Legatus Lucius Alden

The month of harvest

Part I

-A matter of options-

‘I don’t have to storm the city milady.’

-

Tribune Galio Veturius, acting commander of the Third Legion

Addressing Lady Sane Crull, afore the walls of Eaglesnest.

Second month of Fall, 190 NC

Roderick chortled, tiny face contorting, creating in turn deep wrinkles on his rosy forehead, those strikingly blue eyes closed and little arms slapping at his finger. Lucius smiled at the baby’s shenanigans and Faye raised a mess of a head from her bed, the red curls covering her pale shoulders.

“You’re holding him with one hand again,” she chided him frustrated.

“He’s very small,” Lucius replied looking at his son clasping at his finger tight.

“Let me be the judge of that,” Faye snorted. “But you can have a look, if ye don’t believe me Alden.”

“I wouldn’t bother you in your time of rest,” Lucius replied diplomatically.

“Gods above! Yer a terrible a liar.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment Faye,” he teased and deposited the baby next to his mother to feed. Faye gathered him in her arms and brought him close to her uncovered chest. The woman’s breasts had swollen to twice their normal size and the little rascal found the nipple almost immediately. “And… he’s gone,” he noticed with a grin. “He’s forgotten about me completely.”

“Yer making him nervous. He notices ye all the time.”

“I barely see him all day,” Lucius protested.

“Because yer busy planning. I still have working ears and some of you speak way too loud Galio!” The latter she delivered raising her own voice, the aged officer standing outside their open bedroom door replying chastised.

“Apologies milady Alden. I shall strive to admonish the lads subtly henceforth.”

Faye sighed and stared at him under dark eyelashes quizzingly.

Lucius cleared his throat and stared at his blissfully feeding son.

“There might be a scrap on the morrow,” he informed her in an abstract casual manner.

“A scrap?” Faye asked raising a red brow.

“The Crulls have taken the West Fort site.”

“That’s it?”

“They might come down towards Kas hopefully,” Lucius replied.

“Lucius… how serious is it?”

“It’s not. Let me work on it,” he said and stood up straighter, then stared at the door.

Faye tried to move herself, but he stopped her raising his hand.

“See, I didn’t want you to worry,” Lucius told her.

“It’s yer fault and my doing I suppose. I worry about you,” she griped. “Every day I curse myself for asking you to free the North. It was selfish of me Lucius. I would take it all back but I can’t.”

Lucius made two steps and stooped over her to press his lips on her warm forehead. The baby cooed between them smelling of milk and his mother.

It made him even more determined to finish the task at hand.

“No it wasn’t. I owed you more than that. You’re the most unselfish person I know,” Lucius admitted to her moved. “Give me one more battle Red and I’ll have yer request fulfilled.”

Galio Veturius appeared tired, the old wrinkles on his face joined by fresh ones. The officer was nearing fifty, although he never revealed his exact age to anyone and no one was brave enough to ask him about it.

“Rough night?” Lucius asked accepting his helm from Gripa.

“Been testing the machines with Durio,” the Tribune replied.

“How many?”

“Two, one mounted on the entrance of the camp.”

“Bring it down,” Lucius said. “Load it on a wagon,” he stared at the frowning officer. “Tell me they can be transported Galio.”

“They can. What are you gonna do wit a couple of Scorpios?”

Bring the fear of Tyeus in them.

“Nothing yet,” Lucius replied. “I just want the option.”

They had walked into the officers meeting in the large map-room of the Redmond Hall. Prefect Trupo was present, Ramirus, Centurion Gata and Kaeso. The wiry Centurion sported a grotesque wound running from his jaw to under the left eye.

“Legatus,” Trupo started, his famous moustache nicely trimmed down both sides of his chin. “I have the Third Cohort on the field enjoying the sunshine. The lads are tanning fabulously sire.”

“Centurion Falx has command?” Lucius asked reading quickly through the reports Kaeso had given him.

“All four Centuries. Centurion Domus and the Fourth Cohort are marching there to bolster his presence. Eight Centuries in total, though I believe we will need more than that given the numbers.”

“Send no one else,” Lucius ordered and glanced at Kaeso. “Is this accurate?”

Kaeso smacked his lips. “It’s a count sire. Give or take.”

“How much give?”

“No more than two hundred men, I believe it’s lower than that.”

“Hidden in the woods,” Lucius said. “Spying on us, why am I learning about it now Centurion?”

