Pathways of the Druids

by Christopher J. Pine

  “You won’t lose, brother,” said Varin. “Look, he’s wearing no armour, you can beat him, and we’re a strong force. The gods are with us. This battle is just beginning.”

  Toki laughed and fearlessly strode out to meet Gwydion in single combat. For a short time they weaved around each other, each lightly attacking the other. Both of them began probing for the other’s weaknesses. Toki began by hacking at Gwydion with the axes, trying to force an opening on his opponent. But Gwydion, with a cooler head and wearing no armour, was skilfully parrying the blows and letting the Norseman tire himself out in violent but fruitless attacks.

  Gwydion pushed back the axes with his shield. Then he slashed downwards with a powerful sword strike, slicing Toki in his face, arm and thigh. The Norseman flinched and staggered, dropping one of his axes. Gwydion seized his opportunity, quickly flicking his sword forwards and stabbing him deep in the side of his head, causing the Norseman to collapse and sink to his knees. Toki was in pain. Warm blood was running from a deep cut on his face. He was badly wounded and knew he was dying. He felt the Celtic warrior place his foot onto his shoulder, forcing him to fall over onto his side. As he lay on the ground, he saw a young boy crawling through the grass towards him with a knife.

  Tibullus, seeing that the Norse chieftain had been beaten in single combat, ordered the chariots and the cavalry to begin their attack. A few of the men in the rear of the Norse army, seeing their chief die, began to panic and break ranks. They started to leave the battlefield and were running back towards their ships. Then the sound of horses and the rattle of the chariots could be heard arriving from the rear of the Celtic village. More of the Norseman, seeing the chariots arrive, began to drop their shields and flee back to their ships.

  A cheer arose from the Celtic forces as the chariots swept round in front of them and bore down onto the flanks of the disheartened enemy. This was now turning into certain defeat for the Norsemen.

  “Trianuc, get the men lined up into two ranks,” the Roman ordered, “and on my command we shall walk forward. Advance at a steady pace and clear the field of the enemy.”

  Trianuc issued the commands. But the druids had given a drink of herbal brew to each of the warriors earlier, making them not feel pain or fear. Now, they only heard the word attack and the unearthly sound of the carnyx suddenly blowing over the battlefield. As it sounded the order for the advance, without any further thought of training and discipline, the men broke ranks and charged at the enemy, screaming loudly. The tribesmen poured out of the village, many of them climbing over the low palisade wall, all of them fearlessly searching for their own personal combat and glory.

  Tibullus, seeing the breakdown of order and discipline, tried to keep as many men as he could back with the reserve infantry. He placed Caderyn and Trianuc at either end of this force. Then he shouted the command.

  “Hold your position in two lines and present shields. As we go forward, you must stay in line with the man next to you and remember to keep to your formation. We shall now advance in good order.”

  Varin, with two parts of the Viking war band, was trying to escape. They had managed to form a rear-guard and were holding off the Celts. The reserve force was now approaching the enemy and Tibullus issued new orders to his infantry.

  “Change to the wedge formation.”

  As the formation changed shape, Tibullus and Bleddyn took positions just inside the tip of the infantry’s wedge. The inner line had been equipped with spears. Caderyn and Trianuc were sent to keep the sides of the formation intact.

  “Forward into them now, hit them hard and keep your formation tight. Be strong and break through them!” They pressed forwards into the Norse shield wall, breaking it in the centre and pushing them back into the woods.

  Tibullus heard sudden screams behind them. Turning around, he could see the women of the village, led by Rronish. They had prised weapons from the hands of the dead and were running towards the battle. As the Norsemen fled back to their ships, the Celts began ruthlessly to hunt them down in the forest.

  Varin and a small number of the fleeing Norseman had managed to launch one of their longships back into the river and escape.

  As the days passed, the Ordoveteii realised that they had found a land where they could settle and build a peaceful life. Mead could be brewed again and laughter, music and poetry could be heard amongst them.

