THE INVASION OF GAUL (73 page)

“
Very well, now that we’re all here, I am ready to call the season at an end. However, in order to protect our interests with our old allies and our new, I intend to winter the legions here at Vesontio, pending possible further activity during the next year.”

Fronto looked over at Crispus and nodded knowingly and with great exaggeration. Caesar gave the legate a sharp look and then continued.

“
I have appointed Titus Labienus as commander of the army during the winter season while I and most of the officers return to Rome and our homes. Crassus has agreed to stay for at least some of the off-season as his lieutenant. I will be thankful for any volunteers to remain with the legions, and you can report to me at the end of this briefing.”

He gestured at Varus.

“
As several of you are probably aware by now,
Quintus Atius Varus has been assigned as commander of the cavalry for the next season. Crassus will continue in his role as commander of the Seventh Legion, but will also take on a more staff and strategy-oriented role.”

Crassus nodded as the General went on.

“
Furthermore, is Aulus Ingenuus here? Prefect of the Eighth? I’m sure I asked you to bring him, Balbus.”

Balbus pointed over to one side where Ingenuus sat, holding his maimed hand high. Caesar smiled.

“
Ingenuus. I have given great consideration to your future with the cavalry and I feel that the position of cavalry prefect may no longer be suitable for you.”

Ingenuus’ face fell and his arm wavered as he lowered it.

“
Sir?”

The General smiled benignly.

“
No need to panic, young prefect. This is not your medical dismissal, man, this is your promotion, on the assumption you accept.”

The prefect continued to look nonplussed.

“
Sir?”

“
I would like you to take command of my Praetorian Cohort. They are a mixture of Romans and some Gauls of differing tribes, all of whom have a reasonable command of Latin and a deal of experience and training in the ways of cavalry. I’d like you to take them in hand and train them in the ways of Roman tactics. You’ll have to return with me to Italy over the winter, of course, and you can carry out your training on the fields of Latium. Do you accept?”

Ingenuus’ mouth continued to open and close. He had gone quite pale.

Labienus, sitting slightly in front of the prefect, reached round and grasped his shoulder. The young man came out of a seeming daze instantly and blinked. Labienus chuckled and turned back to Caesar.

“
I think he accepts, General.”

A snore and then a cough drew everyone’s attention as Fronto blinked and hauled himself back upright.

“
Sorry. Sorry.”

Caesar sighed and turned the other way.

“
Still with the Eighth… Titus Balventius!”

The scarred and battered primus pilus of the Eighth shuffled in his chair. He sat stiffly and painfully, trying not to let his back touch the leather of the tent. He had spent over an hour in close consort with a medicus this afternoon following yet another reopening of his wound during the ceremony.

“
General?”

Caesar smiled and held out a small tablet.

“
Your honesta missio. You’re due it, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

Balventius stared at the tablet. He’d seen many in his time. Money. Land. Probably, given his status and years of service, a reasonable plot. Perhaps even an estate. He mused for a moment. Titus Balventius: Farmer. Trying not to laugh, he held his hand out, palm facing the tablet.

“
Sorry sir. I’m reenlisting for another term in the Eighth. Always meant to, just haven’t had time to do the paperwork.”

Caesar glanced quickly at Balbus.

“
I’m afraid that that will not be an option. I have discussed the matter with Balbus and he feels, as do I, that you have served your time on the field and should be offered the position of camp prefect. I have reassigned Cita and the position is now open”

Balventius grunted.

“
Problem is: I don’t want to be the camp prefect.”

Caesar sighed.

“
I’m afraid it comes down to a choice, centurion. Camp prefect, or retirement. I can assure you that the terms of your honesta missio are
very
favourable.”

Balventius looked from the General to his commander and back again.

“
Frankly, sir, I’m younger than the legate, for all my scars. I’m also, though he might disagree, fitter than him. My wounds are not severe enough to prevent me doing my job well, and this one will heal well before next spring.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“
Without wanting to get your back up, sir, but I’d suspect I’m both younger and fitter than you as well. Both Balbus and yourself will be back next year and yet you ask me not to? No, sir. I don’t accept there are only two options.”

Caesar frowned.

“
Then what do you expect to do?”

Balventius grinned and shrugged, wincing only slightly at the new stitches.

“
If you take this position away from me, I’ll take my honesta missio, give it to my brother and then head off for the nearest centre of recruitment and sign up with someone else!”

Caesar’s eyes widened and he stared at the man. To one side, Balbus burst out laughing.

“
He’ll do it too, Caesar. Fine, I withdraw my request.”

The beginnings of a smile began to creep across Caesar’s face.

“
Very well, Titus Balventius. You may return to the Eighth as their primus pilus and I’ll have the papers seen to. They’ll be only one-year papers though, and this tablet is yours for the keeping. I would suggest that you go to your new estate over the winter and put it in order. Let your wound heal properly and then come to Vesontio when called next spring.”

The veteran centurion frowned and then nodded, accepting the tablet the General had continued to proffer. He sat, sighing with contentment.

Fronto leaned to Balbus and whispered loud enough to be heard across the camp.

“
I’ll bet he stays here anyway. S’a bet?”

Balbus nodded and shoved Fronto into a more upright position. Caesar drew a deep breath and then turned to other matters.

“
As of tomorrow, the legions are being stood down for the winter, unless or until Labienus and Crassus require them. Anyone who intends to spend the winter in Rome, I will be leaving after lunch tomorrow and I would suggest we travel together with our appropriate entourages.”

A number of the officers nodded, smiling.

