He thought of his brother and his brutal death, and wondered was he looking down on them now as they filed along and up the valley. The image of Togodumnus and his wounds entered his mind’s eye and once again, it helped to confirm that he was doing the right thing. In reality it was the only thing the forces of Rome had given him and for the time being there was no other choice.
He was dragged from his thoughts by the sound of hooves approaching. Looking up he saw a band of Silures warriors riding down the valley towards them.
“Sadgem.” Ardwen shouted as the men got closer.
“Greetings to you Ardwen, Caratacus.” The man said as he reined in his horse and pushed the hood off his head. He had brown shoulder length hair and dark brown eyes, his face was chiselled with taught skin over his prominent cheek bones. He looked around and up at the falling snow “Did all go well?” He asked breathing hard.
“Better than expected.” Ardwen shouted in reply. “We fired the fort and many boats.” He guided his horse to Sadgem and stopped pulling to the side out of the path of the army. “What news of home?” He asked as he waved for the warriors to continue. They had only been away for four days but four days trying to avoid settlements and the local inhabitants was hard work. They shared a border with the Dobunni and some had said they would fight Rome but they couldn’t take the chance that someone would betray them for a bag of gold.
“Peaceful and calm,” he looked to the grey white snow filling the sky again as his horse snorted and moved closer to Ardwen's, “most are content to stay near a fire and keep out of this damned weather. What of losses, how many dead, injured?” He asked.
“Five died during the fight but two more on the journey, there will be more from the wounded I’m sure but the enemy must have sustained more than three times that number on their vessels alone. They were caught like fish in a pound and couldn’t escape, we gave them a better death than they deserved.
We slipped aboard their ships and found their guards sleeping, they didn’t even realise their throats were cut until it was too late. Once we torched the forts walls any re-enforcements were stuck inside and couldn’t help. We rained night arrows into the fort itself and soon it was ablaze and warming our skin in the cold night air. Something we could do with now, its freezing.”
“Everyone will be glad to see you return, the families of those who have lost loved ones will be cared for and a feast of celebration has been arranged for tonight. I’ll get fresh horses onto the carts of the wounded and get them back as quickly as possible.” Sadgem said. “The rest of us will go south and make sure your trail is clear. I know the Romans don’t like to venture out when the snows come but they may on this occasion if they mourn so many dead. I’ll take twenty men with me, if we see them coming north we’ll not engage them but return as quickly as we can.”
Ardwen smiled, “Very well thank you my friend,” he said, “I don’t have to tell you that we cannot have them following you and your men home if you are sighted.”
Sadgem nodded, “I understand, they will not follow us here but if I have too I’ll go east and lose them in Dobunni territory. The Romans won’t know these lands and so we have the advantage.” He turned his horse and kicked it into a gallop and led his men away, snow flying up into the air.
“I don’t envy his journey.” Caratacus said.
“It’s safer than ours was and Sadgems a good man, I trust him completely and wouldn’t want anyone else covering our rear. I’m sure the Romans already know where we are roughly anyway, they have enough quislings around them. Come on let’s get home and into the warmth.”
A long way to the south a group of riders left the fire damaged fort and nudged their mounts into a trot. They were wearing the clothing of the Celts and were undistinguishable from those who lived nearby, who were watching them leave along the track standing outside their homes. A row of legionaries stood in line to stop the Britons from approaching the smouldering fort and the ships that lay in the water at odd angles after their bows had burnt through. All that could be seen of one vessel was the top of its mast, now sticking out of the water at a severe angle where it lay in the middle of the river. The heat of the fire had helped to melt the rivers ice of the night before but it was now reforming around the dead and damaged ships.
Work had already begun to replace the charcoaled embers of the forts wall that still smoked along what was once the strong fortress of Vespasian. Axes were used to fell what remained of the walls and carts were piled high with blackened wood. Soldiers were busily cutting down trees in the nearby forest as heavy infantry and cavalry watched on in case of attack. The soldiers on guard moved their feet trying to keep them warm whilst warm breath came from man and beast alike.
Vespasian walked along the path at the river’s edge and surveyed the damaged to the supply vessels. He could barely contain his anger once more. The Britons had been allowed to get aboard the ice bound ships, there had been no alarm raised by those on-board, the sentries who in all likelihood were dead before the first flames caught.
“What supplies did we lose?” He asked the senior centurion by his side.
“Everything sir,” he replied, “What didn’t go down is either burned or soaked wet through. There will be amphora’s we can save I’m sure but we’ll have to do something about all the grain we’ve lost.”
Vespasian looked along the side of the river where only the day before a symbol of Rome had lay at anchor. Five ships were now submerged their bows fully below the waterline and two others listed awkwardly. The remaining two had only partially survived the attack as the thick ropes that secured them to the bank were still intact as the Britons had failed to cut or burn them.
“We’ll have to report this and ask for supplies as soon as possible. The remaining stores will see us through for a few days and if need be we can go on half rations. Those fools were lucky they died aboard the ships because if they had survived, I’d have had them crucified for negligence.”
A naval officer approached and saluted, Vespasian recognised him as the captain of the lead ship and commander of the small fleet. He wore a blue cloak as was traditional for naval men, the colour sacred to Neptune.
“Report.” Vespasian ordered.
“We may be able to salvage something of the vessels sir but without a dry dock and with this weather it’s going to be very difficult. I’ve lost twenty one marines, three on each ship when the attack occurred and more later. As things stand I have received no reports as to how they were able to get aboard. Given the sentries on the forts walls and the men on-board, I would say that they approached over the frozen ice and the woods beyond. Without any survivors I can’t be certain but I’d bet a thousand gold coins that’s what happened.”
“Very well keep me informed, give my condolences to the men, I’m sure those on-board died bravely given the circumstances.” Vespasian said and dismissed the naval officer and turned to return to the fort. “Perhaps crucifixion would have been a bit hard considering the conditions.” He looked back at the charred wrecks. “We need to salvage whatever we can from this mess and we need to start on constructing a proper harbour area that’s secure with a dry dock. I think that in future we’ll make sure that any supply ships are docked at the sea harbour and the contents brought in by wagons. I’m not going to let this happen again, I let my guard down and we paid for it but it could have been worse.” The centurion looked at him. “If those barbarian butchers had got into the fort it would have been a complete blood bath. The palisades did the job they were meant to do thank the gods. I want them dug deeper and wider however, with cal traps hidden under the foliage and I want the guard doubled around the fort for the foreseeable future.”