Seven Sisters by David Bowman

Author:David Bowman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: military, history, battle, historical, rome, warfare, emperor, castle, fortress, legion, military history, cavalry, archery, roman empire, alternative history, ninth century, centurion, legionary, archer, gunpowder, 9th century, catapult, siege, legate
Publisher: Bluewood Publishing Ltd

Chapter 15 - Claudine

That night, a jubilant staff gathered in Crastus’s tent to celebrate their victory and discuss the plan for the next stage of the campaign.

“They say a plan never survives contact with the enemy, but that one certainly did!”

Everyone laughed at Leander’s comment except Maximus and Crastus. Over four hundred men of the combined force would never put on armour again, either through their death or their wounds being so serious. The lightly wounded numbered nearly the same and some of those would not be fit for duty for several weeks. Claudius himself had suffered a cut on the arm which he maintained was minor, but probably was more serious. Nevertheless, the larger than life second-in-command eagerly discussed with Schonberg how to add the title ‘Lion of Dominique’ tastefully to his personal standard already encrusted with many such legends.

“I nearly shat myself when the commander of the Eastern tower responded to ‘Lay down your sword’ by opening the door to his tower and marching out to surrender. I was trying so hard not to laugh when the imbecile did exactly that and laid his sword at my feet. He was trembling,” said Claudius as he regaled his fellow commander with the juicier bits of his own personal battle that afternoon.

Crastus was shrewd enough to let his subordinates let off steam for a while, but not for too long. When he felt they had shed enough exuberance and imbibed enough watered wine, he signalled Maximus and the primus pilus called them to order with.

In the ensuing silence, Crastus brought their minds back onto business.

“Today was very well done, gentlemen, but you have to remember that we cannot sustain this level of casualties simply reducing the outer forts. If we do, we will not have enough men left to take the city, even leaving Isabelle to wither on the vine. So the question, is do we stick with the original plan and attack Gabrielle in three days or do we try Schonberg’s little trick against Claudine?”

Having watched several dozen members of the garrison of Dominique escape by floating downriver using inflated water skins to float on the current, Schonberg wanted to try a night attack on Claudine by a similar method.

“It has the advantage that the chosen men will approach the fortress silently and almost invisibly,” Schonberg urged, seeking support for the idea.

Maximus took the devil’s advocate position.

“Lacking armour and beyond support range of anybody other than the troops on the walls of Dominique, they will be easy prey if discovered. “

“Yes, but with the rest of two cohorts of the legion ready to act in support, I will be able to quickly take advantage of any breach in the defences. The risk is worth it – we could capture Claudine without the expense of a frontal assault. As Crastus just said, we can’t afford to continue at the loss rate for the last three attacks.”

The sly reference to the first failed attack on Dominique brought a frown to Claudius’s face.

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