Jimmy Loong
Mid April 2018
Resumed Dec 2019
Renewed 5th April 2020
Book I
Antoinne Wall
The Antonine Wall (known to the Romans
as Vallum Antonini) was
one of the two walls build by the Romans during the earlier occupation of
Britain.
Pressure from the Caledonians may have led the then Roman Emperor
Antoninus Pius to send the empire's troops further north. The Antonine Wall was
enacted and stretched across the Isle between the Firth of Forth, and the Firth
of Clyde, a distance of over thirty-nine miles. It was protected by sixteen
forts with many small fortifications.
The Wall was built on stone foundations, with a ten feet high and
sixteen feet wide wall with a deep ditch on the northern side. The garrison troops built a wooden palisade on top of the turf to add to their
defenses.
The wall was however abandoned only eight years after completion, and
the garrisons relocated back to the main wall named the Hadrian's Wall.
In 208 Emperor Septimius Severus re-established legions at the wall
and ordered repairs; this has led to the wall being referred to as the Severan
Wall. The
occupation ended a few years later, and the wall was never fortified again.
Most of the wall and its associated fortifications have been destroyed over
time.
Roman Fort
A typical fort layout is as below:
The background of the tale.
Prime Pilus Lucius Artorius Castus is a
real person personified by the fables of the ancient Roman tales. The Centurion
was also linked to the myth of King Arthur who was considered as the greatest
King of the Isle. This tale may be linked to the fable of King Arthur, but it’s
more of the fictional accounts of the Roman troops then at the wall and their
heroic efforts.
Book One
The Wall
1.
Percival was the Decurion, commanding
officer of the mounted cavalry unit of twenty-four horsemen, partial strength
from the total cavalry units of a hundred and twenty riders in the Legion. They
were the Equities. The leader of the smaller unit sat up in his stirrup with
his eyes scanning the target ahead of him. He felt uneasy about the lack of view
seen blocked by the high walls. Sections of the wall have collapsed with overgrowth and have taken residence there. The Decurion signaled the halt sign and then
called on his best rider to come forth.
“I fear the walls do not give me
comfort. Can you scout it with Galahad? Take the brothers with you.”
The command was sent to the trio of
brothers who had enlisted in the Legion. He held his faith in the trio for
their archery skills will matter most in an ambush.
Percival himself has been in the Legion
for over twenty years, himself enlisted then as a young man of eighteen and
rose in the ranks. He flexed his shoulders to ease the strain there from the
long ride and then adjusted his seating to ease the cramps there. He was
dressed in the standard issued body armor of metal strips fastened to leather
straps across the chest and secured by brass hooks. The upper body was
protected by the shoulder straps and backplates. It was cushioned by the woolen
knee-length tunic worn beneath it to add comfort to the user. He wore no
greaves on his arms but he had on the leather shin guards and then the leather
sandals with the laced leathers to his ankle.
The helmet he had on was a conical shape
with a raised central knob, with a protruding neck guard and cheek plates. His
weapons were the long two spears he carried; both fastened to the saddle on the
right and the rounded shield on the left side. His sword named the Gladius was
on the right side of his waist belt while the dagger ‘pugio’ was on his left
front right side for easier withdrawal. He had one another sword which was a
scimitar given to him by a friend. He rode the dark mare that had been his for
over three years and then still snorted on the smell of the enemies they were
to engage together. He does not carry a bow with the quiver of arrows, unlike
his riders.
“I heeded your command, Decurion.” The
eldest of the trio acknowledged to the leader of the cavalry unit. Galahad
spurred his own dark mount to call on his other two brothers, Gaheris and
Gawain. Unlike the Decurion, Galahad had on only his woolen tunic covered with
weathered leather covers as his armor. His preference for the leather covers
gave him faster access to the quiver of arrows and the bow he had slung over
his shoulders. He rode to the rear and met his other two brothers.
“Brothers! We ride to Hell once more.”
