Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 06] Druid's Gold

by Griff Hosker

  Chapter 13

  As dawn approached Livius and Agrippa watched the trail for any sign that Cassius had made good his escape. “I am still not happy about that scream we heard last night.”

  “Me neither Agrippa but there is little else we can do. We’ll have to wait here until someone emerges. The good news is that if no-one comes out then there will be no more raids for a while and if it is someone other than Cassius we just follow them.”

  They settled down to a cold breakfast and watch the early morning mist slowly burn off. They could smell the camp even though it was some miles away. The smoke from the breakfast fires and the stink of unwashed men wafted through the pine trees and assaulted their senses. Agrippa suddenly dropped his hard tack and started along the ridge and the hedgerow which ran along it. “Saw some movement sir. Up there.”

  Although Livius had not seen it he trusted the judgement of the ever reliable Agrippa. “Well spotted. Let us move back into the trees and see who it is. It may be more recruits joining.” Whoever it was they were moving carefully and trying to stay concealed. Had Agrippa not caught the slight movement in the hedgerow they could easily have escaped their notice but now that Agrippa knew where they were he was locked onto them like a hound on a scent. Both men slipped their swords from their scabbards and jabbed them point first into the ground. They strung their bows and notched an arrow ready to defend them if attacked. “I count four.”

  “Me too sir. Can’t see any uniform though.”

  “Which means they could be rebels, they could be more deserters, or…”he peered into the hedgerow more carefully, “or it could be Marius and his maniple? Signal them.”

  Agrippa dropped his bow and putting his hands together gave the bird call which was their signal. The four man patrol stopped and then one of them returned the call. Livius stepped out of the tree line and waved briefly before rushing back before he could be observed from the foggy woods which contained the camp.

  “Good to see you sir. I take it that like us you had a success?”

  “Yes Cassius is in their camp which is somewhere in those woods. And you?”

  “Seius managed to get chosen but we lost him about five miles back a couple of nights ago. We tried to pick up his trail but none of us have the skills of Rufius and we only found it today. It crossed the land and ended just below the ridge.”

  “Yes that is the way they brought Cassius in which is good news because it suggests that this is the main entrance. Do not go near it though; there are traps everywhere. Now that we have doubled our numbers send two of your lads left and you and Ovidius go right just in case this is not the main entrance. We know now that we are looking for Cassius and Seius.”

  They did not have long to wait but Livius had been wrong because this was not the main entrance. He heard the whistle signal from Ovidius, who waved to show that a column of men was leaving the camp about a mile away and were heading north east. Livius turned to Agrippa. “A good job Marius turned up we might have missed them.” They waited until Marius waved to them and they knew that it was safe to move. Agrippa signalled the other two scouts and within a few heartbeats the six men were gathered together; finding shelter amongst the elder bushes and hawthorns which erupted across the ridge.

  “That is a large force sir. We counted ten riders and over a hundred infantry. They are all wearing our armour. No wonder the Brigante think it was us who inflicted the atrocities. I thought for a moment that it was us!”

  “Right, here is what I want you to do. Ovidius, you ride to the Prefect and tell him what we have found. Marius, you ride to the meeting point and wait for the others to arrive. Let them know what we have found and then wait for us there. Stay hidden and ride south first to avoid being seen. “The two riders galloped off keeping low in the saddle to maintain a low profile and silhouette.

  “Metellus and Rufius, you two cut around and ride parallel and to the south, we will do the same to the north. We’ll have to keep our eyes open for Seius and Cassius. If they are with this lot then they may well use this as the chance to escape.”

  Cassius was in the second pair of riders which made escape impossible at that moment but he was a patient man. He had found the rider next to him, Salvius, to be a friendly chatty trooper and he was pleased that they were together for he was a mine of information. Cassius had always been a good listener and he was born to be an Explorate. Most people just like to hear themselves; not so Cassius, he preferred others to do the talking.