  On a hot day, in the shade of the trees a cool breeze was blowing along the riverbank. Trianuc was lying there and resting, listening to the sounds of the children playing. A soft voice whispered in his ear.

  “The gods in their wisdom have given us more time, and it would be best that we use it. We only have the now to live in.” Trianuc looked up.

  “Yes, Rianna, you’re right,” he answered. “We shouldn’t let any more time pass. My family would like to meet you.”

  As Sirarch entered Mestrathax’s hut, the druid was busy brushing his pet, Einalem. Sirarch looked at the cat. It was big and wild, not the sort of cat that one would want to pick up, yet the druid played with it as though it were a young kitten. Mestrathax looked up.

  “Sirarch, please enter,” he said. “My home is yours to share. Sit down and tell me, do you like my cat, Einalem? In her next life, I’m certain she’ll be born human. Now, how can I be of service to you?”

  “Mestrathax, I would like to ask your help in a very important matter. I’ve been charged with delivering this to the druids, at their sacred caves.”

  “Sirarch, this is the centrepiece of the land. It is very important. Of course I shall help you. I’m aware of the caves you seek. We’ll talk further on this. Tomorrow, I’ll need to listen to your full story as to how and why you came to have this. There’s no time for that now, as there’s a freeing ritual I have to perform. Come with me, Sirarch, and be a witness to something that is not often seen.”

  Leaving the centrepiece behind, Mestrathax indicated to two nearby warriors that they were to guard the hut. When they arrived at the circle, Shosterax and Rronish were already waiting for them just as the edge of twilight began to descend. Shosterax began the ritual by spreading smoke and incense amongst the grey standing stones.

  Then all the party entered the centre ring of the stone circle, where Mestrathax placed Rronish’s sword gently onto the ground. With a sprig of mistletoe, he carefully sprinkled water over the surface of the sword. Next the druids began to chant and the stone circle began to fill with power. Slowly the blade started to change colour, turning black. Its surface began to flicker with speckles of blue light, rippling and shining like a dark liquid.

  They felt the air in the circle becoming chilled as a small, dark blue dragon slowly began to emerge, crawling from the centre of the blade. They could see by the light from their torches dancing on its scales that its length was that of the sword. The dragon was becoming agitated after its long captivity and its claws began grabbing at the earth. It slowly began to stretch and twist as it unfolded itself and flexed its body and wings. As it looked around, it began sniffing the sword blade and then to sniff up at the air. It looked up, making a small sound like a bark when it saw the druid.

  Mestrathax bent down, keeping the small dragon mesmerized with the mistletoe, and gently picked it up. Then he stood up and with one hand released it up into the air. The dragon, recognising that it had been given its freedom, alighted into the sky just above their heads. It landed on top of one of the stone lintels. Stretching and sniffing at the air, the dragon flew off, disappearing deep into the night sky.

  Rronish picked up her sword and saw that all traces of the engraving had vanished. The sword was now just cold, bare metal.

  The Characters, Creatures And Gods

  Aarrish

  An elderly man with grey hair and of medium height, with a stooping back and a cough. He is a simple man who ekes out a living by clearing the forest pathways of de
ad brushwood.

  Aengus mac-Og

  A Celtic god who travels through the world of living souls, giving people prophetic dreams of their future in order to assist their lives. To help him there are four birds that travel with him, delivering the dreams.

  Andraste

  The battle goddess of the Iceni. She is also symbolised by a hare.

  Apollo

  A Greek god, the son of Zeus. He gives the gifts of prophecy, music and healing to the deserving.

  Belenus

  The Sun god of the Celts.

  Bleddyn

  The tribal chief of the Cantiaci. He is short and overweight, with a moustache and grey hair.

  Boudicca

  She is the Iceni leader, her name meaning ‘victory’. (Boadicea is the Roman pronunciation.) She is the wife of Prasutages, king of the Iceni.

