Chapter 2

We came upon a Roman tail guard. I hurried alone from the centre of our group to meet them. They were prepared for an attack until I called out my name. With my helmet off, they relaxed. I guess that most of them had seen me at one time or another.

We stayed back to be less threatening, and I found that we had caught up to the legion. An officer hurried to see me and then he said, "The Caesar said that he would like to see you as soon as you arrived."

"Thank you." I turned to Marsallas and got him to put our own guard out until I saw what was happening.

It took a long time to pass a thousand men and I knew that Julian would not be riding point. I let the officer bring me near. I knew that Julian was busy as usual. Being on horseback was not that much a hindrance at getting orders passed.

Julian saw me and said, "Hello, Jón. You were a little late to be at the opening ceremonies but you are here before all the fun starts."

"Hello, Caesar. I was delayed." As I got close I was able to extend my hand and we shook. "Was there any word about King Vadomar?"

"Only some spies that came here to say he was attacked first and then state that he was only defending himself."

"I suppose that they are also saying he is home in bed instead of where he really is."

"That is about it. I have my own people out searching for him and his armies." Julian went on to tell me what cities had been taken as well as what farms and small communities that had been destroyed.

"Do you see any pattern when these places are shown on the map?"

"I think there are three groups at work here. I sent out two forces to deal with the others while I take on what I think is the main force."

I said, "I brought a little over a hundred men with me. They are not trained as well as your men but they are armed the best I can do."

"The best! They must be a force to be reckoned with."

"I do not think so. They do not have the experience. Armour and weapons will only go so far. There are fifty two more stingers in our supplies. I used some in open conditions like artillery. They were poor unless used in congested conditions. They do have a shock value though that will help break up an enemy formation bent on repelling your men."

Julian looked at me and said, "You went to war again?"

"Celyddon was still active. They attacked my school. I couldn't let him continue. I admit that much of my reasoning was based on vengeance. Some of my cadets were captured and two were killed. My father came by after we captured Celyddon forces. He provided a troop of cannoneers to protect the school. I had them put under the command of my prisoner, Gnaeus Scipio Magnus."

"So your prisoner is actually in command of some Frisians?"

"He is in overall command too. I would hope that you will send him some sort of orders that will not conflict with his word to me. I think you will get the first of your artillery officers. At the same time, Clovis will get some better trained men, though he does a good job on his own."

"Can I send more prisoners to you?"

"They needn't be prisoners. Just have them placed under Gnaeus' command. I do not mind allowing the Roman prisoners to go home for a while as long as they come back. The Augustus would not allow that though."

"I guess I will have to make sure his men get paid then."

"There is no need. I pay them just as well."

"The Augustus will not like that either."

"How can he object? He has Roman spies in Frisian territory that he doesn't even have to pay. They are free to send and receive mail. I do not censor any of the messages. Best of all they have the authority to do whatever they think is right."

"Is that because they are all Wodenists?"

"Most were at least half way there but since Gnaeus started growing a new arm, they are all firm believers now."

Julian didn't say anything for a while and all the nearby officers riding with us were quiet too. "I heard that somebody in Lutetia is growing a foot."

"Yes they are. It is a slow process and should take years until the appendage is back to its original size. Teeth are easier but adults do not mind the pain of teething if they know what is happening."

"Tell me how Gnaeus lost his arm."

I told the story as I knew it and made sure I received my share of the blame. I was in charge even though I was not there. As soon as I was done I had to talk about our attacks on the Gauls. The first portion Julian would be more familiar with as he now favoured commando tactics if at all possible.

That night we made camp within an existing Roman fort. My own people set up our camp within the camp and the legionnaires began to drift over to see what we had. They liked our stove but it was not good for taking into rough conditions. The wagon was narrow and long and intended to get into many places a conventional wagon could not. It was still too bulky and really only useful on the roads.

Julian talked to me privately in his tent but we still had to watch what we said. Roman ears were just as acute as other nationalities. He got a more detailed description of what had happened.

He told me how angry his cousin was. Constantius II apparently went into a fit of rage at hearing how is envoys were treated. He expected the lowly soldiers to obey without argument. He took his anger out on Julian though. Letters had already been dispatched right after the incident to show how Constantius was not acting in good faith when the legion had been promised that they would not go beyond Gaul or Germania.

