[Mkguild] Roman story 23

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

Here is another part of my story.
Bitt learns a new trade.

ChrisThe Lurking Fox


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    Bitt and rest of his unit spent a goodportion of the evening scrubbing and rinsing to remove the smell. It tookthree, full washings before his tunic finally was tolerable to wear. Anothertwo before the smell was gone.  *****************     One (very) early morning theentire cohort was turned out in full kit. A legionnaire never went anywherewithout his weapons and armor. With them were a dozen wagons. Two were loadedwith various tools and ominously the rest were loaded down with small stoneblocks.    The sight of the stonework drewa lot of grumbling and shaking of heads. “What?” Bitt asked.    “Road work,” Eteiwi explainedin disgust. “We’re going to fix a road somewhere.”    A day’s march along the mainroad took them to a good-sized open field next to the road. The cohort thensettled in by digging a small ditch and bank legionnaire fortress. Just largeenough to fit the cohort. Sentries were set and the tents they were going tolive in put up.    The next morning (before dawn ofcourse) A large contingent of legionnaires and the wagons marched further easttill they arrived at the place where the pavement just ended at a crossroads.The only thing there was the tumbled down walls of an abandoned building. Itspurpose long forgotten. The road had continued on eastward straight as anarrow’s flight and with his eyes Bitt could still follow its path. It’spavement was gone but it left a visible trace in the landscape in the form of araised mound.    Bitt was standing in the roadlooking at the now abandoned part of the road. “What’s wrong?” Rolozius asked.    The fox pointed to the abandoned road. “Whathappened to it?”    “That part lead to what had been the province of Vertendia,” thehyena explained. “But the Parthians took it and the empire has no reason tomaintain a road in land that isn’t there’s anymore. Now the only thing beyondthis point is the Limes Mauratania. The defense line meant to protect the empire.”    “They just gave it up?” Bittasked.    Rolozius shook his head.“Hardly. It changed hands several times before the empire gave up and let the Parthianskeep it,” the hyena paused a moment. “Well, not let them. They took it and wecouldn’t take it back.”    “Taking a place is one thing,keeping it is something else entirely,” the hyena explained.    The road had been built backwhen the empire first took control of this land. The work probably done bylegionnaires many probably the ancestors of the legionnaires here today. Whendone it had been a typical Roman road, wide with thick, heavy stones meant tolast centuries.    Time and the Parthians had notbeen kind to the road. Large sections had been torn up or missing. Centuries oftraffic had worn the stones a little but this damage was deliberate. Eitherdone by the Parthians during a raid or the locals trying to discourage themfrom coming back.    Their task; was starting at the crossroadsto slowly work their way back west, repairing the pavement as they went.    An empire road was an amazingpiece of construction. Bitt had not realized that until he spent timerebuilding one. The deepest part was over an arm’s length down. First was alayer of compacted earth. Then a layer of crushed stones. On top of that wasmore earth and a thick layer of gravel. On top of that was a layer of wellcompacted earth. For many secondary roads that was all that went on. But thiswas a primary road and on top was put what basically amounted to a thick wall,laid flat. Large, heavy stones carefully cut, placed tightly together andmortared well. The result was a road surface that could withstand anythingexcept deliberate destruction. On either side of the road was a deep ditch fordrainage.    Everyone was given aresponsibility. Some were re-cutting the ditches while others were removing thedamaged stonework. Others were spreading out more gravel or earth or tampingthe earth down.    Bitt was assigned to an olderlegionnaire. A bear of good-sized proportions with light brown fur. His namewas Fulvius and he was an Immune – a legionnaire immune to regular fatigue dutybecause of some special skill. In the bear’s case he was an expert stone mason.The empire loved stone and seemed to build everything in stone meant to lastcenturies.    Bitt’s task was to make sureFulvius always had stone at hand and help him however was needed. That meant hegot to do the heavy lifting and carrying. A lot of it was just standing andwaiting.    The bear worked with anefficiency that Bitt admired. By the time Fulvius got to it the old, damagedstone had been removed and the subsurface prepared. He would give the preparedearth one last check with his hand. Then he would have Bitt hand him a stone.Fulvius would spend a minute or so carefully chipping and shaping the stonewith a hammer. Then he would check to make sure the stone fit in place. Anapplication of mortar along the edges followed and it was put into its placewith care.    “Enjoying the view?” Vinius saidto Bitt. The fox was leaning on his shovel, watching the mason fit the stones.    Bitt instinctively straightenedup. “I’ve been watching him at work. At first I thought his job was simple;just dropping a stone down and tamping it in place. But I’ve learned it was farharder than that. The stone has to be carefully shaped to fit the location itwas going in. That means careful chipping of the stone in just the rightplace.”    “And?” the Decanus asked.    “This wasn’t just somelegionnaire smacking a stone with a hammer. He’s a real craftsman who knows howto shape the stone. Back home he would be called a Scathchloch-Cloiche; StoneShaper.”    “He does make it look easy,”Vinius responded. “Since you are so fascinated by him, stay with him and lethim teach you the basics.”    “I’d be honored!” Bitt respondedhonestly.  *******************     For Bitt this was a learningexperience. Gradually Fulvius went from just having the fox lift stone toteaching him how to shape it. Explaining why he used the hammer on one spot ofthe stone instead of another. After a few weeks of it Bitt was doing fairlygood. He would never be up to the quality of work the mason could do but it wasdecent.    Every few days they had to movetheir camp as the work party slowly made its way down the road. Heading backtowards the fortress. At a really slow pace. Every few days wagons loaded withstone would arrive to replace the ones they had emptied.    The threat of a Parthian raidwas always present. There was always a group in full kit standing guard duty.No matter how hard a legionnaire was working he always had his armor andweapons close at hand.    “Why did you join the legionFulvius?” Bitt asked one day during a break for lunch. They and the rest of thecohort were enjoying a meal of dried meat, cheese, bread and watered-down wine.    “You can’t eat stone.” The masonexplained. “No one here builds in stone anymore. Not in the grand style of thepast. No grand villas or palaces like in Great Grandfather’s day. All theybuild are farmers huts and the occasional church. Not enough to keep the familyfed. No one needs a good stone mason anymore.”    Bitt shook his head sadly inagreement. “The grand days are behind us it seems. Don’t the Parthians usestone?”    The bear shrugged. “I don’tknow. Never seen a Parthian who was building something. Mostly all we see areraiders burning and tearing down. No one wants to build anymore.”    “Well.” Bitt said. “Back home westill like building in stone. We’ve gotten pretty good. A mason of your skillwould always be welcome among the clans,” Bitt said honestly.    Fluvius stared at him for amoment as if trying to judge if he meant it or not.    Bitt nodded his head. “I trulymeant it sir.”    “Thank you.”  *********************     Bitt spent most of the next two monthskneeling on the ground and slowly moving backwards. He would place the neededstone and then step back to work on the next row. Most stones didn’t need anywork perhaps just a little cleaning up and new mortar. But many had to bereplaced completely.    The road saw a considerableamount of traffic. Regardless of eighty legionnaires working in the middle ofthe road the traffic kept going.  Flowingaround them to either side. Intent on getting somewhere they thought wasimportant. No matter how intent Bitt was on working on the stones he alwayskept on eye on the traffic. No soldier ever fully let down his guard.Regardless of how safe things seemed to be a legionnaire always was on guard.    Two months and thirty miles laterthe cohort finally made it’s way back to the fortress. Everyone was tired andlooking forward to sleeping in the barracks. The animals were cleaned, fed andput into their stalls. The wagons and tools cleaned and turned in before theywere dismissed for the evening. But the Centurion had a surprise for them fromthe Legion commander.  When Bitt and hiscontubernium got to their barracks room they had a large jug of wine with them.Each contubernium had a jug to share among its members.  **********************     Bitt found Philip where he always seemed tobe – the Armamentarium (the armory). The dark brown rabbit was seated at atable repairing the straps on some armor.    “Philip, sir,” Bitt said in way of greeting.“Good to see you!”    The rabbit got up and came around the table.“Good to see you my friend,” he said and hugged Bitt.    “I bring good news. Bitt said softly. “Ihave heard from the clan.”     “And their answer?” The rabbit askedearnestly.    “They’ve agreed to it,” the fox answered.“The first shipment should arrive in a few weeks.”    “That’s great!” Philip said cheerfully.“This will be profitable for both of us!”  ********************** 
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