by V. M. Sang
Ailbert returned to Huw. “Done,” he told him. “She's got the note. It simply tells her where to wait and when, but nothing more. She recognised me, though.”
“Did she? That doesn't surprise me, really. She was always good at remembering people.”
“Do you think she'll betray us?” Ailbert’s eyes scanned the marketplace. “I didn't think of her recognising me. After all, no one else has, not even the Domina and Claudia.”
“I don't think so, especially after what they did to her.”
The next morning, Huw and Ailbert hitched the horse to their wagon and set off back to the village. It would take a full day to get there, and then they had to return for the meeting with Maeve.
They told Gwen, who clapped her hands at the thought that her sister might now be freed, but warned the pair to be careful.
Ailbert and Huw went to the river the next morning. The village had been built on the river Lea and fishing was one of the occupations of the villagers. Here, they hired a boat. It would not take long to get to Londinium on the fast-flowing river, but coming back would be more tricky—they would be rowing against the current, after all.
The pair got into the boat. Huw had grown up in the village and had become proficient at rowing, but Ailbert had not. He vaguely remembered fishing trips on the Rhenus with his father, but he had been too small to do much, if any, of the work. Huw, therefore, had to do most of the rowing.
“You'll need to row some of the way back,” Huw advised him. “It'll be hard against the current and we need to get back as quickly as we can. I won't be able to row all the way.”
Ailbert decided he would take part in rowing the boat downstream since it would be easier and he could learn a bit about how to do it before having to help on the return trip. Although it was not particularly arduous going with the current, it helped by giving Huw a rest. They arrived at the point where the Lea met the Thamesis in one day.
Darkness started to fall as they neared the confluence of the rivers, and so they slowly manoeuvred the little craft into the Thamesis, to where they had instructed Maeve to meet them. They rowed slowly under a bridge, where they waited until the appointed time for Maeve to arrive. The daylight slowly faded over the river and people went to their homes.
Maeve took the crumpled note and spread it out where she could read it. She had returned to the domus where she now lived in slave quarters with her sons.
She read the note and then read it again. It had indeed been Adelbehrt that she had seen in the market. No, he had a different name now. What was it? Oh yes, Ailbert. Fairly similar. What was he doing here? Suppose someone else had recognised him? He was taking a big risk, especially trying to help free her.
She would go, though. She found it difficult living as a slave in the house she had known as mistress. The note had made no mention of her sons, but she could not leave them behind.
Maeve made a decision to take them with her. If Ailbert and Huw could not, or would not, take them too, then she would not go either. Better to stay here a slave, painful as it was, than to lose her sons. That would prove infinitely more painful.
Waiting until it was dark, Maeve crept into the small room where they kept keys to the house. As the former Domina, she knew where everything was and it did not take her long before she had unlocked the door leading to a small alley running along the side of the domus.
Once she had replaced the keys, she crept to where her sons slept. Opening the door as quietly as she could, she woke the boys, telling them to be quiet and not say a word.
“We're going out of the house,” she whispered. “I can't explain just yet, but it's a secret, and we must get out without anyone seeing or hearing us.”
Her sons dressed quickly, did not put on their sandals, and silently followed their mother to the door leading from the peristylium to the alley that ran down the side of the house. Once out of the domus, Maeve quickly led the children towards the river. The boys were anxious to know what was happening, but Maeve still said nothing. She put her finger to her lips as they crossed a road and found themselves on the riverbank next to a bridge.
Maeve peered around, but could see nothing. Was this the place Ailbert had told her to come? Perhaps the plan had gone wrong and they had been captured? If that were the case, she and the boys had better get back to the domus as quickly as possible before the rest of the house got up and missed them.
A shape appeared from beneath the bridge. Maeve crouched down and made the boys hide behind some bushes. It might be Huw and Ailbert, but it might be someone else. Criminals often used the river.
