[Mkguild] Roman story part 14

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

    One day the entire legion was ordered tocome to formation before dawn in full marching kit. Aside from full armor andweapons that included a satchel with extra clothes, fifteen days’ worth of foodin various dried and smoked forms. Also a waterskin, a cooking pot andutensils, a shovel, pick and mattock. All attached to a 4-foot-long pole calleda furca.    Along with all eight of the members of his Contubernium there was another new arrival; a feral muleby the name of Albashiea (ugly) who carried theirtent and yet more food for the group.    Vinius inspected Bitt and made sure he hadeverything. Then he handed Bitt a satchel full of small carrots and the reinsto the mule. “When she complains feed her a single carrot.”    It seemed Albashiea’s willingness to carryher pack was in direct relation to how many carrots she was fed at intervals. Acarrot would earn them several miles before she started to balk and complain.Bitt’s task was to lead her along and insert a carrot into the front end whileavoiding what came out the back. Still it was a small price to pay to have hercarry all that weight for them. And she was otherwise a pretty friendly beast.    Legio LegatusTertius Nepius Tironacus haddecided on a field exercise. The entire legion would leave the castrum and marcha distance to keep them in practice. This entailed marching all day fromsunrise to just after midday. It was a long, hot, dusty march in the heat withthe sun blazing down. After a few minutes all the marching paws kicked up hugeclouds of dust that got into everything and made him choke. He covered hismuzzle with a bandana and that helped a lot. The only one the dust didn’t seemto bother was Albashiea. She plodded along happily munching on her latestcarrot. Oblivious to the dust.    Finally they arrived at a large open field agood distance to the east. There they stopped and set up camp. For the Romanarmy that didn’t mean just setting up tents and getting a rest. It meantconstructing a full castrum; a palisade, ditches and banks for defense.    Aftermarching all morning since dawn it meant several hours more of cutting downtrees, clearing brush, then digging the vallum (ditch) and piling the earthinto a bank. The newly cut timber went on top to form a palisade. Bitt spentthe afternoon with a cutting detail chopping down trees and clearing awaybrush.    The sun had long ago set before they weredone. The only good thing was that Decebalus had assembled their tent, starteda small fire and done a little cooking. Albashiea had been given water andamazingly enough was still hungry and was busy eating grain when Bitt arrived.Even after eating all those carrots.    Aside from the food each legionnaire andwhat their assigned mule handled, the legion carried enough provisions for along campaign. The grain provisions were usually carried by mules. For thepredators their meat usually traveled on the hoof. Trailing towards the rear ofthe long column was a herd of feral cattle and sheep. Tended by a dozenlegionnaires. Each day a number of the feral were slaughtered and the meatdistributed to the predator half of the legion.    Dinner for the Contubernium was a stew ofgrain and dried meats along with rock hard biscuits. The biscuits were so hardthat they had to soak them in the stew for several minutes to soften them upenough to be edible. Rumor was that if attacked the legionnaires would use themfor ballista ammunition! All they had to wash it down was a vinegary wine.    Tired they all retired to the tent to sleep.That entailed simply wrapping themselves in a blanket and laying close togetheron the floor of the tent. Once all eight were inside it made for tightquarters.    “The first one to fart, dies,” Someonemuttered.  *************     Dawn came way too early for any of them inthe form of the centurion shouting at full volume into their tent. Breakfastwas cooked quickly and eaten just as fast.    The days entertainment came in the form orseveral Turmae (squadrons) of cavalry clattering into the camp.    What Bitt noticed first was that both horseand rider were fully armored. Both were fully encased in armor right down tothe horse’s knees. Even their faces were fully covered to the tips of theirsnouts.    Bitt realized this was not regular cavalrybut Cataphract; the famous heavy cavalry.    “Our unpolite neighbors to the east,” thecenturion explained calmly. “Are expressing their dislike of our ownership ofthese lands. So this means we are certain to face them again in battle. We havedefeated their infantry enough that they present no real threat. Unfortunately,the Parthians do possess some excellent cavalry. So today we are going to teachyou how to fight cavalry.”    “The trick to defeating cavalry is to stayin close formation,” the centurion commented. “And use your pilum like a spear.The first two ranks do not throw them but hold them out. When the cavalry comein they will face a wall of sharp points. No feral horse will willingly chargeonto something so deadly. They will pull up or turn away.”    “The problem is when they charge at you it’slike seeing an avalanche rolling towards you. All that metal and horse flesh.You’re first instinct is to bolt and run. DON’T. You are Legionnaires andLegionnaires do not panic or flee. And it will get you and your fellowLegionnaires killed. When they charge it becomes a test of wills. Who willflinch first. Be calm and THEY will flinch.”    The centurion motioned with his right handand then held up one finger. One of the cavalry came forward. The horse movingslowly towards the watching infantry. When he was barely a spears length awaythe horse came to a halt without any real movement of the reins.    The rider was fully enclosed in armor fromthe top of his ears to the bottom of his paws. He couldn’t even tell hisspecies. But from the short ears he believed it must be some sort of predator.The armor itself was not the leather or chainmail he expected but with small scalesof shiny metal. Alternating rows of bronze, silver and gold glimmered in thesunlight.    “First thing you do when facing any cavalryis to kill the horse,” the centurion said. “Get rid of that thousand-poundadvantage the rider has. Even if you don’t kill the horse if you wound it badenough it will panic and bolt.”    “Your best chance is to get as close aspossible,” the centurion explained. “Keep the horse from galloping at you.” Hepointed to the horse’s legs. “Go for the legs. If you can injury one the horsemight bolt of fall over. If not got for the stomach or belly. That is where thearmor is weakest. As for the armor try and slip a blade between the scales anddrive it as deep as possible.”    “Of course, while you are trying to do allthat the horse and rider will be trying to stop you,” the centurion commented.    The rider reached to his saddle and pulledout a large, iron headed mace.    “That will crack your helmet and your skulllike a walnut,” the centurion commented.    “We’re only practicing,” the rider said.“But my horse won’t know that. She is war trained and will really try to killyou.”    “That’s only fair,” Bitt muttered. “I meaneverything else in this place is trying to kill me. From the searing heat, tothe poisonous snakes and choking dust, to the Parthians. It’s only fair thatshe gets her chance too.”    That drew laughter from the whole group.    He walked up to the horse and rider. Bittlooked up and the horse and rider seemed to stretch upward forever. It was likelooking up the side of a wall.    The mare looked at him a moment, trying todetermine if he was a threat or not. Satisfied he was not going to attack her sherelaxed. But Bitt noticed she kept a close eye on him. That was all right withhim as he was keeping an eye on her, especially those powerful hooves of hers.    “You don’t have to duck to go under her,”Someone joked.    Centurion Feriolius had the entire SeventhCentury stand in close formation with shields interlocked in the middle of alarge, open field.    “We are going to give you some experience inwhat it feels like to be charged by cavalry,” the wolf said calmly. “All youhave to do is stand right where you are and stay in formation. The cavalry willgallop past you.”    First he felt them approaching as a lowrumbling under his paws. A small vibrating of the ground that seemed toresonate through his whole body. At the far end of the field a cloud of dustrose and started moving toward them. the rumbling grew to a loud roar.    The clouds of dust parted and a line ofcavalry moving at a full gallop came out of the dust. Appearing like phantomsout of a mist. The ground was shaking. To Bitt the spears they were carryingall seemed to be aimed right at him chest!    “Century. Stand your ground!” The centurionordered in a calm tone.    The ground shook and each pounding of thehooves seem to shake him down to his very soul. The noise was deafening and thedust stung his eyes and obscured everything. Several tons of thundering metaland horse flesh were bearing down on them and it sparked a primal fear. Bittfelt the surge of adrenaline and he wanted to bolt, to run and hide somewhere.He was shaking uncontrollably.    He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Easy Bitt.It’s only training and we’re here,” he heard Tossius say.    Bitt relaxed a little, comforted by thecloseness of his friends and members of his Contubernium.    Just before this unstoppable wall of metaland flesh reached them it split; with half riding past on the left and theother half of the right. The rumbling grew softer and the dust slowly settled.His heart was racing and he was still shaking.    Bitt’s relief only lasted a few moments whenhe realized they were forming up for another charge.    The cavalry made two more charges at them,each one unnerving but not as bad as the first.    Finally, much to everyone’s relief thecavalry pulled away and didn’t come back.    “That’s it,” the centurion shouted out. “Ihope you enjoyed that adrenaline rush.”    Bitt felt the adrenaline surge end and hefelt his strength start to ebb away. He exhaled slowly unaware that he had beenholding his breath.    “Are you all right Bitt?” Vinius asked.    He slowly nodded his head. “I need a drink.”  ***************  
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