Reluctant Siege Read online

  When the street urchin mentioned a gate near an altar, he was referring to the Alter of Syracuse. Glancing back through the arched gateway, Alerio saw five men clustered together. Two were speaking and one mimicked touching the brim of a hat.

  “That’s how he recognized me,’ Alerio thought as he stepped away from the opening, pulled off the petasos and stuffed it into his pack.

  Walking quickly, he made his way to the end of the workmen and side stepped into that section of the crowd.

  ***

  “Mighty Zeus, we ask you to accept this sacrifice. Grant us your blessing,” the man standing in the blood shouted. He reached down and dipped both hands into the flow. With fresh blood streaming off his hands, he turned to the crowd. “And powerful Nike. We beseech you to carry us to Victory!”

  The crowd roared back its approval.

  “At least there will be plenty of meat,” a workman mumbled.

  “That’s if King Hiero shares it,” another craftsman added. “After salting some for the army, and feeding his troops, we’ll be lucky if there’s any sacrifice left for common folks.”

  Considering the large sacrifice, the call to the Goddess of Victory, the assembled troops, and the workman’s comment about salting the meat, Alerio realized the army was only a few weeks from marching to war. But, marching to where?

  Two rows in front, a soldier turned and glared at the speakers. Talking while the King was calling to the Gods was frowned upon. Then the soldier shifted his eyes and they locked on Alerio. A nudge and a tilt of his chin caused another soldier to look back. He also zeroed in on the Legionary.

  ‘With the hat on, the street thugs recognize me,’ pondered Alerio. ‘Without it, the soldiers recognize me. This mission is going bad fast.’

  King Hiero the Second called for blessings from other Gods. And why not? His priests had sacrificed enough oxen to cover all the Gods and Goddesses on Mouth Olympus as well as a host of minor deities.

  Somewhere during the necessary plea to Poseidon, Syracuse being a deep harbor city and always in need of protection by the God of the Sea, Alerio slipped back into of the crowd.

  Chapter – 32 Run, Hide, Escape or Die

  Once out of sight of the soldiers and the street thugs, he moved to fringe of the praying crowd. When out of sight from both the street thugs and the soldiers, Alerio ran to the perimeter wall and followed it to the end. Then, he jogged into a wooded area. On the far side, he entered a street and strolled through the upper section of Syracuse. He didn’t see anyone following and was happy when he approached the massive city wall.

  The street followed the wall and soon he came to a portal. A bored guard stood against the open gate and barely acknowledged Alerio when he walked by and left the city. Beyond the city’s defensive wall was a military camp.

  Southward and far from the last tent, marsh grass and swampland ran to the sea far in the distance. To the north, cultivated farmland stretched between crops of trees. Alerio had an idea of when the army would march but no clue as to its destination. He turned south and followed the defensive wall along the outer edge of the military camp.

  About halfway down the line of tents, he noticed a few soldiers basking in the warm sunlight. One of them raised up and grabbed a wineskin. After a long stream of vino, the soldier lowered his head and looked directly at Alerio.

  Lieutenant Macario Hicetus of the mounted Signal Corps did a double take before slamming a fist into another soldier. Alerio didn’t wait to see the result of the alert. He ran.

  At the next gate, Alerio slowed and walked through with a nod to the guard. As soon as he was out of sight of the gate, he broke into a jog. A few heartbeats later, four mounted cavalrymen charged by the surprised guard. Luckily for Alerio, none stopped to question the soldier on gate duty.

  They split up in four directions and trotted down the streets hunting the man who attacked Lieutenant Hicetus.

  ***

  Alerio pushed into the crowd at the market. Glancing around, he felt safe with no cavalry in sight and his head bare. Until he saw the proprietor of the pub where he’d taken Hicetus. Standing with two men by a bronze figurine stall, the tavern owner pointed out Alerio and in exchange he received a full purse. Now, petasos or not, the street thugs knew him.

