The Lost Knights

SENATUS POPULUS QUE ROMANUS

1

117 A.D. – Eburacum

Near Present-Day York, England

The Tribune Gaius Valerius Constantius took a quick look around as he stepped out of his tent and put on his helmet. It was early spring in northern Britannia, and there was a chill in the air, made worse by the breeze blowing across the parade grounds. The plumes on his helmet swayed in the wind as he tightened the chinstrap. His tent, and the Roman fortifications and barracks at Eburacum which surrounded it, had been his home for many years. He was a Tribune with the Ninth Legion. The Emperor wanted him on this cold and distant island to protect a relatively young province of the Empire, and Gaius Valerius accepted his commission and served to the best of his abilities.

Gaius Valerius watched the troops drilling on the parade grounds with a sense of pride. In the Roman Legions, most Tribunes were political appointees, and while they had field command during military engagements, most weren’t true military men. Gaius Valerius was an exception to this rule. He was a military man, rather than just a nobleman, and he had earned his appointment because of his success in battle and his brilliance as a military leader. He loved the Legion, and the men under his command were fiercely loyal to him. Marcus Sestius Octavianus, the Legatus Legionis (Legate or overall commander) of the Ninth Legion, a very competent officer, had placed the Third and Fourth Cohorts under Gaius Valerius’ command. The Third Cohort was comprised of seasoned veterans, while the Fourth was primarily new recruits. Gaius Valerius spent much of his time personally overseeing their training and drilling to ensure that his trainees came up to speed as quickly as possible.

It had been some years since Rome invaded Britannia and subdued the southern part of the island. The northern part of the island, inhabited by the wild and feared Caledonian Tribes, was not yet under imperial control. Almost thirty-five years had passed since the Legions marched in force into the wild lands of the Caledonians, and the price for reaching a measurable peace with the tribes was quite high. The Ninth Legion had lost almost two thousand men at the battle known as Mons Graupius. New recruits had been brought in to replace the Legion’s losses, and now there were no remaining Legionnaires in the Ninth who were present at that battle.

While no major battles had been fought since Mons Graupius, skirmishes along the border between lands under Roman Control and the Caledonian Tribes were frequent. The Legions had built a number of forts along the border to help defend the Roman provinces from marauding Caledonian raiders and to provide defensive positions from which to repel a major invasion. Additional forts had been built deeper in the Caledonian territories to remind the Caledonians of the presence of the Legions and to provide early warnings to the border forts of Caledonian activities. Recently, however, reports from some of the forts within the Caledonian territories had ceased. No information had been received for several weeks, and the senior military leaders were understandably concerned.

Gaius Valerius adjusted his cloak and walked quickly across the parade grounds toward the Military Governor’s offices where the morning briefing was to take place. Something was happening north of the Frontier, and he felt that it would soon involve the Ninth Legion.

When Gaius Valerius arrived at the Military Governor’s offices, he saw most of the Tribunes, Prefects, and Legates from the Ninth and the other two Legions stationed at Eburacum already present. The room was long, with a fireplace at one end and high vaulted ceilings. The floor and lower walls were stone, while the upper walls and beams of the ceiling were wood. At one end of the room hung a banner, called a Vexilla, made of red cloth with the image of a perched eagle surrounded by laurels. Below the eagle were the letters SPQR, standing for Senatus Populus Que Romanus (the Senate and People of Rome).

He removed his helmet as he crossed the room to join the officers from his Legion. He snapped to attention when the Governor entered the room along with two of his aides. The Governor motioned for the officers to join him around the large table in the center of the room.

Gentlemen, the Governor began as the officers took their positions, it appears that the Caledonian Tribes are up to something.

One of his aides unrolled a large map of northern Britannia on the table as the Governor continued. We’ve lost contact with four of our forts here, he said, pointing to the mouth of a large inlet on the eastern coastline of the map. Doune, Camelon, Castle Greg, and Elginhaugh have all failed to report for several weeks. Because these four forts protect the bridges that cross the River Esk, I believe the Caledonians may be planning a major offensive along the eastern shore, which is the easiest approach to this city.

