Cogidubnus looked dubious. ‘It’s one thing travelling to and fro; it’s quite another snatching your brother, if he is there, from Sullis’ valley. Who knows what powers protect it; you felt the malevolence that surrounded those druids last night.’
Vespasian rubbed his sore shoulders as Hormus bent to remove his greaves. ‘But you managed to break through whatever was shielding them.’
Cogidubnus pulled a pendant from under his tunic. ‘This is the Wheel of Taranis, god of thunder.’ He held out a golden, four-spoked wheel, the size of his palm, which Vespasian recognised as having belonged to Verica. ‘Taranis is a true god of the Celts; he rules the heavens and spins his celestial wheel to produce thunder and lightning. He has great power and my people have worshipped him since we came out of the east, long before we crossed the straits from Gaul to Britannia. My uncle gave me this on his deathbed; every king of the Atrebates and Regni who wears it can expect Taranis’ protection, even against the dark gods that the druids awoke on this isle. So wearing this I had no fear when I attacked those druids; the power they wield is only effective if men are frozen by its malice and fear to oppose it.’
‘Frozen? That’s exactly how it felt; it was a deep chill in the very marrow of my bones, creeping up me so that all I could think of was the horror of being engulfed by it. I was helpless. But tell me, is it a trick like their luminous robes or is it real?’
‘It’s real, I can promise you that, but what dark gods they conjure to create it, I don’t know; the druids keep the secrets of their lore buried deep.’
‘Next time I shall sacrifice to my guardian god before facing them.’
‘That might help against the power we experienced last night but against Sullis in her own valley? I don’t know.’
Vespasian sat as Hormus took his armour away for cleaning. ‘What do you suggest then, Cogidubnus? I have no choice but to go; it’s my brother.’
‘Firstly, if we go we can’t take a large force; if they suspect we’re trying to rescue Sabinus, they’ll kill him. Ten men at the most; I’ll pick the best of my auxiliaries and get some clothes stripped off the dead for us all. Secondly, we need to protect ourselves somehow. There is a man that I’ve heard about but never met; he came here from one of the eastern provinces of the Empire about eight years ago. I’ve been told that he has an understanding with the druids; for some reason they fear him. Perhaps he could help us.’
‘How?’
‘He preaches a new religion and is said to have great power; not the cold power of the dark gods of this land but power of a different sort, a power that helps him withstand malevolence.’
‘Is he a Jew?’ Magnus asked.
‘A Jew? I don’t know what that is but if it’s someone who believes in just one god then he could be, for that’s what I’ve heard about his beliefs. He prays to one god and believes that a crucified kinsman of his was that god’s prophet.’
Vespasian looked at Magnus, understanding dawning on his face. ‘You don’t think that it’s him, do you?’
‘I certainly hope it is because he owes you a massive favour for freeing him from those slavers in Cyrenaica.’
‘And he owes my brother for releasing the body of his crucified kinsman to him and not the Temple Guards when Sabinus was a quaestor in Judaea. He’s honour-bound to help us if he can. Where is he, Cogidubnus?’
‘I’m told that he was given land on a large tor by Budoc, King of the Dobunni, between here and Sullis’ valley, about fifteen miles away. If we leave at midday, after a couple of hours’ sleep, we could be there before dusk.’
‘Do you know this man’s name?’
‘It was a name like I’d never heard before.’
‘Is it Yosef?’
The King thought for a few moments. ‘Yes, that sounds right, Yosef.’
Vespasian walked into his sleeping quarters to find Hormus still wiping the congealed blood from his armour with a damp cloth. ‘Leave it, I won’t be needing it during the next couple of days; you can do it while I’m away.’
The slave rose, keeping his eyes to the ground. ‘Yes, master. Shall I prepare something to eat?’
‘Let me sleep for two hours first.’
With a deferential bow of the head, Hormus turned to leave.
‘Hormus,’ Vespasian said softly, stopping his slave. ‘What’s the greatest achievement in your life?’
‘I’m sorry, master, I don’t understand the question.’
‘Yes you do; tell me what it is.’
‘I have never achieved anything other than to stay alive.’
Vespasian sat down on the low bed, undoing his belt. ‘And in achieving that today you’ve also achieved much more, Hormus; it was your warning to me last night that saved almost five thousand legionaries and nearly the same number of auxiliaries. Although they don’t know it, every man in this camp owes you his life. What do you think of that?’
Hormus looked baffled. ‘If what you say is true, then I don’t know what to think.’
Vespasian smiled as he lay down and closed his eyes. ‘You’ve got a couple of days to think about it. Send a message for Maximus and Valens to report to me when I wake.’
Vespasian rubbed his temples, trying to alleviate the headache that had assailed him since waking as Maximus and Valens marched smartly up to his desk and saluted. ‘Sit down, gentlemen; some wine?’ He indicated that they should help themselves from the earthenware jug on the desk. ‘What’s our situation, Maximus?’
‘All but the fourth cohort from the legion could be considered combat ready,’ the veteran replied, pouring a cup. ‘However, the auxiliaries are a different matter: the two Gallic cohorts you left with Caepio to guard the camp took a battering as they prevented a flanking move and then had a hard time of it removing a band of long-hairs that had broken into the camp. The damage wasn’t as bad as it looked, it was mainly the palisade that was burning; the Gauls kicked them out before they got to the tents.’
‘I’m pleased to hear it; I shall personally commend Caepio and the two prefects.’
‘They’ll be busy for the next day; between them they lost nearly a third of their centurions and nearly as many optios and standard-bearers. They could fight if pressed but the chain of command is fractured. Of the other two Gallic cohorts only the one that was with Valens here is fit for immediate action — the other one lost nearly fifty dead and almost two hundred wounded plugging that gap.’
Vespasian grimaced even though he had known that the toll would have been high. ‘What about Cogidubnus’ Britannic auxiliaries?’
‘Minimal casualties; and I think they proved their willingness to fight for Rome.’
‘They certainly did; they have no love for Caratacus. And the Hamians?’
‘They’re fine, better than the cavalry; the Gauls need a hundred and forty remounts to bring them up to just over half strength and the legionary cavalry are down to an effective force of two turmae.’
‘Just sixty-four left?’
‘I’m afraid so; only the Batavians came out of it relatively unscathed. They came back in about half an hour ago reporting the enemy scattered over a large area; most seem to be heading northwest. And there’s no sign of Caratacus.’
Vespasian digested the information for a few moments. ‘Well, it’s not as bad as it could have been, gentlemen. Tomorrow morning we’ll probe northwest to make sure they don’t regroup and double back. Then we’ll head back down to the sea and rendezvous with the fleet to resupply before moving west along the coast to this season’s objective. I’ll leave Blassius here to garrison the fort with the badly mauled cohorts. Valens, you take five legionary cohorts, the Britons and Batavians and head northwest for a couple of days; I want every male of fighting age you come across in chains. Maximus, you take the other four fit legionary cohorts and the Hamians and the Gallic infantry and push north. There’s a valley thirty miles in that direction — Cogidubnus will lend you some scouts to help find it. All being well I’ll rendezvous with you there at dawn the day after tomorrow.’