Kingdom

Chapter 2 - Reconnaissance

Two years have passed and any opposition to Vorenus being hailed as Imperator has long since passed, even the factions who were completely against the migration are now united under him. I have also been busy, learning to fight, as well as reading more, and trying my hand at riding horses. Two years having passed would mean it's also the year twenty-four AD.

I have come to see the world in a new light these past years, people in a new light as well - especially Julia. I say that I am busy and that I am doing all these things, but I do them for one reason and one reason only. I want to be more like Vorenus, he is not a man you can put down and keep down, he always finds a way, he always has some strategy up his sleeve, and his leadership is unparalleled. He is still by and far the best fighter among us and has pulled away from Titus. Vorenus directly tutors me when he can but it is not too often, it is busy being Imperator.

Over these last years Vorenus has just recently formed an alliance with another Gallic tribe, the Samnites, making us allies with both them and the Marcomanni - who have been instrumental in our successes and founding of our city - Lutetia. Other than them we were able to vassalize two tribes among the thirteen, the Sequani and the Etruscans. Meaning we now rival the power of the other four tribes who remain in the Gallic confederation. The other five tribes left the confederation as soon as they heard we allied with the Marcomanni - Vorenus' plan worked exactly as he expected. It also did not hurt that he vowed to take no harmful action against any of the tribes who leave the Gallic confederation.

Vorenus is expected to return home any day now from his diplomatic expedition where he was able to get the support of the Samnites. As if on cue, I hear the horns blair telling of his arrival. The streets lined up and ready for his arrival cheer and gawk at him, and I think to myself "What a man he has become". And yet again I swear to myself that I will one day be better than him, someway, somehow, I have to be. Much has changed these last months, Vorenus was even given the name Gallicus to show off his exploits in the land of Gallica. Making his full name now Vorenus Gallicus, still far off from our fathers full name of Metellius Germanicus Africanus Gothicus, a name which shows his achievements all over the known world. However, much of the places he fought our people have not returned to in years because of us having been driven west, and as people do when they lose wars, we have lost of course many people, but also our technology and knowledge of the world.

Because of this Vorenus even created his own department of cartographers whose sole job is to make accurate maps, and a few of them travel with the scouts when exploring unexplored areas. I guess I can see how that would be useful, but a whole department for it?

"Salvius" Vorenus calls. As I walk into his room I see Julia, Domitian, and Vespasian already there. Vespasian, I have learned, is one of my fathers oldest friends and is also head of the scouting department, which explains why he is almost never here in the city.

"You three will go out on a reconnaissance mission with Vespasian". I hate reconnaissance missions.

I meet up with Vespasian the next day to set off early in the morning with Julia and Domitian.

"We will go north until we come across the Rhone" Vespasian says. "Once we come upon that river, if we do not find a bridge we will lash rafts together and cross it, once across we will head north and map out the area and see how far the ocean is from the river". The ocean, I have never seen it with my own eyes before.

"I love the ocean" Domitian exclaims. He is two years my elder and the only one of us rookies to have seen the ocean.

"Isn't there supposed to be a huge island on the other side of the ocean north of us?" asks Julia.

"Yes," Vespasian says. "However, we will not be going that far, our main objective is to see how many stades the river is from the ocean and map the surrounding area. No more, no less."