She heard a whisper. “Maeve, it's us. Ailbert and Huw. Come and get in the boat quickly, and then we can be gone.”
Maeve beckoned to her sons, who came out, and the three of them made their way down to the river's edge.
“Maeve,” whispered Huw, “we said nothing about anyone else. We're here to rescue you.”
Maeve stopped and looked at her brother, hands on hips. Huw knew that if they had not had need of silence, then Maeve would have been shouting at him. As it was, she whispered as loudly as she could. “I'm going nowhere without my sons. If you won't take them, then I'm going back.”
“It'll be much more dangerous with three of you, Maeve. Anyone seeing this little craft with five people in it will be suspicious. After all, it's not built for five.”
“Well, I'm sorry. Thank you for trying to rescue me, but I'd better get back before we're missed.” She turned and began to walk up the bank towards the city.
Ailbert leaped out of the boat and ran after her. Before she reached the road, he caught her arm. “Don't be silly, Maeve. You saved me and other slaves in the past. I owe it to you to get you out of this. We'll take you all.”
“Did Huw say that?”
“No, I said it. I don't think Huw would really leave your boys. He was just surprised. We'd forgotten about them, you see.”
She turned and pulled the boys after her as she walked slowly to the boat. All the while, she fixed her eyes on Huw.
He looked down as she approached, afraid to meet her gaze. “I'm sorry, Maeve. I ought not to have queried your decision to bring your sons. Of course you can't leave them.”
Ailbert lifted the youngest boy into the boat and the elder scrambled in, followed by his mother and finally Ailbert. Huw pushed the boat away from the bank with an oar and began to row upstream to where the River Lea entered the Thamesis.
Once on the Lea, Huw pulled hard on the oars. The return journey would take them twice as long as the downstream one had taken. They would need to rest often and change rowers frequently. Huw decided they should travel by night, when there was less chance of being seen and so, when daylight began to break, Ailbert searched for a place to pull in. Bushes overhung the river in places and soon he spotted an area where the boat could be almost completely hidden.
They quietly rowed the boat until it lay under the overhanging bushes. Huw tied it to the trunk of one of the bushes while Ailbert made sure nothing of the boat could be viewed from either bank or river.
The two men lay down to sleep while Maeve opened food they had brought with them, and gave some to her sons. The boys, eyes wide with excitement at this adventure, as they saw it, ate the food, but as they had had little sleep the previous night, they fell asleep shortly after eating. Maeve heaved a sigh as they slept. She had not been looking forward to keeping them quiet during the daylight hours. As she sat there, contemplating what her future would now hold, she too slowly drifted off to sleep.
A sound woke Ailbert and he looked around. Everyone still slept. One of the boys made a little snoring noise. Was that what had woken him? Then he heard it again. The sound of someone or something coming towards the water's edge. He froze and held his breath.
He heard a snort and a hairy nose pushed its way through the bushes to sniff the boat. Ailbert grinned when he saw a horse. He almost laughed … until he realised the horse might have an owner with it. Ailbert gent
ly pushed the animal away, but the horse decided it was having none of it and pushed back.
Ailbert stroked the animal's nose and whispered to it. “Go away, please. We need to stay hidden.”
The horse looked at him with big brown eyes and nuzzled him again.
“Oh, you! Please go away. I've nothing for you. We'll need all our food because we've got two more than we expected.” He stood up and climbed out of the boat. The horse watched him and Ailbert took it by its forelock and led it away.
It followed obediently.
Huw woke up from his sleep and saw Ailbert had gone. Sitting up, he gazed around and then decided the young man had gone to relieve himself. He lay back, but when Ailbert failed to return after a few minutes, he became concerned. He rose quietly and went ashore.
He quickly spotted the hoof prints of the horse and with them, the footprints of a human being. A horse? What's Ailbert doing with a horse?
Then he heard voices and saw Ailbert talking to a man who looked as if he were about to lead the horse away. He slipped into the bushes to listen as he did not want to compromise their situation by rushing up. He had Maeve and the children to think of.
