The Wrath of Boudicca by K M Ashman

Author:K M Ashman
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Silverback Books
Published: 2013-05-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

The Lands of the Iceni

Rianna struck her sword over and over again against the trunk of a tree. Her wounds were tightly bound and she felt confident the freshly healed skin would hold when it came to conflict. They had been encamped in the forest for over a week and each day brought another level of strength to her sword arm. She knew that the day was rapidly approaching when her life may depend on her skill with blade.

Her training session was mid flow when a disturbance back amongst the Queen’s tents made her spin around in concern. People were running everywhere and raised voices added to the confusion. Rianna wiped the sweat from her brow and started to run toward the camp, afraid that they were under attack. As she approached she heard the voice of Boudicca raised above the rest, issuing commands to all those around her but though Rianna had heard her Queen like this many times before, this time there was something different about her voice. There was fear.

Rianna ran amongst the tents, trying to work out what was happening and within moments came across Boudicca talking to one of the clan’s scouts. As she approached, the scout wheeled his horse and rode away, closely followed by his ten men.

‘Boudicca,’ called Rianna as she approached. ‘What’s happening? Are we under attack?’

Boudicca turned and stared at Rianna for a moment before answering.

‘Attack? No, nothing like that,’ she said ‘It’s Lannosea.’

‘What about her?’

‘She’s gone,’ said Boudicca. ‘Nobody has seen her since last night.’

----

Lannosea stumbled through the depths of the forest. He legs were lacerated from the thorn bushes and her hair fell in a tangle of untended knots about her face. Despite her exhaustion, she knew she had to find water and if possible something to eat. She had been walking for two days without any food or water, except that which she sucked from the occasional muddy puddle she found amongst the forest debris. At night she sought shelter from the beasts amongst the higher branches of the trees.

It wasn’t supposed to have been like this. Her sister seemed to be handling the memory of the abuse well but Lannosea couldn’t get it out of her mind. Every minute of every day since the assault, she had thought of nothing else. The pain, the shame and the overwhelming stink of the soldier’s breath on her face as they tore into her body, was relived in her mind over and over again. By night her nightmares were replays of the assault while by day she searched her memory to see if she could have done something different to avoid it happening. Her head felt as if there was a beast within trying to escape and despite the care of the Shamen and indeed her mother, Lannosea finally could take no more and had ran from the camp to seek solace.

She hadn’t meant to go far, just to find a secluded spot amongst the trees, away from the

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