Arthur II Chapter 5

5.

Prima Pilus Artorius have a quiet corner in his tent where he placed his idol of worship. Almost all the Legionnaires worshipped Mars; the God of War but unlike them, he took his prayers towards Bellona; the Goddess of War. She was portrayed with the military helmet with a sword or shield when she rides into battle on the four horses’ chariot.

“The barbarians as you call them are no different from the Gaul’s of the northern lands. They are like us with their own Gods and Goddess. One of them was the Goddess of Wild Life named Artio. She was their protectorate and held great strength.” Lucius heard the Decurion who had remained behind after the others left the tent. “The slaves here consider as one of them. They called you by the creature name of the Bear from your name Artorius. It also meant Arth or the Bear in their tongue.”

“I have heard of that many times when I was campaigning in Gaul. They feared me there for I once wrestled a local chieftain that was named the Bear too. He lost to me and paid with his life.” Prime Pilus laughed. “What other children tale have you heard to amuse me today?”

“Heed my words, Artorius. We are in a strange land that our mighty Legion has not been able to tame.” Percival shifted his concern to a personal level. “The First Cohort needed more than the idol to lean on. You may be the one they need now. Their prayers to Mars have gone unheeded. We are marched here to protect the land where others have left with relief.”

The Prime Pilus looked hard into his Decurion. He had never heard of the man to the complaint of any bad days even when they were surrounded by Gaul warriors or retreated to the deep gorge. His Decurion had fought back and overturned the odds to emerge alive.

“What is your concern, Decurion?”

“It’s not the …. I have ridden for days here and the land beckon to me like the dead warriors I have slain. They want to re-surface and kick me out. I am not a coward nor a …”

“Speak your real mind, Decurion. If not, I am ready to retire.” The Prime Pilus grew agitated by the behavior of his aide.

“Okay, Artorius. I will speak my mind.” Percival voiced out in anger. “Ever since we assigned the task, we have heard murmurings of the barbarians and this particular land. It was not abandoned because it cannot be guarded. The wall does not belong here. It’s their land and….”

“Have the Legions stopped to ask any Gods of the conquered lands for their permission? We take what is there and make them part of us. Do you know how many other tribes we have taken down and absorbed into the Legion strengths? They now served us like those from Rome.”

“Yes, we hold many warriors not of Rome descent but the conquered lands. They fight for Rome for they are promised citizenship at the end of their service. Or they fight because they know we are the superior army and we condone looting upon victory.”

“We condone looting of limited value and not mass killings.” The Prime Pilus reminded the Decurion. “We do not rob the poor. We only do the richer and part of their loot now pays for our stone wall here. The Gods are smiling at us. None can defy the wills of the Gods. Not of any idol, they worshipped.”

“There is the tale of the druid.” Decurion refrained from mentioning the name. “He is said to be an influence here.”

“The druid? I heard of him. What is his name? Whispered but never spoken. I think it was Merlin or …. “

“Merlin, Prime Pilus. He is a powerful soothsayer and sorcerer. They say he can bring forth the dead to live once more.”

“Then you must have heard of the Ghost?” The Prime Pilus asked while he placed his right hand towards the nearby 

brazier. “Are we so scared of them that we are afraid to look at our own shadow? Even shadows are with a physical body. Destroy that and the shadow dies.”

“I hear you.” Decurion replied.

“Then leave me to my sleep. My God has told me we will have more days to live for.” The Prime Pilus then dismissed the Decurion. He then turned to look at the idol of his. He told himself, that Bellona also the Goddess of the Wild Life will be more powerful than this druid. With that, he took the last drop of his wine and then approached his bedding. It will be a short rest and then he will sleep in his quarters soon at the Fort.

If it was rest for the beyond then the Ghost was not to have it. He had assigned the others to deliver the warriors across the wall. They have lived here long enough to know where the cracks could allow them to cross. That was not enough for his warriors to require more guidance. He knew that the only figure who could do that was the druid.