I got my own detailed information on how the Alemmani had been operating. King Vadomar was a survivor though and not stupid or he would never have been able to hold his position.

I handed over some mail from his family which he was happy to get even though he had only left a few weeks ago.

When our own personal matters were finished, Julian asked, "Will you show our officers more about the tactics you would use with your 'aculeus'?"

"I would be glad to but I found that Roman officers tend to think that they know everything. It is more than just using a stinger but the mathematics behind artillery. I tried teaching it when we chased the other Alemmani. Your men did not want to listen."

Julian thought for a moment and then said, "Perhaps I have to start a new division. The Cohort IV is a weak unit. They are not my best troops but they are young enough to learn."

"You have four weak cohorts I think. I cannot train five hundred men but I can take fifty and train a dozen. Let me choose among the four groups. You are going to have to pay for this."

"What do you want?"

"My men go into your legion to get some training. When I leave, they leave with me."

"A hundred men is little more than a Centuria. I imagine you will want some of your own men to attend to you?"

"Only a few."

That night the officers were told the story of my recent battles. Some did not believe that we took Celyddon's people from him but most did. Julian had already used the stingers and I just had to explain how they could be used to break up an enemy formation bent on repelling the legion. Some of the previous supply of stingers had been used against men and their power was known to a few.

The next day I gave the news to my men and Marsallas Sallustius gave out the orders. This was not a full training but a chance to work with each of the various cohorts to see how they functioned. Some of the men were in the military before but only for a few years.

I spent the rest of the day interviewing men, trying to find those that were both intelligent and had an open mind. Usually I was able to help some of those in need but found very few with enough education to even begin. If I had to teach them to read then it would take much longer.

Part of my days were spent being a physician while the rest as a teacher. Some of my own men though were better trained and could handle some of the load.

As the days rolled by, small groups of Alemmani were attacked or did some attacking of their own. King Vadomar's main army was eluding us. Some of the Alemmani spies came to me and I healed those that needed it and they stayed to see what I was teaching.

There was a bit of conflict until I explained that I was trying to convert some of the Alemmani to our side. They would have to embrace Wodenism first but Wodenism promoted peaceful settlements of arguments as well as education.

The Alemmani learned of how ten men and I took Celyddon's camp by killing hundreds of his men. At first they did not believe but then I had the Romans tell them about how many I had killed with the aid of a dozen children and our cannon.

Purposely I taught how I would use cannon, if I had some, to defeat King Vadomar's army. My strategies were simplistic to say the least and I put far more casualties with less cannon. All this was supposedly used to teach the young Romans about a new facet of warfare. In two days three of the Alemmani just disappeared. I had to smile because Julian's best trackers were behind them.

The first attack against our main body came nine days later. Julian and I figured it would have come even earlier. We did not take part but we both assumed it was a feint so we would follow.

Sure enough, the Alemmani pretended to fall back and the Romans moved in to kill the retreating enemy. This is when most of the causalities were suffered. The Alemmani though retreated in good order which was not something they would usually do.

The forest in this area was quite dense and it could hide thousands of King Vadomar's army. Julian called out his orders and soon the Signifer blew the horn that was echoed by many others. The Roman army stopped their advance and spent their time taking prisoners and booty.

Julian moved up his own troops to protect the men gathering their plunder. We were prepared for an attack but the ferociousness of it staggered both of us. There must be many times our three thousand men.

Julian pulled his men back to regroup while I went to one of the wagons. Marsallas Sallustius was there ahead of me with twenty of his best men to protect this valuable asset.

"You going to show us how they work now, Sir?"

"Soon. I want Julian to be ready to take advantage of this. His men know from words what will happen but not from experience. It may well be that the legion will run."

"Let's hope not."

The people I had brought with me were soon on their horses with their lances ready. The draught horses pulled the wagon toward Julian's position.

Julian was already planning on this manoeuvre and excitedly pointed out where he wanted me to strike.

"What about the room I need to let my lancers out?"

"My men will move aside."

I was not sure of this but I knew that even innocents were killed in a battle like this. Three of the boxes were moved towards the area Julian wanted covered. Arrows immediately came our way because they must know what I had and wanted to kill me first.

The arrows had little power at this distance and our armour was good. I stepped into my bow to string it even as arrows hit my own armour. One aculeus was handed me when I asked for it. At the right angle I drew back and released with the trigger. It flew as far as the other arrows and it was much heavier.

