The WIglaff Tales (The Wiglaff Chronicles Book 1)

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The WIglaff Tales (The Wiglaff Chronicles Book 1) Page 20

by E. W. Farnsworth


  At the entrance to the cave, the wedding pairs stood together to exchange promises. Peter held Boadicea’s hand. Mornow held Alma’s hand. Simon officiated by saying a prayer to his God and laying his hands on each head. Ugard gave each man a hazel staff for wisdom. Wiglaff threw a handful of oat grains at each bride for fecundity. Having promised to love and cherish each other, the couples kissed gently.

  Boadicea was beaming with pride that she had found a worthy warrior as her mate. Her blushing face was almost as red as her flaming red hair, and her ice blue eyes were sparkling. She had grown to love Peter quickly and she had made her life-changing decision without hesitation, as befitted her warrior’s mind.

  Alma looked shy and wistful because her vision of marrying the future shaman had finally come true. Formerly a priestess of Mercury, she was now wife to a future shaman. She knew she might never see her parents again. She did not care about them right now. Her entire attention was devoted to her new husband.

  Wiglaff smiled because everything had worked out as it had in his vision. He said, “Now that you’ve said your vows, you’re all safely married. Simon, as Peter’s brother, you’re safe too because you’re now related to the Maeatae tribe by marriage. Go down to the village to enjoy the feast. First, though, daughter and nephew, each of you give me a big hug.”

  They hugged the shaman. He held them at arm’s length and smiled.

  “I’m very glad to see you happy. May your marriages be long and fruitful!”

  The brides and grooms and Simon walked down to meet the villagers, who had already begun to eat and drink. Wiglaff and Ugard were surprised by the appearance at the entry to the cavern of Winna’s husband Morfar, who had just arrived from the Wall. He had news and was anxious to know the state of affairs of the marriages that Winna’s emissary had mentioned to him.

  “Welcome, Morfar. I’m pleased to tell you that your son, my protégé, has a bride. My daughter has a groom. Their vows have been exchanged already. Their fates are sealed.”

  “I understand that Mornow has married the Roman spy Alma.”

  “That’s true. So now Alma is part of our family. It’s also true that Boadicea has married the Roman soldier Peter. So now Peter and his brother Simon are among our family as well.”

  “I’m not at all happy about either marriage, politically and militarily speaking.” He was sullen, insulted he had not been consulted about the decisions. He leaned forward threateningly, as though he wanted to deny the marriages.

  “You don’t have to be happy. They’re all happy. That’s what counts.” Wiglaff smiled benignly, knowing full well he was playing with fire.

  “Wiglaff, sometimes I wonder about you. Of course, I can’t execute Alma, Peter and Simon now that they’re family. For your information, my men just finished killing all the other Roman prisoners we were holding. So except for the three you’ve managed to make family, my job of eradicating Romans within Caledonia is done.” He seemed to accept what had happened. Wiglaff brought the outsiders into the family, but he was the head of the family, wasn’t he?

  He went on, “I’ll just have to tell the Caledonian Confederacy what’s happened. They won’t like it, but they’ll have to accept it.”

  With a wry smile and a chuckle, he said, “That’s just too bad that they won’t like it. Blame everything on this crazy shaman.”

  He laughed heartily. “You know I’ll do just that, Wiglaff. Speaking of this crazy shaman, we’re going to need your help against the Romans. I don’t think we can prevail without your special skills. Can you and Ugard do your magic with the weather again?”

  “We’re prepared to do just that. But, Morfar, first tell me what you saw at the Wall.” He made eye contact, appealing to the warrior on his own terms as an observer of the enemy formation.

  “I rode the whole Wall with two of our Caledonian chiefs.”

  “Did you witness any signs that enemy troops were getting ready to move north?”

  After a moment’s reflection, Morfar replied, “They remained on the south side of the Wall. There was a great commotion over the Wall, but we detected no motion forward yet. When the tribunal broke up, acrimony spewed from both sides. It’s only a matter of time, though. My guess is that they’ll want to start marching north in the next two or three days.”

  “I’ve had indications that something will stop their plan in its tracks.”

