Chapter Twenty Two



Aurelia had never been in a fight before, even when she was a child. There were play fights of course, mock wrestles in the grass or with blunt wooden swords but they never used to strike out against each other with the intent to hurt. It was unbecoming of a Roman Noble woman, despite the taste for Gladiatorial spectator entertainment, and even then Aurelia hadn't seen many of the games in her lifetime. It had been too violent for her.

So it was laughable that she could even entertain the notion of standing against a Shield Maiden. A Shield Maiden whose whole life was honed for war, who was faster, stronger and weighed twenty pounds more than she did. Her moment of insanity where she had slapped Lena in the face was going to cost her dearly, possibly her very life.

Lena let out a sound of pure rage and lunged at Aurelia, taking them both off their feet to sprawl hard on the grass. The air was knocked painfully from Aurelia's lungs and she wheezed for breath. Her head had hit the ground, sending pain to lance through her skull and her vision became blurry. Lena had landed on top of her, her hands seeking Aurelia's neck to strangle the life out of her but Aurelia wriggled away, kicking out at Lena so that the warrior rolled off of her.

Renna was screaming and the noise brought people out of their huts to see what was going on. They formed a half ring around them, looking on with grave faces, but none of them moved to pull them apart. This was obviously a personal fight, and the people of the tribe didn't interfere until it was sorted and there was one true victor.

There would be no help coming for Aurelia. She was on her own.

Aurelia got shakily to her feet as quickly as she could, stumbling with dizziness and blinking rapidly to clear her vision. Lena was already on her feet and advancing towards her with a fierce ugly expression.

Aurelia didn't have the presence of mind to shy away and she was rewarded with a fist to the stomach. She doubled over and retched, heaving under the shocks of agony. Lena grabbed her by the hair and pulled back to a standing position, her scalp screaming at the rough treatment. Lena's other hand came up to deliver her own slap across the face, her nails catching across her temple and making her bleed.

She went for another blow across the other cheek, but Aurelia saw it coming. In an act of desperation, Aurelia drew her own fist back and aimed for Lena's nose. Lena jerked back at the last moment, but the blow landed at her throat, making her gag loudly and let Aurelia go.

Aurelia's hand throbbed alarmingly as she didn't know how to properly form a fist to punch without injuring herself, but it had the desired results as Lena leaned forward on her knees, gasping for air with abused vocal chords.

Aurelia knew this was it, this was her chance to end the fight. She would never get another chance, Lena would not allow it. She had surprised the warrior by striking back but that advantage was over, she could see it in the Shield Maiden's eyes.

So Aurelia hoisted the skirt of her dress up to her knees for more ease of movement and to allow her to put some force behind the kick she dealt to Lena's ribs, causing her to cry out and fall to the floor.

It was like someone else had taken over her body, made her turn into some vicious animal that inflicted pain on others without a second thought. She felt numb as she pushed Lena further into the ground by straddling the other woman's stomach and reached for a rock that was half-embedded into the ground, skin breaking from the sharp edges and raised it above her head to beat Lena bloody.

She had every intention of doing so, the scared hopelessness she had felt at the start of her coming to Briton making her lash out at the one person who now posed a real threat of hurting her. Except Lena cringed away from her, a look of fear on her face as she realised what Aurelia was gong to do and it checked Aurelia.

Noise rushed back to her, her loud pants of breath in her ears and her moral sense rushed back with it. She let go of the rock and staggered back from Lena, body shaking uncontrollably from the adrenaline rush and the terror she had just felt. She looked down at Lena and said, "I'm sorry. I- I'm so sorry."

Lena watched her with wide eyes as she slowly stood up, hunched slightly while holding a hand to her ribs. "Why did you stop? You should have killed me."

"I couldn't," Aurelia said, voice stricken. "I couldn't do it."

"What is the meaning of this?" Kailen demanded as he pushed his way through the crowd to stand between them, eyes going from Aurelia's face to Lena's. Aurelia saw Bran behind him, face like thunder but standing back with the crowd. Kailen was to handle this mess.

