being held up?"
Bestia grunted and raised his torch so that he got a better view of the officer.
"Sorry to bother you," Bestia said without any sincerity in his voice, "But I have orders, directly from the Governor himself. We're looking for a man who is possibly accompanied by a group of children, Christian children. They have fled Londinium and we think they are heading north."
"Well do you see any fucking children in this wagon?" the Optio cried exasperated.
Bestia ignored the comment and moved along the wagon raising his torch so that he could see the occupants. A few moments later he was back.
"Allright, move on," he growled.
The Optio grunted something in reply and gestured for Corbulo to get moving. Without hesitation Corbulo urged the horses forwards and soon the carrus rolled past the seven-yard wide ditch, through an opening in the earthworks and into the town of Verulamium. The town was quiet at this hour but the thatched strip houses that lined the streets looked very similar to those in Londinium. Corbulo guided the wagon down the street and after a couple of turns they reached the newly built Forum and basilica in the heart of the city. At the junction with the road that led towards the bridge across the Ver to the northeast the Optio called a halt.
"Thank you citizen," the young officer said, "Stay here whilst I take the wounded into the Forum. After that you can be on your way."
Corbulo nodded and clambered down onto the ground as the Optio barked out an order before he vanished into the night. In the wagon the lightly wounded men remained where they were. Corbulo glanced around him and the darkness hid the relief on his face. He had done it; once again he had outsmarted Bestia. He smiled and turned to look down the street that led to the river. It had been years since he had been in Verulamium but the city seemed to have recovered from the devastation wrought by the Barbarian Queen. He chuckled as he stared in the direction of the river wondering whether the old abandoned and ruined watchtower that had been built nearly forty years ago to guard the river crossing was still there. It had been inside that ruin that he had once managed to seduce a Tribune's wife. That seduction had nearly cost him his life after the Tribune had discovered the affair.
***
It was late when Corbulo at last made it out of the northwest gate. As he passed the earthworks and ditch he peered into the pitch-black darkness ahead. There were no stars or moon tonight. His earlier elation at having slipped through the checkpoint had been replaced by anxiety. Would Efa and the children have made it? He allowed the wagon to roll on for a little while before he halted. The road seemed deserted. To his left he could just about make out trees but it was impossible to see whether it was a wood or just a copse. To his right there was nothing but utter darkness. He got down onto the ground and gently stroked the noses of the horses. The animals too were exhausted and covered in sweat.
"Efa, Efa, are you there?" he called quietly.
There was no reply from the darkness. Corbulo took the harness of the horses and started to walk them down the road. After a little while he stopped again.
"Efa, it's me Corbulo, it's allright. You can come out."
This time he thought he heard a little noise in the darkness up ahead. Corbulo stood very still and turned to look up the road, listening. Then he heard it again. The soft footfall of someone coming towards him.
"Corbulo is that you?" a female voice whispered from the darkness. It was Efa. Corbulo closed his eyes in relief as a moment later a figure appeared out of the darkness. Efa gave a little yelp of joy and flung her arms around her husband. For a moment the two of them stood in the middle of the road holding on to each other. Then gently Corbulo loosened Efa's grip.
"The children, are they allright? Did they all make it?" he whispered.
"I didn't know you cared," Efa replied with a smile that went unnoticed.
"Are they allright?" Corbulo asked again.
"We got lost but we managed to find our way to the road eventually. They are all here with a few scrapes and bruises but don't worry."
Corbulo grunted in approval.
"Allright let's get out of here," he muttered.
***
It was a couple of hours later, deep into the night when Corbulo suddenly heard a cracking splintering noise. Behind him the wagon lurched and slewed across the road as the left side sank
alarmingly towards the ground throwing the sleeping children on top of each other. The night was instantly rent with howls and screams. Corbulo forced the horses to a halt and jumped down onto the road and ran around the back of the wagon. Inside some of the children were crying.
"What's happened?" Efa called out in alarm.
For a moment Corbulo did not answer. Then he raised his head and rubbed his face with his hand.
"Oh Fuck," he muttered, "The rear axle has broken in two and we have lost a wheel."
"Can you fix it?" Efa called out.
"No," Corbulo muttered despondently.
Chapter Eleven - The Forest
Wearily Corbulo came to a halt as he noticed the movement in the distance. In his right hand he gripped the horse's harness. Up ahead the road stretched away until, a mile away or so, it disappeared into a large dark green and forbidding forest. It was late in the day and beside him the horse snorted and lowered its head to nibble at a tuft of grass. Corbulo turned to glance at Efa who was following him with the second horse upon which sat three children. His wife looked weary and her clothes were stained and dirty. The strain was telling on her too, he knew. Ten days had passed since they had been forced to abandon the wagon along the road. The axle had been beyond repair and the accident had forced them to continue on foot. They had followed the road, sometimes on it and sometimes parallel to it but never far from it. The road had become their lifeline, a guarantee of direction, news, progress and succour and from the farms along its course he had managed to purchase enough food to keep them all alive whilst his moral had been bolstered by the fact that there had been no further sightings of Bestia and his men. Maybe the mercenary and the Governor had at last abandoned the search? Corbulo glanced up at the three children who were sitting on his horse. They too looked exhausted and worn out but at least they didn't have to walk. The four eldest children, the ones he had deemed the strongest and fittest and the ones who had done the brunt of the walking, looked thin, miserable, hungry and ready to drop.
"What is it, why have we stopped?" Efa said quietly as she came up to him.
"Someone is coming down the road," Corbulo muttered, "Best if we wait and see who they are."
Efa stared up the road in sullen silence.
"How far do you reckon before we reach Viroconium,” Wroxeter, she murmured.