  “Is this information based on more of your idle dreams? Or do you have solid intelligence this time?” He asked this while raising his eyebrows cynically.

  “I’ve asked that our scouts look for signs of mourning black on the Roman ensigns.”

  “It’s strange that you should mention that. I witnessed those very signs. In fact, all the Roman ensigns we saw were hung with black cloth. Do you think that’s significant?”

  Wiglaff sighed. Ugard sighed as well and smiled.

  With measured words that masked his growing excitement, Wiglaff said, “Brother-in-law, why don’t you ride to the Caledonian Confederacy and tell them you believe that the Emperor Septimius Severus has died at York. Tell them the black drapery on the Roman ensigns means more than just the Emperor’s death.”

  “Don’t tease me. What does it mean?” He sounded excited.

  “It means that the Emperor’s eldest son and heir Caracalla will not prosecute the war.”

  “Why not?”

  “According to my sources, Caracalla never wanted to follow through on his father’s plan. Instead, now that the Emperor is dead, his son will depart for Rome as soon as the funeral rites have been accomplished.”

  “What if you’re wrong about these things?” His general dislike of shamans made it difficult for him to take Wiglaff seriously.

  “I’m not wrong.” Wiglaff spoke with confidence. He strode to the entrance of the cavern and looked out. As if he had summoned it, an enormous hawk flew down and hovered in the air, flapping its giant wings until Wiglaff extended his right forearm. The hawk then landed and grasped the shaman’s forearm with its talons.

  Wiglaff, stroking the hawk on his arm, walked back to Mornow’s area within the cavern. He knelt and pulled a live brown mouse from its cage and offered it to the hawk. Walking back to the cavern’s entrance, Wiglaff held his arm high. The hawk, with the mouse in its talons, released his arm and flew off over the forest.

  “Do you want to have some food and drink before you ride back to give the Confederacy the good news?”

  “Wiglaff, sometimes I get exasperated just talking with you. Everything is mystery and theater. How did you get that hawk to come as you did?”

  Wiglaff ignored the question. He asked Morfor, “Aren’t you glad the Romans won’t be coming to exterminate us after all?”

  “Actually, I was looking forward to killing Romans for all the weeks and months ahead.” Wiglaff knew this was not idle braggadocio. He was genuinely disappointed because he liked his chosen profession and did it well. “Killing all those prisoners got my appetite whetted. Now instead of reveling in war, I’ll be back to mindless drilling—for the next defense. Mark my words, this battle may have been averted, but the war between Rome and Caledonia will continue. Rome wants to move its terminuses to the ends of Britannia. Even if we have to fight to the last man, woman and child, we’ll resist and prevail.”

  “And I’ll do whatever I can to destroy our enemy too.”

  “And I,” echoed Ugard.

  Morfor said, “If I don’t see him, tell that worthless son of mine congratulations on his marriage.” He gruffly spat the words out, but from the smile in his eyes, Wiglaff knew he was secretly happy his son was married. “Naturally, I’d have preferred his marrying a Caledonian warrior maiden. Young love will find the strangest matches. This Alma’s not only a Roman but a priestess as well. I hope she’s beautiful and fertile. Oh, well, I guess it can’t be helped. So I’m off. Don’t stand down with your magical preparations until we’re sure the old Emperor is dead and the son has left for Rome.”

&nbs
p; As a satirical parting shot, Wiglaff asked, “Would you like us to ruin this lovely summer’s day with torrential rain and hail?”

  “That’s not a great prospect. I don’t want to spoil everyone’s fun at the feast. I also hate riding in the rain. Perhaps tomorrow?”

  Wiglaff laughed heartily. “There’ll be no rain until you give us the go-ahead. We’ll be waiting for word from you about the Emperor’s death. If you need help finding out about that, just let us know.”

  The warrior grimaced. He clasped hands with Wiglaff and Ugard. He had a strong grip that tried to crush the others’ hands. Then the warrior was gone.

  “Do you think he’ll ever be reconciled with his son after today?” Ugard asked.

  Wiglaff thought about that for a moment. “Grandchildren will help.” He looked up and smiled at his mental images of Alma’s future children, five boys and four girls. He then shifted his focus and in his mind foresaw Boadicea’s children, seven boys and two girls.

