Roman - The Fall of Britannia (47 page)

‘
It
is on my belt.’

Prydain closed
within two metres and held out his hand in greeting. Cassus stared
at it and looked into Prydain’s eyes.

‘
You
jest with me,’ he said, ‘I take the hand of no traitor.’

‘
Traitor?’ asked Prydain. ‘Traitor to whom, Cassus, my family,
my people, my comrades?’

‘
Everyone,’ replied Cassus, ‘You have turned your back on your
very country.’

‘
My
country,’ said Prydain. ‘Let’s take that one first. I was born to a
slave who was destined to die in the arena for nothing else but
being unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong
time. Rome is not my country and the Romans are not my
people.’

‘
My
father brought you up and put food in your belly,’ snapped
Cassus.

‘
Karim brought me up,’ answered Prydain, ‘and it is he who
grafted to feed me. Yes, your father’s intervention in the arena
all those years ago saved my life, and I will always respect him
for that, but I have always known that I didn’t belong.’

‘
Yet
you joined up with me,’ said Cassus, ‘to serve in the Emperor’s
name. You were as keen as I to seek glory across the
empire.’

‘
A
boyhood dream,’ said Prydain. ‘The reality is much different and
since we have been in Britannia, the endless killing of innocent
people has sickened me.’

‘
You
have killed men in the past.’

‘
Men
yes, even women when the need was great, but the slaughter of
countless innocents in the name of one man lies heavy on my
conscience. To slay children who have done no more than stand
alongside their parents is not what I joined up for. Marcus was
right. These so-called barbarians that we grew up despising have
culture, families, hopes and dreams, just like you or
I.’

‘
Then your comrades,’ answered Cassus, ‘you have turned your
back on those who have fought alongside you in other battles. How
could you betray them?’

‘
I
have killed no Roman.’ snapped Prydain. ‘Throughout all this, I
have not killed a single one of those I called comrade.’

‘
Then what do you call this?’ laughed Cassus, spinning around
and indicating the carnage around him. ‘It may not be your blade
Prydain, but you ride with them, your hands are as soiled as
theirs.’

‘
We
rode into their country!’ shouted Prydain. ‘They are defending
their lands and their families. You would do the same to anyone
riding on Rome.’

‘
And
you,’ snapped Cassus, ‘what is your excuse? What do you defend,
Prydain?’

Prydain paused
before answering.

‘
My
home, Cassus,’ he said eventually. ‘These hills are the lands of my
fathers.’

Cassus stared
for a long time in confusion.

‘
I
don’t understand,’ he said, ‘you were born in Rome.’

‘
I
may have been born on the back of a slave trader’s cart,’ said
Prydain, ‘but my mother was brought up here, amongst these hills.
This is the place I belong, and these,’ he indicated the warriors,
‘are my people.’

‘
You
don’t know that is true.’

‘
I
have never been surer of anything,’ said Prydain.

‘
How?’

‘
My
mother told me.’

‘
But
you were just a baby when she died.’

‘
I
was, but she left me a sign, one that lasted through all these
years.’ He lifted the leather pendant that still hung around his
neck.

‘
Remember this, Cassus?’ he asked, ‘This was the only
possession that my mother owned and she gave it to Karim when she
handed me over. Look at the design.’

‘
I
am familiar with the design,’ said Cassus, ‘It means nothing to
me.’

‘
Look around you, Cassus,’ said Prydain. ‘and open your
eyes.’

Cassus stared at
the warrior nearest him, suddenly realising that the exact design
was tattooed on his chest. He quickly scanned anyone else in range,
only to see that the same design was borne by every man.

‘
You
see, Cassus,’ said Prydain, ‘these are my people. Many years ago, a
Cornovii raiding party took my mother. The Silures pursued, but by
the time they caught up with them, she had been sold to a Gallic
trader who then sold her in the slave markets of Rome.’

‘
I
don’t understand,’ said Cassus. ‘How can they be sure you didn’t
just pick this up from some random body?’

‘
You
are right,’ said Prydain, ‘the pendant stopped me from being
killed, but did not prove who I was. But there was one more gift
that my mother left me before she died.’

‘
What gift?’ asked Cassus.

‘
My
name!’

‘
What has your name to do with it?’

‘
Before she was dragged off to her death, my mother made sure
Karim understood the name by which I was to be called,’ said
Prydain.

‘
And
I assume that your name is Khymric in origin,’ guessed Cassus.
‘Hardly proof of your identity.’

‘
Perhaps not,’ said Prydain, ‘but it is reserved for someone
special, the first born in line to the tribal chief.’

‘
Don’t tell me you also lead these people,’ Cassus
sneered.

‘
No,
and I never will, for there are others of pure blood before me, but
at the time, my mother was the chief’s only child and she bestowed
the name on me as was the custom for the first born male
child.’

‘
This is too far a stretch for my imagination,’ said Cassus,
‘the coincidence is too great.’

Prydain pointed
at the old man waiting patiently on his horse.

‘
That man there,’ he said, ‘is the chief of the Silures. They
do not recognise the rule of Caratacus as King of Britannia, for
they have hunted these lands long before the Catuvellauni even had
a name. Even the name of these islands descends from Silures
culture and has been changed over the years from its
original.’

‘
This was the gift of my mother Cassus,’ he continued, ‘as the
chief’s first child, only she was allowed to use the ancient name
of this country for her son. The name Britannia is taken from the
Silures original. Its true name is Prydain!’

----

Chapter 44

Centurion Remus
was getting impatient at the wait, and deciding to take matters
into his own hands, walked forward to join the two men. Four armed
Silures warriors stopped him in his tracks.

‘
What do you want, Remus?’ called Prydain.

‘
I
command these men,’ said Remus indicating the last of the Cohort.
‘If there are any decisions to be made regarding their future, then
those decisions are mine to make.’

