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The action in this chapter takes place on the same day as the attack by Xena and Arminius on the Roman Fort described in the previous chapter.
Measurements of distance—1 parasang=3 miles approx. (4.827 km). 10 stadia=1 mile approx. (1.609 km).
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Chapter 3. Day 2.
'Preparations'
Otrera's Forces
The rain had started early in the morning and showed no sign of easing as the day progressed. Everywhere was damp and the vistas through the trees were partially obscured by chill mists. The thin oaks and low bushes dripped miserable trickles of water from their branches; puddles appeared on the ground of varying width and depth; and the few streams suddenly gained new energy and power, filling their narrow channels with rushing water.
The warriors, both Amazon and German, found their clothes being saturated by the rain which blew in fine sheets that tingled against the face. It made the leather thongs and reins on their horses hard and difficult to use; while their mounts hooves began to sink into the steadily softer earth.
"This ain't solid ground!" Otrera looked around disgustedly at the whole miserable situation as she rode amongst the trees with her co-commander, Theodemir. "It's just acres of mud, waiting to happen!"
Theodemir was a mature bearded Cherusci warrior-chief of long experience who had fought many battles between local tribal groups and knew the lie of the land in this region intimately. He was fanatically loyal to Arminius and the Cherusci tribe and would struggle with all his might for their release from the domination of the Roman Legions. The German warriors under his command understandably looked to him with huge regard.
Otrera and Gabrielle had parted at dawn and were now separated by several parasangs; in fact, nearly a day's march. Gabrielle was still at Kalkriese, making certain the earth ramparts and walls were holding up well. Otrera had come further West, towards the outskirts of the forest, to watch for the first appearance of Varus's army column later that day.
Some 3,000 mixed German warriors and Amazons under Otrera's and Theodemir's shared command were already in position in this area; though closely hidden. Her main aim today would be to make visual contact with the Roman column, while remaining out of sight. She would trail the slow-moving line of carts and men; watching that they did indeed take the Kalkriese route. It was not the intention of Gabrielle or Otrera to engage the Romans in conflict that day. Their purpose was to allow the marching army to penetrate further into the wild terrain of the forest proper; to let the trees and twisting trail enfold the straggling men, women, carts, mules, and troops so that it would be all the more difficult for any part of the inexorably extending column to know what was happening to any other part.
After some discussion between Otrera and Theodemir it had been decided to place their warriors some distance away from the trail used by the Romans. The Germans and Amazons were therefore well-hidden in the deep thickets and copses making up the outskirts of the forest. Hidden so well, in fact, the Romans had no chance of seeing them; though the Germans could observe the Romans from a distance with ease. It was Otrera's and Theodemir's intention to simply wait quietly while the Roman Legions, and their straggling followers, made their way deeper into the heart of the forest. Only then, when Arminius and Xena had re-joined the warriors after their own expedition, would they contemplate launching the first attack on the rear of the column; thus driving the remainder further on, towards the trap at Kalkriese.
Otrera was wrapped in a heavy woollen cloak and wore a deerskin jerkin and trousers with thick boots. Even so she shivered in the early morning air as they rode along, still feeling uncomfortable in this chilly climate. At her waist was her favourite sword, slightly longer than the usual Roman gladius, with its edges honed to deadly sharpness.
As they checked their mounts, gazing over a small open glade filled with warriors, a young German lad about eighteen rode up on a brown mare and halted by their side.
"There are no Roman scouts being sent out in advance of Varus's column!" He seemed competent and calm, with piercing blue eyes and only the first stirrings of a beard. "Just a small party of road-pioneers under a light guard of auxiliaries!"
"What of the Legions?" Theodemir echoed Otrera's own thoughts.
"I found one of our own scouts and we kept an eye on their line of advance for some time." The young man wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and frowned. "The Legions aren't in formation; neither are the Auxiliaries!"
"What do you mean?" Otrera leaned forward a little to stare at the young German. "If they're not in formation why isn't the army advancing; why have they stopped?"
"They haven't stopped!" The warrior shrugged his shoulders. "Varus seems to have ordered the legionaries to walk amongst the camp-followers and other people, without keeping their military units intact at all!"
"That's crazy!" Otrera voiced what Theodemir clearly also thought. "Nobody but a fool would organise a march in that manner! What does he think he's doing?"
"Making our work a hundred times easier; that's what he's doing!" Theodemir laughed in his deep bass voice. "We all knew Varus was a fool; but this beats all!"
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After the scout had ridden off Otrera and Theodemir rode on for nearly a parasang in a Westerly direction; making sure their warriors were settled in place and well hidden amongst the undergrowth. Eventually they dismounted, leaving their horses in the care of a group of Amazons. Then they quietly stole through the bushes, looking for an opening in the trees allowing a wider view of the terrain.
