Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 06] Druid's Gold

by Griff Hosker

  The battle was not over but as the two cohorts plunged into unprotected backs it rapidly disintegrated as a contest. The first to flee were the recently joined Brigantes who threw away their improvised weapons and ran. The Irish and the deserters fought back to back and to the death. The prefect who had taken a sword thrust to the arm was in no mood for leniency and ordered the legion to finish them with javelins to minimise Roman losses. Ernan roared his defiance and charged the First Cohort with the last of his oath brothers. It took six javelins in each man to kill the warrior but eventually the only ones left were the Romans and the rest were dead and dying.

  Cassius found the dying Mocius. “Was it worth it Mocius?”

  “I died with a sword in my hand but I am glad that survived I owe my...” with that he died and Cassius wondered what he had done to merit such thanks.

  First Spear had also survived but only just, around him lay the dead bodies of many of Ernan’s warriors as well as the aquifer and five other legionaries. He would live but it would take a miracle for him to serve again. For the moment the acting First Spear was the Ninth’s new senior officer.

  Livius and Cassius found as many of their Explorates as they could. When he found Rufius he embraced him. “Thank you for the arrows Rufius but how you and Ovidius managed to shoot three arrows so quickly is beyond me.”

  Rufius shook his head sadly and pointed to the body covered by a red cloak. “Ovidius was killed in the first attack. It is these two to whom you owe thanks. Marcus Gaius and Macro stood nervously behind Rufius.

  “We know you told us to stay near to the prefect but when you rode to stem the flank attack we have to follow. We are sorry sir.”

  “No Marcus Gaius; you have no need to apologise for the Allfather directed your course and I am in your debt. When we return to the farm we will talk with your parents of the future.”

  “Sir, the prefect wishes to speak with you.”

  Livius followed the legionary to the Prefect who was being fussed over by a capsarius. “Well at least I can look First Spear in the eye the next time that we discuss war, when he recovers of course. You have done well decurion but I have another task, well two actually. I have received a report, unconfirmed that Eboracum has fallen to the enemy and I know that Morwenna has fled south. I need you to confirm the first and follow the Queen.”

  Livius looked over at his men. “I only have five men who are fit to ride sir but I will go. We will ride close to Eboracum first and ascertain the problem then I will follow Morwenna but I fear that she has got a good two hours start on us. Even if we find her then we cannot follow for long, our horses would not last.”

  “I know decurion. I just need to know the direction she takes. You do not need to catch her. I will send the Gallic cavalry after her. They will be at Eboracum tomorrow.”

  “But what if Eboracum is taken?”

  “I do not think there will be many of her troops left there even if they did take it. We will follow as soon as we have cleared the field. I just need to know from you if I need to go in armed or if I can walk, or rather crawl in.”

  Smiling at the older man’s bluff humour Livius saluted and went back to Rufius, Metellus and Cassius. The other two were new Explorates he did not know yet. He would soon have to learn their names and the replacements for the dead troopers they had lost in this campaign. “Mount up boys our war is not over.”

  “Sir.”

  “Yes Macro?”

  “Can we come?”

  Marcus Gaius burst in, “If you left us here we would be alone and Rufius promised mother he would take us back safely.”

  Cassius and Rufius both hid smiles. “Oh mount up and the first thing I will ask your father is to give you both a good beating.”

  Grinning they both said, “Yes sir. Thank you sir.”

  Metellus leaned over, his face still pale from the sword thrust. 2You will not be so eager after six months in the saddle.”

  *

  Marius and Drusus were exhausted. It had taken far longer to round up their men than they had expected and they had run out of food the previous day. Marius had suggested that they go to the river to camp and catch fish. As he had said, “We have little water and our mounts are all out. Let us call it a scouting expedition.”

  Drusus could find no argument to that and he had assented. As they had fished by the river they found a peace that had been absent for so long. “I could do this all day you know Drusus. Just watch the river drift by and catch supper.”

  “It is pleasant.”

  Suddenly their pleasant mood was shattered by Fabius who came racing along. He spoke urgently and quietly. “Sir, just around the bend of the river, there are deserters and a wagon. Looks like they are waiting for something.”

  “Typical,” moaned Drusus. “Just get comfortable and…”

  “Stop moaning you old woman. Leave is over, we are back in the war.”

  Nuada and the men were becoming nervous. They had noticed bodies floating down the river. Admittedly they were towns’ people but his men had begun to talk of failure. Suppose Decius had died? What if something had happened to the Queen? Perhaps they should run?

  Nuada knew that if any of that had happened they were lost but he also knew that if they fled with the gold and Centurion was still alive then he would hunt and kill them. Nuada shuddered. He feared Centurion and Tiny above all men. “We wait. We are hidden. We watch for ships none has gone either upstream or downstream so the General is still there. We wait.”

  To the Explorates it was child’s play to get close enough to observe the deserters and, leaving Fabius on watch, they withdrew to the road. “Well it is obvious isn’t it? You and Curtius find the decurion and I will wait and watch.”

  “You take Marius and remember that fishing spot. We must be due some leave soon.”

