“Livia and Lucilla… how are you? I take it that you are heading toward Ateste, right? That’s at least what Tiberio told me…”
“Yes, we are going to visit my relatives,” replied Lucilla. “We always go there this time of the year. We are carrying some goods for them as we usually do.”
“And tell me Lucilla, when did you leave Tiberio? I mean, you are still on the road…”
“Late in the afternoon, we wanted to leave earlier, but we were delayed…”
“Good! Just so you know, Lucilla, your confession has sealed your husband’s death. That lying bastard… Now let’s see if I can spare your lives.”
Lucilla began to cry and moan.
“And tell me, my dear Patavium ladies,” Castald continued, pointing to the cargo. “What are you bringing back over here to your relatives in Ateste?”
Livia decided to reply as her mother was still sobbing.
“We are bringing mainly wood that we bought from the Cimbrians… and wool, and cheese…”
“…and? Anything else that the Cimbrians gave you?” Castald interrupted.
“No… nothing else.”
“Very well, we shall see if you get to live and see your relatives in Ateste, or if I execute you right here on the spot… after having some fun first, of course…”
He walked his horse toward the back of the cart, while staring at Livia with a mischievous leer. At the back of the cart, he stretched out his sword as he lifted the cloth. His eyes widened in shock, for he saw Primo holding a bow and arrow. Primo lifted the bow and shot Castald through the neck.
Polo finally reached drier land, and he was now at a safe length from Adalulf who watched incredulously from a distance. Polo was on an island near… Torcellum, of all places. He headed toward the main huts and encountered Marcia:
“Policio! What are you doing here? And how in the world did you get a horse, of all beasts, all the way to Torcellum! Did you two swim?”
Marcia laughed, as she was being sarcastic. She was joking at the possibility of a swimming horse.
“Marcia, I escaped the Longobards a second time, this time a whole army is here. Opterg is in danger!”
“So this time I fished you out… Does that mean I get to keep you?”
“Unfortunately no one gets to keep me, because there are people determined to kill me right now. I have to reach Heraclia by this afternoon… I need to borrow a fishing boat from your father.”
Marcia took Polo and his horse to see the other Torcellum villagers. Polo explained the situation and soon after, he was loading the horse on a skinny, but long boat.
“I can take you to Heraclia…” offered Marcia’s father, who remembered Polo being the young man with the guts to address the Tribune of Heraclia the night before in Opterg.
“But I will have to go through Equilium first…” Polo replied.
“You are right… I will have my son Claudio take you instead,” responded Marcia’s father, realizing it was better if he did not interact with people from Equilium. Marcia took the opportunity to spend some extra time with Polo:
“And I am coming too. I am not letting my little brother go by himself.”
Polo, Marcia, Claudio and the horse were on the boat navigating through the canals until they reached the vicinity of Equilium. There, before the village, Aurelia greeted:
“Polo! You cannot come into Equilium! There are four armed Istrian men on the lookout for you! I fear for your life, Polo…”
“They must be Zani’s men…” Polo replied. “I have to find another way to reach Heraclia… I am not sure I can get there by this afternoon…”
“Polo! You have a horse, which is faster than a boat!” Aurelia realized. “Let’s reach to the outer banks, and there it’s a straight gallop on uninterrupted sandy beaches. It’s faster than by boat!”
Aurelia hopped into the boat and they all changed direction and went further south toward the beach. Marcia’s brother rowed the boat to shore, Polo took the horse out and Aurelia and Marcia disembarked as well.
“Aurelia…” Polo said softly. “I might have to go on a long journey, and it might be a while before I come back…”
Polo pulled out his gold medallion to show the two girls and looked east toward Istria.
“I have a nobility claim to Istrian lands, and the current Istrian lord is now here to kill me. I need to leave this land temporarily, but I will be back stronger than before. Tell everyone you have seen this medallion, and that I am indeed the rightful heir to Istria.”
