THE EMPERORS WOLVES - Gathering the Wolfpack

THE EMPERORS WOLVES - Gathering the Wolfpack - Prologue pt2

Prologue pt2

The Winery was a huge new building built against the Eastern palisade wall, it had taken months to complete but it now allowed the estate to process its own crop of grape, rather than transport them to the Tenus’ estate. Tertio knew the place inside and out; he had designed it, helped build it and managed its running.

He ran the forty paces to the main doors and opened it enough to squeeze through. He stood waiting for his eyes to grow accustomed to the dark interior. He knew that to his left was the storeroom of full barrels so he turned right and walked slowly through the calcatorium, where the grapes were crushed by foot. Once he passed the third waist high-masher he stepped through the doorway into the press room.

The press was made from a huge, solid piece of oak; the pulleys, wheels and cogs were each linked by a mass of rope. Tertio patted it as he walked by. Next he passed the lacus where the juice was collected and deposited into the massive partially buried fermenting vats. The subsequent doorway led to the empty barrel store. The stacked barrels towered high above him. Tertio continued past them making for the ladder at the very end of the room. He climbed one handed which was difficult and made him feel clumsy. He reached the top and the baby was still asleep, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The platform was at the height of four men and spanned the full thirty feet width of the winery, the depth was fifteen feet to the back wall. The area was used to house the estates store of wheat which was arranged two sacks high across the platform. To the right was just enough room to pass into an open space behind. The straw mattress and two rolled up blankets formed Tertio’s very private bedroom. It had seen a good number of willing visitors none of whom, he liked to think, went away unsatisfied. Tertio smiled at the thought until he heard shouts coming from outside. He gently lay the sleeping child down on the mattress and wedged him in place with the blankets.

The sound of shouting had increased and an occasional scream could be heard. Tertio moved over to the sloped roof facing into the compound. He knew where the loose tile was and carefully slid it aside. His axis of view took in the rear of the compound all the way to the wall, the villa was directly in front about thirty paces away. To the front of the villa he could see the fountain with the guard house beyond, near the front gates. His view ended just to the right of the gates where a small storeroom stood. He could see nothing of the stables or the slave quarters as they were next to the winery.

He looked left towards the rear of the villa and could see no one. ‘Where the fuck is Julia and the boys?’ He grumbled to himself. He turned his head to look to the extreme right. The front of the villa was bathed in moonlight. Decimus stood with a dozen men, all armed with an assortment of weapons. Tertio could make out some individuals despite the distance. He was not surprised to see Nellus, the fat cook. Decimus had brought him home from the legion years before. Nellus seemed to be holding two cleavers and was rolling his head and shoulders, readying himself for what approached.

Tertio strained to see what that was. He pushed his head against the tiles, struggling to extend his view. Whatever stood before the men must be near the stables.

‘Bollocks,’ his annoyance at not being able to see, who or what was coming, gnawed at him. He looked left again to the rear of the villa and a chill went up his spine. A man was coming over the wall and there was still no sign of Julia and the children.

The metallic clash of weapons rang out and Tertio turned his head swiftly to the right. The fight was on. The attackers had obviously waited till their numbers equalled the defenders before attacking. Decimus stood in the middle of the press, lunging and stabbing with his gladius. Tertio watched as he thrust his blade into the throat of an attacker, blood sprayed in a wide arc as the man fell back. He was replaced immediately by another who was armed with a spear. For Decimus the deadly game had commenced.