One more arrow was put to the string with a man in front of me to shield the explosive. The explosive blew up in the midst of the packed Alemmani. Bodies and body parts were thrown into the air. I saw that the range was adequate.

I fired off eleven more arrows in quick succession then took from the new boxes arriving. I went back and forth over the enemy but now they were fighting to get away.

The arrows had stopped falling our way and I hurried forward. The men with the boxes of stingers followed me. I was only able to use three more stingers because the Alemmani had dispersed and were running for their lives.

I looked at Marsallas Sallustius and said, "Attack." I was far from happy with the order.

The Roman calvary was leaving as the horns sounded orders. The infantry scrambled out of the way. My own men charged into the fray and our long lances worked well in Roman hands. It was the aftermath of the battle that killed so many.

I was appalled at what I saw. The Alemmani were German, as much as my adopted race of Frisians were. Men that looked like Frisians were being cut down by Romans. This hurt because I had butchered from the opposing side. I felt like going out there and stopping the carnage but I could not do that even if I wanted. Repairing the damaged bodies would take much more of my time and I could do only a few. We were still afraid of more Alemmani springing a trap from the forest.

I ordered the stingers put back on their cart and then guarded. I kept the bow and a quiver of arrows and walked to Julian's position.

Julian was watching the battle with a smile on his face and a hand on his sword. He was a warrior that was usually in there swinging a gladius himself to show his men that he was fit to lead. I was the one to use my sermons to make sure his men saw him favourably even if he was not killing the enemy with his own sword. Many emperors and those in power were listed that died in battle and thus caused the legion to loose heart and then fail. Failure here meant death.

Roman soldiers would follow some orders and were better than Frisians but they were not that controllable once the battle began. We had talked to the men about my stingers and their effect and I guess the Romans were anxious to see just how they worked. Having the legion take pity on their enemies and only club them was impractical but I tried everything I knew that would reduce the number of casualties on both sides. Even my lancers would try to wound instead of kill but in a battle that particular care could not always be justified.

The battle would go on for hours because the number of Alemmani was at least triple ours. I gave my bow to the guard detail and moved toward the battle but only to see what I could do to save lives. The guard detail and the wagon came with me.

The battle did go on for hours. I used the bow twice more to break up some last ditch counterattacks. I was very tired and worked through the night trying to save lives. I had to do the bare minimum for each or I would have even more deaths on my hands. Even removing pain was difficult to do though it was easier than getting a body to heal itself.

I didn't restrict myself to the Romans because there were Alemmani that needed my help. They were very frightened of me until I took some captured Alemmani with me as I tended to their wounded.

I slept when I had to, then got up to work once more. Julian had his men cut trees and build a palisade of logs. This was many times larger than the usual fort and the extra space was mainly devoted to a hospital and a compound for the captured prisoners. Julian pursued the Alemmani with many of his men and most of the remaining stingers.

My sleep periods got longer and longer as I used up more of my internal resources. The new camp seemed to flow around me and I had a form of tunnel vision.

Julian came back and it was only the next day that I found this out because I was asleep most of this time. When I got up there was food ready and I ate ravenously. My head pounded and I felt much older than I was supposed to be. I had to take some time myself to start the repairs.

When I felt good enough to face the world, I left my tent and walked through the most seriously hurt that had not died yet. I was greeted by both Romans and Alemmani with respect. I had tried to strike a balance between the remote head of a religious order and a friend to those I treated. Roman physicians and my own men went among the wounded of both nationalities and did what they could. I only wished that this cooperation could be carried over to other aspects of living.

When I was too fatigued again to do much good, I went to see Julian. I had to wait a while to see him and just rested. When I got to see the man I saw that he had a sling on his arm but he appeared happy.

"Welcome, Jón." He had a big smile.

"Hello, Julian. By your smile, I see that the battle went well?"

"Yes it did. We were even able to catch Vadomar."

Now I was excited. He had done this with no subterfuge or I hoped not. "What did you find?"

"My cousin put him up to this."

"You realise, that we may be premature?" I was referring to ending this war much sooner than what had happened on the old time line.

"Yes, I remember our talks. Fruit should not be picked until it is ripe."

