Pammon shrugged. “Dead men don’t talk.”
“No, they don’t.” Karus was silent for a time. “Why bother to move them?”
“Someone must have wanted the bodies elsewhere,” Pammon said and spat on the ground. “Out of the way, perhaps where they couldn’t be found.”
“Maybe,” Karus said, closing his fist around the coins. They felt cold against his palm.
“I wonder who killed them,” Pammon said, then absently glanced upward and into the dark canopy above.
“Not you too,” Karus said with some irritation.
“This is a damn strange place, Karus,” Pammon said with a shrug. “The men might be onto something.”
“I seriously doubt there are people in the trees above,” Karus said. “If there were, more of our boys would have seen them. I’ve yet to run across an officer who can confirm a sighting with his own eyes.”
“About that,” Pammon said and shifted his feet uncomfortably.
“You’ve seen them?” Karus was highly skeptical.
“You know that feeling you get when someone is watching you?”
Karus nodded.
“Well, I had it earlier today.” Pammon fell silent a moment. “When I looked up, for half a heartbeat I could have sworn I saw a man studying me. He vanished before my eyes, almost as if he were a wraith.”
“And he was up there?” Karus gestured with a thumb.
“No,” Pammon said. “He was standing next to a tree about twenty yards off the road.”
Karus remained silent as he considered Pammon’s words.
“Did you try to find him?”
“How long have you known me?”
“Seventeen years,” Karus said.
“Eighteen,” Pammon said with a hard look. “Seventeen serving together in the same cohort. Between us, we have nearly fifty years of combined experience. I’ve stood and fought at your side more times than I can recall. You’ve saved my life and I yours. We’ve faced odds that should have seen us long dead and fodder for the worms. Instead, we survived and came out on top. Through all that, have you ever known me to jump at shadows or give in to fear and superstitious nonsense?”
Karus shook his head. “No. You are as steady as they come.”
Pammon eyed Karus a moment longer, then let out a long, slow breath. “When I looked, and I took a century with me, we found no tracks,” Pammon said. “I don’t know how he did it, but there was someone or something there. I am sure of it.”
“Something?” Karus did not like the sound of that, especially coming from Pammon.
“Can’t you feel it?” Pammon asked, glancing around. “We don’t belong here. We shouldn’t be in this forest. These sorry sods didn’t belong here either, and they paid the ultimate price.”
Karus rubbed the back of his neck. Though he wanted to disagree with Pammon, Karus felt the same. There was something about this forest. There was a darkness to it that had nothing to do with how much light managed to creep its way through the thick canopy of leaves. The forest was hiding something and had secrets Karus knew he wanted nothing to do with.
“We will be out and onto open ground soon enough,” Karus said, clapping Pammon on the shoulder. “Just a few more miles, is all.”
Pammon nodded. He looked as if he wanted to say more but then shrugged. Instead he turned and started back for the road, motioning for the torch bearer to come with him. Karus returned the coins to the purse. As the torch bearer strode away with Pammon, the shadows cast by the bodies lengthened. It was as if the shades were straining for release from their mortal remains. Karus regarded the dead for a moment, then tossed the purse down onto the chest of the man to whom it had belonged.
“To pay for your crossing, friend,” Karus said and then turned to follow Pammon.
Karus saw motion out of the corner of his eye off to the right. He turned, hand going for his sword. There was someone there, less than ten feet away and standing just next to the trunk of a tree. The darkness seemed to swirl. He blinked. The figure was gone, vanished into thin air as if he had never been.
Karus drew his sword, the blade hissing as it came out.
“Karus?” Pammon had stopped, looking back. So too had the legionary with the torch.
Karus motioned, pointing at his eyes with two fingers and then in the direction he had seen the figure. He made a fist, opened it once, and closed it again, signaling that the enemy was ten feet away.
“Go get help,” Pammon said quietly as he drew his own sword.
The man obediently ran off for the road.
Karus pointed at the massive tree trunk and made a motion for Pammon to move around to the right while he went to the left. Pammon nodded and moved in that direction as Karus started toward the opposite side as quietly as he could, which was no easy task wearing armor. Karus breathed in deeply and had to refrain from sneezing from the close proximity of the stench of death. Careful where he put his feet, he ignored the bodies underfoot and continued on.
The trunk of the tree was a giant wall of darkness as Karus slowly approached, sword held ready. He worked his way around to the other side, pausing every couple of steps, eyes searching the darkness, ears straining for the faintest sound. He came fully around and saw Pammon. Stopping, Karus searched the darkness. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out, shaking his head in irritation.
“I thought I saw something,” Karus said, becoming angered with himself. “I think the jitters are getting to me too.”
“Was it a man?” Pammon asked. “Was he wearing a brown cloak and carrying a bow?”
Karus felt himself frown, thinking. In the gathering darkness, he could not tell the color of the cloak, but he seemed to recall the man holding something.
“It could have been a bow,” Karus said, sheathing his sword. “Jupiter, those three back there died by one.”
The sound of many feet coming their way at a run interrupted further discussion. With a parting glance into the darkness, Karus led the way back around the tree.
