Author's notes: You guys, this was such a pain in my butt to write. I have edited and re-drafted it time and time again asnd i am still not happy. Bored out of my mind, i'm just going to upload and be done with it.
Ugh.
Chapter Four
After what must have been only a few hours into their journey, Aurelia began to lag behind the soldiers. As a noble woman, she was unused to the physical exertion of walking such a distance and the pace of the legionaries set for them. Even the one crew member of the ship that was with them was fareing better than Aurelia.
Her sandals did not aid her plight either. She did not have the thick soles like the soldiers as women’s were for aesthetic purposes only. They slipped on the wet grass and each stone felt like a needle into the soft skin of her feet until they throbbed horribly with the wild beat of her heart.
She suffered in silence, lips pressed tightly together until they were pale with lack of blood, not wanting to put anymore strain on the men or become a burden to the group. But no matter how hard she tried, she was slowing them all down. Determination only went so far. The hunger and the punishing pace were taking its toll. Unable to take it any longer, she had to call out for a rest and the soldiers stopped grudgingly.
Aurelia sat in between two roots of the tree at her back, her legs stretched out before her to keep her feet elevated. They thanked her by increasing the throb to the point of agony.
From beneath her lashes, she watched the soldiers discuss the path ahead of them a little way from her spot. She couldn’t hear what they said to each other, but she didn’t miss the looks they flicked towards her every now and then. They looked disgruntled, even angry. She knew what thoughts were behind those looks. They resented her for slowing them down, for having to look after the interest of a woman they hardly knew or cared about. She may be the future wife of their commander, but she was still an unwelcome hindrance. A hinderance that could get them all killed.
Aurelia shivered, feeling totally alone. Would these men abandon her if it meant their own safety? Given a chance, would they cast her off to slow those who may be pursuing them?
The Prefect, Verenus, said something harshly to them, his eyes flashing in anger. The men stiffened at his words, looking down at the ground in difference, soundly chastised.
Verenus broke away from the group and came to her with a kind face. “Are you feeling well enough to carry on, my lady?”
She wanted to say no, she had no more energy to carry on, just ten more minutes of respite, but she didn’t dare. It would only aggravate the other soldiers more and maybe next time, the ire of their Prefect may not be enough to curb their mutinous mutterings.
Nodding tiredly, she took the hand he held out to her and helped her to her feet. Wrong move, her feet exploded in pain and nearly buckled her knees. She fought through it and nodded again. “I’m alright to carry on.”
He looked at her face intently, saw the pinched lines around her mouth and eyes but made no comment. Her resolve earned her his respect and he nodded. “Very well. We shall start again.”
And so went the rest of the day, Aurelia enduring it in a haze of pain and dizziness but through some miracle, she kept herself on her feet and putting one foot in front of the other.
But by nightfall, it would have all been in vain.
~
The war party had been steadily gaining on the Romans since day break, having the advantage of travelling by horses rather than by foot. As Britain was their homeland, they knew the areas to avoid and the shortcuts through the hills.
As the day was beginning to darken to late evening, the party stopped on the ridge of a hill only a short distance from the Romans. Kailen sent Vaughan out again to find out more information about them.
Vaughan did not take long. Within ten minutes he was back with some more information. “I counted six roman soldiers and a ill dressed man, probably one of the ship’s crew. They are armed only with swords and light armour.”
Kailen laughed. “There will be no shield wall for them to hide behind, even better.”
“There’s something else too. They have a woman with them.”
Kailen frowned. The Roman army didn’t have women in their ranks, something Kailen scorned. Women could be fiercer than men when push came to shove. So who was she? “A whore?” He questioned.
Vaughan shook his head, his blonde hair falling into his eyes. “I don’t think so. Her dress is too fine for a whore. Besides, whores may be tolerated in a follower’s camp by the soldiers, but they wouldn’t travel with one willingly.”
Kailen scratched his jaw thoughtfully, days old stubble rough against his fingers. “She could be someone of importance. Perhaps she’ll prove useful to us in the long run.”
He turned to the rest of his men who were impatient to meet the Romans head on. “I don’t want the woman they are travelling with harmed until we have the chance to talk to her, find out her purpose here. Am I understood?”
With a chorus of agreement, Kailen turned on their path. “Then let us give the Romans a British welcome.”
~
With the onset of nightfall, the Romans made a small camp under the protection of the trees by a little stream. It was the first free running water they had seen all day and they drank deeply from it, their thirst had weighed heavily throughout the march. It went a little way towards filling their empty bellies, but no real substitute for the nourishment they sorely needed.
“We shouldn’t be far from the fort now,” Verenus said to them all, trying to rally their waning spirits. “Maybe a morning’s march away-“
He was interrupted by the shushing of one of his soldiers. “Sir, listen. Did you hear something?”
They all paused, ears straining in the silence for any noise that was foreign to the forest. The men gripped the pommel of their swords, peering into the gloom of the night with trepidation.
A sudden whooping yell started them all and the soldiers drew their swords in one fluid motion.
“Form a ring around the Lady Aurelia!” Verenus ordered and they formed the ring with their backs to each other, Aurelia and the crew member in the middle. “Prepare yourselves.”
“What was that noise?” she asked softly.
Before anyone could answer her, men on horses came out of the trees, at least twenty of them, yelling chilling war cries and their swords were raised above their heads. The Romans tried to make a valiant stand, but it was futile against a mounted enemy. There would be no chance of success.
“Stand your ground!” Verenus shouted but no one listened. Everyone broke the circle and bolted in different directions. Aurelia didn’t wait long enough to hear Verenus’s curses, her only thought was escaping the British fury.
Aurelia had never felt terror like It, adrenaline gave her feet wings and all her aches and pains vanished in the wake of the horses. But her long dress encumbered her running and made her clumsy and almost fell.
The sound of thundering hoof beats drew near and she looked back to see the crew member running behind her and behind him she saw a warrior chasing them down. He was a terrifying sight, his cloak flew back behind him, his messy dark hair flying in the wind. His horse worked hard, foam around its mouth and great puffs of steam issuing from its nostrils, so that it looked like a beast from the Underworld.
The Warrior’s eyes were narrowed, but even in Aurelia’s state of terror, she could see they were an unusually light shade of blue and cold, so cold they looked like chips of ice. He was laughing, a blood lust upon him. His sword arm was held high, his blade was already slick with blood.
“Behind you!” She gasped to the crew member.
The crew member turned to see the warrior fast approach and he gave a high scream as the blade swung down in an arc, cutting him from shoulder to hip. The scream was cut short as he fell over and lay unmoving on the floor.
A deep laugh burst from the warrior and he flicked his sword. The blood on the blade flew in a glittering arc and Aurelia felt the hot drops spatter her face and neck. She felt sick with panic as his eyes landed on her and he sped his horse on. His mouth was pulled into a cruel smile and Aurelia was left little doubt as to what his intention was.
She spun back to the front and ran again from the pursuing warrior and the fate he would deal her.