Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 00.5] Ulpius Felix- Warrior of Rome (24 page)

Wolf stepped forwards.  “Until my Emperor tells me otherwise Queen Boudicca then my home is Britannia.”

She nodded a grudging acknowledgement.  “Well at least one man in the room has balls!”

She strode out leaving all but Wolf reeling in her wake. “Apologies for my wife.  She can be difficult.”

Appius nodded his agreement and Wolf added, “Which is why I have never married King Prasutagus.”

“Then you are a wiser man than I Roman.” He resumed his reclined position and Appius began to count the coins as they came in.

While he was doing so Wolf spoke quietly with Drusus.  “What did you hear?”

“The guards were the ones who summoned the Queen.  All of these,” he waved a surreptitious arm around the room, “are loyal to her and not our king.” He looked dismayed.  “I never knew.”

“It matters no so long as we can leave with the taxes safely.”

Appius stood, a relieved look upon his face. “They are correct your majesty.”

“Good will you stay for food?”

Appius gave a nervous glance in Wolf’s direction.  “No majesty.  We have far to travel.”

“Thank you again and give the Governor my good wishes.  It is some time since he has visited and I miss good company.”

As they left Wolf felt sorry fort the king who seemed lonely and isolated. Money and power were not the most important things in life as he had come to appreciate.  Your friends were the rock upon which your troubles would crash. Once outside, Wolf sensed the hostility of the crowd.  He saw Boudicca, her daughters and a band of men standing close to a hut festooned with mistletoe rosemary and ears of corn.  He did not like the look she was giving him. “Gaius , Lucius.” The two men approached.

“Sir?”

“Well Lucius?”

“I heard the Queen talking to one of her men and they were talking of getting back the tax.”

Gaius jerked his head around to look at the Queen. “When?  I heard nothing.”

Lucius smiled.  “She spoke in Iceni.”

“Any idea where?”

“They didn’t say.”

“I am guessing it will be away from the town.  Even though they are all on her side they will not want to do it this close to the king.” He gave Blackie two handfuls of grain as they talked and kept the empty bags in his hand.

“I would go further sir.  I would think that they will wait until we are well on the road to Lindum and then it could be just bandits.”

“You are probably right Gaius.  Quaestor.” The boxes had been stored and he sat on the cart awaiting the move. ”They are going to rob us, on the road.” He looked around in panic. “Keep calm.  I have a plan.  Those boxes you just stored.  Could their contents be placed in bags?”

“Yes but how does that help?”

Wolf ignored the questions. He looked at the cart which was pulled by two horses. It had a canvas cloth protecting it. “As soon as we leave the settlement and are out of sight I want you to get under the cover and begin to put the taxes in bags.”

“Where will I get the bags?”

In answer Wolf gave him his bags the ones they used to carry the grain for the horses. “In these and then my men will carry them.”

Appius shook his head.  “Most irregular.  How do I know your men won’t simply ride off?”

“Because, you miserable little bean counter I say they won’t and the alternative is that we get caught and you die.  So…”

“Very well.”

“Turma, ride.” As he rode through the troopers he said, “Have your grain bags ready.  If you have any food in them then feed your horses when we stop.” If they were surprised by his command they did not show it.  Decurion Ulpius Felix rarely did anything without a good reason. “Gaius, take four men and trail us by a mile.  I don’t want us followed.  If there is trouble then let me know early.”

“Sir!”

Passing the gate they saw the evil smirks on the faces of the guards.  One of them looked down at Marcus and pulled a finger across his throat.  Drusus saw it.  “Well that confirms it then. They want us dead!”

Wolf turned in his saddle until he was certain that they were out of sight.  He yelled over his shoulder, “Quaestor!” If it had not been such a serious matter Wolf would have laughed at the sight of the official burrowing into the cart with just his skinny legs showing. Wolf rode down the line, “Keep moving.  When I tell you take your bag to the cart, the Quaestor will fill it with the taxes and you will keep them on your saddle. Titus, take that fucking grin off your face.  If there is one coin missing I will be having roast troopers balls for breakfast.” By the time he reached the Quaestor the two bags were filled and Wolf draped them over his saddle so that they balanced on each side. “Titus, Tiberius, bags!”

