Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 05] Revolt of the Red Witch (16 page)

Ailis gripped Decius tightly to her chest.  She had never given up hope of rescue but, the further north they had travelled, the less hopeful she had become. She knew that, were it not for the children she would have taken her own life for she had been a captive of the cruel Caledonii once before and death was preferable. She glanced over her shoulder to her husband also clinging on tightly to their young son Marcus. He looked older and greyer and yet it had only been a few weeks that they had been apart. She had had it hard but she could see that he had suffered almost as much.

Gaius was more afraid, as they raced as safely as they could through the heavy woods, than he had been so far.  They were tantalisingly close to escape.  The boat had been a stroke of genius and confirmed, in Gaius’ mind, the brilliance of the Tribune.  Once at sea they were free and they could escape no matter how perilous the sea was it was nothing compared with the barbarians now pursuing them.  His fear was that they would catch them or even anticipate their route and be awaiting them on the beach.  To have his sons and wife back was joyous but to have them and then have them snatched away would be cruel beyond measure.  He prayed that the Allfather was watching over them.

Chapter 10

“Sir!”

It seemed to Prefect Julius Demetrius that he had only just fallen asleep when he felt the hand of the trooper shaking him. “Yes what is it?

“Decurion Princeps compliments Sir but it is dawn and the Brigante have gone.”

He jumped up, almost colliding with the startled sentry.  “What? How?  When?”

“There was a fog in the night Sir and with the rising waters and the bit of smoke left from the fires the guards didn’t see anything and then when the sun came up, well they was gone. All of them.  Men women, wagons, all gone.”

“Tell the Decurion Princeps to stand the men to.”

By the time he had put his armour on and left the tent the ala was standing ready to ride. “Well Salvius this is as, Decius might have said, a bit of a bugger.”

Cilo smiled at the remembrance, “He would to and he would have been right as well. They must have left soon after dark.  I have sent a patrol around to the southern gate and they report they are gone from there.  The Legate asked if you would go into the fortress for a meeting.”

“Right.  Well send out the turmae…”

“We only have three Decurions left Sir.”

“Of course.  Divide the remaining ala into three turmae.  Livius is south so send them north, east and west.  All they need to do is to find where they are, no engaging.  Clear Salvius?”

“Clear.  I don’t think either the men or the mounts are in any condition to engage.”

“Neither do I but there is no one else to do this is there? I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

It felt strange to watch what remained of the ala ride away without him but he knew that a meeting with the Legate was vital if they were to take advantage of this strange withdrawal of their foes.

Riding through the main gate Julius could see the devastation caused by the attack. The fire and the floods had damaged so much of the fortress that the Prefect could see it would need to be rebuilt.  Many of the troops in the fort would be engineers before they were soldiers again.  He nodded to the Batavian Centurion who was leading his men to destroy the half built dam. “I think we came just in time Prefect.”

“You are right a longer delay might have seen it destroyed.”

The Centurion pointed south to the battlefield.  “Your lads did well yesterday. Did you lose many?”

“Too many Centurion and too many who were irreplaceable.”

The Legate came down the smoke blackened stairs of the headquarters building his arms outstretched.  “Thank you Prefect.  Your timely arrival yesterday saved the day.”

Vibius Scaeva patted Julius on the shoulder. “I have never seen a more magnificent charge.  Two hundred against thousands! Magnificent!”

“Thank you Sir but it cost us half my men and today we could have done with those men to find where the rebels have gone.”

The Legate looked at Julius.  “They have gone home of course.  It is over.”

Shaking his head firmly Julius said, “They haven’t.  You do not know the Brigante.  They have a wise head this time, not a hot head like Venutius.  This leader is more like Aed and Maeve were far more thoughtful.  The attack at Cataractonium showed that. No they left because they knew the Ninth was on its way. If my little cavalry attack could hinder their attack they knew that the Ninth would make mincemeat of them.  They have gone elsewhere to make more mischief. This is a large country and there are many settlements and towns. I think they want to raise them all against us.”

“I think you are giving that woman too much credit.”

