been so glad to be facing a long sea journey, Felix,’ Gallus sighed.
‘I’m with you on that one, sir. Can’t believe I’m actually pining for old Durostorum too — I’ll be straight into the town, no distractions, right into
The Boar and Hollybush
for my fill of that swill they call ale…and then there’s the women!’ Felix chuckled, stroking his beard with a distant look in his eyes.
Gallus admired his optio’s enthusiasm, then braced himself — the Greek wouldn’t like this. ‘The delights of Durostorum will have to wait for a few more days, Felix. We are dropping off the men at Durostorum. Then me, you and Tribunus Nerva are tasked with reporting our findings…to the very top,’ Gallus replied.
‘Constantinople?’
‘The snake pit itself. Dux Vergilius will be there and,’ Gallus flicked his eyebrows up, ‘Emperor Valens too. Tribunus Nerva will speak to the emperor on behalf of the XI Claudia, so we just need to stay quiet and look soldierly.’
‘A meeting with the emperor, indeed…’ Felix puffed his cheeks out, subconsciously eyeing the filthy tunic he wore under his rusting mail vest, ‘…and
then
a visit to the alehouses,’ he cackled.
The column of legionaries reached the sandy shore as the sun shone directly overhead. The group of fifty who had stayed behind to man the
Aquila
came splashing through the surf to greet their comrades. Their cheers dulled as they realised that more half of the inland party had been lost. The cold reality of life in the army. It took a gruff roar from Zosimus to right the mood.
‘Gimme some of that soured wine, mouth’s like a fart in the desert!’
They descended into a bantering rabble, soaking tired feet in the cool waters. After a short while, Gallus made the call to start loading up the ship and fill barrels from a meltwater stream for the journey back to Constantinople.
Later, the sun dipped into the western horizon as the
Aquila
readied to depart. Gallus stood at the stern, eyes scouring the landscape as the boat pushed off. He churned it all over once again; the Goths, the riders and the phantom war that seemed to be all around them yet never there. Still there were no answers. Then the words of the mysterious warrior on the hilltop echoed through his mind.
I am the first of the storm; my kin will destroy your people like a plague.
A flash from the beach turned his head. His eyes widened; on the shore, from where the
Aquila
had set sail, a small party of the dark riders trotted through the foaming shallows. He gritted his teeth and hammered a clenched fist onto the lip of the boat.
Felix came to his side, screwing his eyes up to scan the water’s edge. ‘What’s wrong, sir?’
‘I think we’ve been herded like cattle Felix,’ he hissed, pointing to the distant figures. ‘They’ve been right behind us every step of the way.’
Chapter 14
Pavo grimaced, blinking the sweat from his eyes under the afternoon sun. He gulped at the hot air, surveying the damage to the training dummy in the centre of the yard. The sorry heap of rags and sand bags hung in tatters. His hacking, stabbing and butting at it with his training sword had started shortly after lunch, when he sneaked from the back of the column sentenced to latrine detail. Spurius and Festus had kept a low profile for the last few days while Centurion Brutus had his eye on the situation. This presented Pavo a perfect opportunity for a little extra training — not the drill and formation stuff but robust, one-on-one fighting.
And it was damned hard work. His sweat-soaked tunic clung to him like mail armour and his legs trembled; he gazed up at the dipping sun and slumped to the dust.
Enough for today
. He began the trudge back to the barracks, when he heard the unmistakable gruff laughter of Spurius from the latrines.
Pavo turned to eye the dummy, envisioning the hulking figure of his nemesis. He tried to burn the menacing scowls of his tormentor onto the image. Whatever his
‘I’m with you on that one, sir. Can’t believe I’m actually pining for old Durostorum too — I’ll be straight into the town, no distractions, right into
The Boar and Hollybush
for my fill of that swill they call ale…and then there’s the women!’ Felix chuckled, stroking his beard with a distant look in his eyes.
Gallus admired his optio’s enthusiasm, then braced himself — the Greek wouldn’t like this. ‘The delights of Durostorum will have to wait for a few more days, Felix. We are dropping off the men at Durostorum. Then me, you and Tribunus Nerva are tasked with reporting our findings…to the very top,’ Gallus replied.
‘Constantinople?’
‘The snake pit itself. Dux Vergilius will be there and,’ Gallus flicked his eyebrows up, ‘Emperor Valens too. Tribunus Nerva will speak to the emperor on behalf of the XI Claudia, so we just need to stay quiet and look soldierly.’
‘A meeting with the emperor, indeed…’ Felix puffed his cheeks out, subconsciously eyeing the filthy tunic he wore under his rusting mail vest, ‘…and
then
a visit to the alehouses,’ he cackled.
The column of legionaries reached the sandy shore as the sun shone directly overhead. The group of fifty who had stayed behind to man the
Aquila
came splashing through the surf to greet their comrades. Their cheers dulled as they realised that more half of the inland party had been lost. The cold reality of life in the army. It took a gruff roar from Zosimus to right the mood.
‘Gimme some of that soured wine, mouth’s like a fart in the desert!’
They descended into a bantering rabble, soaking tired feet in the cool waters. After a short while, Gallus made the call to start loading up the ship and fill barrels from a meltwater stream for the journey back to Constantinople.
Later, the sun dipped into the western horizon as the
Aquila
readied to depart. Gallus stood at the stern, eyes scouring the landscape as the boat pushed off. He churned it all over once again; the Goths, the riders and the phantom war that seemed to be all around them yet never there. Still there were no answers. Then the words of the mysterious warrior on the hilltop echoed through his mind.
I am the first of the storm; my kin will destroy your people like a plague.
A flash from the beach turned his head. His eyes widened; on the shore, from where the
Aquila
had set sail, a small party of the dark riders trotted through the foaming shallows. He gritted his teeth and hammered a clenched fist onto the lip of the boat.
Felix came to his side, screwing his eyes up to scan the water’s edge. ‘What’s wrong, sir?’
‘I think we’ve been herded like cattle Felix,’ he hissed, pointing to the distant figures. ‘They’ve been right behind us every step of the way.’
Chapter 14
Pavo grimaced, blinking the sweat from his eyes under the afternoon sun. He gulped at the hot air, surveying the damage to the training dummy in the centre of the yard. The sorry heap of rags and sand bags hung in tatters. His hacking, stabbing and butting at it with his training sword had started shortly after lunch, when he sneaked from the back of the column sentenced to latrine detail. Spurius and Festus had kept a low profile for the last few days while Centurion Brutus had his eye on the situation. This presented Pavo a perfect opportunity for a little extra training — not the drill and formation stuff but robust, one-on-one fighting.
And it was damned hard work. His sweat-soaked tunic clung to him like mail armour and his legs trembled; he gazed up at the dipping sun and slumped to the dust.
Enough for today
. He began the trudge back to the barracks, when he heard the unmistakable gruff laughter of Spurius from the latrines.
Pavo turned to eye the dummy, envisioning the hulking figure of his nemesis. He tried to burn the menacing scowls of his tormentor onto the image. Whatever his
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