Did these outposts give any indication of increased activity before we lost contact? Marcus Sestius asked.

An aide handed the Governor a roll of paper. The Governor unrolled it and scanned the writing for a moment before answering. Only Elginhaugh noted the brief appearance of armed parties moving to the south. Apart from that, nothing. And none of our other outposts have reported anything unusual so far.

What do you propose? asked the Legate of one of the other Legions.

We need time to prepare our defenses, the Governor replied. But we need to know what we’re preparing against. I propose an expedition into the Caledonian territories with one Legion as a reconnaissance-in-force while the other two Legions remain here to be deployed along the most likely routes of an invasion from the north.

The Governor continued. The Legion sent north will have several missions. First, it will attempt to find out what has happened to these forts. Second, it will attempt to find the enemy and determine their numbers and movements. Third, it will engage any elements of the enemy not yet joined with the main host and prevent them from participating in a larger invasion force from the north. If we can keep the invasion force from being able to mobilize quickly, striking at smaller elements and distracting the main force from its intended purposes, it’ll give us time to better prepare here. This Legion must move quickly, search out the enemy, disrupt their plans to the greatest extent possible, and then return safely, reporting back as often as possible.

Governor, Marcus Sestius began, the Ninth Legion requests the honor of the expedition.

Very well, the Governor replied. The honor goes to the Ninth. Pointing to the map again, he continued, You will leave here along this road to the outpost at Castledykes, but rather than turning north to approach Elginhaugh directly, I want you to continue to the northwest before turning eastward toward Camelon. Once you reach this point here, he said, pointing to an area southwest of Camelon and Doune, you may begin your reconnaissance missions. Probe quickly, determine what’s happening, and get back quickly. Do not engage a larger force of the enemy unless you’re reasonably certain of inflicting heavy damage to them while preserving the bulk of your forces. If you don’t think that you have the tactical advantage, follow them, harass them, do whatever you need to do to slow them down, and report their movements to us while protecting the Legion. If the tribes are uniting for a major invasion, we’ll need all three Legions in the field to stop them.

Yes, Governor, Marcus Sestius replied. When do you want us to leave?

I need the Legion to be ready to move within three weeks. Work with my aides to get the supply trains set up for the provisions you’ll need.

Yes, Governor!

Two hours later, Marcus Sestius was meeting with his Tribunes, Prefect, and Centurions in the same room to fill them in on the expedition. That’s the mission, he said after he briefed them on the details and showed them the routes to be taken on the map. Are there any questions?

Titus Aurelius Julianus, Senior Centurion commanding the Third Cohort, stepped forward. Sir, how long do you think it’ll take to complete the expedition?

That depends, Marcus Sestius replied. It should take us about three weeks to reach this point on the map where we’ll begin the reconnaissance activities, and from there, it depends on what we find and whether we encounter the enemy. I think it’ll take at least three months and could last over four depending on what we find. Speed and stealth will be the key to our success.

How do you envision the reconnaissance missions working? another of the Tribunes asked.

Being this deep in enemy-controlled lands presents a challenge. I propose that we establish a base camp here, he said pointing to an area on the map close to the Camelon outpost, and send out one Cohort at a time while the remaining Cohorts remain at the base camp in a defensive position in case of attack. One Cohort will go out and come back, and then the next Cohort will go out and come back. The Third, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Tenth Cohorts will be used for the reconnaissance missions. They have the most seasoned troops, and this will allow the First Cohort to be responsible for the defense of the base camp. Are there any other questions?

The discussion went on for another hour or so before the officers felt that they understood the plan and what was expected of each of them and their Legionnaires. As the meeting ended and the officers returned to their tents and quarters, Titus Aurelius came up to Gaius Valerius and whispered, For the glory of Rome?

For the glory of Rome, Gaius Valerius replied, walking back toward the parade ground with a determined look on his face.