Kaeso shrugged his shoulders. “The Dwarfs go back and forth with their wagons and their pickaxes. Looking at rocks. Local folks do the trip every day all curious and shit. The patrols relaxed and these fuckers are very patient. They didn’t reveal themselves until last week.”

“Last week?”

“We’ve seen the signals, but today we confirmed what it was.”

Lucius grimaced and stared at the map showing the Bloody Ridge and the southern approach to Kas.

“I want them neutralized Centurion. Use the First Cohort with your Rangers. Gata you’ll deal with this.”

“As you wish Legatus,” Gata replied.

“The Crulls have around two thousand soldiers at the mouth of the Mountain Pass,” Trupo said after a moment. “We should put another Cohort on the field sir.”

“What does he have left in Eaglesnest?” Lucius asked instead of answering.

“Well it’s bigger than Kas, but not by much,” Trupo replied. “I think that’s the limit of what they can field given the casualties they had in the last two years. Of course a city can rally up and defend its walls, but these men aren’t worth a lick out in the field.”

“Lord Crull is with the army?” Lucius asked.

“He needs to win this Legatus,” Trupo replied. “He’s here.”

“He thinks this is a chance,” Galio added. “Them lads hidden in the woods spilled the beans about Sula and the Fourth Legion departing.”

Yeah, Lucius thought. But Sula’s men are not the bulk of our army. We actually outnumber them here. This is a miscalculation and the cunning Lord Crull won’t do another soon, if ever.

“Two Cohorts will appear on the field,” Lucius said pointing at a map of the Kas valley. “Of the remaining two, the First Cohort will clean up the south from the Crulls Rangers, but stay out of the fight. The Second under Centurion Ennius will march to the Northern forest after dark and hide there.”

“You wish to bait them to attack,” Galio murmured staring at the wooden carved figures representing units Lucius was moving on the map. “Hit at the flanks with overwhelming force.”

“I wish to have them come down the mountain pass thirsty for blood and plunder,” Lucius replied staring at his officers. “I want them to assault the outnumbered Cohorts before the walls of the city and our unfinished camp. Commit to it, so I can swing around and cut them off from escape.”

“The Crulls won’t fall for it,” Trupo countered.

“If they think they have us caught with our pants down and vulnerable they will,” Lucius replied. “It is how they fight. They attack when they have advantage. I intend to give them one, along a huge prize.”

“Is the First Cohort going for the Mountain Pass after sir?” Gata asked and Lucius nodded.

Lucius walked to the small crowd of prominent citizens of Kas waiting in front of Redmond Hall, the city’s Council now headed by Macrinus, while Arrun Flavianus and Faye were included. He spotted Regan Booth’s scowling face and Marcus Walsh. The ancient Crafters Guild leader Thersin Bonearm and the sturdy looking dwarf that was Dorad Onyxminer standing on a table. There were at least half a dozen dwarfs surrounding them. A tightly bunched up together mean group of little people.

The Dwarfs preferred the term Folk themselves.

“The Crulls want the city,” Lucius explained to them speaking loud enough to be heard, as more and more citizens were gathering around his residence. “They didn’t get it back in seventy three and they won’t get it now,” people cheered at that and Lucius grimaced. “You won’t have to defend it and I won’t force you. I can do that myself, but assistance is always welcomed. It is also fondly remembered long after the danger has gone away. Lucius shall rule in Kas now, his men shall rule after him whether you like it or not. You can seek mercy from the Crulls if you want to, though I advise against it for the reasons I have already mentioned and you can figure out for yourselves. If I lose today, you can let them inside. This is the time to make your decision. Do you want in, or shall I just pluck everyone out from this Council and replace him with my own men? Make no mistake, the latter is what’s more favorable to me.”

“What of Sovya?” Booth grunted. “Another army could arrive tomorrow. What then?”

Lucius stared at him. “You won’t get to decide tomorrow mister Booth. This isn’t a matter I shall revisit. You’ll decide today and tie yourself to my fate. You could always depart, but if you remain here, I shall consider you my subject and treat you accordingly, if your behavior is unbecoming yer station.”

“Fuck the Crulls!” Someone yelled from the back. “Lord Lucius is right!”

“Aye, they’ll kill us all given half a chance!” A woman protested.

