Boudicca, page 18
“It seems some childhood habits are easy to fall back into,” I said with a grin as I stretched and groaned at the soreness in my muscles.
She yawned and brushed her hair back from her face. “I assume you didn’t mean for me to move into your bedchamber when you asked if I would make the lodge my home.”
I shrugged and sat up, groaning again. “I thought that you might choose one of the girls’ rooms as they seem to have taken up permanent residence together in Mother’s chamber, but if the past can predict the future, this will not be the last time we talk ourselves to sleep.”
Phaedra peeked her head through the thick blanket that served as door to my chamber.
“Oh, good. There you are, Phaedra. Have one of Wulffaed’s daughters send for my lead warriors. They can break their fast with me as we discuss the business of the day.”
Phaedra bowed and left, and I realized that she’d not spent the night on her usual pallet at the end of my bed, where she’d slept since the day Prasutagus died.
“I must be healing,” I said more to myself than Rhan, but the seer responded with a soft laugh.
“You are, and that is obvious, but I do not believe Phaedra slept outside your chamber last night because of that.”
Before I could say anything more, Phaedra returned and began going through my wardrobe, readying my clothes.
“Phaedra, I will be drilling with the warriors daily, so I’ll need my riding leathers.” I paused and considered how filthy my clothes and I had been by the end of practice yesterday and added, “I believe I will need more leathers.”
Phaedra nodded. “Yes, my queen. I thought as much and already spoke to the Mother of Twenty. You shall have more suitable clothes soon.”
“Well done, Phaedra.” I turned to Rhan. “From today on I would like you to break your fast with me as well.”
Rhan bowed her head slightly. “As you ask, so will I do, Queen Boudicca,” she said formally. “I shall retrieve my own things, choose one of the bedchambers not currently in use, and then join you—if that is agreeable.”
“Of course. And thank you, Iceni seer,” I added just as formally.
Our eyes met just before she left the chamber and we shared a secret grin that harkened back to our girlhood. Rhan made me feel young and filled with energy, even though my sore muscles were reminding me I was no longer a girl.
By the time I was dressed and entered the lodge’s great room, Cadoc, Maldwyn, and Abertha had arrived. I could hear the voices of my daughters coming from the rear of the lodge, and as Wulffaed placed bannock, cheese, and thick slices of ham on the main table for us, she told me, “My queen, your daughters have already broken their fasts and are feeding the pups. Again. Seems they must eat often enough that your girls got very little sleep last night.”
“It is good for them to be busy. As our horse master said yesterday, helping the pups to heal will also help them recover.” I smiled at Maldwyn, who sat up a little straighter, though his cheeks did flush. I was beginning to understand that he would rather keep to the background, though his sharp gaze missed little. “Maldwyn, I will drill with the chariot as well as the sword and bow every morning until midday.”
“You are a quick study, my queen. You shall be ready to lead us into battle,” said the horse master.
Cadoc grunted and spoke around a mouthful of pork. “How long do we have before the warriors should be ready to bring vengeance to Camulodunum and the Roman scum trespassing there?”
“We must attack before harvest. That is when Decianus said he will return to steal from us—what Rome calls taxes.” Rhan joined us then and sat at the place I’d left open beside me. I turned to the seer. “As harvest approaches we will ask Andraste to send sign to show us when the time is favorable to strike.” I looked to Cadoc. “But all of our plans will fail if we do not have enough warriors.”
The old shield snorted. “We will have enough warriors, my queen.”
Abertha nodded. “It has only been but days and already our numbers swell to over twenty thousand.”
I felt a thrill chase down my spine at her words. “Twenty thousand! All Iceni?”
“All Iceni,” said Cadoc. “And more join every day. I estimate if only the Iceni answer your call we will have nearly one hundred thousand warriors by harvest.”
“We cannot possibly keep that number hidden here,” I said.
“No, we cannot,” agreed Cadoc. “And without Iceni warriors to work the fields, the crops will not be harvested. We know that must be done early this year to sustain us for the winter.”
