by Griff Hosker
“But they are so young!” She buried her tearful face in Gaius’ shoulder.
“When I fought the Brigante and the Caledonii I fought warriors younger than the boys and they had been fighting for years. Marcus and Decius could do worse than joining Livius for they would not have to fight in pitched battles.”
“But they would be alone and amongst enemies.”
“When the Caledonii took you I then realised that we all live on the edge of a precipice. It is easier to fall than to stay safe. They are both good trackers and excellent warriors. I would back the two of them against anyone and we will have two more years for Gaelwyn to make them even better.” He turned Ailis so that she was facing him. “You are Brigante. Brigante are warriors and your husband wields the Sword of Cartimandua. Decius will run the farm but Marcus will wield the sword; it is his destiny. Would you deny him that destiny?”
She shook her head and angrily faced her husband, “Allfather but I hate it when you are right! I may have to suffer it but I do not have to enjoy it.”
Gaelwyn appeared from around the corner of the villa. “You will see niece, it will all turn out well. Your son will be a greater warrior than his father and as good a tracker and scout as his uncle.”
Turning back into the kitchen she snorted, “I do not know how your head fits through this door it is so big and you are so full of…”
Gaius laughed. “She is the only one Gaelwyn who ever bests you.”
Sniffing as he took his dog to the stables Gaelwyn retorted, “Which is why I never married. I wanted to win some arguments at least.”
*
“Tadgh!”
Racing into the cave the warrior wondered what new task he was to be given. “Yes your majesty?”
“My waters have broken my time has come.”
Pleased that he knew this routine he nodded, “Certainly your majesty.” Leaving the cave he shouted to his men. “Half of you down to the road, the rest in your positions.” Morwenna had made it quite clear that the men were to be at least one hundred paces from the cave while they were birthing and Tadgh had decided that, as an extra precaution, he would have a circle of men further out to give them extra warning.
As they waited one of the older men turned to Tadgh. “I pray to the Allfather that it is a girl.” Tadgh nodded, adding his silent wish to his comrades. The men were deeply upset by the killing of the healthy boys. The buried bodies were a constant reminder of Morwenna’s power. To warriors it seemed alien to kill a healthy male but Morwenna’s formidable will prevented any show of dissent. There was silence from the cave. It was as though the three witches had decided not to show any weakness to men who they thought were the weaker species. Morwenna and her acolytes’ ruthless disposal of the babies had persuaded the warriors that perhaps women were the stronger of the species.
As Maban called out to Tadgh he could feel his heart racing. Would he have to witness a baby’s brains being splattered on the rocks or would he be able to sleep comfortably at night? “It is a girl. We need meat. Go.”
As Maban returned to the cave Tadgh smiled and thanked the Allfather. “It is a girl!” His warriors shared his happiness and every man smiled and breathed a little easier. “We hunt. Brennus stay here with four men and guard the women.”
By the time they had returned with the meat Morwenna was sitting out side the cave feeding the child. Although she looked pale there was a serene smile on her face and a power which seemed to glow from her body. Tadgh laid the doe on the ground before her and Maban took out a blade which was razor sharp. Slicing open the dead animal’s stomach she reached inside and removed the heart, liver and kidneys. Even while she was feeding the child Morwenna was fed chunks of raw heart taken from the deer. She seemed to care not as the blood ran down her neck onto her naked breast and anointed the baby’s head. This accident caused Anchorat and Maban to screech with delight. Maban turned to Tadgh. “You may have the rest of the animal.”
Dismissed, Tadgh dragged the carcass down to the lower level where they would cook it. The men had all averted their eyes from the witch feeding the child but when they heard the screech and then saw the blood splattered child they all made the sign against evil. Morwenna might be their mistress but she terrified them.
The meat was sending powerful aromas wafting around the camp as Brennus returned with the outlying scouts. They all salivated as they saw the beast on the open fire. The sun was just dipping behind the hillside and Tadgh was thinking that the day had, so far, turned out far better than he had hoped when suddenly they heard the sound of a horse’s neigh and the crack of hooves on the rock lined path. Every man went to his weapons as the seven riders emerged from the trees two hundred paces away. The leader, a mighty bare chested warrior with blue tattoos rode to within a hundred paces of the shelf below the cave. In his hand he held a sack stained with a darkness which did not bode well. “I am Corin, a messenger from the mighty King of the Caledonii, Lulach. I have a message for the witch Morwenna.” He hurled the sack and it landed thirty paces from Tadgh who stood with sword extended. “This is what the king thinks of those who betray and desert him. There will be no alliance between the Brigante and the Caledonii and the witch should stay in her cave for if she ever ventures north she will die.” Turning he galloped back to the woods before any of Tadgh’s men could shoot an arrow.
Brennus walked up to the sack and brought it back to Tadgh. Above him on the ledge near to the cave they could see the three witches, still holding the blood covered babe. She held their gaze for a moment and then spoke in a voice which seemed to echo across the hillside. “Open it and let me see my husband.”
