The Battle of Watling Street by Margaret McGoverne

Author:Margaret McGoverne [McGoverne, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bright Shine Press
Published: 2017-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

Part V

The meeting was over, their course of action unresolved. All necks craned upwards, following the finger of the lad who had first spotted the display overhead. The sky, darking now to west as well as east, was filled with glowing streaks, stars they would be but for the tails that streaked from them, that all pointed back to the same point over the westward hills. The static daylight stars that had accompanied the Iceni throughout their rebellion were replaced by an uncanny moving luminescence. A noise like a roasting haunch of meat, spitting and sizzling, fell from the sky onto the ears of many.

The quick succession of events left many of the villagers stupefied, watching with gaping mouths, but Dias held his arms up for calm, shouting to be heard above the groans of fear and the lamentations of the womenfolk.

“Fear not! We have seen such things before, at the turn of autumn such travelling lights in the sky often come; they will not harm us!”

“Not now, not this time of year! The Romans! The Romans are coming! They have foretold the Roman shields and spears that will slay us. Flee!”

“Hear me!” persisted Dias, joined now by some of the stouter hearts of the village. “Collect your horses; bring them in from the fields and enclose them, have no fear!”

Urging the men closest to him to set a good example, Dias galvanised the frightened crowd; some did as he bade and made for the meadows; most of the remaining women fled to their homes. The Queen and her band remained, uncertain how to react to this turn of events. Dedo noticed that one or two of the queen’s own bodyguard had slid to the back of the crowd. The Iceni band trembled on the brink of mutiny and desertion. Dedo tried but failed to catch the eye of Cata; she hovered to one side of the queen, perturbed and doubtful. Her face was a neutral mask, but her misery was clear to read. Failing to make himself seen, he sidled around the burliest of the bystanders and slipped in behind Cata. He held his finger to his lips when she turned to see who he was.

The queen seemed to wake from a pleasant reverie and gazed around at those who remained; her moods were fey and dangerous; who knew what her uncanny smile now meant? Addressing the Iceni, she turned her back pointedly on Dias and the Puddlehill villagers who lingered, torn between the drama in the sky and that taking place in front of them.

“This”, she declaimed, pointing at the light show above her, “is an omen! We saw the same at Camulodunum, at Londinium, and there we were victorious! The gods have sent us this sign; we must make offerings to them, both local and afar, and judge aright the meaning of this portent.”

“We lost the battle, we are defeated. It is impious to defy the gods!” The shouted defiance came from among her own guards, and Boudicca stared, mouth agape as if she had been struck.

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