Page 51 of Boudicca

I woke slowly. Rhan warmed the bed beside me, and the sound of her deep, even breathing brought back the many mornings we’d woken together as girls after spinning tales of our futures so late that we’d fallen asleep without meaning to, so that those tales became dreams, and then those dreams—at leastmydreams—had become reality.

I watched Rhan sleep and wondered what it was she had wished for and why she wouldn’t tell me. Sometimes it seemed as if there had never been a gap in our friendship—that I still knew her as well as I had when we were girls—but that was impossible. This Rhan was a Druid. A trained seer. An adult who had lived more than a decade without me. Perhaps I would truly come to know this Rhan as well as my childhood friend. I hoped so.

Her eyes opened and met mine. She blinked several times and then sat up, looking around the bedchamber as if she didn’t recognize it.

“It seems some childhood habits are easy to fall back into,” I said with a grin as I stretched and groaned at the soreness in my muscles.

She yawned and brushed her hair back from her face. “I assume you didn’t mean for me to move into your bedchamber when you asked if I would make the lodge my home.”

I shrugged and sat up, groaning again. “I thought that you might choose one of the girls’ rooms as they seem to have taken up permanent residence together in Mother’s chamber, but if the past can predict the future, this will not be the last time we talk ourselves to sleep.”

Phaedra peeked her head through the thick blanket that served as door to my chamber.

“Oh, good. There you are, Phaedra. Have one of Wulffaed’s daughters send for my lead warriors. They can break their fast with me as we discuss the business of the day.”

Phaedra bowed and left, and I realized that she’d not spent the night on her usual pallet at the end of my bed, where she’d slept since the day Prasutagus died.

“I must be healing,” I said more to myself than Rhan, but the seer responded with a soft laugh.

“You are, and that is obvious, but I do not believe Phaedra slept outside your chamber last night because of that.”

Before I could say anything more, Phaedra returned and began going through my wardrobe, readying my clothes.

“Phaedra, I will be drilling with the warriors daily, so I’ll need my riding leathers.” I paused and considered how filthy my clothes and I had been by the end of practice yesterday and added, “I believe I will need more leathers.”

Phaedra nodded. “Yes, my queen. I thought as much and already spoke to the Mother of Twenty. You shall have more suitable clothes soon.”

“Well done, Phaedra.” I turned to Rhan. “From today on I would like you to break your fast with me as well.”

Rhan bowed her head slightly. “As you ask, so will I do, Queen Boudicca,” she said formally. “I shall retrieve my own things, choose one of the bedchambers not currently in use, and then join you—if that is agreeable.”

“Of course. And thank you, Iceni seer,” I added just as formally.

Our eyes met just before she left the chamber and we shared a secret grin that harkened back to our girlhood. Rhan made me feel young and filled with energy, even though my sore muscles were reminding me I was no longer a girl.

By the time I was dressed and entered the lodge’s great room, Cadoc, Maldwyn, and Abertha had arrived. I could hear the voices of my daughters coming from the rear of the lodge, and as Wulffaed placed bannock, cheese, and thick slices of ham on the main tablefor us, she told me, “My queen, your daughters have already broken their fasts and are feeding the pups. Again. Seems they must eat often enough that your girls got very little sleep last night.”

“It is good for them to be busy. As our horse master said yesterday, helping the pups to heal will also help them recover.” I smiled at Maldwyn, who sat up a little straighter, though his cheeks did flush. I was beginning to understand that he would rather keep to the background, though his sharp gaze missed little. “Maldwyn, I will drill with the chariot as well as the sword and bow every morning until midday.”

“You are a quick study, my queen. You shall be ready to lead us into battle,” said the horse master.

Cadoc grunted and spoke around a mouthful of pork. “How long do we have before the warriors should be ready to bring vengeance to Camulodunum and the Roman scum trespassing there?”

“We must attack before harvest. That is when Decianus said he will return to steal from us—what Rome calls taxes.” Rhan joined us then and sat at the place I’d left open beside me. I turned to the seer. “As harvest approaches we will ask Andraste to send sign to show us when the time is favorable to strike.” I looked to Cadoc. “But all of our plans will fail if we do not have enough warriors.”

The old shield snorted. “We will have enough warriors, my queen.”

Abertha nodded. “It has only been but days and already our numbers swell to over twenty thousand.”

I felt a thrill chase down my spine at her words. “Twenty thousand! All Iceni?”

“All Iceni,” said Cadoc. “And more join every day. I estimate if only the Iceni answer your call we will have nearly one hundred thousand warriors by harvest.”

“We cannot possibly keep that number hidden here,” I said.

“No, we cannot,” agreed Cadoc. “And without Iceni warriors to work the fields, the crops will not be harvested. We know that must be done early this year to sustain us for the winter.”

“I have thought on this,” said Abertha. “My queen, what say you about sending the warriors home after they have been fully armed?”