They were five miles from the settlement by the time it had been completed.  Six of the troopers had not needed to use their bags. “Right Quaestor.  I don’t know it you can ride but you and the carter here are going to have to learn bloody quickly.  We are going to leave the cart and get to Lindum as fast as possible.”

“Impossible! That cart has been signed for by me.”

Wolf nodded reasonably. “Then you stay with it Quaestor for as soon as we can we are going to gallop as hard as we can.”

The carter said, “Don’t worry sir.  I can ride and I would like to hang on to my balls.” He glared at the Quaestor meaningfully.

The official shrugged, “I can ride, sort of.”

“Good man!”

They heard the drumming of hooves and every trooper’s hand went to his sword. They were relieved to see it was Gaius. “Iceni sir, chariots and horses.  They are about a mile and a half back.”

“Right you two.  Time for a ride.” As the carter unhitched the horses Wolf shouted to the bodyguard.  “Right sunshine, you start to do your job now.  No matter what happens to us get your boss to Lindum.  We will do the fighting.  You guard the body.  Right?”

“Right sir.”

The two men were on the carthorses using the blankets as saddles; the carter had cut down the traces to make reins. “You three ride.  Don’t gallop, just keep a steady speed.  We will follow.” As they trotted off he said to the Turma.  Get this cart under cover.  I hope they wait a little further before they try anything.” As the men did so he gestured for Tiberius.  “Take the standard and Lucius.  Guard the Quaestor.  Lucius can speak the language if you get into trouble.”

“But sir the standard should stay with the men.”

The Decurion glared at him.  “Just follow the orders eh?”

“Sir.”

The two men rode off.  Wolf nodded his approval, he could see no sign of the cart and the hoof prints obscured any tracks there might have been. “Turma, trot.” The Chosen man and Decurion rode together. “Now we need a little luck on our side Gaius.  They will come after us steadily and expect to catch us on the road when we camp.  If they are any good then they will send fast scouts ahead to find us and if not… well we shall escape.”

The flat featureless land seemed to take forever to traverse.  The rider at the rear, Lentius, shouted, “Riders sir, about a mile back.”

“They aren’t good then Gaius, no scouts.” All the time the Decurion was scanning the sides of the road for any sign of ambush.  The legions who had built the road had done a good job and the undergrowth had been cleared for twenty paces on either side. The farmers had planted hawthorn, beech and blackthorn bushes to protect their fields and that was the only cover. The sun was beginning to dip when Lucius galloped up. “This is trouble Gaius.!

A breathless Lucius blurted out, “Sir the aquilifer sent me.  One of the horses has gone lame. the carter and the tax man are riding double.”

“Well there goes our luck. Here is what we will do.  We will gallop ahead to the place where the road rises.  Marcus and I will wait on the road as though one of our mounts has gone lame.  Split the turma on either side of the road behind the bushes.  If they attack us then throw your javelins and then get to the Quaestor.”

“And if they don’t attack?”

“Then we will talk to them and ask for help. But I suspect that they will come hunting bear.  And Gaius, get the chariots and the horses first.  It will block the road.  Now ride and may the Allfather be with us this day.“

They galloped quickly and, once they had crested the rise the turma split into two groups. “Right Marcus, dismount and let us examine our horses’ hooves. Slip your shield around to your back.”

As they did so Marcus asked, more to relieve the tension than anything, “Why choose me sir?”

“You are the best horsemen in the ala, apart from me of course, and you are clever.  You don’t panic.  Now stop looking for compliments and watch over my shoulder.”

“They are coming sir, and riding hard.”

“Let me know if they are slowing.”

“No sir. And the chariots have blades.”

Wolf turned and saw them forty paces away with weapons raised.  They intended harm.  “Mount and let’s ride!”

The first arrow whistled over their heads as they mounted whilst their horses were running. They both lay low over the horses’ neck to maintain a low profile.  Wolf felt a crack as something struck his shield and he looked under his arm.  The Iceni were almost at the ambush point.  “Ready to turn Marcus! Turn.  Draw your sword.”

The Iceni were still forty paces behind them and their faces showed that they anticipated an easy victory.  Suddenly the three chariots which led the chase disappeared in a mass of broken wheels, terrified horses and screaming warriors.  Marcus and Wolf charged and threw their javelins at the two horsemen who were trying to continue the chase. “Fall back!”

The turma raced along the hedgerow and Marcus and Wolf wheeled their horses to gallop down the road. “Well done Marcus.  Good to see your nerves match your riding skills.”