Aurelia hugged him tight and gave him a long kiss:
“Don’t worry, Polo. I know you will be back for me. You better hurry now, it’s already early afternoon.”
Polo hugged her and kissed her again. Then he gave Marcia a strong hug as well and thanked her for the boat ride. He then mounted the horse and started to gallop east on the beach, with the afternoon light behind him. The two girls walked back to the other side of the sandy dunes where Claudio was waiting with the boat. Marcia could not help herself, and she told Aurelia:
“Don’t worry Aurelia, the Longobards are on the attack, and there will be plenty of farm boys for you to fish out of the lagoon soon…”
Aurelia pushed Marcia for the lousy joke, but then hugged her as they kept walking, since this common threat brought the two rival girls from rival villages together.
“Partner…” said Aurelia.
Polo finally reached Heraclia. It was a port town, not too big, with a few Byzantine ships. Polo spotted Saverio, and he dismounted from the horse.
“As promised, here is the horse I pledged to return.”
“Polo of Licio, I am surprised but glad to see you are alive. Last night Zani came looking for you and I feared that he caught up with you!”
“Oh, he caught up with me all right, and I showed him this!”
Polo pulled out his gold medallion, and continued explaining:
“…and he ran away as fast as he could. Saverio, take a good look too. No more lying now. I have proof that I am the rightful heir of those Istrian lands. Spread the word while I am temporarily gone. I shall return much stronger!”
“I will, Polo of Licio, I will. Now, that’s your ship. I have already instructed the captain to escort you to Constantinople, and say hello to Father Leontio for me.”
Saverio pointed at the ship as he waved to the captain on board. Polo climbed aboard, and from the ship, he shouted:
“Oh, and this morning the Longobard army was in Altinum. We don’t have three days to prepare. They will attack by tomorrow!”
“Bring the news to Constantinople, we need military back up!” Saverio shouted back.
Saverio took the horse and began his journey back toward Opterg, hoping that it was not too late.
Polo was at the stern of the ship sailing south at dusk. He was looking at his homeland, missing it already.
Chapter 5
THE KING AND THE EMPEROR
Opterg was fortified by only a stockade, and townspeople were frantically reinforcing it in preparation for the imminent Longobard attack. Inside the walls, the town was crowded with armed men. Byzantine soldiers were fully armed with shields, swords and body armor, while the rest were simple local fishermen and farmers. They only had wooden spears and agricultural tools.
The Tribune of Heraclia began to address the fighting men:
“Valorous men of Opterg! It is true that the Longobard army is more numerous and better equipped. But we are not going to fight them on a battlefield. We are besieged within the town walls, and because of this we have an advantage!”
The crowd cheered.
“All we have to do is resist from within the walls, and provoke as many Longobard casualties as we can. Our goal is not to beat them, but to show them it would be too costly of a victory, and they surely will retreat!”
<
br /> The crowd cheered again.
“Now, I want the less equipped farmers and fishermen on the west end. This is the most fortified wall!”
Bruno and Elio, as well as Marcia’s father and many others made their way toward the west wall. The stockade was not too tall, and these improvised soldiers were supposed to protect it by throwing their makeshift spears at the enemy. The Tribune of Heraclia continued to impart orders:
“The east end is our weakest spot. Here we will put Zani of Ruvinium and his men, since they are better equipped!”
Zani and his men positioned themselves, some on horse, several on foot.
“We are going to repel these barbarians, and we are going to defend Byzantium to the death!”
The crowd cheered louder at the Tribune’s rallying cry. Toward the back Saverio, Sabino and the Patriarch were also present and ready for battle. This was a life or death showdown for the coastal communities, and every able body of fighting age was prepared to sacrifice his life, no matter the social rank, the age, or the profession. There would be no tomorrow if the Longobards prevailed in Opterg, as every other village would capitulate soon after. Their best chance was to give it all inside those wooden walls, and everyone showed up prepared to face their fate.
