Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 07] Trajan's Hunters

by Griff Hosker

  “That is the advantage of hindsight, it is always perfect. Don’t worry Livius, Rufius and I will not let you down.”

  “I know Metellus. I just hope that I don’t let you down.”

  Metellus laughed so loud that Rufius some half a mile ahead heard and turned around. “Livius you have the best sense of humour of anyone I know! Let us down! Wait till I tell Cassius and the boys that one!” he suddenly looked serious. “Of course this may well be a goose chase and your brother might be in the opposite direction. We have no real evidence that your brother and the gold are here.”

  “True but the official in the port acted far too suspiciously for my liking. And as you say, we have plenty of time and we have spent very little of our gold. We will trust that the Allfather is guiding us well.”

  It was close to midday when Rufius held up his hand and slid from his horse. They saw him lay the horse down and they dismounted. Explorates had great control over their mounts and the two men knew that Rufius had seen something. It seemed an age that they waited. The insects which bit their horses and themselves seemed to arrive in their hundreds although that was probably their imagination. Finally they saw Rufius remount and wave them on.

  They saw Rufius with a working man. He was obviously someone who worked the vines for he had a scythe and a basket. “This is Gurth. He works the fields near here.”

  “Do you live close by?”

  “Aye sir. Just down the valley.”

  “We are seeking friends. Others who, like us, served Rome. We believe they have settled in one of these valleys and we would like to find them.”

  “I told the young man here I know the men you speak of. Great men. Great warriors. They cleared this land of bandits.”

  “Good that sounds like them.”

  “Yes Lord Lucullus is a good man and he has many farms now. Over that way. A day’s ride.”

  “He has done well then. How did he get his farms?”

  “Oh the bandits killed the farmers and Lord Lucullus killed the bandits and then kindly took over the farms. We are grateful. Since the Roman army left the bandits have increased but no more; this land is peaceful again.”

  “Well thank you Gurth. How will we know our friend’s farm?”

  “Oh you can’t miss it,” he grinned, “it is like a fort and he has armed men. It is up the valley near to the lake. The bandits will not come back I can tell you.”

  After Gurth had left the three of them dismounted and allowed their mounts to graze.”Very clever eh Livius?”

  “Aye, kill the farmers, find some bodies and pretend they are the bandits. He probably used the bodies of the men who died in the attacks and then presented himself as a saviour. Well done Rufius, you had it nailed. Well we ride today and then tomorrow we scout the fort and after that, Metellus let us hope your plan works.”

  “So do I for Rufius and I have to get rid of two rocks, the giant and Scarface. I will have to think this out very carefully or you could be returning to Morbium alone.”

  Chapter 15

  The next day proved a fruitless hunt for the elusive fortified villa and its dangerous occupants. They had to take it carefully with Rufius painstakingly examining each potential property first. Livius and Metellus had to wait and watch, ensuring that, if it were the right place, they would not be surprised. Metellus had pointed out that Decius would not have changed that much and he would have his guards and his patrols to ensure he retained his security. They all remembered the rocks which had killed their men near Glanibanta. “You are right Metellus; we should not underestimate my brother.”

  They were at another site, quite close to the sea. From their hillside observatory they could hear the gulls and smell the shore and they could see the brackish pools which lined the land behind the shoreline. “If he had been selected to work with Marcus as you were, do you think he might have turned out differently?”

  “Good question Metellus I don’t know for certain but I do know that when we were growing up he rarely played by the rules. He wanted to win at all costs. I don’t think that even the noble Marcus could have eradicated that flaw. If he had changed then it is obvious that he would have been a great soldier, using his skills for the Empire and not for himself. But we shall never know for the path he chose was the selfish one which resulted in many good men dying.”

  Rufius suddenly appeared at their side, a huge grin spread across his boyish face as they both started in surprise.”I don’t know how you do that Rufius but I wish you would stop! One of these days I will die of shock.”

  “You are getting to be like Gaelwyn Metellus, an old woman.”

  “Any luck?”

  Rufius shook his head. “This isn’t the place but I met a boy looking after some sheep and he said that there is somewhere else, he called it the hill on the lake. About half a day’s ride to the east of us.”

  “We’ll give that a try. I wonder if that man yesterday gave us false information?”

  “I don’t think so. He said a day away and pointed generally north. We came directly north and,” Metellus pointed at the sea,”I think we probably came north west rather than directly north.”

  “And he said it was close to a lake. We haven’t seen any lakes yet.”

  The land steadily climbed with fields of vines separated by small scrubby hedges. It made their approach slightly easier but nerve wracking as they could not see very far ahead. Towards evening they found the lake and, with the sun setting behind them they had a glorious view of it a flash of red and gold stretching out before them. It was long and narrow and they could see a glow off to one side. They had found a possible villa but they would have to wait until the following day to investigate it. They made their camp in a small clearing close to the eastern shore of the lake but hidden in the pine forest.

