The Eagles Prey

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

'Now what?' Macro growled. 'They can't have got round us, surely?'

'No. That's not possible.'

'Why not?'

Cato nodded his head towards the marsh.'That's Caratacus' vanguard out there; the first of his men to reach us.'

'So who's that over at the fort?'

Before Cato could reply Centurion Tullius came running over to them, an anxious expression on his face.'You've seen it, then?'

'Yes, sir,' Macro replied evenly. 'That's why we're facing in that direction.'

'They've got behind us. Right behind us.' Tullius' mind raced ahead. 'We've had it. Once they've finished at the fort, they'll attack here. We'll be caught between them and cut to pieces. We should never have left the fort. Maximius was right.' Tullius turned to face Cato.'It's all your fault. Your plan, and now it's a bloody disaster. I should never have listened to you.'

Cato kept his mouth shut, feeling first anger and then contempt for his superior, but conscious that he must let none of this show. Now was not the time to defend himself against such spineless accusations. He had to handle the situation carefully, before the old centurion panicked and made a rash, genuinely disastrous decision. Besides, Cato knew that Tullius was wrong.

'I must have been mad to listen to you,' Tullius continued bitterly. 'Mad. I should never have set you free. In fact, I think you should be relieved of your command.'

'Now hold on a moment, sir.' Macro stepped forward.'That ain't fair. We all agreed to the plan. The lad's not to blame.'

Tullius turned his bitter gaze to Macro. 'Perhaps I should have you both put in irons.'

'Sir,' Cato interrupted quietly, 'we shouldn't be doing this. Not in front of the men.'

Tullius glanced round, and saw that the nearest legionaries were looking at them curiously. 'Get back to your positions! Keep your bloody eyes on the enemy!'

The men glanced away and tried to look as if they had never been interested in the officers' confrontation in the first place. Tullius made sure that none of them was eavesdropping before he turned back to Cato and Macro.

'I'll deal with you two later. Right now I need every man who can hold a weapon. But I promise you, if by some miracle we get out of this alive, there will be a full accounting for this balls-up.'

Macro's nostrils flared as he took a deep breath and leaned forward to respond in kind. But Cato grasped his forearm and spoke before his friend could make a bad situation any worse.

'Yes, sir. We agree. But let's deal with the attack first. You can do what you like with us later.'

Centurion Tullius nodded.'Very well. We have to get out of this trap.'

'If we quit the rampart,' said Macro, 'while that lot are licking their wounds and working themselves up for another attempt, we might make it back to the fort before they can catch us. We'd stand a better chance there.'

'Assuming that the force sacking the fort is small enough for us to overcome,' Tullius replied. He stared at the smoke billowing up in the distance. 'In any case, we don't know how badly they've damaged the defences.'

'Sir?'

'What now, Cato? Another brilliant plan?'

'No, sir. I just think there's no point in returning to the fort. We don't know what we might find there. The defences could still be standing; they might not. In which case we're better off staying here. Besides, I don't think whoever's having a go at the fort need concern us.'

'Oh, really? And what makes you think that?'

Cato ignored the sarcasm. 'It's not Caratacus' men. It's more likely to be the natives from the village. A chance for them to have their revenge. They'll just take what they can and destroy the rest. Then, my guess is, they'll panic and run for cover.'

'Your guess…'

'If Cato's right,' Macro looked anxiously back towards the smoke,'what about Maximius and Felix? And that Nepos? We have to send someone back to save them. Let me go, sir. I'll take half a century and-'

'There's no point,' Cato cut in. 'They're already dead. Whoever's there – villagers or the enemy – won't have spared them. Besides, as the cohort commander says, we need every man here to hold off Caratacus. Hold him off long enough for Vespasian to arrive.'

'If he arrives,' Macro replied.

'All right then,' Cato nodded, 'if he arrives. But that's what everything hangs on now. If the legion's not coming then nothing we can do will make a difference. We'll be overwhelmed and wiped out. But if the legate is coming, then we must hold on here for as long as possible. That's all that matters now.' Cato stared determinedly at Centurion Tullius. 'Sir, we've no choice. We have to make a stand.'

Tullius was silent for a moment as he struggled to come up with an alternative to Cato's bleak outline of their predicament. But the more he thought about it, the less choice there was, and in the end he slapped his thigh with frustration.

'All right, then. We stay and fight. Macro?'

'Sir?'

'I want a man posted on that hilltop, to keep watch for any force coming at us from the fort. See to it.'

'Yes, sir.'

Tullius nodded and then strode over towards the gate and clambered up the steps on to the rampart.

