Pagan Siege (Tribes of Britain Book 5) by Sam Taw (10 best novels of all time TXT) 📕

was impaled in several places; narrow poles protruded from his neck and torso. Blood streamed down the stakes and pooled around him. A second man took a post right through his gut, splitting him open like a hazelnut, until his entrails spilled out of the opening in his back. Their agony was over in mere moments.

The third man was less fortunate. Somehow, he’d managed to slide between most of the spikes until he was wedged. One narrow rod had sliced his side, severing a large blood vessel on its way. The life-giving fluid spurted with each beat of his weakening heart. Every attempt to wriggle free, opened his wound further, until he was almost unconscious from the blood loss. His muted whimpers were woeful. They clawed at my heart in sympathy for his plight.

The stench of kawgh and innards from their loosened bowels wafted up to hit me full in the face. To my trained eye, I knew the poor man wouldn’t last for long. Even I cannot stitch fast enough to staunch a gusher like that.

Tallack rallied his men, lowering Senara’s rope to the stricken man and yelling at him to tie it off around his middle, but despite positioning the end close to the warrior’s hand, we lost him before he could be rescued.

Another three men were denied the chance to sit next to the gods in the Summerlands. They would not even receive a fitting send off with pyre and ceremony for all their courage and bravery. Their trip to the Underworld would be marked by no grand gestures nor ritual, just a passing lament from those they knew best.

“What now, Chief?” Senara asked, when it was apparent that none of the men would speak.

We stood in a circle around Tallack, waiting for his command. Our path ahead was blocked, short of wading through fast flowing water to reach the opposite side of the creek. There was also no way of knowing whether Kenver’s men were watching our every move as we closed in on the upper edges of the mines.

“We go back. Where there is one trap, there will be more. We can’t afford to lose any more men.” He didn’t wait for them to acknowledge his order, nor did they offer to be lowered down to retrieve the dead men. They simply turned tails and hurried back the way we had come.

It was a gruelling climb back to the ridge top, but surprisingly easier to navigate. We knew the way now and the men were keen to be away from the unknown peril and stink of death. It was hard for me to keep up at times, but I managed to make it to the ridge without injury. The men hung their heads, clenched their jaws and marched back to camp in silent mourning. Senara waited with me at the top of the cliff path while I caught my breath, and then descended into the valley at a more leisurely pace.

Renowden was spitting with fury when he saw us walking towards the back of our hut. “Where the kyjya have you been? Kewri and I searched everywhere for you.” He rushed to meet me, grabbing my shoulders and shaking them with such vigour, I thought my head might fall off. “Don’t ever go off like that again without telling us. You hear me?”

That was a surprise. I’d spent so long doing what I wanted, whenever I wanted, it hadn’t entered my head that he would worry. A part of me was annoyed that he was intent on shackling my freedom, but another part was touched that he cared. It was a fine line to tread, especially since I was of Chieftain blood, and as such enjoyed greater privileges than most women of the tribe. It irked me that Ren now believed himself to be my keeper. Kewri was the only one tasked with my protection, but he could not make any demands of me.

I chose to make light of his distress rather than build it up into an argument for later. “Don’t fuss so. Senara and Tallack were with me. I was in no danger.” I lied, shooting a glare at the shield maiden to back my claims. “We went in search of a different route to the mines but lost three more warriors.”

That diffused his anger. His frown of consternation slumped into sadness. When Senara gave him the names of the crewman in the pit, his eyes glistened with sorrow. Two were his particular friends. The thought of them spending eternity in a blood-soaked pit at the top of a gorge was the worst ending for such noble Sea Warriors. Ren wandered away in the direction of the beach. We let him go on alone to speak the words of mourning unto the Goddess of Lakes and the Sea.

Our clans were so depleted that we were in danger of the Alchemists outnumbering us. It was a pity that Tallack left the shield maidens and women archers back at the island compound on the Exe. Senara followed me into our hut. Kewri had caught and left us a couple of flatfish, suspending them by their gill slits from the roof joists. While I strapped my sore ankle with bindings, Senara scaled, gutted and prepared them for our supper.

We took them along to the fire outside the hut Kewri was staying in and roasted them over the flames. It didn’t take long before the flesh was soft and flaky and ready to eat. I was glad of the food, but it somehow felt wrong that we hadn’t given an offering to Cernonnus.

It was our duty to pay for their passage into the Underworld. We had no effigies nor priests with us to incant the words, nor could we spare any of the meagre supplies of food in camp.  Despite the fact that I was ravenous and the fish delicious, it stuck in my throat with guilt.

We’d seen so much death and destruction and we were still