"I don't know, maybe one or two more days. I think we have been doing around fifteen miles a day. The town can't be far away."
Beside them one of the children suddenly bent forwards and exploded in a fit of coughing. The child sitting behind him held on to him to stop him from falling off the horse. Efa closed her eyes, sighed and rummaged around in the satchel, she was carrying until she found the small clump of honey a farmer had sold to them three days ago. She broke off a piece and licked it to moisten it before forcing the honey down the sick child's throat.
"The boy is ill," Efa murmured turning to Corbulo, " he needs attention and medicines but I have neither. If he doesn't receive treatment soon he may die."
Corbulo looked away and shook his head.
"Can't you do anything for him, you know about these sorts of things Efa?"
It was Efa's turn to shake her head.
"He's been coughing for days and he's got a fever. There is something wrong with his breathing. I recognise the symptoms of the illness but this is beyond my skill."
"What do you need?" Corbulo said as his eyes remained fixed on the distance figures on the road.
"He needs to see a doctor," Efa said firmly, "a proper doctor like the men that the Legions employ. The boy needs Hyssop, rest and warmth. The Hyssop will stop the coughing. After that the gods will decide if he deserves to live or die."
"Well I can't give you any of that," Corbulo growled. "Maybe the boy is destined to die. Maybe it is the will of the Gods."
Beside him his wife shook her head.
"Viroconium is a large town, they will have a doctor and supplies of Hyssop. Just get us there and I will give him a fighting chance. The gods do not own him yet."
Corbulo nodded without much enthusiasm as he kept his eyes on the figures approaching down the road.
"Stay here," he said at last, "I am going down to the road to speak with them."
***
The travellers were a large group of seven heavily laden wagons with attendant drivers, slaves, dogs and an escort of fifteen mounted and armed men. The goods within the wagons were hidden by large brown covers. Corbulo stood in the middle of the road and did not move as the vanguard approached. The foremost wagon came to a creaking halt a few paces away and three riders came galloping towards him with lowered spears. The horsemen looked unfriendly and suspicious. They circled around and surrounded him.
Corbulo raised his hand in greeting.
"Friends, I mean no harm," he cried. "Who is in charge here?"
The horsemen did not answer but a few moments later a tall bearded man clad in an expensive looking Pallium came striding towards the front.
"Who the fuck are you?" the man exclaimed in a self-confident voice.
"Just a fellow traveller Sir, I mean no harm," Corbulo replied. "I was just wondering if you good merchants would possess any Hyssop? I am prepared to pay for it."
The bearded man frowned.
"What the fuck is Hyssop?" he growled.
Corbulo glanced away in embarrassment. He hadn't got a clue.
"Are you with that lot over there by the trees?" the merchant said glancing towards Efa, the children and the two horses.
Corbulo followed his gaze and nodded.
"One of my children is ill," he muttered.
"Well I can't help you," the merchant replied.
Corbulo shrugged and gestured, pointing up the road. "Well maybe you can tell me how far it is to Viroconium?"
The merchant turned to glance in the direction from which he had just come.
"The town is not far away, maybe a day and half by foot," he said with a sigh. "But I wouldn't advise you to take the road. See that forest, there are outlaws in that forest who will attack anything that moves on the road. It's a dangerous place. Stay away from that wood. Those robbers watch everyone who is travelling on the road. They will not let you pass without taking everything you possess."
Corbulo frowned and peered at the forest in the distance.
"Well you seemed to have managed to pass through unscathed," he retorted.
The merchant shrugged.
"They don't attack well defended convoys, that's all I can say." He paused and glanced in the direction of Efa and the horses. "But you, with just a woman and those children, they will swoop down on you like bees going for the honey. Take my advice; don't enter that forest. They will kill you, rape your woman and sell your children into slavery. They are scum. That's just the way it is these days. People just take what they want."
Corbulo took a deep breath.
"Do the authorities in Viroconium do nothing about this?" he exclaimed in a depressed voice.
The merchant chuckled.
"The Twentieth has moved up north so there are no longer any troops in the city," he said. "The local magistrates do sometimes try and flush these robbers out but these outlaws know that forest like the back of their hand. Whenever there is an attempt to find them, they just melt away. It's fucking annoying if you ask me but what can be done about it?"
Corbulo spat on to the ground. "I hate them already," he said moodily.
***
Efa was watching him closely as he strode up to the horse and grabbed hold of the harness. Corbulo glanced up at the sky. It was nearly dusk and on the horizon he could see dark ominous rain clouds.
"The road ahead is dangerous," he said wearily, "there is a band of outlaws lurking in the forest. We'll have to go around."
Efa turned to look at the forest that stretched before them.
"How long will that take us?" she exclaimed. "The boy needs treatment. He may die if we don't get to Viroconium soon."
&nbs
p; "I don't know," Corbulo replied as he started to lead the horse away from the road, "but we have no choice. If those outlaws catch us they will most likely kill me, rape you and take the children as slaves."
After a moment's hesitation he heard Efa start to follow him. She had a good heart he thought and he did love her but Efa had never cared about the consequences of her actions. No, dealing with the consequences was his task, even when he had warned her about them in the first place. He grunted and shook his head. But then again maybe he was lucky to have her, for Efa had not known about the amber stone when they had married, and how many young attractive women would want to marry a broke old man with just five teeth?
Corbulo turned and glanced at the four eldest children, three boys and a girl who plodded on behind him. They looked exhausted with their dull eyes and shrunken faces. All of them had lost a lot of weight and one of the boys boots were no more than rags of leather and cloth.
"Keep your chin up lads," Corbulo growled, "Not far now."
Hibernia (Veteran of Rome Book 2) Page 8