Iceni

Chapter 5-2

Boudicca smiled as she imagined the panic of the Romani.

Lovernios continued with his narrative. ‘With this amount of panic and fear, any other remotely unusual event is interpreted as a portent of impending doom. There are, of course, the things we’ve arranged. Artio has sent wolves to howl in the theatre.’ He ruffled the bear’s neck a bit more vigorously. ‘And very vocal they are too! I don’t think I could sleep through their singing. Stealthy too, prowling around the stepped seats so as not to be caught, then calling to the waning moon when any investigator has departed. The Faery have possessed the senate house and are weeping for their lost lands: all in return for the bowls of milk which we reminded the Trinovantes to leave out in thanks for their assistance.

‘Then there are the things we’ve not arranged, the things of the Romani’s imagination. They see a bird fly to the left — it’s a bad omen. They see some pebbles fallen in an unusual way — it’s an omen. A sandal strap breaks, a pot cracks, a loaf burns — all these things are omens and render them too scared even to go about their daily business. There’re Romani spies everywhere, but even they’re not exempt from the fever of superstition overwhelming these people. They may have their suspicions fuelled by their fears but they can find no evidence for the level of insurrection which is about to unfold. We’re cloaked too well by the forests, and the Trinovantes are on their most ‘civilised’ behaviour; no fault can be found.’

‘When should we horde? It would be better if it were soon.’ Boudicca licked her lips in anticipation.

‘Has it really been so long since you’ve tasted blood, Andraste? Did the water sacrifices of gold and precious things never quench you? It’ll be soon. You’ll choose the right moment. You’ll know when.’

Lovernios sat back and shrugged. ‘There’s little else I can tell you. The majority of Trinovantes have drifted away from the Colonia now. Key personnel remain and conceal the absence of their extended families. Sucellus’ forge clearing is very packed, you will be surprised by the difference.’

‘There were a lot of people there before we came here,’ Boudicca stated.

‘There are many, many more now. Britannia is one now — Celtoi, not individual tribes. We’re horde. It’s not only the Iceni and Trinovantes tribes from whom the warriors come, but from far afield too, wherever there is Romani oppression. There are some from the Dobunni in the Vale of the White Horse, the Atrebates to the south, and from the north some Coritani and a few from the Corieltavi. All are trusted warriors who’ve learned of our gathering from the Druids and have Found through forests near to them.’ He held his hand up. ‘There’re none from the Catuvellauni, nor from the Regni in the far south, whose King, Cogidubnus, as you well know, is a Romani sympathiser and paid too well by them to want to drive them out. More surprisingly, none have come from the Dumnonii, nor the Durotiges, both tribes from far to the west.

‘You’ll understand, when you hear the number of different tongues that assail you, why none of this would’ve been possible without the Druids. At the very least, madam, you’ll need us as translators.’

‘I’m starting to realise, Lovernios, how very much we, I, do need you.’

‘Not soon enough, madam. At least the two of us can return to Sucellus’ forge as a united front.’

‘What about my other daughter, Lovernios? What about Grania?’

‘Oh yes, Grania.’ Lovernios paused. ‘Grania’s much better, but I’ll let you find out how for yourself.’

Boudicca gave him a puzzled look. He reached out to take her hand. ‘Shall we go? I should warn you that you’ve changed in your absence. It didn’t disturb me because I was expecting it, but it may unsettle your people. Let’s just say it’s more obvious that the Goddess’ hand is upon you. You shouldn’t have any problems with authority anyway.’

‘I never did!’

Lovernios conceded the point. ‘You might have done with peoples other than the Iceni. Your torc, Andraste’s torc, has its very own luminescence now, almost dazzling. Leastways it lights your face with a subtle glow. I just thought I ought to warn you.’

‘Thank you.’ She touched the torc at her throat. It felt warm, but she’d known it would. ‘Let’s go.’

Lovernios turned to the bear. ‘Thank you Artio, we’ll meet again soon.’ Then he took Boudicca’s hand and stepped into the trees. ‘Just to show you how easy it is now, I’ll let you do the Finding.’

Boudicca cleared her mind and pictured where she wished to be. She took several random steps forward, leaving herself open to the whims of wherever the forest might wish her to be taken. Instantly the paths appeared and she gasped at the ease with which she had gained the Skill. She squeezed Lovernios’ hand in excitement. ‘I’ve done it!’ she squealed.

‘Well done, but don’t get too carried away. I hate to ruin your moment of pleasure but you won’t Find so easily when the Druids have shut the old paths again. If our successes are as I hope, you should be able to take advantage of our Workings for a full turn of the moon yet, so you can have a chance to appreciate what it really means to master the technique.’

Boudicca was about to hurl abuse at him when she realised that beneath his serious, somewhat condescending expression, he was desperately trying to hide his laughter at her reaction. She’d bitten at his sarcasm again; was she so obviously quick to anger? She was, she decided, but it must be part of her appeal, for Lovernios’ eyes were shining with an appreciative love.

She tossed her mahogany hair back with mock contempt and strode off towards the forge. Lovernios let his suppressed laughter betray him as he jogged to keep up.

