Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 05] Revolt of the Red Witch (30 page)

Gaius knew they could not go much further.  The huge lake spread out below them to their right.  The last hill had taken much out of the children and Ailis and even Marcus was struggling to keep up. The old fort was but two miles away and yet, looking at Ailis and the children that would be at least a mile too far. “We’ll have to camp Marcus.”

Gaelwyn looked up at the sky.  “We’d be better off pushing on.  The sky is full of snow and this hillside is a little exposed.”

“Gaelwyn is right you know Gaius.”

“It will do us no good if they collapse.”

“I can carry on Gaius.  Women are tougher than they look.”

“There must be somewhere lower down.”

Marcus suddenly slapped his head.  “What a fool I am! Of course there is.  The watch tower we built near to the lake.”

“You are right and it is less than a mile from here. There is water nearby and we should be able to hunt some food.” They quickly made their way down and crossed the swiftly flowing stream at the ford, pausing only to fill their water skins from the icy, brown tinged water. They could see the old wooden tower rising in the distance.  It had lost some of its wooden boards and slats but it was above ground and would give them security. It was growing dark as they crossed the open space to the rickety ladder which led up to safety.

“I will see to the food.  You two had better repair the ladder and the tower.  Ailis, get the boys to collect some sticks and wood for a fire.” Gaelwyn took his bow and slipped off up the trail to the woods which drifted south towards the fort at Glanibanta. When Ailis and the boys had found enough wood and returned to the tower the first flurry of winter snowflakes whipped around their heads; not yet settling but promising a white, chilly morning.

“That will have to do for tonight. It is getting too dark and too cold to mess around any more. Let’s get a fire going and hope that the old an hunter has actually caught something.”

“Even if it is a rabbit it will fill a small hole.”

With the three boys huddled for warmth around Ailis the two men used flint and the dried autumn pine cones they had found to get a cheery blaze going.  Soon the boys’ faces were glowing in the warmth. The saw movement from the woods and the two men immediately reached for their weapons.

Decius keen young eyes picked him out quickly.  “It is uncle Gaelwyn and he is wearing a fur.”

The closer he came the more they realised that the boy was right.  Gaelwyn had shot a badger and he had the old brock around his neck. He nodded approvingly. “The Allfather smiles on us tonight.  He gives us dried wood and an old badger keen to get the last food before the snow.  We eat well and the boys will be warm.” He immediately set to skinning the animal.

“Will the fire not be seen?”

Gaelwyn shrugged.  “It will be seen if anyone is foolish enough to be out on a night like this but remember Gaius there are few people in this part of the land. We lived here unobserved for many months.” He threw the fur to Ailis who began scraping it ready to use. “Your sword Gaius.” Taking the sword of Cartimandua, which was the sharpest one they had, the old scout chopped the mighty beast into manageable chunks and he threaded a thin branch through one.  Soon the smell of roasting meat permeated the air and set everyone’s juices salivating. He kept turning the juicy haunch until he suddenly decided it was ready to eat.  Cutting thick slabs of the pink meat they all ate their first hot meal since leaving Stanwyck all those many weeks before. While they were still eating, Gaelwyn walked over to a pine tree and cut off pieces of bark which he wrapped around the rest of the hunks of meat.  Using water from the water skins he soaked the bark and then placed the remaining slabs of meat around the outside of the fire which was now burning steadily but not quite as fiercely. “Well Ailis if you take the bairns to the tower we will decide who watches first.”

“I thought you said no one in his right mind would be out on a night like this?”

“True which means that anyone who is out tonight is not in his right mind.  I think we should watch for someone like that eh Gaius?”

Marcus laughed at the old man who always seemed to manage to get the better of the normally quick witted Gaius.

The ala had no difficulty following the wide trail left by the refugees even though the light was fading quickly. As they dropped down from the ridge they scanned the horizon for movement but could see none.  “I think they must be in that heavily wooded area ahead.”

“I agree Salvius.  You take your turma to the right and Livius take yours to the left.  I will keep on the trail; just in case they split up once they are in the woods.”

