Roman - The Fall of Britannia (19 page)

‘
You
fought well today, Cassus,’ said Julius, ‘you all did.’

‘
How
many are lost?’ asked Cassus.

‘
Twelve dead, twice as many wounded, and two missing. Both
from our Contubernium.’

‘
What now?’

‘
We
will continue to Chabal,’ said Julius. ‘The legion will send out
the cavalry to hunt down those who escaped.’

‘
Do
you think they will find Prydain?’

‘
If
he is still alive, yes, but I doubt if he is.’

Cassus nodded in
acceptance and Julius tied the knot on his bandage before seeking
out the other members of his trainee Contubernium. Two hours later,
the Century formed up again, carrying twenty makeshift stretchers
between them, twelve of which carried corpses. The Centurion walked
slowly before them.

‘
Today you fought well,’ he said, ‘as well as I could have
expected from any battle-hardened Century. You listened to my
commands and carried out your drills, that is why many of you are
still alive. We will take our fallen to Chabal and bury them with
full honours. Until then, there is still a job to be done. Many
barbarians escaped and are still at large. If they attack again, I
expect the same level of professionalism, nothing less. Now,
shoulder your kit, pick up your comrades and stay alert. Optio,
move them out.’

‘
Yes, Severus,’ answered Remus. ‘Century right turn, single
time,
advaaance!’

The column
resumed their initial journey and Cassus took the opportunity to
look back one last time at the forest where he last saw Prydain.
Despite his initial concerns about Prydain joining the legion, he
could not help but feel uneasy about the way he had been
abandoned.

The Century
marched from the valley, every soldier falling silent as they
passed the site of the battle. It was littered with corpses, the
remnants of a once proud Germanic clan, left to rot where they
fell, their sightless eyes already a beckoning treat for the
curious crows that hopped sideways toward the feast.

Cassus wondered
if Prydain had suffered the same fate.

----

Chapter 12

Gwenno woke up
on a goose feather mattress and looked around at the opulent
surroundings. Thick furs lay both above and beneath her, and a jug
of ale stood alongside a plate of fruit and berries on a
beautifully crafted table beside the bed. Flowers adorned the walls
and a small fire shared its welcoming glow from a central hearth.
She had arrived in the village the night before, and after a
particularly rough crossing of the strait, had fallen onto the
offered bed, too exhausted to eat or drink.

She sat up,
leaning on one elbow and looked toward a young girl tending the
fire. Her stirrings attracted the attention of the girl who turned
to greet her with a beautiful smile.

‘
Good morning, Miss,’ said the girl, ‘did you sleep
well?’

‘
Fine, thank you.’

‘
Good, are you ready for your wash?’

‘
My
wash?’

‘
Yes, Miss, water to wash the sleep from your eyes. You can’t
meet the day like that, can you?’

‘
Oh
I see,’ said Gwenno. ‘How far is the stream?’

‘
The
stream,’ asked the girl momentarily confused. ‘Oh, I see. You don’t
need to go to the stream, Miss; I’ll have the water brought to
you.’ She ran to the doorway, and called out to someone outside.
‘She’s awake, bring the water!’

Gwenno watched
in amusement as the pretty girl fussed around the hut.

‘
I’m
sorry,’ she said eventually. ‘Can we start again, who exactly are
you?’

The girl stopped
and her hand flew to her mouth.

‘
Oh,
please forgive me, Miss,’ she said. ‘I get so excited when I meet a
new acolyte, my mouth gets carried away before my head thinks
things through. I’m Willow and I am here to look after
you.’

‘
Are
you a slave?’ asked Gwenno.

‘
Oh
no, Miss, not a slave, more of a servant. That’s it, an important
servant for an important person.’ Her face lit up as she smiled
again.

‘
Water!’ called a male voice from outside.

‘
Leave it there,’ answered Willow, and ran over to the
doorway, disappearing for a second before re-entering the hut
carrying a copper pot, struggling with the weight, and the need to
avoid its hot surface from burning her legs.

