Hosker, G [Sword of Cartimandua 06] Druid's Gold (7 page)

“You have done well my fine and worthy warriors, especially you Tadgh, as I knew you would.  We will guard these men until I have had time to talk to them and persuade them to join our little band. Now let us see what the Mother has brought to us.” She gestured for one of  the bags to be opened. The sun was just breaking over the hills to the east and whether it was an accident or Morwenna had planned it the result was that as the gold spilled out of the pack the shafts of sunlight hit it making the smelted gold glitter almost blindingly brightly.

The Brigante looked at each other but Tadgh noticed no surprise on the witches’ faces. Brennus articulated the thought that was in all their heads. “Were we lucky?  Was that the only bag of gold or are…?”

Morwenna smiled her secret smile.  “Select another bag each from a mule of your choosing and let us see.” Brennus did so and whooped with joy when he found more gold. Having discovered their bounty and their salvation they capered around like children each one holding the gold to their chests. When Morwenna’s voice spoke it spoke with authority and a command which could not be denied. “Now we will stack all of the gold at the back of the cave.  When that has been done you will build a wall of the rock in the cave in front of it.  Then take the mules down to the lower level.”

Tadgh looked at the Queen with increasing respect. She had a plan and he think he could discern what it was.  The gold was her hold over these, possibly, unwilling volunteers; she had devised a way to make them cooperate.  “Come on you lazy bastards get working. You two take the gold and then the rest of you form a chain.  Brother you and I will start to build the wall. Come on then move!”

The bright spring sun was already up when Decius finally awoke with a head that felt like he had been drinking for a week.  He tried to move his hands and found them bound.  He found he could not lift his back and he could see, below the belly of a horse, his feet.  They had been captured but by whom. He tried to speak and found his throat parched and it came out as a croak, “Who…”

He heard a silkily smooth female voice purr, “Ah one is awake and, looking at his clothes ,I would think that this is the leader.  Release him but hold his arms while we talk.”

Decius saw the knife slice through the bonds and then he was roughly taken from the back of the horse and turned around.  He saw immediately that they were not Romans but Brigante and, from their armour and weapons, they were part of the rebel army. 

“Turn him so that he can see me.”

As his face was turned he almost fainted with surprise for he beheld the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.  Her red hair cascaded down her break and he could see her breasts as she was feeing a baby.  They were pure white but his eyes were drawn to the green eyes which bored into his. “I am Morwenna Queen of the Brigante and priestess of the Mother.  You have two choices and they are clear choices, join us and live, refuse and die.” He tried to turn his head to see where his men and the mules were. “Only one of your men was killed the rest are bound as you were.  The mules are gone as is, “she paused to emphasise her words, “as is the gold. We thank you for acquiring it for us and it is now part of our war chest.  So I will ask again.  Do you wish to join us and live or refuse and die?”

Ever the pragmatist there was only one answer he could give. “Your majesty I would be delighted to join your rebellion.”

She came closer to him and hissed. “When you know me a little better you will come to learn that I do not appreciate sarcasm and insubordination results in death but you have just met me so you have had your one chance.  When your men are given the same choice they will not have thatchance. Now release him.”

When the warriors took away their support his weakened legs gave way and he sank to the floor. His chin was grasped and a scarred warrior grinned into his face.  “I am Tadgh and I serve the Queen.  You only live whilst my Queen allows it, remember that.  Also remember that it would be very easy to hamstring you to prevent your escape and we would do that in an instant if we thought you might flee. A cripple could still serve us eh?”

“So you see…” she looked at him.

“Decius Lucullus Sallustius.”

“So you see Decius Lucullus Sallustius it is your choice to be either a hamstrung slave or a warrior in my mighty army.”

Decius was disappointed in the size of the force which had captured him and his men but he was confident enough to believe that, somehow, he could subvert it to his own ends.  The witch thought she was swallowing him but he would become the predator.  The fact that she was a woman meant that she would soon succumb to his charms, every woman did. As his men became conscious he knew he had to persuade them to join the rebels.  The two he was most concerned with were Centurion and Tiny.  In Centurion he had someone who understood military organisation and in Tiny he had someone who would defend him, even at the cost of his own life.

