Caledonia

by William Kelso

  The girl choked and her tears mingled with the wine and snot that was coming out of her nose. She rolled her head.

  "My father's village," she gasped between sobs. "Look for a headland that pokes out into the sea. My people have built a fort on the headland. There is a sandy beach to the west. The cave is at the end of the headland. There is a cliff and rocks. You can only get to the cave from the sea."

  Vellocatus's eyes sparkled with sudden hunger. "Good, good," he muttered. "I am glad that you have finally decided to cooperate." He studied the girl for a long moment. "I can see you are telling the truth but nevertheless I am going to take you with me just in case. You can guide us to the cave. Once we have the amber I will set you free."

  The girl was still sobbing. "I will not be free," she cried, "I am going to die."

  Vellocatus shrugged and turned to look at the bow man. "Go tell Baldurix that we have what we need."

  The bow man turned and slipped away into the forest. Vellocatus glanced at Bestia.

  "I was going to give her to you afterwards," he snarled, "but you lied to me so the girl will belong to me."

  Bestia muttered darkly and flung the poker into the fire and looked away. "I deserted from the army because of you," he growled angrily. "They will have listed me as a deserter by now. I have nowhere to go. Do you know the punishment for desertion? It's to be put into a sack with venomous snakes and thrown into a lake. That's what will happen to me if the army catches up with me. You promised that you would make me a wealthy man."

  "And I will," Vellocatus retorted, "Just as soon as we find the amber. Now stop whining and prepare us a meal. Baldurix will be here at dawn. Once we're done with him I want to be on my way as soon as I can."

  Bestia blew the air from his cheeks and stared into the flames.

  "Are you really going to share the amber with that man?" he said suddenly with a cunning gleam in his eye.

  Chapter Thirty Five - The plan

  Vellocatus was staring at the girl when Baldurix stepped out from amongst the trees. It was dawn. Accompanying Baldurix was the bow man and a few others that Vellocatus had not seen before. He rose to his feet and kicked Bestia awake. The fire had died out and only a blackened circle of stones and ashes remained. The black waters of the pond were still and even the forest birds, so noisy most of the time, were silent.

  Baldurix looked pleased. He glanced at the girl. She was still naked and huddled into a phoetal position and shivering with cold. The burn marks on her body had turned black.

  "The Roman who accosted you yesterday," Baldurix said. "He slipped out of the Roman camp this morning and crossed the river heading south. Some of my men tracked him. He turned north a short while later. They lost him when he re-crossed the river but my man here," Baldurix said gesturing at the bowman, "will be able to pick up his trail. I suggest that this time we make no more mistakes. I don't like competition."

  Vellocatus nodded and turned to Bestia.

  "Go with him," he snapped, "and finish what you should have done a long time ago. Don't show your face to me if you fail again. I want that man's head in a sack, do you understand?"

  Bestia snarled something in his Batavian language and then without another word he and the bowman stalked off into the forest. When they had gone Baldurix turned to Vellocatus.

  "I hear that you got what we need from her," Baldurix said.

  "I did," Vellocatus replied. "We can proceed with our plan." Vellocatus walked up to the edge of the pond and stared into the water.

  "I have a ship waiting for me at the mouth of the Tay," he said with his back turned. "I have managed to hire eleven mercenaries and a score of slaves. It's cost me every last coin that I had. I will take my boat and sail northwards. The amber cave is on a headland that sticks out into the sea. It can only be approached from the sea. I will take the girl with me. She will help guide us to the place. After we have found the cave I will load up my ship and sail along the coast to your village where you can take delivery of your share of the amber."

  Baldurix grunted. "When we have the amber I want the girl too," he said. "The woman is the daughter of my blood enemy. She will be useful to me."

  Vellocatus turned round. "What, you didn't rape her on your journey to Inchtuthil. You do surprise me Baldurix."

  Baldurix was studying Vellocatus carefully. "and I want some of my men to go with you onboard your ship. Half the crew will be yours, the other half will be my men," the tall Caledonian chief said.