“This is it, Saverio!” The Patriarch confided to his countryman. “I know we will be victorious today! But if not… I’d rather die in battle than see these barbarians take over our homeland!”
Outside the walls, two Longobard armies were visible in the distance. Northeast of the city, hundreds of warriors were lined up, headed by the Duke of Friuli, Gisulf, supported also by the Duke of Ceneda’s men. King Rothari and his army were standing west of Opterg. Adalulf was riding to the right of King Rothari, while the Duke of Tarvisium was on his left.
“Adalulf, I want you to get the battle started,” King Rothari ordered. “You will engage only the western wall, mostly with your horsemen…”
“Yes, my King, but…”
Adalulf interrupted King Rothari because it appeared to him as an absurd strategy. Engaging the strongest portion of the enemy’s defense with only a portion of the army? It did not make sense, but King Rothari immediately hushed him.
“Let me finish, Adalulf! You will be only a distraction. Duke Gisulf has a plan, so we will give him the initiative. He is just waiting for you to engage the western wall. That will be our signal for him to make his move. Now go!”
“Yes, my lord!” Adalulf obeyed the King.
Adalulf called his horsemen and spearmen and descended toward Opterg. Once he was distant enough from King Rothari he communicated to his men:
“Soldiers! I have a feeling we are being sent as bait. I guess we are expendable… Do not assault the wall full force! Engage the enemy, but if at risk of death, I want you to retreat. Did I make myself clear?”
Adalulf’s soldiers cheered affirming they understood what tactic to adopt. They descended, and Opterg’s archers began to shoot arrows. Adalulf’s men were prepared with their shields, but a few did fall, as the Longobards slowly advanced toward the town’s wall.
On the other side of the battlefield, Duke Gisulf was talking to his two grown sons, Taso and Kakko.
“Boys, this will be nothing like fighting the Avars to the east. This will be effortless in comparison. There will be plenty of killing for everyone! Even your little brother Grimwald could fight this battle!”
He laughed at the idea of his youngest twelve-year-old son, Grimwald, battling the Byzantines and winning. He gave the order to his troops to descend and he led the way galloping toward the east side of Opterg.
As Duke Gisulf and his warriors approached, the unexpected happened. As soon as the Longobards were at arrow’s distance from Opterg, Zani personally opened the town’s eastern gate. He then gave order to his men to run to the side, and essentially leave for Duke Gisulf a wide-open entrance to the heart of Opterg.
Duke Gisulf was merciless. It was indeed easy killing. Once Zani and his men moved aside, there was zero resistance on the east side, and the defense on the west side was being surprise-attacked from the back. The Longobard horsemen were mercilessly massacring the startled peasants. Bruno and Elio found themselves helpless, holding just sharp sticks in front of advancing fully armored warriors. Their fate was sealed. First Elio, as Bruno screamed his name. Then it was Bruno’s turn to encounter the same horrendous fate. The two fishermen, among many other peasants, died without even the dignity of an honorable fight. They were not made for battle, and they left behind wives and children to fend for themselves in that desolate marshland.
From a safe distance, King Rothari watched the battle with boredom and disappointment, as he conversed with the Duke of Tarvisium:
“This is too easy! Look at that, it’s like slaughtering lambs… They not only fight like children, they have also been fooled like babies. They assigned the defense of their weakest side to a traitor that had already signed a deal with Duke Gisulf!”
Inside the walls instead, Saverio realized that the battle was badly lost from the immediate start. He ran toward the Patriarch to bring him to safety.
“Your Eminence! We must flee, now!”
The elderly Patriarch was already in battle mode. He swung and slammed his wooden crosier on the ground. As some metal ornaments flew off the staff, the crosier also revealed to be a dangerous and heavy club that could easily crack a skull.
“No, Saverio! We swore to fight to the death, and I am going down taking as my Longobards as I can!”
