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Authors: Gavin G. Smith
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you,’ Tangwen said after a while. Her voice had softened. Her words reminded Britha of another moment of weakness, of Tangwen telling her that she would help Britha on her impossible task: to steal back her never-seen daughter from the Otherworld. Britha wanted to release the young warrior from her oath. She wanted to destroy the false hope of ever seeing her daughter again. Instead she said nothing.
‘Let us go and find Anharad then,’ Tangwen said. She started to climb down off the outcrop. The air was filled with falling snow now.
Tangwen felt the looks, and thanks to having drunk from the Red Chalice, could actually hear the mutters as they made their way through the camp. The warriors who had not fought with them against Andraste’s spawn looked too clean and well fed to her jaded eyes. She heard the words they called Britha. She knew they thought Tangwen too young and weak to hold onto such power as the Red Chalice. She knew she would have to kill some soon. Or Britha would. The ban draoi was pretending that she couldn’t hear them describe her as their enemy’s whore, but as her pregnancy became more obvious Tangwen knew that one of them would be stupid enough to say something. She did not wish to kill any more of the people that stood with her. Britha had no such qualms. So far the newcomers had been kept in line by those who had fought with them against the spawn of Andraste, those who had seen Tangwen fight and had seen the magics of the chalice unlocked. She still didn’t like the feeling of all those eyes on her as they made their way through the camp.
They found Anharad close to the centre of camp. Bladud and the rest of the Brigante were conspicuous by their absence. A number of the new warriors were of the Trinovantes tribe and Anharad was well known to them. She was deep in conversation with the warrior who commanded their contingent. He looked young for the responsibility but the network of scars down one side of his otherwise handsome face, and the claw-like ruin of his left hand, told her he had seen battle.
Mabon was nowhere to be seen but Caithna, the young girl from Britha’s tribe, was sitting on a barrel just outside the skin-and-branch shelter Bladud had made for his wife-to-be. The snow was coming down steadily now and sticking to any surface that wasn’t being churned up by heavy boots. Tangwen smiled at Caithna and the girl looked terrified. Even though Tangwen had cared for the little girl, Caithna had also seen her kill to maintain discipline, to keep more people alive, because she had to. The girl was considerably less afraid of Britha, despite her position as a dryw , her bizarre appearance, and her black robes. Caithna stood up and ran to Britha, peeking out at Tangwen from behind the dryw . Absently, Britha stroked the girl’s hair. Tangwen caught the unhappy look on Anharad’s face at Caithna’s actions. It was quickly replaced with a look of distaste.
‘I am no more pleased at this than you are,’ Britha said.
‘Then why did you agree?’ Anharad snapped. The highborn Trinovantes woman had no love for Britha.
‘It seemed churlish to refuse,’ Britha said.
‘That didn’t stop Guidgen from doing so,’ Anharad pointed out. Tangwen could see by the set of Britha’s mouth that the dryw was getting angry. ‘There will be dryw with the rest of the Trinovantes …’
‘Well, perhaps if Bladud wasn’t so quick to marry—’ Britha started.
‘Both of you be quiet!’ Tangwen said. Britha turned on Tangwen, her face like thunder. ‘I’m sorry, but if we are to spend the night together among the trees …’ Britha’s expression softened a little. Tangwen could practically feel the discomfort coming off the Trinovantes warleader in waves. She turned on him. ‘And why are you still here?’ she demanded. ‘Have you a cunt between your legs as well? Do you wish to walk among the trees and sacrifice to the gods for a virile young warrior to fill
‘Let us go and find Anharad then,’ Tangwen said. She started to climb down off the outcrop. The air was filled with falling snow now.
Tangwen felt the looks, and thanks to having drunk from the Red Chalice, could actually hear the mutters as they made their way through the camp. The warriors who had not fought with them against Andraste’s spawn looked too clean and well fed to her jaded eyes. She heard the words they called Britha. She knew they thought Tangwen too young and weak to hold onto such power as the Red Chalice. She knew she would have to kill some soon. Or Britha would. The ban draoi was pretending that she couldn’t hear them describe her as their enemy’s whore, but as her pregnancy became more obvious Tangwen knew that one of them would be stupid enough to say something. She did not wish to kill any more of the people that stood with her. Britha had no such qualms. So far the newcomers had been kept in line by those who had fought with them against the spawn of Andraste, those who had seen Tangwen fight and had seen the magics of the chalice unlocked. She still didn’t like the feeling of all those eyes on her as they made their way through the camp.
They found Anharad close to the centre of camp. Bladud and the rest of the Brigante were conspicuous by their absence. A number of the new warriors were of the Trinovantes tribe and Anharad was well known to them. She was deep in conversation with the warrior who commanded their contingent. He looked young for the responsibility but the network of scars down one side of his otherwise handsome face, and the claw-like ruin of his left hand, told her he had seen battle.
Mabon was nowhere to be seen but Caithna, the young girl from Britha’s tribe, was sitting on a barrel just outside the skin-and-branch shelter Bladud had made for his wife-to-be. The snow was coming down steadily now and sticking to any surface that wasn’t being churned up by heavy boots. Tangwen smiled at Caithna and the girl looked terrified. Even though Tangwen had cared for the little girl, Caithna had also seen her kill to maintain discipline, to keep more people alive, because she had to. The girl was considerably less afraid of Britha, despite her position as a dryw , her bizarre appearance, and her black robes. Caithna stood up and ran to Britha, peeking out at Tangwen from behind the dryw . Absently, Britha stroked the girl’s hair. Tangwen caught the unhappy look on Anharad’s face at Caithna’s actions. It was quickly replaced with a look of distaste.
‘I am no more pleased at this than you are,’ Britha said.
‘Then why did you agree?’ Anharad snapped. The highborn Trinovantes woman had no love for Britha.
‘It seemed churlish to refuse,’ Britha said.
‘That didn’t stop Guidgen from doing so,’ Anharad pointed out. Tangwen could see by the set of Britha’s mouth that the dryw was getting angry. ‘There will be dryw with the rest of the Trinovantes …’
‘Well, perhaps if Bladud wasn’t so quick to marry—’ Britha started.
‘Both of you be quiet!’ Tangwen said. Britha turned on Tangwen, her face like thunder. ‘I’m sorry, but if we are to spend the night together among the trees …’ Britha’s expression softened a little. Tangwen could practically feel the discomfort coming off the Trinovantes warleader in waves. She turned on him. ‘And why are you still here?’ she demanded. ‘Have you a cunt between your legs as well? Do you wish to walk among the trees and sacrifice to the gods for a virile young warrior to fill
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