Multiple authors story - write one paragraph each

[Franconicus]

43

And it was a hard fight, indeed. My anger gave me power. I attacked and the traitor had to retreat. However, my power decreased with every second. I knew I had to end this war soon or I would loose. I raised my sword to the decisive strike. I aimed for his head, but I missed it. My own kick drove me forward and made me make a false step. The traitor hit me at the shoulder. I fell on the ground and the traitor raised the sword for the final strike.

Once more I faced death, once more my guarding spirits saved me. Some legionaires had followed our fight and were now coming closer. Claudius realized that he was in danger. He turned. Unfortunatelly, he could catch a horse, mount and disappear.

I passed out. The last thing I thought was: "We will meet again!"

[Rodion Romanovich]

Chapter 4

44
One month has now passed since the battle in that forest. For several weeks I have been unable to stand up due to my wounds and the exhaustion from the week of starvation. The doctors told me it was lucky I hadn't eaten more, because Balimir's blade had penetrated deep into my side and had I eaten, the wound would have turned into a mess that not even a man with the favor of the Gods would have been able to survive. I have dreamt horrible dreams during these weeks. I have dreamt of endless steppes, howling wolves, and horrible two-headed creatures looking even more diabolic than the barbarians that had slewn my comrades so ruthlessly. I have also dreamt of vengeance, and restoration of my honor. I don't yet know if it was the tree trunk lifted by my hands that had killed Balimir, or if it was my sword that slewn the three barbarians that rode towards my part of the line in the forest. All I knew for sure was that I had kept silent about that light that I had spotted on the steppe in that first battle. That light haunted me in my fever nightmares. After dreaming about it for the third time in a row, I wondered if it was perhaps more than a light. Perhaps a sign from the Gods? In any case, I was finally able to move again. I knew only little about the whereabouts of the roman armies, but they were preparing for a larger battle against the huns, a victory that unlike the small skirmish in the forest would completely and utterly deprive the huns of their will to plunder roman lands.

[Franconicus]

45

We are making plans, but destiny rules!
While we were preparing the desicive battle, the Tartars disappeared all at once. Maybe the death of their chief was too much - this time! The war was over.

Our general returned to Rome to recruit more men and to prepare another campaign. I went to Rome, too, because he made me the commander of his new Germian Guard. What an honor, what a reward. Some weeks ago I had been slave of Barbarians, now I was the commander of an elite formation. So I saw this town for the first time in my life! ROME! The centre of the world. Home of Gods and Cesars. I walked through the city and could not belive my eyes. Greatness and luxory, dirt and vice.

However, even here I could not forget the cries of my tortured commrades. And I could not forget the face of - Claudius.

[Rodion Romanovich]

46

It was during one of these days in Rome that I received the mission I had been waiting for. I had known for a long time that a mission was on the way, else I wouldn't have been kept in Rome for so long, or been promoted with so much ceremonies. When I finally met the commander Tiberius the instructions were handed out quickly and formally. The huns were coming back, they had already caused much harm in Belgica, and now they were heading for cities just north of the Alps. And this time it was the main hunnic force, led by Attila himself. Our task was to garrison the city of Aureliani while all auxiliaries and regulars that could be found were assembled to the south and west of the city, ready to come and relieve the garrison in three weeks. It was the 28th of May today. We were to march from Rome before dawn.

[Franconicus]

47

When we entered Aureliani I was in front of my Germanian Guard; 500 men on white horses, with the uniform of the guard, the lances, swords and axes, all with long red or blond hair and beards. We were very impressive. The inhabitants cheered when we marched through the town.

I went to the palast of the governor. Well, compared with the palasts I knew from Rome it looked like a stable for pigs. At least it was one of the few buildings made of stone.

I met the governor. He was nice, but very nervous. He might have been a good administrator, but he surely was no warrior. He urged me to take the commandership of the garrison.

Then we inspected the troops. It was depressing. Years of garrison duty had ruined these units. Their equipment was in a bad state, their discipline and their moral was extremly low. Not a single one passed the inspection without blame. In the Steppe, even when we had been beaten by the tartars we had had some pride. The men that I met here had no pride at all.

The governor told me that desertation was an issue. He had not dared to tell the men that Attila was 'ante portas'.

The fortification were in a bad state, too. The wall were made of stone. Years of peace have led to disrepair. In this state they would not even stop an attack from cavalry.

[Rodion Romanovich]

48

I sighed. What could we improve in the coming few days, before Attila appeared? Reinforcing some key parts of the wall with wood, perhaps. Repairing a few of the wall-mounted ballistae. But the by far worst problem was that there were too many easy approaches to the city. Too long section of wall to defend. By noon I went outside the walls to scout the surroundings alone, while the rest of the garrison stayed inside, temporarily under the command of the governor.

To the north, there was a long grass-covered field, ideal ground for a fast attack. To the east, the ground was hilly, and also covered in grass. Also that a good approach for attackers, maybe even better, at least for infantry, as it allowed them to stay in cover while approaching the walls. To the south, there was a steep slope downwards very close to the wall. The enemy would not attack there, because of the danger of ladders being tipped over falling a very long distance. Finally, to the west, there was a muddy swamp area. The enemy would not attack from there either. Thus we could concentrate the defenders to the northern and eastern walls, but that was still a too long distance to cover.

There was no time for rearranging the ground too heavily. A few pits could be dug out, maybe some small rocks and broken glass thrown out over the northern field. But we wouldn't be able to change the eastern approach. Maybe we could use that to our advantage instead? If the eastern approach was the best approach, the enemy would try to attack from there, and do so in the morning, putting the sun in the eyes of the defenders. But the enemy did not know a relief force was on the way. While this would make our struggle to defend the city hopeless, it would, if the relief force arrived in time, in the end enable us to surround and destroy a large portion of the hunnic army before it could retreat to safety and regroup. But the garrison inside the city would not like the idea of that plan, so it had to remain a secret until the last minute. But how could I order the garrison to help me chop up the ground at the northern approach without making them realize what was about to come, making them want to desert? I realized that I had to choose between better defenses and a smaller garrison, or worse defenses and a larger garrison. It was not difficult for me to make up my mind - the germanian guard alone with good defenses would do better than the full garrison without proper defenses. I would tell the garrison the truth, order them to help me prepare defenses along the northern approach, then give those who didn't dare defend the city permission to leave, but only if they helped us prepare the defenses. I would treathen that any regiment who tried to escape before that, would see their regiment decimated, but I doubted I would be able to carry out such an order - but the troops didn't know.

[Franconicus]

49
Latest news brought by pigeons told me that we had two days left for preparations. Not much, but I was bent on using the time.

The next hours were filled with activities. I sent a group of my guard to the next river. Their mission was to demolish all bridges and ferries. That would not stop the Tartars, but we would gain time.

The garrison and the citizens in the town had to work all night long, barricading the gaps in the walls as well as the streets inside the town.

In the morning I called the garrison and the people to the market place. I told them my plans for the next two days. When I ordered them to start working, no one mooved. Then one officer of the garrison stepped in front and said: We will not work. We will not stay here any longer. Your plans are foolish. You will never be able to stop the devils. We will leave right now. All we want is enough supply.

He turned to the warehouse. I gave a wink to my guard. They thwarted him with their swords in their hands. The garrison soldiers took their weapons, too. For a moment it looked as if the defenders of the town would slaughter themselves.

Then a cavalier entered the market place. It was one of those I had ordered to destroy the bridges. Everybody looked at him. I could see the exhaustion and desperation in his face. Before he opened his mouth I knew the news he brought us. I had seen the arrow stuck in his side. Again, the Huns were much faster than expected.