  Vellocatus paused and stared at Baldurix for a long moment. Then he shrugged. "If you wish," he muttered, "are your men ready to go? I am leaving the moment our business here is concluded."

  "They are ready to go," Baldurix said firmly.

  Vellocatus turned to look once more at the black pond. His reflection stared back at him.

  "So what is your plan Baldurix," he asked curiously, "When we last spoke back in my home in Eburacum, you mentioned war and a blood feud."

  Baldurix cleared his throat and glanced at the girl. "I will head north back to my home and my people," he said proudly. " Amongst my clan, a thousand warriors will follow me but there are some within my tribe who don't like it that I am a friend and ally of Rome. These men want to fight against Rome. So the time has come for me to settle the blood feud that has existed between the Decantae and the Vacomagi. Our feud unites all men of the Decantae. We hate the Vacomagi more than we hate Rome and we will slaughter them to the last child. When my people see how I with the aid of Rome have destroyed our blood enemy there will be no more resistance to my authority and leadership."

  Vellocatus was silent for a moment. "What about the Vacomagi, won't they resist? You told me that in numbers they equal your own and they are led by a druid. All men fear the druids."

  Baldurix snorted his disgust. "The druids are just men, like you and me. They bleed and die in the same way. I do not fear them. Rome is the future. The druids belong to the past, their time has come and gone."

  Baldurix paused. "I have spoken with the commanders of the Roman forts at Cawdor and also Balnageith. They have promised me that they will do nothing to prevent the passage of my men into Vacomagi territory." Baldurix lowered his voice and glanced at the trees as if fearful that someone may be listening. "The Romans have also promised me artillery support from their catapults and bolt throwers but they first want proof that the amber exists before they will act. I must show them some of these precious stones before I can attack. The Roman commanders are otherwise afraid that they will get into trouble with their superiors." Baldurix paused. "I am a rich man but I need that amber if I am to bribe nearly one thousand Roman soldiers into joining forces with me."

  "I will be there my friend," Vellocatus said cheerfully.

  Vellocatus turned and glanced down at the naked Caledonian girl. "So do you want to fuck her first, or shall I?"

  Chapter Thirty Six - A new love

  Emogene shuffled along behind the slaver. The iron neck ring chafed her skin and every now and then her captor would give it a tug that would pull her forwards. The man was holding the other end of the chain and leading her on as if she were a dog. She didn't have the strength to fight him anymore. Her body was weak and exhausted and the burns that the torture had inflicted upon her stung and ached. They had been walking for hours with only a few pauses for rest. Baldurix's eleven warriors came on behind her. The men were silent and sombre and their hands were never far from their weapons. Emogene looked up at her surroundings with dull eyes. The pretty river was still to her right. A couple of ducks were bobbing up and down on the current. The slaver seemed to be following the river eastwards for the sun was now behind her. She stared at the green trees. Why did her husband not come and save her from these demons? The forest came up to the water's edge. She sniffed the air. They were close to the sea. She could smell the saltiness on the breeze. Where was the slaver taking her now? She didn't care, part of her had given up. Part of her did not want to live any longer. Everything had got wor
se and worse since she had seen Bary, Finlay and the rest of her war band killed and herself taken prisoner. She had recognised the Roman who together with Baldurix had taken her south. He had been the soldier who had confronted her in the slavers tent, the night that she had killed Conall. And Baldurix? Baldurix had revealed his true self. The man was a traitor to his own people. During those days that it had taken her captors to ride south to the Roman fortress she had figured out what they were after and had resolved not to give them anything. If the Roman demons and these Caledonian traitors wanted her to tell them about the stones that washed ashore from the sea then they were mistaken. She would tell them nothing.

  Despite herself she started to laugh. It was not a happy laugh but laughter born out of despair, humiliation and the loss of hope. The pain from the white hot poker had been unimaginable. It had broken her resistance. Now the very thought of that white hot metal made her break out in a sweat.

