Chapter Seventeen







On the third day of being at the Silure’s village, Aurelia met the Shield maiden Lena.



Kailen had relented in frogmarching her to and fro from his hut to Renna’s every day and every night, but she wasn’t so stupid as to think she wasn’t being watched. The people of the village kept a careful eye on her, not unfriendly, but Aurelia was aware of it whenever she stepped outside of the hut.



Following the hard packed earth trail to Renna’s hut on the morning, Aurelia stopped short when she heard raised female voices. Glancing up, she saw Renna just outside the entrance of her home in a heated argument with another woman. Well, argument wasn’t exactly the right word. That would imply two people yelling at each other. The unknown woman was throwing furious words at Renna, poking her in the chest with a long pointy finger and Renna was standing there silently. She made no effort to speak or draw away from the finger.



Aurelia was in two minds on what to do. Whatever was happening between the two was obviously between the tribeswomen and as an outsider, a Roman to boot, she knew her interference would be most unwelcome.



On the other hand, Renna had been very welcoming to her and they were becoming fast friends. If Renna wasn’t going to defend herself against this woman, then Aurelia would.



She hurried towards them, taking care to keep a calm façade so that she wouldn’t inflame the situation. “Is everything alright? Renna, do you need help?”



The other woman took a step back and turned, regarding Aurelia with a decidedly unfriendly look. She took her time in assessing Aurelia and then sneering. She obviously didn’t like what she saw and Aurelia couldn’t help but flinch at the scorn being directed her way.



She stood a head taller than Aurelia, with long dark hair braided back from a pointed shrewd face and tanned skin that spoke of a lot of time being spent outside. She was built lean and powerful, her bare arms tattooed in the same style as Kailen was. A short sword hung low on her hips by strips of soft worn leather.



Warrior, Aurelia thought. It was probably the markings that set them apart as warriors from the rest of the tribe.



“This is none of your business, Roman,” she sneered. “I suggest you stay out of it if you know what’s good for you.”



She was very intimidating, anger and force of personality coming off of her in waves. Aurelia knew without so much as a doubt that this woman could kill her without raising her heart rate.



Aurelia swallowed with difficulty, fighting the urge to step back. She shifted, meeting Renna’s wide eyed gaze over the woman’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”



Renna nodded her head slowly, obviously having the same problem as Aurelia was with dealing with an irate warrior woman. “I’m fine. Lena was just about done, weren’t you?”



The woman, Lena, smiled at Renna. It looked like it belonged better on a bloodthirsty lion than it did on her. “We are nowhere near done, Healer, but you hide behind the skirt of a Roman whore they call War Prize. We’ll speak again soon.”



Lena turned that look on Aurelia and Aurelia felt her blood run cold. She watched the woman’s stalking back, unable to take her eyes off Lena until she was well out of sight.



“You know, I am getting really tired of people calling me a whore. It’s like the only insult they can come up with,” Aurelia grumbled, turning back to Renna.



Renna was almost as white as a sheet, her bottom lip red from biting it so hard. She avoided Aurelia’s eyes, quickly ducking down to an upturned basket by her feet, the contents spilled across the ground. She must have dropped it when Lena set upon her.



“What was that all about?” Aurelia asked as she bent down to help the Healer gather the fallen fire logs back into the basket.



Renna shrugged uncomfortably. “It’s nothing to worry about.”



Aurelia stared at her, stopping mid-motion. “Nothing to worry about? She looked like she was planning to murder you.”



“It’s just her way,” Renna said quietly. “She’s a Shield Maiden to my tribe, grew up fighting since she was able to walk and constantly proving herself to be just as good as the men she fights beside. You need to be aggressive in order to do what she does.”



“That’s hardly an excuse to treat people that way.” Aurelia protested. “Is it personal? The argument, I mean?”



Renna seemed resigned to her questioning as she put the basket down by the fire. “Yes, it’s personal. She was… angry… that I should take it upon myself to ready Kailen’s home for his arrival. To supply the firewood and to make him food.” She stopped herself from saying any more than she already had.



Aurelia thought it was touching that Renna was so thoughtful, but couldn’t think why such an act of kindness would send Lena into a rage.



Renna must have seen her thought pass across her face as she hurried to explain. “They are duties of a wife to her husband and should not be undertaken by a single woman. Lena thinks I am trying to weasel my way into that position.”



The pieces of the puzzle fell into place with an audible snap. The only reason why another woman would react in such a way about Renna’s action was because she hoped for the same position too. “I, ah, I guess Lena has feelings for Kailen then?”



Renna smiled humourlessly. “You could say that, yes.”



“Huh.” Aurelia leaned back against the table and watched Renna busy herself about the hut. “So Kailen has women fighting over him. He must be popular.”



“Kailen is well regarded amongst the tribe, a seasoned warrior and had a good standing with the leaders.” Renna explained. “A woman would be very lucky to have him.”



“And he’s good looking too.” Aurelia gently teased.



Renna reddened but she nodded. “That too.” She turned serious. “You should be careful.”



Aurelia tilted her hear to the side in question. “Me? Why should I be careful?”



