12.
Artorius stood
on the newly build palisade by the wall facing the land that was taken by the
settlers and peasants. The outer wall was been constructed. He was relieved by
the gift of Lord Pendragon and yet he was concerned about the implications. No
one provided a gift without a desire to get one back.
“Legionnaires,
take heed of my words.” Artorius has got the leaders of the legionnaires with
him. Lamorak and Percival were there and have grown a short beard on their
jaws.
“The visit by
Lord Pendragon was not a friendly call. He is here for a reason. I heard from
my other sources the Legion has withdrawn to only our own. The XX Valeria
Victrix has left for the continent. Since we landed in Britannica, we had the
many Legion banners; Legio II Adiutrix, Legio II Augusta, Legio IX Hispania,
Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix, Legio XX Valeria Victrix and lastly
ourselves.”
“We arrived in
43 AD and since then we fought off the local leaders. We fought off the Queen, Boudicca
who raised a revolt against us. This year 140 AD, we will have moved north to
above the Hadrian Wall to our wall the Antoinne Wall. We are at the new
frontier in Britannica. We may just take up the Northern but the Romans are
holding back at the Walls.” Artorius sighed at the thought. He recalled his
victory at Gurnion. He had released the defeated Anglo Saxons who had surrendered.
“Go back to
your homes, and return no more to his place.” Artorius offered them freedom but
they must pledge to leave. They pledged but some had returned to Mount Badon to
regroup. He knew that many have rallied to the call by Hengist.
“Our efforts
may diminish if we do not defeat the Anglo Saxon here. I am proposing that we
challenge them at their stronghold at the place they called Mount Badon”
Mount Badon
was the bastion of the Anglo Saxon. They have used the fortress there on the
hill as their staging for raids and recovery in between it. It was no castle
but a fortified hill with the deep trenches and barricades of logs that were to
take the path up the hill a maze to move in. It held about a thousand or more
Anglo Saxons led by one named Cedric the Big; he who was the Chief among the
Chiefs. His lair was at the top where he held his guards of fifty warriors.
“Mount Badon,
Prime. I heard it’s impregnable. It’s….” Lamorak offered his advice but Prime
was not to listen to excuses.
“So was the
castle at Gurnion. The forest at Caledonian Forest. The …” Artorius hit back.
“I was told
that at Gurnion, you held the shield of the Welsh. They rallied to your cause.”
Lamorak reminded the Prime.
“Are we not
the Legion? Do we not have our Eagle?” Artorius raised his tone. “Are we not
the XI Victrix First Cohort?”
None dared to
challenge him on that. He sensed the uneasiness of both his leaders.
“I won’t mount
an attack with half the strength to the enemy. Even if I do, I will strategize
that we can win.” Artorius looked to both leaders. “The First Cohort cannot do
it alone. We could as the Legio VI Victrix but the other cohorts are at the
wall. And I am not the Legatus.”
“Arthur, you
need a symbol. And a weapon.” It was the druid again.
“How did you
get here? This is a Roman fortress.” Artorius was upset. “Where is the sentry?”
“Listen to me
for once, Arthur. You have been evading your destiny for too long.” Arthur
shouted. Lamorak reached for the druid and was struck by the spell that the
druid called out.
“I can do it
again but it’s an effort to do it more than once.” Merlin sighed. “I came here
for a reason.”
Percival
reached for the scimitar on his waist but he was held back by Artorius.
“I will hear
you…” It was then there was a commotion at the outer walls. Artorius saw the
peasants running from the forest edge. He then saw the huge brown bear emerging
from it. He had encountered the bears in Gaul but the ones he met were smaller.
The one he saw then was huge; above the height of a man and it was snarling
mad. Some hunters stepped forward but none will go near the bear.
“Get my
horse.” Arthur ran down from the wall and mounted the horse saddled for him.
His horse, Llamrei in the stable stirred up a protest. Arthur had got himself a
pilum and rode out. He rode hard past the panicked settlers and passed the
uncompleted walls. He saw the bear was still there; hurt by the arrows and
roaring angrily. Two hunters have retreated with injuries to their bodies.
Artorius held
the pilum firm in his right hand and charged at the bear. From his height on
the mounted horse, he was leveled with the bear’s height. He struck the pilum
into the bear’s snort and impacted on the left eye. The bear cried out in pain
while Artorius rode around it. He saw his mount, Llamrei had broken free. The
horse devoted to its master had joined the fight. It turned its flank towards
the bear and kicked out. The bear was not resisting backing out lashed out with
its upper limbs’ claws. Llamrei retreated and it was then Artorius called to
it. It heeded the master’s call.