  “All in all, looking far into the future, Ugard, we’ll have a lot to be thankful for.”

  ***

  Morfor later confirmed that the Emperor Septimius Severus died at York. His son Caracalla, abandoning his father’s dream of conquering Caledonia, returned to Rome. Wiglaff and Ugard stood down on their plan to affect the weather. They were glad that the crops would not be drowned in a magic inundation.

  The newlyweds took empty huts in Wiglaff’s village and eventually made them into homes. Simon took a third hut and became a school teacher, using Wiglaff’s scrolls as the basis for his lessons. To deal with the small children, he took an assistant named Friga, who had red hair and freckles on her face. Within a year, she became Simon’s bride.

  The children from the married pairs multiplied like clockwork, a new child each year for each couple. During those years Boadicea continued her military training while raising her family. Alma became Wiglaff and Mornow’s assistant in the job of augury and divination.

  Below the Wall the Roman camp grew smaller, but the force was large enough to discourage wholesale raiding. The Caledonian Confederation languished for want of a threatening enemy, but Winna and her warriors continued to operate clandestinely in case Rome decided to change course yet again. Likewise, the shamans, who now included Mornow, practiced regularly for the day the Romans came again.

  Peter and Simon remained believers to the end. Their graves were marked with SATOR-ROTAS squares, which no one could decipher.

  At Simon’s grave, a cairn of small stones in a pile, Wiglaff said a few words that were memorized and passed from shaman to shaman through the years as a tribute and warning.

  “We say goodbye to Simon, brother of Peter, who lies beside him. He was first a follower of Jesus, second a fine husband to his wife and father to his family, and third a teacher. A good man, he died believing his goodness would gain him access to heaven. We all hope that happened.” Wiglaff paused to gauge the grave looks of the people around him while he noticed their sincerity. When he thought his speech had sunk in, the shaman continued.

  “No one among us was harmed by his belief, which was shared with his brother and a few others. That belief is now thought so dangerous that the Romans are rounding up believers and killing them.” Again, he paused to think about the irony of Rome’s actions, warriors killing peaceful believers en masse.

  “Were such believers as these two brothers a genuine threat to Rome? Rome thought so. In future years, we’ll possibly know the truth. For now, we must call rain down to water our crops and perform our practical magic to help us through the years. Goodbye, Simon. Friga, your children, your students and all of us will miss you.”

  Having said that, Wiglaff planted a hazel tree between the graves of the two brothers. Then, without another word, the shaman walked back up the mountain to his cavern and picked up his dun red stone. Tonight he would talk with Mornow and Alma. They had agreed to talk about Mornow’s becoming the lead shaman after Wiglaff retired. The time for his retirement was coming, as it had for Ugard before him. In the ongoing cycle of generations, Mornow had identified another candidate apprentice shaman.

  Wiglaff mused that his life had been long and full. Ugard and Onna had passed. Morfor also. Winna was not young. He sighed as he held the stone in his hand. A new crow was cawing in the back of the cavern. A new hawk stopped by for his mouse.

  The shaman wondered whether his using black magic had a negative effect on his shamanistic powers. He did not feel any harmful effects. In fact, he and his people had benefitted absolutely. What would the alternative have been? Genocide? Perhaps so. Still, he wondered whether he should practice black magic routinely, just in case. He was still debating that option openly.

  Wiglaff stood up and extended his arm. The hawk landed on it and waited to be carried back into the cavern. Wiglaff looked out on the green expanse of forest. Hearing footsteps coming up the path, he turned and found the mouse in the cage; Mornow had been provident, as always. When the hawk had flown out of the cavern and over the forest, Wiglaff sat down and watched the sunset. He sighed and closed his eyes for only a moment. Tomorrow he would bring the rain.

