White Raven's Lover

by Nhys Glover

  But even as the idea came to him, he pushed it away. Information that Roman legionaries were on the move would be quickly relayed to the rebels. They’d run, and maybe kill their captive to make their escape easier. He couldn’t risk that.

  And what could he do to make Cal well that Brennwen couldn’t? She was the one who’d been trained as a healer, not him. She could just as likely bring him back to health while in the hands of the enemy as she could in his own hands. No, the last thing he needed to do now was to start running around in panic like a headless chicken. They were close to victory. Cal was found and in Brennwen’s capable hands. Once he had his men with him, he’d take action.

  But what would they do? Did he wait for Vali or Braxus to make the plan? Both were men of action, with more experience in warfare than he had. But he wasn’t without skills. He knew how to strategize. He’d been trained by the best. That he’d never had a chance to apply that learning in a war situation didn’t mean he couldn’t do it. Rather than sit around, twiddling his thumbs, he should be working out a plan.

  Brennwen said the girl told her there were two men with Cal and that they were expecting another two or three that day. With the old farmer, that made six men. How were they to get in unobserved and get Cal out under the noses of six men? And the girl, of course. But Brennwen could handle her. She was unlikely to take up arms.

  His mind returned to Brennwen’s dream. Every part of it had come true so far. But the fire that led them to the rebel’s hideout had happened before the child arrived. What if the fire was more than just a sign pointing them to Cal’s location? What if it was the method for his rescue?

  They needed a diversion, a way to get the warriors away from Cal so Brennwen could get him to safety. Would she think to do that? Was she strong enough to carry the child to safety? She was barely bigger than a child herself. What if she fell carrying him? Both of them could be hurt.

  And how likely was it that Cal would be left unguarded, even while a fire blazed nearby? The rebels would have to consider it a diversion. If they were any kind of seasoned warriors at all, they’d have to know to keep their prize under close watch at all times. Brennwen couldn’t get away with him on her own. She needed someone to distract the guard.

  What if they started a fire in the lean-to close to the round house? It was closer than the barn had been and more dangerous to the occupants of the dwelling, for that reason. The men would go to fight the fire. Most of them. They’d leave one to guard the boy. That left five outside. Could Vali, Braxus and Menolus take down five men? If Vali had been able to convince the others to come with him. If not, he was sure Vali wouldn’t come alone. He was a resourceful, capable fighter. So, yes, the chances that Vali and his men could take down five Celts during a surprise blitz attack were good.

  That would leave him to deal with the one man guarding Cal. He’d need to draw him away from his son in case he decided to use the boy as a shield. How? The girl. She would go out to the fire. She had the night before; it was likely she would do it again. All he had to do was get her to call the guard out. With a sword at her throat, if he had to.

  Once the guard was drawn away from Cal, Gaius could enter the round house and take action. Hopefully, Brennwen would get Cal away during the clash. Even if he didn’t win his fight, his son would be free.

  He would need to get a message to the fort to let them know they’d be coming in. He didn’t want to be left vulnerable with a sick child to care for. As soon as Vali arrived, and they were about to start the mission, he’d send word to the legate.

  Satisfied he’d covered all contingencies, he relaxed a little. Now all he needed was his men. How many days away were they? He told Leonus to have them come by sea. That would mean they could make up the day’s lead the rebels had on them. By his calculations, and if the weather had remained favourable, Vali could arrive any time now.

  With more determination than he’d felt since he’d seen the rebels arrive with his child, Gaius went out into the township in search of his men.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  It was late in the afternoon when a fission of excitement rippled through the townspeople. Gaius picked up the excitement, which was as potent as an unseen wind through leafy branches, and turned toward the town’s gates and waited.

  Everyone knew of the excitement of blood sports, even if they’d never witnessed such a contest themselves. And word had already got around that there was a scout in their midst, determining if their town would be lucky enough to host the games. They all knew that the scout was awaiting the arrival of some of his fighters.

