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Ambush (Read 10829 times)
Thearos
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Ambush
Oct 14th, 2009 at 2:33pm
 
The ammunition party left camp before dawn: a dozen mules with their drivers, twenty Balearic slingers, a squadron of Numidian cavalry. They marched an hour to the dry river bed spotted by the scouts the previous day, and the slingers immediately set about collecting the dun round  stones, weighing and choosing and rejecting, with quick rough skilled hands. They worked quickly and filled the two panniers on each mule with egg-sized stones. There was some delay, while the Carthaginian officer counted and recounted the total: the orders were for twelve thousand stones, and he would be sure before he left. The slingers amused themselves by aiming shots at a boulder in the river bed, while the Numidians watched, but soon the sun became too hot, and they sat in the shade. Finally the officer was done, the panniers closed and sealed and numbered and listed, and the party set out on the return road, mules trotting, the Numidians in front, the slingers marching behind the mules.

The ambush was well laid and it helped that the column had grown confused and too close so that the first volleys of arrows and javelins down from the olive grove on the hill caught the horsemen, the mules and the slingers all together. Before the Numidians could rally, a wedge of Roman cavalry rode round the hill and made straight for them and the Numidians did not stand, but turned, and they hadn't the speed to escape the first javelins and spear thrusts, and some of them fell and vanished in the dust and their horses rode on. The mules had bolted, and the Roman cavalry turned back from the Numidians and cut down the muleteers and the slingers, singly. A small group of Baleares grouped together and waited for the cavalry to charge close and threw each a brace of javelins at twenty paces and brought down the first rank of the Roman horsemen, the remainder wheeling off, and leaving the knot of Baleares to die under the arrows.

Soon round shields appeared among the olive trees, Roman javelin-men, with wolf-skins on top of their helmets, the old enemies of the Baleares in the line. Behind them, long shields, the gleam of bronze helmets, mail coats: a full centuria of legionaries. The Romans came out into the open, in skirmish order, with javelins cocked, stepping high though the long summer grass, but the slingers were all dead or wounded or cowed and awaiting the swords, and the Romans moved out quickly, the rest was easy work, flushing the remaining Baleares and shooting them in the back and finishing off the wounded and mutilating the dead, hacking at the faces and the limbs. The usual afterbattle music had arisen, the whirring cicadas not quite blotting out the grunting and the cleaving, the short barked orders, and the pleading and the weeping and the cries of the wounded. The Roman cavalrymen had galloped off in pursuit of the Numidians.

Just a few more feet. Keep crawling. Head down. Dont look up.
That mule isnt dead yet. Watch for the kick.
The pannier's broken but still full. No need to cut the ties. Which is good since I seem to have dropped my knife.
We should have set out earlier and we shouldnt have returned the same way we came No use thinking of that now.
My head's bleeding but thats just when I threw myself down. I'm fine. My right arms fine.
A few more feet.
I'll take down the first Romans quickly. All body shots. Nothing fancy. The rest will freeze then scatter behind shields
Shoot anyone who raises a javelin within forty paces.
Shoot anyone with a bow.
Then just anyone close. Break shields. Make them run.
There now. Just me and my sling and a full pannier of ammunition and lots of Romans. Ive done this before. Ive done this for Hannibal. Ive even done this for the Barca when I was young.
If only I were twenty years younger.
Stand up now and start shooting.



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« Last Edit: Feb 5th, 2016 at 2:53am by Thearos »  
 
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Fundibularius
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Re: Ambush
Reply #1 - Oct 14th, 2009 at 2:57pm
 
Wow. Great story, Thearos, once again.
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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xxkid123
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Re: Ambush
Reply #2 - Oct 14th, 2009 at 4:04pm
 
awesome, is this based on a true ambush or skirmish, or just off what a battle or ambush could be like?
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Re: Ambush
Reply #3 - Oct 15th, 2009 at 2:58am
 
Your stories are truly impressive. I hope you continue to write more of these. Thank you.
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Re: Ambush
Reply #4 - Oct 15th, 2009 at 7:03am
 
not bad - you're getting better Smiley
Although I have to wonder why the balearic slingers first thought was to throw javelins and not use a sling ?
Surely they'd all have little caches of rocks stored in their elbow bags Wink
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« Last Edit: Oct 15th, 2009 at 10:42am by Curious Aardvark »  

Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One  - works for me Smiley
 
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Re: Ambush
Reply #5 - Oct 15th, 2009 at 4:11pm
 
Curious Aardvark wrote on Oct 15th, 2009 at 7:03am:
not bad - you're getting better Smiley
Although I have to wonder why the balearic slingers first thought was to throw javelins and not use a sling ?
Surely they'd all have little caches of rocks stored in their elbow bags Wink


I'd think that the Balearic slings would only damage and annoy the Romans because of their armor. i would think that it would be much better to just get rid of the cumbersome lances so that you could run, and kill off half the solders, then disrupt and injure the rest in time for reinforcements or something
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There's no break, there's no end, just a-living on;&&Wide awake, with a smile, going on and on.
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Thearos
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Re: Ambush
Reply #6 - Oct 21st, 2009 at 6:00pm
 
Crack; crack; crack. As the mule had fallen a little way off the road, the Romans did not see the slinger at first, as he rose and started shooting with his shortest, sharpest sling. By the time they had spotted him, he had shot down half a dozen men; and half a dozen more, as they rearranged their line to face him. He killed the Roman officer, and the javelin men paused, and the slinger unhooked the warsling which he carried around his waist. The next few shots, at unusually close range for the big sling, smashed the Romans' shields and wounded men behind them, and some of the javelin men started to fall back towards the olive trees and the long shields of the heavies.