Despite his age, the white bearded Patriarch was tall and wide shouldered, and it took both Saverio and Sabino to hold back the advancing clergyman.
“Your Eminence!” Saverio insisted. “This will not be an honorable death! We have been betrayed. People will just laugh at our stupidity. We must go while we still can!”
The Patriarch finally listened to Saverio, and escorted by his personal guards they fled, barely escaping the massacre.
Adalulf realized that Duke Gisulf must have breached inside already. Adalulf and his men were standing outside the walls, and there were no more incoming arrows, spears, rocks… nothing! He just heard a big commotion from the inside of the wall. He ordered his men to circle around the stockade and enter in the eastern breach. When he arrived he was ready with his sword, and he even dismounted from his horse planning to engage in hand-to-hand combat. However, everyone was already dead or dying. Duke Gisulf, his two sons, Kakko and Taso, and the Duke of Ceneda were finishing off the remaining victims. It was already over, and Adalulf’s sword was spotless and clean. He was not happy about it: he was the only one having taken casualties within his ranks, and he had not killed a single Latin or Greek in return. All the glory went to Duke Gisulf, both in strategy and in battle.
Later in the afternoon, the Longobards were celebrating in Opterg’s main hall. The Tribune of Heraclia was captured, and died a slow death. His body was tied to the wall and his torso was riddled with arrows. An animated argument began between Duke Gisulf, the Duke of Ceneda, and the Duke of Tarvisium. They were fighting for the possession of Opterg and the surrounding lands. That was when King Rothari entered.
“Men! I do not tolerate this! Before my reign, the Kingdom was a mess of fighting dukes. I put an end to it with my sword, and I am ready to swing it again onto your heads!”
The quarreling dukes calmed down, and Duke Gisulf took the initiative.
“You are right, my King. Today is about celebrating. Let me begin by introducing you to the man who made this easy victory possible.”
“Yes, I am curious to know how you contrived this plan, Gisulf!” replied King Rothari, laughing, as the easy victory had put him in a good mood.
“My King, let me present to you Zani of Ruvinium…” continued Duke Gisulf.
Zani entered and bowed in King Rothari’s presence.
“My King, it is an h
onor to stand here in your presence…” Zani introduced himself, a bit intimidated by the King’s presence.
Duke Gisulf sensed the tension between his Longobard King and the Latin traitor, so he decided to explain the events himself.
“So, my King, before the battle began, Zani had already submitted the lands of Istria to be subjects to the Duke of Friuli, and that would be me!”
Gisulf laughed at his own joke and then continued.
“I told him I would accept to be his lord only if he delivers Opterg… and we came up with this plan: he went to Opterg and offered to defend the weak side! Ha, ha, ha! And the stupid Byzantines happily accepted his plan! Ha, ha, ha!”
Everyone in the hall laughed with Duke Gisulf.
“Gisulf, you are an old fox…” replied King Rothari. “So, in addition to celebrating the victory in Opterg, we need to celebrate the annexation of Istria to the Kingdom of Italy!”
Everyone cheered.
“Your Majesty, if I may…” interrupted Zani, “…it would be a great honor for me to have you personally come and visit the most beautiful land I come from.”
“Thank you for your invitation, Zani of Ruvinium. One day I will most certainly come, but not for a while,” King Rothari replied. “I must first head south, and finish off the Byzantines in Ravenna. Then go to Beneventum and wipe the Greeks out of all of southern Italy.”
“My King, before you depart…” Duke Gisulf interrupted. “Let me also praise in your presence my two sons, Kakko and Taso! They are the ones who captured the Tribune of Heraclia. They are strong warriors, without a land of their own, and they are the ones who captured the Byzantine military head of all of the North Adriatic!”
“Gisulf, Gisulf… I see what you are doing. Remember, I am not a stupid Latin that you can easily deceive. You want your two sons to take control of Opterg…”
Venetians Page 7
