Gladius Winter

by J Glenn Bauer

  She widened her eyes so that they shone and her lips curled into a wide smile. “Is that what you want, Caros?”

  He wished to answer truthfully. To tell her he wanted so much more. His heart thundered as he gazed into her bright eyes where his longing was reflected. With an effort, he turned his head and looked away.

  “What I want? It has been some time since I considered that. What I must do is all I know.” He sensed her smile fade and was not surprised at her next words.

  “It will be good to see my husband and son again. By now they will think that my shade has passed on to dwell with our forbearers.”

  “They will be filled with joy to see you returned to them. Pass on my greetings to Knurlad. Hopefully he has grown as a leading man.” Caros was making random talk now and both knew it. In another life they might have been able to allow their feelings to sharpen and stretch to deeds. Not in this one.

  With a heavy heart, Caros caught Rappo’s eye as he galloped his pony and the Masulian turned his mount and trotted to join them. Seeing this, Maleric and Neugen walked over more sedately, both men stiff to the bone and wearing bindings drenched in sour wine over their wounds.

  “Caros, time to follow your mighty Bastetani to your lands. You promised to speak my name to all the most beautiful women there.” Maleric boomed in his great northern voice.

  “No, that was me.” Neugen laughed. “The only beautiful women Caros knows are in his dreams!”

  Beaugissa turned her mount and leaned towards Neugen, exposing her cleavage. “I have seen you watching me bathe and dress. So you know I have a pair of tits, in fact you are looking at them now. Are you saying I am not beautiful?”

  Caros had rarely seen Neugen color red as quickly while his mouth opened and closed soundlessly.

  “There is a lesson in there somewhere for you, old friend.” Caros laughed. “You are right though, Maleric, it is time to ride on. While Neugen shows you all the ways to get tongue-tied in front of beautiful women,” his eyes were on Beaugissa and he was gratified to see the color of her cheeks deepen, “You and I will hunt wild boar and ride some of the finest mounts between Carthage and Massalia.” He laughed at the cool expression on the Gaul’s face. “Oh and did I forget to mention we make the best ale?”

  “I will be the judge of that. The sooner we ride, the sooner I can start judging.” His greased mustache lifted above his wide grin.

  Rappo, silent and long faced until now, pressed his little pony between the larger horses until he was beside Beaugissa. “I made a gift for you.” He unslung a coil of braided leather from his shoulder and let it unwind from his hand to reveal a pair of reins.

  Beaugissa lifted them from his hand and examined them admiringly. They were light and supple with coins of polished bronze inset for ornamentation. A fine pair of reins.

  “Thank you, Rappo. Thank you too for teaching me to ride. One day perhaps I will be able to ride like a Masulian and have no need for reins although these are beautiful.”

  Rappo smiled at the praise, his adoration of Beaugissa plain on his face. “That would be a fine thing to see.” He swallowed hard, “Be safe till we ride together again.”

  Beaugissa leaned over and threw both arms around the boy’s shoulder, squeezing him to her bosom. When she released him, his eyes were damp and her cheeks tracked by tears. She smiled at Maleric as she wiped her cheek and the big Gaul grinned and wrapped her in a bear hug.

  “No need to go dampening my furs with tears woman.” He laughed, hearing a sob escape her lips.

  She punched his shoulder with another half-sob. “Your furs have far worse than my tears tracking through them my tame Gaul.”

  Maleric released her after a moment longer, his face kindly.

  She and Neugen embraced gingerly, his ribs swollen black and at angles. “Get well soon.”

  “Safe travel.” He answered.

  Beaugissa nodded to the surviving Andosinni warriors who would accompany her to the Vascon lands before continuing north to their own.

  Caros steeled himself, unnerved by seeing tears hastily wiped away by even the Gaul.

  “Farewell.” He nodded to her.

  Beaugissa cocked her head at him. “You are going to bloody give me a hug, Caros.”

  He grinned and took her in his arms, inhaling the scent of her body, her hair. Remembering her anger and how it had thawed as they rode and fought together. How respect had grown into what he felt now.

  “Keep out of trouble Caros and do not push Hasdrubal too far.” She whispered.

  “Send word south once you are home with your family. It would be a great relief to know you are well.”

  They released one another and nodded somberly before Beaugissa wheeled her mount and urged it into a gallop towards the Andosinni and on past them.

  “That was not too awkward at all.” Neugen wheezed.

  “Neugen. One more word and I will break the rest of your ribs.” Caros growled.

  “If the rest of the Vascon had her warrior heart, they would make great allies against the legionaries.” Maleric nodded after the retreating warrioress.

  The others grunted in agreement while Caros watched her fast disappearing form with unblinking eyes. When she was gone, he slapped a calloused palm hard on his cuirass.

