He considered waiting for a better chance but decided he wouldn’t get one, better to act now than to wait and lose the opportunity. He took a deep breath and set the bow out sighting the arrow as he pulled the string back, his eyes narrowing slightly. No breeze, he told himself as his trained eyes quickly assessed the situation. The arrow was drawn, and the bow at full tension, as he adjusted his position slightly and exhaled slowly before letting the tail of the arrow go. He watched the flight for a half second to check if he was on target and grinned as he dropped silently onto the dusty floor below, his one chance now taken, and barring any last-second movements the arrow would hit home. Sure enough, a scream was following by shouting and calls of ‘murder’ as he kicked dirt over his bow and arrows and jogged out of the back of the building, turning sharp right into an empty alleyway. Within moments he was back in the Forum Boarium and stood watching as the patrician was carried away by his bodyguards, the arrow deep in his back. Blood spots trailed along the floor as he was carried past and the pale face of Istros’ target looked blankly to the sky as his body bounced in the arms of the men who carried him. A crowd of onlookers gasped as the men dashed past. As he mingled into the crowd, the Thracian assassin joined in with those who called out asking what had happened and who would do such a thing to a Capitol man.
************
“Take the third and the fifth and pursue them” Narcius barked as the dust swirled around the dirt covered soldiers. He’d taken command at the fallen rear wall of the enemy camp and was marshalling as many troops as he could muster to follow the remaining few fleeing Volscans who he could hear scattering in a blind panic through the trees ahead of him.
“No more than a mile, then let the cavalry do their job” he shouted as the men started to rush off. “I don’t want to lose any more men than is necessary” he called again as he saw the approach of Marcus and Ahala from behind. “Sir” he saluted as the two men rode across and jumped from their mounts before they came to stand next to him, all three facing the broiling water as hundreds of Romans noisily crashed through in pursuit of the fleeing Volscans.
Looking to his left Marcus glanced into the camp, the floor strewn with enemy dead and hundreds of Roman legionaries pouncing on prone figures who begged for mercy. No quarter was being given. “Secure the camp centurion” Marcus nodded as Narcius replied with a grin and nodded to his Optio, the man turning and calling orders to the men around them.
“Get a pyre ready for the dead and then pull these walls down” Marcus added before turning to Ahala. “Secure the perimeter with the remaining reserves and ensure that they aren’t returning with any sort of force.” Ahala nodded in reply. “Let’s get this place sewn up tight, then we can move on and support the rest of the army. An hour, two?” he asked as Ahala and Narcius glanced to each other and both men replied “two”.
“In which case we can call the remaining men in and sacrifice to Mars, Jupiter and Juno in plenty of time before we leave this place.” He scanned left and right with a satisfied look on his face before nodding to both men. “Well done” he said.
It took close to three hours for the walls to be felled, the men who had chased the Volscans to return and the sacrifices to be made, the legion cheering loudly as the final sacrifices to the spirits of the water were completed. The dead had been piled, most of the Volscans naked, and, with all due ceremonies, the fire had been lit. The legionaries had stuffed as much booty into their packs as they could carry, some even carrying three swords as they ransacked every item they could and the centurions had had to stop several small fights as men argued over ownership of minor trinkets.
The officers had met and agreed that they could march for up to four hours before darkness and that the sooner they left the better. Many of the fleeing enemy had been caught and slaughtered but those who had escaped had retreated towards the nearest Aequian settlements which were about a day’s march away.
“Have we any word from Aemilius?” asked Ahala as he wiped a long bead of sweat from his forehead.
“None” replied Marcus as he looked at the centurions beginning the headcount of their men as they began to line up in their ranks. He watched Narcius for a moment as he bent his head over a series of wax tablets with his Optio before the junior officer saluted and set off with the instructions for the march. The remains of the camp, the ditch and a patch of scorched ground, were filled with Romans calling orders and men moving to their assigned positions. “Ahala” he said quietly as the commander of the horse looked across at the mention of his name. “Send a few more scouts ahead and another two men to Aemilius, we need to know what his position is” he said as he shifted to squint back towards the trees as a shrill scream split the air. A Volscan fell from the tree where he had clearly been hiding, his body bouncing off the trunk as his head snapped with a loud crack. Marcus winced before he turned back to Ahala, who had also gritted his teeth at the sound.
“Let’s get out of this place” Marcus said.
“Gladly” came the gruff reply.
*****
Within three hours the scouts had returned with news that Aemilius had found the enemy at a camp near the city of Bolae and that they were, as expected, on the march to support the ill-fated Garodius. Marcus nodded, he had fought two battles in the area around Bolae and knew the ground well. The report had stated that the enemy forces were some fifteen thousand men, mostly made up of foot soldiers in cheap armour and carrying farming implements. It was just as Marcus had expected, an opportunistic uprising of local villages and towns rather than a full army of trained soldiers. He’d felt his shoulders relax slightly as the report had continued. The enemy had ranged into battle formations but had not attacked the Romans despite having overwhelming numbers. Both forces had retreated to camps for the night, with only a few small single combat scuffles marring an uneventful day. Aemilius had urged Marcus to approach as quickly as he could, an air of desperation written in the words of the report that had caused Marcus some concerns.
