Legio XVII: Battle of the Danube (21 page)

He continued, “The Suevi are arming their men with throwing spears and manufacturing a new shield made out of wood to replace the flimsier wicker shield.  The Army is training at a place called Bad Tolz.”

The Teuton asked him about the size of the Army.  Milo said that their goal was to recruit and train about 20,000 men.  The agent scoffed and said, “Well, that does not pose a threat to us.  When you return here in March, I want you to bring with you one of their new spears and shields.  If you value the lives of your family, you will do it.  Find out why they are replacing their shields.”

Milo shot back, “I’ll try, but the place where they are making these things is heavily guarded.  It may be impossible.  I’ll try; do not harm my family.  Oh, I heard that the reason the Army is going to the new equipment is that the Roman tribe that defeated them in July used such spears and shields and they are considered more effective.”  Milo hated the man!

The Teuton said, “Next time we meet, tell me more about these Romans.  Milo, have you made contact with all 10 agents?”

Milo answered, “No, two of them were recruited into the Suevi Army and are probably at Bad Tolz.  The place is heavily guarded; there is no way for me to contact them.”

“Milo, find a way.  If the Suevi plan to retaliate against us, I want to know about it.  Find a way to contact them.”

*******

As early as January 206, agents began reporting back to Elitovius the location and size of three separate Teuton garrisons at Landshut, Augsburg, and Regensburg as well as other valuable information.  They reported one very surprising fact.  The garrison at Munich had vanished.  They assumed it had been withdrawn to Regensburg.  Once the information was corroborated from among several agents and the facts and falsehoods sorted out, Elitovius began briefing the eight Legion Legates.  In time, agents obtained Teuton swords, shields, and spears for analysis and testing.

Elitovius was also convinced that the missing Teuton agents that he had been unable to identify had, in fact, been recruited into the Suevi Army and now posed no threat, unless they had family members held hostage by the Teutons, in which case they would be desperate to desert.  He needed to tell Davenhardt that the Suevi Legions would have to take extra precautions to prevent anyone from fleeing Bad Tolz until they could be identified and removed.

*******

As soon as the encampment at Trento received the wagons loaded with weapons, food, tools, and other equipment from the Legions, Timo told Lugano to execute the plan developed at Rome.  The idea was to move the wagons in stages to Innsbruck and Bad Tolz to not arouse suspicion.  Raeti guards escorted the first 200 wagons loaded with humanitarian relief aid to the end of the Brenner where Suevi soldiers took over as drivers and provided military escorts for the final leg to Innsbruck.  From there, they dispersed to the east on both sides of the river distributing legitimately needed items, while hiding the military cargo destined for Bad Tolz.

Simultaneously, another 200 wagons departed Trento and headed for the Reschen Pass far to the west.  Timo took the bulk of his Army as escorts for three reasons.  First, Reschen was dangerously close to Insubres territory and he feared they would be tempted to raid the convoy.  Secondly, he wanted to exercise his Army and conduct some badly needed field training.  Finally, he wanted to display his Army to the western tribes as an incentive to maintain good relations with the Rhaetians.

Once the convoy crossed over the Pass, the Suevi Army took over responsibility for the wagons.  These wagons distributed aid primarily to the west of Innsbruck, but continued handing out relief aid to the east of Innsbruck as well.  When the wagons arrived at Jenbach, they turned north along the newly built Roman road and headed to Bad Tolz.

When Timo returned to Trento from his escort trip to the western territories and the Reschen Pass, he and Rosa embarked on a formal state visit to Innsbruck to meet with Bethica, her father Ariovistus, and her Council of Elders.  They were accompanied by another 200 wagons and more cattle.  The state visit lasted only two days before Timo and Rosa departed.  It was getting late in the season and the temperatures were getting colder.

The wagons and their Suevi drivers made their distribution and headed to Bad Tolz.  Once these wagons entered the valley leading to Bad Tolz, they were met and escorted by Rasce’s cavalry.  After unloading their cargo, several of the wagons began the long trip back to Trento in conformity with Elitovius’ deception plan.

The remaining 400 wagons at Trento wintered over in the fort along with the Roman Maniple and Raeti guards.  They were joined in early January by the first 1,000 new Legionaries that graduated from Basic Training.  They arrived cold and tired.  The fort with its sturdy wooden huts and blazing fires was the best thing they had seen in weeks.

The drivers of the hospital wagons that had accompanied the Legions to the base of the Mountain and watched the men ascend the path, began to fill the new recruits heads with exaggerated tales of horror and mayhem about the steep pathway up the mountain.  The new men heard about Legionaries rolling off cliffs, getting to the top only to slide all the way back down, and constantly vomiting from exertion and elevation.  Most of these men believed these wild tales and were petrified of what they would face in May.

*******

When March arrived, Milo knew he was expected to travel to Munich to make his quarterly report to the Teuton.  He dreaded the trip and hated meeting with the Teuton.  Only his concern for his family drove him on.

The men working for Milo had gained his confidence and, one day, he opened up to them about his role as a spy.  He felt he could trust them and they appeared sympathetic to his plight.  They immediately reported to their Suevi contact who, in turn, relayed the information to Eliovitus.

That evening when the Legates gathered to discuss the day’s events and go over the plans for the next day, Eliovitus gave his customary briefing and then waited for the meeting to adjourn.  He lingered behind while the hut cleared and said, “Proconsul, may I speak with you privately?”

Manius looked around and said, “Would everyone please clear the room and tell the guards at the door to not let anyone into this room.”