  Bor

  A magician, middle-aged and fairly tall, with light brown receding hair.

  Brennus

  A fiery young warrior of short and stocky build with blue eyes, long brown hair and a moustache.

  Brona

  Gwydion’s sister, she is sixteen years old and has fiery red hair and a character to match. She is tall and her well-proportioned angular features and brown eyes make her quite pretty. She is also being trained as one of the tribe’s healers.

  Caderyn

  A strong character who can be relied on in a crisis. He is tall, a little overweight, with dark hair and a heavy moustache.

  Catus Decianus

  The Roman procurator of the province of Britannia.

  Chresald

  The wife of Sirarch, tall with green eyes and willowy blonde hair.

  Caius Seutonius Paulinus

  The Roman Governor General of Britannia. He is a short man of medium build, slightly balding and with thin lips and piercing grey eyes. He is directly responsible to Emperor Nero for the control of Britannia.

  Catullus

  A Roman legionary serving with the XIV Augusta Gemina Legion. A fanatic, if not very clever, he has sunken brown eyes and is tall with medium build.

  Cestrathax

  The tribal chief of the Ordoveteii tribe. He is a tall well-built man in his early fifties, with dark brown eyes, long brown hair and a large moustache. His body is covered in tattoos depicting fantastic otherworld beasts. He wears red and blue check trousers with brown boots.

  Charrideen

  An entertaining figure who knows how to wine, dine and entertain - and then manipulate - important personages. By this method, he gains information for the benefit of the real rulers of the land, the druids. He is bearded with brown hair and of average height. In his youth he was fit, but now he has run to fat.

  Dana (Danaan, Danu or Don)

  The Mother goddess in Celtic mythology. This goddess is very highly regarded as the provider for her people.

  Dryads

  These are tree spirits (wood nymphs). Beautiful but not human, they have green eyes with flowing limbs. They are often friendly with Celtic people who have a great respect for nature. The nature and personality of a dryad depends on what type of tree she resides in.

  Enfys

  Fourteen years old, she is short and quite pretty, her hair long and brown. She has a young, bubbly nature.

  Einalem

  This is the Arch Druid’s pet. She is a large wild cat, the druid’s familiar.

  Eszuann

  A tall and glamorous dryad, she is young with long, wavy brown hair. Green and brown colours shimmer around her.

  Ffej

  He runs a pelt and clothing store in Camulodunon. He is overweight, tall and blue-eyed with white hair.

  Frienjen

  The High Priestess of Avalon. This is a hidden, sacred place in Celtic Britannia. Now old and with silver hair, she wears a grey hooded robe, tied at the waist with a grey sash.

  Gliesten

  A young man of nineteen years, skilled with the bow and the sword. He has blue eyes and ginger hair, and he is of a strong wiry build and medium height.

  Gwydion

  A respected Celtic war leader, he is twenty-one years old and tall with a muscular build, blue eyes, long red hair and a large drooping moustache. Many otherworldly tattoos of birds are displayed upon his chest and back. He is an excellent swordsman.

  Harbman

  An innkeeper and a shady character who is not to be trusted. He is sixty-two years old, tall and overweight, balding with a round, hard face and light blue eyes.

  Iseult (or Isolde)

  She is the wife of Cestrathax, originally given to him as a tribal gift. Her name means ‘beautiful’. She has light brown hair and is of medium build and height.

  Jana

  A Celtic goddess, the guardian of doorways and portals. She has more than one image, one as an old crone and another as a stunning, young and vibrant woman with raven hair. Jana is represented by the moon and is often depicted as carrying a key.

  Jupiter

  The father of the Roman pantheon of gods.

  Laaneg

  A dryad, a being of pure spirit, the essence and spirit of the trees.

  Lauriee

  A tall and beautiful dryad with light brown hair, green and brown colours flowing around her.

