Page 28 of Queen of the Hollow Hills (Eagles and Crows #3)

CHAPTER 27

R ather than returning to my bedchamber, I went to my workroom, unlocking the small chest on my desk. I began looking through all the dispatches I had received from my eyes to the south.

There was nothing from Gaul aside from trade. But that trade was amping up to levels unseen in the past. Even at Mydils, Roman traders came and went. In fact, Lady Flora had sent me a gift of a blown glass songbird, a Roman creation, which sat on my desk. In my kitchens, a whole collection of glass wine goblets had been sent from Venu and Alys as gifts from Roman traders who’d come to their port. Fabius had happily helped me stock my cellars with Roman wine, in which he imbibed whenever possible.

And then there was the lighthouse.

A massive lighthouse had been erected at the major Roman port in Gaul. The Romans were planning. And while Corva had warned me for weeks that my crows in Gaul were too quiet, I had ignored her. I hadn’t wanted to think of Rome. The cost had been too much last time. But now…

Leaving aside my hunt for Romans, I sat back in my seat and considered my last message from Brennan. He and Aedan had been struggling with Parisii Chieftain Remick, brother of the deceased Chieftain Baglan. So far, the Parisii chieftain had merely been an annoyance, felling timber on Brigantes lands and lying about it, over-taxing Brigantes traders passing through his lands, and hunting on lands no longer his. But just this week, I had received word from Aedan that the chieftain had stolen cattle from a former Parisii man who had shifted his allegiance to the Brigantes. When the man confronted Remick, a fight ensued, leaving the Brigantes man dead.

I had shown Remick too much patience.

It was time to curb his boldness.

Pulling out a piece of parchment, I readied a note to King Ruith, outlining my complaints and demanding that he put a stop to it.

But then, I paused.

Sitting back in my seat, I stared at the note as I considered.

By the time I had decided, the wind had stopped blowing, and the sun had risen once more. I rose and tossed the note into the fire. I then made my way back outside. In the central courtyard, I saw that Conall, some of the guards, and other workers had come to assess the damage to the wall.

“Queen Cartimandua,” Conall said. “We are down one tree and a section of wall.”

“Have the men cut the tree for firewood and assign workers to mend the wall at once. Employ men from the village if you must.”

Conall raised an eyebrow but inclined his head. “My queen.”

“There will be damage in the village. I heard something crash. If the people have damaged property, organize workers to look into the repairs.”

“Yes, Queen Cartimandua.”

“Send riders. We must check the outer walls as well. Any repairs should be made immediately.”

Conall studied my face. “Cartimandua?”

My gaze on the broken edifice, I added, “And send a rider to recall the king consort. Say only that Queen Cartimandua requests his return.”

Conall stared at me for a long moment, then said, “Many say they heard the caoineag in the wind. From grooms to kitchen maids to guards, they all speak of it.”

“Did you hear the caoineag?” I asked.

Conall shifted. “I did.”

“As did I. She was not the only one awake and whispering last night. A gray time is upon us again, my friend. Send a rider to Aedan. Tell him I will ride to Isurium Brigantum first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Are we riding with men, my queen?”

“A guard,” I said, then paused. “Conall, when you go to the village to inspect the damage, stop at the tavern and order three ales.”

Conall eyed me carefully. It was not my first time sending the man on such a task. Those who watched in the shadows knew the sign. The queen was summoning her eyes. “Very well,” Conall replied.

“And get the walls fixed.”

“I understand, my queen.”

With that, I turned and made my way back inside, finding Kamden just inside the door.

“Ah, I was coming to find you,” I told him.

“Queen Cartimandua?”

“Send a messenger into the village. Check on Greer and Heather. If they sustained any damage from the storm, see that it’s made right. They are always welcome here if they need to come to the fort.”

“Very well, my queen.”

“And have the messenger stop by the cloth vendor at the market. Inquire if there is any purple cloth to be had.”

“There never is, my queen.”

I smiled softly at Kamden, who did not truly understand the meaning of the question I was posing of the vendor—whose true job was to convey news from Gaul. “No. But you never know when your luck might change. Any word of Priestess Corva?”

“No, my queen.”

I frowned. “I will ride for Isurium Brigantum in the morning. If the king consort or Corva return, please let them know.”

“Very well,” he replied, then hurried off.

Yawning, Fabius joined me. He looked outside, wincing in the early morning sunlight. “What was that storm? I couldn’t sleep. Such a strange wind. Finally, I got up and went to get a flagon of Roman wine. I figured you wouldn’t mind. After a cup or two, I was visited by Lord Somnus and slept the rest of the night,” he said, then stretched. “You look full of fire this morning. What are you doing?”

“Repairing walls.”

“Expecting an invasion?” he asked with a laugh, but when he saw the expression on my face, he paused. “Queen Cartimandua?”

“Get dressed,” I told him. “You can ride with me to Isurium Brigantum.”

“Oh, really?” he asked, wincing. “That’s so far. And on horseback,” he added with a frown. “Why?”

I smirked at him in reply, then passed him by.

“Queen Cartimandua? Cartimandua?”

As I prepared to ride to Isurium Brigantum, I tried to think through every step that would follow next. I could see the tumbling of pins that could, if I was not careful, lead me to a war with the Parisii once more. But there were other things I also knew to be true.

