Daughters of Fire (57 page)

‘So, is the debt paid?’ Artgenos looked at Venutios with a raised eyebrow.

Venutios inclined his head. ‘I was not to know they were peaceful traders,’ he snarled. ‘To me, every Roman sympathiser is an enemy, as she was -’ he glanced at his wife, ‘to Caradoc.’

‘And rightly so, in present circumstances.’ Artgenos took another sip from his cup. The mead was particularly good, flavoured with borage and anise. ‘If we are to fight the Romans effectively and ensure our continuing independence we must use the cunning and diplomacy of the fox,’ he glanced at Venutios, ‘and the patience and discretion of the crane as she stands in the shallows of the pool, unmoving, waiting to strike at the unsuspecting fish.’ He looked straight at Carta. ‘My spies tell me we are right to be wary. Right to be cautious. ‘It is not yet time -’ he paused, once more looking at Venutios, ‘to act. All over the Empire, Druids are watching and waiting. Brothers have come from Gaul. They warn of conspiracies against us.’

‘From Gaul?’ Carta frowned. ‘I spoke to no Druids from Gaul.’

He took another sip of the mead and gave a small groan of pleasure as it began to reach his aching joints. ‘They came to see me, lady. Silently, through the oak forest, wrapped in the cloak of invisibility.’ He gave a cold smile. ‘They did not expect to be intercepted by anyone who was not expecting them.’

Carta remained silent, stung by the rebuke.

‘You see, Carta, they no longer trust you!’ Venutios had no such qualms. ‘You must take care or you will find yourself pushed aside and indeed, one of the enemy!’

Artgenos raised his hand before she could retort. ‘Enough! Carta
is not our enemy. She is one of us. A Druidess, dedicated to the service of her goddess,’ he reprimanded sternly. ‘But she is not an Archdruid, nor was she at the gathering at Ynys Môn where these matters were discussed.’

‘Nor were you!’ she retorted. She knew she sounded childish as soon as she said the words.

Artgenos stood up painfully. He put his cup on the table. It teetered for a moment on the edge and then fell to the floor. He ignored it. ‘At your command, if you remember,’ he said reproachfully. ‘Are you questioning my integrity?’ He looked from one to the other of the three people seated at the fire. It was Coel, who had not yet spoken, who replied. ‘No one would dare question you, Artgenos,’ he growled.

As if echoing his words a low rumble of thunder resounded around the stone walls of the round house. Carta shivered. ‘The gods are displeased.’

‘As well they might be!’ Artgenos agreed.

A flicker of lightning had found its way through the screened entrance. Moments later it was followed by a second, louder crash of thunder.

‘Dear God, where did that come from!’ Viv ducked as the lightning lanced across the hillside. A sheet of rain was heading towards them like a curtain.

Pat sat without moving. ‘It’s the voice of the gods,’ she said slowly. ‘They are angry.’ She shook her head. Her mind was still in the round house by the fire with the three men and one woman as the rolling goblet came to rest against the stones of the hearth. There were no servants in the room to retrieve it. That meeting was private. Secret. Important.

Medb had been outside, listening from the shadowy doorway.

‘This storm is going to get worse.’ Viv glanced round apprehensively. The moon had gone and the hillside had been completely blotted out. They could see nothing in the dark as the slanting rain hid the distant lights in the valley.

‘Perhaps it would be better not to move until the storm has passed over,’ Pat said doubtfully. ‘That lightning was very close!’ As though in answer to her words another flash zigzagged almost at their feet. Both women ducked down behind the wall. Pat reached over and
snatched the small mike away from Viv, stowing it in her bag out of the rain, aware that ice-cold fingers of damp were finding their way down inside her collar. ‘It looks as though we’re stuck here! We can’t risk losing our way in the dark.’ She sounded almost triumphant. ‘So, maybe you should go on. The sound effects are fantastic!’

‘What about the recorder? Surely it mustn’t get wet?’

‘No.’ Pat shrugged. ‘So, we’ll do without.’

Medb was there, waiting, and Medb did not care about the storm.

Medb turned and made her way back into the shadows. She knew enough. She had seen Venutios dragged from a whore’s bed by his wife. Seen him wriggle like a fish on a hook. Seen Cartimandua lash him with her scorn, and then quail in her turn before the Druid. To push a wedge between the king and queen would be so easy. To boost Venutios in his arrogance to stand up against his wife would take no skill at all.

As he stormed out of the meeting she slid out of the shadows and caught his arm, drawing him silently back with her towards the guest house where she was lodged and behind the curtain which hid her bed. There she pulled off his tunic and his mantle and his breeches and ran her hands over his body, teasing him to eagerness. ‘Your wife does not respect you, great king,’ she whispered. She leaned closer, pressing her lips to his chest. ‘Why do you let her walk all over you like that?’

He gasped as she knelt and her lips moved lower. ‘How do you know what we were talking about?’

‘I know everything, my lord.’ She drew him down towards her. ‘And I know how to help you.’

It was a long time before he could speak again.

Lying sweating, staring up at her as she knelt astride him he grinned, breathless with triumph. ‘You know how to please a man, Medb, I’ll grant you that.’ He was exhausted.

‘And how to instruct him in the ways of women.’ She leaned
forward a little, allowing her hair to fall like heavy silk across his chest. ‘How to manage your wife so she obeys you.’

He gave a snort. ‘Not even you could do that, Medb.’

‘Oh but I can.’ Her eyes grew hard. ‘Listen.’

Viv was staring at Pat as the storm rumbled away towards the east. ‘Pat?’ She whispered. ‘Go on!’

Pat had fallen silent.

‘What happened next?’ Viv moved towards her, rummaged in the bag and gently put the mike between Pat’s hands. This was incredible. Somehow they had changed roles. In the drumming rain and storm, Pat had started to speak, her voice filled with venom as she drew Venutios to her and poured out her plan.

