Next part!
After recovering from the initial shock of the ambush, a quick-witted centurion at the head of the column formed his men up into a defensive position. It was a crude imitation of the formations endlessly practiced and perfected on the parade ground, but given the time for his men to react, it was passable. With no time to loose their javelins at the enemy, the front two ranks instead extended their throwing arms and pointed the weapons at the approaching warriors. It presented a prickly obstacle for the brigands, but their sheer determination to get through the Roman line proved to be just as potent. Scores of soldiers on either side were struck down and eventually it was the legionaries that began to buckle.
The general, watching the destruction of his detachment unfold before his very eyes, turned to the closest officer. "Return to the main unit and report the situation to the officer in charge as well as the governor. Tell him to send the main column of legionaries - we need all the help we can get." the general spoke with a certain resolve, and the officer could tell he wasn't letting the unit go down without a fight. "Yes, sir!" the officer replied, before galloping back through the canyon at top speed. The general turned back to the fight at hand, preparing for his inevitable demise at the hands of the enemy, and drew his sword, striking it out at any warrior that dared to approach him.
The Roman line began to crumble and soon the battle devolved into a series of one-on-one combats, a test of skills and strength, rather than simply a showcase for the well-honed, disciplined war machine that was the legions of Rome. The legionaries towards the rear of the column began to slowly but surely give ground, with many attempting to flee the battlefield outright.
Arriving mere minutes after the general ordered him to report to the main column, the officer dismounted and approached the general's staff with a certain degree of dread. The governor wouldn't be happy about this delay - perhaps more than a delay; the column sent forward into the ravine could be dead already, the officer reflected with a trace of anxiety. Still, he must make his report. "Sir, the forward column was ambushed only minutes ago. The general respectfully wishes that the rest of the unit reports to the scene to address the situation." the officer spoke, hoping that his tone didn't betray his fear. He must act cool in order to cast the best impression on his superiors. The governor motioned towards the centurion at the head of the main column. "Advance into the canyon." he spoke with confidence, as if he had been waiting for this moment all along. The circumstances of the decision were understandable, so none of the officers argued with governor's choice, but still, it was unusual, to say the least, for a political figure to be acting as a military figure and giving orders as a veteran of the Roman army.
At a brisk march, it didn't take long for the legionaries to reach the tail end of the column. Unfortunately, the legionaries attempting to flee from the detachment currently engaged in battle were confronted by the approaching main column, which resulted in somewhat of a tangle towards the rear end of the skirmish. After a few minutes, the two detachments finally met up. As the morale of the legionaries was boosted, they began to push forward, against the enemy line, which, moments ago, had been poised to break the Roman formation. Sensing a shift in numbers, the warriors fell back to the rock wall at the end of the canyon and prepared to make their final stand.
The legionaries advanced without remorse, bearing down on the enemy line at a measured pace, short swords bristling from between the rectangular shields unique to the legions. It was a hard fought, but quick fight. The legionaries managed to win the day simply by sheer manpower. For their adversaries, fighting with their backs to the impenetrable rock wall turned out to be an unfortunate choice as they were surrounded and unable to flee the battlefield.
The Roman officers had thankfully been able to rein in the legionaries during the fight, noting that the capture of prisoners would be far more valuable than eliminating them entirely. The general approached a junior officer - "Any sign of the enemy commander?" he asked. "None, sir. We did just discover a narrow pathway in which the their leader could have used to escape during the heat of the battle." replied the officer. With prisoners in tow, the column marched away from the scene. As they left, the general couldn't help but feel that the battle wasn't over just yet.
This might be the last instalment of the story for a while; I'm out of town for the next few weeks and won't be able to continue shooting before the beginning of August at the early. Hope you've enjoyed it so far!