King Ruith’s son was dead, and I had defeated his chosen heir, Alistair. His only remaining child, Alys, was married to one of my chieftains. Ruith had much to lose in tangling with me. Something told me he wouldn’t be interested in starting another war with the Brigantes, particularly when the Catuvellauni looked for any signs of weakness in the other tribes. If I plotted my next steps carefully, I could avoid war and maintain an upper hand over Ruith.

But it was not just the fire to my south that I had to worry about.

The little people warned of more: three wars.

The Parisii chieftain whose time had come was the most obvious. What about the rest?

It was late in the night when the first of the men Conall’s three ales had summoned began to arrive.

A man I knew only as Tree, the spy who listened and watched my northern borders, was the first to come. Corva usually took the messages on my behalf, but she still had not returned. So, it was Conall who led the man into the fort, the pair of us meeting in an unused storage room at the back of the fort where the others rarely trod.

He arrived carrying a case of jugs, which he left with the other crates in the room.

“Queen Cartimandua,” he said, bowing to me. “I am glad to see you well.”

“And you, Tree. What news from Carvetti lands?”

“Aside from a moping and unhappy Parisii princess and grumbling Carvetti lords, it is quiet.”

“How much grumbling?”

“Like old men reminiscing the wars of their youth. Chieftain Venutiux has proven loyal, my queen. The Carvetti chieftain has made it very clear that they live in a new reality. No word is spoken against your majesty in the halls of Luguvalium that is not met with forceful condemnation.”

“And outside Venutiux’s ears?”

“Grumbling, but no plotting.”

“What about plotting against Venutiux? Is there any move to remove him?”

“No, my queen. The man has a way with the people. He has done much to improve their lives. Of course, his father ignored all signs of famine and poverty, so the people would appreciate any move. But Venutiux has worked hard to better things for the Carvetti, so they are loyal to him—no matter how much his retainers grumble about how things used to be. The chieftain always credits your majesty for making the betterment of their lives possible—much to his wife’s annoyance.”

“And Princess Alys… what news of her?”

“Miserable creature. Waspish to her servants. Hates her husband and curses him to her maid whenever she has a chance.”

“Then there is no heir for the Carvetti?”

“No. The princess and the chieftain keep separate bedchambers, and…” He paused a moment.

“And?”

“Excuse me for saying it, but the lady prefers her groomsman to her husband.”

“I see,” I said, frowning. Aye, Venutiux. I am sorry for you.

“And news from further north? The Caledonians? My other northern neighbors?”

“Queen Moirin has her tribe under control after a time of hardship. And for once, the Caledonian lords are quiet and in agreement with one another.”

“And the Dardani?”

“King Eddin brought Lady Amma to Barrow. They will marry on Beltane. The king and lady get along well, and the people like her. The Dardani work hard to recuperate their fields and orchards. King Eddin has developed a trade agreement with the kings of éire.”

“Very good. Thank you, Tree,” I told him, gesturing to Conall to hand the man a small bag of silver.

“I will ride north again soon, my queen. But I sense there is aught afoot here.”

“There are forces at work I do not see, so keep our eyes in the north watching everywhere. If there is any sign of something wrong, even something small, we need to hear it.”

“My queen.” The man bowed to me, picked up an empty crate, then departed.

After he left, I exhaled deeply.

“What is it, Cartimandua?” Conall asked.

“I am warned of troubles I cannot see, cannot find. Has Bors come?” I asked, referring to the man who saw to my eyes in the west.

“No, my queen. And I have not seen him these many weeks.”

“And Corva as well. And nothing from the south aside from the accursed Parisii.”

“It is early spring. Men, like the sap in trees, are slow to move. Perhaps what you are warned of has not yet taken shape.”

My chest grew tight, and a pounding in my temples took hold. “Maybe.”

“It grows late, my queen. You have been in your workroom all day. You ride in the morning. Sleep, Cartimandua. I will wake you if there is any news.”

“Very well. Thank you, Conall,” I said, then left the room.

To my north, all was quiet, and Eddin was about to be happily married.

Everything in my head told me to feel happy for him. But my heart, like the sap in trees, was slow to move. I was pleased for him. It was just…

I shook my head.

He is happy. What more can I want?

I was about to go upstairs when Kamden called my name. “Queen Cartimandua?”

“Kamden?”

“My queen. Good news.”

“Good news?”

“The trader in the village said they had word of a cloth vendor with purple fabric in Gaul. As much as you want. They will be sure to send word when they hear more.”

I felt the blood drain from my cheeks.

“Thank you, Kamden.”

“My queen,” he said, then went on his way.

I reached out and set my hand on the stone wall to steady myself. Again? Was it possible? Was all this trade and development of Roman power in Gaul something more? Something bigger? Of course the southern tribes would not see it. Caratacus and Togodumnus had everyone distracted.

Corva, where are you?

I inhaled a long, slow breath.

The last time Rome had come, it had cost me my daughters’ lives to stop them. No one knew of that sacrifice but those closest to me. It didn’t matter how many times people told me that it was a coincidence, that children die sometimes, I knew differently. The girls I had saved from sacrifice had cost me my daughters.

If Rome was marching north, I would handle it differently. This time, I would wait and see. I would listen and think. This time, I would not be the one to bleed to protect this island.

But I would protect the Brigantes.

May the mountains themselves be with me.