Free Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 01] The Sword of Cartimandua by Griff Hosker

alae.”
    This was a problem. One could not just dismiss a decurio princeps.”Are they both good?” The pause told Saenius all he needed. “One of them is not. Can we dismiss him? Give him land? A pension?”
    “Gaius Cresens has not the required years to qualify for land or a pension on the other hand he is not,” the rough tribune struggled to find the right words; “perhaps the best man to lead the ala.” Flavius himself wished the corpulent cavalryman removed but it galled him that he was being ordered to do so by an outsider; someone recently arrived from Rome without the first idea of what it meant to live, fight and die on the wild frontier.
    “Well,” said the prefect impatiently, “what can we do with him?”
    “As yet we have no quartermaster at the fort. We will need someone who is senior and understands the army to be in command. It would be a better pay grade so I assume he will do it.”
    “Then do it. Dismiss.”
    As the prefect left his headquarters, the tribune began to write the report to the Governor; the report that might just make his political career. He was giving the largest tribal area in Britannia to Rome. Perhaps this would be his escape back to Rome!
    The turma had suffered. There were ten auxiliaries, including Ulpius who were fit for duty and all of those had scars and minor wounds. Osgar and Metellus had gone to the gods but Marcus, Lentius, Drusus and Gaius had survived. The prefect, Flavius Bellatoris summoned Ulpius to his office the day after the enemy were vanquished. “So you old goat. You decided for the first time in your miserable life to be a hero.” Flavius was an even older grizzled veteran. He made Ulpius at thirty five look like a young man. He had seen service in Batavia and on the Rhine under Caligula and Claudius. He was known as the toughest cavalryman to fight for Rome but he protected his ala like a father. Ulpius was silent although a slight smile played about his lips. “A good thing that you did. The queen might act like a Pompeian tart and about as popular amongst her people as the Egyptian clap but she is still the queen and had that bastard killed her he would have been king and Mars himself would have struggled to contain the North. He might still be king to many of the Brigante but at least, with the queen behind these walls, we have a figurehead.  It was fortunate for you that I was the one who received your message. The tribune likes the protection of these wooden walls. He does not want to venture anywhere where the locals might whip off his balls. ” He spread his hand out expansively to the vague south.” Bolanus is struggling with the Second Augusta to put down the Silures and the Ninth is still not up to strength. All that trouble in Rome has stretched us a little.  We could do with a couple more legions and then the job would be finished. Good job Ulpius.” He reached over and gripped Ulpius’ forearm in the soldier’s grip.  “As a reward the tribune,” he managed to turn the word into a sneer, “Saenius Augustinius, has asked that I promote you.” Ulpius was still silent. “Speak you sneaky bastard.”
    “I am grateful to the prefect knowing, as I do that it means more pay to be promoted. I am silent because I do not know, as yet, what the promotion is.”
    Flavius laughed; his laugh came from deep in his belly as though released, like a volcano erupting. “Excellent. Your heroics have not changed your mercenary nature.“ His eyes narrowed. “I should have known when I heard that you had acquired a torc. I am sure I too will be profiting from the acquisition. Shall we call it a contribution to the ala funds?”
    Ulpius wondered which of his men had let that slip, he would find out and they would suffer. “I have not had time to dispose of it yet.”
    “Leave that to me. I know a few dealers and I will ensure you get the best price. So you are to command the ala quingenaria. Can you handle five hundred men?”
    “I can