The druid was not someone you could find unless he wanted to be found. He lived in the forest away from the villages and even the isolated woodsman. Nobody knew if the druid was real or a human. Some of them believed that he even had any real form. He could be a tree or a creature of the land. Hunters have asked for forgiveness before they take prey to feed their families.

But the Ghost knew where he could be found.

The Ghost was after all one of his one trusted friends, and at times, bringing food to him.

“Did you bring me another sack of vegetables? You do know that I have plenty of them here. It’s the meat I desired.” The Ghost heard the druid that he had found by the pond hidden by the low hills. He lowered the sack load he had brought there. “Do sit with me.”

“I did have some salted meat in there. It will keep for days.” The Ghost approached the druid. He had seen the later a few times. He was clothed in the thick cloak over the knee-length tunic and the hood covered his head and part of his upper face. From the uncovered part was the unkempt beard that had turned grey.

“Lawnslot, you came to ask me for guidance.” The druid started off the conversation. “I will say go ahead but beware of their leader. He is a bear in the wilderness. We are all creatures of the wilderness. We are dis-united and we will need the leader. The Bear is one. One day Artorius will be that.  He may lead us to better days.”

“The Roman leader? Druid, have you lost your mind? We are the people of this land not creatures of the wilderness. We cannot be led by others. We will have our leader.” The Ghost snapped out in anger. “We will rule ourselves.”

“Have we? Have we ever had a leader? Our land is overrun by the Romans. We are divided by half of our land. The South of us is under their control and to the North, the tribes have not come to be one together.”

“Lawnslot, you are a great warrior but not truly the leader to them.” The druid looked towards the other then he reached inside the sack. “We can’t even agree with the food we should grow. I disliked carrots. Why do you bring me that?”

The Ghost did not reply. He was still upset at the druid for saying that the Romans will be the conqueror. He had fought them for years ever since he returned to the land.

“Lawnslot…” The druid called the Ghost by his real name. “You must see beyond your anger. Today he may be your enemy, but he may the friend one day. Artorius is designated Bear as seen in my visions. You may one day know him as Arthur as he will be called by the local warriors in their language of the land. That will be the name he will be remembered.”

“Enjoy your meat, Druid. I am to battle a bear.” Lawnslot left the druid at the pond. The Druid looked to the pond and muttered to himself.

“Lawnslot, he is much like you but if I am forced to choose, it will be the Bear.” The druid dropped a stick of carrot into the pond. There was a ripple on the pond then before all calmness prevails there.

That was how it should be before the battle.

“Have at them, you knave. Do you want to live forever?” The Decurion swung his gladius at the barbarian head striking deep into the left side of the neck. He pulled the blade out and spurred his mount forward. The attack had begun before dawn when the sentries were looking to have the rotation then. It was also the period when they feel relaxed after a night of guarding with no alerts of any intruders. The barbarians were few but their surprise attack caught the sentries off guards. He counted five from the skirmish and then got the alert that the barbarians were only a diversion.

The real attack was at the Roman families.

It was the Marcellus’ family they had targeted.

Percival turned his horse and rode hard for the camp. The Marcellus had camped to the south much further than the others. He does not fault them for they reckon the furthest south will be safer. They have the Legions at the wall and all will be fine as assumed by the family.

The Marcellus has a small number of servants and five mercenaries to guard the family of five. Antonio Marcellus was not from Rome but a noble of the upper reaches of Sicily. He was a small-time noble with no influence on Rome but some Senators took interest in him. They had him badgered into submission of his land and left the homeland. He staked his future was away in Gaul but found his way to Britannica instead. His family was his three daughters and his aging mother.

Percival arrived at the camp late and saw the carnage. He saw several bodies dressed like mercenaries but it was still dark to distinguish if they were barbarians, but the slaves were not there. They have scattered for safety, and the Marcellus’ was missing. The wagons were looted and the tents are torn or burned. He rode among the dead with his sight of the killings; they have not named the barbarians without a reason. The dead bodies were gutted and the women folks were not spared. He saw none of the Marcellus.

“Find the Marcellus!” Percival gave the command. His riders have followed him and they took off in all directions.

Then it was time to pray for the ones they can save from death.