Page 65 of Boudicca

Move!I ordered my leaden feet.Get out of the way!

As if they belonged to someone else, someone watching outside my body, my feet led me to stagger forward to stand beside a triple-tiered fountain directly across from the group of drinking soldiers. The crystal water gurgled into a large basin, and I reached out and plunged my shaking fingers into the water as I tried to reconnect with my body.

“To the Fourteenth Legion and our general, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus!” shouted the soldier who had first called to Paulinus.

The other men echoed the toast, and the governor smiled and raised his mug with the men before drinking.

“To the Twentieth Legion and Gaius Suetonius Paulinus!” said the second soldier, raising his mug again.

They all drank. Then Paulinus lifted his mug and the men went quiet. “And we cannot forget our loyal procurator, Catus Decianus.” The governor’s words were little different from the soldiers’, but the tone in which he said them was patronizing—as was the unenthusiastic cheer that followed them.

Decianus did not seem to notice. His lips turned up in the priggish smile I remembered. He drank and then said, “Yes, who would fund your little wars were it not for me and the taxes I collect? And I shall continue to collect them when you depart for Ynys Môn in three days to rid that isle of the Druid filth.”

Paulinus frowned at the procurator. “Decianus, I’ve had reports that some of the native tribes have been gathering and even perhaps arming themselves. While I deal with the Druids, you would do well to call for the Ninth to support you and remain within the city until I return.”

Decianus scoffed. “The centuria I used this summer to teach the Iceni queen her lesson should return from escorting our fur merchants west in a fortnight or so. But because you insist, I shall send a runner today to recall them earlier. They will be more than enough protection from the barbarians while the Druids learn their own lesson.”

I heard Derwyn’s voice lifting from my memory.Ynys Môn calls to me. Last night in my dreams the oaks keened.And like a fire in my head, my anger ignited, burning through the last of my body’s numbness. I needed to act. I had to act. My hand went to the hilt of my knife and I took two strides toward the soldiers. Later I wondered at my foolishness, but then all I knew was rage.

Suddenly Cadoc was on one side of me and Maldwyn on the other. Like I was a sheep being herded by hounds, my two warriors guided me away from the soldiers. Cadoc’s strong hand latched onto my elbow and he propelled me forward, but not before I heard Paulinus ask the procurator, “Did you see her? A tall Brittani woman. Held herself like a man. She seemed almost familiar.”

“How can you tell one from the other?” Decianus’s nasal voice answered. “Unless they are naked and lie beneath me I cannot abide...”

And then we were out of hearing range, though my warriors did not slow. They steered me hastily through the crowd. When I stumbled, Maldwyn’s hand closed on my other arm and they almost carried me between them. We reached the corral that held our horses and Maldwyn took me directly to Tân.

“Can you stand here while Cadoc and I gather the tack?”

I nodded and then rested my forehead against Tân’s warm neck. I forced myself to breathe deeply, slowly. Eventually the shock began to dissipate. By the time Maldwyn cupped his hands to boost me astride my mare, I could reason again. I dug my heels into Tân. People scattered as we clattered down the street to the Balkerne arches and sprinted through them, leaving the admonishing shouts of the Roman lookouts and the tainted city behind us.

Chapter XXIV

We didn’t speak. We rode fast, eager to put distance between us and Camulodunum before darkness would force us to stop for the night. Pushing Ennis to the edge of the powerful stallion’s strength, Maldwyn broke off from us twice and circled back to be sure no one had recognized me and sent soldiers after us. But no one followed, and eventually even Cadoc stopped looking over his shoulder. We focused on urging the horses on.

Tân was covered with the white froth of her effort to maintain such a pace when the Roman road took a westerly turn. Eagerly we left Roman stone behind us and continued north through forests that became more and more familiar.

Finally Maldwyn’s voice called over the pounding of our horses’ hooves. “We must slow to cool the horses and then stop for the night soon. It would be too easy to misstep in this darkness.”

I pulled Tân up gently from a swift canter to a trot and finally I allowed her to walk. All of the horses were exhausted and dripped sweat. Steam rose from their sodden coats as the night went from chilly to cold. We had to move slowly through the dense forest, and when the horses were dry enough we followed the musical sound of running water until we came to a creek. I dismounted and rubbed Tân’s salt-stiffened coat, murmuring to her about how much I appreciated her strength and swiftness. Then I worked beside Maldwyn and Cadoc to wipe down all six of our horses. After they drank their fill from the stream, we tied grain masks over their muzzles and gave them the last of the feed we’d brought. Maldwyn predicted they would be asleep almost before they finished eating, and he was right. As we built a fire and settled in for the rest of the night, the horses’ weary sighs and the sweet smell of them soothed my nerves.

I was prepared to eat stale bannock and cold jerky, but Cadoc surprised me by unwrapping a large hunk of smoked pork, a wedge of soft herb-spiced goat cheese, and an entire loaf of bread from his packs.

He smiled as he cut the pork and began to warm it over the fire. The meat sizzled and released scents that had my mouth watering. “I felt the wind shift this afternoon and thought we’d do well with something warm in our bellies tonight.”

With a shy flourish Maldwyn brought out a large bladder, which he offered to me first. I uncapped it and sniffed—and my gaze cut to his.

He shrugged. “And I thought we might as well drink their wine before we drive them from our lands.”

“Ha!” Cadoc laughed and clapped his big hands. “Right you are, Maldwyn.” His eyes glittered at me across the fire. “What do you think, my queen?”

I sipped the wine. I’d had wine before, of course. When Prasutagus lived he often returned from trading or raiding with barrels of it. This wine was red and potent, and its warmth felt good as it filled my belly.

“I think I am glad my two warriors had such excellent foresight today. This”—I lifted the bladder and with it gestured at the pork sizzling over the fire—“is greatly appreciated.” I tossed the bladder to Cadoc, who caught it one-handed and tipped back his head to drink deeply.

We ate and drank, and did not talk much until our bellies were full and our bodies relaxed. I sensed that the two men were reluctant to bring up the events of the day, so I began.

“How did you get to me so quickly?”

They did not have to ask what I meant. Cadoc cleared his throat and then jerked his bearded chin in Maldwyn’s direction. “Maldwyn and I had just met and were heading to the trees when he recognized Decianus and then saw you. We knew we had to move fast.”