Several officers stood under the shade of three oak trees as the army relaxed after the forced march which had brought them to their current location. The sounds of the men erecting the marching camp filled the space as Ahala leant forwards and nodded to the officers. Messages from Aemilius had continued to arrive during the march, and the tone of the missives suggested that he was under increased attack from the larger force, from which he was now fleeing rather than retreating. Marcus had suggested a night march to reinforce Aemilius’ legion, but most of the officers were against such an action due to the dangers of such manoeuvres.
“If we take the marsh road we can cut across and be there before first light, but it’s dangerous in the dark” Ahala said as he placed a finger on the vellum map which Marcus had laid on the ground, each officer following his finger as it traced the old sheep trail which was sketched onto the map. “It’s narrow, but passable” he added with a shrug. “If we continue along the wider track” he placed his finger on a different location and circled towards the same finishing position he had previously noted. “It will take longer, but we could also be there before first light at a forced pace.” He looked up at the rest of the officers, some chewing their finger nails as they listened. A few heads nodded, but nobody spoke.
“If we take either route” Narcius said his voice calm and quiet “by the time the men arrive they won’t be fit to do anything other than stand and look pretty. Even against farmers” he added with narrowed eyes, his tone cautious.
Disapproving officers narrowed their eyes too as they glanced to Ahala and then to Marcus, the look on their faces telling Ahala that they all, inwardly, agreed with Narcius.
“I asked for suggestions, centurion” Marcus said as he noted the tension in the group. “And this is as good as any other we have discussed” he said as Narcius nodded his acknowledgement, Ahala relaxing slightly as he noted a few nods from the officers around him.
“We could split the men” Ahala said as he looked up at Na
rcius, his eyes questioning.
“Take both routes?” Narcius asked as he tapped his chin with his index finger. “We’d still need to allow the men some respite during the night. They’ll only manage” he shrugged his shoulders “one mile an hour in the dark. Ten miles” he looked up at Marcus. “We’d be pushed to support Aemilius before mid-day at best” he said.
Marcus nodded and returned his gaze back to the map. “What if we sent the scorpions and half of the horse ahead?” he said. “Then we send the rest of the men along the sheep track, three hours march, three sleep, three march?” he half asked. The officers started to grumble assent as they discussed the idea. “We’d have another two or three hours until we met up with Aemilius at the junction of the lands around Bolae but he would have the surprise of the scorpions and another three or four hundred horse to support him.” The men nodded, but Narcius was chewing his lip, Crastinus, the centurion of the second cohort whispering to him as they both eyed the map.
“Centurion?” Marcus asked as both men looked to him.
Narcius glanced to Crastinus with a faint nod before he spoke. “The numbers remain in the enemies favour and the men aren’t fit enough to march through the night after the day they have had here” Narcius said slowly and quietly, his eyes remaining fixed on the map. “But” he added with a flick of his eyes to Crastinus “if we could get Aemilius to fall back a half days march to here” he tapped the map. “We could take a lightly armed troop of men, with the scorpions and the horse, and set up a line of defences which Aemilius could fall behind and we could march towards. He’d have to make it look like a retreat. That way…”
“We can catch them unawares and trap them” Marcus finished for him, his teeth grinning through his beard as he glanced to both centurions. “Excellent. Let’s discuss the merits of this as our plan” he said, rubbing his hands together vigorously.
************
Chapter 8
The frown and tight lips said everything Javenoli needed to know, Capitolinus wanted more money. His nightly meeting at his house on the Capitoline had created an enormous entourage of hangers on, men who were pledging support to Capitolinus but had nothing to give in return. Javenoli had told him time and again how much he needed men of influence in his ranks, not just the plebeians from the poor streets of Rome, men who had nothing but the shirts on their backs, but Capitolinus had continued to encourage anyone who would listen to him to join him at his meetings. The man was growing an army of followers, but they could do nothing to sway the political minds of Rome’s leaders.
Javenoli stared at Capitolinus for a moment before he spoke.
“Tuscus was killed not three days ago” Capitolinus replied, his lips drawn in a deep frown. “The third man of the Capitol to die in the last month” he added. “I tell you Gaius, someone is killing off the men I’ve promoted” he said with a measure of fear and anger in his voice. “It’s Camillus, I know it” he added as he ground his teeth in anger.
Javenoli grimaced and his eyes narrowed. “Tuscus was killed because of a petty squabble regarding stone prices” he said with anger as Capitolinus shook his head at the words Javenoli had repeated several times during their conversation. “He was taking a personal interest in a series of contracts which were none of his business. It has nothing to do with you” he added with a shake of his head.
“I don’t buy that explanation” replied the seated man, his dark eyes glinting fiercely in the candlelight of Javenoli’s inner study. “Camillus is eating away at the edges of my networks. I know it. One of my slaves beaten in the Forum, two of my wife’s serving boys have been found listening at the doors” he said, his hands wide as he continued. “It all adds up. I need to strike back, but first I need more protection” he said as his right arm rose slowly from the table.