  “This is a much better life than with the Gallic Horse. I mean I know you lads in Marcus’ Horse had all the glory but the Gallic Horse just pissed around on patrol. This is better. More action and there will be a lot more to come believe me.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yes. We had this Brigante with us, Brennus he was called. Anyway he was one of that Brigante Queen’s bodyguards. He fought alongside us at first then one night this boat came in with a bunch of bastard Irish and the Queen. The next thing is Brennus is away with the Brigante lads building a Brigante camp and a Brigante army; bigger than ours now. Apparently the Queen is coming over soon.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Salvius showed doubt on his face, “Well I don’t know for certain but some of the lads heard Centurion talking to the General about liaising, whatever that means, with the Queen and Brennus. Makes sense anyway. The General is always going on about the future and the freedom and the end of Roman rule.”

  “Do you actually think we can overthrow the Romans?”

  “Well the Emperors don’t give a fuck about this province do they? They are always taking away the decent legions and leaving it under strength. Look at us. Less than four hundred men and yet we have paralysed this part of the country and no-one has bothered to do owt about it. I reckon this General and the Queen might just succeed. Those savages further south still haven’t been defeated. If this lot joined with them well… we could be on a right result here. We are in at the start. If it comes off we’ll be the officers above those who come later.”

  Although Salvius was full of hot air Cassius had to admit that what he had said had made sense. “Well that is what I wanted to hear. One day on the job and already well on the way to a fortune and becoming an officer.”

  “That’s the spirit. You stick with me mate and we’ll do alright.”

  Centurion, who looked too big and uncomfortable on his horse, halted them about a mile form the sleepy little village that nestled in the less of the hill. Cassius could see a water mill which suggested that it was prosperous. Salvius leaned over and whispered. “There will be a ton of gold here believe me.”

  Centurion flashed a savage look at Salvius before addressing them all. “Cavalry, I want you to circle the settlement and stop any bugger leaving. Infantry we go in a column of four. The story is like the others we have used, they are hiding Brigante rebels. Kill a couple but preferably just wound them, it is better that way.”

  From his vantage point on the ridge Livius saw them halt. The tendrils of smoke had already told him that there was a settlement nearby. “Well Agrippa this may be our chance. Have you seen Cassius or Seius yet?”

  “No but if they bought the story about Marcus’ Horse then they should be with those cavalry lads.”

  “I agree. We’ll follow them. It’s a gamble but with only two of us we haven’t much choice have we?”

  As Cassius and the other nine galloped off, the two Explorates followed desperately trying to identify their two comrades. The problem they had was that they had to stay behind and above the riders which meant they could not see their faces. Marius and his trooper would undoubtedly be doing the same. The thought flashed through Livius’ mind that, if he had been with Marcus’ Horse he would have been racing down to fight at five to one odds to save the settlement but now as an Explorate he would have to watch whatever depredations were heaped upon the unsuspecting community. His new role would take some getting used to.

  Cassius was the right
hand of the pair and he could see that they would swing left once they had passed the settlement and crossed the small river. He edged his horse right so that he was clear of the man in front. Once clear of the river he would kick right before they noticed. He hoped that would be too busy fulfilling their orders to worry about one deserter. As they splashed through the stream he heard the officer at the front shout, “Draw swords!” he made pretence of trying to draw but he wanted both hands free for his reins.

  As soon as he reached dry land he kicked the horse hard and pulled on the reins racing up the gentle slope. He heard the shouts from behind but he kept his head down to maximise the speed of the horse.

  “You two get after that deserter and bring me his head!” The roar from the angry Nuada carried clearly to Cassius.