It was his greeting to the other two of his blood. He smiled when he saw Gawain
roared out his approval before kicking the mount to move forth. That roaring
brother of his was the reason he had joined the Legion. Gawain had dragged the
youngest, Gaheris to enlist without the knowledge of the eldest. They were
neither drunk nor being coerced but the aggressive Gawain had decided to fight
for the conqueror of the land.
“Heck, Gaheris. We have no King to serve
for. Even our own brother, Galahad rides for himself.” Gawain had told the
youngest. “He will soon have his fill of the farm while we do what he has done before.”
It was true then that Galahad had
enlisted in the King’s army for it was to protect his family from being called
in to do so. He had served the King well and got the honor of commanding a
detachment of archers while his brothers remained with their mother at the farm.
With her death and the defeat of the King’s army, Galahad had lost touch with
them for over two years. He was pardoned and returned to the farm. He was
annoyed then that Gawain had enlisted into the Legion at Rome, and took his
other brother then. The eldest went after them and could not get them delisted so
he joined into the Legion to protect them. He worked his way up and soon
commanded the same rascals he was trying to save then.
The other two have on the same armor
but the bow carried by Gaheris and Gawain was the shorter version favored by
the Persians.
“We ride in like before.” Galahad had
fashioned that move when they were hunting at a younger age. It was always to
form a pincer move; Galahad in the middle and the other two taking the horns edge.
Gaheris and Gawain rode to the wall and then wide to find new gaps. Galahad
reached the collapsed wall and held his mount reins. He grabbed his bow and
then notched an arrow. His bow was the long side favored by the hunters made
by yew and the string was hewn. He had fashioned his arrow with improvisation.
He had cut in hollow points to mimic the sound. And the sound attracted the prey.
Including the ones waiting to do the ambush.
The shrilling noise from the arrow was
also to signal the other hunters.
Galahad saw the prey emerged from behind
the wall. It was a barbarian coated in the torn tunic and held a spear. It was
a crude one and was fashioned by some farmers. Galahad did what he had been
trained for years. He released the arrow at the barbarian. The figure went down
and the alarm was raised. Two more barbarians appeared holding more crude
weapons.
“Aye!” It was the battle cry of Gaheris
who had taken down the barbarians in a succession of released arrows. The
youngest rode towards the downed barbarians and was surprised by the attack of
a lady dressed in tatters. The lady of advanced age charged at him with a
wooden pitchfork. Gaheris was chivalrous and refused to fight a lady who had
him thrown off the startled mount. He landed awkwardly on his hind. He looked
up at the senior lady than having placed the pitchfork at his chest.
“Die, Roman!” The evil namesake they
have made of the Legion then. Gaheris drew his breath but death evades him. The
lady screamed out and it was then Gaheris saw his brother had come to his
rescue once more.
“I am glad…” Gaheris crouched up and
looked to the lady brought down by Gawain. The lady had the arrow stuck on her
left armpit; none fatal but painful.
“My lady….” Gaheris was rewarded by the
pitchfork swung into his face. He fell back and then saw the lady attempting to
stand up but she was taken down by the crude version for a brother who had
grabbed the lady to drag her some distance.
“Stop!” It was the commanding voice of
the eldest, Galahad who rode past the wall towards Gaheris. He then looked at
the arriving Gawain. “You are a beast to do that to the lady.”
“Yea, my Mae (mother) will turn on her
grave but Pa will say aye to me.” Gawain rode up and then dismounted. “It was a
jolly ride.”
Galahad swung his right fist at the rude
brother and then looked to the injured lady. She had crawled to the two bodies
killed by Gaheris. She was sobbing at her loss when the main contingent
arrived. The fallen brother did not retaliate then but took to his mount. He
rode off to ease his anger then.
“Decurion, we have secured the wall. I
will send the other riders out to secure the perimeter.” Galahad reported to
the leader of the cavalry unit. The Decurion nodded while his sight was on the
sobbing lady. He then looked to Galahad.