  A man on the side of the market began keeping pace with him. A quick look to the other side and he spotted a second man doing the same. Both were wearing worn and dirty clothing so he assumed they were street thugs.

  It was decision time. Run and try to stay ahead of them until he reached the harbor? Or, find a place to take a stand and fight them. Considering the on-the-take guards at the docks were probably on the thugs’ payroll, Alerio pulled his bedroll around. He decided to look for a dead end. A hidden corner of the city where a few bodies wouldn’t be noticed.

  But first, he needed to get out of the market. It was too easy for an enemy to slip up behind him in the crowd and shove a dagger in his back. Seeing a narrow street between three-story buildings, Alerio walked until he was past the street. Once the men following him also passed the street, he stooped down and ducked behind a vendor’s tent. A quick run back, a hook around another tent and, while still stooped, he cut across the market. He gained the narrow street, stood upright, and ran.

  Chapter – 33 Aphrodite’s, The Pub, Not the Temple

  The plan was to make the first corner and get out of the line-of-sight from the market and the thugs. His legs churning and his arms pumping, he reached the intersecting street and veered south. Then he pivoted and ran back to the intersection. Down the block and walking his horse was a cavalryman. He was staring into alleyways and side streets as his horse moved. Thankfully, he didn’t see Alerio.

  Back on the narrow street, Alerio ran for the next intersection.

  ***

  He could see the next street was a wide boulevard. At first, he decided to skip it and move to the next intersection. But as Alerio started to cross the expanse, he noticed the boulevard was empty. Not just lightly traveled, it was deserted. Glancing to the south, he realized why.

  A few blocks down, tall temples occupied both sides of the boulevard. With the massive sacrifice in progress, every Priest and disciple for every God or Goddess would be at the massive altar helping to butcher oxen. Changing his mind, the Legionary headed south on the temple street. Staying to the side of the boulevard, he quickly reached the temple structures.

  Maybe he could duck into one and hide until dark. But what then? He still needed to discover the target of King Hiero’s army. Behind him, he heard yelling and a quick look back showed seven men rushing into the intersection. They pointed at him and he responded by running.

  Alerio swung into the first street he came to and didn’t break stride until he heard music. Not an angelic choir or chants one would hear from a temple. This was drunken, boisterous voices accompanied by strings and drums. Following in the direction of the music, he continued down the street.

  Aphrodite’s Wine and Food occupied a section in the center of a block. Alerio bypassed the street leading to the establishment and ran to the next intersection. Taking the parallel street behind Aphrodite’s, Alerio smiled.

  Warehouses for temple supplies lined one side of the street. It wasn’t the warehouses that caused him to smile. It was the corrals and empty wagon yards between the storage buildings. Figuring the sacrifices would keep the wagon drivers busy until after dark, Alerio stopped and listened to a song.

  Oh the Goddess Aphrodite.

  Oh she of love and beauty.

  She of pleasure, and procreation.

  Ah procreation!

  My wife is like the goddess, let me tell you why.

  Showers me with Love, she does. She does!

  Ere I come home late, after fellowship and wine.

  She blesses me with wash water, or words that ain’t refined.

  Calling endearments like drunk, rogue, and swine.

  It’s love like Aphrodite, from that true love of mine.<
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  Oh the Goddess Aphrodite.

  Oh she of love and beauty.

  She of pleasure, and procreation.

  Ah procreation!

  My wife is like the goddess, let me tell you why.

  Shows me her Beauty, she does. She does!

  Beyond description I say, is the sight of my own lady.

  Sagging in places that shouldn’t, all droopy and toothy.

  Bowed legs and mention not, the size of her booty.

  She’s blessed like Aphrodite, my own plumpish cutie.

  Oh the Goddess Aphrodite.

  Oh she of love and beauty.

  She of pleasure, and procreation.

  Ah procreation!

  My wife is like the goddess, let me tell you why.

  Soothes me with Pleasure, she does. She does!