A sudden chill ran down Julius’ spine and a sense of dread filled him. “A woman? Which woman?”

“We caught a prisoner and, after torture he told us that the Brigante chiefs were led by a sorceress the daughter of that Aed chap you mentioned and a witch called…”

“Fainch! Then it is Morwenna.”

The Legate and the garrison commander were both astounded.  “How did you know?”

“She infiltrated the ala a few years ago and murdered the Camp Prefect at Coriosopitum, Decius Flavius.  She is an evil and powerful woman.  If she leads this army than I can guarantee that it is not over and will not be over until she is on a cross or burned.”

The Legate was taken aback by the venom of the Prefect’s words and he no longer doubted them.  “But where will they go?”

“I do not know but my turmae are seeking them. She will do all in her considerable power to end Roman rule. At least we now know whom we seek.  Would that the Tribune was here.”

“The Tribune?”

“Tribune Marcus Maximunius.  He was the one who caught and killed her mother and also helped to defeat Calgathus.”

Vibius said, “I have heard of him.  I was a Centurion under Decius Brutus and met him once.  He is a good man.  Where is he?”

“He has gone north to rescue his family from the Caledonii.”

“Then he is dead.”

“No commander.  He is still alive, I can feel it. He is a hard man to kill as are his two companions. And now I must rejoin my men for they will need to know the news.  It will anger them even more than the loss yesterday.”

As Julius was leaving he heard his name being called.  When he turned he saw Livius leading his exhausted men into the fortress.  “Sir, the Ninth are an hour behind us.”

“Good, tell the Legate and then we will ride.”

“But Sir my men…”

“The Brigante are led by Morwenna!”

His face hardening Livius said, “We will be right there then Sir.”

There was barely a half cohort at Morbium but the Centurion was an old frontier hand. He had been at the fort, whilst still in the ranks, when the Caledonii had tried to take it and he had fought with his back to the wall expecting to die.  Centurion Decimus Murena felt that every day he had been alive since then had been a bonus. That said he had no intention of having his testicles taken as a souvenir by any rebel whether Caledonii or Brigante. He had barred the bridge. It was a crude barrier and could be removed by determined men but they would have to do so whilst under a barrage of arrows from the fort. In addition he had placed oil soaked rags within the barricade for he remembered the inferno which had burned and killed so many the last time the barbarians had tried to take the fort and the bridge.  The banks of the river had been cleared of undergrowth and he had dragged the bottom to make it flow as swiftly as possible.  The ditches were doubled and deeper than they had been.  His garrison was pulling double shifts, four hours on and four hours off.  He had impressed upon them the need for vigilance. “If you don’t recognise the man who comes up that road, or the way he sounds! Kill the bastard! They are my orders!” Whenever the rest of the garrison and Marcus’ Horse returned they would find that this crossing had been denied their enemies.

Aodh and his scouts arrived at sunset and saw, with dismay, that the fort had not been abandoned.  Morwenna was more phlegmatic.  “We can go down stream and cross the Dunum. This is the last garrison.  We need not fight until we have more men and have the Romans where we want, not hiding behind their walls where they can kill more of us.” Leaving a dozen men to watch the fort they headed downstream to where the river twisted turned and gently slowed.  They were easily able to cross with just wet legs and feet as the price. “There is a small settlement to the north of here; we will spend the night there. They may join us, if not…” She turned to the two acolytes, Anchorat and Maban and spoke to them.  They both kissed her on the lips, smiled at Aodh and left.

“Where do they go?” As soon as the words were uttered he regretted saying them.

Morwenna held up an admonishing finger. “Do not question me.  Know that I do what I do and you know what I tell you.  Their work does not concern you but we will see them again within a few days.”

The settlement of Seton was close to the sea hidden from the land by a mighty wood. The people there enjoyed both the fruits of the sea and the fruits of the woods.  They were prosperous and contented, ignored by both Roman and Caledonii alike. Led by a powerful woman, she was the formidable matriarch of the leading family.  When her husband had drowned she had taken over the control of the settlement making both the rules and the laws. Cruatha was a strong minded domineering woman and, with the strongest five men in the village as her sons was impregnable.