At this point the forest was just beginning to show its true nature; though the trees were not anywhere near the density they achieved further East. The main body of the forest was still some way off behind them, though outlying copses and subsidiary woods lay all around; making it look to a traveller as if they were already, indeed, surrounded by the spreading arms of the forest.
The heavy clouds and thin rain also helped to obscure the view as wide patches of thin mist enveloped the trees and heaths, making silhouettes of the distant trees and copses, and closing off the horizon.
The two crouched low and slid through the bushes with hardly a shiver of branch or leaf; they were both experts. Soon they reached the edge of a small wood and looked out onto a clearer extent of rolling heathland. Here, in the far distance, the first traces could just be made out of the still invisible Roman column.
It was the habit of Roman armies on the march to send ahead small units of pioneers to cut back the undergrowth; build small bridges; level paths; or otherwise make the advancing army's lot easier. These workers, usually protected by a Cohort of auxiliaries, could be anything from an hour to half a day's march in advance of the main column. Whatever else he was failing to do Varus at least had sense enough to dispatch such a unit ahead of his already straggling army.
After watching the group for a while Otrera could see they were restricting their efforts to merely clearing the heaviest of the undergrowth on the immediate trail, as they made their way along. There was no sense of urgency as the men chopped and cut; throwing the branches to either side as they went forward. There were two carts pulled by mules in their rear, and what seemed to be about half a Cohort of foreign auxiliaries, not the Roman citizen Legionaries themselves.
This matter of the auxiliaries had given Arminius and Xena; as well as Otrera and Gabrielle, some pause for thought. It was generally known they were made up mostly of Hispanic warriors and Gauls. After discussion Arminius had let it be known that they would be allowed to disperse and flee, when caught in battle and defeated. Arminius's main concern was with the Roman legionaries; if it was easier to let the Hispanic and Gaulish soldiers suddenly decide they were better off elsewhere, let it be so!
As Otrera watched the desultory activity of the small band of road-clearers she mused on Arminius and Xena. She hoped their attack against the outlying Roman fort went well, and that they would soon return unseen towards the rear of Varus's column as planned. She and Theodemir were immediately level with the head of the slowly moving Roman army; while Gabrielle was far to the East at Kalkriese, superintending the field-works and earth rampart thrown up by the Germanic warriors in preparation for the arrival of the Roman legionaries. At the moment everything looked to be going smoothly; though still, as far as Otrera could see, the only apparent sign of the Roman army was this small band of workers and their mule-carts.
"It's all coming together!" Theodemir spoke quietly as they lay in the wet grass side by side. "Just as Arminius said—Varus is taking the bait!"
"Yeah!" Otrera nodded, as she watched the faint outlines of the figures in the distance. "Even the weather's working in our favour. Difficult terrain; mud; rain; mist; and a straggling line of advance! And Varus being a fool in military procedures helps, too! I'm beginning to think this attack may well be easier than we thought!"
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Gabrielle's Forces
"They're called Aquilifers." Gabrielle stood in front of a large crowd of mixed Amazons and German tribal warriors under the forest shade of ash and elms. "They are the Eagle Standard-Bearers, and there's one to each Legion. He'll have a lionskin wrapped round his shoulders, with the skin of the lion-head pulled over his own head like a cap. He'll carry a long wooden pole painted red, or gilt in gold. On the top is either a small metal figure of an eagle with raised wings; or an eagle's head. Just under the eagle will be a metal band or plate with the Legion number engraved on it. This is the main standard of each Legion, and they guard it with extreme care. The standards may not look like much to you; but the Legions revere them as vitally important. It means everything to them; their honour; their power; their authorisation: they will fight to the last man rather than let it be captured!"
Gabrielle stood in the heart of the forest, with the long ridge of Kalkriese Hill outlined mistily through the rain behind her. She was intent on explaining to her assembled warriors the significance of the Roman flag-officer who would be carrying the most important standard belonging to each Legion.
The warriors, both Amazon and German, listened silently as she spoke. They wished to know every detail of their enemy's capability, and their weak spots. While many of the German tribal warriors had actually served in Roman auxiliary cohorts, mainly stationed in foreign countries and Provinces, the majority had probably never even seen a Roman legionary in the flesh before.
"If you see one of these Aquilifers, take 'em down! Even better if you can capture any of the Eagle Standards! That'll demoralise the Legionaries so much you wouldn't believe it—take my word for it! You already have some idea of the tactics the Roman soldiers generally prefer using." Gabrielle pitched her voice loudly, with a determined tone, so it carried under the trees and across the heads of the crowd of men and women facing her. "They like some space to unite into formations with their shields facing the enemy on all sides, so protecting them. They may have groups inside these squares with bows to act as assault weapons against their foe. Their usual policy is to attack. That's what most of their military strategies are based on! Our policy is not to let them achieve these traditional tactics at all. We'll send surprise flights of arrows into them; followed immediately with an assault by spear-carriers. Then you fall back straight away and we send another swarm of arrows into them. After that we retreat into the trees where they won't follow, for fear of being over-run. We'll keep up a continual mix of arrow attacks and assaults by spear-carriers all along the line of the area we choose to attack."
