Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 05] Revolt of the Red Witch
Page 26
“We,” that is the Tribune and myself, believe that she is hiding somewhere in the Land of the Lakes and will go, in the spring to either Mona or to Caledonia.”
“Why those places?”
“Mona is her spiritual home Sir and she is an ally of Calgathus and Lulach.”
“Any chance of finding her?”
“In the winter? No Sir. In the spring? Probably.”
“Well we will have to leave that. Now a more pressing matter. You have brought one prisoner back? Is he one of the leaders of the rebellion?”
“No Sir, just a warrior.”
“Tomorrow, when you are rested we will need to find the leaders and punish them.”
The following day the snow had abated and the day dawned cold, clear and icy blue. The Legate had ordered the cohort of the Ninth to gather all the males in the stronghold and bring them to the front of the headman’s house. There were over a hundred of them and they looked in terror at the hardened faces of the legionaries who were lined up all around them. When Gaelwyn and Julius emerged some of them paled.
The Legate stood on the steps. “We have been awaiting the return of the Prefect and his Brigante associate, Gaelwyn”; the Brigante looked in puzzlement at Julius who shrugged, “I will ask you once and once only which of the men before me are your leaders. I wish them to step forward.”
No-one moved. Julius and Gaelwyn had spotted Colla trying to hide amongst the others, towards the back. Their eyes bored into him, letting him know that they had recognised him.
“Obviously your leaders have not got the courage to reveal themselves, a pity. I now ask you to identify them for me.” Again there was silence and shuffling of feet. “Oh what I forgot to mention was that if I do not receive cooperation from you then the Prefect and, er, Gaelwyn who I believe some of you know, will identify the leaders for me and I will decimate the male population.”
This time there was confused silence until Gaelwyn coughed and said, “That means one in every ten of you will be crucified. Sorry Sir.”
Smiling behind his hand Appius said, “Thank you Gaelwyn, clarity is all important.” Turning back to the crowd who were now visibly rattled, he continued, “one out of every ten men will be crucified and their families sold into slavery.”
There was a collective scream from the women and a murmur of outraged anger from the men. “Well Prefect.”
Colla stepped forward. “I am the one you want. I am Colla chief of these people.”
The Prefect said, “You are one of the ones we want. Should I identify the others?” Six men reluctantly stepped forward. “Where is the leader Ownie?”
One of the leaders spat out, “Look in the valley you will see his head on a spear!”
The Legate looked at the Prefect. “We had a small skirmish before we pursued the Queen he must have been one of those we killed.”
“Any more Prefect?”
“No Sir that looks to be it.”
“You are very y people of the Carvetii and Brigante for it is in my power to sell into slavery everyone who participated in the rebellion whether leader or just warrior or even a woman who made some arrows but I am disposed, after talking to those who know you,” he gestured towards Marcus and Gaelwyn, “to leniency. However as you have demonstrated that I cannot trust you, yet, I am leaving a cohort of Tungrians here. You will assist them to build a fort and they will ensure that you are all the good citizens I know you to be. First Spear, take these men away.”
The next day the snows had started to melt a little and the people of Brocauum awoke to the sound of hammering. By the time the sun had fully risen and the blue sky was filled with thin wispy clouds, they could see on the hillside above the town eight crosses moving slowly up the hill, carried by legionaries. The condemned prisoners marched along the road which traversed the hill for the Legate wanted everyone who used the road to see the power of Rome. Even as they watched they saw the seven leaders taken there and one by one held down on the crosses. As soon as the first nail was hammered into the Colla’s ankles they heard the scream which echoed through the empty chilly hills. Women hid their faces in husband’s shoulders and children crouched fearfully behind their parents. When the last scream had stopped they heard more hammering but this time no scream. One by one the crosses were lifted in to their holes and the soil and stones packed around them. When the eighth one was erected they peered to see who it was for only seven leaders had been taken. A young woman with sharper eyes than the rest screamed as she saw the headless corpse of Ownie nailed to the cross.
“Carvetii and Brigante look upon this hill and look at your doom. This is a warning of the danger of rebellion and, as you can see, death does not prevent punishment. As well as my soldiers let this serve as a reminder as you go about your daily work. Rome is here to stay and all rebellion and rebels will be treated in this way.”
