02 Britannia World's End by Derek Birks

02 Britannia World's End by Derek Birks

Author:Derek Birks [Birks, Derek]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Published: 2020-07-08T00:00:00+00:00


20

Somewhere in this Roman temple of savagery, thought Ulf, was his wife, Wynflaed—and a braver, truer woman did not live. To free her, he would gladly give his life, but thus far his search was in vain for every door appeared barricaded against them. So, the fire of his anger against the Britons was slowly beginning to consume him. He cursed Ambrosius too—his supposed ally, who was lost somewhere in the heart of the wretched villa. Even the gods were not exempt from his wrath, for he had called upon them for help. Roaring at the heavens, he challenged them to give him a response, but there was no sign—no seam of light to give him hope, no blast of thunder to dash apart his enemies. Nothing; so, in the end, cowed by defeat, he was obliged to seek shelter from wind and rain in the lee of villa building. To think that she could be less than fifty yards from him now—and yet he must return to the gate empty-handed.

Glancing across there, he could see that Varta and Germanus were still there with the women—and Vortimer. The freed slaves were pouring out of the gate and disappearing up the slope towards the tree-lined ridge—not that Ulf could see the trees for the rain obscured all and showed no sign of easing.

“Come,” he told Benni and Xallas, “we may as well go back.”

Skirting the cultivated land between them and the gate which had become a virtual bog, they trudged, disconsolate along the east side of the villa. It offered at least some small relief from the south west gale.

“Keep your eyes on the villa doors,” ordered Ulf. “There are more Britons in here somewhere—and some of our friends, remember.”

As they turned away from the building to make for the gate, he was reassured that at least it was still in the hands of the bucellarii. Only when a sudden banging started against a nearby door and the timber wall adjacent to it, did Ulf notice that there were lengths of timber and stacked against the door. Why the folk of the villa had blocked a doorway in storing their materials, he had no idea, but the constant banging made him hesitate. Surely those hammering on the door could not be Britons, for they would know that the door was blocked. And, if it was not the Britons then…

“Ambrosius!” he bellowed. “Is that you in there?”

Abruptly, the banging on the door stopped and a muffled voice cried: “Get us out of here.”

At once Ulf, Xallas and Benni began to hurl aside shafts of timber until the doorway was partially cleared. Next moment, the whole door splintered and Onno burst through it like a ballista bolt, only to tumble head over heels into the soft ground beyond. Following close behind the Egyptian, came Ambrosius and then, to Ulf’s immense relief, he saw Wynflaed—who, to his surprise, had acquired a child since last he saw her.

The immediate joy at their reunion, however, was overwhelmed by a thunderous roar from the gate.



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