Suddenly Pat laughed. ‘Venutios will kill his wife. I won’t have to do it. But I will make sure she knows who set the sword in his hand.’

Viv shuddered. She could barely see her face in the dark.

Medb had risen to her feet. She stood for a moment ethereal in her nakedness, her white skin and pale hair glowing in the darkness. As Venutios stood up beside her she reached for his mantle and pulled it round his shoulders, fastening the brooch and touching the bird’s head with gentle fingers. Viv could see them clearly. Then Medb turned away and drifted into the darkness.

Shocked, Viv stared after her, then down at Pat who was smiling.

‘You can’t fight her,’ Pat said quietly.

‘You saw her?’ Viv was paralysed with fear.

‘I saw her.’ Pat climbed stiffly to her feet.

Viv stepped back. The recorder fell to the ground between them.

‘Venutios didn’t kill Cartimandua,’ Viv said after a minute. Her teeth were chattering.

‘No?’ Pat smiled. ‘Can you be sure of that?’

Viv bent slowly to pick up the recorder. It was wet and she rubbed it against the sleeve of her jacket. ‘I suppose not.’

‘We’ll see, won’t we.’ Pat put out her hand for it and tucked it into her bag. Her fingers were ice cold.

Viv nodded numbly. She glanced round. The hillside was empty. The moon reappeared through a gap in the clouds and for an instant the fells were illuminated with silvery light.

‘Where have you been?’ Peggy was waiting at the door, her hair untidy, her eyes wild. She dragged them inside and slammed it behind them.

Pat led the way down the hall, shivering. ‘We wanted to record the storm. We’re fine. We’ll tell you about it later, Peggy. I don’t know about you, Viv, but I want a soak in a hot bath for half an hour before I die of hypothermia.’ And that was it. She had gone.

Viv stared after her. Peggy too watched her head off up the passage, her socks leaving wet footmarks on the flagstones, then she turned to Viv. ‘What happened out there?’ she snapped.

‘Medb was there. She took her over.’ Viv shook her head. ‘I was so scared, Peggy.’ Kicking off her own shoes she followed Peggy into the kitchen. She was shivering violently, her hair dripping down her neck as she went to stand near the comforting warmth of the Aga. ‘It was just dreadful. Pat was -’ She couldn’t think of a word that would describe it. ‘She was evil.’

Peggy handed her a towel, then automatically she slid the kettle onto the hob. ‘I warned you.’

‘This was different. It was threatening.’ Viv could hardly speak. ‘Pat was frightening.’ She rubbed at her hair. ‘She’s changed. Medb seems to have made her stronger.’ She shook her head. ‘Why did you show her the well?’ she asked suddenly.

Peggy went over to the fridge and brought out a jug of milk. ‘She asked.’

‘And you told her about the goddess?’

‘I had to.’ Pursing her lips, Peggy took three mugs down from the dresser.

‘When I went to the well yesterday there was an ancient head there,’ Viv went on.

‘So.’

‘It wasn’t there when you took me there before.’

Peggy shrugged. ‘It comes and goes,’ she said evasively.

‘By itself ?’

‘Maybe.’

‘You hide it sometimes?’ Peggy didn’t answer. ‘It felt very -’ Viv
hesitated. She had been going to say evil. ‘It felt very powerful.’

‘Oh, it is. She is Brigantia.’

‘Has she always been there?’

Peggy nodded. Behind them the kettle had begun to bubble. A wisp of steam escaped from the spout.

Viv could feel herself trembling again as she rubbed her hair. It wasn’t entirely from the cold.

‘When is Steve coming back?’ she asked suddenly.

Peggy froze. She glanced at Viv, her eyes veiled. ‘I don’t know.’ She smiled humourlessly. ‘It doesn’t matter. It’s better he’s not here. We don’t want any men here at the moment.’ Her knuckles had whitened as her fists clenched.

‘Why?’ Viv pulled the towel away from her head and stared at her.

‘This is women’s business.’ Peggy’s expression hardened. ‘You have woken the sleepers. I’m sure it was not your intention, but it has happened. Cartimandua slept beneath this hill. You have brought her here to this house and you must face the consequences.’

Viv could feel the cold settling deep into her bones. ‘Do you mean to say that Cartimandua died here?’

‘No, I don’t mean that.’

‘What, then? You’re frightening me.’

‘Good. You should be frightened.’ Peggy shook her head. ‘Unless you do what I tell you.’

‘Did Pat do what you told her?’ Viv was suddenly suspicious. ‘Is that why you’ve shown her the well?’

‘I misjudged Pat.’ Peggy handed her a mug of tea. It was a gesture of such normality Viv took it. She found herself sipping it gratefully.

‘Medb, and through her, Pat, have embraced the goddess and all she stands for,’ Peggy went on thoughtfully. ‘I’ve changed my mind they are no danger to me.’

‘And am I in danger?’ Viv was holding her breath.

Peggy smiled. ‘Cartimandua was a traitor; I realise that now. Steve has shown me your book. She betrayed Brigantia; and the other gods of these hills, but she paid the price. If she has woken, we have to lay her ghost and Medb is here to helpus do that.’

Viv could feel her fingers tightening around the mug in her hands as Peggy sat down at the table opposite her.

Peggy stared thoughtfully down into the tea. ‘The goddess will tell us what to do.’ She looked up. ‘Where is the brooch?’

Viv shook her head. ‘That is safe.’

‘I need it.’

‘That’s not possible, Peggy. It’s not mine to give to you or to the gods. I have to keep it. But it’s not in the house, I promise you. I have hidden it outside, far away, where no one will find it.’

‘On the hill?’ Peggy narrowed her eyes.