“Because you share Kailen’s hut, you eat your meals together and you’re under his protection.” Renna pointed out. “Lena is a very jealous woman, she will consider you as her competition.”



Aurelia felt hysterical laughter bubble up but she clamped her mouth shut until the feeling went away. “That’s because I’m the Roman War Prize. That hardly makes me any sort of competition. In fact, it puts me out of the running entirely.”



“It makes you the number one competition. War Prize allows you certain intimacies that is only afforded to a wife. Lena will not like that.” Renna explained.



Aurelia found it incredibly uncomfortable to liken her situation to that of man and wife. It bore too closely to the feelings she felt on the first night they had arrived in the village.



“But Lena wouldn’t see it like that, surely? Aurelia said incredulously. “I’m Roman for God’s sake.”



“A very pretty Roman woman who shares Kailen’s hut.” Renna stressed.



Aurelia fell silent, adding up the tally that was stacking up against her. She groaned aloud. “Lena is going to murder me and no one is going to find my body.”



Renna laughed a little too gleefully in Aurelia’s opinion. “This is the part where I comfort you and tell you that it will be alright, but I feel too happy right now. This is the first time where her ire will be aimed at you rather than me and I must say, it feels rather novel.” Renna giggled again.



“I’ve changed my mind.” Aurelia said amidst Renna’s amusement. “I really don’t like you at all.”



This confession only set Renna off again.



~



The Roman fort was alive with the shouted orders of the Legates and the speedy bustle of infantry soldiers packing up the Legion’s gear into wagons. Horse masters were readying the war horses and the armoury was being emptied out to fit each and every man available.



Verenus, who had led eighteen men in a four day patrol across the coast, had just got back to see this all happening. He stood at the open gate, bewildered at the scene before him, before he spotted his young Optio amongst the crowd. “Cato!” He called out to him.



Cato turned, eyes searching for the source of the call, before they lit on Verenus and he pulled himself away from the crowd and came to a stop in front of Verenus, saluting him. “I thought you wouldn’t make it back in time, sir.”



“What is going on? Why is the fort packing up to move?” Verenus demanded in way of greeting.



“Orders from the Commander General, sir. He wants us to meet the British rebel threat and suppress them.” Cato answered at the ready.



Verenus straightened, a fission of tension making his jaw clench. “Suppress or wipe them out?”



Cato shrugged carelessly. “As Aquilla is acting Commander of our legion, I’m going to go with the latter.”



Commander Aquilla’s through nature was well known amongst the Roman army. Whether his methods were right or wrong, he was a firm favourite with the members of the senate and his legion was often used in foreign campaigns that were tricky to subdue.



“Commander Aquilla has asked to see you, sir, if you returned in time for the breaking of camp.” Cato pointed towards the war tent, where the commander and his most senior centurions and advisors met to talk of strategy and reports.



“If I had known beforehand, I would have returned earlier,” Verenus grumbled. “Thank you Cato.”



“Sir.” Cato saluted gain and disappeared into the crowd.



Verenus glanced down at himself and noticed for the first time the mud spattered armour and filthy sandals. It was beginning to be a habit of appearing in front of the Commander looking like a vagabond but it couldn’t be helped. Aquilla wouldn’t appreciate to be kept waiting so Verenus could clean himself up for an audience.



Reaching the war tent, Verenus ducked in to come up short at the sight in front of him. Instead of Aquilla talking with his men, he was conversing with four British men in full war regalia. They had dark blue war paint smeared across their cheekbones and solemn faces. All eyes turned to him at his entrance.



Aquilla stood up. “Ah there you are, Verenus. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.” He said in a thoroughly jovial tone of voice. Verenus almost took him for a giddy school boy. “I would like you to meet our new scouts, here to help our war efforts against those cursed Silures.”



Verenus grew instantly suspicious of the so-called British scouts. He barely nodded at them in acknowledgement before turning to Aquilla. “British tribesman helping us kill other British tribesmen, sir?”



Aquilla’s smile was wide and charming. “A rather entertaining thought, isn’t it? But these men are from the Venicones tribe, on orders of their leader to repay a certain blood debt against the Silures. It seems these men met the Silure War Party on the road and an altercation happened where one of their own was slaughtered. These men hope to repay that debt in kind.”



Whatever the reasons these men gave, Verenus didn’t trust them as far as he could throw them. “All the same sir, if you mean to use them then they should be heavily guarded.”



Aquilla’s smile widened. “Then we are of the same mind, Centurion. As you have first-hand knowledge of how to deal with British enemies-“



Verenus was positive this was an insult directed at him.



“You and your men will be the ones to guard them. Any problems and you know what to do.”



Verenus bristled, but kept his mouth shut.



Aquilla dismissed him with a cursory hand gesture. “Now leave us. Be at the ready when the time comes. I want this campaign to be over with as soon as possible.”



“Sir.” Verenus saluted and left the tent with a foreboding feeling.



This could not end well for anyone that was involved.





~

An optio was a soldier in the Roman army who held a position similar to that of an executive officer in modern armies. The optio held a rank roughly equivalent to that of a modern lieutenant, reflective of his status as the second in command of the century in which he served. The main function of an optio was as an optio centuriae, the second-in-command of a century, although there were many other positions an optio could hold.