Aurelia had never felt so sick in her life at her own actions. She had been willing to kill a Briton, a Shield Maiden of Kailen's. Kailen would never forgive her for it.

Her throat closed over, she could not speak. She could not even look him in the face, she was so ashamed.

Lena had no such trouble with her own voice. "Your Roman woman struck me in the face." She accused. "I was only defending myself."

"You threatened her!" Renna cried out angrily, her cheeks streaked with tears. It couldn't have been easy watching what had happened. "You came here to force her into a fight with you!"

Aurelia risked a look up at Kailen's face and wished fervently that she hadn't. His face was an unreadable mask that she hadn't seen since the early days of their forced acquaintance and his eyes had darkened with anger.

She blinked rapidly, turning away. She prayed the tears that sprung to her eyes would not spill over her cheeks. They would be useless in this case.

"Aurelia, look at me." Kailen said, the voice deceptively soft but held a threat of steel.

She had no choice but to look at him. Aurelia steeled herself, eyes sliding to his and stayed there under the power of his own will. They arrested her and she was powerless to pull away.

"Is this true?" He accentuated clearly.

"It's true," she whispered brokenly. "I started it. I hit her first." And her throat closed over, the power of speech leaving her again.

"I told you," Lena said triumphantly. "She should be punished for what she has done to me!"

The crowd started murmuring amongst themselves and Aurelia taught it was in regards to her guilt until the people suddenly parted to reveal the tribe leader, Calonus. Aurrelia hadn't seen him since she had arrived in the village. He heart dropped at the sight of him, knowing she was in deep trouble.

He motioned Aurelia to follow him. "Come."

Aurelia hesitated for a moment before she obeyed his command.

"I would speak to her alone, Kailen," Calonus said, his piercing gaze set behind her. Auelia chanced a glance behind her to see Kailen had tried to follow them but stopped in his tracks at his leader's words. His expression looked torn between obeying and ignoring the order, but in the end he obeyed.

Calonus turned and headed back towards his own hut, shuffling with the staff in his grip. Aurelia followed meekly behind him, eyes cast down so she didn't have to look at the others around her. She could only guess at what fate was in store for her for hitting a tribe woman, especially as she was the War Prize.

She followed him into the hut and waited demurely as he sat down in his chair, not daring to break the silence. He didn't offer her a seat.

He finally spoke. "I saw what happened between you and the Shield Maiden Lena."

It wasn't put as a question so Aurelia didn't speak.

"I know that she goaded you with harsh words and physically pushed you. It was a challenge given to you and you accepted it. Just like a Shield Maiden of the Silures would do. You did well in defending yourself."

Aurelia was astonished. Of all the ways this conversation could have gone, this was not the way she would have betted on.

"I..."

"It is not the way of the British to back down from disrespect. No matter the consequence." His thin lips stretched into a sardonic smile. "As your people have found out. If you had allowed Lena to treat you like that, you would have dishonoured yourself and dishonoured Kailen as his woman."

Now Aurelia was blushing. It seemed the Silure people were worse gossips than washer women. "But," Her voice cracked and she tried again. "But i could have killed her. I would have if sense didn't return to me in the end."

Calonus shook his head. "It would have been your right. She was challenging you as a Shield Maiden, you had every right to defend yourself and your claim on Kailen. These things can end on a death. But instead, you showed her mercy."

"It wasn't right to take her life. She's... She's hurting." Aurelia winced.

"Courage as well as mercy." Calonus mused. "You have all the makings of a Shield Maiden of the Silure tribe."

Aurelia nearly choked. "I've never fought before in my life, i don't know how."

"And yet you managed to best one of my finest female warriors." Calonus pointed out.

Aurelia looked away. "I think luck and surprise were on my side." She mumbled. "Lena won't make that mistake again."

Calonus smiled with amusement. "I'm sure she won't. But no one is born with the knowledge of swordsmanship, though some of my warriors will boast otherwise. It takes practise and dedication. It takes for you to be willing to learn. Are you willing? Will you be a Shield Maiden to my tribe, one of our very own?"