For the next three weeks, the Legion prepared for the expedition. Gaius Valerius trained his men hard to make sure that they were as prepared as possible for the work to come. It would be a long, difficult, and dangerous mission, but his men were among the best in the Roman Army, and he was confident in their abilities. The recruits were learning quickly, and the veterans knew what to do. By the time the Legion was ready to leave on the expedition, the Legionnaires were as disciplined and professional a fighting force as possible – ready to face the unknown.

Gaius Valerius was careful not to be overconfident, and he cautioned his officers and Principals (non-commissioned officers) at the traditional dinner that he hosted on the night before they were to leave Eburacum. Remember, he said to them as the meal was almost finished, we have the skill and discipline that comes from being part of a professional army, but the enemy has many things going for it that we must not underestimate. First and foremost, they know the land better than we do. They know where to hide and where to hit. That gives them an advantage. Second, their numbers are greater than ours. No matter how disciplined we are, we can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and fall. We need to make sure that we hit them in small pieces before they have a chance to organize as a larger force. Otherwise, we need to find a way to use their numbers against them. The Legions did this against Queen Boudica and the Britons over fifty years ago, and we may need to do the same on this expedition. Our training is what could be the deciding factor in any situation that we encounter, as well as our loyalty to the Empire. Hail, Rome! he shouted, raising his cup.

Hail, Rome! his officers and Principals responded, raising their cups and taking their last drink of the evening.

Gaius Valerius grasped the forearm of each of his officers and Principals as they filed out of the hall to check on their men. This was another tradition of his, and it signified his being one with his troops. This simple gesture helped strengthen the loyalty he and his subordinates felt toward each other. Titus Aurelius was the last to leave the gathering, and Gaius Valerius and he grasped each other’s arm and nodded to each other. They had served together for many years and respected each other. Gaius Valerius let go of Titus Aurelius’ arm and slapped his second-in-command on the back as he left. It has been a good dinner, and as the servants came in to clean up, he retired to his tent to get a few hours of sleep before dawn.

The Governor saluted the Ninth Legion as it marched northward in the early morning mist. The sunlight glinted off the Aquilas (eagle symbols of Rome mounted on staffs), Vexilla (staff with the flags of the Legion and Cohorts), Signums (staffs with the number and name of each Legion and Cohort), and Imago (staff with the image of the Emperor) as they filed by. He held the salute as all six thousand Legionnaires marched past, followed by a company of cavalry and the supply wagons.

He watched the men of the Ninth disappear over a hill in the distance. I wish I knew what they’d be facing on this expedition. Is one Legion enough? Have I weakened my defenses? I wonder if I’ll ever see the Legion and its eagles again.

2

117 A.D. – Caledonian Territory

Southwest of the River Esk

Gaius Valerius watched his Legionnaires marching north. If there’s one thing that Rome knows how to do better than anyone else in the world, it’s building roads.

It had been almost three weeks since the Legion had left Eburacum and set off on this expedition. The Legion made good time and encountered no resistance on their march northward. The problem was: they didn’t encounter anything at all – no villages, no armed parties, nothing. It was as if the entire frontier had been deserted.

The Legion stopped at several of the Roman outposts along their route, only to find them barely manned and preparing to be abandoned altogether. Orders had been sent out from the Governor to send most of the Legionnaires from the Caledonian outposts south to help with the main defenses, leaving only enough Legionnaires at the outposts to trick the Caledonians into thinking that Rome still had a sizable force within their territory. The remaining Legionnaires were also to maintain lines of communication should an invasion force be sighted.

Legate Marcus Sestius had ordered the Cohorts to march in tight formation with flankers, and he wanted to make certain that each Cohort never lost sight of the Cohort in front of it. This would make it more difficult to ambush the entire Legion at once while keeping the Cohorts close enough to respond to an attack on another Cohort should one occur.

The cavalry attached to the Legion had a number of functions on the march. Some of the troopers guarded the supply lines, while the rest rode well to the front and on the flanks of the Legion to make sure that the way was safe and to report any enemy sightings along the march. So far, they had nothing to report.

