Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 06] Druid's Gold (9 page)

Maban giggled and Morwenna said huskily, “The bowing will come later.”

Chapter 6

Drusus waved from the top of the pass to attract Livius’ attention and his column of six men kicked their mounts into action. Cato had chosen the horses well and the journey across to the west had enabled them to train each horse to its new master. They responded instantly to commands and would run all day on the meagre rations they carried.  Of course them knew horses and looked after them well.  They had acquired some shrivelled apples in Brocauum and the treats had further endeared the masters with their mounts.  Racing along the valley bottom horses and riders were as one, enjoying the freedom, however temporary.

Livius reined in his horse, Star, flushed with the pleasure of riding and the beauty of the morning. This life was a total change from the rigid camp building and static patrols of Marcus’ Horse.  This was almost a pleasure. “Yes Drusus?”

“Found their camp and their trail.  It looks like it was wet when they left for their hobnails are still visible in the mud.  They are heading west.  It looks like you were right it will be Glanibanta.”

Turning in his saddle he whistled and soon the other five riders rode in. They had decided to call them section one, two and three.  Drusus’ patrol was section two and Marius had section three. Drusus and Marius had just naturally taken charge and as all soldiers needed a structure and a hierarchy it seemed to be the best way. “Marius send two of your men back to Brocauum.  Tell them of the deserters we killed and that the engineers are heading west.  They will then need to return to the legion which should be somewhere near to Morbium I am afraid I can’t be any clearer.  When they have reported what we have found to the Prefect they should return here.  You and the others can make a camp here and rest while we push on to Glanibanta.  If we find the engineers we will return and if there is any problem or we need to go further west we will inform you.”

Grinning Marius snapped, “Yes Sir!”

Livius shook his head. “I forgot, you love fishing.  I suspect you will be sat on the lake until I return.”

“No sir, we will patrol and hunt and….. yes sir, I will be fishing.”

“Seriously be careful Marius, there are other deserters around and this is the main route. They may come looking for their lost comrades.  If they do either hide or come for us.”

“I will sir. I won’t let you down.”

“I never thought that you would Marius.”

As the two sections headed off to follow the trail discovered by Drusus, Livius said, “Until we get to Glanibanta we will keep the two sections together.  This is getting very close to the place those Brigante fled to after the battle at Morbium.”

“If I might suggest a couple of scouts on the flanks then sir?”

“Good idea.  Rufius, Decius take the left and right flanks.  Scouting.  The two younger men grinned and galloped off.”

Agrippa snorted.  “That is the last we will see of them for a while.”

”Yes Agrippa but think of the peace and the quiet.”

“There is that sir.  That is why you are an officer and I a mere trooper.  You think of the bigger picture.”

It was pleasant to be riding in the verdant and green valleys of the lakes. “This is good land Drusus.  When peace finally comes this would be a good place to raise a family and to farm.”

“Don’t know about farming sir. There are rocks right below the surface.”

“You are right.  I remember trying to build a camp.  But it is so beautiful around here.”

“I suppose it could be used for grazing but it is such an awful place to get to.”

“I know which is why this road of the Ninth is so important. I am no engineer Drusus but I do not know why they would come this way.  There are more twists and turns than an eel in a trap.”

“I know sir unless the optio in charge was eliminating this as a route.”

“I can’t see that.  He would be making a lot of work for himself.  Well I suppose we can ask him when we find him.”

Drusus looked across to the west and the darkening clouds rising above the wall of rock.  If he and his men are still alive.”

“Ever the optimist eh Drusus.  Come on let’s pick up the pace.  We may be able to camp at Glanibanta tonight.  Always a little safer when you have wooden walls around you.”

“I still don’t know why it was abandoned sir, twice.”

“Me neither.  From what Prefect Marcus told me a lot of good men died to build it in the first place and if we had had men here in the last rebellion then even more lives would have been saved. I am not sure the Rome wants Britannia.”

“Don’t let the Emperor’s spies hear you sir.”

