Адриан Голдсуорти - The Encircling Sea

‘If the weapons are on the raft how do we kill the guards?’

She sniffed scornfully. ‘Daggers, but you know that blades are not really necessary, are they?’

‘It is too dangerous.’

‘You have seen me fight.’ The words were matter-of-fact, neither angry nor a boast. ‘Here, in the narrow entrance or inside the tower, strength and size matter more than anything else. In the open skill counts. And I have been on this island once before, many years ago. I know where we are going.’

‘You are a queen,’ he said. ‘It is too great a risk.’

‘I was a queen.’ Once again there was no emotion, no regret, just the clipped speech the Hibernians practised. ‘My husband is dead by now, or a nothing who might as well be dead. There is no reason to go back.’ She pulled at the top of her tunic, revealing much of her breasts and the scar between them. ‘This is the mark of the sisterhood. I spent three years on the island over yonder, learning to be a warrior. The mistress is as a mother to me, the women and girls there are my sisters, the lads my brothers. Cniva wanted to use me to make her submit to his rule. He and his men must all die.’ For the first time there was anger in her voice.

‘Revenge?’

‘He threatens my family, the only real family I have now. What would you do?’

Ferox stared at her and the queen met his gaze and held it. It would leave Longinus with one less sword, but she was right. Now that they were shut in, her speed and skill would count for a lot less. The veteran would probably not mind if she left.

‘We will go at midnight,’ he said.

THE RAFT WAS prepared in one of the ruined roundhouses beside the tower. They entered through a door off the main corridor, while one wall was low enough for them to lift everything out and make their way round the edge of the little island, but for the moment they prepared in the slight shelter provided by the stone walls and few remnants of the roof. Ferox wrapped the sack in rags and straw and then wound their clothes around it and placed the weapons on top in the hope of keeping it dry. With great reluctance, he decided against taking a mail shirt or two as well. Bran was wide-eyed as the queen lifted her tunic over her head and added it to the bundle of clothes. She stood there, completely naked like the rest of them, and started to rub soot onto her skin. Ferox smiled, thinking that with her long black hair she must fit the lad’s wildest dreams. Once they were in the water the soot would start to come off, but it might help them to sneak round to the back of the tower without being spotted.

‘You all ready?’ Vindex said. He had come to assist, or so he claimed, but made no effort to hide his scrutiny of the queen.

‘You’re a married man,’ Ferox told him.

‘Aye.’

A scream of sheer horror split the night air, rising over the drumming of the rain. Ferox pushed Vindex out of the way and ran. The door into the corridor was ajar and he burst through, knocking into one of the Batavians and slamming him against the wall. Ferox ran on, sprinting around the sharp bend, feet echoing on the stone. A man was yelling in surprise and anger, and then Sulpicia Lepidina was in front of him, screaming again and with blood on her dress. Fear and raw anger surged inside him. She pointed into the side room, and as he came closer he realised that the blood was not hers. In the little room Falx lay out in the floor. His throat was cut, the top of his tunic stained dark where it had flowed. Worse was the great gash across his belly, a new wound, and someone had dragged his entrails out of the hole and then bitten into them.

Sulpicia Lepidina stopped screaming and leaned back against the wall, panting as she struggled to breathe. Ferox ran past, turning again to reach the entrance. Probus was sitting with his back against the low wall, clutching at his thigh, which was pumping blood. Longinus knelt beside him, trying a strip of cloth tight above the wound. A Batavian was standing at the rampart, shouting angrily. ‘Little bastard’s got away!’ A shriller voice was calling something over and over again, but he could not catch the words.

Ferox came up beside the auxiliary, but could see nothing in the darkness. ‘Little shit Genialis has stabbed his own father,’ the auxiliary said. It was the man with the broken nose and for the first time he seemed genuinely shocked. ‘His own dad. Then ran off into the dark. It was so quick I let him go.’

‘He’ll be all right,’ Longinus said. ‘Leastways if you stop waving that in his face.’

Ferox had forgotten that he was naked. He crouched down to see the merchant better. In the dim light from the torch back in the corridor, Probus looked stunned.

‘He murdered Falx,’ Ferox said. ‘Then I think he ate some of his guts. I know what he’s done, but I don’t know why.’

‘Don’t reckon he thought we could win,’ Longinus suggested.

‘Cniva will give him power.’ Probus’ voice was barely more than a whisper.

‘He’s got wealth,’ the veteran said. ‘That brings a fair bit of power.’

Probus shook his head and then winced at a spasm of pain from his leg. Longinus finished adjusting the bandage. ‘I told him about going to Hibernia,’ The merchant explained. ‘Said he could come or that I’d try and make sure he kept some of the land if he wanted to stay in Britannia. I don’t think he listened.’

‘So he’s joining them.’

‘Maybe I told him too much about them.’ Probus’ voice was only just audible above the driving rain. ‘Cniva will let him kill, let him do what he likes. That’s more than I can offer.’

Longinus placed his hands on Ferox’s shoulders. ‘Listen. The boy will be over there telling them everything. If they didn’t know already, then he’ll tell them that Brocchus could be here any moment now. He probably will say that you are planning something as well, even if he does not know the details. You cannot keep secrets in a place as small as this. So either you go this minute or forget the whole thing and we wait here.’

‘We go.’

‘Then let’s hope the gods love a great fool.’ Longinus stood up, and stared out into the night. ‘You might make through in this, especially if he distracts them. Good luck.’ He offered his hand, and Ferox rose and took it.

He passed Vindex in the corridor. ‘You’ve got something on your face,’ the Brigantian said.

Ferox reached up and soot came away on his fingers. Sulpicia Lepidina laughed nervously, until she glanced down and took in his lack of clothing. She started to giggle and could not stop, fright turning into hysterical laughter. She tried to speak, but could not say anything and simply waved at him.

When he reached the others, he gave a quick explanation and chivvied them on. He and Brigita crept along behind the tower and lowered themselves into the water gently. It was cold, and deep in this spot, and as he pushed out he soon stopped feeling ground under his feet. With the reed in his mouth he ducked under the dark water and swam, the surface shimmering above only a little lighter than the gloom of the water.

It took longer than he expected, and then suddenly the ground was shelving and when his feet kicked out they brushed against pebbles. He surfaced, spitting out the reed, and as the water cleared from his eyes he could see the bank only a few paces away. There was no sign of a sentry. He waded slowly towards the shore, all the while scanning the darkness. A leather belt, tightened to make it short, was over one shoulder, and he looped it free, drawing the pugio from its sheath. A vague white-ish shape slithered onto the bank beside him and he realised that the queen was already there. She tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the right. He nodded. The rain was hard, stinging his skin until he felt almost numb, and making him blink all the time so that he could see.