Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 06] Druid's Gold (35 page)

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 had 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.

“Well we know where she is going. Some of the prisoners we took told us of an island, Manavia. She has a base there.”

“A job for the Classis Britannica then?”

“No.  She can fester there.  The warrior elite have been destroyed and now that we know of the threat of deserters the Governor has ordered a sweep of the places they inhabit to round them up.  No decurion our eyes are now on the north.  The Emperor has decided that we need to bolster the north.  The Ninth is going to regain the land we lost and you and your ala will be helping me.”

*

The Dubris
pulled into the small port south of the Liger. After the crew had anchored the ship just off the beach they had their throats cut and were thrown overboard to be swept out to sea.  As Decius went ashore to hire a new crew, who would know nothing of the predecessors he reflected that they probably had enough gold to start a new life but Africa might be just too far with only ten of them left.  He would have to start again.  Centurion was healing but Decius knew that he needed his lieutenant fully fit if he was to create the kingdom which was his dream. As he waded ashore with Tiny watching his back he couldn’t get the image of his brother out of his mind. It would be just like the patriot to follow Decius and fulfil his promise. Well he would make the job more difficult.  He had hidden before and he would hide again.

*

It was the time of the burning of the bones at the farm close to Morbium and Livius, Rufius and Cassius had been invited to join the feast.  Marius and Drusus had been tasked with raising and training more Explorates in anticipation of the spring campaign in the north. Ailis had accepted, after the stories she had heard from Rufius and Livius of the bravery of her boys, that they would be following in their fathers’ footsteps and joining the army. She was mollified by the fact that both Livius and Rufius looked to be as fond of the boys as Gaelwyn was and she knew that they would be cared for.  It did not stop her worrying about them but she realised that worrying was a mother’s lot.

Gaius could not have been prouder as he heard of his boy’s exploits and even Decius Gaius looked a little envious as they recounted the battles in which they had participated. “It is good to know that Marcus’ Horse is not forgotten and the standard and sword rode again.”

“It was not just that Gaius.  The Brigante all knew, feared and respected the name.  Marcus Maximunius would have been proud.”  He looked around.  “Where is he?  I thought he would have been here.”

Gaelwyn shook his head sadly.  “He is not a well man and I fear the Allfather is calling him.  I would see him sooner rather than later if you wish to tell of the battle for he will not survive Yule.”

Livius looked at the fire, its flames flickering and dancing, mesmerizing him and making him remember the deeds of Marcus’ Horse and the warriors he had fought alongside, Decius, Macro, all gone. The others were equally lost in thought.  Suddenly Livius looked over at Gaius, “That will make you the last of the Pannonians who rode with Ulpius, saved the Queen and held the sword.”

Gaius’ grey head nodded and looked at Ailis who held his hand gently. “Aye.  We have passed on the standard and now new warriors will emulate our deeds.” He ruffled his son’s head. “You boys have high standards but from what I have been told you will gain as much honour as any.”

Both boys stood proudly at attention. “That we swear, on the Sword of Cartimandua.”

The End

Historical Note and Glossary of people and places in the novel

The Isle of Man was indeed invested in about 60AD by the druids and priests escaping the Roman Holocaust on Mona.  As there was a whole culture and infrastructure on Mona one can only assume that this continued on the Isle of Man. This culture may well have lasted into and beyond the Irish and Viking invasions of the ninth and tenth centuries.  Those new cultures would, in all likelihood have blended into the Druidic culture which prevailed. The Druids were an Iron Age culture and left little in the way of archaeology. The Romans liked to build in stone, the Iron Age in wood.

The Exploratores were very much as described although in reality they operated individually or in pairs rather than the sections I describe.  As they only came to the fore at the start of the second century I have assumed that there would be a transition from the cavalry they were to the spies they became.  As Marcus’ Horse is a fictitious ala I felt happy to disband it and use the survivors to begin the Exploratores. There were Gallic alae, Batavian and Tungrian cohorts in Britannia throughout the period but as evidence for locations and officers is vague I have used them generically.

Eboracum did suffer burning and raids by Brigante right up to the building of Hadrian’s Wall in about 120 A.D. The Ninth Legion is last heard of in Britannia in about 108 A.D., roughly when this novel is set and they were at Eboracum.  The legion then disappears from history. The rumours vary from slaughter in Scotland or Dacia to disbanding for some misdeeds.

I have used the place names from the Ordnance Survey map. The fort at Ambleside is called Glanibanta although I know that locally it is called Galava. I have done this for consistency- if I am wrong at least I am consistently wrong.

The Sword of Cartimandua will continue to inspire me to write stories and there will be number out before summer.

Griff Hosker March 2012

Glossary of places and people

Fictional characters are in
italics