“Rome is full of beggars and thieves Capitolinus” Javenoli replied. “You know that. Tuscus’ death is unrelated, as I have said.”
The younger man continued as if he hadn’t heard Javenoli’s words. “With the deaths of the Capitol men I have courted it is clearer to me now that we have many enemies who are prepared to act violently against me. We must search them out and kill them all” Capitolinus said through clenched teeth. “I must prevail Gaius. I must.” As he spoke his voice dropped to a whisper and his eyes flicked from side to side. “Rome needs me as its strong leader. I must bring back that which the gods set up, rule by strength, survival of the strongest and most beloved of the gods. Camillus is the Senates pet, the people don’t love him, they love what he gives them. Nothing else” he said, his voice full of its own conviction.
Javenoli looked back at Capitolinus and allowed a moments silence to fall between them. It was true that they had spoken many times of how they should build a new Rome, a new order which had one leader who would replace the clan based systems which had prevailed for generations since the ousting of the Kings. Yet Javenoli had seen that this was folly. Capitolinus was a good man, ruthless in his way but he didn’t have the gravitas that Javenoli knew was needed to rule and his own position of Pontifex Maximus was offering him opportunities he had not believed were possible.
Capitolinus had remained a silent partner in many of Javenoli’s business ventures and was now calling in some of his profits to build his following of plebeians, something that Javenoli didn’t like. It was too early to take profits from fledgling schemes which needed money to make them effective. Taking money out now could put them in jeopardy. Capitolinus had asked for enough money to buy more men into a paid force who would act as his bodyguards and search out any enemies who may be acting against him. Javenoli shook his head. Capitolinus was obsessed with beating Camillus, showing that the gods favoured him as much as the military minded leader, but Javenoli wasn’t sure. Both men were ruthless in their own way.
“It’s a bad time, my friend” he said slowly. “The brothels and the shipping deals are at an early stage, they need money to get them working; taking it out now will cause” he shook his head again “problems.” Capitolinus bristled. Javenoli held up a hand to stay his petulant friend. “I know a man who can search out news of any conspiracy” Javenoli said as he stroked his chin slowly. He looked up and caught Capitolinus’ eye. “I will give you enough money to hire four more men, but it will come out of your stake in the brothels and mines” he said, at which Capitolinus frowned and shifted as if to speak. “No” Javenoli snapped before looking around and lowering his voice. “Any more and you will create too many questions from the other investors. We must do this my way.” He waited for Capitolinus to nod his reply before he continued. “I will engage a Thracian I have heard of, Istros is his name, and set him to search out any plots against us” Javenoli said as he pulled a leather bag from a pocket and opened the drawstring to pull out several thick Greek silver coins. “The rest” he said as he slid the bag across the table “you can use to pay your guards.”
“Is the Thracian good?” asked Capitolinus as he took the money without thanking Javenoli, something the Pontifex noted warily.
“I hear he is very effective” Javenoli said with a cold smile.
Capitolinus nodded approvingly as his fingers gripped the chair arms in which he sat. “If there are any plots he will find them?” he asked as he rose from his chair, the question left unanswered as he continued. “Come, the ladies will wonder where we are” he said with a smile as he moved towards the doorway and secreted the silver in a pocket.
As Capitolinus exited the room Javenoli allowed his thoughts to return to Pompeia. The two ladies had been visiting for a couple days now and Javenoli had found himself eager to see her at each visit. He’d engaged in various discussions regarding decorations, garden design and even water features, and each visit had left him wanting more. As the two men entered the room the ladies turned and he noted the smile creep across Pompeia’s face as she turned to look at him. He tried to hold back a broad grin but found himself smiling so hard his mouth began to hurt after only a few seconds and he cr
eased his brows as he fought it back.
“Don’t like the colour, Gaius” Pompeia said, her voice sounding shocked as she saw his features turn from a smile to a grimace.
Javenoli snatched a glimpse of various coloured cloth draped from the wall at the far corner of the room where additional candles had been placed, and hurriedly attempted to drag his eyes from Pompeia’s frowning face; gods she was beautiful when she frowned, he thought. He took a sharp breath as he turned his head to face the candlelit corner and threw his hands in the air in mock surprise in an attempt to hide how foolish he suddenly felt. “No, no” he added quickly as he moved swiftly across towards the cloth, his mind working frantically as he glanced to Vispania and then back to Pompeia, allowing his gaze to linger on her profile as she turned to look at the cloth. “Capitolinus, which do you prefer” he asked quickly to buy himself time “I’m useless at interior decorations.”
Capitolinus was taken off guard too and stepped across, his eyes moving to the different items and then back to Javenoli. He shrugged. “I like them all” he said with a shrug of the shoulders.
“Oh Marcus” said Vispania with a shake of her head and a sigh as the two women smiled to each other.
Pompeia had moved next to Javenoli and he took a slow, quiet, sniff as the smell of flowers drifted across to him from her perfume. He felt a need to reach out and touch her, but he held his arms tight to his side, feeling uncomfortable as she turned her eyes to him. “I like the green” she said as she allowed her hand to move to her hip, her elbow stroking Javenoli’s arm as she did so. “Do you?” she asked.
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