old stuff Chapter four - Return

Chapter IV - “Return”

“A hospitable person will not fail for friends.
When one returns from a long journey, kindness must be shown.”
--Mardus of Macedonia

Alexenah beat the cold ground with her fist. “Save my children, Oh Lord! Hear the voice of my prayer!” She screamed in the direction where her children vanished into the night. Putting her hands to her face, she felt the puffiness of her eyes that held no more tears. The only sounds were the echoes of her cries into the darkness as she rocked back and forth on her knees. “He took them from me.” She sobbed. Her shoulders heaved. She pulled at her hair and, making a moaning sound, beat her fist against her thighs. She had chased her husband as far as the hill-fort’s massive gate where her heart could bear the weight no longer. Earnestly she prayed. “My God, My God, My dear God. Please hear me.” She repeated it over and over until her voice strained. “In You I put my trust,” She squeezed her eyes shut. She strained to seek solace from her God. “Almighty, let Your eyes see what is out of balance. A man would kill his own children? I cannot understand.” She sank, exhausted, clinging to her skirts that had once held her sons. Like the coming morning fog she saw in the distance, she could feel the darkness of fainting flood her mind. She took a deep breath. There was the smell of smoke, yet she ignored it. “I need every breath to pray for deliverance”, she told herself. Then she sat quietly, just looking down the empty road leading away from the hill fort.
She didn’t know how long she sat there staring into the darkness. In the stillness, she thought of the Patriarch of her people -- Abraham. He had taken his child to the mountain to give him up to his God. Her people passed down the story from generation to generation to show her the Almighty’s tender care for Abraham’s people. He had trusted that the Lord would provide a way of escape for his son. She needed that care. Only a year ago her parents had died in a cart accident. As the only female in the family, she was taken from her home by the tax collector and sold to Regilus the Roman. He later gave her as a slave-wife to Caradoc. He brought her to this land. She had tried her best to serve her husband, to learn his language and his harsh ways. All she could hold on to was her faith in the God of her fathers and the stories of her people. Abraham’s son was saved from the knife of sacrifice that day so long ago. She knew the same love could be shown her children. Alexenah sighed deeply and lifted her face to the coming dawn. “This must be what it was like when Sarah had her son taken from her that day so long ago.” Raising her hands to the fading stars she cried out to her God, “Great Jehovah, protect my sons! I give them to you and withhold them not. You can see my heart.” She crossed her arms to her chest and bowed lower. Her breathing slowed. “My lips will not sin against this man. Caradoc is my husband. By your will I will honor him as you have commanded. I will accept whatever portion You give unto me. Show me Your loving-kindness and I will be satisfied. Save my sons and deliver them from evil.” As she prayed, a peace began to edge out the dark places in her heart. She stopped sobbing.
Alexenah stood, once again wiping her eyes with her dress. She straightened her shoulders. As she looked up, she was startled to see the silhouette of a man against the fog and the red rising sun. She brushed her self off, bowed her head in obedience and waited.
“Alexenah?” Alexenah! Is that you?”
Alexenah lifted her head and let out her breath into the air. It was not Caradoc. It was her brother-in-law – Adminius. As he came running towards her she saw the look of concern on his face. He stopped when he got to her. Breathing heavily, he stood there for a minute and just looked into her eyes. She once again lowered her head. “Alexenah?” He said as he lifted her chin and then brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. Feeling uncomfortable, she stepped back. She brushed her hands on her dress and looked at him. His hair was pulled back. His clean-shaven face smudged with soot, ash and mud. His sword was at his side. He did not wear a cloak, only drab, brown trousers. He smelled of sweat, smoke and blood.
She turned, so that he did not see her perusal. As he called her name again she saw a chariot top the hill behind him and then another and another.
Before they reached them Adminius took her by the shoulders and asked, “Alexenah, where is your husband?”
She did not understand. She stared at him. She shivered in Adminius’ gaze. The memory of his touch scared her.
“We came to warn him.”
Adminius’ men jumped down from the chariots as they came up to the gate. “Where is Caradoc?”
Adminius stepped away from Alexenah and greeted his men.