  Look in the cooking pot, it’s a smoldering gastric affair.

  Dinner at home is burnt, not always worth the dare.

  It’s a wonder I don’t expire, eating my good wife’s fair.

  She’s special like Aphrodite, for the woman does care.

  Oh the Goddess Aphrodite.

  Oh she of love and beauty.

  She of pleasure, and procreation.

  Ah procreation!

  My wife is like the goddess, let me tell you why.

  Sprinkles me with Procreation, she does. She does!

  She’s as cold as a granite statue, if I desire Procreation.

  If I’m feeling amorous, she displays one of our children.

  They’re always under foot, the fruit of our union.

  She’s honored Aphrodite, by birthing an even dozen.

  Oh the Goddess Aphrodite.

  Oh she of love and beauty.

  She of pleasure, and procreation.

  Ah procreation!

  Alerio stopped at a wagon yard, unhooked the latch and pushed the gate open. Then, he walked to the center of the street and waited. While he waited, he sang along with the music drifting from Aphrodite’s courtyard.

  Oh the Goddess Aphrodite, Oh she of love and beauty.

  The seven men came into the intersection and spotted him.

  She of pleasure, and procreation. Ah procreation!

  Alerio sang and waved at the seven street thugs when they burst into the intersection. Then, as they ran to him, he strolled through the gate and walked to the center of the wagon yard.

  Chapter – 34 Open Field Tactics

  Alerio learned the gladius and shield from Legion veterans. Every harvest, a Sergeant and a Centurion came to work on his father’s farm. While there, they taught him sword skills as well as tactics. If your mission was to guard or protect a fixed position, you wanted to funnel your enemy and prevent them from surrounding you. If you were attacking, you needed to avoid a funnel which narrowed your line of attack. A third option dealt with a broken Legion line.

  If you found yourself separated and fighting multiple barbarians, get to open ground. Any boulder, tree, or wall could be used by them to sneak up on your blind side. Or trap you where the enemy had the advantage of attrition while your back was to a wall. Open field tactics allowed you freedom of movement to fight on many fronts.

  The empty wagon yard fit the need and Alerio pulled off his pack and tossed it to the corral fence. Next, he loosened the flaps and rested the bedroll on the ground between his feet.

  “My wife is like the goddess, let me tell you why,” Alerio sang. “Showers me with Love, she does. She does!”

  The seven men rushed through the gate and one stopped to close and latch it.

  “Ere I come home late, after fellowship and wine,” Alerio smiled while he sang and waited for the men to get closer. “She blesses me with wash water, or words that ain’t refined.”

  “You interfered last night, stranger,” a big man advised Alerio. He was better dressed than the rest and had a short sword hanging from his hip.

  “Calling endearments like drunk, rogue, and swine,” Alerio voiced without acknowledging the man. “It’s love like Aphrodite, from that true love of mine.”

  “I’m speaking to you, lad,” the man said raising his voice.

  So Alerio sang louder, “Oh the Goddess Aphrodite. Oh she of love and beauty. She of pleasure, and procreation. Ah procreation!”

  “Teach this ignorant Latin to respect his betters,” the leader of the street thugs roared.

  The six thugs responded to the order. They pulled knives and rushed at Alerio.

  “My wife is like the goddess, let me tell you why,” Alerio crooned as he dipped both hands into the end of the bedroll. “Shows me her Beauty, she does. She does!”

  The fastest are not always the smartest or the most skilled. Many times, according to Alerio’s teachers, they are just that, fast.

  Alerio’s hands emerged with the two swords. Both thugs, expecting to strike a standing man were not prepared for the flashes of steel that slit one’s belly open and peeled off the side of the other’s face.

  Suddenly the thugs were down to five and their victim stood with one sword extended and another hanging above his head like a scorpion’s tail.

  “Beyond description I say, is the sight of my own lady,” Alerio sang. “Sagging in places that shouldn’t, all droopy and toothy.”