Loosening the sack the eyeless skull of Aodh dropped to the ground. Brennus made the sign against evil as he wondered how she had known that it was her husband’s skull. Tadgh looked at the face of his one time leader. Although the eyes were gone the rotting lips were parted in a rictus grin which suggested he had suffered greatly at the end. “Bring it to me.” Tadgh climbed up to the cave and reverently place Aodh’s head at Morwenna’s feet. The Queen of the Brigante took the babe from her nipple and turned its face to the skull on the ground. “There Genovefa is your father, treacherously murdered by the Caledonii. We will, my daughter, have our revenge.” Staring at Tadgh she said, “Bury him with the others and then we must talk. We have plans to make.”
As he took the head to the graves of the babies Tadgh wondered again about the power of Morwenna who had shown no emotion at the loss of her husband. He had no idea how he and his twenty men could fight a whole nation but he knew that Morwenna would have her own ideas and plans and, chillingly, they would probably result in success.
*
Centurion looked with dismay at the vast expanse of sand and swamp which stretched out before them. They had headed west as soon as they could and had made good time. Now his leader would have to rethink their direction they would take for there was no way they could risk the mules and their valuable cargo over such treacherous land. Looking northwards Centurion could see only one route and that would take them through the land of the lakes which meant closer to Rome and the Brigante. It was the worst of all possible outcomes. His face betrayed him as he rode up to the column of laden pack mules.
“I assume we can no longer head west.”
“Soft sand, marsh and swamps as far as the eye can see. It looks like we will have to head north.”
Decius looked around for some sort of sanctuary in which they could shelter. He saw a small copse in the lee of a hill. “Let’s head over there.” As they led their strings of animals Decius realises that he a too few loyal men to rely on. With just Tiny and Centurion he could ill afford for two of them to scout ahead for he needed one of them with the mercenary soldiers who had betrayed him once. If he just sent one ahead then they were in danger of being ambushed or attacked. The hills were clearly visible and he knew that most of the entrances ran south to north which meant he had to find the westernmost valley and hope that there w
as a path or a pass to the west. Tomorrow he would leave Tiny and Centurion to guide his gold north while he sought out a safe route.
It was a miserable dawn when Decius set off. It was the first piece of good fortune he had had for it hid him from prying eyes. He had given Centurion instructions to head directly north whilst he went north west determined to stay as close to the west as he could. He saw the sands which barred their way and, infuriatingly, he could see the dim shape of a peninsula to the west. Reluctantly he dragged his horse towards the north and found his passage north constantly barred by obstacles which the mules could not navigate. He was being edged inexorably east. As he rode over a small col he saw to his dismay a wall of rock rearing to the east leaving him no option but to head north up a wide narrow valley. The land to the west also rose steeply but at least they had their route into the land of the lakes. From the col he could see woods clinging precariously to the sides of the rocky walls leaving very little open ground. It would make their passage difficult but also hide their presences. He decided to wait at the rocky outcrop and await the arrival of his men. At least he had a plan, not necessarily a good plan but at least a plan which had some chance of success.
The further up the valley that they travelled the more worried Centurion and Decius became. Ahead of them they could see a huge lack to the west as far as the eye could see whilst to the east was a steeply rising mass of rocks; not that they wished to go to the east but they could not and they found themselves being funnelled ever northwards. To add to their misery they were running short of food. “I know that you do not want to hear this but we need to stop and rest. The mules need grazing and of that there is plenty and we need food. The lake must we well stocked with fish and the land looks to be full of game.”
Decius looked around him and could find no answer to Centurion’s powerful argument and yet it felt wrong to stop. What if they were discovered? Everyone they might meet was a potential enemy. This was not a defensible site and yet for the small number of men he had at his disposal where was defensible site with the number of animals and the amount of gold he had to protect? Centurion was right.
“There looks to be a stream which cuts away from the lake. We will build a camp there and use a palisade to protect us.”
Centurion sighed with relief. He had been afraid the headstrong young leader would ignore his advice. “I will get Tiny to organise the palisade and I think one of the men has experience of fishing. Once we have the mules protected I will take two men to hunt. A week is all we need and that will allow us to scout ahead.”
“Thank you Centurion.”
As Centurion organised the men he reflected that perhaps he was getting too old for this sort of work. They had so much gold that a luxurious existence was within touching distance and he did not want that dream jeopardised. What if his caution made him hesitate the next time he was in combat? When he had been with the legion he had never expected to survive for survival meant more of the same but now he could be a rich man with servants and guards; it was a disquieting thought for someone not given to such sentiment.
Even Decius felt happier after the first three days. His hunger had been eased and the mules were looking much healthier. This land was truly beautiful and, were he not a hunted man, he could have easily lived there. Once again he looked at the gold stacked in the middle of the camp to avoid putting too great a strain on the animals. Of course the strain on the men was even greater and Decius had felt some moments of consternation when he saw some of the looks the men cast at the glowing pile. Even Centurion looked a little twitchy.
He gathered them around. “Men I have a question to ask you. Should we bury some of the gold here as a safeguard against anything happening to us and the rest of the gold before we leave Britannia?”