Pol had been a hunter and knew all about deadfall traps and pit traps.  He had stayed long enough to build a circle of them around the edge of the wood. His aim had been to slow the Romans up, not to spend so long building them that he would be caught. Even as they were entering the wood he and the rest were running the four miles to the col.  The snow began to flutter down, not heavy enough to lie but heavy enough to mask movements. Pol silently thanked the Allfather and the Mother for helping them.  Perhaps the Queen did have the power that the whole army had believed.

“The Allfather watches over us tonight. Perhaps we will not need to fight them at the col.” Pol had a healthy respect for these Roman cavalrymen and, while he would give his life for his queen, he was enough of a pragmatist to prefer to live for his queen and fight again.

Unfortunately for the Brigante, Julius had suspected traps and, once they found the first few, which only caused a couple of minor injuries, he brought in the flanking scouts and followed the trail which, because of the snow was easy to follow. “Are we stopping for the night? This could be dangerous.  They could be leading us into an ambush.”

“Possibly Salvius but they are trying to delay us and I wonder why. Are they trying to head north again?”

“Not in this valley.  They would have to pass us. But at the other end they can double back up either of the other valleys.”

“Or, Salvius, head to the coast.  This snow is inopportune for it will hide their tracks if it lies.  We will push on a while longer. I would like to catch sight of them before the snow obliterates all their tracks.”

Fortunately for the Romans the snow did not begin to fall heavily and they were able to see the muddy line through the whitening snow as it wound and twisted through the thinning trees inexorably towards the land they knew so well. “Where you think they are heading Sir? I can see by our speed that you anticipate their route but I can discern nothing.  Is this another lesson I must take from Macro when he returns to duty?”

“No Livius.  This is not obvious but this valley leads to the land of two lakes and the fort, if it is still there, of Glanibanta.  We caught Modius not far to the east and, many years ago hunted Aed and his warriors in this very land.  They are heading for Glanibanta, of that much I am now sure, but after that is anyone’s guess for she is a cunning opponent.”

“If we know where we are going can we not travel faster?”

“We could but there are dangerous warriors ahead and, in the dark, they have the advantage.  There are many narrow places where we can be ambushed along this trail. I fancy they will either try to ambush us at the col or where the second lake narrows the path.  We still have a little way to go.”

When Pol arrived at the ambush site the eight warriors left by Aodh greeted him.  “Have you lost the Romans?”

“No curse them.  They have stuck to us like a hunting hound on the trail of a wolf. They will be here soon, we should prepare.  Take the horses down the trail and tether them to a tree for they will give warning and the Romans may believe we are further away than we are.”He looked at the rocks at the side of the trail.  “Build two walls, one behind the other across the trail.”

“Why two?”

“They have horses and they could jump one.  It is a pity we do not have their caltrops for that would slow them up mightily. You men with the bows split yourselves into two groups and hide on two sides of the trail behind the wall.  The rest of us will wait behind the first wall.  Now let us work brothers.  The higher the wall the better chance that we will survive this night’s battle.” He stopped and spoke quietly.  “When we are but eight we run to the horses and ride to Aodh at Glanibanta.”

One of the warriors said, half under his breath, “If there are eight of us.”

While another added, “Aye and if Aodh has waited for us.”

“Sir this is madness we can see nothing.”

Livius was right, the blizzard was whipping the snow into their faces and was now beginning to lie on the ground. Julius shielded his eyes with his hand and peered into the darkness. “I think the col is ahead.  Either they wait there and we fight or they wait further on and we can rest in the lee of the walls which run along the trail.”

Decurion Princeps Cilo smiled as he heard Livius murmur, “Thank the Allfather.” The boy was keen but even he was weary as the wild winds whipped the snow into arrows to pierce their skin and clothes.  Suddenly he heard a whinny up the trail and he held up his hand.  The others had heard it and they all drew out their javelins ready for the ambush they knew lay ahead. He slipped off his horse and gestured for the next two troopers to join him.  Leaving his horse with the horse holder the three of them slipped to the side of the trail where an icy stream struggled through a small gorge. The three of them began to make their way up the stream. 

