THE EMPERORS WOLVES - Gathering the Wolfpack

THE EMPERORS WOLVES - Gathering the Wolfpack - Chapter1 pt3

Chapter1 pt3

The ramparts were high enough for the Legate and other senior officers to feel safe. The temporary fort now looked like the permanent one they had left seven days earlier. The two days since they had arrived had been spent as predicted, digging ditches and chopping down trees.

The squad had finished their stint on watch and were about to start cooking, unfortunately it was Vello’s turn. A shout came from the nearby gate. A patrol was coming in but something had alarmed the sentries. Men were starting to drift over, eager to see what the excitement was about. The gates opened and the sixth century started to file in. The uninjured men came first followed by the walking wounded and then came the stretchers.

Vello nudged Catulus and nodded towards one of the last bodies to be carried. Catulus watched as the unconscious Dento drew level. The whole of Dento’s right thigh was a bloody mangled mess the covering had dropped to one side. The white of exposed bone was evident for all to see. Dento was unconscious. Catulus could see the beads of sweat forming on the injured man’s brow.

Vello put his hand on Catulus’ shoulder. ‘He may have been lucky with the dice but I bet he’d rather have his leg back in one piece. That looked like an axe wound, you could see the bits of bone.’

Catulus lurched forward and started retching.

‘It’s hard to survive that kind of injury, the flesh starts to rot because you can’t keep it clean. He’ll wish it had been a quick death by the time the sepsis gets him. If you want your money back I’d play him soon, he won’t last the week.’

Catulus wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked at Vello wide eyed, ‘I don’t think I’ll bother. He can keep the money. I’ve got nothing to spend it on out here.’

‘Well I don’t think he’ll be putting it to use.’ Vello turned away as an Optio was carried past with a broken spear shaft protruding from his side.

The men sat around the fire warming their bodies as the sun touched the horizon.

‘I hear they had five killed and fourteen wounded. The locals disappeared after they sprung the ambush. It was good they brought the bodies back to give em a proper send off.’ Titus announced.

Vello sighed heavily. ‘It’s six, the Optio didn’t make it.’ The men slowly shook their heads. ‘Well, so much for the locals being goat loving hairy women.’ He repeated the Centurion’s description of the local tribes.

Titus playfully slapped Vello on the back and laughed. ‘Did you honestly believe they’d send the full legion if that’s all we faced? We all knew it was bullshit but we didn’t want to believe it. The politicians are worried. If they weren’t, they’d have sent the auxiliaries.’

All the men except Catulus nodded their agreement. Vello developed a crooked smile on his face and mischievously rubbed his hands together. ‘Right lads, I’ve got something special for the pot this evening, you’re really going to like it.’

‘Good I’m starving.’ Titus replied.

He leaned toward Catulus and placed a hand on his shoulder as Vello disappeared into the tent to prepare the food. ‘Did you know that it takes a full day for the human body to turn food into shit? Vello on the other hand can do it in minutes.’

Vello heard the jibe and shouted back, ‘just for that you can’t have seconds.’

‘Thank the gods for that.’ Titus and the rest of the men were laughing.

The new day had started at first light with Titus called to see Centurion Passius. No explanation was given as to why?

‘Get out of your pit and see the Centurion now.’ That’s all the Optio had said.