Livius looked at Drusus wondering if he was joking but the trooper had a serious look on his face. “Drusus if I cannot trust these men then I am a poor judge of men and would deserve any punishment Rome could mete out but all of us are from Britannia Drusus, perhaps we have a prejudiced view.  It is our home and we want to hold it.”

“Yes sir but Prefect Marcus and Decurion Gaius, they came from across the sea and they love Britannia as much as we do.”

“One day Drusus, Rome will come to regard Britannia as a frontier worth defending and protecting.  Until then it is up to us.”

They managed to reach the camp before dark and the sharp eyes of Rufius picked up the trail of the engineers. “Looks like they camped here and then headed west.”

Drusus and Livius looked at the tracks.  Metellus knelt down. “There were others here, not Romans and they came after the engineers.”

“That does not bode well for we have seen no people apart from the deserters.”

“Yes sir and it looks like whoever it was trailed them.”

“Well done Metellus.  Well we can do no more tonight but I think we will all take at turn at being on watch.  It will only be an hour each.  My section first Drusus. Rufius first hour, then Agrippa, Decius, Cassius and then you wake me.  I’ll wake you Drusus.”

“You don’t have to stand a watch sir.  You are an officer.”

“Yes Drusus but remember we are making up the rules as we go along.  I not as tired as the rest and that means I need the sleep as much as the rest so we all share the hardship.  Besides it is good to endure a little discomfort.”

“Then you joined the right army sir.”

“Thank you Metellus your wit is always appreciated.”

Livius regretted his decision when Cassius shook his shoulder.  “You can go back to sleep if you like sir, Drusus said…”

“No and thank you Cassius.  Anything to report?”

“No sir quiet as.  Not even an owl.”

“Good. Get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow could be a long day.”

He turned away from the glowing embers of the fire to accustom his eyes to the night and within a few heartbeats he could see things clearer even in the darkening gloom. It was a clear cold night and he wrapped his cloak tightly about him.  He wandered over to the horse lines; he knew that they would be tight and secure but a horseman afoot was a waste of time as Decurion Princeps Decius Flavius had always told him. As he came back to the fire he looked up at the wall of rock and rubbed his eyes.  It seemed that there was a glow from half way up the rock.  Perhaps it was his eyes or imagination.  He rubbed his eyes and looked again.  Just as suddenly as it had appeared, it disappeared. He was now glad that he had chosen a watch for that was an anomaly and, after they had found the engineers, he would have to investigate.

Livius gathered them all around the dead fire the following morning as they chewed their biscuits and ate their dried hard tack. “Today will be an important day. We may find the engineers or at least get a better idea of where they went but last night I saw a glow up there.  He pointed away to the rocky outcrop peering above the tree line. Did anyone else see it?”

Metellus nodded.  “I thought I saw something but it only appeared for a short time and then vanished. “ He shrugged.  “I couldn’t work out what it was and put it down to my imagination.  If you had not said anything then I would have forgotten it.”

“The same thing happened with me. It is an important lesson for all of us.  We are Exploratores.  Nothing is irrelevant and nothing should be ignored.”

“Sorry sir.”

“Nothing to be sorry about Metellus.  I nearly ignored it but we are all learning here.  What we do will be a model for everyone who follows us.  Remember that.”

Half under his breath Agrippa muttered, “If we ever do get back.”

“Thank you Agrippa your confidence in my command overwhelms me.”

“No sir I didn’t mean I…” When everyone, including Livius, burst out laughing he stormed off muttering to his horse. “A baby sitter that’s what I am.  Looking after children and they aren’t even mine!”

“Right I want two of your lads out scouting today Drusus and keep your ears open as well as your eyes. The red glow came from over there,” he pointed north, “so that will be a danger area for us all and today we wear helmets.  There are no locals which means that if we meet anyone it will in all likelihood be an enemy.  If you want your mail on it would not be a bad idea.”

“You wearing it sir?”

Livius looked at the young men who depended on him and his decision making. It was a responsibility. “Yes Cassius I am.” He smiled as each man dismounted and retrieved his mail from the pack animals.