"What about those who run off, or escape into the forest; or our prisoners?" The speaker had a deep voice and straggly beard of a reddish hue; and was clearly of much experience in these matters.
"If a few escape and disappear into the trees, let them go!" Gabrielle was emphatic on this point. "There won't be that many, and they'll be too intent on saving their skins to form any kind of counter-attack. As to prisoners, try not to take any. I don't mean by that, kill 'em all! Listen carefully! There'll be no slaughter of prisoners—hear me! If a large number surrender take them back into the forest to the rear of our lines. We have some warriors there who can corral them into barricaded pens already prepared to hold them in the short term. Got that?"
There was a murmur of hesitant agreement amongst the tribal warriors; though the Amazons seemed more at ease with this arrangement. Gabrielle knew that eventually prisoners were going to be a serious problem; but one which wouldn't arise till the very last throes of the coming battle. So she was not too worried at the moment: that would come later!
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In the meantime, as the Amazons and German warriors dispersed quietly back to their units and positions, Gabrielle mounted her horse and rode some few stadia East along the now increasingly muddy trail, shivering as she went. She was still by no means acclimatised to the constant dampness and rain of this boggy Province. Finally she drew up near a thicket of sturdy oaks which bordered the trail on one side; while on the other was the first sign of the swamp that ran along the downslope of Kalkriese Hill, and which paralleled the trail for a considerable distance.
This meant that the Romans, on their march, would be bounded on their right by Kalkriese Hill and the swampy bog; while close on their left was the forest itself, now re-enforced by a lengthy stockade of banked-up earth with a brushwood fence or paling on the trail side. A rampart had been built about ten feet high running almost continuously for nearly two parasangs. This had been an enormous undertaking for the Germans; helped latterly by the Amazons, and showed just how determined they were about putting all their heart into the operation and taking the fight to the Romans. The German tribal warriors meant business and had been resolute in their preparations for the coming battle.
Gabrielle dismounted and tramped through the trees alongside a stretch of this rampart for some distance; trying to gauge its strength and capacity to repulse any Roman attack. All in all she found herself re-assured. Its height and wooden facing would hold up against any disorganised counter-attack by the Romans; and she knew the enemy were not going to be allowed any protracted form of assault. The Romans would be far too squeezed, between the swamp towards the ridge of Kalkriese on their right and the thick tree-cover and earthwork to their left, to be able to retaliate effectively against the rampart's defences. No, as far as Gabrielle could see, all the omens were in their favour. She had been walking through the dripping trees and muddy grass with a German chieftain by her side, and now she turned to this battle-hardened warrior.
"It all looks great, Baldovin!" She even managed a tight-lipped smile as they both squelched through the encroaching mud. "When Arminius and Xena attack the rear-guard tomorrow, and force Varus's column forward towards Otrera and us, we'll be ready!"
"Yes, Gabrielle!" Baldovin smiled broadly beneath his flowing beard, as he drew the woollen cape round his shoulders a little closer. "And this rain and mud are just what we wanted. Varus will soon be up to his knees in muck and mire!"
Gabrielle stopped to gaze about at the general lie of the land; the muddy grass-covered earth; thickish tree-cover; solid rampart; and, over to her left, the swampy ground that finally rose into the slopes of Kalkriese Hill.
"Have you had those oilskin wraps handed out to everyone, to keep their bowstrings dry, Baldovin?" Gabrielle had come up with this idea a couple of weeks ago and had ordered a large quantity of such cloth made and distributed. As usual, she tried to think of all eventualities. "If we keep our bows dry, and the Romans can't, then we could have a significant advantage!"
"Yes, that could be very useful!" The German nodded just as he trod in a particularly deep muddy puddle, splashing Gabrielle's deerskin leggings. "Sorry! It's getting to be muddier than I expected!"
"Mud is good, Baldovin!" Gabrielle laughed as they continued walking, pulling the hood of her jerkin over her head as a protection against the steadily increasing rain. "The more rain and mud—the more difficulty Varus and his soldiers will have in trekking through it! And their mule-carts will most probably get bogged down and cause even more delay. I can see his column extending over the next few days till it might even be a couple of parasangs long. Just what we want, eh!"
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Chapter 4 will cover the same day as this chapter, but from the viewpoint of General Varus and all the members of his straggling army column.
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