watched as the mounted party drew closer and slowed to a trot, the following ten legionaries catching up. The leader wore an antiquated bronze muscled cuirass and a fine, silk-lined crimson cloak. He glared down his nose, his lips pinched and his piercing grey eyes full of scrutiny. A cold bastard. Pavo hoped for a fleeting moment that this was another in the mould of Gallus.
Then Lupicinus lifted a hand in silence and his men stopped behind him. He trotted forward, peacock-like, eyeing the group around the ballista, nose wrinkling as if he had stumbled into an open latrine. He bristled and flexed his shoulders. ‘Would Centurion Quadratus make himself known!’ The man’s tone was sharp and biting.
‘Sir!’ Quadratus replied, standing to attention.
Lupicinus cocked an eyebrow at the big Gaul. ‘You are relieved of your command, Centurion. As Comes of the Field Armies of Thracia, I will be overseeing the limitaneiof this region as a whole, and I’ll be acting tribunus for the XI Claudia. My two centuries will bolster the numbers of the XI Claudia and will lead your rogues and farmers by example.’
‘Yes, sir!’ Quadratus barked back, masking any sign of humiliation well – quite a feat for the temperamental Gaul.
‘And I’ll have my work cut out, it seems; already I have heard word of a missing wage purse, stolen from within the fort?’ He eyed each of them like culprits.
‘And I’ll expect a full briefing on this activity,’ Lupicinus continued, flicking his head to the giant ballista, ‘for an officer should not be distracted by fanciful engineering. He should be with his men at all times. Inspiring them, encouraging them,’ he leaned forward from the saddle and clenched a fist, ‘ leading them.’
‘Never a truer word has been spoken, sir,’ Quadratus replied. ‘Indeed, I’ve just spent all morning on the training field with . . . ’
‘You’ll speak when I say you can speak, Centurion!’ Lupicinus barked. ‘And you’ll sort out your armour before you next stand in front of me,’ the comes flicked a finger at Quadratus’ rusting, torn mail vest, bringing a chorus of derisive laughter from Lupicinus’ riders and infantry. ‘You’re a disgrace to your legion, and to your empire!’
Pavo’s chest stung with ire as he saw Quadratus shuffle on the spot, face burning in humiliation and fury. The big Gaul had forgone the last of the fresh sets of armour to allow those travelling north with Tribunus Gallus to have it. And he was being mocked for the gesture. Pavo stared at the comes; this man was no Gallus.
Then, like an asp, Lupicinus’ eyes snapped round to fix on Pavo. ‘You have something to say, soldier? Name and rank?’ He demanded.
Pavo’s stomach fell away and his skin prickled with an icy dread. ‘Legionary Numerius Vitellius Pavo of the XI Claudia, third cohort, first century, sir!’
Lupicinus heeled his mount over to Pavo and looked him up and down, then recoiled with a gasp. ‘You reek of ale, soldier. Drunk on duty? Worse than sleeping on watch! You know the punishment for that, don’t you?’
‘Flogging at best, sir, or death,’ Pavo replied flatly as the rest of the XI Claudia legionaries looked on.
‘Aye,’ Lupicinus hissed, ‘and if I learn that you’re the wage thief . . . you know what they used to do to legionaries devoid of honour, do you? They would force them, screaming, into a hemp sack filled with poisonous asps.’ The comes was almost purring. ‘Then hurl the sack into the depths of a river.’
‘Permission to speak, sir!’ Quadratus stepped forward again.
Lupicinus spun to him and flared his nostrils, eyes wide in indignation. ‘Speak.’
‘Pavo was just a moment ago involved in settling a dispute in the town. Drunken locals causing bother. I can vouch for his sobriety.’
‘Oh, can you?’ Lupicinus straightened up in his saddle again and turned to
Then Lupicinus lifted a hand in silence and his men stopped behind him. He trotted forward, peacock-like, eyeing the group around the ballista, nose wrinkling as if he had stumbled into an open latrine. He bristled and flexed his shoulders. ‘Would Centurion Quadratus make himself known!’ The man’s tone was sharp and biting.
‘Sir!’ Quadratus replied, standing to attention.
Lupicinus cocked an eyebrow at the big Gaul. ‘You are relieved of your command, Centurion. As Comes of the Field Armies of Thracia, I will be overseeing the limitaneiof this region as a whole, and I’ll be acting tribunus for the XI Claudia. My two centuries will bolster the numbers of the XI Claudia and will lead your rogues and farmers by example.’
‘Yes, sir!’ Quadratus barked back, masking any sign of humiliation well – quite a feat for the temperamental Gaul.
‘And I’ll have my work cut out, it seems; already I have heard word of a missing wage purse, stolen from within the fort?’ He eyed each of them like culprits.
‘And I’ll expect a full briefing on this activity,’ Lupicinus continued, flicking his head to the giant ballista, ‘for an officer should not be distracted by fanciful engineering. He should be with his men at all times. Inspiring them, encouraging them,’ he leaned forward from the saddle and clenched a fist, ‘ leading them.’
‘Never a truer word has been spoken, sir,’ Quadratus replied. ‘Indeed, I’ve just spent all morning on the training field with . . . ’
‘You’ll speak when I say you can speak, Centurion!’ Lupicinus barked. ‘And you’ll sort out your armour before you next stand in front of me,’ the comes flicked a finger at Quadratus’ rusting, torn mail vest, bringing a chorus of derisive laughter from Lupicinus’ riders and infantry. ‘You’re a disgrace to your legion, and to your empire!’
Pavo’s chest stung with ire as he saw Quadratus shuffle on the spot, face burning in humiliation and fury. The big Gaul had forgone the last of the fresh sets of armour to allow those travelling north with Tribunus Gallus to have it. And he was being mocked for the gesture. Pavo stared at the comes; this man was no Gallus.
Then, like an asp, Lupicinus’ eyes snapped round to fix on Pavo. ‘You have something to say, soldier? Name and rank?’ He demanded.
Pavo’s stomach fell away and his skin prickled with an icy dread. ‘Legionary Numerius Vitellius Pavo of the XI Claudia, third cohort, first century, sir!’
Lupicinus heeled his mount over to Pavo and looked him up and down, then recoiled with a gasp. ‘You reek of ale, soldier. Drunk on duty? Worse than sleeping on watch! You know the punishment for that, don’t you?’
‘Flogging at best, sir, or death,’ Pavo replied flatly as the rest of the XI Claudia legionaries looked on.
‘Aye,’ Lupicinus hissed, ‘and if I learn that you’re the wage thief . . . you know what they used to do to legionaries devoid of honour, do you? They would force them, screaming, into a hemp sack filled with poisonous asps.’ The comes was almost purring. ‘Then hurl the sack into the depths of a river.’
‘Permission to speak, sir!’ Quadratus stepped forward again.
Lupicinus spun to him and flared his nostrils, eyes wide in indignation. ‘Speak.’
‘Pavo was just a moment ago involved in settling a dispute in the town. Drunken locals causing bother. I can vouch for his sobriety.’
‘Oh, can you?’ Lupicinus straightened up in his saddle again and turned to
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