Macro turned towards Cato, his cheeks puffing as he blew a sigh of relief.'That was close. For a moment there I thought he was going to slap us in chains. You really think it's the villagers having a go at the fort?'

Cato shrugged. 'It doesn't matter.'

'We shouldn't have left the others behind,' Macro reflected guiltily. 'Do you think there's any chance-'

'No. None.' Cato turned to him with a deadpan expression.

Macro frowned. 'What do you mean?'

A shout echoed from the rampart. 'Enemy's on the move!'

The two centurions scrambled up on to the rampart and pushed their way through the legionaries packed along the palisade, until they reached Tullius. Antonius and Cordus were with him, staring out over the palisade towards the enemy warriors streaming along the track towards the fortifications. Cato noted a number of bodies sprawled in the ditch either side of the gate, some still writhing feebly on the sharpened stakes that lined the bottom of the ditch.

Tullius turned to give his orders.'You know your positions. Go to them.'

Cordus headed towards the right-hand redoubt where his men clustered, ready to hurl their javelins into the flank of the approaching enemy. Macro had been assigned the redoubt at the other end of the defences, and the centuries of Antonius and Tullius were to hold the length of wall in between.

'What about my men, sir?' Cato asked.

'Take what's left and form them up behind the gate. You're the reserve. If they force the gate, you must keep them out, at all cost.'

'Yes, sir.'

Tullius drew his sword and picked up his shield, then snarled at Cato. 'Go. Get out of my sight.'

Cato saluted and quickly climbed down from the rampart. The survivors of the Sixth Century were already rising wearily to their feet at his approach. He did a quick head count and found that he had forty-six men left.

'Septimus!'

'Yes, sir.' The optio snapped smartly to attention.

'Get 'em formed up behind the gate. Swords drawn and shields up. We may be needed in a hurry.'

While the optio quickly marshalled the legionaries into position Cato went over to examine the gateway. A few timbers had already started from their rope fixings after the impact of the first assault.

He turned back to his men. 'First section! On me.'

Two men stepped out of formation and came trotting over to him.

Cato frowned. 'Where are the rest?'

'Dead and missing, sir,' one of the legionaries replied. 'We were pretty badly carved up out there on the track.'

'Right,' Cato responded tersely, and looked beyond the man to the rest of his unit. 'Second section, on me.'

Five more men came over and Cato indicated the gate. 'We won't need to open that again. I want it strengthened. Use the cart, turn it on its side and push it hard up against the gate. Once you've done that, start digging and get the earth piled up behind. Leave your shields at the foot of the rampart. Now, move!'

They ran off to do his bidding and Cato went over to join Septimus in front of his men, standing ready to reinforce any weak point in the defences. From the far side of the rampart came the roar of the enemy, charging home. A handful of arrows and light javelins arced over the palisade. With a sharp metallic ring the helmet of one of Tullius' men snapped back and he fell from the wall, tumbling down the reverse slope of the rampart to lie still on the ground.

'Raise shields!' Cato ordered, and the men hefted them up to cover their bodies as a steady shower of missiles struck at the defenders on the rampart, or zipped past them, occasionally clattering off the shields of the survivors of the Sixth Century. Cato continued to scan the ramparts, noting the enemy must have quickly scaled the ditch and mounted the far slope, since he could see men clearly engaged with the enemy on the far side of the palisade. The defenders were holding their own for the moment. Not one enemy head could be seen struggling to climb over the palisade. But the fight was not entirely one-sided. Already at least a dozen Roman bodies were scattered across the slope leading down from the rampart. There were more along the palisade itself. Those who were wounded tried to struggle clear of the melee to avoid any further injury, as well as not hindering their comrades still locked in combat with the enemy.

In front of Cato the men he had assigned to bolster the gate had succeeded in overturning the cart and shoving it tight against the loose timbers. Now they were at work breaking up the hard ground a short distance back from the cart and shovelling the spoil against the cart. The gate shimmered under the impact of swords and axes thudding into the far side. Already, small splinters were flying through the air this side of the gate.

Cato was racked with frustration at having to remain behind the rampart, unable to see how the fight was progressing. It seemed to him that unless the enemy broke off soon they must surely overwhelm the men on the palisade.

The fight went on and on. Up in the flanking redoubts the legionaries had expended their remaining javelins. The men who had been issued with slings were whirling the leather thongs about their heads before releasing the deadly missiles into the dense ranks massed before the defences. The rest of the legionaries were hurling rocks and larger stones in a desperate bid to break the resolve of Caratacus and his men. Cato saw Macro bend, snatch up a rock from the dwindling stockpile and turn to hurl it with all his strength across the palisade. Macro watched the fall of the shot, and then thrust his fist into the air in a gesture of triumph. The next instant he threw himself flat as an arrow slashed through the space he had been standing in just before.

