The Gallic Tribulation, Part II. Gaius Caecilius' Bad dream.

At the feast Lucius Cornelius learns little more, but his scantily clad Nubian slavegirl does command much attention as she dances for the assembled nobles and warriors, and thus ensures that many a Gallic woman gets her due later. One scrap of information does reach them though. According to Erasnactos; Captain Cassiovaldus lies in harbour, trading goods from Britain. He has somewhat insulted Virodomarus by refusing to leave his ship for the feast in such troubled times, but he is powerful enough in his own right and has lavished rich enough gifts on the chief that he is not viewed with open hostility. But perhaps he would be willing to take the travellers where they need to go as he trades all the Oceanus Britannicus, perhaps they should go and talk to him the next day… The observant Dolabra and Gaius Caecilius both also suspect that Virodomarus and Marcus Spurius Blaesio both likes the company of men… in the Greek way.



The feast drags on with no cracked heads, but many an obscure omen from the drunk soothsayer, Titus Sertorius, and sometimes during the night Lucius Cornelius withdraws to enjoy his slavegirls for the remainder of the night, and as dawn breaks, he is fast asleep. Gaius Caecilius is thus left with only Dolabra for company as he and two of the Evocatii goes to talk to the captain.



However, faith wills it otherwise, passing between two farms Gaius Caecilius is shot at by a hidden bowman, who then flees as the heavily armoured Romans push forwards through the farmyard to catch him. The lightly armoured archer continues to flee between potshots at the Romans, though he cannot actually harm them, and they continue to push on.



Running right into an ambush as 3 more warriors emerge from the farmhouse and 6 more sneaks up from behind. The Romans are surrounded by raving Gauls, with Gaius Caecilius desperately fending off two Gaesetai (Naked Fanatics) at one end of a passage between two sheds, and the legionaries withstanding the brunt of the 8 others from the other. The main force is somewhat cautious, but the two Gaesetai charges Gaius Caecilius mindlessly (they are religious fanatic warriors drugged up to enhance them after all) and takes him down, jumping over his prostrate body to charge the legionaries in the back. Just as things are getting hairy (literally, Gaius Caecilius opens his eyes at a very inopportune moment and slips back into unconsciousness from the sight), the Evocatii kills the Gaesetai and fight their way out, carrying Gaius Caecilius.



As they return, Aurelia Mento determines that Gaius Caecilius’ wounds are superficial, but that he should rest as much as possible. So Lucius Cornelius goes to investigate without him, but with all five Evocatii and Maios Maion, the Cretan Archer. The ambushers are mostly vanished, but two are still celebrating the slaying of a Roman officer, much to their regret as they are captured (no one can escape Maios’ arrows), interrogated and killed.



It turns out that Erasnactos was the mysterious figure in the background commanding the ambushers. Lucius Cornelius thus adds two and two, and gets five as he deduces that Erosnactos and Marcus Spurius Blaesio is in league and with a squeeze on Virodomarus and decides that his situation here is untenable, quickly devicing a plan to get away unharmed, he hopes.



Inviting Virodomarus (who does his best to please his noble Roman guests) for a hunt, which he declines, Lucius Cornelius instead asks him to show where hunting is best. Virodomarus agrees to come with them till the gates and explain as well as point. Lucius figures that with such an important person close to him as a sort of de facto hostage, he will be safe from attacks.



This turns out to work, and the Romans quickly go to join King Dumnorix in his forward camp. Though the latter is busy suppressing rebellious nobles and Morinii, he spares Lucius Cornelius an ear, and gladly lends him two young sub-chiefs of the lowest nobility with their followings. With these app 100 men and their standards showing Dumnorix’ backing, Lucius Cornelius returns to condemn Erasnactos and Marcus Spurius Blaesio, and eventually have the latter killed by his own gladiator bodyguards as their only alternative is to burn with him inside his house after Lucius sets it afire. Hidden in the house, Dolabra discovers an ironbound chest with 4700 Denarii, but little else is found.



The rebellion thus apparently suppressed and the conspirators’ squeeze on Virodomarus removed (though Erasnactos is never found), Lucius Cornelius starts politicking for getting his friends and clients power, while Gaius Caecilius starts making trading contacts. They agree to marry Erasnactos’ de facto widow; Kianki, to Gaius Caecilius, though this marriage is in fact not legal as she is not a Roman citizen (she does not know that it is illegal). Further they discuss which of their friends could take over as Publicani here, Lucius suggests Dolabra’s brother Marcus Cominius, but it is unlikely that he could pay the 250.000 Denarii that post would cost to achieve.



Lastly the Romans went to talk to Captain Cassiovaldus, not yet on an agreement for he is loath to sail to Cimbrii Chersonesos as it is somewhat perilous.