  “It is winter now and time to rest beside warm hearths. Spring will be here soon enough and I fear what it may bring.”

  Glossary

  Braccae: Latin noun for trousers commonly worn by Gauls.

  Djinn: Arabian term for demons.

  Falcata: Sickle-shaped sword typically found in Iberia

  Graybeard: Veteran or leading man

  Grayhair: Veteran or leading woman

  Hill-warrior: Bandit or mercenary

  Leading man/woman: Chieftain

  Sharbat: A juice made from fruit and crushed flowers

  Shade: Soul

  Shekel: Ancient unit of weight or currency such as bronze coins.

  Stade: Unit of measurement equal to 185 meters

  Stater: An coin originally stamped by ancient Greek cities, but stamped and produced by other ancient cities as well.

  Two and a half hundred: 250

  War tunic: Thickly padded tunic worn beneath a cuirass or chest-plate.

  Characters

  Character Names

  Agelet -Bastetani warrior

  Atestas -Bigerri Gaul scout

  Azulay -Masulian graybeard

  Beaugissa -Vascon warrioress aka Spear Heart

  Brunnod -Bigerri Gaul graybeard

  Cam - Bastetani warrior

  Caros -Bastetani warrior aka Caros the Claw

  Cunigni -Bigerri Gaul scout

  Deo -Andosinni herder

  Dora -Daughter of Ensillia

  Dubgetious -Bastetani leading man

  Ensillia -Ilerget leading woman

  Farnnut -Libyan commander

  Gunurst -Oretani graybeard

  Hannibal Barca -Carthaginian general

  Hanno -Carthaginian commander

  Hercle -Sedetani leading man

  Hian -Andosinni warrior

  Hillcrow -Oretani warrior

  Indibilis -Ilerget graybeard

  Jabari -Gyptos mercenary

  Jornican -Andosinni graybeard

  Karn -Oretani warrior

  Knurlad -Vascon leading man

  Lebita -Turdetani graybeard

  Leucivix -Bigerri Gaul

  M’hatmu -Masulian commander

  Maleric -Boii Gaul warrior

  Massibaka -Masulian commander

  Naoes Long Knife -Turdetani leading man

  Natalinus -Roman centurion

  Neugen -Bastetani leading man

  Rappo -Masulian warrior

  Rudam -Libyan warrior

  Saulus -Oretani warrior

  Simnon -Vascon warrior

  Thulm -Lacetani graybeard

  Thumut -Libyan warrior

  Tituru -Libyan warrior

  Vestivaxus -Bigerri Gaul
leading man - son of Axutgetarix

  Historical note

  218 BC was a turbulent year in Iberia and Northern Italy. Hannibal Barca led his army north from the port city of Cartagena (Qart Hadasht). He crossed the Ebro River and subdued the independent tribes there through war or treaty before crossing the Rhône and disappearing into the Alps on route to the Italian peninsular (Maharra – Sons of Iberia).

  While Hannibal Barca was trudging off, elephants in tow, to write history by outmaneuvering the Roman legions, the Romans launched their own offensive on the Barcas and landed twenty thousand legionaries and auxiliaries at the Greek trading port of Empúries (This is the Catalan spelling) in north-eastern Iberia. The move took the Barca commanders Hanno and Hasdrubal by surprise and created a great deal of side picking amongst the local tribes.

  Despite being outnumbered two to one, Hanno decided not to wait for Hasdrubal Barca with his additional warriors and confronted the Roman legions near the town of Cissa. The Romans carried the day, killing six thousand men and taking two thousand prisoners including both Hanno and Indibilis of the Ilerget.

  This defeat cost Hannibal Barca in precious resources and manpower that had been intended to bolster his provisions and numbers in northern Italy. It also led to a four year stalemate in Iberia with the Roman forces confined to north of the Ebro river.

  Author’s note

  While the protagonist Caros is fictional, the setting is the early stages of the 2nd Punic War which set Carthage against Rome and lasted from 218 BC to 201 BC. Gladius Winter is the 3rd book in the Sons of Iberia series which has been set predominantly in Iberia to date.

  Much is written about Hannibal Barca, his famous winter trek with elephants over the Alps and subsequent victories against the Romans using tactics still taught in military academies the world over. Less is known or written about the people that lived on the Iberian Peninsula and how this war between two empires consumed them.

  Caros of the Bastetani whose war name is Caros the Claw is my expression of who the Iberian people were as are his companions; Neugen and Beaugissa. The dearth of material is both a curse and a boon when researching and writing. The curse is that there is comparatively no record of the lives of the Iberian people, their customs, deities, foods or even names. The boon is that I get to use a lot of creativity coming up with names that are preferably not Romanized, developing deities based on Gaelic/Celtic deities, and adopting customs typical of tribal peoples trying to retain their traditions while experiencing first-hand a mini-globalization as the Mediterranean Sea brings many new cultures to their shores.