She looked at the men around her. There was Togodumnus, Caradoc’s youngest brother, and the rest were Adminius’ men. She knew them all. Caedman – a wise warrior, Kendall who lived in the big valley, Teague, the poet, and Fergus the strong.
She bowed her head, “He… is…. not.”
“That is not good to hear,” sighed Adminius as the men started to walk up the hill to the fort.
“We believe we have been attacked!” Fergus yelled out and everyone joined in at once, talking at the same time.
“By whom we do not know.”
“The druids have all been killed!” Teague shouted.
“It is so, we saw the grove.”
“Or what remains of it.”
“It was Atrebates,“ Togodumnus said.
“Obvious only to you, Togodumnus.”
“The Atrebates?”
“Tincommius, or Epillis?”
“Probably the young Verica himself!” Togodumnus said, this time with a confident nod of his head. “They will not join our cause against Rome.”
“Let’s not place blame,” Adminius said holding his hand up to his men. “Let’s go inside to discuss this.”
“I fear for Caradoc’s safety. King Tasciovaunus is not to be found and now Caradoc is missing as well. This is not good at all.” He motioned to the drivers to put away the horses.
“Why not search for him?” Togodumnus asked.
As the men walked to the great roundhouse of Caradoc, Alexenah felt a tension from the group that was unsettling to her.
Adminius continued, “The call has gone out to the tribes to gather at Camelodinum. We need rest and food before we continue our journey.” Then to Alexenah he said, “I hope that will not put you out.”
Alexenah replied, “Our home is your home.” She pointed to the roundhouse. “The fire is warm.”
“Yes, it is,” he said as she directed him toward the doorway.
. . .
Adminius leaned against the post in the middle of the room by the fire. A slave girl, Mara was tending to the fire. Alexenah nodded to her and immediately began to prepare for the early morning meal. Adminius noticed the girl was local, wearing the colorful dress of their people, and spoke roughly, when she spoke to Alexenah. Alexenah’s appearance was strikingly different from the Celtic woman. She was wearing a light brown peplos style dress. The dress was fastened on the shoulders and fell to just below her knees. It was a very simple, but useful style. He watched her as she pulled her raven locks back and tied it like a pony’s tail. Her eyes were brown; not a dark brown but a soft brown, easy to look into -- like a good cup of herbal tea, Adminius thought. She was slender, even after just having children. He had learned a little about her over the years. Alexenah was born to Jewish parents. She came from Capernaum. Yes, not like the others at all, he thought. In the last nine years, Adminius had seen strength in her nature that let problems run off her, as rain would bead up and flow off an oiled leather boot. She was strong of muscle and mind; always pleasant, never sullen or discouraged about anything. Adminius could not understand how his brother could treat her unkindly.
As he warmed himself by the fire in the center of the great room he watched her work to care for those who were not her own. She moved to the window and drew back the coverings. Soon the sun would come up and brighten the room. Smoke from the hearth drifted up into the rafters where meat cured and flowed out the opening in the thatched roof above.
“Like a thick wool cloak that still keeps you warm and dry even when it gets wet in the winter snow.” He said out loud to himself and moved closer to the warmth of the fire.
“Yes, the fire at home is always the warmest. Don’t you think so, brother?”
It was Togodumnus. He was a man who rarely spoke his mind, but tonight was full of words.
“We really fought that fire all night, didn’t we?”
“We? Where were you? I tried to find you and you were gone. Where did you go brother?”
“I was there.” Togodumnus replied.
Adminius thought nothing of it at first, and had later ruled the absence an unwillingness to do any work. This was part of Togodumnus normal demeanor.
“Yes, brother. Warm, and cozy like.” Togidumnus said again.
Adminius noticed a shaking in the man’s voice
All the men began to enter the roundhouse.
“We saw the smoke.”
“It smells good. Stew?”
“Ahh, I smell a feast coming. Where is the drink?”
Alexenah was used to holding impromptu feasts and Adminius turned to find the table was well set, with drinking cups, pots of mead and fruit in bowls.
Before he sat down with the men, Adminius once again looked around the room. He looked at the great pillars, the coverings and tapestries. Yes, his brother Caradoc lived well, he thought. He marveled at his practice of attempting to show wealth on the outside when everyone knew his status. Yet Caradoc degraded others for doing the same. He looked at the sleeping rooms and then he stopped. In all the noise, something was missing.
