Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 06] Druid's Gold Read Online Free PDF Page A

of you is a chosen man, chosen by me.  Each of you is equal and decisions on the field will be made by all.  You men have intelligence as well as ability and you will use them both.” He paused to let his words sink in.  He too was dubious about the success or failure they could expect. All men expected a leader to make decisions but each man was, in effect, a leader and he hopped they would fulfil the potential he knew they had. “My servant will deliver each group their orders tonight.  Read them and learn them then destroy them. Your orders will determine how long you are away from Eboracum. I will be operating in the west close to Glanibanta.  I tell you this not because I expect that you will need that information but because it is important that you know where I will be.” He raised his sword, “May the Allfather be with you. Marcus’ Horse!”
    Each man roared proudly back, “Marcus’ Horse!”
    The next day Livius took his five man patrol west.  The spare horse carried spears and armour in case they needed it but Livius was sure that when this first patrol was over they would be irrelevant.  In the weeks since he had been tasked with the creation of the unit he had thought long and hard about how it would work and decided that charges and individual combats were a thing of the past. They would have to be invisible, spectres, ghosts who were never seen only sensed. He hoped that the other fifteen men sent out on their patrols would not have to be sacrificed to enable others to learn from their mistakes.  He was determined that his patrol would learn and learn quickly. When he had chosen his orders it appeared the most difficult and the simplest of the four tasks. Engineers were scouting a new road in the west and Livius was to aid heir task by scouting ahead of them.  He had chosen the assignment because it operated the furthest from Eboracum and that made it dangerous but he knew the area well and finally it was the last area in which Morwenna had been seen.  If he was to find that arch fiend it would be there.
    As they rode west along familiar roads Livius placed himself at the back of the small column so that he could assess the men with whom he would be working over the next months. Cassius had been his first choice.  He would be an optio as soon as they mustered more men. He was older than Livius and extremely dependable. He was rarely flustered and always made uncannily good decisions.  In many ways he was a good luck omen.
    Rufius was out in front and he was the youngest of the group.  He was also the most recent recruit and the one about whom Livius knew the least but he had shown an enthusiasm and eagerness for combat which reminded Livius of Decurion Macro who had also been the one who desired to be the first into combat and the last from it. He also seemed to have Gaelwyn’s ability to follow tracks over stones.
    Decius was the hothead; a fierce warrior who was abrasive in the group but also fiercely loyal.  He had incurred the wrath of many officers outside of Marcus’ Horse for the fights caused when he felt that the name of the ala had been slurred.  He was as loyal a man as one could want but Livius knew that he needed more self-control and then he would be a good trooper. If he thought first and then acted he would live longer.
    Agrippa was, like Cassius an older man and Brigante to boot. He had been chosen by Livius for one reason and one reason only, Gaelwyn the old Brigante scout had rated him as a good tracker and that praise was enough to elevate the older, quieter man in Livius’ opinion.
    Finally there was the enigma, Metellus. Without doubt he was the best educated of the six and even Livius felt illiterate next to him.  He would quote poetry both Latin and native with ease.  He could speak almost every language with great facility and yet he was the deadliest man with a bow that Livius had eve seen, he could even outshoot Macro and that was unheard of. As they trotted