“Curse ‘em to Oras hells! I ain’t want ‘em thugs in here again!” Another much older citizen yelled and it caught on with the ever-increasing crowd. The rich pelts-merchant grimaced and shook his head. The aged timber mogul Marcus Walsh standing right beside him sighed, then stepped forward. Behind them the cheering and boastful mob roared almost drowning his words.

“Kas shall stand with Lucius milord,” Walsh had said. “I think the Council will agree.”

With Governor Macrinus double vote, Arrun’s and Faye’s votes also following along in the five members of the ‘reformed’ City Council -Walsh and Booth being the other two members- Lucius would have won every vote on the matter.

It would never have come down to that, but even if it had, it is better for people to think they have options.

Decanus Lucas Kato grinned, a crooked unsettling grimace more like, helm tightly tied on his face, as he saluted him.

“I don’t want them getting the word out Decanus,” Lucius informed him, Centurion Gata glaring at the shifty newly promoted officer from the sides.

“They won’t milord,” Kato reassured him. “That’s a lot of kilometers to travel.”

“That’s not what I was going for Kato,” Lucius explained. “Kaeso and the Primus Pilus will give you specific orders and I expect your men to follow them.”

“Orders shall be followed milord!” Kato agreed, grinning at the end of it.

“I’ll hold you to it Decanus,” Lucius said and stared at the men of the First Cohort standing at attention afore him. “We will win today,” he started. “We will stop the Crulls and avenge our dead brethren. Our friends and family,” Lucius breathed in once and then his voice came out strong and vibrant. Determined and assured. “We shall not break, it isn’t an option gents! For our lost friends and those unnamed that were cut down in the Battle of the Bridges. The countless slain in Ludr and drown in the Montfoot that look upon us this day questioning our spirit and will. I’ve taken you to the edge of Jelin and back again. But today you are answering to them and not me. They shall judge you and not Lucius. This is the time of reckoning, of things set right and old promises kept. The summer is almost gone, but this is still the month of harvest!”

The soldiers roared, the sound reverberating inside the half-empty Castrum and its flattened main square. Gata stepped forward right fist raised and gave the signal for the four Centuries to start moving. His own Century with Kato started marching first, followed by Centurion’s Testius’ Second, the Third under Artur Mangas and the Fourth under Servius Capito.

Go forth without fear, Lucius prayed watching them marching outside the Legion Camp. May Tyeus guide your step, fortify your hearts and strike your enemies dead.

Lord Bart Crull had initially dispatched Sir Hein, his second son, with a force of eight hundred to defend against the forming up centuries coming from Kas. Quickly realizing the legionnaires weren’t going to attack, he ordered Sir Hein to stall and waited for preliminary reports on their numbers to arrive.

With confirmation that this wasn’t Lucius full Legion but a couple of Cohorts worth of troops, he devised a quick plan to engulf the forces standing outside the city, storm the half-finished camp and sack it from the inside afore leveling it. Lord Crull wanted to wipe Kas from the map and rid himself -given the rare opportunity- of the bordering half-northern half-Lesia Sovya city.

Sir Hein Crull vehemently disagreed with an assault on the city itself or its citizens, after Lucius was defeated. Partly for humanitarian reasons and because he didn’t want to anger the rich Kingdom of Lesia that had started entering war-footing after a long period of prospering through trade and commerce.

Gold can birth armies out of nothing.

With Lucius apparently absent from the field and with time wasting away, Bart Crull settled for an attack on the forces outside Kas with most of his force early the next morning.

The sound strategist’s revised plan had been to lock them in place and allow Sir Hein to slip through, following the edge of the northern mountain range towards the road to Fenford Burg and then enter the expanding Northern Pines forest above Kas intending to flank the Legionnaires. With Bas Crull lurking in the forest south of the battlefield he could then assault them from all sides, or even head straight for the undefended camp and the city itself.

Thus the struggle of the second day of the battle of Kas had been set and the opponents had moved into position. The two plans were similar at first glance, but Lucius held the advantage in numbers and knew the terrain this time. Centurion Ennius commanding the Second Cohort got surprised in the middle of the night inside the thick woods by Sir Hein’s advancing troops, but the battle dragged on well into the day and by then it was all over.

The main forces clashed in front of the walls of Kas into a drawn-out slugfest in the meantime, but it was the smaller battle happening at the distant southern edge of the battlefield that was to decide the whole affair. Centurion Kaeso and Gata entered the Southern Pines from two sides and found Bas Crull’s hidden force waiting for them.