'Cato!' Tullius shouted from the palisade,just above the gate. 'Battering ram coming up! Get your men up against the gate. Bolster it up!'

'Yes, sir! Sixth Century, sheathe swords! Follow me!'

Cato led them over the loose earth to the cart, then pressed his shield against the side of the cart and leaned into it. Men followed suit on either side, and when the surface was covered, the rest pushed up against the backs of their comrades. The hacking sounds from the far side abruptly ceased and a rising roar of cheers filled Cato's ears.

'Brace yourselves!' he called out, and gritted his teeth.

The next moment there was a massive crash from the far side of the gate and Cato reeled back from it as if he had been kicked by a maddened mule. As soon as he recovered his balance he threw his weight forwards again, and felt the reasurring pressure from behind as his men struggled back into position.

'Here it comes again!' someone shouted, and again the men of the Sixth Century were hurled back. But the gate still held.

Overhead Cato heard Tullius bellowing above the din,'Use everything you've got! Hit them! Kill the bastards!'

The ram struck the gate five more times, and on the last blow Cato saw a timber splintered inwards. One of his men screamed as a long splinter shot into his cheek, just below the eye and tore open the flesh. The legionary reached for the splinter and tugged it out, gritting his teeth. Blood gushed down his face and spattered across his armour, and he threw himself back against the gate. Brave, thought Cato, wondering for an instant how he would have reacted to such an injury. Then he focused on the gate and realised, with a sinking feeling of horror, that it would withstand only a few more blows from the battering ram before it burst apart.

Another blow came, further splintering the damaged timber, but Cato sensed that the blow had not been as forceful. Then he thought that the enemy cheers from the track had died down, though it was hard to be sure since his heart pounded in his chest and his head rang with the heavy throb of the blood pulsing through him. There was more cheering now, and it took Cato a moment to realise that those were Roman cheers. Cheers, catcalls and shouts of contempt.

'They must have pulled back!' one of Cato's men shouted.

'Quiet there!' Septimus shouted. 'Stay in position!'

The cheering continued, and there were no more blows from the battering ram. Cato waited a moment longer until he was satisfied that it was safe, then ordered his men to fall back to their reserve position. They stood panting and tired, but desperately relieved that the defences held, and that they themselves were still alive.

'Centurion Cato!' Tullius called down from the rampart.

Cato took a quick breath and forced himself to stand erect before he replied. 'Sir?'

'Your men have had their rest. You're relieving Antonius. Get your men up here as soon as the Fifth Century get off the wall.'

'Yes, sir.'

'Rest?' one of Cato's men muttered. 'Who's he fucking kidding?'

Some of the other legionaries started grumbling and Septimus wheeled round on them. 'Shut your mouths! Save it for the bloody natives!'

The grumbling stopped, but the air of sullen resentment hung over them like a shroud. As the men of the Fifth Century filed down from the rampart and passed Cato, he saw that many of them were wounded, some barely able to stay on their feet.

'Bad up there?' one of Cato's men asked.

'They're bloody crazy,' came the reply from the dazed optio of the Fifth Century. 'Never seen anything like it. Just threw themselves at the wall like they wanted to die… bloody madmen.'

'Optio!' Cato beckoned him closer. 'Where's Centurion Antonius?'

'Dead…'

'Dead, sir!' Cato snapped at him. 'It's "sir" when you're addressing a superior officer!'

The optio stiffened to attention. 'Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.'

Cato nodded, then leaned closer and continued softly,'You're in command now, Optio. You set the standard. Don't let your men down.'

'No, sir.'

Cato stared at him for a moment, to make sure that his nerve had steadied. 'Carry on.'

'Yes, sir.'

'Cato!' Tullius bellowed. 'What are you waiting for! Get your arse up here!'

'At once, sir!'

The men of the Sixth Century hefted their shields and followed Cato up on to the rampart. He was not prepared for the sight that met his eyes when he looked over the palisade. The optio's comment about the madness of the enemy was fully borne out. They lay heaped before the palisade. A great tangle of bloodied limbs, shields and weapons stretched from the rampart in a rough triangle, with its apex on the track that led into the marsh. Here and there the injured still moved. Cato watched a man with a javelin in his spine claw his way back to his comrades re-forming for the next assault a hundred paces down the track. He dragged his nerveless legs a short distance from the mound of bodies before his strength gave out and he collapsed on the hard earth of the track, his gleaming torso heaving from the effort.

'A welcome sight.'

Cato tore his gaze away from the crippled enemy warrior. Tullius had thrust his way through the defenders and had observed the young centurion's shock at the bloody vista before the defences.

