Marius Mules III: Gallia Invicta (Marius' Mules) (37 page)

“We’re dead men now. Even if the other crews are on their way, they’ll never be in time. You need to go overboard
now
.”

Brutus shook his head. He may not be prepared for, or any real use in, a fight to the death, but he was damned if a Roman fleet commander was going to be seen fleeing the scene. Better to die honourably than to run away.

“Just pay attention to them, not me.”

The trierarch held the officer in his gaze for a long moment. He’d always assumed that he’d die aboard a ship and at least they’d won the war, even if they lost this particular battle. The rest of the squadron would take their revenge on these bastards, but they couldn’t be allowed to take the head of the commander first.

Brutus set himself in the stance he’d seen Fronto take, preparing for the clash.

He was totally unprepared when the trierarch smashed a sword pommel into his bared head, driving the consciousness from him instantly. Morpheus enfolded him in his arms and together they sunk into blackness.

The trierarch halted the officer’s fall and gestured to the celeusta. The rowing officer nodded, dropping his sword and grabbing Brutus, hauling him easily up. Turning his back on the attacking Gauls, he heaved the officer over the rail and watched as the young man plummeted heavily into the water, the cuirass pulling him instantly beneath the waves.

Moments later, the celeusta hit the water, his buoyancy guaranteed by his lack of armour, and he kicked down into the cold deep until his hands touched the cold steel of the officer’s chest plate. Looping his arms beneath Brutus’ shoulders, he kicked for the surface.

As he broke into open air, gasping, he wrestled with difficulty with the man’s shoulder and side straps until the cuirass came away and disappeared into the deep. A small rivulet of blood bloomed on the officer’s head where he had been struck by the trierarch.

The celeusta looked back up toward the deck above. The sounds of violent melee were clearly audible, but
his
fight was over for now. His job was to get the commander to safety.

Turning his back on the Aurora as its last Roman occupant fell to a scything blow, the celeusta secured his grip on Brutus and began to swim for the shore.

Chapter 12

(Quintilis: Below the headlands at the entrance to the bay of Darioritum)

The capsarius who was tending to the cut on his head tutted and pushed him back against the hard surface below. Brutus closed his eyes and tried to think back and organise his thoughts. Everything swam around rather unpleasantly when he closed his eyes.

“Whurr…”

Fronto’s grin took on a note of comprehension.

“We’re on the deck of the
Excidium
; on our way to shore.”

“No survivors, I’m afraid. Other than you and the man who dragged you to the
Excidium
, that is. Good man there… suspect he’ll be in line for a bonus, eh?”

“No survivors?”

“Not one. The Veneti were pretty ruthless with the crew of the Aurora. They were still sawing the bodies to pieces when the two relief crews arrived. I haven’t asked, but I somehow doubt there were any survivors on
their
side, either. I gather the captains of the
Excidium
and the
Accipiter
took the attack and the death of their colleague sort of personally.”

As the man hurried off to tend to other casualties, Fronto reached down and helped the bedraggled officer slowly to his feet. Brutus wobbled uncertainly and grasped the rail for support. For the first time, he took stock of their surroundings.

“Where are we now?”

“At the north side of the channel. Once the captain here found you and dealt with the remaining Veneti, he came across to pick me up. Now we’re on our way to collect Balbus and then he’s ferrying the three of us back to Darioritum to Caesar. I’m assuming that things are settled there.”

Brutus nodded uncertainly.

“They
should
be. We left enough ships to deal with the rest of their fleet and it looked as though Caesar’s forces had control of the city. Oooh…”

“I feel like that on board most ships. But at least it’s nice and calm here, and in an hour we’ll be back among the lads and I can find Cita and requisition enough wine to half-drown you again.”

Brutus gave him a weak smile.

“Then it’s over. The Veneti are quashed.”

“Hopefully. Strangely, though, I’ve been hating this place since we returned, with all the wet and the wind and the storms. Now that it’s settled and becoming quite nice, I’m getting used to it again. We’re about to dock… hold tight.”