  The slaver glanced round. "Shut up, stupid bitch," he snapped.

  Emogene fell silent. The slaver had raped her, then Baldurix had raped her and finally his men had had a go as well. A tear appeared in her eye as she turned to look into the forest. Why did her husband allow this to happen? Why did he not come and take her away from these men? She closed her eyes and wiped the tear from her cheek.

  "Where are we going?" she mumbled.

  "You will see soon enough, now no more talking," the slaver replied.

  ***

  The old Roman naval supply galley sat at anchor along the north bank of the Tay river. It's sail was furled and its oars drawn inwards. A few men were lounging about near the prow. The slaver raised his hand and shouted at them and a few moments later two men, clad in simple tunic's and cloaks were coming towards her. The slaver muttered something in a language she didn't understand and one of the men took the chain and started to drag her towards the ship. The man strode across a plank that connected the ship with the shore and pulled her towards the mast in the centre of the galley. There he forced her to sit on the deck before he secured the chain to the mast.

  "Water, something to drink," she pleaded.

  "Shut up," the man retorted as he stomped off towards the prow.

  Emogene leaned her head back against the mast and closed her eyes. Her mouth was dry and she found it difficult to swallow. The eastern breeze had picked up and the wind tugged at her long black hair. For a while she allowed it to play with her hair. Then she opened her eyes and looked up at the sky as if she had just awakened from a dream. Maybe her husband was dead. Maybe she had been wrong and everyone else had been right. She glanced down at the rowing benches. The rowers sat together resting and talking in quiet voices. Was that all they did every day? Row their masters boat in any direction he wanted? Was that their purpose in life? She stared back up stream along the pretty river and the beautiful forest with its multitude of different shades of green. This was her land, her beautiful green land. Her husband had died fighting to defend it. Her father fought to protect it and now it was her turn. Her moment to show if she cared or not. She felt herself blush. Her husband, her father, all the men in the village, they had been fighting for their land and their freedom. She hadn't really understood what that meant until now. Without freedom a person had no dignity. She stared at the distant hills smudging the horizon. Without dignity a person was little better than an animal. She had always known it, she just hadn't recognised it for what it was. There was something good and beautiful about this land that was worth fighting for. It was her home. It could never die. It was immortal. It would never leave her and it would never disappoint her. She would love the land and her people. If she was to be denied her husband then by the gods she would fill this land with all the love she possessed until it could take no more. She was done with men. She didn't want anything more to do with them, not after what they had done to her. She would never love a man again. Her eyes widened as she was suddenly reminded of a dream she'd had a long time ago now.

  A great loss you shall suffer. But if you Emogene, remain true to your people, then hope shall return and a new love will find you.

  She glanced at the river bank. Baldurix's warriors had come onboard the ship and the slaver was arguing with another man who looked like he was the captain of the galley. The slaver was pointing to the north and the captain in turn was pointing at the sky. She was too far away to hear their conversation.

  "We sail north," the slaver cried in a loud voice as he came aboard. The captain followed him shaking his head.

  The rowers scrambled back onto their benches and pulled out their oars from where they had been stored. Emogene counted forty three men onboard, twenty two of them were rowers and crew and the remainder seemed to be evenly divided between Baldurix's men and those following the slaver. She looked down at the wooden deck and her face darkened with sudden shame. She had revealed the location of the amber cave. That was where they were heading now. The ship was taking her home.

  A man was pulling the gang plank back into the ship when a lone horse man suddenly appeared on the river path. Seeing them the man frantically raced towards the ship.

  "Wait for me, wait for me," the man cried.

  The galley was started to drift out into the river as the man leapt from his horse and plunged into the water. He grabbed hold of a mooring rope as some of the slavers men grabbed him and hauled him aboard. Emogene watched as the late arrival struggled to catch his breath. It was the auxiliary soldier, the man Baldurix had called Bestia. The slaver strode towards him with an inquiring look.