  Sure enough, no more than a few minutes later, Gaius saw three dusty gladiators ride through the gates.

  Lara’s blonde giant jumped from his horse at the stable, handed over the reins to the livery boy and strode toward Gaius. No more than a step behind was Hispanian, Braxus, every bit as formidable, for all he was a few inches shorter. The third man to dismount and lope toward him was an Achaean called Jason, who he knew to be one of the Ludus’ new recruits.

  So Menolus hadn’t been able to get away. With the Cerealia, it only made sense that the lanista, the manage, would need to be there to supervise the contest. But the new man was no less formidable than his companions, if a few years younger. He was tall, broad shouldered and muscular, every bit the confident gladiator.

  ‘Ho, Gaius, well met. You’ve been awaiting us, I see.’ Vali hailed him, gripping his arm in the Roman form of greeting.

  ‘Yes. I think I’ve found the perfect venue for our first contest. Let me show you!’ He began to guide the men toward a clearing on the outskirts of town. He noted the small following of interested bystanders who tagged along.

  If he was to get the privacy he needed to discuss his plan, he had to get the warriors out in the middle of the field, away from prying ears. Impatient, he broke into a jog.

  ‘Is there some urgency?’ Vali asked quietly as he kept pace with Gaius.

  ‘Yes. We act tonight. Are you up to it?’

  Vali laughed, hit him jovially on the back, but kept his voice low. ‘The trip here was like a holiday. Amazing what doors open for a friend of the governor.’

  ‘I wish I knew how he fares.’

  ‘No idea. We left the morning after you. The last I heard, Lucullus had taken to his bed with a mysterious ailment.’ Vali scanned his surroundings with experienced eyes.

  ‘Yes, one that would keep him abed for a few days. Long enough to get us all here,’ Gaius replied grimly.

  Finally, they reached the field he’d chosen for their supposed gladiatorial games. A wooden fortified arena would normally be built in the centre of such a clearing. Raised benches would be erected around the outside for the audience. Such a structure could be raised in less than a day and taken down just a quickly. Not as grand as the permanent stone structures in more civilized parts of the empire, but Braxus had commented on more than one occasion that a temporary arena did the job well enough for travelling troupes like his.

  ‘As you can see, this is a perfect location,’ Gaius said loudly, using his arms to indicate the space where the arena could be situated. ‘You there, back away! These men need to see it properly without you underfoot!’

  The few stragglers who’d caught up to them backed off obediently, in awe of the strangers in their midst and the authority in Gaius’ voice.

  With twenty paces separating them from the growing crowd, Gaius started talking. He explained everything that had happened and laid out his plan, hoping against hopes that Vali would see it as viable, and if not, come up with something better.

  As Giaus used his arms to point to different places around the field, for the benefit of the crowd, he waited for Vali to comment. He didn’t have to wait long.

  ‘It sounds like a workable strategy. We can handle five men with no hardship. The task will be to set a fast and furious blaze that doesn’t get out of hand. You think this seer will be useful?’

  ‘Yes. I know she will.’ He pointe
d back toward the town for effect. ‘Now, we need to get out of town without raising suspicions. Maybe an argument in front of our audience over an alternate site you’ve located, back the way you came? We might need to go out there to inspect it right away?’

  Vali looked at Braxus, who shrugged. ‘Picking a suitable site isn’t usually a problem, but these yokels won’t know that. I’m happy to disagree, just to stir things up. What say you, Jason?’

  The handsome Achaean flicked his long black curls back from his face and grinned cheekily. ‘Never liked to accept the first offer. Choice is good.’

  ‘All right, then, we’ll go back to the horses and ride back out of town. I assume we’ll start the fire after dark?’ Vali said, looking back at Gaius.

  ‘Yes. The darkness will add to the chaos. It did last night. It’ll take the townspeople a good while to get back out there, even if they bother after last night. They saw for themselves that the farm was isolated from the forest and a fire was unlikely to spread to the undergrowth unless a wind blows up.’