The trireme pulled slowly up to the small jetty that marched out into the bay below the fort. A small group of armoured men with red cloaks stood in a knot at the far end. Fronto watched with interest as the
Excidium
came to a stop and ropes were thrown ashore and then tied.

The small group began to move slowly down the jetty and Fronto’s face tightened. Something was wrong. A lump in his throat, he focused on the small knot of men as they strode toward the trireme. He didn’t know the centurions and optios of the Eighth that Balbus had taken with him, let alone the legionaries, but he could see the figure of the aging legate in the centre.

Fronto closed his eyes and threw a prayer out.

Balbus did not look good.

The legate was being helped along the jetty and, though fully armoured and on his feet after a fashion, he was paler than many corpses Fronto had seen. Paying no further heed to Brutus or the crew of the ship, Fronto leapt over the rail to the jetty and ran along the boards to the men.

The legate of the Eighth, confused, but too weak and pained to argue, held out a hand, the other still being grasped for support. Fronto looked down at the pale blue hand. The finger nails were bulging and wide, to the point of being unsightly. The legate of the Tenth grasped Balbus and gently took the strain, brushing the soldiers aside as he gained sole support of his friend.

Pausing long enough to give the older legate a breather, though that breath was shallow and came in gasps, he took his arm across his shoulder and began to help him slowly along the jetty, waving the other soldiers away.

The trierarch of the
Excidium
took one look at the legate and his burden and nodded, barking out orders. As the two men closed on the rail, Brutus, now largely recovered from his bleariness, reached out and helped the older legate aboard.

As they planted their feet on the deck, the hammering of a fast rhythm began and the oars began to dip. Brutus helped Fronto support the legate of the Eighth across to a free rowing bench and lowered him to it. As Fronto held him steady, the young staff officer grabbed a barrel and moved it closer to serve as a back-rest.

“Yes I bloody could. Three times he’s complained recently of heartburn. That’s how it starts. It’ll come to you as no surprise that my father was a lover of the vine. We thought nothing of his increased indigestion and heartburn, but then this started to happen: the collapsing; the blue skin and the fat fingers.”

“You mad old bastard. You
knew
something was wrong. You
knew
you weren’t well and you volunteer to go personally invading a fort at night? Are you crazy?”

Balbus blinked and shook his head gently. The blue had faded. He was pale as could be, but better than before. With a sad smile, he opened his mouth and took a deep breath.

“Marcus? Couldn’t let you have
all
the fun.”

“You mad old bastard. Don’t you
dare
do this to me. I lost Velius last year and Longinus the year before. I’m not losing anyone this year. Gaul’s had its last taste of my friends.”

Balbus nodded and sank gratefully back to lean against the barrel. Fronto shot a meaningful look at two sailors who stood nearby furling ropes and gestured to the older legate. The men nodded and, dropping the ropes, leaned down to take hold of the weakened officer, supporting him as he sagged into a relieved doze.

Fronto marched angrily across the deck to the far rail and smashed his fist on the wood once again, wincing at the pain. Brutus followed him over and placed his hand gingerly on the legate’s shoulder.

“He might be alright yet, Fronto? Just because it happened to your father more than once doesn’t mean it will to Balbus.”

Fronto shook his head.

“It will. Might be years before it happens again, but it will. And each time it’ll weaken him until he just can’t fight it anymore. After my father I… consulted several doctors. Balbus might be around for years yet, but not with
us
.”

“Sorry?”

“It’s the end of his military career. Can’t continue to command the Eighth. He’ll have to go back to Massilia for Corvinia to look after. She’ll be beside herself when she finds out.”

Brutus sighed and turned to lean on the railing, gazing out to sea.

“I can’t imagine the staff without his input. You know the younger officers and tribunes call him ‘granddad’? Not as an insult, mind you. He’s probably the most popular officer in the army. More so than
you
!”

“I think you might be surprised. That’s one of the
reasons
you’re popular.”