Past Lives (The Past Lives Chronicles Book 1)

by Terry Cloutier

  “Go to the gods now, great king,” Abria whispered in Malcolm’s ear as he felt her hand on his back. The seeress shoved hard, and Malcolm tipped forward into the cool waters of Rævemosen without a sound.

  I’m coming, Claire, he thought as the darkness finally took him. I’m coming.

  Glossary of Roman Terms and Words

  Peristylium: Open courtyard within a Roman house.

  Domus: Roman dwelling.

  Ulmas: Elm stick used for beating.

  Triclinium: Roman dining room containing couches.

  Hospitum Publicum: Friends and allies.

  Terror Cimbricus: Panic Rome felt at the anticipated Cimbrian attack.

  Equites: Roman cavalry. (Singular—Eques)

  Velites: Roman skirmishers. (Singular—Veles)

  Hastati: Roman infantry—usually the poorest men in the legions. (Singular—Hastatus)

  Principes: Wealthy spearmen with good armor. (Singular—Princeps)

  Triarii: Oldest, wealthiest, and most experienced soldiers in the legions. (Singular—Triarius)

  Auxilia: Non-citizen troops.

  Immunes: Soldiers with specialized abilities.

  Signifers: Roman legion standard bearer.

  Signa militaria: Roman military standards.

  Tablinum: Office in a Roman house.

  Impluvium: Sunken part of the atrium containing water.

  Carpentum: Roman carriage.

  Ostium: Entrance to a Roman house.

  Cave Canem: Beware of the dog!

  Maniples: Roman military formation before the Marian reforms near the end of the 2nd century.

  Tesserarius: Tile or block of wood which watchwords were written on.

  Optio: Second in command of a century.

  Gladius: Roman legionnaire’s sword.

  Bulla: Amulet.

  Toga Virilis: Plain white toga representing adult male citizenship.

  Cassis: Roman helmet.

  Pugio: Roman dagger.

  Scutum: Roman shield.

  Praetor: Elected magistrate.

  Legate: High-ranking military officer.

  Denarius: Roman silver coin.

  Porta Praetoria: Main gate in a Roman fort.

  Castrum: Roman fortress.

  Valetudinarium: Roman hospital.

  Via Principalis: Main street in a Roman fort.

  Contubernium: Unit of eight soldiers.

  Via Quintana: Road within the Roman fortress.

  Praetorium: Headquarters of the Roman general.

  Forum: Rectangular plaza within a Roman fortress.

  Quaestorium: Building of the supply officer (quaestor)

  Pugilatus: An ancient form of boxing.

  Furca: Roman legionnaire’s marching pack.

  Via Postumia: Roman road through northern Italy.

  Porto Fluviale: Ancient port in the Roman city of Aquileia.

  Cardo Maximus: Road within Roman forts and cities.

  Patricians: Part of the ruling class of Rome.

  Plebeians: Roman commoners.

  Thermopolium: Roman restaurant.

  Peregrini: Non-citizens of Rome.

  Askos: Greek pottery vessel.

  Portico: Roof structure over a walkway or courtyard.

  Digitus Impudicus: Roman insult—The Indecent Finger.

  Flagrum: A type of whip.

  Historical Notes

  Recent discoveries by the American maritime historian, Bayless Brooks, lends credence to the idea that the notorious pirate, Blackbeard, was actually the son of Edward and Lucretia Thache from Spanish Town, Jamaica. Edward Thache has also been referred to by various other names throughout history, such as Edward Teach, Theach, Thack, and Tack. For the sake of this book, I have gone with the last name of Thache, since it appears to be the most likely. Edward Thache was a young, budding seaman in the Royal Navy when his father died. But rather than leave the navy to manage the estate he’d inherited, Thache decided to sign the land over to his stepmother, Lucretia, and continue with his naval career—one which would see him eventually morph into the scourge of the seven seas, Blackbeard.

  Thache was a notorious womanizer, and while it was rumored that he’d been married at least thirteen times, there are only official documents pointing to one such marriage—that of his union with Mary Ormond. Little is known about Mary other than that she was the daughter of plantation owner William Ormond and also that she might have been as young as fourteen years old when she married Thache. I have read some suggestions that Blackbeard offered her to his crew to get back into their good graces after a disagreement, and while I hope for the poor girl’s sake that never happened, I chose to portray the couple as thoroughly in love in this story.

  The nineteen-year migration of the Cimbri and Teutones has always fascinated me, and I had thought at some point of doing a series of books on the subject. But then I came up with the idea for Past Lives and knew the story of the wandering tribes was too good to pass up. Boiorix and Teutobod and the Cimbri sub-kings, Lugius, Claodicus, and Caesorix all existed. Other than that, little else is known about the hierarchy of the Cimbri. It stands to reason that both Boiorix and Teutobod would have had heirs, so I created Artturi and Clovis as rivals to explain the animosity brewing between the two main tribes in the coalition. Eventually, that coalition would break apart (though not as far as I know due to a dispute over a woman). In 102 BC, the Teutones would be destroyed in the battle of Aquae Sextiae by Consul Marius, with Teutobod being dragged back to Rome in chains. A year later, the Cimbri would suffer a similar fate at the Battle of Vercellae, with the Cimbri women killing their own children and then themselves en masse rather than becoming slaves to the Romans.

  There was a powerful trading family from Aquileia known as the Barbii’s, though they’d begun operations in Noricum much earlier than I portray in this book. The trading center I mention that Quintus Barbii wished to build at Magdalensburg already existed prior to 113 BC, with superior-grade metal products and weapons being produced there in great quantities before being transported to Aquileia.

  I try to write every day, with a one-month interval between books to rest, recoup, and reflect on what I’ve written. My goal is to write two books a year, alternating between The Past Lives Chronicles and The Wolf of Corwick Castle series for the foreseeable future. Yes, there will be more adventures for the Wolf—just as long as I can keep Hadrack’s stories fresh and interesting. In a month or so, I will be sitting down to begin the second book in the Past Lives Chronicles, and then, after that, Hadrack will ride again.

  Thank you so much, dear reader, for your continued faith in my writing and your support. I’m not much for social media, but I do read each review left about my works—the good and the bad—and your kind words of encouragement these past two years have helped buoy my confidence and strengthen my resolve to constantly improve as a writer.

  Terry Cloutier

  August 2021