“We are not alone here,” Pammon said, lowering his voice and sheathing his own sword. “We have to get out of this forest.”
“Soon enough,” Karus said. “A few more miles of road and we will be out.”
The legionary carrying the torch ran up. He had brought an entire century.
“Are you all right, sir?” Ajax asked as his century fanned out protectively around the other two officers.
“Thought I saw someone,” Karus said, loud enough for all to hear, and forced out a laugh. “It was an animal, a bear I think.” He gestured toward the three bodies. “It was most likely following the smell.”
Ajax glanced down at the three dead men with some distaste and then back at Karus. “Yes, sir.”
Karus felt that Ajax sounded far from convinced and Karus did not blame him.
“Well, enough excitement for one night. Back to the road,” Karus said loud enough for everyone to hear. “We’ve got more miles to cover. We’re not spending another night sleeping on our arms. I, for one, want a roof over my head.”
Ajax’s century gave a cheer to that.
Nothing further was said as they made their way back to the road. Karus took the reins from the legionary holding Brutus. He pulled himself up into the saddle, settled himself comfortably, and then scanned the trees once more. He saw nothing.
Was someone or something out there? He suspected he knew the answer to that question.
“Pass orders back down the line,” Karus said to Pammon. “No one is to leave the road under any circumstances, even to take a piss or shit.”
Pammon nodded his understanding.
“Whoever killed those three may still be about,” Karus said, tightening his hold on the reins. “We’ve lost enough good men that I don’t want to take the chance on losing any more.”
“I understand,” Pammon said. “Your orders will be passed along.”
“Good. See you later tonight,” Karus said to Pammon
&nbs
p; “Right.” Pammon nodded. “When we get to the city then.”
“Send word if you need me.” Karus nudged Brutus into a slow walk and then a trot. He glanced to the side, scanning the darkness once more and knowing his search would prove fruitless. He could see no one, but could not shake the feeling that someone was watching and had their eye upon him.
CHAPTER TEN
Karus stepped out of the vestibule, hobnailed sandals with each footstep cracking sharply on the shaped stone in the early morning quiet. He halted before the flight of stairs, a half dozen that led down to the street. Karus placed his hands upon his hips and felt the cool touch of his armor as he glanced around.
The two suns, which had been the legion’s constant companions since they came to this strange land, had yet to rise. The sky was beginning to lighten as dawn neared. In an hour, the first of the two suns would be up and the crisp night air would begin its daily retreat as the land warmed.
Karus surveyed the scene before him. Across the street lay a public park. The grass in the park had the look of having once been groomed, but it had grown long with neglect. The park’s shape was that of an elongated rectangle. It was bordered on all sides by cobblestone streets that showed the wear of excessive use. Tenement buildings varying in height from two stories to four lined the street.
In the early morning murk, Karus thought the buildings on the far side of the park looked like broken teeth. The buildings were wooden structures, with an outer covering of decorative stone. Karus had seen similar buildings back in Rome and across the empire. However, most nonpublic Roman buildings were faced with plaster instead of stone. It was cheaper and more practical. Besides being decorative, plaster helped to act as insulation against the cold.
With a scattering of trees for shade, the park had a pleasant look to it. Karus could well imagine the former residents of these buildings enjoying the well-manicured grass and open space on public holidays. He could almost imagine the children playing tag, running about with reckless abandon, screaming wildly.
Almost.
The park and street were strewn with personal belongings that had clearly been discarded when the city had been abandoned.
Karus’s old wound throbbed. Absently, he rubbed at it and kneaded the area with a fist.
This was his first real look at the interior of the city. The legion had arrived late the night before. Crossing the river before exiting the forest had taken more time than expected. When they had arrived, it had been impossible to see much beyond what was lit by torchlight or signal fire. As such, this was Karus’s first opportunity to get an idea of what the city looked like. Though the buildings were constructed in a similar way to those in Rome, they were very different in both look and feel. It was a subtle difference, in the shaping around the edges, the fittings, materials used, and facings. Style, Karus decided. It was mostly all style. The people of this city had clearly preferred things their way. It was that simple.
Movement caught Karus’s eye. A patrol emerged from around a corner and marched into the street on the other side of the park. It was likely a section of men from Ninth Cohort, whose duty it was to provide the watch.
Karus had ordered his people to settle into the buildings nearest the gate through which they had entered the city. Once in the buildings, Karus had left strict orders that nobody was to emerge until morning. A perimeter had been set up around these buildings, and patrols kept up through the night to ensure that no one snuck off or, more importantly, anyone with ill intent slipped in.
Each cohort supplied a century of men to every building the camp followers had been settled in for both their safety and security. They were also to make certain that nobody left during the night. Though Valens and a handful of scouts had initially scouted the city, they had not done a thorough search. There was no telling what dangers lurked undiscovered.
Karus glanced back behind him. Despite the facing of the building, the people who had lived here had led an extremely humble life, very poor and without much in the way of creature comforts. The room he had taken for himself had once housed an entire family. It had been dirty, and not just from dusty neglect.