  Also by J. Glenn Bauer

  Warhorn - Sons of Iberia Book I

  An ancient power struggle, an empire expanding and a proud, warrior people facing the end of their way of life.

  It is 219 BC and Carthage has a new General who is intent on expanding their colonies in Iberia, but resistance is growing. Violent raids up and down the east coast of Iberia are occurring.

  Caros is the son of a wealthy trader and discovers his family murdered after a raid on their village. Honor bound to avenge their murders, Caros turns from trader to warrior to hunt his family's killers. In doing so he befriends a gifted tracker, gains prestige among strange, foreign horsemen and falls in love with a beautiful woman.

  For Caros, peace and happiness are elusive though as resistance to Carthage finally ignites a conflagration that will change the course of history. He finds himself riding to battle in the army of a young Carthaginian General and while doing so becomes a hero of his people. Even heroes can be broken though.....

  Maharra - Sons of Iberia Book II

  Caros, embittered by the loss of the woman he loves, scours the countryside in search of the Priestess of Catubodua. His long search finally bears fruit and he tracks her and the last of her sect down to confront and destroy them.

  His old allies, the Masulians from the Numidian Kingdom, come to his aid in this showdown and with his thirst for revenge slaked he joins them on a dangerous mission to the high Pyrenees.

  Here he must use his wits to negotiate with a fickle chieftain, but events overtake him and his party. In the ensuing bloodbath, he strikes an alliance and topples a chieftain. He discovers that a powerful force is inciting the tribes to rise up against Hannibal Barca and he sets out to track down the agents responsible.

  Ride again with Caros as he and Aksel battle hardy mountain tribesmen, encounter a beautiful Oracle and finally come face to face with the power of Rome. In a final epic battle, Caros and his friends must outmaneuver an entrenched enemy and allow Hannibal to cross the Rhone on his way to the Alps and Rome.

  The Runeovex Secret

  From beyond the mountains, a bloodthirsty Celt warband invades the land of the Ilerget. In a night of terror, the son of a coward finds himself fighting back to save the woman he loves. Orphaned when only a young boy and victimized by his fellow villagers, Cullha grows up as a shepherd, learning to fend for himself and protect his charges. He discovers a great love for the Iberian horses and his skill at handling them is soon noticed.

  As the son of a warrior declared a coward, Cullha has no standing or honor in the eyes of the villagers and lives precariously from day to day. The Ilerget warriors march north battle invading Celt warbands. Left behind with a handful of warriors to guard the villagers, Cullha seeks to gain the attention of the beautiful Elhana while avoiding her lover, Luis, a man bent on revenge.

  Von Steiner’s Gold

  A Cantor and Zalianty Adventure

  1914...The SMS Emden is finally bested in battle and scuttled. 2015...A vicious and unexplained attack on a freelance photographer leads to a hunt for a lost treasure and a battle to survive.

  Steve Cantor is an adventurer and freelance photographer with a passion for the wilds. Carrisa Zalianty works for an unnamed organization rescuing children and adults from slavery. After Steve is ambushed and beaten in his home, the pair head for the one place that might explain the attackers motives. They have no idea of the magnitude of the grief that awaits them on the usually idyllic isle of North Keeling. Finding themselves betrayed and beset on all sides by killers, the pair must find a way to survive and fight back. In doing so, they discover something they could not have dreamed of in their wildest imaginings.

  About the author

  Follow or contact the author through any of these channels:

  Author’s website

  Facebook Messenger

  Twitter

  Facebook

  As a child my playground was the wide-open veldt with the blue African sky above. Jungle gyms grew naturally from seed and the pet store was just beyond the garden gate. I wore shoes under protest and then only to school and church. I needed a bath every single night. I served as an ops medic in the army for two years and treated gunshot wounds and arrow strikes. I've swum in the crocodile-infested Okavango and seen entire villages succumb to malaria. I have hunted poachers and listened from my sleeping bag to hunting lions prowling and roaring beyond the firelight.

  Life is a little tamer now. I have a beautiful wife and a strapping young man that is my son. In my spare time, I write about what I love and what I love is the past. The very ancient past and the heroes of those times. I am fortunate to have the life-experience I have. I draw greedily on this experience in writing of the lives of men and women in a very much wilder Europe. My first novel is Warhorn (Sons of Iberia). This is also the first book in an envisaged series called 'Sons of Iberia'. The series will follow the life of a young man from Spain during the 2nd Punic War fought between Carthage and Rome across Spain, France and Italy and involving many nationalities.

 

 

 
ayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share