Roman - The Fall of Britannia (23 page)

‘
Can
you take us to the river edge before you stand down?’ asked
Severus.

‘
No
problem,’ answered Scipio. ‘I’ll send two men with you.’

He crawled back
to his men with the instructions before leading the rest of the
group through the friendly lines and down to the beachhead to get
some well-earned rest. The two nominated scouts beckoned Severus
forward and word was passed back until well over a thousand heavily
armed men followed Severus into the darkness.

Dawn saw two
Cohorts of Roman soldiers lined up along the riverbank in a deep
defensive formation. Behind them stood hundreds of archers and
slingers, shivering in the cold morning mist. A mile behind them,
thousands more were hard at work, building their defensive
positions.

Severus and
Remus stood at the front of their Century staring at the hill in
the distance, fully expecting an enemy force to confront them at
any time. To one side, the two scouts lay curled up at the base of
a tree, fast asleep after their exhausting mission over the last
few days.

Remus walked
over, his red cloak clinging to his armour in the morning drizzle
and stared down at the snoring figures. He frowned in recognition
as he placed his boot on a shoulder, shoving it forcibly to wake
the man. The scout sat up, instantly alert and ready to defend
himself. The two stared at each other before Remus broke the
silence.

‘
Hello, slave-boy,’ he said, ‘it seems our paths cross
again.’

Prydain stared
up at him in silence, his heart racing at the sight of the man who
had left him to die on a field in Gaul. He stood up and adjusted
his cape.

‘
Our
fate is no longer linked, Optio,’ said Prydain. ‘You won, and I
have moved on. You can take your bigotry elsewhere.’

‘
Shame,’ said Remus, ‘I was just beginning to enjoy
myself.’

Prydain stooped
to wake his sleeping comrade.

‘
Come on,’ he said, ‘let’s get back to the unit.’

As they walked
away, Remus called out.

‘
Our
paths will cross again, slave-boy,’ he shouted. ‘I sense it in my
bones!’

Prydain span
around and reached for his Pugio, but before he could draw it from
his scabbard, the point of Remus’s Gladius was already at his
throat.

‘
Careful, slave-boy,’ he sneered, ‘it can get very confusing
in the dark when on campaign. I could easily mistake you for a
barbarian in that black garb.’

His Gladius
hooked under the thong around Prydain’s neck and pulled it upwards,
revealing the leather pendant he had seen on the first day of the
recruit’s training many months ago.’

‘
Still wearing mummy’s bauble, I see. Perhaps you should go
back to her.’

‘
She
is dead,’ snarled Prydain. ‘Killed in the arena by bigots such as
you.’

‘
Shame,’ said Remus. ‘Still, probably for the best I
expect.’

Prydain lurched
forward but was pulled away by his comrade. Deciding this was a
fight he could not win, he turned and strode away over the damp
grass, making his way back to the legion’s lines. As he went, a
memory came flooding back to Remus.

‘
By
the gods,’ he said to himself, ‘it can’t be.’

----

Chapter 17

On the other
side of Britannia, Gwenno walked barefoot through the forest,
enjoying the feel of the dew between her toes. The village was only
just stirring but Gwenno had been awake for hours, and had watched
the sunrise over the vast oak forest that covered the island. To
the north, a smaller island dominated by a solitary hill shimmered
in the haze. It was a holy place where the main clan of the Druids
were based, not only as a spiritual separation from the other
tribes, but also to control the flow of Gaelic gold from Ireland to
be traded across Britannia, Gaul and beyond.

Willow had
explained that though there was only a river separating the holy
island from Mona, Druid warriors guarded it jealously, and only
those who had undertaken a lifetime of learning and dedication were
allowed to live in that special place.

As she walked,
she became aware that she was entering a part of the woods she had
not been to before, and though comfortable she could find her way
back, hesitated for a moment as she looked down the well-trodden
path in front of her. It was flanked by two rows of standing
stones, each covered by strange designs and diagrams. Finally, she
made a decision and continued down the track until it opened out
into a clearing, cut into the forest.

She hesitated at
the edge, staring in fascination at the sight before her. More
standing stones surrounded a magnificent hut at the centre of the
clearing. The building was far larger than the normal huts in the
village, and it’s daubed walls were covered with the now familiar
Celtic imagery.

Gwenno realised
it was probably a religious place and that she should could get
into trouble for being there, so she was about to leave when the
muffled sound of chanting floated across the clearing. The rhythm
was not unlike the poems she had been learning with Lapwing and
intrigued, she drew closer to the hut to see if she could hear any
more.

The chanting
became clearer, though she couldn’t understand the words as they
were in the ancient language she had heard the Druids use on
occasion. She crept around the side of the hut, listening to the
strange mantra in fascination, but stopped suddenly as she
recognised one word. Her name!

It was too much
of a coincidence and Gwenno sidled to the doorway to see if she
could see anything. The heavy door was made of split logs braced
horizontally with three similar boards, and though hinged with
thick leather hinges, it dragged on the ground due to its age and
weight. This was lucky for Gwenno, as the bottom of the door had
gathered a small pile of soil between its closing edge and the
frame, leaving a gap a hand’s width wide between them. She placed
her face against the gap and peered into the gloom.

At first, she
could not see was happening, but soon made out the silhouettes of
several hooded men forming a circle within the hut. She stared in
fascination at the secretive ceremony unfolding before
her.

The inside
flickered with the light of burning torches, seemingly dancing to
the rhythm of the chanting from the circle of men. At the centre, a
stone table was the only fixture, surrounded by a small moat formed
by the stream running through the hut.

