Arthur II Chapter 21

 The First Battles

 

21.

Prime Pilus Artorius strung the catch on his waist belt. He felt the familiar weight on the sword weighed on his body. He was in his full amour with the greaves on his arms and legs. He picked up the headpiece that will give him his rank before he ventured out to meet his legionnaires. He could not assemble all the legionnaires for the fight; the wall needed guarding. He took only twenty legionnaires on foot with twelve riders.

“You are mad to take so few men.” Optio Lamorak pulled his rank He counted only thirty-four guards for the Prime Pilus. “I can get the other Cohorts to assist.”

“No, we cannot abandon our posts. So are the others. The wall is our main task which is to defend it.” Prime Artorius then looked at his Decurion. “I will take a dozen of your Equites with Galahad to lead. Guard the wall well with the other brothers.”

“I leave with part of the mercenaries under Belvedere. He offered me ix mercenaries. And ….” The Prime Pilus continued. “And they also to guide me.”

Prime Pilus Artorius looked at Lawnslot who just rode in. The later has brought in a dozen warriors on foot. Lawnslot said they will ride with him.

“Unreliable part of barbarians, Prime Pilus. “I do declare you adhere to my addition of more men from our ranks.” Optio Lamorak pleaded with the former.

“No more requests, Optio. Your defense needed men and I am not taking them away. I will do my battle with the numbers I hold. The settlement at River Glein is a supply point for the Anglo Saxons. We take it down and they are cut off.” Prime Pilus Artorius told the Optio.

“After there, I expected more to cut off.” The Prime looked to his rear. “Lord Pendragon does not ride with us today? Or he may join me later?”

Prime Pilus Artorius was grabbed by Optio Lamorak on his left arm.

“Prime, you must listen to me. The Anglo Saxons are not our battle. As we know the Legion may soon leave the land. We ride back to Gaul.”

“With the tail between our legs? Never!” Artorius replied. “We will rebuild the wall here. It’s shorter than the Hadrian Wall, and it will stop the Anglo Saxons from raiding the south.”

“Again, Prime. It’s not…” Optio Lamorak pleaded. The Prime Pilus ignored the Optio once more and then addressed the men following him.

“The Equities will ride with me. Belvedere will take my flank with his six warriors. Lawnslot and his men will ride parallel with me. We will recruit the extra warriors on our journey. We will be away for some time and maybe back by the next season.” It was the season of the flowers then. The Prime turned to leave but stopped when he saw the druid was standing a distance away. He approached the druid who had then stepped into the cleared area. Somehow the sentries there stepped away on their action.

“You are an either influential or powerful druid.” Prime Pilus Artorius looked at the druid. “I was not expecting Lawnslot.  Okay, I was expecting you to join us.”

“You need me to convince others. Lawnslot can do for the warriors but the Kings and Lords are mines. They will not listen to any others. Like the Lord Pendragon.”

“The errant Lord that you told me to meet up with. Which I did not and had sent my faithful officer, Decurion Percival.” Prime Artorius looked at the druid. “Well, he did not meet my officer. He met the officer outside the castle.”

“Lord Pendragon cannot be seen to have liaison with the Romans. Yet he will ride with you. As it stands, you are still the invaders too.” Merlin reminded the Prime. “So, are the other invaders.”

“Your words may sound hollow soon. I see no Lord amongst the gathered.” The druid smiled at the Prime Pilus words.

“Then we shall move on before we bore each other to the graves.” Merlin took the first step towards North.

At that moment, Hengist was upset at the development of the meeting.  He had called that meeting which was not successful by his measurement. He was doing well until the Ghost disrupted the meeting. He was getting the local Lords to side his people and then the Ghost made them see the misgivings on it. He saw his brother; Horsa had ridden into the camp. He took his brother to meet at an isolated location.

