Recruitment

Originally posted on Tales of the Parodyverse.

Characters in this story are owned either by myself, or other posters on the Board.

In my third year the invaders came. In seventeen short years they swept across the country, forming alliances and defeating those who would not treat. They built cities, pushed roads across the countryside and spread their coin everywhere.

I had no real argument with them at first. It is true that they were invaders, but our tribes had always believed in strength in combat, and the invaders fought very well indeed. They didn't just bring war, however, but also new knowledge and ideas. As I grew up I became a priestess of The High One, and had a vested interest in poetry, learning, prophecy, and divination - all areas where the invaders had a great deal to teach.

They also fought the Wise Men of the Oak, that wandering tribe we all feared. On my twentieth year, the invaders forced most of the Oak into the western isles, leaving only a few wanderers to disturb our peace.

I had been called to the east to serve the ruling family of one of the tribes. I was an advisor to the queen (My Queen, as I always remember her) and a tutor to her two daughters. I occasionally advised the King, but he was a follower of The Thunderer, and seldom required my knowledge.

My new tribe was in a precarious position. The tribe to the west had grown under the shield of the invaders. In addition, the tribe to the south hated the invaders more than anything (their capital had been usurped and used as a home for many of the retired soldiers, and a temple glorifying their leader had been built using the tribes taxes). To prevent our tribe from being swallowed up from the west or attacked from the south the King entered into a treaty with the invaders, naming the invader's ruler as heir alongside his daughters. For a few short years we had peace.

Then our King died. And our world fell apart.

* * *

The invader's financial administrator came - a miserly wretch of a man who you wouldn't trust looking after the dirt on your floor, supported by a handful of the invader's soldiers. He claimed all our lands as the property of his leader, and when he was rebuffed ordered his troops to take our leaders into slavery.

They flogged my Queen. They raped her daughters.

Then our warriors came. The administrator and his troops were never seen again.

* * *

Then the Stranger came. He was robed and hooded like the Oak, but in dark cloth and in an outlandish style. He carried the aura of authority that the strongest of the Oak would try to project, but somehow made them look weak and shallow, and he had somehow bypassed the guards (who later swore that they had seen no-one), which was impressive.

He also got straight to the point, which is something I have never seen one of the Oak do.

"The invaders will hear of this and take revenge." he said. "You may choose between waiting for them here, or taking the battle to them. If you make no mistake, you can drive the invaders from your country."

As prophecy and divination went, that lacked a little something. He obviously realised this, as he continued, "I see three cities in flames; and your army facing theirs. Know your enemies weaknesses, and your strengths and you will prevail."

He vanished. To this day I still do not know how.

I gave what comfort I could for her daughters, and applied salves to my Queen's back. All the while she swore vengeance against the invaders. Messages were sent to our southern neighbours. We would make the invaders pay dearly for this.

We knew our enemies' weakness. They were few and scattered. If our tribes gathered together, we were many, and our hate was strong.

* * *

We joined with our new southern allies and marched south to their stolen capital. By the time we arrived, our army had swollen to some one hundred thousand men. Where we marched, anything bearing the taint of the invaders was destroyed.

The invaders had spent a decade building up this city. We destroyed it in three days. The survivors - those who had not fled - barricaded themselves in their temple, trusting to their gods to defend them. They held out for two days, waiting for rescue.

We ambushed their rescuers just north of the city. Five thousand infantry and cavalry, and only a few of the cavalry escaped us.

Then we tore the survivors out of the temple and slaughtered them.

* * *

We then marched south-west, towards the city the invaders were building as their capital. Our numbers swelled further, and whole families followed in our wake. Our spies reported that the invader's military governor had retreated from the city, fleeing to the North West, towards some of the tribes that were strongly aligned to the invaders, and to the troops returning from battle with the Oak.

We fell on the city. No prisoners. No mercy.

There must have been about seventy thousand people in the city. Those who had not fled were impaled, hung and mutilated. The city was, quite literally, razed to the ground. By the end I was becoming sickened by the slaughter. It only whetted the appetite of the army.

The worst was yet to come.

* * *

The army swung north west, to run down the governor and meet the bulk of the invader's army. Various spies (some from my home tribe, who had always striven to be a thorn in the invader's side) reported that the invaders were indeed divided. The troops that had been fighting the Oak had merged with those stationed in the south east, and were marching towards us. The detachments in the north, however, were staying where they were - the messages intercepted claimed some tactical reason, but it was clear that they feared to engage us in battle. We reckoned that the invaders had some ten thousand troops. We now numbered two hundred thousand - double the size we started. Their weakness and our strength was never more apparent.

Between us and the invaders was the third city we sacked. This time it was not one of those occupied by the invaders, but by one of the tribes friendly to them.

The city died. My mouth tasted of ashes.

Three cities. And now we stood before the invader's army.

* * *

The day of the battle dawned. The invaders had chosen their position well, taking up a position in a small gorge somewhat uphill from us, with a forest behind them. Our troops were spread out at the bottom of the gorge, with the families and followers spread out behind us, eager to watch the extermination of the invaders. My queen and I were off to one side. I was obviously non-combatant, and my queen had taken injuries in the previous skirmishes (one could hardly call them battles).