We had talked a great deal about the malleability of time and how events would not happen the way they had the first time. Or rather how the gods ability of showing destiny as being changed with their tinkering with me. Constantius II had either been assassinated by Julian or another, or died of natural causes. I didn't know which. It was Constantius II death that prevented the civil war and sped Julian's elevation to Augustus. Major events could have changed so much that Constantius II would not die as he should and there could be a lot more death.

I said, "I guess we can talk later about this. How did you get scratched?"

"It was a large thorn."

"Can I treat it?"

I had not treated Julian yet and I imagine he had his reservations. He knew I could heal but this inferred that I could kill too. He quickly said, "If it is not too tiring for you."

"I have some strength left for a friend."

I interfaced with the man's body and checked through it. There were some growths, infection had set in and of course there was the damage to his arm. I cut off the blood to the growths and then did what was necessary.

When I came out, Julian said, "You took a long time."

"You had other problems. I want you around for a great many years. There was two small growths that are now dying and your body is both repairing itself better and fighting off a slight infection. You are also weak and should get some rest and eat more."

Julian didn't mind me saying weak in this sense and smiled. "Then we should sit and eat."

"I just ate but I am always hungry now."

In the coming days I began my regular sermons and they were not just on Tuesdays. The Romans and the Alemmani were free to come or not but they usually did. They were mixed meetings too because I did not want to show favouritism. Everybody knew of my healing but in a way they had no concrete proof. They just healed quicker and this could be attributed to other factors. I went back to removing cataracts, moles and removing scar tissue. This was different because witnesses could see the before and after effects while knowing that the healing would not normally happen.

King Vadomar and some of his family were hurt or killed during their capture and I healed those I could. This group had to be converted to Wodenism for my plan to work. The Alemmani were just too numerous and I had to either contain them or convert them to a global point of view.

King Vadomar was given some limited freedoms and we talked about his people.

He said, "Why are you helping the Romans? I do not think it is for gold."

"It is for something far more valuable." The man looked intently at me and I added, "I want peace and prosperity for all."

"Peace? You have fearsome weapons."

"The Alemmani are like the Romans. They need to be struck so that they will stop and think. The gods offer a new way of living. There will always be war but it will not be as often. A man's aggression can go into business, politics or even sports. A man's mind can be turned toward learning more and again the gods are providing."

"How is this? I see only the weapons of the gods."

"I make paper. I have a way that within seconds can fill a sheet with words. These sheets of paper are bound together as a book. The books are now much cheaper to make and a great many could be made by just a few people. The words on the paper can talk of Woden, Aldúlfr and Bera. They can also talk of numbers or the legends of the Alemmani. In fact a great many books have to be written so men thousands of years from now will understand us and the way we think."

Vadomar looked at me oddly and I said, "The Alemmani are part of the German people. Germany has a new destiny. The war will let men take up books instead of spears. They will go out into the world and show others the glory of Woden and his plans. Like the Alemmani, they may fight. The Alemmani will have to do what I and the Romans just did to your people."

Vadomar said, "Did Woden want so many to die?"

"Would you and your people have listened with fewer deaths?"

He didn't answer but we both knew the answer.

Julian and I looked into a solution for what to do with the Alemmani. I wanted a strong leader that was not going to fight Rome but at the same time embrace what I was trying to teach.

Julian said in private, "I agree that we need the frontier protected. Setting Vadomar free may do it but it is going to sow dissension within the empire. It is the Augustus that has to rule on this."

"Not always. A governor has made peace accords. We are coming on turbulent times because the various German races are expanding. Rome will ask for more Auxiliaries but there is the need to pay them. The Augustus has paid for a legion's loyalty the same as he does for the Auxiliaries. This will have to change but it cannot at the moment.

"It takes time to educate people into a new way of thinking. It also takes time to build rail lines and roads. Shifting the burden of the army to the taxpayers is going to be difficult unless there is more money being made.

"If I make enough iron products then you can sell them for a good profit. This goes to pay the troops until the burden can be shifted. If we are lucky, the troops will buy more iron products with the money they get."

Julian said, "We have gone over this before. I have a need of gold now and before I help you sell your products."

"I can help by pre-paying my taxes. I can also loan you some but I do not have that much gold. I will only get it by selling in Italia or Greece. Transportation will be a problem because of the size and weight of what I sell."