The Catuvellauni and the Silures had withdrawn from the region almost entirely initially but on seeing the Roman army retreat all the way back to Isca Dumnoniorium, they had returned and had now established full control of the mountains and valleys to the far west of the country. At Isca Dumnoniorium, the Second Augusta were replenished of the men killed or so badly wounded that they were retired from the army altogether. Legionaries were taken from other legions in Britannia and within a few months, they were back to full strength, five thousand men. With small revolts occurring in the south west, they were kept busy enough and had not yet returned to challenge Caradoc. After two years those rebelling against the occupation in their region were put down and a fragile peace began.
Work on the garrison at Isca Dumnoniorium had also continued and now where initially there had been a relatively small fort where soldiers had lived in tents, it had been replaced with wooden and concrete structures as more permanent buildings were erected. The new garrison town now dominated the land for miles around. A forty two acre site made Isca Dumnoniorium one of the largest Roman fortified installations in the country and slowly trade began to flourish. A permanent sea harbour had also been constructed a few miles from the garrison, where galleys and supply vessels could be seen off-loading supplies bound for the growing town and surrounding regions.
Relationships with the local people had also developed as they began to see some of the benefits from the occupying force but a few were still yet to be convinced that they could live with the men who had come from afar bringing with them traders and even civilian settlers. There were still problems however, and every once in a while a dispute would end in violence between the indigenous populations and the new arrivals, but overall, life was beginning to settle into a routine.
The same thing could be said of the mountainous region where Caradoc now found himself with the Silures. Tribes in the region had heard of his success against Vespasian’s legion and some had joined their growing number after they were given captured soldiers to use as slaves or as their people saw fit. Word had spread that the Roman’s had reached as far north as the southern lands of the Brigantes during the last campaigning season. Those who had not joined Caradoc now watched with interested eyes to see how this would affect him and his allies. If the rumours were true it meant that all those living in the west would effectively be cut off from the east and the north. If the abstainers chose to fight Caradoc knew full well that it could determine the overall outcome of the occupation. The question now however was on whose side would they fall if any. Consequently, he and Ardwen had spent a lot of time talking to the councils and elders of the other tribes, trying to win their swords in the event of a further Roman incursion.
Caradoc also knew that having eyes and ears in Roman occupied land was vital not only to their survival but also in order that he could plan a strategy of attack. His intelligence network had already outlined where they had built new forts and had constructed roads as they spread their boot prints over the country. Not long after he had arrived in the mountains, he had sent out spies to live and work the land near all Roman military encampments and settlements. Crofters, carpenters, shepherds, butchers and ironsmiths were now deeply in-bedded so that he had a good understanding of the enemy, what they were doing and most vitally, what their intentions were.
The lands to the south west had seen the occupiers build large stone buildings that he understood were called villas. These places were where important and influential Roman families lived, those who had followed their army intent on plunder and theft. Some were isolated and those that weren’t, only had small forts nearby for protection. Cavalry patrols monitored these areas, visiting these places fairly often but he knew they could not be at all places at all times. As they became more confident and assured of their safety, the villas began to spring up even further into the countryside, so the aid from the forts became less reliable and some were literally hours from help. Caradoc had asked his spies to provide him with drawn plans of these buildings and maps detailing their whereabouts. He had studied them carefully and knew they were tempting targets as he found various weak points. If he could attack and successfully destroy even a few of these places, other Romans would think twice before trying to settle there again and it would provoke their military into action, which is what he wanted.
The previous years had given him time to reflect on his defeats and he had come to realise that unless he had overwhelming numbers and even then, changed his tactics, it would be foolish to face them again as he had at the Medway and Thames, when they had first arrived. A better strategy was called for and a different way of thinking and striking terror into the hearts of those who had come to enslave the people of Albion.
With the war band mounted, they set off into the hills and rode towards one of their major settlements high in the hills, along narrow twisting paths and tracks.
“So what of Dumnoc?” Asked Ardwen. “Have you heard when he intends to attack the villa we discussed?”
“We’ll know soon enough but I’m sure it will be long after it’s actually happened and those who live there are all dead.” Caradoc answered as he swung his cloak over the rump of his horse. He had chosen his first target as autumn had begun the previous year. He had to temper the urge to attack as soon as he had identified a likely dwelling, and realised that waiting would be better and would cause more damage to the minds of others when it did occur. A slow trickle of attacks would soon turn into a tide; one that he hoped would force the intruders back. A high ranking civilian official was residing there with his family and slaves far to the south west of the country in the land of the Dumnonii. It was a large agricultural region and ran down to the toe of the map, south west of the River Exe. The Romans had already begun to become complacent as they constructed their fine buildings with pictures on the floors and walls as they settled further and further away from any military assistance.
Caradoc had been told that the occupiers intended to show the Britons that they were not the demons they had been described as and were willing to live amongst them with their families, side by side, working together, prospering. The civilian official who ‘owned’ this land was said to have come from Rome itself and was intent on constructing large vineyards on Dumnonii land, where the weather was warmer and the climate kinder. He lived there with his wife and three daughters, all thought to be under twelve years of age. The household consisted of ten slaves and fifty others who worked the land. They were overseen by what the Romans called freedmen. There were twelve all told and they wore swords at their sides but would be easily overcome by determined warrior’s intent on their destruction.
“That’s good, the sooner we start spreading the poison of terror into them the better.” Ardwen replied. “What will Dumnoc and his people do afterwards, come north?” He asked.
“I’ve told him to make sure they vanish back to their crofts and settlements and carry on as if nothing happened. They’ll wait until things are quiet and then strike again when the time is right. Three of the slaves at this particular villa have even said they want to help during the attack if they can, they want to join us; they will escort their families north afterwards.” Caradoc said.
“What of the Roman children?” Ardwen asked.
Caradoc looked at him with hard determined eyes, “I’ve told Dumnoc to take them if possible and have them brought here, they will make good slaves and their taking will horrify any other families who are trying to show that they are the same as us. If that is not possible, they are to have their throats cut and will burn with those who resist.”