Gallia Invicta

The roaring of unbearable noise…

A smiling face.

Brutus shook his head and stared.

“Is this really the time and the place to be going for a swim?” Fronto grinned.

“Whurr?”

The capsarius who was tending to the cut on his head tutted and pushed him back against the hard surface below. Brutus closed his eyes and tried to think back and organise his thoughts. Everything swam around rather unpleasantly when he closed his eyes.

“Whurr…”

Fronto’s grin took on a note of comprehension.

“We’re on the deck of the Excidium; on our way to shore.”

Brutus continued to shake his head in semi-confusion.

“Wha? Can’ think.”

The face of the Tenth’s legate took on a slightly more sombre look.

“No survivors, I’m afraid. Other than you and the man who dragged you to the Excidium, that is. Good man there… suspect he’ll be in line for a bonus, eh?”

“No survivors?”

“Not one. The Veneti were pretty ruthless with the crew of the Aurora. They were still sawing the bodies to pieces when the two relief crews arrived. I haven’t asked, but I somehow doubt there were any survivors on their side, either. I gather the captains of the Excidium and the Accipiter took the attack and the death of their colleague sort of personally.”

Brutus shook his head again and winced.

“But they were women and children, Marcus.”

Fronto allowed a certain unconcern to show on his face.

“They were an enemy who showed you no mercy. I won’t mourn them, and neither will you.”

Brutus sat up slowly with the aid of the capsarius, who nodded in satisfaction.

“Nothing a rest won’t sort out now, sir, but go slow til you find your strength.”

As the man hurried off to tend to other casualties, Fronto reached down and helped the bedraggled officer slowly to his feet. Brutus wobbled uncertainly and grasped the rail for support. For the first time, he took stock of their surroundings.

“Where are we now?”

“At the north side of the channel. Once the captain here found you and dealt with the remaining Veneti, he came across to pick me up. Now we’re on our way to collect Balbus and then he’s ferrying the three of us back to Darioritum to Caesar. I’m assuming that things are settled there.”

Brutus nodded uncertainly.

“They should be. We left enough ships to deal with the rest of their fleet and it looked as though Caesar’s forces had control of the city. Oooh…”

For a moment he wobbled forwards, sagging against the rail.

“I feel rather unwell.”

Fronto grinned.

“I feel like that on board most ships. But at least it’s nice and calm here, and in an hour we’ll be back among the lads and I can find Cita and requisition enough wine to half-drown you again.”

Brutus gave him a weak smile.

“Then it’s over. The Veneti are quashed.”

“Hopefully. Strangely, though, I’ve been hating this place since we returned, with all the wet and the wind and the storms. Now that it’s settled and becoming quite nice, I’m getting used to it again. We’re about to dock… hold tight.”

The trireme pulled slowly up to the small jetty that marched out into the bay below the fort. A small group of armoured men with red cloaks stood in a knot at the far end. Fronto watched with interest as the Excidium came to a stop and ropes were thrown ashore and then tied.

The small group began to move slowly down the jetty and Fronto’s face tightened. Something was wrong. A lump in his throat, he focused on the small knot of men as they strode toward the trireme. He didn’t know the centurions and optios of the Eighth that Balbus had taken with him, let alone the legionaries, but he could see the figure of the aging legate in the centre.

Fronto closed his eyes and threw a prayer out.

Balbus did not look good.

The legate was being helped along the jetty and, though fully armoured and on his feet after a fashion, he was paler than many corpses Fronto had seen. Paying no further heed to Brutus or the crew of the ship, Fronto leapt over the rail to the jetty and ran along the boards to the men.

Balbus smiled weakly at him.

“Hell.” Fronto’s voice was like lead.

The older legate’s face had a faintly blue tint and Fronto shook his head desperately.

“Stop, stop, stop!” he barked at the men.

Balbus sighed and Fronto noted how he winced and shuddered when he did so.

“Oh shit. Show me your hands!”

The legate of the Eighth, confused, but too weak and pained to argue, held out a hand, the other still being grasped for support. Fronto looked down at the pale blue hand. The finger nails were bulging and wide, to the point of being unsightly. The legate of the Tenth grasped Balbus and gently took the strain, brushing the soldiers aside as he gained sole support of his friend.

Pausing long enough to give the older legate a breather, though that breath was shallow and came in gasps, he took his arm across his shoulder and began to help him slowly along the jetty, waving the other soldiers away.

Balbus smiled at him again and opened his mouth to speak, but the effort was too much and he sighed.

Fronto grimaced and took a deep breath.

“Get those ropes in and prepare to sail as soon as we’re aboard. I want to get back to the army faster than Mercury himself.”

The trierarch of the Excidium took one look at the legate and his burden and nodded, barking out orders. As the two men closed on the rail, Brutus, now largely recovered from his bleariness, reached out and helped the older legate aboard.

As they planted their feet on the deck, the hammering of a fast rhythm began and the oars began to dip. Brutus helped Fronto support the legate of the Eighth across to a free rowing bench and lowered him to it. As Fronto held him steady, the young staff officer grabbed a barrel and moved it closer to serve as a back-rest.

“Is he…” Brutus tried to find a way to be circumspect in front of Balbus but, failing, gave up. ”Is he dying?”

Fronto gave him a sharp glance.

“Not as long as I’m here, he damn well isn’t! But I want to get him to a proper medicus as soon as possible.”

Brutus frowned as he examined the ailing man.

“I’m not sure, but I think he’s slowly getting his colour back.”

“Good. But that might not be the end of it.”

Brutus turned his frown on the legate of the Tenth.

“Don’t tell me you know medicine, Fronto?”

“Hardly. But I recognise this. Happened to my dad three times in a year and the third one took him from us for good.”

He ground his teeth and glared at Balbus before smashing his fist so hard on the bench he left a crack.

“I should have damn well seen it coming. I should have spotted it!”

Brutus shrugged.

“You couldn’t have.”