The Lady of the Lake: Vivienne

Chapter One

Adrenaline and blood rushed through my veins like lightning flashing through the sky. I tried swallowing, a feeble attempt to stabilize my excitement. The bubbling thrill of an oncoming battle surged throughout my people, making it hard to not feel the same thirst for revenge. Slowly breathing through my nose, I gained my composure, and lifted my hand to signal the sound of the trumpet.

At the blaring noise, my tribe took off. I watched as my people burst forth to meet their enemies, letting loose a high-pitched cry with the rest of them. Being the leader, I stayed behind. If I died, the tribe would become nothing. New leaders take years of finding and training, making current leaders take every precaution in battle. And so, I watched them in the dark murky forest surrounding the open meadow our enemies were traveling on.

It seemed like any other autumn day with dead leaves covering the forest floor, the scent of decay strong in the air. Today was supposed to be just another battle in a long line of many with the Roman officials. Romans. That word is never spoken among my tribesmen after they stormed onto our lands and claimed them as theirs. Anyone who opposed them was slaughtered with their heads mounted on spikes for everyone to see. Many gave into them with their tails in between their legs, but there were some tribes that refused to go down without a fight.

Twenty years ago my tribe, the Silurians, along with the Ordovices were forced into hiding after refusing to give up. We settled our disputes from the past and waged war against the new enemy. Caratacus was our first leader and we were unstoppable with him in command. But, he was captured soon after. Since then, the tribes had been biding their time until the opportune moment. Today was that day. It was to be a day of glory.

As I watched the battle unfold, the Roman soldiers dropped like flies. It looked as if we had the upper hand in this fight as my tribespeople continued to advance on the soldiers. The sweet taste of victory was on the tip of my tongue and my fingers tingled in anticipation of blowing the horn in victory.

Just as I was sounding out the cry of victory, four men on horses galloped onto the field. My stomach churned as soon as I caught sight of them. This was not a good sign. The horses' hooves pounded the earth and sprayed dirt through the air with each powerful kick of their legs. The men drew their swords, painting the wind red with blood as their blades wiped through my people. I gritted my teeth and dug my nails into the bark of the tree as I watched the battle turn against us.

In the midst of the slaughter, a man mounted on a majestic white stallion caught my attention. He kept to the outer edges of the fray as if he was surveying it as an outsider rather than an active participant. He never once engaged someone in a fight unless they approached him first.

My face crinkled in a deep frown as I watched this man's strange movements. Even though I had grown used to Marcus's unusual strategies during a fight, they never ceased to confuse and frustrate me each time we met. Why wasn't he participating in the battle? Was he a hidden weapon of some sort? Or did he just not want to dirty his hands with the blood of my people?

Even though I was uncertain of his motives, I knew that I had to join the fight now. No one in my tribe would be able to take these men on. They needed my help. I started to jump off my perch from the tree I was on when my father pulled on my arm.

"Ariana, you cannot leave your position. Today you are here as leader, not a fighter," he commanded, fury blazing in his eyes.

I looked towards the battlefield where men and women were laying down their lives for us. If they died, the tribe wouldn't exist anymore and our lives would be meaningless.

"I cannot abandon my people, father," I whispered and jumped down without looking back.

Branches cracked beneath my bare feet as leaves flew past me. The sun was hot on my skin as I stepped into the light of the meadow. Dropping to the ground and hiding behind a wall of bodies, I assessed my options. Not many of my tribesmen were left and the few who remained were falling fast. There was no denying it. We were vastly outnumbered. We should retreat and regather ourselves, but that wasn't the way of my people.