“Where are the babies?”
Alexenah held on to hope as she picked up a knife from the table before her. Clutching it with both hands to her chest, she begged God for His help.
“Alexenah, where are the newborns? Twins they were, right. I would love to see the little ones.” Adminius smiled.
She didn’t answer. She busied herself with the chore of helping Mara serve the men. Silently she prayed for strength of heart to face this day and was startled when the oaken door of the roundhouse swung open, hitting the back wall with a thud. Bright sunlight flooded in. The room went deathly still as everyone turned to see who it was.
Staring at the shadow in the doorway, Alexenah tried to swallow but it caught in her throat. She held the cutting knife tighter in her hands until her knuckles turned white. Her heart stopped as a man stormed into the room.
He was breathing heavily. Alexenah could see his breath in the cool air. His hair was matted and tossed. His mustache, all too familiar, hung loosely on either side of his chin. His breeches were splashed in blood and dried mud caked his chest. He smelled of sweat and smoke. “It’s him.” She said, without thinking. “My God, what has he done to my children?” She tried not to gag.
“Caradoc!” Togodumnus laughed, pounding the table several times with his cup, “Brother, you are back.”
Caradoc surveyed the audience in the room and then smiled. He then reached out toward Togodumnus and pulled him in an embrace and held him tight. Alexenah saw Caradoc whisper something in his brother’s ear, give a quick “be-careful-what-you-say” look, and then slapped him on his back.
“You are alive!” Fergus said raising his mug.
“Where have you been all night?” Caedman said.
“We thought you were lost.” Teague put in.
Caradoc stepped to the table sending several men scurrying to get out of his way. He then sat down, grabbed a mug, a pitcher of mead, and poured a draught of beer for himself. He drank it quickly down, belched loudly, and then wiped the dregs from his long moustache with the back of his arm. Mara hurried to fill his cup again.
“You,” Caradoc said pointing his cup at one of Adminius’ men, “take care of my horse.”
Kendall raised his eyebrows and looked to his captain.
Adminius nodded.
Kendall quickly started for the doorway, but stopped suddenly.
The room darkened as another man bent down low to step through the open door. His large frame blocked the sun from the room. As he rose back up, his head nearly reached the rafters in the thatched roof. All Alexenah could see was a big shadow looming in the doorway. For some reason it reminded her of hope. She felt her heart beat again within her chest. Relaxing now, she picked up a stone, backed into the recess of the room by the sleeping area, and began to sharpen the knife.
“Another visitor?” Adminius said.
“Food!” Caradoc yelled as he guzzled down his beer. He didn’t even look up.
“Tell us your story, man. Who is this? What happened? Don’t make us wait.” Kendall said.
“I thought I told you to take care of the horse!” Caradoc roared.
Kendall stepped around the visitor and gave a last look to Adminius before he left the room.
“Where have you been, brother?” said Adminius. “You look like ….” Adminius stopped in mid sentence. The large man who had just come in was slowly moving toward Alexenah. Looking at the man, Adminius said, “Brother! You will tell us who this is that has followed you home.” The room grew silent as they stepped toward the man. Fergus drew his sword.
Alexenah squinted at the man coming toward her. She felt no fear. She had never seen such a formidable man. His dark face was disfigured, yet soft. His eyes pointed down at the temples, giving him a sad look. Yet, he smiled a toothy grin. She saw a bundle- was it Caradoc’s cloak? - he held in his large massive arms. She took in a quick breath between her teeth as the man moved slowly toward her. He clung to the cloak- like it contained fragile precious glassware from a far land. Stopping within arms reach, he bowed his head deeply, knelt down and gently stretched out the bundle toward her as if it were a precious treasure.
Alexenah wrapped the knife into the fold of her dress, then quickly wiped her hands on front of her dress. She looked up at the man in disbelief as he laid the bundle in her outstretched arms. The room was quiet now. Blood rushed from her face and she slumped down to the floor on her knees and bowed her head. She held her breath as she opened the cloak one fold at a time.
There was a tangled mess of oil and ash. ‘Remnants of the fire” she thought. She could smell feces and wine. There was blood on the cloak.
“My sons!”