  * * * * * *

  Narcissus arrived back at the villa in the late afternoon. Decius was both annoyed and at the same time slightly worried. His overseer had rarely been away for such a length of time. As soon as he arrived both Centurion and Decius could see that he was agitated and troubled. All thoughts of angry incriminations dissipated. “Problems Narcissus?”

  The little man could not help looking furtive and even in the safety of the fortified villa could not help but look nervously over his shoulder. “Yes master. I spoke with the promagistrate and had arranged for the property titles to be changed in our favour but we were disturbed by visitors. Romans looking for you.” It was as though someone had gripped Decius’ heart in icy fingers and he involuntarily shrank back.

  Centurion looked at him in slight surprise. They had known that someone would follow although perhaps not this quickly. “Who Narcissus? Soldiers?”

  “No Centurion. Frumentarii!”

  Even Centurion was taken aback. Imperial assassins were not to be taken lightly. “Let us not panic Decius. Narcissus, tell us everything.”

  When Narcissus had finished Centurion felt slightly mollified. “Well the fat one has earned his pay this month. The description of a one eyed frumentari means that we should be able to spot him easily but if they are heading south they will not get a sniff of us. We are safe.”

  Decius shook his head. “The frumentarii are like bloodhounds Centurion. They will soon know that it is a false scent and they will return to the promagistrate. Be in no doubt that he will reveal our whereabouts for they are not gentle when they seek information.”

  Centurion knew that he was right. “You have a plan?”

  Decius ruthlessly nodded, his face hardened with resolve. “Narcissus you must go to Namnetum and purchase a ship and a crew. We will begin to pack up what we have. When you have the boat bring it to the southern side of the river and have it anchor. You can then return here and we will leave Gallia Aquitania for warmer climes.” Go.”

  Narcissus nodded and left. “What of the promagistrate? He is a loose end.”

  “I know Centurion and he is a loose end we will be rid of. Send Nuada and one of the new men. The pr
omagistrate should have a little accident. I have some of Morwenna’s poisons. If they leave some shellfish around it will be thought he died of bad food.”

  Centurion nodded, seeing the wisdom of the decision. He asked out of curiosity more than anything. “Why Nuada? Why not Tiny or myself?”

  Decius laughed and slapped his friend on the back. “Because the two of you are memorable and definitely frightening. People will remember you. Nuada looks like every other low life and will be forgotten as soon as seen.”

  Satisfied Centurion looked around. “Well I will not be sorry to leave this place. It was comfortable but I will be happier to get somewhere away from the gaze of Rome. Where are we heading this time?”

  “Rome has provinces in Africa but there are still some areas which they do not control. We will try those. My only worry is that we do not have enough men.”

  “That is a bridge we will cross when we have to. For the moment we will need to evacuate this refuge. I will give Nuada his instructions.”

  * * * * * *

  There was a mist on the lake when they awoke; it lay like a blanket over the still waters giving it a mysterious and haunting appearance. They could hear the calls of the water birds but the birds themselves were invisible. Livius had had the early morning watch and he had used the time productively, there were six fish on the fire, the smell of them cooking bringing Rufius and Metellus quickly awake. “Well Livius you are learning. There was a time you couldn’t have caught a fish unless it jumped from the water into your lap. “

  “Metellus never criticise the cook. It leads to short rations.”

  Once they had eaten Rufius took his bow and loped off through the thinning mist. Metellus eradicated all remains of their camp while Livius kept watch. Once they were satisfied that all was as it should be they set off slowly following the trail left by Rufius, the markings on the trees visible only to Explorates who knew what to look for.

  The land to their left was low lying for a hundred paces with small scrubby bushes and stunted trees. It then rose quite sharply with bare rocks and loose shale. Suddenly Rufius appeared along the trail and urgently gestured for them to take cover. The three Explorates were past masters at hiding and they disappeared like wraiths. It seemed like an age that they waited and, were it not Rufius who had warned them; perhaps Livius would have thought that a mistake had been made. Eventually they heard the whinny of a horse. Each of them held his hand over his own mount’s nose and nuzzled their ears. They had learned that this was the best way to keep their own horses quiet and even though they were new horses the three had managed to make them their own on the ride north.

  Nuada and Gaius, the two men sent by Centurion to visit the promagistrate had no reason to suspect that they were being observed but both were cautious and scanned the sides of the trail for any potential enemies. The Explorates were well hidden and the two assassins passed them by without even noticing them. Rufius waited a short time and then trotted down the path after them. Livius and Metellus waited patiently for the return of the tracker, maintaining their alert silence. When he did return it was with good news. “They did not see us and I heard them talk. They are heading for Portus Santonum. I recognised one of them.”

  Livius and Metellus both nodded. “I think we all did. It looks like we have found at least one of the deserters.”

  “Livius I think we can safely assume we have found them all.”

  “Yes but we need a more secure base. Rufius go and find the fortified villa. We will wait here.” When Rufius raced off Livius looked across the lake. “I am taking a guess that the villa is up that slope. If we ride around the other side of the lake we should be able to camp and keep them under surveillance and avoid them wandering in on us.”

  “Good idea.”