Twenty-five days after leaving Eburacum, the Legion arrived at the place where the base camp was to be set up, but Marcus Sestius didn’t care for the ground at all. The area was too flat and too wooded to be defensible without having to cut down a number of trees and building some sort of fortification. He didn’t have that kind of time. This was supposed to be a reconnaissance expedition, not a campaign. He called a halt to the march and ordered his cavalry commander to send out a company to scout for a more defensible position.

Several hours later, the cavalry company returned and reported. They had found a small hilltop about two hour’s march to the northeast which stood in the middle of a small clearing. The hill provided a more defensible position, while the clearing would make it easier to spot a potential attack. It wasn’t a perfect location, but the perfect location from a defensive perspective would also leave the Legion exposed and visible to the enemy for many miles. Marcus Sestius ordered the Legion to begin the march to the location that the cavalry had found.

They arrived at the clearing late in the afternoon, and by nightfall the base camp had been established. The base camp was organized so the supplies were in the center of the hilltop with the Cohorts in a ring around crest. Cavalry was stationed between each Cohort, and guards were placed around the hilltop and in the clearing to raise the alarm should enemy forces arrive. All cooking fires were kept in the center of the hill so the supply wagons and tents would mask the light from a distance. The goal was to keep their presence from being known for as long as possible.

The next morning, just before dawn, Marcus Sestius met with his senior officers to finalize the reconnaissance plans. The Fifth Cohort would deploy first toward Doune, which was the fort to the farthest north. The Third Cohort would deploy toward Camelon as soon as the Fifth returned. The Sixth and Eighth Cohorts would deploy toward Castle Greg and then move south to see if the enemy could be discovered. Once those two Cohorts returned, the Tenth Cohort would be sent toward Elginhaugh, which was the fort to the farthest east. The Legion would move eastward and meet up with the last Cohort at a crossroad between Elginhaugh and Camelon before moving south along the eastern coast and returning to Eburacum. The meeting ended, and the Fifth Cohort made their preparations to leave within the hour.

Even though it was springtime, the air stayed cold at the base camp. The arrangement of the tents helped block the wind somewhat, but the decision to keep all fires in one central location made it harder to keep warm. Gaius Valerius understood the reasons for the layout of the base camp, but he missed having a fire close to his tent. Still, he suppressed the desire to spend his time near the center fires, knowing that he needed to set an example for his men. He spent most of his time inspecting the perimeter of the base camp and reviewing the guards to make sure that the camp was in the highest state of readiness that could be achieved.

Toward the end of the sixth day after the Fifth Cohort had left, the clearing perimeter guards raised the alarm. Within the hour, the Fifth Cohort marched into the clearing and the safety of the base camp. Soon after that, a messenger found Gaius Valerius overseeing the changing of the guard and summoned him to a council meeting.

What did you find? Marcus Sestius asked the Tribune commanding the Fifth Cohort when Gaius Valerius arrived at the council meeting.

Very little, the Tribune replied. We saw no sign of the Caledonians at all. Just abandoned villages and settlements. The fort was completely destroyed. Only the stone walls remained. Everything else had been burned. We found bones, but not much else. There’s no telling what happened to the rest of the garrison, but they weren’t anywhere near the forts.

Could you tell how long ago the fort had been destroyed?

Several months by the look of things. Rain had washed away most of the ashes and anything else that might have given us more information.

Did you examine the deserted villages and settlements?

Yes, sir. Like the fort, they appeared to have been abandoned for some time. Grass was growing in places that would have been dirt had anyone been walking or working around there recently. There was no evidence of fires having been lit for some time, and the huts and other dwellings looked like they hadn’t been repaired all season. There was no evidence of cattle, although smaller animals had definitely moved in.

What does that tell you? the Legion’s Prefect and second-in-command asked.

That the Caledonians have been mobilizing for months. Whether it’s to move south, or to move west, we don’t know. But they wouldn’t have destroyed the forts unless they either didn’t want us knowing what they were doing, or… The Tribune’s voice trailed off and he looked disturbed. He looked at Marcus Sestius, who finished the sentence for him.