Later that day a long column snaked east towards Morbium at the head rode the Legate flanked by the remaining troopers of Marcus’ Horse, The wagon which followed contained Gaius and his family and finally the Ninth legion marched proudly along the Roman road. Though they had taken losses and approached disaster the Legion and the auxiliaries had once again proved that Rome was a force to be reckoned with.
Epilogue
In the cave, sheltered from the harsh winds buffeting the land, Morwenna and her acolytes sat naked around the fire burning the secret herbs and fungi. Their guards were banished to the entrance as they dreamed their dream and communed with the Mother. Despite the cold the hot perfumed sweat dripping from their bodies spoke of the powerful spell they were creating. The three distended bellies all showed the first signs of new life and the spell would ensure that the three new life forms would be part of the circle; they would be part of the mother. Their hands played around each other’s breasts and hair as they dreamed their dream. Later when they had finished, and they had pleasure enough they would dress and summon the men from the outside to come and prepare food for the Queen and her entourage had much to prepare before the spring and the renewed assault on Rome.
At the cave entrance none of the Brigante guards would have dared to turn around and witness the mystery. They would all stand there until summoned back to the warmth or die frozen. Tadgh, the new leader, had had his instructions clearly laid out by Aodh before he departed. He was to serve the Queen unto death and Tadgh and the remaining guards had sworn the oath of brothers to do so.
Aodh , for his part was leading his two horses through the pass which led north from the land of the Carvetii. He had performed his duties to Morwenna and her acolytes and when they were sure he had planted his seed in all of them he was dismissed to perform his next task and lay the groundwork for the spring offensive which would see Caledonii, Votadini and Selgovae join forces with the Brigante for a new uprising to destroy the Romans. He smiled at the remembrance of the night of creation as Morwenna had put it. It had not been one of lovemaking but the three of them had worked Aodh until he was exhausted and only when he slept did the lovemaking start.
Decius Lucullus was in hiding. He was cursing this new Legate who had sent his men to look for him and his gold. There had been no chance to find a ship of any description in Deva. They had spent a fruitless month trying to secure one and then, when they were looking a little out of place, the legionary cavalry, sent by the Legate, had arrived looking for Decius and his men. He and his small band of warriors and their mules, laden with gold, had been forced to flee and desperately were looking for a safe place in which to winter. The mountains around Wyddfa were ringed with soldiers seeking the gold and the mines from whence they had come which ruled out the land he was familiar with. He suspected that his uncle had left some written clue which the new Legate had discovered; whatever the reason his future lay not in the land of the Ordovices. Further south there were just too many Romans and he and his small group of mercenaries had been forced to take a decision they did not which to take, they were heading north where there were fewer Rom
ans and more barbarians! Decius just prayed to the Allfather for a ship somewhere on the west coast, a ship which could outrun the Classis Britannica. He would head to the sparsely populated, land of the Lakes.
“Julius you cannot resign! What would we do without you?”
“Kind words Salvius but think of the deaths I caused this year and the misery I brought to these lands because of my selfish and unjustified pursuit of Modius. No it is the right and the honourable thing to do. Besides my father is getting old and seeing Ailis and the boys with Gaius I am mindful of my family obligations. I ought to be there for him.”
“But the ala.”
“The ala will go on, as it did after Marcus left. Besides there will be so many new recruits that it will take a new leader to bring out the best of them.”
Salvius could see the determination on the Prefect’s face. In his heart he was glad because he was sure that Julius would, otherwise, have sought death on the battlefield to atone for his error of judgment. “We will miss you Sir. You have been a good leader.”
“I don’t know about that Salvius if I were a good leader then the best soldier in the ala would be alive today and not lying in the back of beyond. But I will miss the country and the ala but most of all I shall miss my friends like you and Marcus, Gaius and Gaelwyn. I will miss the keen young officers like Livius and Cassius. I will even miss those who have cursed me like Sergeant Cato but I will do the honourable thing and I will go. I leave for Eboracum in the morning. Soon I will be in Rome and see my father. I have much to tell him.”
“You will stay with me until we have rebuilt your home and this time it will be even stronger.”
“Thank you Marcus. I will not argue with you. I am just grateful that we have a home in which to winter.”
“Aye many Brigante will die this winter for the Caledonii stole their cattle and many men died. Families will suffer because they have no food.”
“I know Gaelwyn but that is the price rebels pay.”