“Yes, we're travelling upstream,” Huw heard Ailbert say to the middle-aged man.
“I suppose you've had a hard time of it against the river,” the fellow said. “You're bound to be hungry. Why not go and get your companion, and come to eat something with us?”
Ailbert hesitated. “Thank you very much, but we'll be fine.”
“That all depends on how far you have to go. Some distance, I'd imagine. You're not from around here or I'd know you.”
Ailbert took a breath and gambled. “It's not just me and my uncle. My aunt and her two boys are with us too.”
The man scratched his head, then said, “Go and get them, and come for some food.” He glanced at the sky. “It's about mid-afternoon. Have you had your mid-day meal?”
“No.”
Huw stepped out of the bushes and glared at Ailbert. “I'm Huw, this young man's uncle. It's very kind of you to offer food, but we ought to be moving on.”
The man laughed cheerily. “You won't get very far if you're hungry, pulling against that current.”
“We have food,” Huw said.
“I bet not enough for all of you, and two hungry lads with you at that. Tell you what. If you don't want to come to my home, then I'll bring some food here for you. I guess you're running away from something, hiding in the bushes like that, and I guess it's something to do with the Romans.” He turned to leave, then turned back. “Don't worry about me. I'll not give you away to them Roman dogs, coming here and taking over our country. You've hidden yon boat well. I didn't see it. Only old Meg here found it and that ’cause she was thirsty.” With that, he led the horse away, calling back, “Don't go rowing away, now. I'll not be long.”
After he had left, Huw rounded on Ailbert. “What did you mean by talking to him like that, and telling him there were more of us in the boat?”
He looked Huw in the eye. “I trusted him. He didn't look as if he'd betray us. You heard what he said about the Romans. He'll not go telling them about us.”
“Anyone can say something against the Romans and not mean it. How do we know he's not now running to the nearest Roman and telling him we're here?”
Ailbert thought about what Huw said, then replied, “I don't believe he'll do that, but if you want, we can move the boat a little way and see if he comes back and if he's alone.”
Huw shook his head, but then said, “All right then, but I suggest we move the boat quite a long way and you can walk back here to meet your friend.”
This they did. In fact, they had not seen much sign of the Romans all the time they had been rowing during the night. They found a spot about half a mile away, where a small stream entered the Lea. Ailbert and Huw manoeuvred the boat into the stream and amongst some reeds, then Ailbert set off back to where they had been previously moored.
Huw and Maeve waited anxiously. Would Ailbert return with food, or would the man have brought Romans?
Time passed very slowly. The boys became impatient and Maeve had to be severe with them in order for them to remain quiet. Then, there came a rustle among the reeds. They froze, then relaxed when Ailbert pushed his way through, carrying a bag.
He threw it in the boat and then climbed in after it. “There's ham and cheese, as well as bread in there,” he said.
They ate some of the food the man had given them, and put the rest away to eat another time. Huw estimated it would take them another couple of days—or rather nights he corrected himself—to reach Treafon, and they would need several meals. He concluded that with the food they already had and with that given to them by the kind man, they would have plenty.
“Have you forgiven me for talking to that man, then?” Ailbert asked after they had eaten their fill.
“I suppose so,” Huw replied gruffly. “We won't be hungry now, anyway.”
The night fell and as soon as it was dark, Ailbert pushed the little craft into the stream and then leaped in. Huw took up the oars and rowed back to the confluence with the River Lea, where he turned the boat back upstream.
It was another fine night and shimmering stars shone down on them as they rowed. It was fortunate it was the dark of the moon and so they could move with the shadows. The river wound its way through the countryside and they passed an occasional farm or small village.
One time, a dog barked as they passed a farm. They held their breaths and Ailbert, who was rowing at the time, redoubled his efforts, but no one came to see what had disturbed the dog.
