Minutes later, the pair appeared at the doorway of the tent. Some time during the night a gentle shower had begun and, though the rain was still light and fine, several hours of precipitation had turned the ground into a mire. Picking their way around the edge of the tent on the drier, more solid ground, Fronto and Priscus trudged through drizzle to the edge of the slope. Only ten yards behind the tent, the walls of Bibracte rose high and powerful and ahead down the slope lay the arrayed tents of the Tenth Legion.
Fronto looked at Priscus and shrugged.
“Now what?”
Priscus pointed off through the murk and into the distance beyond the legion’s camp.
Fronto followed the primus pilus’ pointing finger and shaded his eyes from the fine rain. Around half a mile away from the edge of the encamped army, a column of men approached. Fronto strained to see a Vexillum or identify the soldiers.
“Can’t quite make it out. Can you see?”
Priscus grinned at him.
“Don’t need to, sir. I know who they are. We saw them about a quarter of an hour ago and scouts were sent out. It’s the auxiliary units from Geneva sir.”
“Geneva? What the hell are they doing here? I thought they were stationed there for good.”
Priscus nodded.
“I thought so too, but they’re here now.”
Fronto stretched and the insistent rain trickled down his arm and into his tunic.
“I’d best get dressed properly and head over to the headquarters. I need to find out what’s going on.”
A quarter of an hour later, Fronto made his way out of his tent again, stepping round the steadily growing pool outside the doorway. Moving at a quick pace, with his red military cloak pulled tightly around him and rain running down his face, Fronto picked his way through the tents to the headquarters.
By the time he reached Caesar’s tent, the late dawn sun was making a shoddy attempt to pierce the veil of rain. Stepping round the quagmire in front of the doorway, Fronto reached the entrance and was confronted by one of Caesar’s attendants.
“Could you ask Caesar if I may see him?”
The attendant smiled beatifically at him.
“You are expected legate Fronto. Please enter.”
Bedraggled and cold, Fronto stepped inside. Caesar sat in his campaign chair at the back of the main room, with several of the staff officers nearby, including Sabinus and Labienus. The legates of the other legions were here too. Standing in the centre, very wet and travel-worn, stood Tetricus, the tribune from the Seventh. He looked thin and slightly frail, but very much alive. He turned to the new arrival and his face, slightly pale and hollow cheeked, broke into a smile.
“Fronto.”
A simple greeting. Nothing more. Fronto stepped forward and the two locked arms in the age old fashion. Behind them, Crassus cleared his throat.
“That will do tribune. This man is a superior officer.”
As Tetricus obediently withdrew his hand, Fronto wheeled on the other legate.
“This man is a hero and a friend. You can stick your superiority where the sun doesn’t shine, if it isn’t too tight!”
Ignoring the blustering noises from Crassus, he turned back to Tetricus.
“I … We all feared you were dead.”
Before Tetricus could answer and before Crassus finally found a gap in his rage long enough to speak, Caesar leaned forward in his chair, his hands on his knees.
“Gentlemen. I shall be calling a full staff briefing later this morning, but I think the time has come, particularly with the arrival of the Geneva units, to clear up a few matters. Their presence here has no doubt raised questions among you.”
Caesar took a deep breath.
“I requested the presence of the auxiliaries once I was sure that Geneva was no longer in danger from the Helvetii. Tetricus has brought most of them with him, leaving only four units under the command of Geneva’s decurions to defend the town from any possible incursion by the German peoples. When we next meet the Helvetii, I want the battle to be decisive.”
He looked around at the gathered officers and gestured at Tetricus as he addressed them.
“The tribune here has proved not only his worth as an officer, but also his value as a commander of fortification engineers and his valour on the field of combat. While there is still need for him at the rank of tribune and no available higher command, I have requested that he take on the full-time responsibility of all major works of fortification for the army.”
Caesar smiled and was about to continue when Fronto held up his hand.
“General, I have had some experience dealing with the tribune in his work, and I feel that I value him higher than some.”
He glanced over his shoulder at Crassus.
“I would like, if the tribune gives his consent, to request his transfer to the Tenth.”
Crassus began to bluster again, his face turning a vaguely purple colour. Fronto sighed. He was just destined to make political enemies.
Tetricus grinned at Fronto.
“I would like that very much sir.”
Caesar smiled at the young officer, then at the gently steaming form of Crassus.
“Crassus, I would not transfer one of your men without your consent. Do I have it?”
Crassus nodded, his face grim.
“I wouldn’t have the man in my legion, Caesar, bearing in mind his appalling manners and his disturbing failures of loyalty.”
The general leaned forward in his seat and jabbed a finger at the young legate.
“You may be a legate, Crassus, but that is at my whim. Your lineage has put you in a strong position, but it does not excuse rudeness and accusations. Tetricus has served with nothing but loyalty and courage, and if Fronto values him, then I value him, it’s as simple as that. I have known and trusted Fronto for longer than you have lived. See to your legion and get out of my sight.”
As Crassus left hurriedly and with a look of distress, Caesar turned back to the room.
“Very well, once this meeting is over, Tetricus will report to Fronto and take his position with the Tenth. Now, onto other matters.”
Caesar gestured at the map.
“There may have been rumours circulating in the last day or so about deserters among the auxiliary cavalry. These were carefully staged incidents that have allowed us to infiltrate the Helvetii and to feed them false information. These ‘deserters’ will join the column again shortly, once their task is complete.”
Fronto registered the looks of surprise on the faces of his fellow officers with some satisfaction.
“Their task, as you might now guess, was to convince the Helvetii that our army is in retreat due to lack of supplies, and to bring them back towards us and force them to join battle with us. This they have achieved. My outlying scouts report the Helvetii just less than a day’s travel away from us, giving us today to prepare and tonight to relax. The army should be fully positioned and rested when the Helvetii actually arrive.”
Fronto smiled quietly to himself. The excited muttering among the officers spoke volumes for the army’s morale.
The general sat back in his chair and cradled his hands.
“I have given much thought to the end of this particular chase. I have always intended to destroy the Helvetii as a body, keeping survivors for the slave market in Rome. However, we are in Gaulish territory and may stay within it for some time yet. We have shown them, and will again, the might of Rome on the field of combat. Perhaps it is now time to show them why we call ourselves civilised.”
A number of the officers stared at Caesar, wide-eyed and surprised. Longinus was the only one to speak out.
“Caesar, the Helvetii cannot be trusted. They have wronged the Roman people, and they continue to wrong the rest of the tribes of this benighted land. They should be wiped out for the benefit of all mankind.”
Caesar smiled a weary smile.