  Cassius glanced under his arm and saw that Salvius and another trooper were forty paces behind in hot pursuit. At least he had better odds than Seius for he had a fighting chance, a weapon a horse. He risked another glance and saw that the two men still had their swords drawn. He kicked left and aimed his racing steed at a rocky part of the hillside. Sure enough when they tried to match his manoeuvre their mounts stumbled and he began to extend his lead. Once he reached the top of the ridge he paused briefly to let his horse regain some wind. The two troopers were still fifty paces back but in the distance he could see the smoke and hear the faint cries as the villagers were attacked. “Come on then boy; let’s see if we can end this.”

  He kicked the horse on and it opened its legs enjoying its freedom. Suddenly disaster struck as its hoof caught in a rabbit hole and it tumbled forward throwing Cassius to the ground. Instinct took over and he covered his head, relaxed and rolled. As soon as he stopped he leapt to his feet drew his sword and turned to face his pursuers. The looks on their faces told Cassius that they would enjoy butchering him and he prepared to sell his life dearly. They slowed their horses down and spread out giving Cassius even less chance.

  “Another coward, a deserter, I will enjoy this.”

  “Don’t count my gold until I am dead Salvius.”

  “Oh you will be sunshine, you will…” the rest of the comment was stopped by the arrow which erupted from his chest. He looked down in surprise at the barbed arrow head protruding from his chest before falling dead from his horse. His companion looked around for his attacker only to be struck in the neck by another arrow.

  Cassius watched with relief and an ever increasing grin as Livius and Agrippa rode up. “Am I glad to see you sir.”

  “What’s the matter Cassius did you upset your new mates? Or didn’t you fancy them?”

  “Let’s just say Agrippa that they wanted to do things to me that I would not have enjoyed.” He looked around for his horse which was lying in an untidy heap, its neck broken. Cassius sighed and taking his sword knelt next to the horse. He stroked its head, “Thank you for saving my life. May you ride with the Allfather.” He gently cut its throat and its pain ended.

  Agrippa brought up one of the horses of the dead men while Livius collected the other. “I’ll keep this in case we find Seius.”

  Mounting his horse Cassius said sadly. “Seius won’t need a horse in this life. He was caught escaping and they planted him on a stake.”

  “That will go hard with Marius when we tell him. Let us find him if we can and then seek out the others. While we ride give me your report.”

  “It is far worse than we either thought or imagined. They have a cohort of well trained and armed soldiers and, believe me, they are incredibly well trained. There is a Brigante army training too.”

  “Where?”

  He shook his head. “That I do not know but it must be close by the camp I was in but worst of all, I have just discovered that Morwenna is returning with an Irish army. The rebellion is on once again.“

  “I believe you are right Cassius. I hope the messengers I sent to the Prefect prompted him to move south or it may be too late.”

  They rode in silence for a while and then Cassius blurted out, “There are things about this new role that I did not expect decurion. The hardest thing I had to do in my life was watch poor Seius die. All I wanted to do was to free him.”

  “I know Cassius and if you had freed him then what?”

  He looked at Livius perplexed. “Then we would have fled.”

  “And would you have escaped the four hundred men hungry for your blood?” The silence spoke volumes. “The answer, which you know, is no and you would have died and we would not know either of the Brigante army nor the Irish army and many more men would have died. It is sad that Seius died but his death enabled you to prevent further death and, you are correct, our role has changed and it is a hard role but, Cassius, it is a vital role.”

  When they reached the meeting point the whole of the Explorates were there. “For us it as a fruitless exercise,” Drusus spread his hands in apology. “We tried but no one wanted a deserter.

  Marius was excited. “We managed, like you decurion, to plant Seius in the rebel camp.”

  Cassius walked forward and grasped Marius’ arm. “I have some news which will be hard for you to take. He was captured and…. butchered.”

  For Marius it was the first of his men that he had lost. Seius had been amongst the first recruits from Marcus’ Horse and a close friend of Drusus. Cassius took him to one side and told him the whole story of the dreadful death of the young Seius. Cassius waited with Marius as he cried the tears of frustration and, when he was composed, led him back to the others.

