Arthur The Legend and Myth Chapter 7

7.

The battle of Carrhae was where the Rome Empire tasted their first major defeat. They held the overwhelming odds in the numbers against the Parthians. The Romans had seven legions along with seven thousand auxiliary forces and a thousand Gallic cavalrymen. The numbers added on to about fifty thousand men while the Parthians were a quarter of that with nine thousand were of horse archers and a thousand cataphracts (super heavy calvary). The Roman Legion used to the battle formations of land infantries were met at distance with the rain of arrows that released by the horse archers. The legionnaires have formed their box like formation but the once trusted move was a death trap when the archers picked at openings. They moved the legionnaires to group closely and their movements were hampered. It was then the cataphracts rode in like the over flowed river banks to sweep the legionaries off their formation. The thousand riders in heavy armor slammed head on to the legionnaires and thrust their lances at them. They soon routed the once organized legionnaires into a retreating mass.

“I am taught of the Battle of Carrahae at the battlefield.” Lancelot replied to the long tale told by Lancelot. “The details may be vague compared to yours but nevertheless a lesson learned the harder way.”

“Enough of your drunken tales. We are too few to fight what will be more than imagined. So we need to find the others during the journey.” Lancelot kicked at his horse ahead.

“Are you telling me that we can win against the bigger enemy which at this moment is unseen and unknown?” Arthur shifted his thighs to ease the tension on having seated too long on the saddle before prodding the horse ahead. Lancelot had joined them on the journey with his own grey gelding. Merlin was spared the walking with a mule to pull the cart while he took the seat with the wounded man.

“No, we can’t win with just the two of us. I will tell no more of this. We need more. ” Lancelot looked at the druid and shook his head. “He is not one of use here.”

Arthur nodded to that and it was then Lancelot told him that he may know of some whom they can look at.

“We need more men but they must be of the correct skills.” Lancelot expressed his view. “I may know of one that resides nearby. He is not of the Legion but he is equally capable.”

“Not only was the Legion capable as you had said so at the battle at Carrahe.” Arthur reminded the other. They wrote out of the valley and cross over some streams that were free flowing between the hills. They tracked the streams towards a river fork where the Legion camp was situated. It was still manned by a cohort of the Legion led by a Centurion. He was of the lower rank in the Centurion.

Lancelot rode up close to Arthur and then voiced out his comments.

“I know that fort well. I once served there with VII. We were posted there to guard the borders from the Picts invasion. It was a good fort but the river dried up during the summer and that makes things harried for us. Those Picts will cross the river by the dozens and besieged the fort. We stood out for some time but lost half our numbers. We were relieved by the VI and it was a thankless goodbye from us. We should have left the fort abandoned but it was a strategic crossing. The Legions have always strengthened it but each time, we are overwhelmed by the Picts.”

“The Picts named the place the river of Blood.” Lancelot turned his head downwards but Arthur ignored him. He rode on towards the fort. He was challenged by the sentries and then sent to the Centurion in charge.

“Centurion Legos Percival of the Legio VI Victrix.” The Centurion was an elderly officer with the armor introduced himself. The Centurion occupied the simple cabin assigned then which consisted of a long table and some stools. There were the lined up of weapons which took precedent for the Legion. The Centurion was reading the discharge papers passed over to him by Arthur. “I have read your papers. You are still a long way from your land. I envy your release while mine have not been seen yet.”

Arthur took his papers and it was then Lancelot stepped forth to speak to the Centurion.

“I come to seek Lamorak. You ought to know him…” Lancelot asked and was replied before he could complete his request.

“Lamorak? We know him very well. He is named by us as the Giant.” Just then the howls of a Man reverted through the camp. Lancelot laughed when he heard the howl. It would have been otherwise explained but the words were too corrosive to the decent ears.

“We had found our man. I knew his howl for miles.” Lancelot laughed and then looked at the Centurion. “What had he done to ail you?”

“He did not. It’s the healer who was tending to his painful teeth. I think they have removed it on his request.” The Centurion replied and then laughed. “With that done, I will not be one man short on the walls when the Picts comes again later.”

“Will you strengthen the walls with my men? I have the needed more men and two experienced one will be a welcome.” The Centurion made his request.

“What are the odds?” Lancelot asked.

“Twice our number and they have fierce creatures with them too.” Arthur heard the Centurion and then looked at Merlin.

“Merlin, they have fierce creatures.” Arthur sneaked in a snigger when Merlin replied with a snarl on the face. Then he saw the person that he was seeking. The figure despite the earlier reference was a short stout figure with the biceps that mismatched his height. He looked more like a great ape with the loin cloth that was all he had on. The reference of the ape was because his body was covered with hair. He also had a bandanna wrapped over his jaw.

“Lamorak I presume.” Arthur greeted the short man who was definitely snarling then. The other nodded and before Arthur could ask more Lancelot cut in. He hugged the other into his arms and then started calling each other names. 

"I thought you left the Legion. Why are you here?" Lamorak asked.

"I did buy they came to tell me that a certain Lamorak was not doing his fighting and I was asked to discipline you." Both of them laughed and then Lamorak recount the time they fled from Vigiles who had tried to arrest them for the brawl they started at the tavern.

"Yes, we did have them running corner and whose idea was to hide in the latrines." Lancelot reminded the giant. "You were still a head higher than the door then and was keeping your face above the stench." 

"If you have enough of your past misdeeds maybe we can focus on the battle here." Centurion Percival voiced out. "I need legionnaires present and former to join me." 

Lamorak glared at the Centurion but soon his agitation died off when he recalled who had called the command. If it was another Centurion, Lamorak might had ignored it but he held the respect for Percival. He nodded and proceeded to approach the walls.  Arthur then also took leave of the two and joined the others with the Centurion on the Picts. When he was approaching them, he overheard the shout by the sentry on the watch tower.

“They are here.” The sentry shouted out in panic. “They are here.”

The sentry then reached for the horn and blew hard on it. With the alarm raised, more legionnaires on the wall burst into action with weapons grabbed and posts were manned within seconds. Such was the discipline of the Legionnaires when the call for duty sounded.

Arthur rushed to the wall and mounted the wooden steps onto the palisades. He stood there and watched the tree lines. There was nothing to really see there except the shadows of the tree trunks. He knew they are there from his years of fighting these enemies. He looked to the right and studied the walls. It was a wooden wall built to the height of fifteen feet and the wooden stakes on the outside. The walls measured a hundred and twenty feet in width and two hundred and fifty feet in length. There were the tar pits before the stakes and there were the random pits with the wooden stakes inside. It was a fortified front but when he looked to the inside of the camp. There was the four sentry posts strategically positioned on the four corners. He counted fifty legionnaires on the wall he was on while the others were on the yard or in one of the five structures. Three of it were the barracks while the other two were the Centurion quarter and the Quartermaster stores. There was the corral at the rear where the horses were kept.

“If you want to know, Centurion. We improved the walls.” The Legionnaire there read his thoughts. “We can hold them back.”

“I hope we hold enough odds with that.” Arthur muttered to himself.