Others trotted forward, hesitantly at first, then charged him, led by a grim-faced veteran with the wolfskin on his helmet. The slinger shot him in the face with such force that he knocked him off his feet, and three Romans remained in the fight, rushing at the slinger from different angles. He shot one low in the legs, in front of him, as another man paused to throw a javelin; the slinger caught it in flight and threw it back, transfixing the Roman. The last Roman was now close upon the slinger and he saw him, in perfect, supernatural clarity: the scuffed close fitting leather cap, the red round shield with the wooden spine and the rectangular iron sheet with two big round nailheads, the white tunic, the long sword in the brown hand, the hairs on the arm, the clear, perhaps not unkind eyes. So this is what the man looks like who will kill me, the slinger thought, but still he  crouched and waited to leap when the Roman would make to lunge or to hack, but the Roman held off, both his shield and his sword circling so that the slinger wouldn't know where the short, sharp, disabling blow would come from. Then the Roman stopped with a grunt, and looked, in puzzlement, at the red-streaked black point protruding from his chest. The slinger recognized one of fire-hardened stakes which the Numidians used for javelins, and then realised the Numidians were flowing around the Roman infantry to drive straight for the heavies at the edge of the grove. The Roman straightened, as if he wanted to walk away from it all, then turned and crumpled softly in the dust like a man settling down for a little rest. The slinger had alread lept at a passing horse and gripped the mane and clung tight, keeping pace with flying steps. This is the second time I've seen a live Roman javelin-man so close. I cant let there be a third or I might die for good.
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« Last Edit: Mar 3rd, 2016 at 4:23pm by Thearos »  
 
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Fundibularius
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Re: Ambush
Reply #7 - Oct 22nd, 2009 at 7:08am
 
  Wink Smiley Grin, but no, please.

This would be the version directed by Jean-Claude van Damme, with Jason Statham as The Slinger, Gary Busey as The Evil Centurion, with the special apperance of Vin Diesel as The Last Roman and Grace Jones as The Leader of the Numidians. Not to mention Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal (who else?).

Hollywood would be waiting, though.
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Thearos
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Re: Ambush
Reply #8 - Oct 22nd, 2009 at 9:16am
 
Good casting, that. Not Vin Diesel as Hannibal ?
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Re: Ambush
Reply #9 - Oct 22nd, 2009 at 11:30am
 
lol nice.
Like the casting too.
But maybe for future episodes the balearics would probably be walking with short hunting slings at the ready.
Food did not come from supermarkets so it's a safe bet that any slinger walking through country would have a short hunting sling to hand - for supper Smiley
Any bird that was put up or rabbit that was startled, would have stood a good chance of being taken down for food.
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Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One  - works for me Smiley
 
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Fundibularius
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Re: Ambush
Reply #10 - Oct 22nd, 2009 at 12:59pm
 
With as numerous bodies of slingers on the road as under Hannibal, I guess any edible bird or rabbit would be long gone before getting into slinging range.
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Fundibularius
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Re: Ambush
Reply #11 - Oct 22nd, 2009 at 1:15pm
 
Thearos wrote on Oct 22nd, 2009 at 9:16am:
Not Vin Diesel as Hannibal ?


He failed for that role during the casting (could not pronounce the word "Cannae" and "Lake Trasimene" properly).

I forgot to mention Bruce Boxleitner as Scipio Africanus. Oh yes, and Johnny Depp as The Mule (Academy Award within reach).
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Thearos
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Re: Ambush
Reply #12 - Oct 22nd, 2009 at 5:42pm
 
Alternative ending

The slinger rose and prepared for his shot, but an arrow wounded him and the Romans closed in and killed him javelins and a veles cut his head off and left it by the roadside
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Fundibularius
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Re: Ambush
Reply #13 - Oct 23rd, 2009 at 5:36am
 
Politically correct ending:

The slinger got up. He was ready to kill the first Roman when he saw the uplifted hand. Unarmed. The international sign of don´t shoot me, I´m only the lyra player.
"Do we really have to do this?" the Roman asked. He was obviously a high ranking officer. The slinger remained in the ready position, not knowing what to think about this.
"I regret this", the Roman continued with a gesture to all the dead men, Numidians, North Africans, Iberians. "It was all a big misunderstanding. We thought you were Germanic thieves." His Punic was good, only with a slight Latin accent. Somebody who was obviously experienced in dealing with foreign peoples.
"I think you know your leader, Hannibal", the Roman said. "Please go back to him and tell him that Quintus Fabius offers him peace in the name of the senate. We are sick of all this killing, all this violence. Rome wants peace and fair trade, just like Carthage, as I firmly believe. Is not the Mediterranean large enough for both of us?"
The slinger lowered his weapon. What the man said sounded reasonable. By Melkart, why did all this have to be? How had it all started? Was there still the chance for  a better world?
"I´ll go and speak to Hannibal", he said. He felt relieved in a way.
"All right." Fabius gave a sign to his men, and they put their arms down. The slinger could hear the song of a single bird on a tree not far away.
"By the way", Fabius said, "I have a very beautiful daughter who adores slingers and slinging. Would you mind to give her a few lessons, I mean, after the signing of the peace treaty?"
"Sure", the slinger said. "Why not?" He stretched his back. "So long."
"So long, friend." Fabius tried a smile.
The slinger turned around and mounted the horse which one of the Romans had led to him.
"Hi-ho", he murmured, and the stallion understood.
They gallopped west, into the sinking sun, towards the horizon, the Carthaginian camp and a better future.


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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Thearos
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Take that

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Re: Ambush
Reply #14 - Oct 23rd, 2009 at 7:32am
 
Even better: make them gay lovers by the end. That'll make for a popular historical novel for the Berard Cornwell crowd !
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