“I have thought on this,” said Abertha. “My queen, what say you about sending the warriors home after they have been fully armed?”
“And trained,” added Maldwyn.
I considered as I chewed a bite of bannock. “It is wise. Cadoc, you, Abertha, and Maldwyn will judge their readiness. When you believe a group of warriors is prepared, they should return to their villages until they are called for in the fall.”
“May I speak, my queen?” asked Rhan.
“Freely,” I told her.
“Perhaps one warrior chosen from each group should remain in Tasceni. Then when it is time to take our vengeance to the Romans, those warriors will return to their villages to recall their people to us, ready for battle.”
“Yes. That idea has merit. This”—I swept my hand before me, taking in each of my advisors—“is how I shall begin each day. Cadoc, I will need updates on our numbers. Abertha, you will advise me on our armament and food stocks. Maldwyn, you are in charge of my training. Rhan, keep me advised of Andraste’s signs and omens.” I looked from one to another as I continued. “Always speak truth to me. There must be no dissent among us if we are to gain victory against Rome. You see”—I leaned forward—“Rome believes we are so barbaric, so ignorant, that we cannot unite and become the single-minded, living weapon we must be to defeat them.”
“Rome is wrong,” said Cadoc.
“Aye,” said Abertha.
“They do not know us,” added Maldwyn.
“They believe our passion and pride are weaknesses,” said Rhan.
“They are not,” I said firmly. “And that is a lesson I look forward to teaching Catus Decianus in exchange for the failed one he attempted to teach me.”
My warriors pounded the table with their fists in agreement.
* * *
That day a pattern was set that we followed like a wagon wheel in a grooved path. My warriors, my seer, and I met every morning just after dawn. As more and more Iceni flooded into the village, my lead warriors set up a training and armament system where each group of new volunteers was evaluated, drilled, and armed. When Cadoc, Abertha, and Maldwyn were in agreement that the group was ready, they were sent back to their village after choosing one warrior to remain in Tasceni—a warrior they would watch for when the call came to return.
I drilled with Maldwyn on the open field, surrounded by my people. The sounds of warriors training beside me became music for my spirit and I realized quite soon that though my anger simmered and waited to boil, I was also content, even happy. Tasceni was filled with faith—in me, in our righteous cause, and in our goddess. We were of a single mind, and within that mind the word victory echoed over and over.
* * *
“Good morn! Training today will be interesting, my queen.” Cadoc had a glint in his eyes that bespoke mischief as he broke his fast.
It was the tenth morning since we’d begun my daily training ritual, and over a steaming mug of morning herbs, Maldwyn had just informed me that this was the day I finally graduated from battling unmoving straw targets to real warriors. I glanced from my horse master to Cadoc, and then from Abertha to Rhan. I looked forward to our dawn meal, where I began each day learning how the pulse of the Iceni beat. We’d grown accustomed to one another. I knew them so much better already. Cadoc loved to jest and his bawdy sense of humor often had me laughing during drills. Abertha’s wits were incredibly sharp. When there was a problem on the training field, it was to her I looked for the solution. Maldwyn was quiet and rather shy, but he observed everything and seemed to remember even the slightest detail from the training field. We’d become so at ease in one another’s company that they were comfortable jesting with me—and at that moment the four of them were grinning at me as if I had just missed one of their jests.
“What?” My gaze returned to the old shield. “Do you not think I’m ready to take on warriors instead of straw men?”
“Oh, that is not it at all,” said Cadoc quickly, a grin still lifting his lips.
When he didn’t elaborate, I looked to Maldwyn, who moved his shoulders restlessly. “There was a downpour last night.”
I frowned at him. “Yes. What does that have to do with our training today? The rain ended before dawn. The sky is clear.”
Cadoc chuckled as Maldwyn answered me. “The sky is clear, but the field will be soaked and slick.”
“It has been unusually dry lately,” said Abertha after she’d swallowed a hunk of cheese. “You haven’t trained in the rain.”
