Daughters of Fire (72 page)

‘You can’t move him.’ Carta stood up. ‘It would kill him.’

‘It will kill him if he stays!’ Gruoch pursed her lips. ‘You will die, my queen!’ Gruoch was desperate.

‘Leave me. The gods will protect us.’ Wisps of burning heather blew in through the doorway. The roof was sodden from all the rain but in places the fire, fed by the pitch on the burning torches, was taking hold. They could hear the crackling above their heads.

‘I will fetch men with a stretcher for him!’ Gruoch whirled round and disappeared through the doorway.

‘Such a fuss, sweetheart!’ Carta knelt beside the bed.

Vellocatus reached upto her and touched her face. ‘Go,’ he whispered. ‘Leave me. I’m dying anyway. Please go.’

‘I would never leave you!’ She bent to kiss him as Gruoch reappeared in the doorway. Behind her strode three Roman soldiers. They had defied all the odds to reach Brigantia in time. ‘There. He’s there.’ Gruoch gestured at the bed. ‘Please save him.’

Two of the men carried a litter. The third was Gaius. ‘Out, now.’ He seized Carta’s wrist. ‘My men will bring your husband!’

He pulled her to her feet as a clump of burning heather dropped almost on top of them. There was a roar as the roof went up. ‘Now!’ Somehow he had her in his arms and ran with her out of the entrance, into the open air. Behind them the two men had thrown Vellocatus onto the litter. They had barely managed to emerge as the roof collapsed. All around them the Romans were fighting and the Carvetian warriors had fallen back. A few of them were running for the gate. Others were being hacked to pieces where they stood. The men with the litter ran with it towards the guest house near the wall, which was untouched by fire. As they carried Vellocatus inside, Gaius followed with Carta still in his arms. Only when they were inside did he set her down. Behind them two soldiers stood guard at the doorway.

‘Vellocatus!’ Carta flung herself down beside the litter which had been put down on the floor. ‘Sweetheart, are you all right?’ He did not answer. ‘Vellocatus?’ Her voice broke. The hand which had been hot with fever was ice cold. ‘My love. My life.’ She bent to kiss his forehead.

Gaius stood back with a sigh. He folded his arms. Behind him one of his men approached and saluted. ‘They’ve gone. The fort is secure, sir. They thought there were more of us than there are.’ He gave a grim smile.

Gaius nodded. ‘You did well. Leave us now. I fear the king is dead.’

The man glanced at the man on the floor and the weeping woman and nodding, he withdrew.

‘The goddess will save him.’ Carta looked up at Gaius and smiled through her tears. ‘He’s only asleep.’ She bent to Vellocatus again, her lips brushing his forehead. Suddenly she caught sight of the brooch on his mantle and with an exclamation of disgust she tore it off. Climbing to her feet, she ran outside and hurled it into the burning ruins of the round house. For a moment she stood watching as the walls of the building collapsed over it. When she returned she paused in the doorway as though seeing Gaius properly for the first time. ‘Why are you here?’

‘I came as you asked, Great Queen.’ He frowned. Strangely she had never looked more beautiful to him in spite of her dishevelled gown, her soot-stained face, the tears. Great Queen. The words
were ironic in the shambles of the burned-out fort with the roar of battle only some half-mile away.

‘He will be all right?’ ‘She seemed completely disorientated as she stared down at the dead man on the litter at their feet. ‘Look.’ She put her hand into the fold of her cloak and pulled out a small golden knife. ‘The sacrifice is being carried out as we speak.’ She smiled again. ‘A life for a life. The gods will spare Vellocatus if they receive another in his place.’ She raised the knife as though about to stab the empty air.

Gaius found himself shuddering. Catching her wrist, he forced the knife out of her hand. ‘Vellocatus is dead,’ he said softly. ‘It is too late.’

She stared at him. ‘No. He sleeps. The goddess is going to spare him. She has promised …’ She looked bewildered.

‘Your goddess does not want more sacrifice.’ He tucked the knife into his belt. ‘Human sacrifice is banned under the Empire. Surely you know that?’ He had seen no sign of the intended victim. ‘Surely enough men have died today to satisfy even one of your bloodthirsty gods!’