They wanted us to come and investigate.

Do you honestly think that this is a trap? Titus Aurelius asked Gaius Valerius later that night as the two men made the final preparations for the Third Cohort to depart in the morning.

I’m not sure, but it fits the facts. If the Caledonian’s were just moving west, they would have moved west and left the eastern forts unmolested. If they were getting ready to invade, they would have just invaded. Destroying the forts would get us to send a force up here to investigate and reduce the strength of our defenses to the south. I don’t know if they anticipated that we’d send an entire Legion, but I think it’s safe to assume that they expected us to send some forces. That means they’re watching us. I think that’s part of the reason we haven’t seen any Caledonians since we crossed the frontier. The invasion force is already assembled and waiting to see what we do next.

"What do we do next?"

We carry out our reconnaissance mission as ordered and as planned, but we take extra care. We move quickly and quietly, and we get back as quickly as possible. We must be thorough, but with speed. We’ll leave well before dawn so that by first light we’ll be at least a league from here. With luck, we may be able to slip out of camp without the Caledonians noticing. If they don’t know we’re out there, we may be able to get back without being harassed.

Very well. I’ll inform the officers.

Titus Aurelius left Gaius Valerius’ tent and went to find the other Centurions under his command. After he was gone, Gaius stood and went over to the far side of his tent. In the corner was an ornately carved wooden box with images of a man killing a bull carved onto the sides. This was Gaius Valerius’ traveling altar to Mithras, the soldier’s god of the Roman Empire, and he never went on any campaign or expedition without it. As he ran his hands along the carved images, he bowed his head and prayed to Mithras to protect his Legionnaires from harm. Keep us safe so we may continue in our worship to you.

After a moment, he removed his hand from the altar. It was time to get ready for the morning.

The Third Cohort had been marching for almost two hours before the morning sun broke over the horizon to the east. As they neared the River Esk, the ground became flatter and less tree-covered, exposing the Legionnaires but making the march easier and quicker. It would take several days to make their inspection of the area and return to the base camp, and Gaius Valerius was uneasy.

To make the Cohort move faster, Gaius Valerius decided to dispense with anything that could slow them down. They wouldn’t take any tents with them – not even the officers. They took minimal supplies, preferring to forage as part of their reconnaissance of the land. Only a couple of wagons followed them with water and other items that couldn’t be easily obtained during the deployment. When they marched out of camp in the pre-dawn stillness, the Legionnaires moved quietly. Each Legionnaire carried his armor, weapons, and a single leather bag for his day’s rations. The Cohort also took a company of cavalry to act as flankers and messengers should the enemy be spotted.

On the first day, there was no sign of the enemy, but that was to be expected. Gaius Valerius knew that, if the enemy were watching, they’d do so from a distance to keep from being spotted themselves. And if the Cohort had managed to keep its departure from the base camp a secret, there’d be no one watching them at all. Still, Gaius Valerius felt uneasy. He had only six hundred men with him – six Centuria with a Centurion commanding each, and a handful of cavalry. They were all good men but no match for Caledonians attacking with a large force.

That night, they made camp in the woods just off the Roman road to Camelon. They lit no fires that would give away their position to the enemy. Veteran Legionnaires were accustomed to cold camps and cold rations, and no one complained. The officers and men all slept in the open together. Only the teamsters slept in their wagons to guard the supplies.

Toward the end of the second day, they arrived at the fort at Camelon and found it in the same condition as the Fifth Cohort had found Doune. A careful examination of the remains showed that it, too, had been burned. Bones were everywhere, but the rest of the garrison was nowhere to be seen. They made camp inside the walls that night, and it was a cold camp again.

The Third Cohort stayed in the Camelon area for a day, looking for any signs of the enemy. All they found was a few deserted villages and settlements looking like they had been abandoned for some time. The countryside seemed deserted, and this worried Gaius Valerius. There should be someone in the area.

When the Third Cohort set out