  *

  Decius was becoming impatient, not with the sailors, for he could see they were working as hard as they could terrified as they were of Tiny who stood glowering over them. Decius was annoyed with that which he could not change, the weather. The wind as all could see was in the wrong direction and the narrow river meant that they had to tack back and forth. It had taken most of the morning for them to reach the juncture with the smaller river, the Fosse.

  “Curse this wind.”

  “Perhaps Morwenna knows you had deserted her and has summoned the Mother to aid her.”

  Decius flashed a sharp angry look at Centurion. The thought had cross his mind but you didn’t say it out loud in case the words were carried on the air and the witch heard them. “She cannot know yet. Even if she is victorious it would take time to reach Eboracum and then search for me.”

  “We should have destroyed the other boats, and then no-one could have followed us.”

  Decius shrugged, “That is hindsight but it matters not. Even if they do follow us they have to endure the same capricious wind as we.”

  The mate shouted over, “Sir, er captain, er General!”

  “What is it?”

  “Ahead is the bend in the river.”

  “And…”

  “The wind will begin to serve us we will move quickly.”

  “Excellent.” He slapped Centurion on the back. “There I told you the witch did not know.”

  ‘Aye’, thought Centurion but you thought she had invoked the Mother.

  *

  The young Irishman caught up with Morwenna and her entourage just a mile south of Eboracum. “Your majesty. Eboracum has been destroyed.”

  Morwenna’s mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. Her plan had half succeeded but it had not done her any good. Perhaps if she had just invested Eboracum then her gamble might have paid of but then she remembered the ordered legionaries and the wild charges of the Brigante and Irish. No the only way she could have held Eboracum was with a deserter army and Decius. “Where is the General then? Is he following?”

  The druids looked up at the Queen. She would normally have seen where he was but wh
ere Decius Lucullus Sallustius was concerned her second sight was blinded by lust. The messenger looked a little shamefaced. “I found one of his men who said he had seen the General, Centurion and Tiny take a ship and head downstream.”

  The Queen kept her emotions under control but she now knew that the gold wagon, which had disappeared, was headed for a meeting with Decius. She actually became sad when she realised that he valued the gold more than her. She cared nothing for the gold; it had been a means to an end but for her ex-lover it was everything. She shrugged off the memory and thought of him. She would return to Manavia and her children. There she and her priests would begin again. Her revolt was not over. It would be a long journey home for they would have to endure the winter in the mountains but the Romans would be too busy repairing forts and rounding up the deserters.

  “We head south and thence to Manavia. Let us ride.” She urged her horse on and the band galloped down the road.

  The Explorates heard the thunder of the hooves on the cobbled road and reacted swiftly, hiding in the woods off to the side. They saw the white horse of Morwenna sweep by and the bodyguards and priests surrounding her. When she had passed by they waited in case the rest of her army followed.

  “Here is a dilemma. Do we follow or what?”

  “It doesn’t alter what we do Drusus. We still have to tell Livius about the deserters and we can now tell him about the Queen.”

  “Perhaps she was joining the deserters?”

  “No I think that she would have been riding towards the river to join them.” Marius led the patrol back to the road and watched as the crowd that was the Queen headed south. “The road is without a turning for many miles. We are not far from Livius. We can still catch them.”

  They headed up the road as fast as their weary horses would allow. Livius and his Explorates were heading south and they met just a mile from the place they had seen the Queen. “Are we glad to see you Livius. We have seen the Queen heading south on the road to Lindum.” Marius looked apologetically at his decurion. “We didn’t follow for…”

  Livius held his hand up. “You have done as I would have done. The Prefect just wished to know where she had gone so that he could send the Gallic ala after her. You have done well.”

  He began to turn his mount around when Marius said, ”There is more sir. There are some deserters with a wagon waiting at a bend in the river. We thought they were waiting for the Queen but she carried on, it can’t be her.”

  “Decius!”

  “You many be right Cassius. Drusus, you carry on to Eboracum and tell the Prefect where Morwenna has gone. Drusus, lead us to these deserters.” Drusus nodded and dragged his weary horse to head north. Marius led the patrol through the scrubby undergrowth which fringed the road.

  *

  “Sir! I can a ship coming downstream!”

  “Arm yourselves. It may not be the general. Let us wait and see.” Nuada’s men lined the bank hidden by the overhanging willows and bushes.

  “I can se Tiny. It is them sir.”

  Nuada too could see the huge figure of Tiny standing like an extra mast at the front of the ship. “Over here! General! Over here!”

  Decius was elated and slapped Centurion on the shoulders. His mind had been working overtime, worrying that Nuada might have stolen his gold or that they might have been attacked and robbed themselves. Now their dream was almost realised. “We are almost there centurion!”

  “I can almost smell the palm trees of Africa!”

  “Helmsman, take us to the bank as close as you can.”

  “We’ll have to put down an anchor and tie up to those trees if you want to go ashore sir. The current will take us downstream otherwise.”

  Irritated Decius snapped, “Just do it!” He shouted to Nuada, “Get the gold ready, form a chain of your men to the boat and mine will stack it aboard.”

  The mate came up his face wracked with fear and worry. “Are you bringing cargo aboard?”

