Chapter 4

  The next morning, she woke up at the crack of dawn to the chirping of birds and the first rays of the day. Still tired, she rubbed her eyes and then got up to wash and dress. Then she stepped out of the tent and looked around. Outside was already a bustling commotion. Busy soldiers hurried back and forth, packing their things, praying, or otherwise preparing for the impending battle. Livia nodded to a few of them in greeting and walked to the command tent, where Brutus and Servius were already studying the maps.

  As she entered, they looked up and bowed slightly.

  "Lady," greeted Servius as Brutus stared at her. "Senators," replied Livia. She wondered why Brutus hadn't said anything contemptuous yet.

  "You are late," he said as expected. She ignored him and turned to Servius.

  "Do you have any new information about the strength or strategies of the barbarians?" Servius was just about to say something, but Brutus interrupted, obviously annoyed that Livia was not letting herself be provoked by him.

  "We are the most successful and best warriors in the world, we will probably just manage to defeat a horde of barbarians."

  "It would be extremely unwise to underestimate the Vandals just because they may not appear as educated and civilized as we are. Many people before us have already made this fatal mistake. It would be better if we focus on studying them thoroughly and planning the battle adequately, rather than facing an unpleasant surprise."

  "That takes up unnecessary time, which we don't have," Brutus replied sharply.

  "Yes, we do have that time," Livia replied calmly, continuing to study the maps without being fazed. "It won't do any good to attack now. They are prepared for it. That would only mean unnecessary losses, which we can't afford when we're outnumbered anyway. No, we will wait until they no longer expect an attack.”

  She looked at Servius. "Tell me what you have learned about the barbarians."

  A few hours later, they were just in the process of evaluating the terrain when suddenly loud screams erupted from outside and a legionary burst in.

  "The mercenaries, Lady Livia," he gasped, out of breath. "They are attacking each other and demanding more money."

  Quickly, she stepped out of the tent, mounted her horse, and rode to the scene, followed by Servius and Brutus.

  "What's going on here?" her voice echoed over the square as she signaled her soldiers to separate the fighters.

  "This bastard called me a coward!" one of the mercenaries roared, spitting at the other. The guards barely managed to hold them back before they went for each other's throats again.

  "Because you are one!" the other replied.

  "Enough!" Livia interrupted them, and to her astonishment, the two actually stopped and glared at each other with hostility. She was just about to speak when an interjection interrupted her.

  "We want more money!"

  "Yes, more money," echoed more and more voices around her, using the tense situation to put even greater pressure on her. Livia watched the spectacle for a while, then raised her hand and the mercenaries fell silent.

  "You want more money, then," she huffed. "Have you already earned your money? It must have slipped my mind that I saw you fight. And did I not promise you ample rewards if we win? You want to revel in luxury without having done anything for it. Don't you have any dignity? You are considered some of the best warriors in the world. Do you not want to bring honor to your name? The Vandals would laugh at you. Lazy, they would say. The Roman mercenaries are so lazy and greedy, they would stab their brothers in the back just to get more. Despicable, they would call you. You."

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  She pointed at a group of mercenaries.

  "You Chatten, do you want to return home knowing you did not fight? What would your wives say about it? Your sons, who look up to you as a role model? Will they want a dishonorable man and father? Do you want to be mocked?" she asked the assembled crowd.

  "No," came the scattered replies.

  "Do you want to be mocked?" she shouted even louder.

  "No!" the mercenaries roared in unison.

  "Fine!" Livia continued. "You will get your money soon! And it will not be your only reward. Your families, your chieftains, everyone will shower you with praise and reverence. They will be delighted by your glorious victory, speaking for centuries to come about how the brave Germanic mercenaries are invincible. For if you do not fight for Rome, then fight for yourselves, for your honor, for your people!"

  Cheers erupted, and the mercenaries tapped their shields in recognition.

  Livia smiled for a second, then turned around to ride back to the command tent. Her hands trembling like aspen leaves.

  Upon arrival, the two senators and she continued to survey the area.

  "From what we know, the Vandals have entrenched themselves behind the walls of Syracus," began Servius. "If they are still there this evening, we will have to besiege them at least for a short time." Livia agreed with him.

  "I don't think they will withstand a siege for long, after all, they were short-sighted enough to start a fire. Most of their supplies will have been burned, and most of the wells are outside. They will have to come out sooner or later.“

  "Then we have the problem that the city has several gates and we don't have enough capacity to station our people in front of each one. The troops would then be too small and could be easily defeated," Servius interjected.

  "Furthermore, the area around the city is uneven and wooded," criticized Brutus. "We can't form a formation there."

  "I know," replied Livia. "That's why we will hide here." She pointed to a spot on the map, a few kilometres north of Syracus. Servius frowned.

  "But that's a dead end, Mistress Livia. We would be trapped."

  "Exactly," she replied laconically. "What will happen to the soldiers if there is no escape option?""she asked the two of them."

  "They are dying." Livia nodded.

  "Right. And because they know this, they will not lose, failure is not an option in such a situation.”

  "That's cruel," Brutus complained.

  Livia sighed. "We have no choice. It is our only way to compensate for our numerical disadvantage. There we can form a formation and the soldiers will fight with all their might because they have no other choice. If we don't do that, we are all lost anyway. That's why we will wait for them there at dusk."

  Regrettably, Servius agreed with her.

  "But it's all just speculation," Brutus wouldn't let the matter rest. "How do you even know that the Vandals are really heading in this direction? As far as I know, they want to conquer Italy, so it would make more sense for them to move eastward.”

  "It would make sense," Livia agreed with him. "But they also know that we will be coming from this direction. So they travel first to Gela and from there to the east, because that way they can avoid us. Since we haven't attacked yet, they will think that we are still on our way to Syracus. Moreover, they always travel at night to move forward undisturbed, which gives us the perfect opportunity to ambush them."

  Servius looked at her impressed and Livia blushed.

  "Someone paid good attention in class," Brutus couldn't resist another jab, and now Livia's patience finally snapped.

  "Be careful, Senator!" she said to him, her voice as cold as ice. "I value honesty and constructive criticism, but I am tired of having to justify my decisions or actions all the time. We are in a difficult situation and I cannot afford to have someone stab me in the back. A commander must be able to trust his men. And if he can't, well, then those men have to disappear.

  Immediately.

  Furthermore, I don't believe it is advisable to place dubious men in high positions. They sometimes become a bit... overconfident."

  With these words, she stared him straight in the eyes.

  "So the senator should decide what is more important to him, his office or his unrestrained comments. Do we understand each other?" she added threateningly.

  Brutus hesitated briefly, then lowered his head and growled as humbly as he could: "Yes."

  "Good.” She turned to Servius. "We proceed as discussed. Make sure that the men are ready for battle by this evening.”

  "Very well, my lady."

  With one last brief glance at Brutus, she left the tent to prepare herself, her thoughts plagued by fear and worry about what was to come.