Cato stared at him, and nodded dumbly. Tullius looked down the track and shook his head in wonder. 'Looks like they'll be having another go any moment now. You'd better get your men ready.'

'Yes, sir.' Cato saluted and glanced along the palisade towards the thin line of men that stretched out towards the redoubt where he could see Macro smiling as he did the rounds of his men, giving them a slap of encouragement on the shoulder as he passed by. He caught sight of Cato and flashed him a brief thumbs-up. Cato nodded, and turned his mind to his immediate duty. He saw a number of legionaries sprawled along the line of the palisade. They would be a hazard to have underfoot when the next attack came.

'Get those bodies off the rampart!'

There was no sense of ceremony as his men heaved their comrades' corpses down the slope, limbs flopping loosely as they tumbled. As soon as the task was complete Cato ordered them to stand to and his men faced the enemy, swords drawn. As he walked down the line Cato was pleased to see that there was no sign of fear in their expressions, just the resigned determination of seasoned veterans. They would hold their position and fight until they were cut down, or the enemy gave way. Cato was pleased by their composure, but the pleasure was tinged with regret. If only Vespasian and General Plautius could see them now. The shame of decimation was behind them, and they would sell their lives like heroes. Unless the legate arrived in time the only witnesses to their valour would be the enemy. And the native warriors were so insanely intent on obliterating the cohort that they would be insensible to the courage of the Romans. Cato smiled to himself. It was a strange thing, this life in the legions. Two years he had served under the Eagles, and yet each battle always felt like the first and last. He wondered if he would ever become accustomed to the peculiar intensity of sensation that went with every battle.

'Man approaching!'

The voice was distant, and Cato could not place the direction at first. Then, as he saw heads turn to glance back behind the wall, he followed suit and saw the lookout Macro had posted waving his arm to attract attention and then point back towards the column of smoke that marked the site of the fort. No one moved. One man represented no threat, just a source of curiosity, and they waited for further information about the approaching figure.

The lookout turned his back to them for a while and then called out, 'One of ours!'

An icy tingle of dread rippled up Cato's spine. Supposing it was Maximius? Or Felix? Their arrival would result in his death just as surely as an enemy sword-thrust. Then he angrily told himself that such a fear was wholly baseless. He already knew who that man must be, long before he ran over the brow of the hill and staggered down towards the rampart.

'Sir!' the lookout shouted towards the defenders.'It's Nepos.' Tullius turned to seek Cato out. 'Centurion Cato, come with me.'

They climbed down and marched towards Nepos as the legionary covered the last stretch of the slope leading down from the hill.

Tullius drew up in front of him. 'Make your report! What happened at the fort?'

Nepos struggled for breath and, licking his lips, he glanced quickly at Cato.

'Tell him what happened,' said Cato.

'The villagers, sir, they ransacked the place… set it on fire… I left the tent to see… to see what was happening. They saw me; gave chase… I tried to get back to the headquarters tent… but some of 'em had got there before me.'

Tullius shot a horrified look at Cato before turning back to the legionary. 'And Maximius? Felix?'

Nepos lowered his head, struggling for breath.

'What happened?' Tullius grabbed his arm. 'Tell me!'

'They're dead, sir. Nothing I could do to save them. The villagers went after me. I had to run…'

The man was spent and had nothing further to add. Tullius released his grip and stared back towards the diffused column of smoke hanging over the valley.

'Poor bastards.'

'Yes, sir.' Cato nodded. 'But how could we know the villagers would attack the fort?'

'We should never have left them there.'

'Sir, we weren't to know. And we had to deal with the threat from Caratacus.' Cato spoke calmly, and with direct emphasis. 'No one is to blame. Fortunes of war. Nothing we can do about it now, sir.'

Centurion Tullius looked at him, and was silent for a moment. 'No. Nothing.'

'And now, sir,' Cato continued,'the enemy's building up for another attack. We should get back on the wall. Nepos?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Take some equipment from one of the casualties, then join me on the rampart.'

'Yes, sir.'

Tullius watched the man trot across to one of the bodies and help himself to a sword, helmet and shield. 'I hope he's telling the truth.'

'Of course he is, sir. After what Maximius has been doing to the locals recently, I'd be surprised if they didn't take the chance to get their revenge at the first opportunity. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't anyone else?'

Tullius turned to look at Cato, fixing him with a searching stare. 'There's nothing you want to tell me?'

Cato raised his eyebrows.'I'm afraid I don't understand, sir.'

'What did you-'

Before Centurion Tullius could ask his question there was a cry from the palisade.

'Enemy's on the move!'

05 The Eagles Prey