  ‘Good. We have a plan and now all we need is some first class acting to make it interesting.’ Braxus grinned wolfishly.

  As they dawdled back toward the waiting crowd, they started arguing about the site. By the time Braxus started ranting about the better site he’d seen in the last town they passed, the townsfolk were already looking disappointed and anxious.

  And by the time Gaius had collected all their possessions at the tavern, sent a cryptic message to the fort, and joined his men at the stable at the town gate, he was in high spirits. If all went as planned, he would soon have Cal and Brennwen safely behind the walls of the fort.

  Cal swallowed down more of the foul liquid his mother had been feeding him for endless hours. He wasn’t sure when he’d worked out that she was real and not a dream. It was probably shortly after he realised that he was no longer on a horse and that the arms that held him were gentle, loving and smelled good.

  He also knew that they were in a house that reminded him of the slaves’ quarters on the estate – a round dwelling with a thatched roof and a fire pit at its centre. He could see a fire burning there now and a group of large men sitting around it, eating. The girl who had been helping his mother was serving them.

  ‘Mater,’ he croaked out, turning his head back to look up at the serene face above him.

  ‘Shhh, Cal, you mustn’t call me that. They must think we don’t know each other. We’re still in the hands of the enemy, but your pater is not far away. He’ll come for us both very soon. He’s just waiting for Vali.’

  ‘Vali is coming? And Braxus? That’s good. I tried to be brave and strong like you told me to in the dreams, but riding all the time made me sick. I think I ate something bad, too.’

  ‘Never mind. You’re nearly well again now. Can you eat something?’

  ‘It won’t make me sick?’

  ‘No. And it will build your strength for when we need to escape,’ she spoke in soothing whispers, just as she’d been doing all day. No one paid them any attention.

  ‘All right, I’ll try.’

  His mother laid him down on the pallet and climbed to her feet. It was odd to see her in real life. He’d believed her to be just a dream for so long that seeing and feeling her when he was awake was odd. Maybe he was asleep. Maybe when he woke up, she’d be gone again.

  Whimpering at the thought, he tried to get up to follow her. He had to stop himself from calling out her name. He wasn’t supposed to know her. That’s what she’d said. But the fear that he’d be left alone again was too much.

  ‘Keep still little one, I’ll be back in a moment,’ she said with a smile. In the fire light, she looked even more like the statue he knew from the temple. He wondered if she’d brought snakes with her.

  In a few moments, just as she’d promised, Mater was back. She lifted him up into a sitting position, leaning his back against her chest and shoulder, and began to spoon the hot, watery stew into his mouth. It tasted better than the herbs she’d fed him and a lot better than the last meal the men had given him.

  One spoonful after another and he was soon finished.

  As soon as his mater put the plate down, all chaos broke out. The suddenness of change, just like at the temple, left him confused and disorientated.

  The flap-door to the house was pushed aside and an old man rushed in, waving his arms around and saying things Cal didn’t understand. All the men jumped to their feet and rushed for the door. Beyond the old man, he could see the flickering light of a blazing fire in the darkness and could now smell the smoke.

  ‘What’s happening?’ he asked, trying to sit up.

  ‘Keep still, sweet boy. This might be what we’ve been waiting for. There’s a fire in the lean-to.’

  He turned eagerly to watch what was happening, confusion forgotten.

  The warriors jumped to their feet, scattering wooden plates and drinking vessels as they did so. As one, they headed for the door. But the leader, the man who had given the orders on their endless ride north, turned back and looked at him. Even in the shadows, Cal could tell that the man was suspicious.

  He turned to one of the men who was trying to get out the door and shouted orders at him. This man was one of the new arrivals and Cal had never seen him before. Whatever the leader said made the new man turn back toward Cal and his mother, looking annoyed.

  Mater said something to the disgruntled warrior in his own language, and waved him toward the door. For a moment, the new man stood undecided, looking toward the doorway through which all the other men had now gone. He shook his head reluctantly, said something back to his mother and then came to stand guard over them. His mother drew him into her arms more closely and waited.