  “What is it to you?” Centurion’s face filled the sky above the petrified mate’s.

  “Sir if it is a small light cargo then there is no problem but if it is large or heavy then we will have to place it correctly in the hold or the boat will capsize.”

  The terror in his voice told them both that he was speaking the truth. “It is gold and a lot of it.”

  “We need to place it as low in the hold as we can and spread it out.”

  “Spread it out?”

  “Yes sir, one layer across the whole of the hold floor and then another,” he paused, “sir we are but a small boat if there is too much gold we…”

  “We will take all the gold. Even if we have to abandon the crew!”

  Centurion knew that Decius’ words were just a threat for they needed the crew more than their men. “General he may be right. There is no point taking too much and then sinking.”

  Decius could see that they were both right. “We take as much as we can. You, “he jerked a finger at the mate, “go ashore and tell us when we are getting too low.”

  The little man scampered ashore pleased to be away from the threatening glares of these angry soldiers.

  Livius held up his hand when he heard the noise from the river. He signalled for them to dismount. Each trooper tied his horse securely to a branch; if there was noise and the horses ran they did not want to be afoot. Macro and Marcus Gaius emulated the Explorates. Livius signalled for them to spread out. Those who had bows held them ready with arrows notched. With Rufius leading they slipped through the undergrowth, the sky quickly getting lighter as they approached the wide river. They all saw the masts of the ship peering above the trees and all of the wondered what they would see when they reached the river,

  Rufius held his hand up for them to halt and then he slithered away. When he returned he held both his hands up palms out twice. Every trooper knew that meant twenty deserters. Livius pointed at the men with bows and assigned them a spot. He suddenly realised that he still had Macro and Marcus Gaius with him but he could do nought about that. The ones without bows were assigned to guard the archers.

  The Explorates bellied through the undergrowth until they could see the sweating line of deserters passing boxes, from one to the other and loading the ship. They were well within arrow range and, as his men all looked at him, Livius slashed down the Sword of Cartimandua, its swish making one of the line suddenly look around, startled. It was too late a warning as the arrows flew. The first ten men fell to the ground dead or dying.

  The mate saw his opportunity and ran away from the river and away from the men with the bows; he assumed they were Roman but he was taking no chances. He would run away and return to the safety of another ship. He would soon get another berth out of the hell hole that was Eboracum.

  Decius and Centurion watched in horror as their men died. They searched the shore for a sight of their unseen assailants. “Who is it?”

  “Romans?”

  “It doesn’t matter. They are killing us minute by minute.” Nuada scrambled across the plank onto the ship. “Did you see them Nuada?”

  “I saw nothing but they are Roman arrows.”

  Centurion yelled to Tiny. “Get an axe and sever the lines.”

  “No! The gold!”

  “We have plenty aboard already. Let’s cut our losses and run. We cannot spend gold if we are dead,” Tiny looked from one to the other uncertain what to do. There was no one alive left ashore and the few who remained on the ship were cowering below the strakes.

  “But there is more than half still left on the shore.”

  “And more than half our men dead. We go!” He leapt to his feet and hacked the rope holding the ship to the tree.

  Rufius saw his chance and an arrow struck the huge man in the top of his arm. Tiny sliced down with an axe and they were just left with one rope at the stern.

  Decius could now see the wisdom of Centurion’s words. Better to escape with a little than risk all with an unknown enemy. The wound to his lieutenant h
ad unnerved him and as he ran to sever the stern rope he yelled, “Hoist the sails!”

  Livius suddenly rose up from the undergrowth barely twenty paces from his brother. “Decius you traitor!”

  His brother laughed as he sliced through the rope and the ship lurched forward, propelled by the river’s current. “I wondered if my goody, goody little brother was on the other side. It is a shame we never fought,” he noticed for the first time the magnificent blade held by Livius, “I could have killed you and taken that pretty little blade from you. It needs to be wielded by a real man.”

  “I will hunt you down brother and I will kill you.”

  “First you have to find me.” Livius’ men suddenly came out of the trance they appeared to be in, mesmerized by the dialogue between the brothers. Their arrows flew at Tiny and Decius; one struck Tiny but Decius appeared to bear a charmed life and the arrows clattered harmlessly into the deck. Decius spread his arms wide, “It seems the Allfather cares for me more than you brother. Think on that.”

  The sails suddenly unfurled and the boat leapt like a stag as the wind and the current took it towards the sea and freedom.

  Epilogue

  The Decurion Princeps of the Gallic ala rode wearily up to the Praetorium in Eboracum. The warm braziers could begin to thaw his bones which ached from the two week chase of the rebel Queen Morwenna. The news would not please the Prefect but then she had had such a start on them that it would have taken a winged Pegasus to overtake them. The Prefect looked better than the last time he had seen him and his wounds were healing well.

  “She escaped sir. We reached the coast as she set sail with her men. They left their horses but the warriors, priests and the Queen escaped.”

  “Did you have any trouble finding her?”

  The decurion shook his head. “We followed the corpses of the wounded and the old who were discarded as they fled and the mounts they rode into the ground,” he did not add that his men had found destroyed animals the most upsetting sight they had witnessed.