She gave our army a rousing speech. Then they charged.

The Invaders held their ground. As the army approached, the invaders threw two rounds of heavy javelins, breaking up the main thrust of our charge. Then they charged in tight formation, somehow forcing our greater army backwards on to the spectators. Their cavalry charged down the flanks, cutting off retreat to the sides.

"If you make no mistake", the Stranger had said. With a chill I realised the mistake we had made. The troops we had defeated before we had defeated from ambush. This time the invaders were ready. Worse, blinded by our superior numbers and early victories, we had allowed them to dictate the terms of the battle. Our people were brave, but used to skirmishing. The invaders fought as one.

Our sure victory became a rout. I barely managed to spirit my Queen away from the battlefield in the confusion.

* * *

We met the stranger that evening.

We had cut across the country to the north east, trying to find a way back to our own territory. The invaders were hot on our heels, and there was no real hope left for us, except to gather the queen's daughters and flee to the north country. The invaders were finding the northern tribes hard going - the hills and mountains have the tribes a great advantage.

He had set up a small camp, and was preparing food. He seemed completely unconcerned at the prospect of being captured by the invaders. He also seemed to have been expecting us. My queen was too exhausted to do anything except collapse and eat the food offered. I took the opportunity to check her injuries. They were worse than I had thought - her original injuries had been bad enough to take her out of combat, and she had gained new ones (and opened the old ones) in the rout.

The stranger then tended to my injuries. I had barely noticed them in the excitement, and had got away fairly lightly. At some stage I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remember was the dawn.

I could hear my queen and the stranger talking. At least, I could hear the stranger talking - my queen's voice was too faint to hear.

"You will not make it. You are trying to travel through territory controlled by the tribe whose capital you destroyed, you are being pursued by your enemies, you are gravely injured, your companion is not much better off and it is likely that your daughters have already been captured."

"What do I offer? I will arrange for the rescue of your daughters. I will give your priestess a chance to live. I will deny your enemies your body."

I managed to sit up. Almost as soon as I had done so, the stranger passed me food and drink, keeping his attention on my queen.

She was sitting, propped up against a bush. With food and rest I could see the world a little more clearly, and it was obvious that her injuries were more than grave. I doubted that she would be able to stand, let alone fight through hostile territory.

At length, he turned his attention to me.

"Head to the south, and then bear west. Your enemies have assumed that you are retreating to your home territory, and are searching in that direction. If you manage to evade the searchers you will have a clear run."

I looked at my queen, who nodded, although she barely had the strength to do that. As I rose - rather stiffly, due to my own injuries - I staggered, and was caught by the stranger. I could have sworn that his eyes flashed as he caught me. When I regained my balance, the stiffness had gone. Somehow, I had managed to escape the battle unscathed.

With tears forming in my eyes, I bowed to my queen for the last time, and then fled.

* * *

I nearly made it past the search parties. A small group of soldiers caught a glimpse of me, but I managed to keep ahead them off for a time. I was burdened only by my clothes, whereas they were carrying armour and weapons. Still, they had messengers, and soon I had the problem of pursuers behind me and possible pursuers ahead. I had the uncomfortable feeling that I was being herded.

In a few days, hungry and exhausted, I found myself trapped. I was running across open country, and I could see groups of soldiers manoeuvring to cut off my lines of escape. I was surrounded in one of the old stone circles that the Oak used for their ceremonies. Night was falling, and a treacherous full moon meant that the soldiers could see me quite clearly.

Then I heard the voice.

You appear to have a little problem, priestess.

I didn't answer. I had enough problems without voices in my head. I watched as the soldiers approached the edge of the ring.

And stopped.

I looked around. The soldiers were standing as still as the stones of the circle. Although the moon illuminated the circle, the shadows seemed...wrong. Finally, I looked up. The stars and moon were there, but...changed.

I have need of a new priestess, and you have need of rescue, said the voice. Perhaps we could help each other?

Not having many other options left, I nodded. The ground boiled up and engulfed me.

Historical note:

Around 43AD, the Romans went from trading with Britain to a full scale invasion, which was completed around 52AD. In 60AD, the Iceni tribe (under Boudicca) revolted against the Romans for pretty much the reasons listed above. The Iceni and Trinovantes tribes destroyed Camulodunum (Colchester), Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St. Albans) but were routed in a pitched battle somewhere down Watling Street - the exact location of the battle is still unknown to this day.

Boudicca's body was never found. She is believed to have committed suicide by taking poison, and is variously believed to be buried under what is now Kings Cross Station or under Stonehenge (which the druids were thought to have raised as a memorial). Her two daughters were also lost to history.

In the above, [The Wise Men of] the Oak is a veiled reference to the druids (the name "druid" means "Knowledge of the oak"), and "The High One" is a reference to Brigantia, a Celtic goddess associated with water, springs, poetry, learning, prophecy, and divination.

More details at the Romans in Britain website.