Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 00.5] Ulpius Felix- Warrior of Rome by Griff Hosker

very much like a leper at the moment.”
    “Oh don’t worry about the Legate.  He is a good general once you get used to his funny little ways.” Marius stopped and gave him a puzzled look. Bassus shrugged and smiled, “Well eccentric then.  The important point is that you are the only cavalry and when we attack next week your men will have to swim the river and protect the pontoon bridge my engineers are constructing.”
    “I wondered how we would get across.”
    “The Gallic cohort will be ferried across by the Classis Germania and once they are there then your job will be easier but you will have to cross the river while they are harassing you.  It will be hard.”
    “Unless we go at night while they aren’t watching.”
    “That is a little risky isn’t it?”
    “I would have said yes but for the fact that thirty of my men did it last night to escape us.”
    “I heard.”
    “I suspect we will never live it down.”
    “It will be forgotten quickly once you perform on the battlefield. So you could do it at night then?”
    “First we will need to practise swimming.  We will be wearing armour and we have never done it.”
    “Why not see the Navarchus; if he placed his ships down stream they could rescue any of your man swept away.”
    “Would he do that?”
    “His priority is the protection of his ships.  This is their main base. By destroying the Chauci base his ships are safer.”
    “Why didn’t the Legate explain that to me?”
    “I told you he is eccentric; a brilliant general but he only rates the legions.  You auxiliaries are still barbarians.” He glanced up as the third turma rode out looking glum and without their hair.  “Believe it or not that will help to convince him that they are Romans.”
    “Thank you for that Camp Prefect.”
    “Gaius, please, and we are all on the same side.  I for one was glad to see you and your lads arrive. This is not the country for my men.”
    Wolf felt better now that the rest of the ala had been shaved.  He was getting used to the lack of hair but his face felt itchy.  He was riding behind Flavius as the three turmae headed along the river to the next Roman fort of Novaesium. He had never seen such a wide river.  Even the Danubius which they had seen for many miles was but half its width.  He could see the smoke from the fires of settlements across the river and he wondered how they would get across. It seemed strange, to him, that they had not built the camp on the opposite bank.
    Their journey to the fortress was uneventful.  Flavius rode up to the gate and reported to the optio there, and then turned to return on the second leg of the their patrol, the journey home. “Sir?”
    “Yes Wolf?”
    “Is that all we do now sir. Ride along the river.”
    “Are you bored then?”
    “Well I thought that we were needed here to fight the Chauci.”
    “Have you seen any?”
    “Well no sir.”
    “Then fighting them is a little hard but we will have a diversion on the way back I assure you. You will not be bored for long.”
    They were halfway back when the Decurion halted them. “Right lads.  We are going to do some training here.” They all looked around and wondered why he had chosen the flat part of the river bank for training. “We are going to have a swimming lesson.”
    Gerjen blurted out.  “But sir, we’ll drown.”
    “Why?”
    “We can’t swim.”
    Flavius raised his voice so that they could all hear him.  “At home how did your horses gat across rivers?”
    “They jumped in and swam sir.”
    “Well done Darvas.  And did they drown?”
    “No sir.”
    “Then let us see how it is done eh?” Flavius had never swum either but the Prefect had assured him that they needed to learn and learn quickly.  He nudged his horse forwards and walked it into the river.  He could see the current and he headed his horse up stream.  As soon as he felt the motion of the horse become smoother, as its hooves left the river bed, he grabbed a