‘We are not part of the Empire.’ She managed a reproof through the tears. ‘Our gods are still strong, Gaius Flavius Cerialis, and I need to send them a messenger. Someone who will go willingly. You have my knife, but it doesn’t matter. Someone else will sacrifice for me, tonight.’

Standing away from him, she raised her arms and threw back her head.

Vivienne!

Gaius quailed at her scream.

Vivienne, take the sacrifice I send you and give me back my love!

By the falls, Peggy stood up and held out the knife. The blade shone silver in the moonlight.

Steve was staring at her and he giggled. ‘You look mag-nis-i-fent! Have some!’ He waved the plastic mug towards her, spilling drops of mead across the rocks. None of them noticed the owl on the branch of the yew tree nearby, watching the scene with unblinking eyes.

Vivienne!

Did anyone else hear that desperate scream? Meryn frowned. He
could see Venutios clearly; see him smiling. He was between the falls and Medb, silhouetted against the flash of white foam from the water below the path, and the moonlight on the spindrift.

Gaius touched Cartimandua’s shoulder gently. ‘You must collect any belongings that can be salvaged and summon your companions. It is not safe for you here. You are completely unprotected. There are other war bands in the area. We can’t hold them off for long. Not this time.’ He stepped back to allow her to leave the house in front of him. When she didn’t move he put out a hand, and then an arm around her shoulder. ‘Say goodbye to him, then come. We have to leave. We will send Vellocatus to the gods before we go.’

She shook her head. ‘My warriors will return.’

‘Your warriors have been wiped out, Carta.’ His voice was gentle. ‘There is nothing for you here. Venutios has won for now.’

‘No. My people will support me.’

He grimaced. As far as he could see her people had gone. Even the Druidesses had fled as his soldiers searched the township for remnants of the Carvetian attackers. The Governor was going to be furious. The last bastion of the client kingdom had gone with her influence. Now there would be open war with Venutios all along the northern borders.

‘I must take you somewhere safe, Carta. I’m sorry. You cannot stay.’ He shook his head, desperately sorry for her. ‘This is the end. You are no longer queen.’

Viv stirred. She frowned. It was cold and dark. The moon had disappeared. Pat was sitting on the cold stone slabs near her; beside her stood an elderly man. ‘What’s happened? Why are we here?’ Viv scrambled to her feet. ‘I have to go! I have to stop her!’ Someone had put a coat round her shoulders and she tore it off, throwing it onto the ground.

‘Viv! Wait!’ Pat grabbed at her but Viv had gone, scrambling over
the rocks into the darkness. Not knowing where she was going she pushed through trees and shrubs, slid down through the mud and over rocks and stones, feeling brambles tearing at her arms and legs, drawn by the sound of water. As she reached the top of the falls the moon broke through the cloud and as the darkness drew back, she saw the figures on the path below her.

Steve was sitting on the edge of the path, one leg hanging over the edge of the rocks above the thundering water. He was swaying slightly, smiling, the empty beaker dangling from one hand.

‘Peggy?’ She heard the tall man standing near him call out. ‘Can you hear me? Stay there. Don’t move.’ Peggy was standing on the very edge of the path, her arm outstretched. The blade of the knife in her hand caught the moonlight, a silver flash in the darkness. Viv gasped. This was her fault! She had created this scene in her dream. She looked desperately from one to the other as the stranger stepped closer to Peggy. ‘Do you want your son to die, Peggy? Listen to me!’ He was only a couple of feet from her now. ‘Put down the knife and tell him to move away from the edge. This is not what the goddess wants!’

Hugh was there, not far from Steve, his clothes drenched by the spray. Except it wasn’t Hugh. It was Venutios. She could see his tunic, the fur cloak, the necklace of bears’ teeth around his neck. And suddenly she knew who this stranger was. This was Meryn. This was a Druid.

Moving forward, she stepped into the moonlight near them. ‘Medb!’ she screamed. ‘Venutios! This man is a Druid! You have to obey him! He speaks with the gods!’ She brushed the hair out of her eyes, leaving a streak of blood from the bramble scratches across her face.

Hugh stared at her. ‘Cartimandua?’ She couldn’t hear him. The roar of the falls drowned out every sound.