Centurion was the first to come to consciousness an hour or so after Decius. His angry face contorted as he struggled.  Decius put his face close to his lieutenant’s ear and whispered. “We have been captured by the Queen of the Brigante and her warriors.  They have taken the gold. We will go along with them or they will kill you.  Do you understand?” Glancing at the faces of the fierce Brigante and back to Decius he slowly nodded.  He had always had a quick mind and he could see that they were not in a position to resist. What disconcerted Decius was the look on Morwenna’s face; it was as though she had known what he had said to his comrade. She was an unknown quantity.  He preferred women like his aunt and mistress Aula Sallustius who could be manipulated with a smile and a touch.  This woman was of a different order and he would have to tread carefully until he worked out how best to charm and seduce her.

Finally it only remained for Tiny to wake and he showed no sign of doing so.  The sun had passed its peak and Tadgh went to the Queen.  “I think this one might have been struck a little too hard.” Sliding his sword out from its scabbard he continued, “perhaps I should…”

Morwenna shook her head.  “No not yet.  Maban, Anchorat.” The acolytes joined their mistress and held hands in a circle around the giant whose breathing was laboured and whose face looked deathly grey.  Even Decius felt that the big man was going to die. Firstly Morwenna cleaned the wounds of blood and then rubbed some perfumed salve on. The three women were oblivious to the others and walked around Tiny’s body, chanting, their voices a murmur and the sweat from their exertions pouring down their faces. Suddenly they stopped their incantation and Anchorat placed her hands around the dying  man’s head.  Morwenna placed her lips around Tiny’s mouth and began to breathe in and out.  Maban placed her hands on his chest and began to push down whilst murmuring a rhythmic chant and Anchorat held her hands over the wounds on his head. Suddenly they all saw Tiny’s body convulse and the three women stepped back. As his eyes opened Tadgh and the Brigante warriors gave the sign against evil. Centurion looked at Decius and shook his head he turned to Decius and whispered, “I think we would have been better off had we run into Romans. This is witchcraft and no good can come of it.”

Shrugging philosophically Decius replied, “The die has been cast and the Allfather has determined that this is our fate.  Let us help Tiny and then see if we can find a way out of this.” As the two men went to help Tiny to his feet Decius had already begun to formulate a plan- the Queen was a woman and it would be a simple task to seduce her and control this rebellion.  With the gold at his disposal he could buy an army and create his own kingdom. He could buy what his uncle had dreamed of, his own heritage and lands.

Chapter 5

Livius and his three Explorates donned helmets when they entered Brocauum for there was a garrison there.  Drusus and his group would circulate amongst the taverns in the vicus to pick up gossip. The guards at the gate were intrigued at the four riders who halted at the Porta Praetorium.  Neither the optio nor the auxiliary recognised the uniform although it was obvious that they were soldiers.

“Decurion Livius Lucullus Sallustius of the Exploratores section of the Ninth Legion. I am here to speak with the Prefect.”

“Enter sir,” the optio was intrigued and, as they entered through the Porta Praetorium, could not resist the question. “Sir what is an Explorate?  I have never heard of such a unit.”

Smiling Livius leaned down and said, “Confidentially until this month neither had I optio.  We are scouts and we are looking for an engineering party.  Has one visited here recently?”

“No sir.  You are the first visitors from the east since the snows.”

Saluting the optio Livius rode on. He turned to Marius who rode on his right, “It is as I thought Drusus, the engineers would have headed south west towards Glanibanta.”

“That is a hard road sir.  The paths there are very steep.”

“Aye.  The legions will find that a difficult road to build.”

They halted outside the Praetorium where a small party had gathered to greet these new visitors. Livius recognised the centurion from the rebellion. The huge veteran grinned from ear to ear causing the young auxiliary to stare.  He had never seen First Spear smile let alone grin. “Decurion Livius! I didn’t recognise you in,” he gestured at the clothes they were wearing.  “Has Marcus’ Horse run out of funds now?”

