Page 145 of Boudicca

“Briallen! She returns!”

The shout went up as we approached the roundhouse in the center of the village. From the open entrance a tall man with a shockof orange hair that matched his massive beard hurried from the lodge. He wore a thick golden torque decorated with the same horned kine image we’d seen on Beira’s Stone. Close behind him was a man I easily recognized as Briallen’s father, as he looked like an older version of her twin brother, Bryn.

Briallen and I dismounted and the girls followed us, though they didn’t approach the chief but remained by the horses with their wolves. We’d learned during our fortnight-long trip that the wolves made almost everyone nervous.

Briallen bowed to the chief. “Calgacus, chief of Tribe Caereni, and his shield—”

“Come here, you bonny wee thing!” Briallen’s father, shield to the chief, interrupted her. Stepping up beside his smiling chief, he opened his arms to his daughter. As she flung herself into his embrace he added, “Where is that dunderheid brother of yours? Late, as usual?”

Briallen squeezed her father and then stepped back. “Bryn is dead, Father. He died protecting the Iceni queen against the Romans.”

Her father’s face drained of color and his shoulders slumped. His chief rested a hand on his shoulder, saying, “Och, Colin, it hurts my heart to hear of it.”

Colin nodded and swallowed. “We’ll tell your mum together.”

Then both men looked to me. I moved forward so that I stood beside Briallen. She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes and continued with her interrupted introductions. “Calgacus, chief of Tribe Caereni, and his shield, my father, Colin, ’tis my honor to introduce to you Herself—”

This time it was the chief who interrupted Briallen. “Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, Andraste’s Victory, and the woman who united the southern tribes against the plague of Romans infesting those lands.” Calgacus moved to stand before me. He bowed his head. “You are most welcome here, mighty queen.”

I met his eyes. They were a gray blue that matched the ocean. In a voice rough with illness I said, “I am queen no more. I am but a woman asking for succor for herself and her two”—I paused and placed my hand over my rounding belly—“and soon three children.”

His reply came with no hesitation. “Then know that Boudicca the woman and mother is as welcome in Caledonia as would be the queen of Britain. You are safe now. You may rest.”

Relief added to my fevered dizziness. I bowed in turn and intended to speak eloquently about my love for his shield’s daughter, my despair at the death of her brother, and my appreciation for the sanctuary he offered, but I could not catch my breath. My vision went black and then I fell.

Chapter XLVI

They thought I would lose the babe. I knew that but not much more for many days. Between fever dreams where Maldwyn died over and over followed by Rhan leaping into his funeral pyre, I heard, as if from far away, women’s voices discussing whether my child would live or die.She will live!I wanted to shout, but the dreams trapped me again and I could not speak. When my fever finally broke, my first words were, “The babe? Is she...”

Briallen was at my side, bending over me. “The babe is well.”

“Enfys? Ceri?” I croaked.

“Och, the bairns are teaching their wolves to fish. All is well, my queen.”

I cleared my throat. “Don’t call me that.”

She raised a brow but said nothing and instead helped me gulp a cup of cool water. As I drank, my babe fluttered and then kicked. Hard. Causing me to grimace.

“How long?” I asked.

“Three days. But you’re mending now, so all is truly well,” she said.

And as usual Briallen was right. I recovered quickly. Ulapul was situated on the coast, a thriving port village that was the gateway to the northwest and the rest of the coastal Caereni lands. Their hearty fish stew strengthened me, and soon I was able to join Calgacus and Colin on the practice field with the rest of the Caereni warriors. Though my babe continued to swell my stomach, I was determined to be useful. I refused to be treated like a deposed queen. At first Calgacus argued with me, but I easily found his weakness and prevailed. The Caereni bred garrons, small but sturdy horses they farmed with and rode into battle, but the tribe lacked chariots. When Calgacus and Colin understood that I could teach their blacksmiths how to makechariots that could be used over the rough Highlandsandtrain their warriors as drivers, the chief relented, becoming more and more excited as the first chariots took shape and warriors clamored to learn the skill of driving.

So I was useful. My babe grew steadily, moving strongly within me. My daughters thrived, and did teach their wolves how to fish, much to the amusement and wonder of Tribe Caereni.

And still I was unmoored.

The tribe built a roundhouse for me near their herd of garrons. I enjoyed training the intelligent little horses, though I often thought of Ennis and Finley. Almost as often as I thought of Maldwyn. I could not help it. Not with his child growing within me. I thought of how much he would love working with the garrons and imagined his cornflower eyes shining as he spoke soft words enticing them to trust him, love him. And they would. He had been easy to love.

I tried not to think of Rhan.

The Caereni had no Druid, though their healer had trained on Ynys Môn. I questioned Calgacus about other Druids in his tribal territory and he answered with great sadness that he knew of not one in Caledonia.

I tried and failed not to think of Rhan.

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