Prydain
considered before answering.

‘
Drop your Gladius and draw near,’ he said.

Remus did as he
was asked, and he submitted to a search by one of the warriors,
before advancing to stand alongside Cassus.

‘
So,
finally gone native have you, slave-boy?’ he sneered. ‘Why doesn’t
that surprise me?’

‘
You
would do well to hold your taunts, Remus,’ said Prydain, ‘your life
lies in my hands.’

‘
I
speak as I like to a slave,’ said Remus.

‘
I
am no slave,’ said Prydain.

‘
You
were born to a slave,’ said Remus, ‘and does not a rat give birth
to a rat? You were a slave at birth and will be a slave when you
die.’

‘
I
don’t understand you,’ said Prydain. ‘All through my time with the
legion you made my life hell. Why is that? Even if I was once a
slave, there must be thousands of other freedmen serving in Rome’s
legion. Surely you do not persecute them as much as you do
me?’

‘
You
are right,’ said Remus. ‘There are many, and I despise them all for
soiling the true blood of the legions, but you, Prydain, you are
something special. You are blight upon this earth and a stain on my
very soul.’

Cassus looked on
in confusion, unable to comprehend why there was so much venom in
Remus’s voice.

‘
Is
this what all this is about?’ asked Prydain, ‘all this persecution,
all these deaths, just because I am a freedman in the ranks of
Rome?’

Remus tilted
back his head and laughed briefly.

‘
Oh
no, Prydain, this is much more personal. I was brought up in a time
when Romans were Romans, barbarians were barbarians and slaves were
slaves. Everyone knew their place. It was a good time. Gladiators,
slaves, life, death, all in our hands and for a young man like me
at the time; life was intoxicating. Wine, gambling, fighting, and
as for the women, oh I had my choice of those. Rich girls, poor
girls,’ he paused and looked at Prydain, ‘slave girls.’

‘
You
surprise me, Remus,’ said Prydain, ‘you, who have such a low
opinion of slaves, soiling yourself with our women.’

‘
Oh
no,’ said Remus, ‘I have no problem abusing slave girls, and when I
grew bored with them, I could always earn myself a few coins by
selling them as entertainment in the arena.’

Prydain’s face
hardened as he realised what Remus was getting at, his mind racing
as he watched the Centurion undo the chinstrap of the bronze helmet
crested with the magnificent red horsehair plume.

‘
You
see,’ continued Remus, ‘you and I have a lot in common, slave-boy.
We grew up not far from each other, albeit twenty years apart. Even
before you were born, I was fornicating amongst the slave girls. In
fact, I remember one in particular; pretty little thing she was. Oh
how we used that girl. Passed her around the garrison like a wash
towel, and when we got bored of her, sent her to the
arena.’

Cassus’s eyes
widened as he realised the implications and stared at
Prydain.

‘
There must have been thousands of slave women who were sent
to the arenas,’ said Prydain, ‘it means nothing. ‘

‘
Perhaps so,’ said Remus. ‘But there was something else, a
pendant similar to the one you now wear. Hang on,’ he said screwing
up his eyes as if in recognition, ‘I would say exactly the
same.’

‘
You
lie,’ said Prydain, his anger rising, ‘anyone could make up this
story.’

‘
Tell me,’ said Remus, ‘how many of these pendants are there,
and more importantly, how would I know you got it from your
mother?’

Silence fell and
the two men stared at each other.

‘
Don’t listen to him, Prydain,’’ said Cassus, ‘it could have
been anyone.’

Prydain didn’t
take his eyes off the smirking Centurion. Remus removed his helmet
and stared up at the sky for a few seconds before he
answered.

‘
But
there was only one pendant wasn’t there, slave-boy?’ he said. ‘I’m
sure your new found friends over there explained the importance of
that pathetic necklace. Oh, how we laughed when she cried that she
was some sort of princess and showed us that pathetic symbol as
evidence. In fact, we found it so funny we allowed her to keep it.
After all, it was something to hold on to as we screwed her from
behind.’

‘
It
was you,’ said Prydain. ‘You sent my mother to her death. You sent
her to be slaughtered in the name of entertainment.’

‘
Oh
don’t worry;’ continued Remus,’ I didn’t lose out on the deal. If I
recall, I had six copper coins for her. They paid good money for
women and children in the arenas back then. It made for a
fascinating spectacle to watch their deaths, especially slave
babies and stinking barbarian whores.’

Remus’s
deliberate goading had the desired effect and a roaring Prydain
hurled himself at the soldier, his face contorted with rage,
exactly as Remus had hoped. The Centurion threw himself to one side
while at the same time swinging his helmet up to smash Prydain
across the side of the head. The shock of the impact and his own
momentum resulted in Prydain sprawling face down into the dirt and
before he could re-gather his senses, Remus dived onto his back and
jerked back the warriors head to expose his neck and pulling out a
hidden Pugio from his tunic he held the blade against Prydain’s
throat.

‘
Have you learnt nothing, slave boy? It was easier this time
than the first day I met you. Remember that day, slave-boy, when I
put you in your place? It was then that I first recognised the
pendant. That was the day that you brought back memories that I
wanted to forget and since then, I knew there would be a
reckoning?’

‘
Remus, leave him,’ shouted Cassus. ‘If you kill him we will
all die.’

‘
We
are already dead,’ barked Remus, ‘but before I go, I will feel his
blood running through my fingers.’

‘
You
see, slave-boy,’ he said, returning his attention to Prydain,
‘there was one more thing I didn’t tell you. It is true I used your
mother, and yes, it was I who sent her to the arena. After the
bitch got pregnant she was no use to me so as soon as I found out,
I sold her on to a whorehouse and as far as I was concerned, she no
longer existed.’