Gaius and the turma joined them at the next gap in the hedgerow. “I think we slowed them a little sir.  I counted ten men down and eleven horses injured.  The chariots are useless now.”

“Good,” he pointed ahead, “because if my eye doesn’t deceive me there is our tax man.”

The three horses ahead were being led by the carter who had given the horse to the Quaestor.  They pulled up and Wolf ordered the carter to get behind Lucius. 2He is the lightest and we have only slowed those bastards down not stopped them.”

Riding along Gaius asked, Where are we going to camp tonight?” He pointed to the civilian horses.  “Our mounts could go further but they are all in and we can’t afford another lame horse.”

“I was hoping to make it to Durobrivae but I think that is too far. We need to look for somewhere we can defend, just in case they are persistent.”

By the time they saw somewhere suitable the horses were almost at the point of collapse and it was close to dark. The found a deserted group of round houses. They had obviously been eliminated by the Roman road builders for there was half a round house twenty paces from the road and then the other three deserted one.  There was still the semblance of a ditch which would afford some protection. “Get the civilians and their horses in the house the furthest from the road.  Marcus, Drusus, Lucius, hobble the horses, let them feed in the field and then put them in the second round house.  The rest of you, deepen the ditch and extend it to the road.  Cut down some of the bushes and we will cover the ditch  with them when  we are done.”

One tired voice in the dark moaned, “Dig with what?”

“With your hands if you have to, just dig. Gaius, come with me.” The two of them went across the road to the blackthorn tree.  Its wickedly sharp thorns were perfect for lillia. “Cut down about twenty of these branches and stick them in the bottom of the ditch.”

He strode down the road.

“Where are you off to sir?”

“Its dark, they can’t see me but I can hear them.”

He walked two hundred paces down the road and looked back at the huts.  In the dark it was hard to see them and he could only make out vague movements.  That was good.  Once they were settled down for the night they would be invisible and it was possible that the Iceni would miss them in the dark. He listened and, at first he could hear nothing.  He took off his helmet and put his ear to the stones of the road.  He felt a faint vibration.  They were coming.

As he hurried into the improvised fort he said as quietly as possible. “Cover the ditches, get the horses under cover and arm yourselves.  We have visitors.” He ducked into the hut with the three civilians in. “Arm yourselves we may have visitors.  We will try to hold them off.  If I think they are going to break in I will yell Quaestor run.  You go into the next hut, cut the hobbles on the horses and take the horses with you.  The taxes are still on the saddles and you should be able to escape in the dark.  There is a fort fifteen miles ahead.  You should be able to make it.”

The bodyguard and the carter nodded, grateful for the sacrifice but the Quaestor looked puzzled.  “But what of you?”

“We are soldiers of Rome.  We will do our duty.” With that he left. The men were waiting for him close to the ditch.  “Get rid of your cloaks they will only trip you up. Use your swords we don’t want you hitting each other and wait for my command.”

The newer troopers found that they all needed to pee and that it was suddenly cold.  Gaius felt Lucius shivering and murmured.  “Don’t worry son.  It will go away when we start fighting.”

The Iceni were good horsemen but one of their beasts let them down.  The whinny told them that the pursuers had caught them. Wolf drew out his gladius and the others slid their blades silently from their scabbards. Although they were outnumbered Wolf was confident that they would win.  They had shields and armour and a ditch.  The Iceni assumed that they would be in the huts and that gave the troopers the edge. There was a rustle as the invisible warriors approached the ditch.  Then there was a scream as one of the warriors stepped onto a blackthorn stake quickly followed by a second and a third. “Wait!” hissed Wolf.

There was a collective roar as the Iceni hurled themselves at the huts.  The ditch tripped and trapped some of them and the first few through the barrier found themselves hacked and stabbed by the waiting turma. Soon, however, the numbers were more even as more of the Iceni clambered through the trap. “Go for their legs, they have no armour.” Although not honourable and not part of the warrior code, the long spatha could outreach most of the shorter weapons wiled by the enemy. Their swords held high to protect against the expected sword they fell to the ground as the long blades sliced into their thighs.  Those who did manage to strike a blow found they hit a shield or a helmet and did no damage. Their leader, whoever he was, knew they could not win and a call in Iceni sounded above the combat. “He is telling them to retreat,“ yelled Lucius.