Aurelia stared at him in wonder. !Are you accepting me into your tribe as a War Prize?"

"I'm accepting you into our tribe as Kailen's woman, as a Shield Maiden in your own right, who protects our most vulnerable members. I'm asking you to become a part of a life that you so obviously belong to."

Aurelia was at a loss for words, a state that was beginning to be a common occurrence with her that day. "I don't know what to say." She admitted in a whisper.

Calonus smiled again. "Then say yes."

Aurelia felt her lips widen in her own smile. "Then yes. I will become a Shield Maiden to the Silure tribe."

~

When Aurelia had disappeared into the hut with Calonus, Kailen had levelled a look that could pierce bone at Lena and said "Explain yourself now."

All the posturing had bled out of her body and she looked pale and drawn, the fight gone out. "It is as i had said. She hot me first, it was within my right to protect myself."

Renna choked back a bitter laugh. "After you pushed her."

Lena snarled at Renna. "She was in my face."

"Listen to yourself. It's like poison spills so easily from your tongue." Renna snarled back.

Kailen held up his hands to both of them to quieten them before it ended up in another fight. "And why would Aurelia 'attack' you?" He asked Lena in a low forceful whisper.

Lena swallowed audibly. "She's Roman, Kailen. It's in her blood to be a vicious animal."

Kailen saw red at her accusing Aurelia to be a vicious animal and he had to wrestle with his rage to not reach out and break Lena's neck with his bare hands. "You did not answer my question. Why did she attack you? What did you do?"

"She called Aurelia a whore for being with you." Renna told him softly. "That she didn't have the right."

Lena's whole face crumpled in grief. "You could have anyone you wanted. Why a Roman? Why her?"

"Because i love her," He hissed. "Because my spirit calls to hers and she feels like i'm finally home."

Lena shut her eyes at his words, as if she could barely stand to hear them

"I never wanted to hurt you, i had no idea you had feelings for me. But you have gone out of your way to hurt another person. A Shield Maiden attacking another who could not properly defend herself, who was not a warrior."

He let the gravity of his words sink into her brain and the dawning realisation grow in her eyes. For one of the warrior caste of a tribe to use their advantage on another who was not a warrior was a grave sin.

"No, Kailen please don't." Lena pleaded.

"Your anger has blinded you. I have no use for such an undisciplined vindictive warrior under my command." His words were like brands of steel. "I cast you out of the warrior caste."

Lena reached out and gripped his arm, eyes wild with desperation. "No please, i'm sorry. I didn't mean any of it!"

Kailen shrugged her off. "You're lucky i don't cast you out of the tribe for what you've done. Bran, get her out of my sight."

Bran appeared by his side. "With pleasure." He said gruffly, taking her by the arm none too gently and pulled her into the crowd after him.

Renna watched her go. "I can bear witness to Calonus, i saw it all. Aurelia shouldn't be punished for what Lena has done."

Kailen nodded. "I appreciate it. I will not have any harm come to her, not even from Calonus."

Renna's eyes were fixed on a spot over his shoulder. "I don't think it will come to that." She said, her smile widening.

He glanced behind him, then fully turned as Calonus and Aurelia emerged from the hut. The tribe crowded around them, but Kailen forced himself through, his eyes fixed on Aurelia the whole time.

She stood beside Calonus, his hand on her shoulder. Kailen catalogued the bruising and blood at her temple, the way she delicately held herself around the stomach as if it hurt to stand straight. Kailen's own stomach twisted at her pain. It had been a lesson in fear when he had rode into the village and heard the commotion by the river and realised that Aurelia had been in the thick of it.

Renna gripped his arm. "Kailen, look! At her throat!"

At Aurelia's throat was a torque of burnished brass, fashioned in a twist. It was unmistakable, a symbol of the tribe.

"She's one of us." Renna smiled hugely, clapping her hands.

"She always was." Kailen said and went to her to stand by her side. Always.

~