‘
Here you are, Miss,’ she said. ‘Your wash.’

‘
It’s hot,’ said Gwenno in surprise, seeing the steam rising
from its surface.

‘
Of
course,’ said Willow. ‘Can’t have you washing in cold water, can
we?’

‘
No,
of course not!’ said Gwenno slowly, though in truth, on the odd
occasion she had grudgingly washed, it had always been in cold
water.

‘
Can
I have some chicken first?’ asked Gwenno, her mouth-watering at the
sight of the bird roasting on the spit above the fire.

‘
Wash first,’ said Willow, ‘food later.’

‘
You
sound like my mother,’ laughed Gwenno, but stopped suddenly as she
remembered how far away her mother actually was.

‘
Oh
I hope not,’ laughed Willow. ‘She’s probably a lot older than me.
Right now, let’s get you done.’ She dipped a folded woollen cloth
into the hot water, before beckoning Gwenno forward. Gwenno got to
her feet, and holding her fur wrap closed with one hand, held out
the other to take the cloth.

‘
Oh
no, Miss,’ said Willow in shock withdrawing the offered cloth, ‘you
don’t wash yourself, that’s my job.’

‘
Your job?’ laughed Gwenno. ‘I think not, Willow, I’m quite
capable of washing myself, thank you very much.’

‘
But
Miss, you don’t understand, that’s why I am here, to look after
you. Now don’t worry, just step out of that wrap so I can purify
your body. No need to be shy, I’ve seen a naked woman
before.’

‘
I
don’t care what you have done before,’ said Gwenno, snatching the
cloth from the girls hand with feigned horror, ‘I will wash myself,
thank you very much!’

Willow looked
shocked and hurt.

‘
I’m
sorry, Miss,’ she stuttered, ‘I didn’t mean to offend; it’s just
that I might get into trouble for not doing my job.’

‘
I
am not offended, Willow,’ said Gwenno calmly, ‘it’s just this
place. This is all new to me and well, I’ll tell you what, I won’t
tell anyone if you don’t. Now if you really want to help, while I
get washed why don’t you carve me some of that chicken before I die
of hunger?’

Willow smiled
again and offered Gwenno the bowl.

‘
Just for today, but don’t you go telling on me.’

‘
I
won’t,’ said Gwenno, ‘now turn around and I’ll get
started.’

‘
You’ll need this, Miss,’ said Willow, and gave her a small
jug.

‘
What is it?’

‘
Soap, of course,’ said Willow, ‘scented with herbs and
spices.’

‘
Thank you,’ said Gwenno taking the jug hesitatingly, ‘I just
rub it on my skin, right?’

‘
Yes, Miss,’ said Willow, ‘your skin and your hair. It will
make you feel as fresh as the first breeze of spring, and when
you’re ready to have your back washed just…’

‘
Willow!’ chided Gwenno gently, ‘I can manage from here, thank
you.’

‘
Sorry, Miss,’ said Willow and she turned away to sort out the
food.

Gwenno dipped
the cloth into the bowl and added some of the liquid soap before
rubbing it over her skin. The unfamiliar hot water and tallow soap
felt luxurious, and she forgot about her hunger for ten minutes as
she washed herself from head to foot. She lathered up her long
blonde hair, stacking it up in small piles on her head as she
scrubbed the grime from each portion.

Suddenly she
cried out in pain.

‘
Aaah, Willow. Quick, help!’

‘
What’s the matter, Miss?’ answered the girl in concern, as
she ran over.

‘
My
eyes,’ cried Gwenno. ‘This devil’s potion burns my
eyes.’

Willow dipped
the bowl into the copper pot, refilling it with clean warm
water.

‘
Tilt your head back!’ she commanded and poured the fresh
water over Gwenno’s face, washing away the burning soapsuds. ‘Now,
let me finish this.’

‘
Willow!’ shouted Gwenno.

‘
I’m
not taking no for an answer, Miss,’ she said. ‘I’ll just do your
hair before you burn your eyes out. Now bend your head
forward.’