The two pack horses moved much better without their loads and the two sections made good time along the trail which wound around the edge of the lake. After their noon rest Livius changed the scouts, just to keep them fresh. “Looks like more men were following here sir.”

“Right Rufius take the point and follow the trail.”

The site of the slaughter was obvious to the keen eyes of the patrol.  Despite the Brigante attempts to mask the massacre there was just too much evidence in the darkened and bloodstained grass.

“Well Drusus at least we know where the engineers ended their survey.”

“Yes sir but where are they?  Prisoners?  There are no bodies, or even bits of bodies to be seen.”

“Sir!”

“Yes Metellus?”

“Up here there is a trail heading west.  Looks like something was dragged and carried.  I can see mule prints as well.”

“Right Drusus, take your section along the trail.  My section we will ride parallel but to the north. Watch for tracks and be aware of ambushes from the north.”

The tension was so palpable they thought they could see and taste it in the air. Somewhere ahead was either their engineer patrol or their enemies and they were a long way from help. The trees and bushes which had seemed so alive with birds and squirrels the previous day now seemed foreboding and threatening as though each one was hiding an enemy or a dark secret. Even their mounts seemed apprehensive and picked their way gingerly along the trail. The one good aspect was that it was largely straight which meant they were heading somewhere.  The land rose a little and Rufius, who was on point gestured down to where Livius could see Drusus walking his horse down to a small lake.

By the time Livius’ section had reached the side of the still and shining water Drusus was wading out. “Found something?”

“I think we have the engineers, sir.” Drusus dragged the naked corpse from the shallow waters into which it had been thrown. It was the optio who had been the heaviest of the patrol and the Brigante had not managed to throw him far enough into the lake.  Drusus pointed.  “You can see shapes sir, probably the others shall we get them?”

Livius knew that it was his decision.  While they were helping the dead they were vulnerable and could be attacked. He saw a small hill rising to the east about two hundred paces away.  “Decius and Rufius get on that hill and keep watch. Let me know if you see anything and I mean anything.” He dismounted and began to take off his helmet and mail. “The rest of you, let’s be quick about this.  We will give them an honourable funeral but I don’t want us to join them so soon.”

Working as a team with a common purpose to do for others what they hoped their comrades would do for them, they dragged out the naked and mutilated bodies. All of them had had their manhood removed and some of the younger legionaries had had their eyes and noses removed. The hardened looks on the faces of his men was not lost on Livius.  They would remember this and they would fight even harder.

When the bodies were laid out they all looked to Livius.  A funeral pyre would have been the most obvious choice but it would attract attention. “We will have to bury them.  Drusus get your section to bring stones and rocks.  My section we will dig one grave and they spend eternity together.”

Working with a common purpose they cut the turf with their swords and gathered together a pile of stone and rocks. They were soon able to lay the men together in a sad line.  Once the stones were laid on top and the turf replaced it looked like just another bump in the land.  It would, at least, keep wild animals off them. They stood in a half circle as Livius spoke words over them.  “You were faithful unto death and you will be together in the hereafter.  May the Allfather welcome you and we will see you when our time comes brothers.”

Turning to his horse Livius began to put on his mail and helmet. “Now let us see where they went after this.” He whistled and waved for the two scouts to join them. When they did so he addressed them all. “Normally the Brigante like to take heads and show the world what tough bastards they are.  Here they didn’t.  They have something to hide. We will follow the trail carefully. Our job is not to fight an enemy but to find him.  No death or glory to revenge those poor bastards. Whoever killed them is not to be underestimated.  Even engineering legionaries are tough.”

*

“Romans!  Horsemen and they are following the trail of the others.”

The sentry had seen the column of riders as they left the fort.  Tadgh had a sentry placed where he could see the fort and yet not be seen.  Since they had acquired Decius’ horses it made communication much better.

“Take two men and find them but do not let them see you.”

Tadgh raced into the cave. “Majesty there are Roman horsemen nearby.  Do we fight?”

She slowly shook her head.  “No get Decius’ men to drive most of the mules down the path towards the two lakes. Stampede them if necessary and then bring everyone else into the cave with their arms. Perhaps we can make them believe we fled north.”