Read Online THE INVASION OF GAUL by S. J. A. Turney - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: S. J. A. Turney
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lake?”
“ Through territory hostile to them? Then the Third Cohort can earn their pay, can’t they sir.”
Fronto cleared his throat with an irritated twitch and stamped his feet. The morning was cold, and weeks of chill had penetrated so deep into his bones that he felt he might never be warm again. He was already wearing his thick woollen tunic, scarf and cloak. His breeches were the special heavy and slightly longer ones than he usually wore, and he had taken to wearing the heavier of his pairs of boots.
A soldier came running up the embankment, the frosty grass crunching under his feet. At the top he came to attention, breathing heavily.
“ Sir, centurion Velius requests permission to bring a detachment onto the defences.”
Fronto eyed the soldier, one of Velius’ raw recruits, surely. He was correctly equipped and well turned out, had come to attention very formally, and only his accent betrayed him. He could easily have been a soldier from the Tenth. There was no doubt; Velius knew his job and had performed it excellently.
“ Very well soldier, tell Velius his unit has permission to approach.”
“ Sir!” The soldier turned sharply and began pounding back down the hill, leaving an arcing trail of footprints on the whitened grass.
Tetricus watched him go and turned to the commander.
“ I think we should send Velius on a tour round the Empire. Within a month we’d have several million well-trained men.”
Fronto smiled. “Yes, but who’d make the wine and ferry it to us if everyone was a soldier?”
Moments later, Velius came round the corner of the nearest redoubt. Following him were two detachments of troops, each with a centurion. One unit bore the standard of the Eleventh, and one the Twelfth. The units marched at double speed and in good formation to the embankment, where they drew up sharply. Velius addressed the two officers on the wall.
“ Sir, request permission to demonstrate the techniques of Roman defensive engineering to these men, who have been selected as the first engineer units of the Eleventh and Twelfth.”
Fronto smiled at Tetricus and then turned, straight faced, to address the training officer.
“ Go ahead centurion, we’re just leaving anyway.”
As the two began a gentle walk down the slope, Velius barked out a few orders to the new units, who fell into a more relaxed stance.
“ You will notice the height of the bank, and the gradient that has been achieved…”
Velius’ voice faded into the distance as the two made their way back toward the Fort.
Fronto shaded his eyes and looked ahead to the camp.
“ Are the Eighth nearly ready to move, I can’t see well in this light, but it looks like everything is still in position.”
Tetricus squinted in the same direction.
“ They’re almost ready to move sir. Give them an hour and they’ll have all those tents down. Problem is: half the men who organise these things are still babysitting the Eleventh and Twelfth. I presume those men will be back with their unit as soon as all the legions are in position.”
Fronto made a low grumbling noise deep in his throat.
“ I hope so, Gaius. Caesar hasn’t committed himself to anything yet, or at least isn’t admitting to it. Any time I ask him about the next move he just taps the side of that enormous nose and winks. He doesn’t like to be anticipated in anything.”
Passing through the gate into the camp, Fronto was pleased to see that he’d been mistaken at a distance. The tents were, indeed, all still up, but the weapons and equipment were all stowed ready for transport, and everything was maybe an hour away from departure. He saw the Eighth’s primus pilus gesturing with his vine staff near the Latrines.
“ Good work, Balventius.”
The senior centurion nodded. “We’re basically ready. I’ve tried to get permission to strike the tents and get underway sir, but I can’t get to see our legate. He’s busy with the general.”
Fronto returned the nod.
“ Through territory hostile to them? Then the Third Cohort can earn their pay, can’t they sir.”
Fronto cleared his throat with an irritated twitch and stamped his feet. The morning was cold, and weeks of chill had penetrated so deep into his bones that he felt he might never be warm again. He was already wearing his thick woollen tunic, scarf and cloak. His breeches were the special heavy and slightly longer ones than he usually wore, and he had taken to wearing the heavier of his pairs of boots.
A soldier came running up the embankment, the frosty grass crunching under his feet. At the top he came to attention, breathing heavily.
“ Sir, centurion Velius requests permission to bring a detachment onto the defences.”
Fronto eyed the soldier, one of Velius’ raw recruits, surely. He was correctly equipped and well turned out, had come to attention very formally, and only his accent betrayed him. He could easily have been a soldier from the Tenth. There was no doubt; Velius knew his job and had performed it excellently.
“ Very well soldier, tell Velius his unit has permission to approach.”
“ Sir!” The soldier turned sharply and began pounding back down the hill, leaving an arcing trail of footprints on the whitened grass.
Tetricus watched him go and turned to the commander.
“ I think we should send Velius on a tour round the Empire. Within a month we’d have several million well-trained men.”
Fronto smiled. “Yes, but who’d make the wine and ferry it to us if everyone was a soldier?”
Moments later, Velius came round the corner of the nearest redoubt. Following him were two detachments of troops, each with a centurion. One unit bore the standard of the Eleventh, and one the Twelfth. The units marched at double speed and in good formation to the embankment, where they drew up sharply. Velius addressed the two officers on the wall.
“ Sir, request permission to demonstrate the techniques of Roman defensive engineering to these men, who have been selected as the first engineer units of the Eleventh and Twelfth.”
Fronto smiled at Tetricus and then turned, straight faced, to address the training officer.
“ Go ahead centurion, we’re just leaving anyway.”
As the two began a gentle walk down the slope, Velius barked out a few orders to the new units, who fell into a more relaxed stance.
“ You will notice the height of the bank, and the gradient that has been achieved…”
Velius’ voice faded into the distance as the two made their way back toward the Fort.
Fronto shaded his eyes and looked ahead to the camp.
“ Are the Eighth nearly ready to move, I can’t see well in this light, but it looks like everything is still in position.”
Tetricus squinted in the same direction.
“ They’re almost ready to move sir. Give them an hour and they’ll have all those tents down. Problem is: half the men who organise these things are still babysitting the Eleventh and Twelfth. I presume those men will be back with their unit as soon as all the legions are in position.”
Fronto made a low grumbling noise deep in his throat.
“ I hope so, Gaius. Caesar hasn’t committed himself to anything yet, or at least isn’t admitting to it. Any time I ask him about the next move he just taps the side of that enormous nose and winks. He doesn’t like to be anticipated in anything.”
Passing through the gate into the camp, Fronto was pleased to see that he’d been mistaken at a distance. The tents were, indeed, all still up, but the weapons and equipment were all stowed ready for transport, and everything was maybe an hour away from departure. He saw the Eighth’s primus pilus gesturing with his vine staff near the Latrines.
“ Good work, Balventius.”
The senior centurion nodded. “We’re basically ready. I’ve tried to get permission to strike the tents and get underway sir, but I can’t get to see our legate. He’s busy with the general.”
Fronto returned the nod.
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