Balbus glanced over at Fronto, who was now fully slumped in the chair, his eyes shut. He smiled and turned to Caesar.

“
General, I will travel with you as far as Vienna at least, but I return to my family in Massilia. The legates Fronto and Crispus, I believe, have other plans also.”

Caesar nodded, glancing once again with mild disapproval at the slumped bodies of Fronto, Crispus, Varus and Sabinus.

“
Quintus Pedius and
Quintus Tullius Cicero, I’m afraid I will need you to report to me as soon as the midwinter festivities are over. You will find me in Aquileia.”

The two officers nodded.

The General stretched and then sat back.

“
I believe that’s everything, then. Unless anyone has a question?”

He was greeted with a snore. Balbus elbowed Fronto sharply in the ribs. And then swore and rubbed his elbow.

“
Why does he attend late-night briefings in armour?”

* * * * *

Balbus kicked the cart’s wheel.

“
Fairly sturdy, I suppose. Don’t think I’d trust it all that way, though.”

Fronto growled. His head still thumped like the hammering of Vulcan on his anvil.

“
It’s only carrying our gear.
We’ll
be on horses.”

Balbus shrugged.

“
Still, I hope it’s light gear!”

Crispus looked up over the edge of the cart.

“
We’ve hardly overburdened ourselves. Marcus is familiar with the locale, so it’s only the necessities of life on the road. And Longinus’ goods, naturally.”

Balventius, standing close by and leaning upon his vine staff, raised an eyebrow.

“
Where are you both going?”

Fronto turned to the grizzled centurion and smiled.

“
I’m going to take Crispus here to Spain and deliver Longinus’ stuff to his family. They’re building a Villa near Tarraco, and I’m sure we’ll find his family there. Besides which, I’m dying to show Crispus Tarraco and my favourite drinking pits. I’m going to drive that well-bred cleverness out of him with excessive carousing.”

Crispus grinned over the cart and Balbus laughed out loud.

“
Don’t forget you tried that the last couple of days. He’s still just as nice and clever and verbose, but somewhere along the line he lost a valuable sword and helmet.”

Crispus waved a finger at his older friend.

“
Ah, no. Waves of recollection hit me this morning. I’m certain that I sold my helmet in order to… to… do something or other. I’m not entirely sure what. I found my sword this morning. Almost severed my arm with it in fact. Must have left it in bed.”

Balbus raised his eyes skywards and turned to Balventius.

“
Gods, he even sleeps with his sword now. I swear that Fronto’s becoming a bad influence on him.”

“
Or a good one.” Balventius smiled.

Fronto finished securing a line and then glanced past Balbus at Balventius.

“
What about you? Are you staying here, or checking out the nice little retirement nest that Caesar hand-picked for you?”

Balventius shrugged.

“
Going to have a look. It’s on the Rhone, just south of Vienna, so I can go with this lot. Big place, mind you… big place. I’ll probably have a bit of a look round and then come back to Vesontio. Don’t like to leave the lads alone too long. They go soft, like fruit.”

Fronto pointed over toward the rest of the camp.

“
Don’t rush back. Crassus’ll probably have you all over Gaul in search of glory over winter. Unless Labienus stops him, of course.”

Balventius grinned.

“
I’ve had a word with my juniors. I’d like to see any bastard get them moving without my say so, let alone that pompous prat. What about yours? Don’t you worry about the Tenth?”

Fronto returned the defiant smile.

“
I’ve left Priscus, Tetricus and Velius in charge. Can you imagine them doing anything they disagree with?”

“
I suppose not. Well, I’d best get back. I’ve only got ten minutes and I need to find that idiot stable master.”

Fronto frowned as Balventius left, and turned to Balbus.

“
What’s he doing with the stable master?”

“
He bought a horse.”

“
Why didn’t he speak to Varus and borrow one?”

Balbus grinned.

“
He doesn’t trust ones that have been used in combat. Reckons they’ll keep charging into trouble. He’s a great primus pilus, but he’s not exactly a confident horseman. I take it you haven’t heard about Varus, then?”

“
No. What?”

The grin on Balbus’ face increased to a wide beam.

“
After the meeting, when I brought you and Crispus back, Varus and Sabinus went back into town. Sabinus got into a bit of a ‘thing’ with one of the local girls. It all went a touch wrong and Sabinus ended up getting punched in the face. It might have broken his nose.”

“
And Varus?”

“
He didn’t come back last night. We were about to send out a duty unit to looks for him, but Sabinus stopped us. When we asked why, he just kept laughing and saying ‘he’ll be fine.’”

Fronto smiled.

“
Ah. Fraternising with the locals, I suppose.”

“
I believe so.”

Tightening the last of the ropes, Fronto patted the horse on the flank.

“
Well, that’s it. We’re ready for the off. We’ll be heading for Narbo first on the way to Spain. The Aedui have offered to give us a small cavalry escort until we’re back in the Empire’s borders. I guess we’ll see you next spring. Unless you get bored of Massilia and fancy Tarraco for a while. We shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

Balbus smiled.

“
I think Corvinia’ll want to go to Rome not long after I get back, and then out to the countryside. Anyway, I’d best keep my harpy daughters away from you. They were practically drooling over you at Geneva. I’m too young still to have you for a son, Marcus!”

Fronto frowned and then looked around to see the bemused question on Crispus’ face.

“
I’ll tell you later.”

Balbus clasped hands with Fronto and then, shrugging, the two embraced before Fronto climbed onto his horse. Balbus grasped the reins for a moment.

“
Take care of yourself. I’d hate to think how dull and straightforward next year would be without you.”