31 The Call

The garrison was in an state of combat readiness. All soldiers were required to keep their marching gear packed and ready at all times. Weapons were to be stowed with their marching gear after each use. All of the men had been ordered to sleep partially clothed in order to be ready in an instant if called to arms.

The increased frequency of readiness drills wore the men out and made them grumble. At least twice a day the buccinator sounded the call to 'make ready for march'. At the signal of the buccina, a military horn, the entire infantry and cavalry had to drop whatever they were doing and put on their armour and gear, then grab their marching bags and gather in marching formation in the Via Principalis, the main street of the fort. Typically, the last man to join the formation was whipped. As were all soldiers who did not have their weapons and gear in order. Waiting in the freezing cold while the officers completed their inspections was tedious and time consuming. Most of the men hated these drills with passion.

Though Balan also heartily disliked them, Tristan had pointed out that the drills did serve a purpose. At any time of day or night, the entire infantry could be ready to march within twenty minutes from the sound of the horn. The cavalry, needing extra time to tack up their horses, needed no more than half an hour. Ruccius did not care that his men were less than happy about the drills. He had raids to respond to and raiders did not wait. Fast as lightning they came, killed, plundered and left. A fast response from the army was the only way to stop them. Balan privately hoped that the situation would relax soon, allowing the drills to return to their normal twice-monthly frequency.

Since he was to join the cavalry on their next mission, Tristan had helped Balan pack his marching gear. It included his waterskin, a small cooking pot, a skewer, a tin cup and food supplies for a few days. Also a net bag for fresh food, a satchel for small tools, a leather bag to carry a few spare clothes and most importantly: his new cloaks. Tristan had persuaded Balan to get two Roman style woolen cloaks. One of them was longer than Tristan was tall. Balan had looked at it skeptically, until Tristan had explained that it was to be folded double when wearing it. It was fastened on the shoulder with a simple brooch. If the men slept in the open at night, this cloak served as a warm, full-length wrap, or blanket, and was thus very useful on the march. The second cloak was hooded and was fastened in front with straps. It could be worn on top of the first one. Both cloaks had been saturated with wool fat to make them water resistant. Together they kept one warm and mostly dry, a highly desirable quality in the cold and rainy climate of Britain.

The buccina sounded in the middle of the night. Balan routinely rolled out of his bed and put on his boots. Since he was already wearing his breeches and woolen tunic, he merely needed to put on his leather vest, his belt and his harness with his throwing knives. He shivered as he fumbled with the brooch of his cloak. In the darkness of their room he heard Tristan getting ready as well. As Balan slung his marching pack over his shoulder, he asked the scout, "Do you think it is real this time?" Tristan did not respond. He put a hand in Balan's neck and steered him out of the room.

Together they ran to the stables and rushed to fetch their weapons, which had been stored with their horses' gear in the tack room. Balan quickly strapped on his axe and his dagger. Tristan slung his sword on his back and handed Balan six bundles of arrows. Balan put the arrows into his and Tristan's saddle quivers, then cut the cords that bound the arrows together. The last bundle of arrows went into a separate quiver that Balan slung onto his back. Tristan took his bow out of its oil skin wrap, checked it carefully, then slid it into the leather pouch designed to hold it behind his quiver. Balan did the same with his own bow and made sure that his long-knives were secure in their designated pockets in his quiver.

Tristan carried his own saddle to his horse's stall, then came back for Balan's. Meanwhile Balan ran to their horses' adjoining stalls with the bridles and began to pick out their horses' hooves. All around them knights were rushing to get ready. Tristan put Balan's saddle on his horse's back and helped him secure the straps, then returned to his own stall. Balan put on his horse's bridle and checked it carefully. Then he rushed over to bridle Tristan's horse while the scout secured his own saddle straps.

Balan tied his sword and marching gear to his saddle and did one final check of his tack. He led his horse out of its stall and mounted up. Beside him Tristan did the same. Then the pair of them hurried out of the stables into the cold night and joined the formation.

Balan suppressed a yawn and wondered when he'd be back in his bed. Countless stars illuminated the dark sky above him, but there was no moon. He shivered. It was freezing and if the Romans did not hurry up, he would only get colder. His breath rose in wisps of cloud and the cold air bit his skin. His fingers began to feel numb.

Arthur rode up to the cavalry and halted in front of them. His white stallion pawed the ground restlessly. Arthur solemnly looked at their faces. Then he raised his voice.

"Knights, a large group of Woads has come south of the Wall and is headed for the Horrea Caracalla, a large storage depot located six miles from here. Losing it would endanger our food supplies. Our orders are to either defend it, or take it back. We leave now and will determine our strategy depending on what we will find there. May God go with you."

The effect on the men was instant. Moments before the knights had looked sleepy and bored, but upon hearing Arthur's words they all sat up straight, now focused and alert. Their eyes shone with excitement and determination. Some of the knights looked grim, but others laughed cheerfully, glad that the wait was over.

Bors pumped his fist in the air. "Yeees!" he roared. "Let's go an' fight the bastards!"

Balan grinned. Bors' reaction made him feel light-hearted. He was infected by the happy attitude of his fellow knights and couldn't feel too worried.

He glanced at Tristan. The scout nodded reassuringly.

"Just do what you have learned and you'll be fine," Tristan smiled.

The cavalry split up. They were thirty knights in total: Nine light cavalry – the younger knights – and twenty-one heavy cavalry. Ten heavy cavalry knights formed the rearguard. The others followed Arthur to the head of the column and formed the vanguard.

Burning torches were handed out amongst the men. Then the trumpeter blew the signal for departure. As one, the infantry and cavalry moved forward. At a brisk pace the army marched out of the fort and into the night.

AN: The buccina was a brass horn used in the Roman military to sound the four night watches and to summon the soldiers. Together with the tuba (a kind of trumpet, very much unlike the modern day tuba) the buccina was used in battle to signal orders to the troops.

Buccinator was the name for the person who played the buccina.