* * * *

‘What on...?’ She exclaimed.

‘Told you she was feeling better, madam.’

‘Where did she get that old thing from?’

‘Sucellus found it.’

‘But we haven’t made them pay that fine for almost a whole generation.’

‘Shows how lazy and flabby you Iceni have become then, madam.’

Boudicca ignored him, she was getting used to his jibes as a means of expressing affection which indicated the new informality existing between them. She’d have to think of a few retorts to do with Druids and gently insert them into conversation as revenge. But not for the moment, now she wanted to watch what Grania was up to.

Her daughter was calling up warriors from the huge crowd surrounding her. She stood upon the wooden bridge where Sucellus had first greeted the Iceni, and was using a leather belt to measure the girth of each warrior she called to her. Most of the warriors passed the test and the belt fitted easily upon their firm frames, but every so often one would fail and the belt wouldn’t be able to be done up despite the exaggerated pulling and heaving of Grania and the sucking in of midriff by the man in question. Then would start the hilarious taunts and jeers of Grania and the crowd and the loud laughter and clapping as Grania sarcastically asked how fond the warrior was of beer and mead, whether he preferred twirling a spindle to throwing a spear, grinding grain to handling a sword?

There were plenty of retorts about relaxed muscle and putting on weight over the winter, about how they’d been such a notable warrior they’d always been awarded the champion’s cut of meat in feasts and must have had one too many such prizes. But Grania never relented and always demanded her punishment: a piece of gold for the river upon which they stood.

Bracelets and rings, armbands and filigree belt buckles all were submitted as a fine for having grown too obese, as the old laws had once decreed. Some of the objects were ritually broken by their owners before being delivered unto the water. And many an eye followed the airborne curve of a precious thing as it was cast away to plummet into the fast little stream before it swirled into the deeper whirlpool. Many a mouth formed a longing ‘aah’ at its plop on hitting the water and sinking into the river depths forever. Many a warrior left the bridge feigning deep disappointment and resignation, dragging their feet and pulling sad, sad faces, but then it was the turn of the next man and the cheerfulness returned to the crowd whilst the returning one submitted to back slapping and commiseration from his fellows.

Boudicca and Lovernios were soon laughing with the others. She stopped Lovernios from joining the crowd, keeping them both back to the vantage point that was the slight rise around the clearing, and shielded by patchy tree cover. Boudicca was, as Lovernios had warned, astounded by the numbers of people who had come to her cause. The clearing was extremely packed; she would have to push through hundreds of people to get to her daughter, even if she skirted around the fringes.

‘I don’t want to ruin it by announcing my presence yet,’ she explained. ‘Especially wearing this,’ she gestured to her torc.

‘Sucellus sent word he’d found the belt yesterday. We thought it would make a good ‘treatment’ for Grania. I didn’t think it would be quite so comical, though.’

‘She loves the attention, doesn’t she? That’s the warrior in her, she’ll be a great champion, held in awe by Celtoi peoples for her prowess in combat.’

‘Look at her! She’s really disappointed when they fit into the belt. She’s even trying to tickle that one to make him relax his stomach.’ Lovernios shook his head sadly. ‘A generation ago, no one would have failed this test.’

‘I failed it once. But I was expecting my twins then; perhaps four, five moons into my pregnancy.’

Lovernios looked at her with admiration. ‘I think that’s excusable.’

‘I made sure I passed at the next testing, a year later, and the next. Then the tests sort of petered out. Why isn’t Grania testing any of the women?’

‘No idea. Sucellus told her it was for all of those who intended to fight. Has she seen this before?’

‘When she was very young. But I know she can remember it — she kept a cord with her play weapons when she was a little girl. She used to make me measure her waist before she’d start to play. She took herself quite seriously, even in those days. She should know to test the women too. Let’s watch a little longer and see if she moves on to them.’

‘See, there.’ Lovernios pointed. ‘The woman with the plaits has stepped forward to be measured and Grania has pulled out the man behind her instead. It’s all good humoured at the moment. It is the sort of mistake that could happen in any crowd; I’m not too sure if it’s intentional.’

‘I don’t share your lack of concern, Lovernios. She’s enjoying this a little too much, you know. In fact, if I know Grania, I’d say she was actually enjoying humiliating the men folk.’

‘A mother’s intuition?’

‘Look at her eyes.’

Lovernios looked more carefully. On inspection, Grania’s expression was grasping as she relieved warrior after warrior of gold and hurled the items over the swirling stream. As she measured their bulk, she would survey them as if they were so much midden to be treated contemptuously.

‘Fortunately for Grania, the crowd are in the mood for this ribaldry, but it doesn’t take much for a crowd this size to become a mob. Come on, with me, let’s see if we can prevent a diplomatic incident!’ Boudicca pulled Lovernios after her, bellowing as she charged down the hillock. Those in the crowd who turned to see who was making the noise moved rapidly aside, hauling their companions with them. Boudicca registered the look of awe upon some of the faces as they recognised first her, then noticed the torc’s effects.