He knew that the question was unexpected and he chewed on the piece of venison as he watched their faces. Tiny looked totally confused for he had never had his opinion sought. Centurion was weighing up the benefits and problems whilst the others were working out if they could manage to extract more gold than they were due this way. He gave them a suitably long time and then rose to his feet, spitting out the piece of gristle he had found.
“We have fifty mules left and some of them will not survive the mountains. If we bury the gold from ten of the mules we still have a fortune left for each man but we also have enough gold to come back to should we need it. The mules will have less to carry and we will move faster. Each man has an equal vote in this so think carefully when I ask you to vote.”
Decius was very devious. He had learned to play games of strategy as a young man and he excelled at them. He could foresee him returning at some time to Britannia but most of the men would lose their gold and, probably, die as soon as they were in Gaul whereas he would not. This was like banking a fifth of the money and reserving it for him. He knew that, with the exception of Tiny, each man would be thinking he same thoughts but none of them was as ruthless as their leader.
“Time for a vote.” He saw seven hands raised. Only Tiny looked confused. He saw the huge man looking pleadingly at him and he nodded. Tiny’s hand rose in the air. “It is done. Let us dig a hole, bury it and then each man remember where we buried it for tomorrow we eradicate every trace of the digging.”
*
Livius felt better with their new horses and having talked through with Marcus and Gaius the best way to operate, it was almost as though talking it though clarified his thinking. He had split the team into three pairs and they travelled parallel routes five miles apart. This made them more inconspicuous and allowed them to cover more ground. Each night they gathered together for a common camp both for security and to secure information. As they headed towards the spine of the island life was good as they knew the land intimately and they began to develop their techniques and methods in the knowledge that there were few enemies. Once they reached the high lands they knew that things would change but their confidence was growing. Livius was delighted when Cassius found one of the camps made by the engineers who were ahead of them, surveying the route for the road. “Excellent Cassius. We now know their path. Your task tomorrow is to find where they went and find their next camp.”
Decius could not contain himself. “But sir that’s not fair. The camp is weeks old! How will we find their trail?”
Livius was pleased when he saw the others smile. “That is the trick Decius to find those signs that are almost invisible after all we are Exploratores.”
The young man looked around in exasperation. Metellus leaned over and said quietly, “Should be fun eh? At least we haven’t got to polish armour!”
Chapter 4
Tadgh waited patiently outside the cave. It had been a week since the baby had been born and two weeks since they had disposed of the patrol. He knew they had another week but Morwenna had not spoken of her plans. It was obvious to the warrior that the Caledonii were not going to help and that meant that the Queen had an army of twenty. If the Romans came, and Tadgh knew that they would come, then their cavalry would easily capture them and it would be crucifixion for all of them. His men had been visibly upset, not only at the fact of Aodh’s death but the more disturbing knowledge that Morwenna seemed to know it before they did. Having a witch for a leader did not inspire confidence in warriors who like to know what they were facing. Tadgh would not have dreamed of asking any questions but he was stoic enough to know that Morwenna would either read his mind or work out that he was worried.
He sat on the rock outside the cave and chewed on a piece of dried venison. Eventually Morwenna appeared alone. “You are worried Tadgh?”
“I am concerned your majesty. We cannot stay here for the Romans will, at some point discover that they have lost one of their patrols. We have no aid coming from the north and a very small army…”
“You are a good leader Tadgh but I am not only a good Queen but a witch so powerful that you cannot imagine the power at my disposal. Fear not for there are footsteps heading this way whi
ch will solve all our problems and will give us an army better equipped than any you have seen, including the Romans.” Her eyes bored into his and her sinuous voice seemed to enchant him. “You do believe me don’t you?”
Suddenly it all became clear. He was serving a servant of the Mother. All would be well. His fears had been groundless. “Yes your majesty. I am sorry I doubted you.”
She smiled and placed her hand on his head which seemed to cool and make his thinking clear in an instant. “You are mortal and you do not have the gift of speaking to the Mother as I have for you are merely a man. Never fear Tadgh. Aodh’s death was foretold and was necessary. It was part of the Mother’s greater plan. This is not the end, this is just the beginning.”
*
High on the fells just beyond the small settlement of Lavatris, Livius and his small patrol camped in a small dell hidden from the main road. Glancing around their faces he could see a dramatic changed from the neat troopers who had left Eboracum a week ago. Their faces had more than stubble; they had the untidy straggles of beards. Those of Agrippa and Cassius were flecked with grey. Their hair was growing but a close inspection would still have revealed them as Romans. The biggest change was in the smell. Livius had told them not to bathe and their sweat had intermingled with that of their mounts making them reek, no unusual in the barbarians but unheard of in a Roman ala. At first they had found this difficult to countenance but as they became used to it they found it could be ignored as soon they all had the same rank aroma.
“What did you find?”
Cassius looked across the fire at the decurion. “The Brigante hereabouts want nothing to do with Morwenna. They see us, the Romans, as a good thing. They are all doing well.”