[Mkguild] Roman story part 37

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

Sorry for the delay in posting. If you are missing any parts please email me! Or check out my DA site.
ChrisThe Lurking Fox

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   Upon returning to the fortress Bitt made hisway to visit Philip. He had some unfinished business to do with the rabbit.    The fox found his friend Philip as always –in the armory. He was examining a item made of steel but shaped into a conewith a sharp point on the end and one side held a very sharp blade.    What is it?” Philip asked.    “You’ve never seen a rodent fight?” Bittasked.    “No,” the rabbit answered with a shake ofthe head. “There are a few in the 12th Tulani but none here.”    “This is a tail blade,” the fox explained.“A weapon unique to the rodents. The rats use it the most but I’ve seen miceuse it as well.”    “They have a tail that’s more prehensilethan ours,” the fox explained. “They slip that over the end of the tail andbind it in place. It is another weapon to use. The one rat; Jerome is legendaryfor using a weapon in each hand and the tail blade.  He was a formidable warrior.”    The rabbit reached out to touch the verysharp point. Bitt grabbed Philip’s wrist and pulled it back to safety.    “Be careful,” the fox warned. “They areknown to smear the point with certain substances.”    “Poison?”    The fox nodded in reply. “And if not that;fecal matter.”    “They smeared it with shit?”    “Yes. If the weapon didn’t kill you it wouldinfect the wound.”    “Nasty,” Philip said with a shake of thehead.    “But effective.” Bitt responded.    “Never underestimate a rodent,” Bittcommented. “During the siege they fought the hardest in the tunnels dug underthe walls.”    Philip shivered. “I can’t imagine being insuch tight places never mind actually fighting someone there.”    “Agreed but it had to be done. How arethings with our little trade?” Bitt asked. “My cousin back home wants to knowhow soon we can ship out the next batch.”    “Trading? Is that what you thieves call it?”Cervius said coldly.    Standing there in the door was a large bearwith fur the color of straw. He was wearing the red tunic of a legionnaire.This was Cervius, the Legion armorer.    “Thieves?” Philip asked.    “You are giving away Legion property foryour own gain,” the bear snarled. “That is theft.”    The rabbit walked up to the bear who was afoot taller and two hundred pounds heavier. “Do you truly believe I would EVERsteal or cheat the Legion. Especially items in the armory?” He snarled inhostile tones.    That gave Cervius pause. “No,” he admittedeventually. “Then what are you doing?”
    “Let me show you what we got in trade?” Therabbit asked coldly.    “In trade?” The bear asked.    Bitt shook his head. “You thought we werejust stealing them? Selling them and keeping the coins?”    “Of course,” the bear responded honestly.    The fox walked over to a table, on which waslaid out several suits or Lorica Hamata (chainmail) armor.    “All this armor was taken in the Cartilliacampaign,” Bitt explained. “A hundred years ago. And since then it’s sat onshelves collecting dust as no one could wear it. They never fit anyLegionnaire.”    “I’m trading that old armor that we can’tuse for new armor that we CAN use,” the rabbit explained.    “My cousin runs the fabrica in Morgantiacum.We send them the clan armor and he sends back armor the 76th canuse.”    “So you are trading old 76tharmor no one can use for new armor we CAN use? There has to be a trick,” thebear said with a shake of the head.

   “No trick,” Philip countered. “The clanswant their property back. We need armor that is usable.”    “This old armor is Clan locked,” Bittexplained and laid a hand on one of the suits of armor. “Clan magic preventsanyone but one of the ten clans from wearing it. I have people back home whoCAN use it.”    “That’s legion property. You cannot justtrade it,” Cervius announced.    “All right,” Bitt said in cold tones. Hepicked up a suit of the old armor and dropped it on a shelf. “We’ll put it backand it will sit there for another hundred years. Unused.”    “We are simply turning in unusable armor toa Fabrica for repair and getting new armor in exchange,” the rabbit explainedpatiently. “And we are getting high quality in return. And here is thereceipt.” He extended his hand; in which was a flat piece of wood.    The bear took the wood and examined thewriting on it. “This confirms the receipt of the following from the 76thlegion.”    “Received: 10 suits Lorica Hamata. Allunusable to be rebuilt.”    “Sent: 10 Suits of Lorica Hamata. Newly manufactured.”   “Confirmed by Brandon MacChlery. MorgantiacumLoricariae Fabrica.”    “We are simply sending it to a differentfabrica. To Morgantiacum instead of Edessa.”    “It still feels wrong.”    “It’s just different.”    “Unless you like dealing with that greedfool in Edessa. He is the Prefect’s nephew isn’t he?”    Bitt reached into a pouch on his belt andproduced a small piece of parchment that had been carefully folded. “My cousinhad this made. Just in case.”    The rabbit placed a hand on the document.“Never mind that Cervius. Look at what we have gotten in return.” He extendedhis hand, in which was one of the chain mail tunics.    He carefully examined the armor. The linkswere of high-quality steel, finely crafted. These had been connected to form asuit of armor. The entire thing was surprisingly light and supple.    “This is finely made,” the bear said insurprise.    “Thank you. My cousin’s pride won’t let himmake any but the best,” Bitt explained. “He’d be insulted if you evenconsidered that he wouldn’t.”    “What will the Governor say?” The rabbitasked.    “The governor in Tirontach? He and his wifewas BORN into the clans. He’ll make a big show of giving the armor back tothem. Leaving out the details of how he got it.”    The rabbit nodded. “And gain more politicalclout. What of our Prefect?”    “The Prefect here?” The fox asked. “Whywould the Governor in Tirontach want to talk with that fool? He’s on theopposite side of the empire. A month’s journey from here. What he doesn’t knowwant hurt us.”    Both rabbit and bear nodded in agreement.    “If he complains we’ll give him a bribe,”Bitt commented sarcastically.    “It works for everything else,” the rabbitadded.    “That is how things work,” the bear shookhis head.    The bear looked at the old armor. “Is itreally that important? The new armor is actually better made.”    Bitt touched the one armor gently. Runninghis fingers along the symbol visible there. It was a crescent moon and a star.The emblem of Clan Aonghusa. “To us it is. It’s our heritage.”    The fox patted his chest and the armor hewas wearing. “Philip found this for me. It’s was taken as loot. I’m the firstto wear this in a hundred years. The last person to do so was one of myancestors. They DIED wearing it. Defending clan and kin. Family.”    Cervius was silent a moment. “I lost threeancestors in that campaign. Good people.”    “I lost three hundred,” Bitt respondedcoldly. “Also good people. But that is the past.” He tapped the armor. “Thisthe past. But it can be the future. Your future, my future, OUR future.”    The bear nodded. “Fair enough. I want topersonally examine all the armor. To be sure it’s good.”    “My cousin would expect no less.”  ************  
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