Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 03] Invasion- Caledonia (17 page)

“Can we trust that cattle thief?”

“Cian, you are bitter. You have a blood feud filling you with such thoughts.  We have to forget such things until we have beaten our common enemy.”

“Yes I have a blood feud but look they are busy digging. If we attack now we will kill some of them.”

“I listened last night to Quinn and now we only have their bodies and no dead Romans.”

“Let me take my oathsworn. We are young and we are fearless. Let me kill some Romans.”

Moffat could sense the mood of anger. Cian was a rival if he held firm now he might lose his life with a knife in the back. Letting Cian loose would appease those more aggressive and his failure would diminish the threat to his power. “Very well but just kill a few and get back here we cannot afford losses.”

“Watch a real warrior Moffat and you will see that we will have no losses.”

The fifty warriors gathered behind the gate. At a nod from Cian the gate swung open and the warband raced out. The men digging were Quintus’ men and as soon as they heard the roar they dropped their tools and took up their shields. Behind them they heard the buccina and. felt immediately more confident for Vettius and his turma were already racing to their aid. Although the wedge of warriors hit them hard and managed to push them back a few paces their shields and mail took the brunt of any blows which the barbarians managed to land. Cian’s war hammer did smash through the skull of a young trooper but the eager barbarian’s joy was short lived as an arrow thudded into his arm. Realising they were now outnumbered the oathsworn grabbed their leader and ran back as quickly as they could. By the time they had made the safety of the stronghold eight bodies littered the patch of earth between the trench and their walls.

Moffat looked down at the pale face of Cian. “One Roman dead and eight less warriors to defend our homes. Next time we will listen to me not young pups who are barely weaned!”

“Thanks Vettius. Take Gaius Vetriculus’ body back to the fort we will bury our comrade later.”

By the time the noon break had arrived the ditches were built and the bolt throwers were in place. The Romans could see the heads of the barbarians as they peered from the towers and palisades at this strange style of warfare. The rear trench still had to have its stakes embedded but apart from that it was finished. “Let your men have a break. They all lost sleep last night. Make sure they get a good meal. It is going to be a long afternoon.”

“Yes Decurion Princeps.”

Inside Caolan’s stronghold they had to peer in the distance to see what was happening. “Lugh you have younger eyes what can you see?”

“They have finished their ditches and now they look to be eating and drinking.”

“These Romans wage war in a strange way. Can you see their mounted men?”

“Yes they are just behind the wood to the left.”

“So they want to ambush us if we attack. Well we can counter that.” He turned to his lieutenants. “Before we attack them we will slip a small band around the rear of the woods then can attack the horse warriors with arrows, spears and stones. After they have been destroyed we will attack them while they are busy attacking Moffat. Take them over the furthest side of the stronghold and follow the burn. That way they will not se you.”

“What about those ditches?”

“We will bridge them with the logs I had the men prepare.”

His lieutenants were far more confident about Caolan as a leader than Moffat’s were. He was a cunning and careful warrior who had survived the debacle of the Taus. Many felt he would be the next king of the Novontae when the Romans were eventually beaten and his men looked forward to slave raids once more.

“Ready Decius?”

“Yes sir the rest break helped.”

“Begin the assault.” Just as at Sulian’s the inhabitants hid in terror as the bolts screamed into the gates. The arrows rained death on those who had neither shield nor shelter and soon Moffat directed all to move from the walls save those with armour and shields. It was almost identical to their first assault, the main difference being the extra bolt thrower which added to the devastation. The two bolt throwers destroyed the gates and towers in a very short time.

“Ready for the assault sir?”

“Not yet. I will take two turma and join Lentius to watch the other fort. I will sound the buccina when it is time.”

While the prefect made his way to Lentius Decius continued to demolish the walls. With two bolt throwers it was a far more efficient and deadly process. Decius wondered what carnage ensued for when they had sacked Sulian’s the bodies had been mangled so much that they did not appear to be human. With two in action the results would be twice as horrific.

Marcus arrived close to the woods with the two turmae of Julius and Domitius and greeted Lentius. “Any sign of movement?”