  The path was too obvious a means of travel and Rufius took his mount through the woods. The trees were not closely packed and there was little pine straw. Glancing down the scout could see that there had been little human or horse traffic. That was good for it meant that they used the paths. He saw the land begin to rise and rocks replaced the trees. He tied his mount to a tree and scrambled amongst the rocks keeping as still as possible when he reached a new hiding place. The villa was obvious once he emerged from the trees and he could see that everything was recently built, plastered and painted. Whoever lived here had only recently completed the work for there was no growth up the outside. He skirted the outside perimeter and was impressed with its size. He found one barred gate and, when he had completed his circuit saw the second, larger front gate. He patiently waited until he saw some movement inside the fortified villa. He was rewarded by the sight of a spear head above the walls and then the huge doors opened and he was able to see, from his hidden vantage point, what was inside.

  When Rufius returned he confirmed that they had found those that they sought. “Did you see my brother then?”

  “No but I did see the big bugger and the ugly scarred bastard and where they are your brother will not be far away.”

  “Let’s go. We’ll find a new camp and wait until dark.”

  By the time they had reached the other side of the lake the sun had burned off the early mist and they could see the villa clearly across the narrow slip of blue water. It was indeed a fort and was perched atop steep rocks on a small plateau. Livius had to admire his brother’s eye for matters military. An assault by any other than legionaries would be doomed to failure. Rufius’ keen eyes had already spotted the armed men. “They looked to be packing something. You can see it from inside the gate, it was a wagon.”

  “I don’t like that. Did it look like they were loading or unloading?”

  “Loading. They were bringing things from inside the house.”

  “We have just found him. We don’t want him disappearing.”

  “What about the man from the promagistrate’s office?”

  “I didn’t see him. Just the two we know and six armed men.”

  “Well Metellus it is your plan. What do we do?”

  “Leave the horses here. Rufius you are young and fit, ride around the lake and see how big it is. Scout out the other side of the lake and see what approaches there are from that side. We need as much information as we can about this place. Meet us back here.” Rufius sprang onto the back of his horse and headed east along the side of the lake. “We will go west and around the short side of the lake and see what we can discover. If we take our weapons we might be able to thin out the opposition should we meet any. If we assume that Decius was inside with other men then we are looking at ten to twelve enemies. Too many for the three of us.”

  “Won’t that warn them? We don’t want them spooked and flee before we have them in the bag.”

  “If they have the gold then they won’t be going anywhere fast. They don’t have a convenient boat here and the nearest port is probably Portus Santonum or Namnetum. We could easily find them if they headed there. Wagons do not move quickly do they? No if we spook them it will merely frighten them and that works to our advantage. The worst scenario would be if they knew of our numbers for then they would become the hunters.”

  “I wonder if the promagistrate told them of us.”

  “Probably.”

  “Then we shall have to visit him before we leave this land and reward him for his betrayal.”

  Metellus quickly glanced over at Livius. He was becoming more ruthless and less of an idealist than he had before the encounter at Eboracum; it was understandable in the circumstances and after his experiences but it was disappointing. It would be a shame if he became a shade of his evil brother.

  It was difficult to find somewhere from which to spy on the villa as it rose steeply above them. They made do with a quick scout to reconnoitre and establish the boundaries and entrances of the deserter’s sanctuary. An hour’s exploration confirmed Rufius’ initial assessment that there were two entrances, the major one having two big gates. They found that they could hear voices from within but all that they could
discern was that there were more than a handful of men inside.

  Livius gestured for Metellus to join him as they headed back to their waiting horses. They went carefully for they did not want to be detected before they had made their plans. As they rode back down the trail they compared what they had seen. “There were no women that I could hear.”

  Metellus looked closely at Livius. “You expected Morwenna to be there.”

  “Not really. But it was important to know. When we left Eboracum she was still reported to be in the west but it would have made some sort of sense had she joined him. The fact that she isn’t here makes my mind easier for it means that Decius is still looking out for himself. There are no intentions to raise an army again. If Morwenna were here then we would have a larger problem than the enormous one which faces us now.”

  “I made it at least ten men’s voices I heard.”

  Livius stared across the narrow lake. “And one of the voices I heard was that of my brother. It is confirmation that he is there.”

  “Could you make out anything that was said?”

  “Not really but I know it was his voice. It was just infuriating that I could not see him.”

  Reaching their camp they prepared food ready for the third member when he returned. Although they did not expect their enemies to find them they kept a watch across the water for any sign that they had been seen.

  It was almost dusk when an exhausted and weary Rufius dragged himself into the camp walking and leading his mount. “That is a big lake! Quite narrow in places. It is half a day’s ride round to the villa. I found a spot which looked directly through the gate and I counted ten men including, “he looked at Livius to gauge his reaction, “your brother and his two henchmen.”

  Metellus gave Rufius a wooden board with some food on it. “We also found out that Decius is there and roughly the numbers but it is good to have it confirmed. Did you see aught else?”

  Swallowing a mouthful of food Rufius gestured across the water as though pointing at the actual men. “They are leaving. They were packing trunks and boxes on to the wagons and the boxes looked heavy.”