  The girl had gone outside straight after the old man, but now she was back to tell them what was happening. Or that was what he thought she was saying, because immediately his mother assured him all was well. The girl even leaned down and patted his cheek before heading out the door again.

  He didn’t know how long he lay in his mother’s comforting arms. He could tell from the tension in her body that she was waiting to take action, but he didn’t know what she would do, or what she would want him to do when the time came. What if his father was killed fighting for him? He didn’t know what he’d do if he saw his father’s eyes staring blankly up at him like Bellia’s.

  Tears pricked at his eyelids and he tried to stifle a sob.

  ‘It’s all right. You’re safe. I’ll look after you,’ his mother said, crooning to him like Bellia used to do when he couldn’t sleep.

  But though he believed her, it wasn’t his safety he was concerned about. His father wasn’t a warrior. His father wore a toga and worked with scrolls. Sometimes, in the summer months, he helped with the harvest. But he never fought. Not like Braxus did. Not like Vali did, when he had a spare moment. Vali said it kept him fit to practise fighting with his word and shield. But Pater never practised. He didn’t even know if Pater could use a sword.

  The flap-door to the hut opened again and the girl came in, calling to the warrior who guarded them. The man left their side and headed for the girl, barking questions at her. Then, before he really took in what was happening, Pater pushed his way into the house with a sword in hand.

  The warrior fell back, momentarily surprised. But then he drew his own sword and stepped forward to meet Pater.

  ‘Pater!’ he cried, struggling to get up, struggling to save his father.

  ‘Cal, it’s all right. Your father will save us. Come, can you stand? When your pater defeats that man, we must be ready to leave.’

  Why was Mater so sure his father could defeat the warrior? The man was bigger and rougher than Pater. He circled his sword in the way Cal had seen the gladiators do to distract their opponents. Pater didn’t do that. He just stood his ground, waiting, blocking each thrust.

  Why didn’t he attack?!

  But his mother was distracting him from the fight by getting him to stand
up. His legs were weak, but they would keep him up if he could just hold onto Mater. She wasn’t very tall. He’d always thought she was tall. But standing next to her now, he realised she was not much bigger than some of the children he played with on the estate. His head only reached her breast.

  He heard the angry clang of metal hitting metal. Sparks flew in the dark confines of the house. Cal turned to watch his father as he countered each flash of sharp metal with one of his own, calmly, as if fighting like that was an everyday occurrence.

  Mater crept forward, but stayed well out of the way of the fighting men. The girl stood at the door, crying and wringing her hands.

  Then something amazing happened. His Pater went on the offensive. He started raining blows down on the big warrior, forcing him back. Then, with one swift sweep of his blade, he caught the warrior in the side, and the man crumpled to the floor. The girl wailed loudly and dashed over to the man. But though he tried to rise, the fallen warrior couldn’t regain his feet.

  Pater kicked the man’s sword from his hand and turned to Cal. ‘Come on, son, we have to go!’ Pater held out his hand to him.

  ‘Mater?’ he turned to the woman at his side, checking that she was coming, too. She nodded and helped him stagger forward into his father’s arms.

  ‘Mater?’ Pater said, frowning at his mother.

  ‘I didn’t say anything,’ she replied anxiously.

  He wondered what the tension between them meant. He wondered why his serene, comforting mother now seemed suddenly so nervous and unsure.

  But before he had time to worry about any of that, his father swept him up into his arms. Then, while he rested in the crook of Pater’s left arm, his father pushed back the flap of the door with the other arm that still held the sword.

  ‘Mater?’ Cal called back over his father’s shoulder.

  ‘I’m right behind you, Cal. Don’t worry. We’re almost free!’

  And then they were out in the darkness that was lit by a fierce fiery light. He could see fighting, but his father didn’t stay long enough to let him watch what was happening. He ran to where horses were tied up and helped Mater up onto the back of one of the mounts. Then he handed Cal up to her.