Arthur II Chapter 7

7.

Prime Artorius paced the tent with his eyes averted to the tent flaps watching the unseen sun then but the rays of dawn was showing itself. He looked to the two legionnaires guarding him; he frowned at that idea when they should be out there searching for the attackers but it was the Optio’ call. 

“Prime, your safety is of utmost concern.” Optio Lamorak was not taking chances with Centurion safety. He was already upset the camps were under attack. The Cohort was the best among the others and yet they allowed this to happen that night. He was thinking of the mode of punishments on the sentries; the flogging with the flagrum (short whip) or the reduction of ration. He was a strict officer but that will come later. He needed to find the attackers.

“Prime, we have reports from the Equities.” The units have returned with the updates. “They have returned.”

The Decurion was the first to report.

“We have scouted the land. The Roman families are safe. The Marcellus was the worst to be inflicted but they were found unharmed and safe with our men.”

“Inflicted and then unharmed? Tell me more, Decurion.” Prime Artorius was upset.

“Their camp was attacked and their guards’ dead. They escaped and were found by the riders.” Percival replied in his Legionnaire tone. “How they escaped, I have no report on it.”

“I want the Equites out there to expand our boundary. There will be no rest until we have a prisoner.” Prime Artorius called out. “Any prisoner will do but one that will talk on the attack. Get out now.”

The Decurion left and then the Optio took his place.

“I have strengthened the patrols and we have a prisoner.” Optio Lamorak reported in. “He was hiding in the bushes. He is ready for you.”

The Option has arranged the prisoner to be tied spread-eagled on the punishment beams. It was reserved for the errant legionnaire but on that day, a barbarian was set up there. Artorius approached the displayed prisoner; a bearded figure with his coats removed and appeared in his loose pants held up by the sash. His clothes and weapons were on the ground next to the beams. Artorius picked up the broad sword and looked at it. There was blood on it.

“You killed someone earlier? Was it a slave or a guard?” Artorius did not wait for the reply and slashed the prisoner on the right thigh. The blood spurted out from the wound but the Prime was not settled as yet. He took another slash on the left shin. The prisoner called out in pain and then gritted its pain. He looked at the Prime in defiance.

“So, you are a tough one. I liked the tough ones.” Prime Artorius smiled. “I liked it even more when they committed killings on my camp.”

“Bring in the hounds. Cut fresh meat from him to feed them.” Artorius called out. It drove the prisoner to scream out in profanities but Prime had returned to his tent. Soon the screams were of other pain and then the prisoner spoke.

“Lawnslot was the name he told us. He was also known as the ….” Optio Lamorak reported to the Prime.

“The Ghost, I heard of his name.” Prime Artorius nodded. “He is a great warrior and has been their champion. Find me the Decurion.”

“I can hunt for the Ghost.” Optio Lamorak volunteered.

“No, I want you to drag the prisoner to the nearest village. There the prisoner can have his wounds tendered and the mouth to tell the others of our cruel methods.”

“Prime, you must be mad. If the barbarian speaks of the torture, we will all be the target of theirs. We will have no mercy from them.” Optio Lamorak replied.

“And we shall not have any for them. We are the Legion’s finest. Do we fear barbarians like lions? Or hogs to feed on our dead flesh?” Prime Artorius replied. “I came here to defend Rome’s interest, and if they are in the way, I will kill them like the lion they are or feed on their hogs. It matters not for either way I will live to tell the tale.”

The words went out and the prisoner was dragged to the nearby village by seven Equities on horses including their leader, the Decurion. The Decurion rode ahead of the others.

“I shunned such a task.” Gawain looked to the rear of the figure struggling to walk on the wounded legs. “We are Equities and here we are doing the …”

“Escort duty? Like Legionnaires or Auxiliary? Yes, we are downgraded. It’s to bring that man back to his village so that he can be cured.” Gaheris replied. “And our horses to carry us back if we need to gallop out in haste.”

“You fear to face the barbarians then?” Gawain replied.

“No, but to ensure I can fight on another day on equal numbers,” Gaheris explained the odds of being killed when they are only two of them and many barbarians are out there in the woods.

“So, we let him go and he gets cured to fight us on the next moon? This is utterly ridiculous. We ought to kill him now.” Gawain fumed with frustration. He was part of the seven riders assigned to send the barbarian back. “For all we know, his friends may have us targeted now.”

“And we in their sight,” Gaheris replied when the column then stopped. He saw the group of barbarians that emerged from the grassland like morning blooms. He counted five in the front and four on each side. They were all armed to kill then.

“Release the prisoner.” Gaheris heard the Decurion who gave the command. The Decurion then rode up to the five men forming the front line. “Tell Lawnslot or the Ghost, we will not tolerate his actions. If he comes again, we will hand him over only dead bodies.”

“Lawnslot….” The one in the middle roared out but was silenced by the voice from the left side. The figure was one of the four barbarians there. He approached the Decurion.

“Your words are an insult to me. Leave the land and we will not attack you.” Lawnslot told the Decurion. “And we may just bury your dead,”

“Are you the one they called Lawnslot or the Ghost?” Percival asked back.

“We are all the ghosts here and our names are Lawnslot. What’s yours, Roman?”

“I am not …” Percival swallowed back the words. He was not of Rome but from the northern tribes bordering there. He was part Celt. He served the Legions to be a citizen and then to return to his land. He was also to save his land that was once his father’s. “I was named Persie. Now I carry the name, Percival.”

“Whatever. I am not keen to know the families of the Romans or their bastards. Be off before we kill the lot of you.”

Percival took that as the offer to leave the place. He could fight them but his order was specific. A Legionnaire takes his order to heart. The Equities do the same too.

“Build your wall. We fear not that too.” Lawnslot called out. “We will bury you in it.”

Percival sat in the saddle of the mount and looked towards the wall. From that view, he saw how intimidating the wall was seen by the barbarians. It looked like a range of hills except these one had deadly traps and was guarded by warriors. The wall looked higher from that view with the deep moat that was there before. He knew the moat held many deadly spikes. He had seen men died attacking such defenses positions. He recalled the screams of the men when they fell on the spikes or the screeching call by the horses to free themselves of the riders.

“I hoped it will not come to that,” Percival muttered to himself.

“I see the Romans have been kind to my warrior. Was it the desire for blood and meat so tempting that you have to extract it out of him?”

“We made him talk. He told us of you.” Percival looked at the one named the Ghost. “I don’t condone such acts but it was the way to make them talk.”

“We will do the same for your men. Be wary if they get captured …... alive. And we do not send back live captives. We kill them and feed them to the hounds.” Lawnslot replied.

Gawain had reached for his sword but the Decurion turns to halt the move. He then turned to the Ghost.

“We will meet in battle one day. Be ready to kill or be killed.” With that, Equities retreated to the wall. Lawnslot looked to the wounded man brought back by the Romans. He can tell why the other called out his name.

“Be brave, Matlock. One day you will have your way with the Romans.”