The chanting
stopped and the room fell into silence. A gap appeared in the
circle and two people approached the stone altar. One was a man
dressed in a black cape and carrying an oaken staff, the other was
obviously a masked young girl, dressed in a hooded blue cape. The
girl approached the altar and turned to sit on the edge while the
black gowned man recited some strange words, and after dipping his
staff into the spring, anointed her head with water. The girl
unfastened the ties about her neck and allowing the garment to fall
back onto the stone, lay back with her legs still on the
floor.

Gwenno stifled a
gasp as she realised that apart from the eye mask, the young girl
was now naked. The flickering of the surrounding lamps illuminated
her pale flesh, and she lay back in submission for the violation
that would surely follow. The man disrobed to stand naked before
the girl and Gwenno stifled a gasp as she recognised Lapwing, her
instructor, his aged white hair falling down the back of his
ancient scrawny body.

Gwenno realised
what was about to happen and despite her revulsion, her fascination
compelled her to stay where she was and witness the sordid scene.
The circle of men started to chant again, and as Lapwing
approached, the girl lifted her legs to accommodate the violation.
The old man paused until finally, the chanting reached a crescendo.
This was the moment Lapwing was waiting for and he thrust himself
into the recumbent girl shouting her name with a mixture of
triumph, ceremony and lust.

Gwenno turned
away and stood with her back to the outside wall of the hut, both
confused and scared, wondering what that poor girl who shared her
name had done to deserve such a fate. It was pointless running for
help, for the very fact that Lapwing was a part of the ceremony
suggested that the others were probably the other Druids of the
village. She had no one to turn to for help and Gwenno wept quietly
for the girl.

Finally, Gwenno
wiped her eyes and thought about the whole situation. It was not
just the name they shared; she also had a blue cape, almost exactly
like the one the girl was wearing. She had burned the hem on the
fire a few weeks ago and Willow had taken it away for mending. A
thought slowly occurred to her, and she returned to the crack in
the doorway to check her suspicions.

Once again, her
eyes took a few seconds to accustom to the gloom, but eventually
they made out the scene. The chanting had restarted, and she could
see the scrawny profile of the old man, thrusting himself over and
over again into the young girl’s body.

Gwenno became
even more confused by the girl’s involvement in the sick ritual.
Far from being upset or scared, she actually seemed to be enjoying
the attention, her body moving in unison with the old man and her
moans of pleasure audible above the chanting. Gwenno realised that
far from being exploited, the girl was a willing and enthusiastic
participant, playing a full role in the sordid union.

Gwenno realised
that, as the girl was not being held against her will, it was
pointless taking any more risks and was about to leave until the
victim turned her head slightly in her direction. As their gaze
met, the girl’s horrified eyes widened in recognition and Gwenno’s
hand flew to her mouth to stop herself crying out. Despite the
darkness of the hut, and the eye mask, the features were
unmistakeable. It was Willow!

Gwenno turned
away from the sight, gulping draughts of fresh morning air as the
full realisation hit home. The chanting stopped and she heard
Willow’s raised voice arguing with Lapwing. Gwenno ran back into
the woods, trying to make sense of everything. The sordid sex, the
chanting, the old men, it all could have been just a sick sex
ceremony, but it was the final detail that sickened her the
most.

Willow had
become a close friend, one that she trusted more than anyone in
this strange place, but not only was Willow taking a willing part
in this sick ritual, she had also stolen Gwenno’s cape and was
pretending to be her.

Gwenno ran as
fast as she could back to the village, sobbing as she went, and
bursting through the door of the hut before throwing her few
possessions into her woven bag. Willow followed her in, stopping
just inside the doorway.

‘
Oh,
Miss,’ she cried ‘I am so sorry, you weren’t supposed to see
that.’

‘
Get
away from me!’ screamed Gwenno, ‘You, you... whore!’

‘
You
don’t understand,’ cried Willow.

‘
I
understand what I saw and it was revolting. Now get out of my sight
while I pack.’

‘
What do you mean pack? Where do you think you are
going?’

‘
Anywhere away from you,’ cried Gwenno. ‘I thought we were
friends.’

‘
But
I am your friend.’

‘
You
are nothing to me,’ said Gwenno. ‘Now get out.’

‘
I
am not a whore!’ said Willow quietly.

‘
Not
a whore?’ laughed Gwenno, wiping tears from her eyes. ‘Don’t lie to
me, Willow, I saw everything. You even wore my clothes to look like
me!’

‘
But
you don’t understand…’ started Willow before she was
interrupted.

‘
I
don’t want to understand,’ shouted Gwenno. ‘I’ve had enough of this
place. You go back to your boyfriends if you want to, I am going
home.’

‘
But
I did it for you!’ screamed Willow.

Gwenno stopped
and stared at her in disbelief.

‘
For
me?’ she said. ‘Don’t try to blame me for your lust. You were
enjoying yourself at the hands of that old man.’

‘
Miss, please, just let me explain,’ cried Willow, the tears
running freely down her face. ‘They do what they do to me so you
can remain pure.’

‘
What?’ gasped Gwenno.

‘
You
are the chosen one, Miss,’ continued Willow wiping her eyes, ‘and
you have to stay pure, but men are weak and the Druids are but
men.’

‘
What are you saying, Willow?’ asked Gwenno.

‘
You
are very beautiful, Miss,’ said Willow, ‘and every man lusts after
you, but your virginity is sacred. That is why I am here. My role
is to become your shadow, to absorb your aura, so during the
ceremonies and rituals, I can become you and satisfy the lusts of
mere mortals. By doing so, I keep you safe and pure.’

‘
I
don’t believe you!’ stuttered Gwenno.

‘
But
it is true. Ever since you came here that has been my role, to look
after you in every way possible, even this one!’

‘
But
you were enjoying it!’ gasped Gwenno. ‘If what you say is true why
did you take pleasure in what those men were doing to
you?’