“Not yet but they have been in the towers watching our movements so they know what we are about.”

“Right. Sound the buccina.” The strident notes of the buccina echoed over the hillsides and they heard the roar as the troopers advanced up the hill.

“Look sir.” Julius pointed to the other fort. The gates were opening. “You were right sir.”

“It is one thing to make the right decision and another to ensure you benefit. Form line.”

His turmae formed an oblique line from the woods and he waited for the barbarians to emerge.  He needed them in the open and far enough away from the safety of their own stronghold for he wanted this [part of the campaign over with quickly. If he could destroy these two then the rest of the Novontae might fall into line. As the force emerged the prefect could see them glancing over to their left. They knew there were Romans there. “They know we are here. Watch out for tricks. Ready your weapons.”

It was as they were preparing to advance that the ambush was sprung. Slingshots and arrows rained down upon them striking them on their unprotected right side. “Lentius, Domitius wheel! Julius advance on the warband.”

It was as they wheeled that Lentius was struck. First a slingshot cracked into his skull making a noise like an egg breaking and at the same time an arrow slammed into his chin as his head was jerked back. He was dead before he hit the ground. “Follow me!” Marcus drew his sword and headed into the woods. They could not afford an enemy in the rear and Julius would have to manage the best that he could. The barbarians took to their heels and began to outstrip the horsemen who found the confines of the woods difficult. “Domitius keep after them. Turma three follow me.”

The enraged turma were desperate to avenge their leader and they wheeled in a tight line behind the prefect. As they emerged from the woods they saw that the barbarians had reached the ditches and laid logs across them.  This meant they were in single files and Julius had wisely taken his turma to the other side of the ditch where his men were picking off the warriors as they gingerly came over one by one. Those who rushed found themselves impaled on the sharpened stakes. Marcus led his turma around the right of the warband to encircle them.  With only two turmae they could only slow down the advance. “Use your javelins and bows. Thin them out.”

Half of the warriors who had not crossed the ditch formed a wedge and began to advance towards Lentius’ turma. They had equipped themselves with shields and the barrage on them was not as effective as it might have been. It was necessary to destroy them. “Reform!” His men thought him mad for they had to withdraw to get into line. The warband thought it was a retreat and began to hurry forwards, eager to get to grip with these horse warriors who had thinned their ranks so much. Once in their line Marcus shouted, “Those with javelins throw them at ten paces the rest draw your swords.” Yelling, “Lentius!” The line roared forward like a tethered sapling which is released. The warband looked in horror as nearly forty horses and a wall of iron raced towards them. They huddled closer together to give maximum mutual protection and they braced themselves for the impact. Suddenly the front ranks were thinned as javelins thrown at the closest distance ripped through them making holes in their defensive wall. The horses naturally went for the gaps that appeared before them and, with the sword of Cartimandua singing as it sliced through the air the turma broke into the shield wall.

Julius was struggling to hold the barbarians who had forced his turma back with arrows and spears. Caolan himself led the band and he had smashed one trooper who had gotten too close to him with his war hammer.  He then sprang lithely on to the back of the dead trooper’s mount and his men roared as they charged towards the bolt throwers now less than eight hundred paces away.

The bolt throwers themselves were being rapidly turned to face the new threat for the rest of the ala was inside the stronghold.  The only force which remained to help them was the beleaguered turma of Julius now down by four troopers.

Turning to his troopers Julius shouted, “We will have to charge them in the flank! Close order, knee to knee.”

One of the veterans laughed and shouted, “Just like your brother taught us.”

“Yes Livius, just like my brother taught us! Charge!”

It was a forlorn charge for they were outnumbered three to one and the barbarians had their shields to protect their sides; in addition the charge was uphill but still it was a glorious charge. The momentum carried them into the heart of the warband just as the first bolt thrower managed to turn and fire its first bolt. It sliced through six warriors killing three and badly wounding three. As the second bolt screamed through them the effect was instantaneous, they turned and ran back to the safety of their fort.