The room was a far cry from the worst Karus had ever seen. Still, it was the first time in weeks that Karus had had a roof over his head and he did not begrudge the filth of the previous occupants. Surprisingly, the room had had a small fireplace, likely used for cooking. It had provided him his first comfortable evening in a good long while. Karus had fallen asleep on a blanket before the small crackling fire. He had slept soundly enough, even if he barely managed three hours.
Part of First Cohort had shared the building with him. He could hear the officers’ muffled shouts as they rousted their men with a combination of threats and curses. The heavy wooden door scraped open. Pammon emerged. Karus nodded a greeting to the centurion.
“Sleep good, Karus?” Pammon stifled a yawn with the back of his hand.
“Yes,” Karus said. “The straw mats that came with my room looked a little dubious, so I settled for the floor with a blanket next to the fire. It beats sleeping on the cold ground with the rocks and my arm as a pillow.”
“Hardwood instead of the hard ground is always preferable,” Pammon said with a disgusted look. “The people that lived in these buildings were not terribly sanitary.”
“Not everyone,” Karus said, “is as forward thinking and enlightened as we are.”
“Agreed.” Pammon made a face as he glanced around at the buildings that bordered the park. “I think this surpasses the worst of the slums of Rome. Thanks be to Fortuna I was able to escape from such poverty by joining the legions. I don’t think I could ever go back. We occasionally bathed, but the legions showed me real cleanliness.”
Karus grunted to that. It was a story that was far too common.
“These people have built a great city.” Pammon took a deep breath of fresh air. The tenement smelled poorly. “Yet they are barbarians. Perhaps one day we will bring them the gift of true civilization.”
“If the gods will it,” Karus said, “then it will be done.”
“Karus,” Pammon said, brow furrowing, “perhaps that is why we are here.”
Karus considered what the centurion had said, and nodded. “It is possible. However, we don’t know for certain what plans the gods have in store for us. Even the money-grubbing priests have difficulty reading their intentions.”
“Whatever their plans, they seem a sight better than what the Celts had in store for us,” Pammon chuckled darkly.
“Undoubtedly,” Karus said and hesitated a moment, swallowing. He studied Pammon for a long heartbeat. “Effective immediately, I am promoting you. The First is now yours.”
Pammon seemed surprised and at first said nothing.
“You deserve it,” Karus continued. “Had we made it back to Eboracum, as the senior most centurion, you would have naturally succeeded me.”
“Primus pilus.” Pammon rolled it over his tongue. A broad smile grew upon his face. “Primus pilus. Thank you, sir.”
“You’ve more than earned it.” Karus meant that. Pammon had proven an extremely able leader. First Cohort would do well under his leadership. Karus was sure of it. “I’ve sent word for all senior centurions and prefects to join me shortly on the wall above the gatehouse. I will see you there.”
“Yes, sir,” Pammon said and snapped off a smart salute. Karus drew himself up and returned it just as smartly. He then reached out and shook Pammon’s hand.
“Congratulations, Senior Centurion Pammon.”
“Thank you, sir,” Pammon said again, eyes shining with pride.
With that, Karus started down the steps, hobnails cracking loudly in the quiet early morning air. Giving up the First left him with mixed feelings. The cohort had been his pride and joy. The legion was now his, and the First deserved a senior centurion who could focus all of his energies on it. That was now Pammon.
Karus strode down the paved street, moving in the direction of th
e city wall and gatehouse. He walked quickly, passing by the park and following the street as it took him through two rows of attached buildings. The structures seemingly crowded forward, sandwiching the street. Karus eyed them as he walked by. These had the appearance of tenements, like the one he had just spent the night in, perhaps a bit meaner. They had a slightly dilapidated feel to them, with several suffering from clear neglect.
A few hundred feet farther along and the street emerged into a cleared space that separated the city’s walls from the city and ran outward in either direction, disappearing as the walls curved around and out of view. Karus approved of the cleared space. Grass grew thick and tall in the gap. It meant that, should the city ever come under siege, enemy missiles and shot sent over the walls would have to travel farther to inflict serious damage upon the city. Only the most powerful siege engines would be capable of such a feat, and the stone thrown would likely be of a lesser weight, limiting any potential damage.
The gate by which the legion had entered stood some forty yards off. The previous night, Karus had ordered its massive wooden gate closed. Two sentries stood to either side of the entrance to the gatehouse and a dim light glowed from within. The sentries snapped to attention and saluted as Karus approached. He returned their salute and entered the gatehouse without stopping.
A single oil lamp hung from a hook in the ceiling. It burned dully, shedding a pale yellow light throughout the interior of the gatehouse. Karus took a moment to survey his surroundings. A battered old desk had been pushed against one wall, a chest on another. It was a small room and meant to only hold a handful at a time, likely the city’s taxing agent and a small guard.
An optio sat in a rickety chair before the desk, his back to Karus. The optio glanced around. Seeing Karus, he jumped to his feet and saluted. Karus waved the junior officer back down and turned to the open stairwell to the right. He had climbed these stairs the night before. They led up to the top of the wall. Unfortunately, it had been overcast and the moonlight dimmed considerably. He had seen little of the city.
Lost Legio IX: The Karus Saga Page 19