“Thank you for your time,” Varro said. “Please keep these items available, we may need them later.” The attendant nodded as the two men left.
“Jupiter’s bollocks it stinks in there.” Grattius said as they got out into the fresh air.
“Not pleasant is it?” Varro said. “Right, it sounds as if Optio Anicius has a few questions to answer, let’s go and find him.” He led the way to the area set aside for pilum training, where dozens of men were either throwing their javelins at large straw targets or waiting to get onto the range. An optio was directing the practice.
“Optio Anicius?” Varro asked.
The large man turned, he was equal in height to Grattius and just as muscular, he frowned as Varro and Grattius stood staring at him.
“Sir?” He looked directly into the eyes of Varro; bright blue determined eyes stared defiantly back at the centurion.
“I need to speak to you now Optio, your training here is finished for the day, have your senior man either take over or escort the rest of them to the barracks.”
Anicius hesitated for a moment. “Problem Optio?” Varro asked.
“No sir, I’ll sort the boys out and be right with you.” He said.
“Might have to be a bit hard on this fucker sir,” Grattius said, “looked like he was gonna punch you then.”
“I’m sure you would have saved me.” Varro replied.
“Fucking right sir, I’d have had him on the floor in no time, no worries there.” The optio replied. Varro smiled. With the legionaries marching back to their barracks, Anicius returned to the edge of the training area. “All done sir, what’s all this about then?” He asked.
“We’ll discuss that in the guardroom Optio Anicius.” Varro said, “Follow me.” He turned and Anicius fell in line between the centurion and Grattius.
Inside the relative cool of the provost’s office in the guardroom, Varro removed his helmet and indicated for Anicius to take a seat. The centurion sat opposite him with Grattius standing behind, despite another seat being available. Varro got straight to the point.
“You were in the Boar last night when an incident occurred and were seen dragging one of your men out of the chaos, why?” Varro asked leaning forward and placing his arms on the table. The optio looked as if he had been slapped in the face.
“I didn’t want my lads caught up in a load of trouble, so decided to get out of there. You know what they’re like once they get too much wine inside them.”
Varro stared straight into Ancius’ blue eyes. “So neither you nor the Legionary you dragged outside were involved in the trouble?”
Anicius stared back, “No like I said, I just wanted to get out of there. Once trouble kicks off in places like that we’re better off out of it.”
“What’s the name of the man you took away?” Grattius asked cutting in, Varro looked down at the table.
“Abudius,” he replied, “his name is Abudius, good lad one of the best I’ve got, reliable if you know what I mean.”
“That’s the man we spoke to in the barracks,” Varro said turning to look at Grattius for confirmation.
“Yes,” Grattius said, “insolent little shit. If he’s your best I’d hate to have to rely on your others. He was lucky not to get knocked onto his arse, insubordinate little bastard.” Anicius stared up at his fellow optio. “Got something to add?” Grattius said in a challenging manner.
“My lads don’t appreciate outside interference Optio, you should know that.” He looked at Grattius with disdain. “Then again, you can’t really call yourself a soldier can you, being an investigator,” he looked at Varro, “no disrespect to you sir obviously.”
“We’re not investigators Optio Anicius, far from it we’re regulars just like you. We were just unfortunate to get this duty on behalf of the Primus Pilus.” He said, surprising the optio with the mention of the senior centurion’s name. He continued, “The civilians that work in the bar have said that your man Abudius was heavily involved in the fight with the dead legionary and that was why you pulled him away and got out of there.”
“Who said that then, that fat fucker with the wart on his face or his whore of a wife?”
“Regulars in there then are you?” Varro asked.
“Not much else to do is there after training all day, it’s either go for a few drinks or sit playing with your cock at night. I know which I prefer.” He glared at Grattius.
“I get someone else to play with my tackle son, not one of my lads if you know what I mean.” Grattius said an evil grin on his face.
Anicius stood quickly, knocking the chair over behind him. “Say that again and I’ll rip your tackle off.”
An almighty crack stopped the two optio’s in their tracks as Varro brought his vine cane down on the table. “YOU,” he shouted pointing at Anicius, “sit fucking down and YOU,” he turned to Grattius, “go and get us some water.”
Grattius frowned, coming to attention, “Yes sir.” He gave Anicius a look of anger before storming out of the office.
“Now Optio Anicius let me tell you how this is going to work. I’m going to ask you some questions and you will answer, truthfully. If you do not and I find out later that you have lied to me, I have the authority of the senior centurion to take any action I feel necessary to get to the bottom of this.” He let his words sink in before leaning forward. “Now, there’s a dead legionary in the morgue, one of your men is responsible. I couldn’t give a shit whether it’s your best man or your worst, or if it is the boy that takes it up the arse for you, but what I do care about is getting his name and I want that name before Optio Grattius returns, am I clear?”
Anicius dropped his eyes from the centurion sat in front of him. “Abudius.” He said. “It was Abudius that stabbed him.” He looked up.
“Why?” Varro asked.
“Something about that whore Attia, I don’t really know, wasn’t interested. I saw the stupid bastard draw his blade and start stabbing.” He paused, sitting back in his chair. “I think they were arguing about her, I don’t know if they were both shagging her or what, I just saw what happened and got him out of there as quickly as I could. You’d have done the same if it had been one of your lads.”
“Why didn’t you arrest him?” Varro asked.
“Couldn’t sir he’s one of my lads, you know how it is.”
“Right thank you Optio Anicius, you will accompany me and Optio Grattius to your barracks where Abudius will be arrested and then brought here.” He stood up. “I expect your full co-operation, you are in enough shit already, and I don’t fancy your chances once Centurion Pilo hears what’s gone on. Do you understand?”
“Totally sir.” He replied. As Grattius returned to the room carrying a jar and three cups, Varro said. “Leave them there Optio.” pointing to the table, “we’re going to arrest Legionary Abudius.
Chapter Eleven
A few miles to the north-west, the majority of men from two centuries of troops sweated and toiled as they worked to dig the foundations of a new fort. Due to hostile action by Caradoc and his men, the place had become a virtual no go area for soldiers as patrols been attacked and convoys destroyed. It had been decided therefore, that a series of forts and fort-lets would be the best way of controlling the ground as the Roman war machine moved further west.
Legionary Valerius knew the dangers all too well, as he had been besieged with the Second Augusta in the Silurian mountains a few years before during an ill-fated attempt to destroy the enemy on their own ground. Now as he looked towards those same mountains, shrouded with mist, the thoughts of those few days returned to him and he tried to block them out. As he looked at the forbidding mountains again, he had taken cover with a small contingent of archers, keeping a look out for the enemy as the engineers supervised the construction of the new fort on the flat ground below.