  The Explorates understood Marius’ grief and they all dealt with it the same way. They ignored it. They would all say prayers for their friend and they would all remember their comrade but none would speak of it. It brought their own end too close to think about, it made them think about mortality and for a soldier that was never a good thing..

  “We found where the ships came ashore. I can confirm what Cassius said, the Queen has been here and she will return. This is a rebellion.”

  Livius nodded. “You have all done well, Metellu. Far better than anyone could have dreamed and our losses were lighter than they might have been. The Prefect should know of the situation which means we can now try to find the Brigante camp and then the bitch Morwenna.”

  *

  Although the raid had been successful Decius sat at his desk, incandescent with rage. Centurion, Tiny and Nuada all quaked before him. “How in Hades did a spy manage to get into our camp?”

  “We don’t know that he was a spy.”

  “Nuada are you an imbecile? He runs off and two of our men are slain by Roman arrows.” He held up his hand. “I worked for Rome and I know Roman fucking arrows when I see them. What I am asking is how did he get through?”

  Centurion knew the leader the best and he stepped forward. “You and Morwenna asked us to get deserters. We did. You asked us to get them into action as soon as possible. We did.”

  “So you are saying this is my fault?”

  “In a nutshell? Yes. For we did not bother to check the men and to find out if their stories were true. In the end it did not cost us much but now Rome knows what we are about and we need to strike quickly.”

  Nuada and Tiny shrank back form the inevitable onslaught. Decius looked at the desk. “You are right. Thank you Centurion. No more recruits. We work with what we have and, Nuada, send a rider to Brennus warn him that his camp may have been infiltrated.”

  Nuada left, pleased to be away from the intense heat of the off ice. “Now the Queen is on her way with her whole army; over fifteen hundred warriors. With the one thousand Brigante and our four hundred we only need fear the Ninth and they are on the northern border. The Queen will be here by the end of the month. We have two weeks to disrupt even more and our first target is the fort at Mamucium.”

  “Mamucium! Are you mad? Attack a fort without siege equipment?” Centurion thought that his superior had finally lost his senses.

  “You have been to Mamucium. How would you describe the fort Centuri
on?”

  “Alright I admit that their security is lax.”

  “Lax? The vestal fucking virgins from Rome could walk in there! The point is, if we take it then that will make the Twentieth Valeria get twitchy, hide themselves in Deva and it will secure our southern flank. When the Brigantes take Bremmetenacum then the Queen can march up to Glanibanta and take it easily.” The silence told Decius that he had won his argument. “But,” he held his finger up to emphasise the point. “There are Roman spies out there. Keep your eyes open for them. He looked at Centurion, “The spy; who did he come in with?”

  “No-one.”

  Friendly with anyone?”

  “He walked next to the runty looking soldier; the one I thought was lame.”

  “Fetch him and we will see what he knows.”

  Mocius looked apprehensively at the three men before him. He had served in the Roman army for long enough to know that you avoided officers at all costs. Now that he was in this copy of a Roman army he felt the same way. The smile which Decius gave him when he walked in was not reassuring. It was the smile of a cat greeting a mouse. “Now then…?”

  “Mocius … sir er General.”

  “Relax Mocius; this is not a trial we just want to know as much as we can about this Cassius who ran off today.”

  A chill ran down Mocius’ spine. “I barely knew him. I only spoke to him that first day when we came from Mamucium.”

  “Well then there is nothing to fear is there? What did you learn of him?”

  Mocius was in a dilemma. Did they know about the trail which Cassius had laid? Even if they did they could not know that he knew of it. He determined to keep silent on that issue but tell the truth about the rest. “He said he had served in Marcus’ Horse and he left because of…, “he paused uncertain of the effect of his next statement, “your brother Livius. Cassius said that he was a cruel bastard. Sorry sir. His words not mine.” Decius held his hand up. “When he told the optio he had been in the cavalry he was whisked off to the horses and I didn’t see him any more.”