Julius saw what the Decurion Princeps was doing and he led the rest of the troopers forward.  Each man now knew that the first they would know of the ambush would be when the arrows and spears flew and the first men died. The Prefect unstrapped his shield and held it so that it covered his body and his face apart from his eyes.  The troopers all copied their leader.  Livius had never felt such tension; it was like walking into a room blindfolded and knowing that someone was going to jump out on except that this was a deadlier version of that childhood game.  Their only advantage was that they were as difficult to see as the ambushers were. Julius took the path as slowly as he dared to enable Salvius to outflank the waiting warriors.

The first arrows thudded into shields; one unlucky trooper had his horse’s neck pierced by a fortuitous shot.  Realising that the time for caution was over he urged his mount forward to cover the ground to the ambush quickly.  With a shock he came up against the wall and suddenly spears were stabbing at him.  The trooper next to him thrust his javelin blindly at the spear heads and had the satisfaction of hearing a scream. Julius did the same but, although he heard a grunt, the spears still continued.  More troopers arrived but four was the maximum who could use their weapons. One of the troopers fell as an axe sliced into his horse’s neck. Over his shoulder Julius shouted, “Throw your javelins behind the wall!”

The effect was immediate; lacking helmets and armour the javelins, if they connected caused a wound and enough of them struck to lessen their resistance and the threat of them made the warriors cower fearfully.  Suddenly there was a cry of alarm from the Brigante ambusher’s right as Decurion Cilo and his two companions surprised the archers on that side. Julius drew his legs up so that he was standing on his horse’s back and stepped on to the wall. He threw his javelin into the bearded white face closest to him and then leapt down, his sword slicing as he jumped. Livius and the other troopers copied their leader and, with the flank attack, the ambushers fled. When Cassius joined them they were busy killing the survivors.  “Get these walls down!”

“Well done Salvius!”

“I tell you what Sir, that water is as cold as a witch’s tit!”

Shaking his head Julius said, “Bearing in mind who we are pursuing you might have chosen a better comparison.”

“Sorry Sir, it was just an accurate one and for the record I can no longer feel my feet.”

By the time they had demolished the wall the ambushers had gone but they had left most of their companions lying dead behind the remains of the barricade. “We will camp here tonight and carryon the pursuit in the morning. I just hope that the snow doesn’t totally destroy their trail.”

Far ahead Aodh halted the small column.  The snow was helping them and the remaining nine warriors were now even m ore impressed with the sorceress who could conjure snow to hide their trail. “It is not far to Glanibanta now. We will be there soon.”

“Look there!” The warrior furthest ahead, scouting, pointed up the narrow valley. There they could see a fire and its light was reflecting on a Roman sentry tower.

“That has spoiled our plans my queen.”

“It is but a fire.”

“A fire near a Roman tower which guards the valley to the fort. It means there will be some Romans there and if there then possibly at Glanibanta.”

“Can we not just slip by them?”

“It is not worth taking the chance.  If they are alert they will see us and challenge us and even if they are not it means that Glanibanta is probably occupied and we would be trapped between the fort, these Romans and those who are following us.”

“We cannot stay here.”

He rode next to her and spoke so quietly that no-one, not even Maban and Anchorat could hear him. “No we will have to go to your cave.”

Reluctantly Morwenna had to agree.  As much as she wished to keep it a secret, even the sorceress was suffering in the cold. Aodh pointed at three of the warriors.  “You three go to Glanibanta. If you follow the river then they should not see but if they do retreat back to Pol and his men.  Spy out the fort and await Pol.  In the morning I will send for you and bring you to the place we are hiding if the fort is occupied.”

As the three men made their way cautiously down the icy, fast flowing stream, Aodh led the ever smaller party west across the stream to the hidden cave on the other side of the valley.

Pol came down the snowy valley with the last six warriors.  They had one spare horse and he was keen to get to Glanibanta. By the time he had seen the fire he was already level with it for it had died down somewhat. Instead of halting he just moved quickly on.  As the horses stepped into the ice cold water one of  them whinnied and its rider hit it savagely on the side of the head.