"Shall I cut his throat and send him on his way to his gods," he cried.
Bary took two steps forwards and struck Finlay with a mighty punch sending the smaller man flying.
"I told you to wait for my signal," Bary roared. He took another step forwards his fist raised to strike again but his own men rushed to hold him back. On the ground Finlay was wiping the blood from his chin. He looked bruised but defiant.
"Yeah well, we got them all didn't we," he snapped rising slowly to his feet and giving Bary a contemptuous glance.
"Please spare my life. They will exchange me for four of your own held at Cawdor. I promise," the captured Roman officer suddenly said speaking in the Caledonian language. The prisoners eyes were fixed on Emogene.
The war band turned on the captive in surprise and Emogene suddenly realised that she had been wrong. The man was not a Batavian, he was a Briton. Her eyes widened and she felt a strange unease as the prisoner continued to stare at her. The man's gaze was broken when Bary slapped him across the head.
"How come you speak our language?" he growled. "Where are you from?"
The prisoner remained on his knees and looked up at Bary, "The Brigantes were my tribe and I served Queen Cartimandua once. That was long ago. Now I serve Rome, the rulers of the world."
"Not in this valley they don't," Bary growled. The war band fell silent. The prisoner turned his head and stared again at Emogene. "Exchange me and I promise they will hand over four of yours in return," the man repeated.
"They took Kegan and three of his brothers to Cawdor a few days ago," Finlay said glancing at the prisoner, "Maybe we should do as he suggests? They would be a welcome addition to our band. Kegan is my kin."
"I don't know," Bary said circling around the prisoner, "It could be a trap." He kicked the prisoner in his thigh and the man yelped in pain. "Why would Cawdor exchange you for four of ours? What's so special about you?"
The prisoner rubbed his thigh painfully. "I am important, I have friends. They will do what I tell them," he muttered.
"Kill him, kill him now," Emogene said suddenly. Her face was cold and harsh. A few of the men murmured in agreement but Finlay shook his head. "Exchange him and get our boys back. Then when he comes out here again we will kill him. That is a better bargain."
Emogene felt Bones idle up to her and lick her hand. Her eyes however were on the prisoner. Her sense of unease had not gone away.
"I say kill him," she raised her bow and took aim at the prisoner but Bary raised his arm and moved to block her.
"No," he snapped, "Finlay is an idiot but on this occasion he is right. We must look after our own. We will do the exchange."
Emogene lowered her bow and scowled.
"How?" Finlay said, "How are we going to do the exchange?"
For a moment Bary looked uncertain. Then his eye fell on the wounded Batavian groaning on the ground. He stepped up to the man, rolled him onto his back and gave him a quick examination.
"Tell him that we are prepared to exchange their officer for four of our own. Tell him that if his people accept we will do the exchange tomorrow at noon. Dump this demon close to their fort and make sure they see him. If they don't show up we will know that they have refused. Then we will kill him," Bary added glancing at Emogene.
"I will arrange it," Finlay said gesturing to two of his friends.
Chapter Twenty Two - Why does he not come looking for me?
The highlands were covered in mist when the war band returned to their camp. The camp perched on the summit of a treeless hill. It was nothing more than a scattering of holes dug into the ground and covered over with blocks of peat, wood and grass. A cow stood tied to a pole and chickens pecked their way through the burnt out cooking fires. Further out along the slopes of the hill numerous sheep were grazing. A boy of around fifteen and armed with a spear suddenly emerged from the mist and challenged them. Bary raised his hand in greeting. The boy had been left behind to guard the camp.
The men drifted off to their sleeping places and Emogene sat down in front of her own and started to wax her bow. After she had murdered poor Conall and had escaped from the Roman camp she had returned home hoping to see her husband. But he hadn't been there and in the weeks that followed he had not come. Her father had provided her with no comfort. He had just sat there watching her with his wise pale blue eyes. She had told him about Conall but he had said nothing even though she knew he approved of what she had done. Her father rarely talked. She had been naive to think that life would return to normal after the battle. The men in her village were restless and some had started drifting off into the hills to join the small war bands that were forming to fight the Romans. Her husband must have a reason why he had not returned she thought. Maybe he too had joined one of the war bands? Life in her village had become unbearable so one day she had packed her things, called out to Bones and set off into the highlands to fight and Bary and his men had welcomed her. That had been six months ago.
The Romans had been busy that winter. The soldiers had started constructing a long chain of forts from Cawdor southwards. The forts had been built at the entrances to the glens that led into the highlands. It was as if a gigantic snake had coiled itself around the mountains and was slowly squeezing its people to death. That's how Bary had described the enemy plans. The Roman forts had done something else as well. They had started to separate lowlander from highlander, hunter and herdsman from farmer. Bary and his men had attacked the forts but the Romans had been expecting that and had easily beaten them off. Now the war had entered a new phase, one of ambush, hostage taking and terror. Emogene had killed her first Roman a month ago.
Emogene looked up as Bones padded across to her and lay down at her feet.