Caolan was apoplectic with rage. “Come back you scum! You cowards.” He could see that they were not heeding him and, as he was mounted he took off towards the west. Julius watched impotently as he escaped them for he and his men were still engaged in a frantic combat with those who remained before them.

When those fighting Marcus saw their comrades running they followed them and soon there was a horde returning to the stronghold, from the battlefield and from the woods. “Sound pursuit!” Tired though they were every trooper obeyed the order and the remnants of three turmae pursued and enemy twice their number. Those who still remained in the stronghold of Caolan vainly tried to close the gates but those fleeing the carnage burst through.  Soon the troopers were in the settlement with those being pursued and the slaughter began. The leaderless Novontae saw that it was hopeless and one by one threw down their weapons, the trickle became a torrent and soon the exhausted troopers who remained found themselves in control of the stronghold. They looked around in surprise when they heard a cheer in the distance and saw troopers waving from Moffat’s stronghold. Both citadels had fallen at almost the same moment.

Later as they herded the prisoners into two groups, the warriors and the women and children, Marcus surveyed the battlefield.  He had hoped to finish it quickly but he had not expected to do so in one day. Nor had he expected to lose so many men, good men.  Looking down at the body of Lentius he suddenly realised that the only two left from Ulpius’ turma were himself and Gaius. He knelt down to touch his old comrade’s body as though by touching it the death would be gone and Lentius would laugh and joke with him once more.

“He looked after me.” The prefect looked up to see Gaius, tears streaming unashamedly down his blood streaked face. “When I first joined, I knew nothing then, just a little kid really; he made sure no-one took advantage of me. Him and Drusus they were like big brothers. They taught me how to be a trooper and when he became decurion he still made sure no-one took advantage of me. He showed me how to become a warrior that men could respect and follow and now he has gone.”

“As we shall all go one day. Our band of brothers is becoming fewer. And Gaius you too do what Lentius does, I have seen you with Julius, which is why this ala will survive stronger and more powerful because no matter which of us falls, and it could be you or me just as easily as Lentius, we know we have trained better men to follow us.”

“Sir?”

Marcus looked round as Gaius wiped his face with his neck cloth.”Yes trooper?”

“Decurion Princeps compliments sir and he has secured the field. Decurion Macro has returned. No sign of that Caolan.”

“Thank you trooper I will rejoin him shortly.” Gaius turned to face him. “Are you ready to face your men?”

Giving a sad smile he murmured, “Yes sir.”

It was late in the evening when the decurions not on duty managed to congregate in the prefect’s tent. They all had sombre, reflective faces. Lentius was not mentioned but the empty space between Gaius and Decius spoke volumes. “How many the Decius? How many did we lose?”

“More than we wanted sir.  Sorry about that.  I know you wanted to keep the casualties down.”

“Perhaps I should have told the enemy and not you. How many?”

“Thirty eight dead and forty wounded six seriously. And…” he tailed off superstitiously not naming Lentius as though naming him made him finally dead. “The good news is that we captured more than we hoped.” He looked anxiously at Marcus. “The general won’t be unhappy that we let the warriors live will he? I mean I could get the lads to go round and slit their throats.”

Marcus flashed his deputy an angry look and then thought better of it. “No there has been enough killing. Julius I want you to go tomorrow go with the marine and signal the fleet. I suspect the warriors will be bound for Rome either the ludos or the salt mines. Either way they will die soon enough. I intend to keep the camp here and use it as a base. It will prevent the re-occupation of the forts and save our depleted numbers from having to build a camp each night.  Besides Gaelwyn has told me that we are no more than half a day’s ride from the coast. You might as well know that I think there will be no more fighting.  Instead I want all of you to adopt Julius’ style of negotiation and persuade the villagers to accept Roman rule. If anyone does not wish to accept the Pax Romana then we fight but I think they will acquiesce. Anyone we are uncertain of we take hostages. Tomorrow I will you all a patrol area except for Macro, I want you to find this Caolan, take Gaelwyn with you. He has pretensions of greatness according to the prisoners and fancies himself king.  If we find him…kill him.”