“Or in its aftermath,” added Cadoc.
My gaze found Rhan, who was trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile. “Should I be worried?”
“Absolutely,” Rhan said as my lead warriors snorted laughter.
“Mama?” Ceri asked.
I turned as my daughters approached the table with Briallen shadowing them. Their wolf pups were growing remarkably fast and were fat and gregarious. They trotted after the girls, waddling like toddlers.
“Yes, little dove?”
Ceri lifted her chin, suddenly reminding me very much of my mother. “We would like to train with you.”
Surprise had me looking from her to Enfys, who nodded firmly. “Yes, Mama. We must fight, and fight well.”
Enfys was right. All Iceni drilled with practice weapons from the time they were very young. Those who showed talent for the sword or spear, bow or horse and chariot, continued their training and became warriors. My daughters, as the children of a tribal chief, had practiced with wooden swords, were proficient with the bow—even little Ceri—and, of course, they rode well. But they needed more. It wouldn’t have saved them from what the Romans did to them, but perhaps it could in the future. One well-aimed sword or spear thrust, especially from someone Roman soldiers would not consider a threat, could be the difference between survival and death, even on the periphery of a battle.
“Briallen and Abertha, I give you the charge of training my daughters for war,” I said formally.
The two warrior women bowed.
“And Cadoc,” Ceri said quickly.
“Cadoc?” Instead of looking at Ceri, my gaze focused on Enfys.
My eldest child nodded somberly. “Yes, Mama. If we can come even close to besting the shield, we will be safe.”
Before I could respond, Cadoc stood and walked slowly to stand before the girls. Then he knelt on one knee and looked from Ceri to Enfys as he said, “It would be my honor to train the royal daughters.”
“Thank you, Shield.” Enfys sounded decades older than the thirteen namedays she’d known.
“Yes. Thank you, Cadoc.” Ceri attempted to sound likewise older than her years, but she was unable to hide her dimpled, little-girl smile.
I had to swallow several times before I could speak. “Cadoc will also drill with my daughters.” When the old shield stood, I met his gaze and bowed my head to him in gratitude. As he walked past me, fatherlike, he patted my shoulder.
Chapter XX
My lead warriors and seer had been right. I’d had reason to worry about the rain-soaked practice field. Before that day I’d been confident that I’d found my battle balance, but just watching the other chariot teams careening through mud told me today would not be the same as those before.
The horse master took position in the cart. I’d already filled the basket with spears, and as I had the days before, I hefted one and the bronze-covered shield my lead warriors had decided would best protect me as I climbed up beside Maldwyn.
“Take some deep breaths.” He spoke low so that the warriors closest to us could not overhear. “It is good to be nervous. You will be nervous every time you go into battle,” said Maldwyn. “To feel otherwise would be foolish.”
“So this is good practice.”
“Yes. Remember, your body has found its rhythm. Your balance is good. Your arm is strong and true.”
I wiped my sweaty spear hand on my leathers. I was going to give Maldwyn the order to charge when I realized that Cadoc and Abertha were two of the warriors in the chariots opposing me. “Cadoc? Abertha?” I whispered incredulously.
Maldwyn smiled up at me from where he knelt, reins in his gloved hands. “They honor you, Queen Boudicca.”
“A little less honoring would be good,” I muttered.
Maldwyn laughed. “Let us teach them a lesson about the strong, sure arm of their queen.”
I had just opened my mouth to reply when I heard a loud kraa-kraa kraa-kraa and looked up to see an enormous raven soar over our chariot. It circled the field three times as the Iceni watched it and called out welcome to blessed Andraste before it landed in Grandmother Oak.
Confidence filled me and I lifted my spear. “Forward!” I told Maldwyn, and shrieked the Iceni battle cry as the chariot surged onto the field.
Hitting a moving warrior was much more difficult than hitting a straw target. I’d spent the past ten days becoming more and more accurate spearing straw targets, so muscle memory said I should be able to at least hit the shield of one of the warriors thundering past me.
