Under the Shadow of the Eagle

Part Seven

—Do you remember what happened in Alesia? —the druid asked, leaning on the old oak tree.

—Yes, mistress —the apprentice answered, blindfolded, her hands tied behind her back and her legs to a thick branch—, the Vercingetorix surrendered to the roman invader to save his people from the battle.

—Do you remember where Boudicca died?

—Yes, mistress, in Watling Street.

—Do you remember who led the Lusitanians in their phantom rebellion?

—Yes, mistress, it was the strategist Viriato.

—Do you remember from which tree you had to hang first?

—Yes, mistress, from an ash tree, just like the god Wuotan.

—Do you remember why he hung from an ash tree?

—Yes, mistress, so that he could read the runes.

—And for how long?

—Nine days, mistress.

—What cities did Boudicca destroy?

—Camulodunum, Verulamium, and Londinium, mistress.

—Whose life did she spare?

—Nobody's, mistress.

—What did Brano say after taking the city of rome, when negotiating its liberation?

—Vae Victis, mistress. Woe to the defeated.

—And what did he do when he said it?

—He threw his sword into the scales, increasing the weight in his favor to demand more gold.

—Why did Boudicca and Brano do these things?

—Because no empire has mercy on those it conquers, so no conquered person owes mercy to any empire.

—You have learned well —saying that, the druid walked toward the apprentice. Her scythe was in the ground, on the roots of the oak tree, and she had even taken off her belt, leaving it in the same place. Her tunic barely opened as she moved.

—Thank you, mistress.

—Do you remember our gods? —with that question, she put her left hand on the hair of the other woman.

—Taranis, Teutates, Esus, Wuotan, Donar, Ziu, Rod, Perun, Zuantewith.

—Do you remember what happened to the first great crow of our lands? —holding the strands tightly between her fingers, slowly starting to pull, the druid raised her right hand to the hips of the apprentice.

—It defeated the eagle by striking its heart, but was overcome by it soon after, trying to escape.

—And the second great crow of our lands?

—It defeated the eagle in several fights and escaped several times, but was captured during their last encounter, and murdered soon after.

—Do you remember what happened to the great raven of Britain? —the nails of her right hand plunged themselves into one of the tied woman's thighs.

—It burned the wings of the eagle, but was defeated by it soon after, trapped in a forest.

—Do you remember what happened to the great wolf of the forest when it joined the war of the birds?

—It bit the eagle's neck and made it bleed, but other wolves hunted it down soon after, and it was killed by its own pack.

—Do you remember what happened to the great hawk of the east? —the nails dug in the soft bare skin, and the fingers of the other hand pulled the strands of hair between them.