As Huw had predicted, three days after leaving Londinium, they found themselves nearing Treafon. Both Huw and Ailbert felt exhausted, and both had stiff muscles. They climbed out of the boat and Huw dragged it onto the bank; then, they walked the short distance to the village.
As it was still night, they approached Gwen's home quietly. Huw did not want to waken her and so they sat outside to wait for the dawn. Maeve's boys were tired. They lay on the ground and fell asleep as only the young could do.
Huw yawned and eyed the boys, then the sky. “Shouldn't be long before dawn. Then we can all get some sleep.”
After a while, there came a stirring in the houses and people began to emerge. The sun poked its head over the horizon and it promised to be a clear day.
Gwen stepped from her house and saw the five sitting there. She ran to Maeve and threw her arms around her sister. “They succeeded! They got you out of there.”
She turned to Huw and Ailbert, and gave them the same treatment. “You must come in and eat something, then get some sleep. You must be very tired. Rowing against that current in the river must have exhausted you.”
They trooped into the house, Huw and Ailbert carrying the sleeping boys. When they had put the boys safely into bed, the others ate and then went to bed themselves.
It was mid-day when they woke. Gwen wanted to know all about the rescue and, between them, they provided full details, including the finding of the horse and the man giving them food.
Gwen said, “I want to come with you to Pen Coed. There's nothing here now. The team we used to rescue slaves has been broken up by the Romans. If you're all going to Pen Coed, I'd like to come with you so I can be near my family.”
Maeve hugged her sister. “You must come. If you don't, then I'll not see you. I'll be stuck up there and you'll be down here, only hearing of us when Huw comes down to Londinium.”
Huw looked at his younger sister. “Gwen, of course we'll take you with us. It'll be a bit of a squash in the wagon with six of us and the trade goods. I think I'll need to buy another wagon.”
“Huw, I've enough money for a wagon. I'll buy it and a horse, if you can lend it to me until we get back,” Ailbert advised. He smiled merrily. “I could use it to set up some competition to you, too.”
Huw punched him on the shoulder in mock anger. “You've some things to learn yet before you ca
n become a successful merchant, lad!”
The pair laughed.
The next day, Ailbert and Huw went to the gentleman Gwen told them would be the most likely to have a wagon for sale. They bargained hard, and had to pay what Huw felt was too high a price, but he decided they needed it to be able to take Gwen with them.
Ailbert left to try to bargain for a horse to pull the wagon. Huw had said that he thought an ox would suffice, but Ailbert had set his mind on a horse. He loved horses; an ox was no substitute and much slower.
He examined the animals the trader showed him, looking at their eyes, feet and teeth, and settled on a dapple grey mare he got for what he thought was a good price. He led the animal to where Huw had left his cart and oxen, and tethered the mare there before going to Gwen's house.
He found the family preparing to leave. Gwen had been delighted when Huw told her she could bring her loom now they had another wagon, and she was busy packing all her wool.
“We think it would be better to leave tonight, Ailbert,” Huw stated. “We're not that far from Londinium and the Romans will come searching here sooner rather than later.”
That evening, under a waxing moon, Ailbert and Huw went outside to hitch the horse and oxen to the wagons, and then load them. There seemed to be very little. Maeve did not have much and Gwen took but a few clothes and her loom and wool. They ate a meal, made sure the fire in Gwen's house was out, and settled the children on blankets in the back of Ailbert's wagon.
Maeve climbed onto the driver's seat next to Ailbert, and Huw and Gwen rode in Huw's wagon along with the goods Huw had bought to trade in Eberacum.
Ailbert flicked the reins. “Hup,” he said, and the horse that he had named Eira ambled off in the wake of Huw and his wagon.
The wagons rolled along the road. The boys soon fell asleep with the movement and even the adults felt increasingly sleepy. The animals did most of the work; all that Huw and Ailbert had to do was keep them moving and guide them in the right direction. It did not feel at all like rowing the boat, where the men had been thoroughly active.