Aodh peered at the thick woods ahead of him. “Where is the settlement?  I cannot see it?”

“Which is why it is important.  It is beyond the forest close to the shore. Have your men follow me.”

“But there may be danger...”

She smiled a thin humourless smile.  “I think I will be more danger to those people than they are to me.” She moved swiftly and easily through the trees and emerged on to the beach.  The gate of the settlement was open and she walked past the two men lounging there, too surprised to react. She could hear the sounds of shock as people came out of their round huts.  The men of the village came out with swords and clubs in their hands. Morwenna kept her hands at her side and, with only Aodh behind her, for the rest waited without the walls; she walked up to the largest hut that she could see.

Cruatha stepped out, an angry look on her face.  She was still a relatively young woman having seen but thirty three summers and she was still strikingly beautiful with the body of a young girl.  Her height made her appear larger than she was.  She fixed her eyes on Morwenna who did not flinch but stared back with the same intensity. Aodh was the only one who did not find it disconcerting for he knew what Morwenna was doing; she was entrancing the head woman and bending her to her will.  Cruatha found it both intoxicating and alarming at the same time.  Within her she had so many conflicting emotions that she didn’t know what to do.  Morwenna stepped towards her and Cruatha gave a half bow and taking the younger sorceress by the hand led her within the hut.  Aodh stepped to the door, now closed and stood facing the crowd which gathered. The buzz and the conversation came from the crowd for Aodh stood silently on guard.

When the two of them came out, some time later Cruatha was looking at Morwenna with awe, bordering on adoration.  Her cheeks were flushed and she looked to have become even taller. “We welcome our Queen, Queen Morwenna of the Brigante,” and then she bowed.  Aodh led the bowing and soon the whole settlement had bowed. “All her people are welcome,” with an imperious wave she summoned in the waiting warriors.  “My people we will feed them and give them shelter for now we are one people and tomorrow we go to war with the Romans.”

Many of the people looked at each other in surprise.  Going to war? With the Romans? Aodh smiled to himself. They had captured the settlement without a blow and Morwenna had won the village, how he knew not, but he was not surprised. Morwenna had used her magic again and however many warriors they accrued it would increase their numbers but, more importantly give them a safe and secure base.

When the Prefect arrived at Morbium it was with a sense of relief that no one had destroyed it and more no one had even tried.  Instead of riding across the barrier Julius and the ala swam the narrow river. “Good to see you Sir. We were worried.  How did things go at Eboracum?”

“We will camp in your fort and I will tell you over food for, in all honesty, Centurion it is many days since I ate and slept comfortably.  The walls of Morbium will be more than welcome.”

“It was only then that the Centurion noticed the wounds on the men and the condition of both men and horses.”I am sorry Sir.  I was so worried that I forgot my manners. Tribune Furius would have had my guts for garters.”

Julius laughed.  “Of that I am certain for he would have had a wild board roasting just on the off chance that some visitors might come.”

“Aye he would, the old bugger loved his food.”

“And his wine,” added Julius, who knew the old tribune well.

“I hope he is feasting with the Allfather even now.”

“To be truthful Centurion I suspect that even the Allfather cannot cope with his appetite.”

As they later sat in the mess Julius proposed a toast,”To absent friends!”

“Well Sir, you’ve been fed and watered.  The horses looked after. What has happened?”

“The Brigante have a new Queen, Morwenna.  She’s the daughter of the witch Fainch.”

“The one we crucified years ago.”

“Aye.  She has raised the Brigante people against us and they tried to capture Eboracum.  Well we stopped that but we lost many of the ala.  When the Ninth came they raised the siege and we are looking for them.  We followed their trail north and then lost it around the river nearby.  Did you see a large horde?”

“No Sir.  There were some warriors in the woods across the river, not enough to cause a nuisance but enough for us to keep an eye on.”

“We’ll have a look for them tomorrow. I don’t think it is over.  I expect the Legate will reinforce you when he can but it will take time. The barricade was a good idea.”