Artorius saw
the horse was hurt at the side of the bears’ claws.
“Stay there.”
Artorius looked for another weapon to strike. He saw the wood cutter’s ax. He
rode towards it and retrieved the ax. Llamrei had rejoined the battle and
charged at the bear. Its second time was deadly with the bear’s claws at the
horse neck. By then, Artorius had ridden in with the ax swinging. He tossed the
ax at the bear’s chest and caught it on the left shoulder. It went down on its
four limbs groaning in pain.
Artorius went
in one more attempt with the gladius drawn. He plunged it deep at the back of
the bear’s neck. The blade cut in deep but the bear was not dead yet. It tried
to get up but Artorius was onto it. He rode by the bear and grabbed the ax that
was at the left shoulder. With the backswing of his right arm, Artorius struck
the ax once more into the bear’s neck. That final blow caused the bear to fall
on its limbs once more. It laid there to groan the last throes of its living
moments.
Artorius
dismounted and approached Llamrei. His horse was hurt with the wounds on the
neck and side bleeding. He held the snort of his horse and cried. He knew that
the horse will not ride with him to battle anymore.
“Llamrei, you
need to rest. I will get healers…” Llamrei had then fallen on its limbs. It
rolled over and snorted out heavy breaths. Artorius knew that his horse was
going to die. He sat down next to it cradling the horse snort.
“Prime, we are
here.” Artorius heard Percival.
“Removed the
bear’s head. It will serve as the new eagle at Camelot.” Artorius told
Percival. “And get me the druid.”
Merlin rushed
in to see the Prime at the Hall of Camelot. He saw Prime at the wall opening
looking to the lake. The Prime was not hurt and had discarded his armor. He
turned to look at the druid who stood before him at the round table which could
seat four persons.
“I need to get
a bigger table, druid. I can smell the mead on you from there.” Artorius
commented.
“Aye, get one
that will seat twelve of your knights and one more seat for you,” Merlin
replied.
“Thirteen
seats? Won’t it be odd to have thirteen? Why not …. Ten may suffice. It’s the
number for a Contubernium.” Artorius spoke.
“Eight,
Arthur. You are wrong there.” Merlin corrected Prime. “The Contubernium is
eight, and the Cohort is …”
“Four and
Eighty Legionnaires.” Artorius had cut in. “I am aware of my senses. And mind.
Do not ever correct my …. Mistakes again.”
“Truly, a
wonderful thought,” Merlin added sarcasm to his reply.
“Arthur, do
you know the number thirteen is a celebrated symbolic date for the Celts. If
the weekday falls on a Friday, as in your Gregorian calendar, on that date,
that day will be celebrated by the Celts for Freya. It’s a day of love.”
“What do you
expect my…. So-named knights to love each other on the table?” Artorius snapped back. “They are … Why am I
arguing with you on this? Twelve it will be.”
“And one more
for the …” Merlin voiced out.
“And none will
be added. You are not a knight. You are a druid…”
“Who will
advise the King and his knights?” Merlin added in. “Now what ails you to call
on me, Arthur?”
“Bah….”
Artorius sighed. “I called on you to …. Speak on the …”
“Excalibur.
Yes, that blade would have killed the bear in a single cut.” Merlin cut in
again. “Only the King could wield that blade.”
“Excalibur….
Hold on, druid. I was not talking about that.” Artorius deflected the issue. “I
asked you …”
“Of Lady
Guinevere then? I don’t know …” Merlin sighed.
“Yes, I am …”
Artorius sighed too.
“Feeling
alone? The King may be alone …. Without a Queen but the Queen…. Need to be …”
Merlin struggled to find the words. Love to him was an elusive issue.
“Yes, I am
lonely. I am getting older. I need to sire my own family.” Artorius blurted
out. “And I don’t have …”
“The potion to
make you feel young I may have, but the potion to love I feared I do not.”
Merlin looked at Artorius. “However, if you are to be made King, you will need
a Queen.”
“How do you
woo a Celt then?” Artorius snapped out. “I find myself a mortal in my battle
with the bear today. It may have killed me. Yet, I …”
“Fought it as
if you were the protector of the people. You are doing your role as the King.”
Merlin seized the moment. “But you are not a King. And only the King can marry
a noble.”
“Noble? What
of Guinevere?” Artorius asked.
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