Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 03] Invasion- Caledonia Read Free

had plenty of time before they would catch him up. “Take two men and ride ahead.  The sea is supposed to be about eight miles away. Ride until you can see it and then come back to us. And Macro, be careful. No chasing warriors or investigating anything.  Find the sea and then get back. Right.”
    With the grin of a young child the sergeant yelled, “Yes decurion” and galloped to find two other eager volunteers.
    Over on the right flank Marcus smiled to himself as he watch Macro and two other troopers gallop up over the skyline. He was smiling because he enjoyed Macro’s enthusiasm and because it showed him that his old friend Decius was being as cautious as ever. Scanning his ala he saw just how depleted they were.  They had had over a thousand mounted men before the battle in the north west now they could barely muster five hundred and twenty three. He had had to reorganise the ala to enable them to operate.  It also meant he had had to return temporary decurions like Macro back to their original roles.  Although it had not been an easy decision Marcus knew he had taken the correct one; he needed experienced heads in charge of his men for they would have to think without him looking over their shoulders. The fifteen turmae how had a formation of three in the vanguard, three with the rearguard, four to the south and five to the north. A sudden attack in this unfamiliar territory could easily result in many empty saddles.  Decius was doing what Decius did best, he was being aggressively cautious.

Chapter 2
    Inir was waiting with his warband close to the Afon Menai. He was a powerfully built young warrior and, unusually for an Ordovice quite tall.  He stood out on a battlefield. It was said that he could shoot an arrow further than any man alive and no one had ever bested him in battle. Perhaps this was the reason King Gwynfor had detached him from the main army to ensure he did not outshine his king on the field of battle. Inir had ten thousand Ordovice with him and a few of the Deceangli who had not been either defeated or Romanised. His men were spread out in the gullies and sharply pointed valleys which littered this side of the mountains. The coastal plain was narrow; thirty men abreast could fill it in places. If the Romans could occupy that Inir knew they would be hard to shift, especially with their armour and testudo formation.
    Idly chewing on a piece of wild garlic he pondered his latest instructions.  He was not to attack until the Romans turned their back upon him. Those instructions made no sense; he was a puissant warrior and he had a military mind as sharp as any. He would know the best time to attack not some witch, no matter how strong in magic on an island forty miles from the enemy. He did not like the idea of taking orders from a woman anyway. A woman had two places where she was useful, in the bed and in at the fire to prepare food. He preferred the company of men, men whose conversations were about war and heroic deeds not the problems of mewling children or the cleanliness of the home. He was proud of his warband.  The men who had followed him had chosen to follow him because of his deeds. One day he would rule the Ordovice and then he would make all the decisions.
    Agricola stood with Marcus and the Batavian prefects as they gazed across the small bay to the promontory which stuck out into the sea. To their left the land drifted in low hills towards Mona, a faint smudge on the horizon. Rising behind the hills were the high mountains. The scouts had returned despondent for they reported that the only things which could move on those hills were goats or sheep. They had however reported a river which would halt their progress. There was a crossing place but it was a couple of miles inland.
    “Gentlemen we are deep inside enemy territory. So far we have seen no sign of the enemy. Decurion what is the latest intelligence?”
    “My scouts report that the plain narrows considerably towards