  Lugh

  A powerful ancient Celtic god, he was sometimes called ‘Little Stooping Lugh’. (In modern times the name has changed to Leprechaun.)

  Mestrathax

  The very powerful and knowledgeable Arch Druid. He is fifty-seven years old, tall and slightly overweight, with dark blue eyes, long silver hair and a moustache. He wears a grey hooded robe bound by a platted cord at the waist, and carries a staff made of rowan wood.

  Metris

  A dwarf from the grey mountains, he and his wife are middle-aged at seventy-two years old. He is overweight with brown eyes, grey hair and a full grey beard on an oval face. He likes to chew nuts.

  Minerva the daughter of Jupiter. Her gifts are wisdom and poetry, and one of her purposes is to guide heroes in their quests.

  Mit

  A youth of average build, with light brown hair. He is a haruspex (augur), travelling with the Roman legions. (Refer to haruspex in the Glossary.)

  Mithras

  A god who originated in Persia but became widely adopted by Rome. Mithras is a soldier’s deity, whose power rises during the day and declines during the night, requiring the ritual sacrifice of a bull to push back the blackness of the night.

  Neaj

  A dryad, a being of spirit and pure essence of the trees.

  Nero Claudius Augustus Germanicus

  The Roman Emperor, who ruled between the years AD 54-68.

  Orsed

  A dwarf who sells maps. He is old and has silver hair.

  Penbert

  A dwarf and a household servant of Charrideen. Penbert is short and fat, grey-haired and balding.

  Petilius Cerealis

  The commander of the IX Hispania Roman Legion.

  Phejos

  The son of Tehbazile, he is a young man with brown hair and eyes, and a stocky build.

  Poenius Postumus

  The camp prefect in command of the XI Augusta, a Roman legion during the Boudicca revolt.

  Prasutages

  The King of the Iceni. On his death he left his kingdom to be equally divided between the Emperor Nero and his own daughters. But the Romans were not satisfied with what they were offered and seized the entire Iceni kingdom, claiming it as their rightful property.

  Priestesses of Sulis

  Nylen is the senior Priestess, now extremely old. Her two daughters are Rocinne, who is a little older than a maiden, and Raulen who is a young maiden. Tog
ether and with their magic, they are able to lengthen or shorten a person’s life, and greatly affect what happens during a person’s lifetime.

  Ramy

  The wife of Metris the dwarf.

  Regor and Nohj

  Dwarves from the northern counties, they are twin brothers who trade in core juice and fur pelts. They are middle-aged and have white hair and blue eyes. Regor is a little overweight and Nohj is slightly taller.

  Rianna

  A young woman of twenty-three, she has black hair and her eyes are the colour of coal. Rianna has been sent by the priestesses at Avalon to become the protector of Mestrathax, the Arch Druid. Skilled with the spear and all edged weapons, she is an expert instructor in these combat arts.

  Rronish

  The daughter of the chief of the Celtic Cantiaci tribe. She is seventeen years old, of medium height and slim build, with shaded brown eyes. There is a tattoo on her left arm of a boar and another of a snake on her right arm. She has shoulder length fine blonde hair. She wears a blue dress, tied at the waist by a brown twin-platted leather belt, and light brown laced sandals.

  Rynax

  Cestrathax’s only son, eight years old. His eyes are blue and his hair is brown. He wears green trousers and a white top; he is intelligent and often laughing.

  Shallmar

  An ageing mercenary warrior of heavy build. He uses a mace as a weapon of choice and a shield. He is taller than most men and his clothes are green, brown and hooded. His face is scarred, his eyes dark brown and his hair is worn in a ponytail.

  Shiaa

  A dryad, beautiful with long dark hair, green and brown colours flowing around her.

  Shosterax

  A talented druid who is forty years old. He is of average height with long brown hair, blue eyes and a medium build. He is dedicated to the protection of the Celtic tribes. He wears a grey druidic robe with a hood, bound at the waist by a thick blue cord, with sandals on his feet.