Legatus Legionis: Book Two in the Gaius Claudius Scaevola Trilogy by Ian Miller Read Free Book Online

say."
    The Centurion looked as if he was about to argue, then he had to turn and step into the line as one of the soldiers fell back, a spear through his throat.
    The enemy were almost over as the flames began to reach up. Timothy had done a good job; within a minute the cart was a roaring inferno. Terrible screams of pain could be heard on the far side as the pressure from the rear was driving men into it. Men began to leap from the top, hair singed, faces burned. These were quickly killed. Then as the terrible smell of burning flesh drifted across, the Centurion nodded agreement, and four soldiers began to run towards Lussonium.
    The two remaining archers took their positions with Gaius and Timothy on a small rise well back from the fire. For almost a quarter of an hour the fire was too intense for anyone to approach, then slowly it began to diminish. Then some men approached from the far side with a thin tree trunk, intending to try to push the burning cart away. Gaius fired one arrow, and although it missed, the men dropped the trunk and ran.
    More men approached, this time with shields held together to protect those with the trunk. Gaius could see that there was little hope of delaying the opponents much longer, so he ordered no arrows to be fired. Slowly the burning cart began to move, then it disintegrated with a huge shower of sparks, flames, and extra heat.
    "Inside ten minutes they'll start crossing," Gaius said calmly. "Once they're off the bridge, that's it. It's nearly time for the horses."
    Eight minutes later the first man braved the fire to dash through, to be caught by an arrow. Then more men.
    "Go!" Gaius roared. They let off their last arrows, and scrambled towards the horses. Gaius noticed one man seemed to be more important than the rest. He took quick aim, fired, then scrambled for the remaining horse.
    When the horses reached the forest track Gaius ordered them to slow.
    "They won't get horses through that fire for another few minutes," he said. "If we don't break horses's legs, we're safe."
    They were safer than he expected. Ahead he could hear horses: a cavalry detachment from Lussonium. The raiders should have just about cleared the bridge for horse traffic by the time the cavalry arrived. The party slowed, and moved to one side of the track.

Chapter 5
    Gaius had originally intended to arrive at Lussonium as inconspicuously as possible. That was no longer possible, and a crowd of civilian spectators and some soldiers greeted them. Eventually he found the military headquarters, and presented himself.
    "You had a spot of bother?" the previous commander smiled.
    "Yes, and I still have," Gaius admitted. "I am supposed to present myself to take up position as Legatus but my papers and most of my other belongings are on my cart that was used to bring back wounded, or maybe even thrown off the cart to make room, and I can't find the cart."
    "I'll arrange for the Centurion who was with you to organize a party to go and retrieve any property. Tell me something about yourself? The names of your family, the name of the chief steward on your ranch, say."
    Gaius obliged.
    "This tent is yours!" the ex-Legate said. "I'm not sorry to be returning to Rome."
    "I could be the wrong person," Gaius pointed out.
    "You could," he replied, "but it appears you know how to command and fight."
    "I presume this legion has the job of stopping those sort of raids?" Gaius remarked. "Have we any information on who did that?"
    "My men . . ." He paused and corrected himself, "Your men, sorry, will have prisoners. We shall find out where they came from, but I can tell you now. The other side of the Danube."
    "We need boats. Have we any?"
    "You in some sort of a hurry?"
    "Winter's coming," Gaius replied. "Once it is well established it will be difficult to mount an expedition, and I feel that once word of the circumstances of my arrival filters through, lack of action might encourage further raids."
    "You don't want to be viewed as a