The Edge of the Empire by Kathy Lee

Author:Kathy Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SPCK
Published: 2016-09-07T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIII

TIME TO GO

I didn’t know what to say. My thoughts were all mixed up, like a river after cows have been trampling in it, stirring up clouds of mud.

Part of me wanted to shout: Yes! Of course I’ll join you. Death to all Romans! They deserve it for what they’ve done to us!

Another part of me was more cautious. I felt pleased that Conan wanted my help – but what could I do? I wasn’t a fighter like he was. At the time when he was being trained as a gladiator, I worked in a Roman kitchen. In my childhood I’d started learning how to use a sword and spear, but that was long ago.

And another voice spoke to me quietly: Wait a moment. Think about this. What would God want you to do?

‘Well?’ Conan said impatiently. ‘Are you with us or not?’

Enid’s eyes were shining. She said, ‘I’d go! If I was old enough, I’d go and fight!’ And I heard Mother moan with dismay.

‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘Give me some time to think about it. When are you leaving?’

‘After dark tonight. We don’t want the Romans to see us on the move.’

‘They already know there’s something going on,’ I said, and I told him what the soldiers had said about trouble brewing in the north.

‘So they know. It doesn’t matter,’ Conan said. ‘If we can gather all the tribes against them, we can easily defeat them. We’ll have far more men than they have.’

‘That’s what everyone said before the last great battle,’ I reminded him. ‘But the Romans still won.’

He stared at me. ‘I’m starting to wonder whose side you’re on. What are you – a Celt or a Roman?’

I didn’t have to answer that, because Don interrupted. ‘Take me with you,’ he begged Conan. ‘I can fight if you give me a sword. And I know the ways of my own tribe. I can help you on your journey.’

‘How old are you?’ Conan asked him.

‘Nearly thirteen.’

Conan looked him over, then nodded. ‘You can come. Aren’t you ashamed, Bryn? This kid has more courage than you have.’

‘It’s not that I’m scared,’ I said. (Not quite truthfully. I couldn’t forget that battle, when the Roman legion carved through our warriors like a knife slitting a fish.) ‘But what will happen to the harvest if we go off to war?’

‘We’ll get a much better harvest than this!’ said Conan. ‘We’ll harvest the Roman grain stores and take back everything they’ve stolen from us!’

Mother said bitterly, ‘That’s what the men said in the year of the rebellion. That’s why people starved the following winter. Don’t go, Bryn! We need you here!’

Unsure of what to do, I glanced from Mother to Conan. There was no way of pleasing them both. I looked to Tiro for help.

‘Did you understand what Conan said?’ I asked him.

‘Most of it. But, Bryn – you’re a follower of Jesus. He should come first with you, before your tribe or your family. What is he telling you to do?’

Conan didn’t like the fact that we were speaking in Latin.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.