Why had her husband not come looking for her? When she would try to understand her mind would become foggy and confused. Some of the warriors in the war band had tried to persuade her to become their woman. She had refused telling them that she was waiting for her husband to return. The men had stared at her as if she was mad. Behind her back they had muttered and gestured. They all thought she was a crazy. She knew what they thought but she didn't care. Her husband was dead they had told her. He wasn't coming back. Well let them believe what they wanted. She spat onto the ground and placed her bow against a rock.
"Emogene come walk with me," Bary was suddenly standing beside her. He looked serious. Bones raised his head but did not get up. Emogene rose to her feet and followed Bary as he strode out of the camp. The mist had thickened and the hills were silent. Bary glanced at her carefully. She had come to know him as an honest and fair leader.
"It is time Emogene that you chose a man," he said gruffly, "the longer you remain single the more restless the men are getting. We have already had one nasty fight over you. I don't want any trouble within the camp. Fighting the Romans is difficult enough."
Emogene shook her head. "I already have a husband, I have told you many times. I don't need another."
A pained expression appeared on Bary's face. He grabbed her by her shoulders and twisted her round to face him.
"This is what I need to talk to you about," he said. "Your husband died last year in battle. Your kin who were with him confirmed it. I spoke with them myself. He is dead. He is not coming back." Bary paused, looked away and sighed, "You have not mourned for him yet have you? You refuse to let him go. But you must Emogene, you must face that reality and move on. Loyalty must end with death. He is gone. Waiting for him will bring you no happiness."
Emogene shook her head. Then with surprising strength she ripped herself free from his grip and stormed away into the mist.
The Roman prisoner had been tied up to the same pole to which the cow was pegged. His arms were twisted behind his back and his uniform were covered in mud and dirt. His chin was resting on his chest and he seemed to be asleep when Emogene stormed back into the camp. Her face was flush with anger. She strode up to the prisoner yanking her knife from her belt. The Roman had just eno
ugh time to look up and see the knife plunging towards him. He yelped but before she could strike Emogene was knocked to the ground.
"What do you think you are doing?" an angry voice cried. She screamed and struggled to get up but the men were too strong for her.
"What happened?" she recognised Bary's voice.
"Emogene just tried to kill the prisoner," one of the men replied.
For a moment all was silent apart from her own ragged breathing.
"Get up," Bary said at last in a weary voice. The pressure on her arms was relaxed and Emogene scrambled to her feet. The men of the war band were staring at her in some puzzlement. Emogene ignored them and turned to the prisoner. The Roman was looking at her in horror. She spat at him.
"Why did you try and kill him? We decided to have him exchanged." Bary snapped.
Emogene pointed a finger at the Roman.
"There is something not right about that man. I don't trust him. He is going to get us all killed. He surrendered too easily."
"What nonsense," a man exclaimed, "How can you know this?"
Emogene shook her head but made no reply. The group fell silent.
"Bary," a voice suddenly cried out from the edge of the camp. It was the boy. "We have company," the boy exclaimed.
All eyes turned in the direction from which the boy had called out. Then three figures emerged like ghosts from the mist and strode towards the camp. Finlay halted as he caught sight of them and nodded.
"It is arranged," he said, "The Romans have accepted the exchange. We do it at noon tomorrow at the ancient circle of stones."
Chapter Twenty Three - The prisoner exchange
Emogene studied the stone circle carefully. She lay on the ground, hidden amongst the rocks on the windswept ridge peering down. The others were doing the same. There were twelve stones in all and they had been set up in a circle in a meadow. No one knew who had erected them but the druids claimed that it had been done a very long time ago when the earth mother was still young. Her father had told her once that the stones had magic inside them and that people had once come to the stone circle to be blessed and healed. Other than that the druids had been silent on the matter. Emogene glanced up at the sky. The war band had taken up their positions early. There was still roughly another hour to go before noon. She turned back to the ancient standing stones. There was no sign of the Romans.
"Are you sure they got the message," Bary muttered glancing at Finlay. The two of them crouched behind a rock. Finlay nodded. "They will come, there is still time."
Emogene turned and stared along the ridge towards the Roman prisoner. The man sat with his back against a slab of rock. Two men were guarding him. He caught her looking at him and smiled. Emogene looked away. Suddenly she felt her heart beating in her chest. Why was he smiling at her? Why was that man always looking at her? Had he never seen a woman before?
She forced herself to look the hundred paces down the slope towards the standing stones. The meadow in which they stood was open and flat and from the ridge where she and the war band lay hidden they had a good view of all the country around them. That view was why Bary had chosen the circle of stones as the location for the exchange. There was little chance of them being surprised up here. From the corner of her eye she suddenly caught sight of the boy running towards her. He ran half bent over and there was urgency in his movement. He flopped to the ground on his stomach beside Bary gasping for breath.
"Bary, we have visitors," he panted. "On the hill behind us. Another war band. I counted twenty men."
"Another war band," Bary frowned. "They are ours, are you sure?"
