Varro replied, “We’re going to face them sooner or later I suppose but to be honest I’d have preferred it to be on open ground with a legion behind me, never mind a cohort. They had the element of surprise with Restormel, they don’t have that now and we’ve got better defences, better trained and equipped men.” He looked over the wall and down into the ditch. “We’ll slaughter them if they try and climb up here or anywhere else along the defences.” He turned again to Cammius. “Have you known them to attack like this before?”
“Not this lot no, there’s a first time for everything though I suppose.” He turned and faced inside the fort. “Vestius, Vestius.” He shouted. “Where are you man?” The legionary appeared from the shadows.
“Yes sir.” He shouted back.
“Go and cut some strips off that pig and bring them up here on plates.” He shouted. “May as well not go hungry while we wait eh Varro, it’ll perk the men up a bit and take their minds off things for a while.” He said to his fellow centurion who looked at him surprised at his calmness.
“What?” Cammius enquired. “You can fight hungry, or fight with a belly with some strength giving food inside you, I know which I prefer.” He looked about him, “Don’t eat if you don’t want to lads but I would if I were you. And it’ll make the hairies jealous eh, the dirty bastards?” He laughed to himself as he patrolled up and down the wall.
As the night wore on and the tension within the fort grew, the sound of chopping from the nearby woods was replaced by other sounds, sawing and banging. Cammius had ordered that water be drawn from the well in case of fire and twenty full buckets littered the small area below. He had also sent half his force to get some rest if they could whilst the other of half of the century manned the walls and waited. Just before dawn one of the sentries saw movement in the trees.
“Sir,” he shouted, “directly in front of my position.” The legionary pointed into the still dark woods. “Something’s coming this way.”
Varro felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck, not because of the coming fight but because of the legionaries words, ‘something’s coming this way.’ He knew it was Britons but the words hadn’t helped the already nervous soldiers manning the defences. He strained his eyes looking into the woods, leaning forward in an effort to try and work out what it was that was coming towards them.
“I’ve got movement to the north as well sir!” Shouted another soldier, he was on the opposite side of the fort.
“Here too!” Reported another, “Directly in front of my position!” Shouted a legionary to the left.
“What the fuck is going on?” They’re coming from all around us.” Cammius said turning to Varro.
“Well at least we’ll see what they’ve been up to soon enough then.” Varro said.
Cammius turned inward and shouted. “Stand to. Stand to.” One of the men struck the triangular alarm bell and the sound of running boots reverberated around the lower level of the fort as men ran putting on their helmets, it was quickly followed by the noise of them climbing up the ladders. Within seconds they were all in place puffing for breath, looking out over the walls. The sound now coming from the woods was that of plants and small trees snapping. Large dark shapes moved towards them until they got to the edge of the tree line but they were still obscured in the poor light.
“I still can’t make out what the fuckers are up to, can you?” Cammius asked.
Again Varro strained his eyes, “I think they’ve made covers, wooden shields.” Varro said.
“Standby!” Cammius shouted as archers knocked their arrows and the scorpion crews prepared to unleash volleys of bolts into the attackers, those with pilums stood ready with their arms back, left feet slightly forward and then everything stopped. Soldiers looked out into the gloom but nothing moved. Varro squinted into the dark but could only make out large black clumps in the foliage, and then it started. From somewhere outside a horn blew, and from all directions, the Britons advanced on the fort under the cover of layers of wood hammered and roped together.
“The fuckers must have used the kit from Restormel.” Cammius said. He turned to the defenders and shouted, “If you can’t get a clear view go for the feet and legs.”
Immediately arrows began to thump into the wooden shields held above and in front of the attackers and as soon as they were within javelin range, pilums began banging and thumping into the wood, sinking deep, but none of the Britons fell.
“Fire arrows.” Cammius shouted as his archers began to light their arrows from the braziers on the wall. Within seconds the lit sleek missiles joined the others that were being fired, but still the Britons advanced eerily silent.
“Keep it up lads, the bastards will start to drop soon enough.” Cammius ordered. He grabbed a light javelin from a stack leaning against a corner and hurled it at the nearest flat shield. The covers the attackers were carrying were now all like large hedgehogs as they got closer, large spikes quivering with the movement of the men below.
“The ditch will slow them down.” Varro shouted. Before the wall, the Britons would have to negotiate an eight foot ditch that was six feet wide all around the perimeter of the fort. The only place there wasn’t a ditch was just in front of the gate where two hedgehogs now approached. Elsewhere the hedgehogs were closing the distance to the ditch.
“The caltrops will sort some of them out.” Cammius said but his face turned to horror when the attackers detached outer layers from their shields and slid them into the ditch, some on fire. Now they had fresh shields, the caltrops were covered and the ditches virtually ineffective except for their depth. Slowly the Britons entered the ditches under cover and got to within feet of the walls. Men leant over the defences and hurled javelins downward sighing with effort, they sunk deep into the wood but still had no discernible effect. Suddenly men to the left and right of Cammius and Varro began to fall, struck by arrows fired from the treeline.
“Cover!” Cammius ordered as soldiers brought up their shields or dropped down behind the spiked wood that made up the top of the walls. Varro crouched down next to Cammius as arrows continued to smash into the defences, shards of wood and splinters beginning to fly through the air where some of the missiles hit the top.
“We can’t stay under cover.” He shouted to Cammius over the sound of the raining arrows. “We have to see what they’re doing and where.”
“And just what do you suggest at the moment? If we put our heads up they’ll take them off.” He replied to Varro hunched down.
“And if we stay down here, they’ll be over the wall in no time.” Varro said just as a loud banging started that shook the forts timbered front.
“They must have a battering ram of some sort and are going for the gates.” Varro said. “I’ll take my men and cover it.” He said to Cammius, stooping and making his way to the ladder. “To me.” He shouted as the figures of his men scuttled to the ladders nearest them.
“Cornelius where the fuck are you?” Shouted Cammius.
“Here sir.” An uncomfortable voice replied from somewhere on the length of wall adjacent to his own position.
“Take ten men and help Centurion Varro man the gate. We can’t let those blue nosed bastards inside. If we do we’re done for.”
“Sir.” Cornelius replied and then began shouting men’s names as he descended a ladder.
“Keep it up lads. These fuckers are not, I repeat not going to take this fort. Do you hear me?” Cammius shouted.
“Sir.” A chorus of voices acknowledged his order as others continued to hurl javelins, their archers now firing into the trees to try and keep the enemy bowmen at bay.
“Now get up and take some lives.” He ordered the others.
Varro skidded to a halt just before the two gates as another thump hit the other side, they bowed inwards dust flying up and he caught sight of the attackers through the gaps in the wood.
“Get some of those pilums over there on the double.” He shouted pointing to another stack of javelins that had been propped up against a corner of the barracks. A soldier passed him one and he waited for the next strike on the gate. With a tremendous bang the gates bowed inward again. He thrust the javelin through the gap and heard a scream of pain as the wood came together again trapping the pilum. There was only about a ten foot space on the inside of the entrance to the fort and five soldiers now waited there for the next strike against the gate.