On the first run I received a valuable lesson in the art of evading spears from moving chariots. Not that I evaded every spear—Cadoc in particular bellowed a laugh when his spear thumped my shield so hard that I was almost knocked from the cart.
There was mud everywhere. It flew up from our horses’ hooves and sprayed us from the wheels of the opposing chariots. My shield kept me from being blinded by it, but it stung my face and arms, mixed with my sweat, and caked my hair.
We reached the opposite side of the field and Osberth, the boy who had been restocking my spears since the first day, rushed out to fill the basket and hand me another weapon. Maldwyn guided the team around and we hastily wiped muck from our faces. The stallions pranced in place, their hooves squishing in the soggy field as they waited impatiently for Maldwyn to command them forward.
I readied myself and caught sight of my daughters just off the edge of the field. They held short wooden swords and were sparring with Briallen. Both were focused only on the leader of my Queen’s Guard as she demonstrated parries and thrusts. Though the field was crowded as men and women of the Iceni drilled, my girls had eyes only for Briallen. Ceri was so small that her sword appeared huge. Enfys’s face was the color of pale milk, but her eyes watched only Briallen and her sister, whom she fought beside.
Ashlynn and Ravenna stood not far from the girls. They held Sunne and Mona. The pups’ gazes never left my daughters. When the wolves are grown they will fight beside Enfys and Ceri. The thought filled my mind and I knew it as the gift it was from Andraste.
I will be Victory for them. My gaze swept the field, taking in the hundreds, thousands, of Iceni who crowded in and around it. For all of them.
I shrieked our war cry again and the chariot shot forward. This run my spear glanced off Abertha’s shield and a cheer went up from the warriors who had paused their own drills to watch. I almost struck the shield of the next warrior in line, too, but our chariot hit a patch of particularly slick mud and standing water and slid to the side, causing me to overthrow.
This time when Cadoc’s spear thumped my shield I did not lose my balance and saw the old warrior’s eyes widen before he nodded his approval.
“Again!” I shouted.
On and on we drilled. I was used to the effort. Every evening my body was less stiff and sore. Every morning I moved with more grace and strength; I needed both that day.
As we rearmed before the sixth run, Maldwyn said, “Cadoc is leaning away from you and dropping his shield after he throws his spear. Anticipate that lean. Instead of hurling your spear at him this time, change your grip and strike him with it as we pass.”
“With the tip?” I didn’t think I could get past Cadoc’s guard, but if I did, surely I could harm the old shield.
“No, flip your spear and strike him with the blunt end as if you were a girl again practicing with a wooden weapon.”
I grinned. “I will never let him forget it if I do hit him.”
Maldwyn laughed. “It would be a fine thing to witness.”
The last chariot that charged against me held Cadoc. I was so focused on him that my showing against the other five chariots was weak. And then the old shield was racing toward us. I quickly changed my grip on the spear so that I could strike with the blunt end of it. As we neared one another Cadoc hurled his spear at me. It glanced off my shield, and then he did exactly as Maldwyn had said he would—Cadoc dropped his shield and leaned to the side.
With a movement I will forever take pride in, I shifted my stance and smacked the back of the old shield’s shoulder with the blunted wooden end so hard that it made a slapping sound that carried above the pounding of our horses’ hooves. The watching warriors cheered and I grinned.
But my pride was short-lived. As I tried to shift my weight back and regain my balance after the unconventional thrust, the chariot skidded awkwardly to the side and I was airborne.
Maldwyn had drilled me over and over on how to fall from a chariot, and I tucked my shoulder. Something sharp hit my forehead as I rolled across the muddy field. I’d lost my shield, but my spear was still in my hand as I came out of the roll sitting in the middle of a shallow, sticky puddle. My heart pounded in my ears and adrenaline rushed through my body. I could see Maldwyn struggling to keep the chariot upright as he wheeled the horses around to come back to me, but Cadoc was faster. He abandoned his chariot, and with a speed that belied his size and age, the shield sprinted to me, face white and grim.