  Cast of Characters

  Alma – Roman, daughter of a Roman centurion and Caledonian chieftainess, priestess of the god Mercury, wife of Mornow, mother of many children

  Argentocoxos – Caledonian chieftain, husband of Ista

  Boadicea – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, daughter of Wiglaff and Onya, named for the most famous female warrior of Britannia, wife of Peter the Christian, mother of many children

  Caracalla – Roman, son of Emperor Septimius Severus

  Crucifer – Roman, clandestine agent of the Emperor of Rome, would-be rapist, killed by Boadicea

  Dio Cassius – Roman historian

  Geta – Roman, son of Emperor Septimius Severus, brother of Caracalla

  Gilthu – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, warrior, killed by Mordru

  Hadrian – Roman Emperor, original builder of Hadrian’s Wall in the north of Britannia

  Ildryd – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, protégé of Winna the warrior

  Ista – Caledonian, powerful chieftainess, wife of Argentocoxos

  Jesus of Nazareth – Biblical and historical God-man, founder and central figure of Christianity, son of the Virgin Mary and Joseph, a carpenter

  Julia Damna – Roman, Empress of Rome, wife of Emperor Septimius Severus, mother of Caracalla and Geta

  Juno – Roman goddess, queen of gods

  Jupiter – Roman god, king of gods

  Juvenal – Roman satirist

  Maeatae – Tribe of Caledonia that held territory just north of Hadrian’s Wall

  Mavors – Roman god of war, also known as Enyo and Mars

  Mercury – Roman god of stealth, speed and, through Asclepius, health

  Medusa – Greek mythical gorgon, killed by the hero Perseus

  Mordru – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, warrior, husband of Onna, father of Wiglaff and Winna, killed and was killed by Gilthu

  Morfor – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, warrior, husband of Winna the woman warrior

  Mornow – son of Morfor and Winna, husband of Alma, nephew, protégé and successor of Wiglaff

  Onna – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, wife of Mordru, mother of Wiglaff the shaman, Winna the warrior and many other children

  Onya – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, wife of Wiglaff, mother of Boadicea and many other children

  Perseus – Greek hero, killer of the gorgon Medusa

  Peter – Roman soldier, Christian, brother of Simon and husband of Boadicea

  Romulus – Roman foundation myth figure, co-founder of Rome, twin brother of Remus

  Septimius Severus – Roman Emperor, married to Empress Julia Damna, father of Caracalla and Geta

  Simon – Roman soldier, Christian, teacher, brother of Peter and husband of Friga, father of many children

  Tacitus – Roman historian, relative of Agricola, author of German
ia

  Ugard – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, the shaman and mentor of Wiglaff, second husband of Onna, Wiglaff’s mother

  Ulma – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, spy for the Romans

  Vulgus – Roman, clandestine agent of the Emperor of Rome, would-be rapist, killed by Alma

  Wiglaff – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, the shaman, hero of the novel, eldest son of Onna and Mordru, brother of Winna and husband of Onya

  Winna – Caledonian of the Maeatae tribe, the lead woman warrior, eldest daughter of Onna and Mordru, sister of Wiglaff, mother of Mornow and many other children

  E. W. Farnsworth

  E. W. Farnsworth lives and writes in Arizona. Over two hundred of his short stories were published at a variety of venues from London to Hong Kong from 2014 through 2016.

  Published in 2015 were his collected Arizona westerns Desert Sun, Red Blood, his global mystery/thriller about combating cryptocurrency crimes Bitcoin Fandango, his John Fulghum Mysteries about a hard-boiled Boston detective and Engaging Rachel, an Anderson romance/thriller, the latter two by Zimbell House Publishing LLC.

  Published by Zimbell House in 2016 were Farnsworth’s Pirate Tales, John Fulghum Mysteries, Volume II, Baro Xaimos: A Novel of the Gypsy Holocaust, The Black Marble Griffon and Other Disturbing Tales, Among Waterfowl and Other Entertainments and Fantasy, Myth and Fairy Tales.

  Published by Audio Arcadia in England in 2016 was DarkFire at the Edge of Time, Farnsworth’s collection of visionary science fiction stories. Farnsworth’s Desert Sun, Red Blood, Volume II, The Secret Adventures of Agents Salamander and Crow and Dead Cat Bounce, an Inspector Allhoff novel, have been contracted for publication by Pro Se Productions, which will also publish his series of three Al Katana superhero novels in 2017 and 2018.

 

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