Dismounting and handing the reins to Marius Livius shook his head, “No Centurion Cursus, Marcus’ Horse is no more; it has been disbanded.”

The grin left the auxiliary centurion’s face. “I did not know.” His face darkened and he lowered his voice. “Why was this?  Has something untoward happened?” The question was not an innocent one.  If a legion, cohort or ala disgraced itself it would be disbanded and its men sent to other units.

“No Hirtius nothing like that.  There were too few of us to muster even a turma.”

Cursus stepped back to look at Livius’ garb.  “Well may I ask what in the name of the Allfather are you?”

Livius leaned in and led the centurion to one side. “If we could go and meet with the Prefect I can tell you both.”

“The Prefect has taken a patrol to Luguvalium.  I am in temporary charge.  Come let us go into the office.” The clerk stood to his feet when they entered. “Go and fetch us some wine and then see to the troopers outside.” When the man had left Livius and Cursus sat.”You have my interest young Livius.  What are you then?”

“We are scouts, sort of.”

“Sort of scouts eh? Still in the dark.  Scouts for who?”

“The Ninth.”

“Are they close by?”

“No we serve as intelligence gatherers which is why we look as we do.  Even now three of my men are in the vicus gathering information. We were chosen because we no longer look Roman and we can find out more informally than formally.  This is the first time I have looked as you see me for a while.  Normally I look like a bandit or a deserter.”

Cursus laughed. “I have to say I would have been suspicious of you had I not recognised you. I will be interested in any information you gather from the Carvetii in the town.”

“You shall have it but what is your opinion of the rebellion and what news do you have?”

“There has been no trouble since last year but they are not a happy people.  They do not like our presence.”

“But we both know that it is necessary for this was one of the centres of the rebellion.”

“Exactly but we have heard nothing of the Queen who led it.  Perhaps she is dead.”

The clerk returned with the wine and after he left Livius shook his head.  “No we have heard nothing and I am sure that we would have heard if Morwenna had died.  Have you any idea where she and her army could be?”

“I am not sure that she has an army.  We destroyed most of them at the battle of Morbium. My guess is that she fled north to the savages.”

“Could be.” His tone implied that he was doubtful about that. He swallowed off his wine. “The other reason we are here is to find a patrol of engineers which headed west after the last snows.  They are surveying a new road for the Ninth who will be following us.”

“They didn’t pass here.  Perhaps they went further south. If they did they could be in trouble.”

“Why is that?”

“We have few travellers from that direction but those who do travel from the south speak of bandits and groups of survivor from the rebel army.  When your lot were on patrol that didn’t happen but they can out run my lads and our task is to stop the northern savages from invading again so they pretty much have a free rein.”

“So the frontier is not safe then?”

“No it is like a tinderbox.  Luguvalium is always being attacked, only small scale stuff but it means we have to keep our patrols larger than we would like.  It is why the Prefect is out with two centuries on a patrol up the road. I will be glad when the Ninth get here.  A legion as a back up is always handy.”

“Well I can’t see them getting over for a month or so, longer if I can’t find this patrol. Well I will go and find my other men.  I will send Marius back with any information we gather.”

Later that morning is the patrol gathered to share information Livius became concerned. Drusus had a troubled look on his face. “You had better tell the lads in the fort that the town is unhappy.  There are a bunch of troublemakers.  We did as you suggested and let them think that we were deserters from the Roman army and they welcomed us with open arms. They suggested we head south west to the big forest where they reckoned we would find like minded men. They all have weapons hidden and are waiting for the chance to rise again.  They thought that if we were deserters there may be more.  It seemed to encourage them to open up.”

“Any leaders here then?”

“No they were a little cagey about that but they know the routine well.  They told us to avoid the road to Luguvalium because the Prefect was there with a big patrol and they know the routines in the fort.”

“Well done Drusus. Drusus, go back and tell the Centurion what Drusus said and tell him I suggest changing his routines perhaps have a few searches.” Marius nodded and left. “We had better head south west.  I am less than happy about this patrol of engineers.  If they ran into a big group of deserters or rebels they would not stand a chance.”