Read the "Chase in chariots" extract from Chapter 33: CHAPTER 33 – THE CHASE OF CHARIOTS & HORSEMEN Valerus, suddenly captivated by the disrupted silence, ran back to the chariot. The horses were unusually calm and one had taken the opportunity to graze the roadside. The young man snapped the whip over their ears, bringing all their heads up sharply, and kicked up the earth when it was snapped again. Behind him the lights were approaching; obviously it took some time for the watchmen to bridle their horses, but they were on the way now and catching up. The young man leaned across the railing and cut off the lantern; it shattered across the flagstones, flickering a moment before being swallowed by the darkness. They would first be drawn to where the light had been, Valerus knew, and there would be no indication that he had stopped, but they were going to follow the road, for a chariot of this kind would not do well on bad ground. It was not intended to go off road; it was intended to get to Rome, which meant paved roads all the way. The first horseman was catching up with two more trailing close behind it. They were not carrying any lamps and the sound of their galloping horses was drowned by the rattling of the chariot’s wheels. They were on Valerus by surprise. He loosed the lash again, letting it snap above the horses’ ears just once without touching them. The first horseman galloped up alongside him while the next began to overtake. The young man, whip still in hand, lashed at the rider who shrieked and fell back. The second rider up ahead was reaching across, trying to grab at the bridle of the outer horse. Valerus decided to give him a helping hand. He leaned across the chariot bar and snapped the tracers that bound the animal to the axel. The horse’s hind quarters skated out of line, throwing the rider ahead of him off balance for a second, but its bridle was still attached to the horse beside it. Valerus momentarily pondered his next move. He lashed the whip once more to keep the horses in speed, then jumped the chariot railing to stand on the yoke pole. He cursed when the pain ran up his leg suddenly. The two horses on either side of him tried to turn their heads his way, but the reins forbade it. Still supporting himself on the rail, he took a small step forward, knowing full well what a messy death it would be if he were to fall among the galloping hooves of four horses followed by the wheels of a heavy chariot. He reeled when the guard ahead managed to grab the bridle and yanked at it. The chariot swayed; the half-freed horse began to pull out its hind quarters so that it nearly ran perpendicular to the others. The speed was coming down and the two other riders caught up. One of the inner horses tried to kick at Valerus when his hand came down on its rump. Gathering his strength and ignoring the pain, Valerus swung his leg over the nearest horse’s back, drew his knife and began to hack at the strap that bound the horse from bit to bit. When it tore loose, the horse sped ahead of the others, its rump hitting the horse and rider so hard that both tumbled across the flagstones. Valerus felt the thump as a wheel went over either man or horse; he could not tell. He was now on the back of the outer horse tied to the yoke pole. He leaned across the animal’s neck to unclip the strap that bound it to the pole when a whip seared into his back. With a grunt he looked over his shoulder. A guard was keeping steady pace beside him. In his hand he was carrying a whip, spinning it at his horse’s flank for a second strike. Valerus turned back and fiddled the strap until it came loose on its own accord and slipped from the bit’s ring. He then turned hurriedly, feeling another lash as he removed the chain lock at the horse’s flank. He was free. The chariot, now being pulled by two horses on the right of the yoke pole, skidded across the flagstones and overturned within a few meters. For a yard or two the panicked horses dragged it before being forced to a standstill. Valerus hauled back on the reins and passed behind the whip bearer. When the guard looked around wildly, he saw the young man come around with the scabbard of his sword. He tried to turn his head away but there was still a ring when it hit him across his helmet. The horse was empty the next instant. There was one more, though, and by the quick glimpse he was heavily armed. There was a bow slung across his back. In the distance even more were underway, these with lights flickering his direction. He pulled the horse off the road and spurred it in the ribs, cutting away a few more of the traces. Now it was a matter of speed. If he could outrun a fully armed guard, he would make it around the mountain to Pompeii before the late morning. see more at: amazon/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Havens+of+Pompeii+-+Nicoline+Louw
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 07:47:32 +0000
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