Eliovitus said, “Legate, Milo told his Suevi helpers all about his nefarious activities and how he hates the Teutons for making him spy on his own people.  His family is being held hostage in Regensburg so he has no choice.  I need your approval to try to get him to work for us.  I think it will take little persuasion to gain his cooperation.  I see immense value in this.  I propose that the Suevi interview him to find out what his Teuton handler wants from him and then use Milo to feed the Teuton false information.  We may also find out the identity of the two Suevi soldiers who are working for the Teutons.  I see no risk in trying.”

Manius said, “I agree with you; we have nothing to lose.  Tell me what happens.”

*******

Rasce and the Scorpio Commander met with the Chief Carpenter of the Expedition and explained the Proconsul’s idea of creating a more mobile Scorpio.  The carpenter was already overwhelmed with other projects, but said he would organize a team of carpenters drawn from the Legions to work on it.  A week later, a Scorpio with a longer axle, larger wheels, and a tongue protruding from the front of the handcart just below the Scorpio’s firing slide was rolled out the gate and into the surrounding field.  Following behind was a modified handcart for the arrows.

Rasce harnessed a single horse to the Scorpio and began walking the horse.  So far so good!  Then the horse began to trot and the Scorpio began to bounce with changes in the terrain.  Rasce signaled the rider to gallop and make turns. That’s when the test proved its value.  The Scorpio was in the air more than on the ground and at the first turn, it tipped over.

When the observers reached the Scorpio, they were amazed that nothing was broken. They righted the Scorpio and the horse pulled it back to the entrance to the fort.  The Carpenter said, “I’ll have the axle lengthened to give it more stability, but that’s not the real problem.  All the weight is in the front.  I think it should be pulled backwards.  I’ll also build a two man seat just behind the tongue; that should help stop the bouncing and balance the load better.  The Scorpio’s slide would point away from the horse when in travel mode and the two men will be facing in the direction of movement.  Also, only gallop in emergencies and don’t make tight turns.  Give me a week; I’ll notify you when it’s ready.”

Ten days later, the Carpenter said the Scorpio was ready for another test.  This time it worked perfectly.  The handcart with the arrows was fitted with two seats in the front and also performed as desired.  Rasce said, “I’ll tell the Proconsul we’re ready to show him the finished product.”

The following day, Manius stood on the field with the Carpenter, Rasce, the Scorpio Commander, all eight Legates and Calvus and Silvius.  The Scorpio, the cart with the arrows, and the crew stood in a field as if they were firing the weapon.  Two horses emerged from the right at a gallop; the Scorpio crew swung the weapon and arrow cart into position to hook up to the horses; connecting pins and cotter pins secured the tongue and weapon together and the horses moved at a trot in a looping left hand turn that brought them directly in front of the viewers.  When the horses stopped, the crew jumped off the carts, disconnected the tongue, and prepared to fire the weapon.

Caile was the first to speak, “Well done!  Well done, we have a flying Scorpio!” he said and began to clap his hands together.  Others joined in.  When they quieted, Manius addressed the Carpenter, Rasce and the Scorpio Commander, “Gentlemen, I think you just heard our response.  Chief Carpenter, congratulations and now build nine more and have them ready by 1 June.”

*******

In April, the second group of 1,000 newly trained Legionaries arrived at Trento with Tribune Andreas.  He put an immediate stop to the tall stories about climbing the mountain told by the drivers, but even he was almost taken in.

Andreas knew he could not let the men sit idly warming themselves in the huts.  They were kept busy with the standard chores of looking after their mules, chopping firewood, and feeding themselves, but they had to be kept active to maintain their physical conditioning and soldierly skills.  He now had under his Command at the encampment 2,000 new Legionaries and a 100-man Maniple from Legio XVII that remained at the fort to provide security.

The roughly 1,000 wagon drivers who had driven the wagons from Rome to Trento and stayed to build the fort were mostly hired laborers and slaves.  Initially, they were needed to care for the animals and perform many of the routine jobs of living in an isolated fort.  All but about 400 of these men returned to Rome when the 600 wagons were driven over the Brenner and Reschen Passes in November.

Shortly after his arrival at the encampment, Andreas’ curiosity about the pathway compelled him to see it for himself.  He was the kind of man who believed in facing his fears.  He hated sitting around dreading some future event.  He gathered his Raeti counterpart, the few Centurions at the fort, some of the more promising recruits and set out to walk the 46 miles (74km) to the base of the hill.  He planned for this trip like he would any expedition.  The cold was his major concern, but with the mules carrying the tents and enough food, fuel and fodder, he did not anticipate any problems.

After five days of walking, he and the others stood at the base of the mountain.  The slight dusting of snow did not cover the trail and the poles clearly marked the path.  The next day, Andreas took the group and their mules about a mile up the hill to better gauge its steepness and difficulty.

Around the fire that night, the consensus was that the hill was an ass-kicker, but could be climbed.  The stories told by the wagon drivers were a bunch of nonsense designed to scare the new recruits.

When Andreas and his small party returned to the fort at Trento, they were swarmed by the Legionaries anxious to hear about the mountain.  Andreas anticipated this reaction and had rehearsed the men who climbed the hill with him on specific items to mention and how to say it.  He did not dictate what they would say, but provided guidance on topics to cover.

Within minutes of Andreas’s arrival at the fort, he called for a meeting, without the lying drivers.  The men were formed into a horseshoe formation with Andreas and his fellow climbers in the open end.  He told the Legionaries to sit down.  Andreas then said a few words and allowed each of the 10 men to share their experience.  Andreas was surprised at how articulate these men were and how thoroughly they covered the precise issues that had caused such anxiety among the Legionaries.