“See to her aid. Arrange the boys to be
buried and then give her some coins to move on.” Decurion Percival instructed
the other. He then looked at the arriving cohort of a hundred and sixty
legionnaires. Those were the First cohort; the prime mover of any battle. The
Legatos have assigned them there at the center of the wall in the event they
were called to assist the others lined up across the wall. Even his own units
of over a hundred twenty riders in full strength were deployed to act as
couriers with their fast mounts.
“Decurion, do report to me.” Decurion
Percival turned to look at the senior officer who has requested for his
report. The officer was Prime Pilus Lucius Artorius Cactus of the First Cohort,
Legio VI Victrix. Percival has served with
him for over ten years, watching the Centurion rose in the ranks to Prime
Pilus. He held his respect for the senior Centurion; he was tall with his body
moulded by the years of servitude and was a fine officer. He wore his armor
well, with the long sword on his waist belt while his official gladius was kept
with his other personal belongings.
‘We secured the walls but the fort had
yet to be verified its condition.”
To that, Centurion Artorius who was also
the Prime Pilus of the First Cohort sat up with his back straightened to view
the remains of the fortress. He could make out from where he stood was the
Workshop, with most of the walls standing. He could make out the kiln and the
iron tools used to make the blades and the amours. It was unusual for such
items to be left there and was probably the ones brought in by the barbarian.
He saw the two bodies by the workshop with the sobbing lady still cradling the
dead bodies. He turned his sight to the far right and saw the bathhouses were
still very much intact but its kiln looked glum from the lack of fire to heat
up the water.
“Centurion, the Headquarters is …” Prime
Pilus Artorius heard the Decurion and looked to the main structure in the
center of the fort. The structure lacked the roofing with its external walls
crumbled at several sections. He rode towards it before he dismounted there. He
climbed in by the collapsed southern wall and saw the inner walls were intact.
The Tesserarius, the ranking officer had
four of the legionaries were already clearing the place while another Tesserarius the unit was setting up the fireplace. The fire will be welcomed from the cold
weather and the walls will provide cover from the cold winds. There was hardly
any cluster of trees there for them during the construction of the walls some
years back, the builders have cleared the land ahead for over a mile and
towards the northern direction to have an unhindered view of the northern
boundary.
“Check the granary for its structure and
then locate the supplies there.” Prime Pilus Artorius instructed the
Tesserarius of the new tasks. “Get the Immunes on the roofing.”
The Immunes were the legionnaires with
the skills that could perform the task of repairs and other works. They started
work prior to the arrival of the supply wagons led by the Auxiliaries; the
recruits from the non-Roman tribes or those which have agreed to serve Rome.
The Auxiliaries assigned to the First
Cohort were eighty warriors of which ten were mounted riders. They guard the
supply wagon of five in the numbers, and in battle, they will be the forefront
line. The Auxiliaries had on the mail coat in place of the armor plates and
were commanded by a Prefect named Glasco Turin, an old veteran who was nearing
retirement. They also held the bow with the quiver of arrows.
In tow behind the Auxiliaries were the
camp followers or the non-combatants who had joined in to lay claim on the land
or enemies captured to serve as slaves. They are Roman citizens with the wealth
and influence to partake in the campaign. They may consist of family members
and their servants with a group of mercenaries to defend them.
There were also the freed slaves to work
on the new tract of land there. There were three families that followed the
First Cohort; the Marcellus, the Augustus, and the Meleagant.
Prime Pilus Artorius had assigned the
land before the Wall to the families.
“Build your homes there. We will hold
the wall.”
The work on the wall had started and the
Legion was there to stay.
“Prime, words have arrived. There will
be eight forts on the wall manned by the Cohorts and each Cohort is only a half
day ride away by horses.” The Centurions reported in. “Cohort Nine will be on
the reserve to reinforce any forts. We also hold an army of Auxiliaries of over
five hundred men in reserve to the one hundred at every other fort.”
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