The boy nodded vigorously. "They are not Romans for sure but I couldn't get close enough to see who they are."
Bary turned and looked over the boys head towards the wooded hill behind them. "What were they doing?" he snapped.
"Nothing, just resting, they made no effort to conceal themselves but they are armed and I think I saw horses but I am not sure."
"Horses?" Bary's eyes gleamed in sudden alarm. "How did they manage to get hold of horses. The Romans are taking away every beast they can find."
The boy shrugged. Bary glanced at Finlay but the small southerner shrugged as well. "Could be just chance that they are here," Finlay muttered.
Bary grunted and then turned to the boy. "Alright go back to your position and keep an eye on them. If they move or anything changes you are to warn us right away. Understood?"
The boy nodded, turned and slithered away.
"I don't like," Bary muttered suddenly. He glanced at Emogene and then at Finlay and then along the ridge towards the prisoner.
"Too late for that now," Finlay hissed, "Look, they are here."
All eyes turned to look down at the circle of standing stones. A troop of Romans had appeared on the trail leading up to meadow. Their armour glinted and reflected in the sunlight as they marched slowly up to the stone circle. They seemed to be in no hurry. Emogene counted twenty armed men. The Romans had come in force. At the rear of the column she suddenly noticed four men stumbling along. Their hands had been bound to a long thick rope that was being pulled along by a Roman on horseback. The men looked exhausted, dirty and emasculated. The Roman officer in charge halted beside the stone circle and looked up at the ridge. Then he barked an order and the four prisoners were pulled to the front and forced down onto their knees.
Emogene checked her bow and then glanced at Bary. The leader of the war band looked anxious. Then he nodded to Finlay.
"Alright get on with it. Let's get this done quickly."
Finlay rose to his feet and still crouching made his way towards the prisoner. A moment later the four men rose calmly to their feet and started down the slope. Emogene crouched, lifted her bow and took aim. Beside her Bones growled in anticipation. She watched as Finlay drew closer to the stones. The Romans had formed a line behind the four prisoners but didn't move. Emogene saw Finlay call out to the Romans. He was calling on them to release his kinsmen. Then the Roman officer suddenly shouted. A moment later four of his men flung their spears into the kneeling prisoners. The men were impaled and toppled over to the ground.
"No, betrayed!" she heard Bary cry in alarm.
The next moments were blurred. Finlay seeing what had happened to his kinsmen tried to kill the Roman prisoner but the man had been anticipating this moment and he managed to dodge the axe blow. Then he was off racing down the slope towards the Roman line, his hands still bound together. Nine Romans stormed to his aid across the meadow. They were running straight towards Finlay and his two companions. Finlay was shouting, then he and his companions were running back up the slope with the Romans in pursuit. Emogene closed one eye. Her bow was at full stretch. She took a deep breath, held it and released. The arrow hurtled straight into the back of the running prisoner sending him crashing and tumbling to the ground. There was no time to congratulate herself. Bary and the remaining men of the war band were on their feet and charging down the hill in support of Finlay. Emogene sprung up onto a rock to get a clearer view. She already had notched another arrow to her bow. Bones had leapt after Bary and his men. He had not waited for her command. Suddenly she felt a chill pass through her body. Something was not right.
She stared in shock as a Roman's spear brought Finlay down. Bary and the others were screaming their battle cries. They had almost reached the Roman line. Then she froze as from behind her she suddenly heard another yell. It was high pitched and urgent. In dread she turned to look behind her. The boy was floundering across the rocky plateau towards her. His mouth was open and he was screaming.
"Bary! Bary, they are coming, they are coming up the hill behind us!"
Emogene's eye widened in shock. It was the other war band. They were going to cut off the retreat. They were working together with the Romans.
"It's a trap," she gasped, "We have been lured into a trap."
She opened her mouth but before she could shout out she knew it was already too late. They were
never going to escape from so many men.
Bary and his men had halted in confusion as they heard the boy behind them. Then Emogene saw them. Twenty men, some on horseback had appeared no more than thirty paces from her. They were running and galloping with their weapons in their hands.
Emogene gasped, turned on her heel and sent an arrow straight into one of the men closing in on her. Then she cried out with all her might.
"Bones, run, run, home. Go!"
She caught sight of him. His ears had pricked up as he heard her and his head had turned in her direction.
"Run, go!" she screamed.
For a moment the big war dog hesitated. Then with flattened ears he was off bounding away across the meadow. A moment later a fist came smashing into her face and everything went dark.
***
When Emogene finally regained consciousness it was late in the afternoon. She spat a bit of blood from her mouth and tried to move but her hands and feet had been bound tightly together. Someone had dumped her against one of the standing stones. She blinked and felt the pain in her head. On the slope she suddenly caught sight of the bodies of the men from her war band. They were all dead. Bary, Finlay, the boy, all of them. A Roman soldier was trying to wrest a finger ring from one of the corpses. Emogene felt a tear appear in her eye. It trickled down her cheek slowly but she couldn't wipe it away. Why was she still alive?
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