“Hengist, we are ready. As we speak, the elders are massing the clans. More will join us for they liked the invasion. We had a bad spell; the Picts and Scots are at our borders.” Horsa was a tall figure with the bald head look covered in the fur coat and his weapon of choice was the long handle mallet with the sharp pick on the other end. “It will take time. The elders do not want to approve the move for all the clans until they are assured of winning.”

“I cannot have any more delays. We are not going to invade this time. We will occupy the land.” Hengist made his stand to his brother. “I am bored with the annual trips to pillage and then return home.”

“It’s our way for centuries. If we leave our lands too long the others will come and we will end up with nothing.” Horsa reminded the other of their lands. “The Picts and the Scots are not as welcome as our neighbors.”

“I hold with me now two hundred warriors with your five hundred. We can march with you.” Horsa declared. “I can get another twenty or fifty by the next moon rising.”

“The moon next rise may be too late. We need to move now.” Hengist looked to Horsa. “Can you lead the men f yours now to meet the Romans? I heard they are a smaller detachment of fifty too.  Do well, while I rouse the other clans.”

“This is new to me.” Horsa looked at his brother. “Do you not trust me to do so?”

“I do, brother. These new plans of mine were never made known. I was here to check the enemy's strengths and met the informers who told me of the Romans. Their warriors are concerned about the Roman strength. I will take the challenge to unsettle them. Soon after your attack the Romans, I will meet them. Then they will amicable to my suggestions.”

“Soon after we can be the wolf in the sheep flock.” Horsa smiled.

“Not entirely. There is the one I need to deal with. He is Lawnslot. He was the one they named Ghost.”

“I thought he had died when we handed him over to the Picts.”

“He lived and challenged me at the meet. He eventually walked out but words he said have left the Chieftains unsettled. There was also the druid. Merlin was his name. They are against me.” Hengist told Horsa. “I had sent some warriors to kill them but they escaped. I know not whereof their whereabouts.”

“Merlin the Druid. I have heard of his fame. He is feared here.” Horsa told the brother. “I fear nothing with the mallet of mine. If its man or demon, I will crush their skull.”

“I will return to the clans. Spread the words and get more to join us. We will take the land for ours.” Hengist told Horsa. “I will do what I can to spread the concern on the Romans.”

Hengist turned from his brother to look at the camp where he had met the Lords. He liked the land there and had been involved in the raids there for over a decade. He was determined to stay on then. He will get his plan to work.

“Lord Hengist, we have located the Ghost. He heads for the fork at River Glein towards River Welland. He rides with the Romans now.” It was the confluence of the rivers in the land known as Lincolnshire. There held a small settlement of Anglo Saxons who had stayed behind after the raids. They were warriors that backed the previous invasions but soon after they were farmers.

Hengist frowned at the thought. The Romans are routing the smaller settlements to cut their local supply to the Anglo Saxons.

Hengist turned to look at the one who addressed him. Angus was his name and was dressed covered with the thick fur but he noticed the Roman Legionnaire mail suit. The other did not acquire it by steal but earned it as one of the Legionnaires. He disliked the Legionnaire but the role of the other was an essential component of ensuring success. He had handled his traitors among his warriors and the punishment was severe; death by strangulation. Traitors worked for the weight of coins in their purse.

“Send words to Horsa on what you told me. Then ride with the Romans as part of them. I will try to send words to them.” Hengist then instructed the other. “Take your dozen with you.”

“Get more men to join you and be a part of the Roman army. When you have the chance, kill Lawnslot. This bag of coins will then be sent to you later.” Hengist told the traitor.

“It will take more to get the others and then to join the Romans.” The traitor told Hengist. “I ought to join the settlers to fight the Romans.”

“The settlement will be taken care of by you. You have your task. Do that and don’t ever come here or you may be killed. Your coins will double when you win.” The traitor took leave of the Lord then. Lord Hengist looked to the land once more.

“Then settlement will be sacrificed and the anger will spread. We marched to the wall.”