Meryn moved another step towards Hugh. Viv could see his swirling cloak of sacred Druidic feathers, the staff in his fist as he raised both hands in a wild invocation and for a moment she quailed.

‘The goddess does not want more blood!’ he called. ‘Venutios! Leave this man. Go now. I have battled with stronger men than you and won. You will obey me! Your people need you in another world. You have no place here. Medb has no place here. Nor Cartimandua.’ He swung and faced Viv, holding her with his piercing
gaze. ‘It is over. Your story is told! In the name of all the gods - go!’ His words rang off the rocks around them. Viv felt the power of his gaze as a physical blow in her solar plexus. He was holding them all in the web of power between his upraised hands.

Viv gazed at Hugh. She was seeing double. She saw a shadow detach from his body. For a moment the figure of Venutios stood beside him, completely separate. She saw his face clearly, his tattoos, saw him lift his hand in her direction and with a sudden shock she felt her eyes fill with tears.

‘Venutios!’ It was Cartimandua who let out the wailing cry of farewell. Sadness and regret engulfed her. Then Venutios was gone.

Viv knew that Cartimandua too had left at last as she raised her head, aware that Hugh had put his arms around her. She stared at Meryn. ‘You sent them away. I saw you! Your cloak of feathers! Your staff!’ He was wearing an old checked shirt and jeans.

He smiled. ‘What Hugh calls hocus pocus.’

Hugh gave a wry grin. ‘I will never doubt you again.’

Viv glanced up at him. They were both in a state of shock. ‘Venutios?’

‘Has gone.’

‘Are you sure?’ She could see nothing for her tears. ‘Will he come back?’

Hugh shook his head. His arms tightened around her as he glanced at Meryn for confirmation. ‘We know his story now. We know what Medb did to him and we know he killed her for it. We know,’ he paused, ‘that he loved Cartimandua. He fought her, would perhaps have killed her too, but he loved her. He wanted the story known.’

‘Just as she did.’

‘Just as she did.’ Hugh was still holding her tightly.

‘So, it’s all over?’

‘It’s all over.’

Behind them Medb laughed. ‘So touching! And so pointless! Nothing will change history. Everyone will remember you as a traitor and a fool.’ She was looking straight at Viv. Stepping closer to her, she raised her hand, pointing the knife straight at Viv’s heart.

Pushing Viv behind him, Hugh threw himself forward, frantically trying to fend Peggy off, but Meryn was already between them. The Druid’s staff once more in his hand, he pointed it straight at Peggy’s chest. ‘Cease your evil now!’ His gaze made her recoil. ‘In the name
of the goddesses of these lands and by the power of these sacred waters I command you, Medb, to leave this woman, Peggy, and to return to the lands of the ever dead.’

Medb gasped. A silver wraith drifted for a moment around Peggy’s shoulders. It was fading. Viv saw white fingers trail across the knife in Peggy’s hand. Then Medb too was gone.

Bored, Steve shifted his position as he sat by the path. Completely unaware of what was happening around him, he leaned forward slightly to look down over the edge of the rocks and grinned up at the moonlight. ‘It’s beautiful, down there,’ he said clearly. ‘I’m going to fly down.’

‘Steve. No!’ Meryn’s voice was a roar above the water.

Peggy turned and looked at her son. ‘Steve? What are you doing? You’re too near the edge!’ She seemed aware for the first time of his danger. The knife was still in her hand.

‘Throw the knife into the falls, Peggy. Give it to the goddess,’ Meryn commanded.

There was a long silence. Peggy lowered her arm and stared at the knife.

‘Throw it into the falls,’ Meryn called again. ‘Give it to the waters. Now!’

Peggy nodded. She hesitated for one more second, then raising it she held it for a moment in the moonlight. ‘Blessed lady of the falls,’ she called. ‘To you I give the greatest sacrifice of all.’

For a fraction of a second the silvered blade hovered over Steve’s head.

‘Steve! No -!’

Viv was screaming as Meryn threw himself towards Peggy, reaching desperately for the knife, but it was too late. She plunged it into the side of Steve’s throat as he sat gazing up at her in surprise.