  "Well what happened?" he growled.

  Bestia wiped the water from his face and got to his feet.

  "Baldurix's man is dead. He was killed in the fight," he panted. "But the Roman is dead too. He leapt from a cliff. That's why I don't have his head."

  Chapter Thirty Seven - The grey sea

  The grey sea was choppy and unsettled and the rowers had a hard time getting their oars into the water. The ship's crew had unfurled their sail and the canvas bulged and creaked as the galley's captain took full advantage of the south eastern breeze. Emogene sat chained to the mast staring out over the wide expanse of water. The wind played with her long hair blowing it up and letting it fall. To the west she could make out the dark smudge of land. The ship had been following the coast line all day but now it was late in the afternoon and the captain was bellowing orders to the helmsman to change course and head for the land. It looked like they would spend the night ashore. The greyness of the sea was matched by that of the sky. A storm was brewing. That was what the captain must have been trying to tell the slaver when they'd set out that morning. Emogene stared at the sea. She had lived all her life beside the sea and she knew its moods and the power of its rage when the sea spirits were angry. Silently her lips moved, muttering prayer after prayer, calling on the sea spirits to release their power and violence upon the flimsy wooden vessel in which she sailed.

  Now and then she noticed that the rowers were glancing at her. There was apprehension on the faces of the crew and once that afternoon she had heard them muttering amongst themselves saying that she was going to bring them bad luck. That she had put a curse on the ship.

  The slaver and Bestia had left her alone. The two men had spent most of the day in the prow of the boat staring towards the north. Her wounds still hurt and burned but the crew had given her water and a bowl of porridge which she had wolfed down and the captain had tended to her burns by rubbing a cool ointment into the skin. It had brought a little relief. The captain was a Roman and had little knowledge of her language so she had not understood his muttered words. Emogene closed her eyes and ended her silent prayers. She was going home. But the slaver was lying when he'd said that he would set her free. The man was never going to allow her to be free. Once he had no more use for her, he would kill her. Her only chance was to try and escape and for that she needed a storm.

  Emogene opened her eyes. The slaver had turned and was making his way towards her. The ma
n crouched down beside her and made a show of checking the chains that fastened her to the mast. He grinned.

  "I have been curious about something," the slaver said, "When you entered my tent and killed that boy." He paused, "You must have known him? Did you kill him to protect the secret of the amber?"

  Emogene turned to look away but the slaver's hand caught her chin and forced her to look at him. She could smell his breath on her face.

  "Well?"

  "He was my kin," she muttered.

  The slaver leaned back and his eyes sparkled. "Well, well," he muttered, "That must have been a hard thing to do, to kill one of your own." The man grinned. "But it was all for nothing wasn't it for we got the secret out of you in the end. Doesn't that mean that you should kill yourself now?"

  Emogene closed her eyes and refused to answer. She heard the slaver's soft mocking laughter.

  "Who ordered you to kill the boy?" the man said suddenly.

  "My father made us swear an oath of silence," she snapped angrily.

  "The druid?" The man paused. "Of course, his name is Dougal. Baldurix has spoken to me about him. Will he prevent me from taking the amber?"

  Emogene opened her eyes. "He will have you burned alive," she said with a sudden smile, "together with that friend of yours. Tomorrow will be your last day in this world."

  For a moment the slaver looked alarmed. Then he got up to his feet and smirked. "Maybe, maybe," he muttered, "but at least I didn't break my oath like you."

  He walked away as Emogene felt a surge of hatred choke in her throat. The man's words were just as potent as the white hot poker. She wrenched her eyes away from him and glared out to sea. The slaver had been right. She had broken her oath, the oath for which she had killed Conall. She was a hypocrite. A tear appeared in her eye. She had failed her father and her people. She had been weak. Conall had died for nothing. Despair started to seep into her mind. High above her she suddenly heard the shriek and cry of a seagull. The white bird circled the ship gliding gracefully on the wind. Then it swooped down and perched high up on the mast.