“Not true Marcus. The rebels are dead. It is the price their families pay. And it is a high one. Had we been here we might have prevented so many deaths.”
“You cannot undo the past. The Allfather willed it, you told me that when Macro died. Perhaps the Allfather needed this to make the people realise that Rome is their future for good or ill.”
“What I know Marcus, and Gaelwyn, is that I will ensure that my family will never again suffer. I came so close to losing everything that I hold dear that I have made a vow.” Drawing the Sword of Cartimandua from its scabbard he added, “I thought I had finished with this and with fighting but I can see that it still needs to be wielded and, until Decius comes of an age to own it I swear by the Allfather that I will continue to use the Sword of Cartimandua to fight those who would destroy the peace that we have won.”
The End
Glossary
Ailis Gaius' wife
Alavna Ardoch in Perthshire
Anchorat Morwenna's acolyte
Aodh Caledonii warrior and Morwenna's lover
Appius Mocius Camillus Legate
Atticus Headman at Streonshal
Aula Luculla Wife of the ex-governor
bairns children
Blatobulgium Birrens north of Carlisle
Bodotria River Firth
breeks Brigante trousers
Calgathus King of the Caledonii
capsarius medical orderly
Clota River Clyde
Colla Brigante chief
Coriosopitum Corbridge
Danum Doncaster
Decius Lucullus Sallustius' nephew
Derventio Malton
Deva Chester
Dunum Fluvius River Tees
Eboracum York
First Spear The senior centurion in any unit
Gaelwyn Ex Brigante scout and uncle to Ailis
Gaius Metellus Aurelius Decurion Marcus' Horse
Glanibanta Ambleside
Gnaeus Seius Pavo First Spear- Ninth
Julius Demetrius Decurion Marcus' Horse
Livius Lucullus Sallustius' nephew
Luentinum Pumsaint gold mine in west Wales
Luguvalium Carlisle
Luigsech Morwenna's nurse
Lulach Caledonii Chief
Maban Morwenna's acolyte
Macro Decurion Marcus' Horse
Mamucium Manchester
Marcus Aurelius Maximunius Former ala commander
Mona Anglesey
Morbium Piercebridge
Morwenna Fainch's daughter
Nerva Emperor of Rome
Ownie Brigante chief
Parcae Roman Fates
Parthalan Brigante Chief
phalerae Roman award for bravery
Pol Brigante warrior
Sergeant Cato Horse trainer Marcus' Horse
Taus River Solway
Tava River Tay
Titus Duilius Blaesus Tribune of the Ninth
uncia Roman inch
Vedra River Wear
Vibius Duilius Scaeva Garrison Commander Eboracum
Vindomora Ebchester, County Durham
Vinovia Binchester, County Durham
Viroconium Wroxeter
Author’s note
The Brigante did rebel in the mid to late 90s but the reason was not necessarily the Caledonii. Much of Agricola’s gains were lost in the six years following his departure, mainly due to the withdrawal of legions from Britannia. Coriosopitum was burned in the mid nineties and shortly after a horde buried beneath the fort (the fort was rebuilt in 108). It was considered the best way to look after money- no banker’s bonuses then!
Morwenna is, of course, like her mother Fainch, fictitious but the religion which she is part of was not and Druids, male and female were powerful figures.
Seton is based upon the submerged village which lies just off the north east coast between Hartlepool and Seaton Carew. There is a submerged forest and it would have been one of the larger settlements upon that coast. The names of the places in the book are taken from the Ordnance Survey map of Roman Britain and the names taken from historical sources. Some of the characters like Emperor Nerva and Calgathus are real whilst most of the others are fictitious.
As always in my books, and by the way thanks for reading them, they are works of fiction. I know that they are not necessarily totally accurate but that is not by intention, more by incompetence!
Griff Hosker December 2011
Other books by
Griff Hosker
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Ulpius Felix- Roman Warrior
Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua
Book 2 The Horse Warriors
Book 3 Invasion Caledonia
Book 4 Roman Retreat
Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch
Book 6 Druid’s Gold
Book 7 Trajan’s Hunters
Book 8 The Last Frontier
Book 9 Hero of Rome
Book 10 Roman Hawk
Book 11 Roman Treachery
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Table of Contents
Thanks
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Glossary
Author’s note
Other books byGriff Hosker