Gwenno
reluctantly did as she was told and gradually relaxed as she
enjoyed the sensation of having her hair washed in hot soapy water
for the first time in her life.

----

Chapter 13

Gwenno walked
around the village, arm in arm with Willow, enjoying the morning
air. She had been at the village for many months, and had settled
into a routine. The mornings were her own and after breaking her
fast, she often explored the village or the surrounding
forest.

After every
midday meal, Gwenno and Willow walked together to the grove, a
copse of sacred oak trees and met with a Druid elder for
instruction in the ways of the world. However, they were indeed
quite old and often white haired, Gwenno soon came to realize, that
far from being a group of ancient wizards that lived in caves, the
Druids were actually just another tribe encompassing the same
values that most other tribes did. Several different clans made up
the tribe, and like all others on the mainland, each supplied
warriors to a central armed group to defend the island. These armed
volunteers were the Druid warriors; an experienced and brutal unit
that carried out the Druid’s every command, the promise of a
heavenly afterlife the only payment sought.

They called
themselves the servants of the earth, and talked about
reincarnation and the fact that everything around them had spirits.
Even the trees, the grass and the rocks had souls according to
these strange men, and they showed Gwenno how to meditate in order
to converse with their spirits. Gwenno tried and tried but no
matter how hard she concentrated, always seemed to fail to make any
sort of contact.

‘
Not
to worry,’ said the kindly man, ‘it will come. The more you learn
the easier it will be.’

On other
occasions, Gwenno would hide behind the trees and witness the
bringing of tribute from the surrounding clans, not just from the
island, but from the tribes of the mainland as well. Carts full of
wheat, beef or cloth were common gifts, whilst the warrior tribes
often sent manacled slaves, for despite their respect for life, it
was known that slaves did not possess souls, their destiny was to
serve.

It was one such
morning when she was walking back to the village with Willow, when
Gwenno broached the subject of her purpose there. A fully armed
warrior walked a hundred paces behind them, one of many whose job
was to protect them from harm when they walked out.

‘
How
big is this island, Willow?’ asked Gwenno. ‘Can we walk around
it?’

‘
Oh
no, Miss,’ came the reply, ‘I think it is many days across and
besides it is not safe.’

‘
How
can it not be safe?’ asked Gwenno. ‘It is only populated by the
Druids and as they went to a lot of trouble to bring me here, why
would I be in danger?’

‘
Well!’ said Willow, ‘let’s see. There are wolves and bears
and…’

‘
Bears!’ interrupted Gwenno in alarm. ‘No one said anything
about bears.’

‘
Well, I think there are bears,’ giggled Willow. ‘At least
that’s what my mother used to say when I was a little
girl.’

‘
And
where is your mother?’ asked Gwenno. ‘I don’t think I’ve met
her.’

‘
No,’ said Willow sadly, ‘she is not here anymore. She died of
the cough when I was in my eighth year.’

‘
I’m
so sorry,’ said Gwenno. ‘What of your father?’

‘
He
drowned when I was a child. His boat capsized in the strait and the
water Gods dragged him down. I never saw him again.’

‘
Oh
how terrible,’ said Gwenno. ‘So who looks after you
now?’

‘
No
one,’ said Willow. ‘I belong to the elders. My aunt sold me into
their service four years ago. She wanted them to take me as an
acolyte, but they wouldn’t accept me.’

‘
Why
not?’ asked Gwenno. ‘You’re very pretty.’

Willows eyes
dropped and her tone became subdued.

‘
Well, I was pretty enough, but I was sort of, you know, not
pure!’

‘
What do you mean not pure?’ asked Gwenno before she realized.
‘Oh, I see, but I don’t understand, surely you were only a little
girl?’

‘
It
was my uncle,’ said Willow sadly. ‘It wasn’t my fault, Miss. He
used to sneak to my bed when I was in their hut. He used to say if
I made a noise, or tell anyone, he would cast me out to be eaten by
bears. So I never did.’