  The thugs, realizing they faced a swordsman, spread out. Even the big one in the nice clothing moved forward. He held his sword’s point low.

  “Bowed legs and mention not, the size of her booty,” Alerio sang as he stood still letting the thugs close the distance. “She’s blessed like Aphrodite, my own plumpish cutie.”

  Two moved shoulder to shoulder on Alerio’s left. They came in fast before waiting for the other three.

  “Oh the Goddess Aphrodite,” Alerio bellowed as he spun to face them while scissoring his blades. “Oh she of love and beauty.”

  Their rush brought them into range of the swirling sword tips. Both men received lacerations to their chests and thighs. But, none of the cuts prevented them from retreating from the crossing and uncrossing steel blades.

  “She of pleasure, and procreation,” Alerio sang as he stepped back and twisted his upper body. ”Ah procreation!”

  One thug dove at Alerio’s back. After twisting away from the knife, the Legionary hacked down as the body flew by. The fat end of the blade opened the flesh starting at the base of the thug’s skull. Alerio’s sword sliced the entire length of the man’s spine before swinging away to block another’s knife thrust.

  “My wife is like the goddess, let me tell you why,” Alerio bellowed as his second blade swiped down from the opposite direction. “Soothes me with Pleasure, she does. She does!”

  With a full arc to gain momentum, Alerio’s blade severed the hand holding the blocked blade. The knife and the hand fell to the dirt and the man sank to his knees holding the stump. He cried as blood spurted from the neat slice.

  “Look in the cooking pot, it’s a smoldering gastric affair,” Alerio sang. “Dinner at home is burnt, not always worth the dare.”

  The well-dressed man was the last uninjured thug. Looking at his two men with multiple cuts, he shouted, “Get back in the fight.”

  “It’s a wonder I don’t expire, eating my good wife’s fair,” Alerio sang as he circled so he stood between the thugs and the gate. “She’s special like Aphrodite, for the woman does care.”

  The two injured men appeared to be confused. They had entered the wagon yard seven strong and full of vengeance. Now, there were three and after witnessing the flying steel of the stranger’s blades, they weren’t sure they wanted to re-engage with him. Except, their leader had ordered it. And, the stranger with the two swords stood blocking access to the gate and their escape.

  “Oh the Goddess Aphrodite. Oh she of love and beauty,” Alerio warbled. “She of pleasure, and procreation. Ah procreation!”

  The big thug marched to the two wounded men and put his face close to theirs.

  “He’s one man. Hades, he’s just a lad,” their leader expl
ained. “You take him from the sides while he’s busy defending from my sword.”

  “He’s pretty fast,” one ventured.

  “And skilled,” the other added.

  “I don’t care. No one can assault my club and live to tell about it,” growled the big man. “Let’s finish this.”

  “My wife is like the goddess, let me tell you why,” Alerio sang as he waited for the thugs to come. “Sprinkles me with Procreation, she does. She does!”

  They split up. Two moving to flank Alerio with their leader coming to face him head on.

  “She’s as cold as a granite statue, if I desire Procreation,” the Legionary sang. “If I’m feeling amorous, she displays one of our children.

  The leader lifted his sword holding the blade up and to the side. Obviously, he didn’t have the training to wield the weapon properly. The other two closed in from the sides.

  “They’re always under foot, the fruit of our union,” Alerio crowed as he leaped at the thug on his right. “She’s honored Aphrodite, by birthing an even dozen.”

  Swinging both swords together at the man, he stepped by him, and spun to face the last two.

  “Oh the Goddess Aphrodite,” Alerio sang as the man with the deep neck gash and broken ribs lay bleeding to death in front of him. “Oh she of love and beauty.”

  The last two were forced to shuffle around their dying companion. Alerio held up his right blade as an offering for the thug with the sword. His other sword hovered at waist level towards the man with the knife. The thugs attacked at the same time.

  “She of pleasure, and procreation,” Alerio sang as he deflected the sword with his right arm. “Ah procreation!”