Clay Warrior Stories Boxset 1 by J Clifton Slater

Author:J Clifton Slater [Slater, J Clifton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-03-26T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 39 - Walking on Air

Tesserarius Gratian had his Century kneeling in the dark twenty feet back from the steep dirt wall. While he could see lights on the porches glowing from the other side, he was confident the patrons couldn’t see his Legionaries waiting in the dark. When the burning ember rolled over the lip of the wall, it’s short illuminating roll was as good as an arrow pointing to the breaching location.

Two men carrying long poles ran to bracket the marked area. Following closely were eight men toting three lengths of ladders lashed together. The poles were tied to the ladder and, as the poles raised, the end of the ladder elevated. The last four men on the extended ladder shoved it beyond the length of the poles and higher up the earthen wall.

Three men charged at the ladder and began to climb. Strapped to two of their backs were ten-foot ladders. The third carried three long poles. They all had lengths of hemp rope over their shoulders.

Alerio saw the tip of the ladder before the first Legionary finished climbing to the top of the wall. The man unslung the ladder from his back and set it to the side. Next, he began pounding stakes into the far side of the earthen rampart. Another man appeared and he laid his ladder down so it over lapped the first ladder by three rungs. Afterward, he joined the Legionary pounding in the stakes. Ropes were tied to the newly drive stakes and one man crawled partially forward until his upper body hung over the far edge of the rampart.

Two Legionaries lashed the three poles to the two ten-foot lengths of ladders. Now, the joined and reinforced ladders created a footbridge fifteen feet long. They lifted the ladders, spun them in the direction of The Wine Trough’s porch, and dropped them.

Alerio caught the end of the footbridge and secured it to the railing. By the time he finished with the last knot, an armored Legionary with his shield strapped to his back came over the far edge. Swiftly, the man strolled confidently to the end of the narrow and flimsy footbridge. He paused while stakes were driven in and ropes tied to the other end of the ramp. A slap to his leg sent the Legionary moving onto the bridge.

Alerio reached up and helped the man step slowly down from the rail. It was human nature to bend and leap from a surface; that would start with a jumping movement. The last thing they wanted was a heavily armored Legionary putting launch pressure on the temporary platform. Helping him down prevented the impulse to jump. The first across joined Alerio and together they helped the next Legionary down. Then, Alerio was shoved aside when the third infantryman took his post.

The fourth man to cross was Corporal Gratian.

“It’s like walking on air,” he stated as the two Legionaries helped him to the porch. “What’s the plan, Lance Corporal Sisera?”

“Centurion Kellerian should have his wagon in the alley at the bottom of the stairs,” Alerio reported.

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