73 AD
Her job was to collect firewood, that was the task she had been charged with and that was what she would do. The challenge to such a chore was finding the right kind of firewood, it must burn easily and exhaust little smoke, something that was near impossible in the northern reaches of the Britain island. But Fell did the best she could as she wandered across a shallow creek and into a steep ravine. She knew better than to wander too far from the group camped a small distance away, but all day she had ached with the need to be alone. The noise of the others constantly reverberated in her head while they traveled during the day, she could barely distinguish her own thoughts from one another. So even though gathering dry kindle was a chore, it had also become her haven.
She did not realize just how far she had wandered until she noticed she could no longer hear the bubbling creek behind her. The trees thinned slightly and the forest was as still and hushed, not even a songbird could be heard from the branches above her. Fell immediately slowed her steps, becoming wary of what might be ahead of her. She knew she should probably turn back now, go back the way she had come, but something was drawing her forward; a curiosity that was never quite satisfied. She became very much aware of the sound her feet made each step as they stepped across the frost bitten ground, disturbing the frozen foliage beneath. She climbed a steeper incline that forced her to use her hands to keep sure footing and avoid sliding backwards. When she reached the top a wicked scene met her there and she fought to for breath when all the air was released from her lungs.
Dozens of corpses filled the landscape, just as much frozen to the ground as anything else the chill touched. There were some decorated with the familiar pattern of blue lines that illustrated the intent of war, covering the faces and torsos of the men from a tribe not unlike her own. She felt coldness go through her as she recognized the violence that came with such a ritual. The warriors obviously found their fight as Fell looked upon the broken bodies and severed limbs of the victims of brutality, Britons and Romans alike. It was not the first time she had witnessed such a seen, but it was the first time she had found it so…untouched. It seemed that she had been the first one to come across the battlefield, many of the fallen Roman soldiers' garments and weapons remained intact and had yet to be looted. She fought against every instinct to run away back to the tribe's camp, and took a small step forward, unable to keep herself from acting on her inquisitiveness. She paused long enough to steady her breath and then took another step forward. Before she knew it she was in the middle of the obscene site, tiptoeing across uneven and bloodied ground.
Fell did not know what she was looking for, but she felt sure she would know when she found it. The scene of death never bothered the young woman, it was simply a matter of life; those that are born into this world must leave it. This was never clear to anyone more than it was to Fell as she was what remained of her bloodline, having witnessed everyone else die before her. But seeing the horrid mass of scarred bodies before her was both exhilarating and sickening all at once. She had just about convinced herself to turn back when a foreign sound broke the silence that had surrounded her. Fell quickly turned back around and stiffly waited for the sound to repeat itself. She was not sure if it was fear or excitement she felt when it did not disappoint her expectation, likely both. It took her a moment to distinguish where the sound was coming from before she decided on the direction she would walk. The eerie sound was now frequent enough that she began to recognize it. It seemed to be a deep growl, almost like the sound a fatally wounded wolf made before the hunter mercifully finished it. She knew then that someone was still alive within the massacre and she could not turn back now. It took her several more moment before she was finally able to locate the source of the sound, and when she finally did she was once again conflicted with what she should do. It was a roman soldier, buried underneath several bodies of his comrades and foe. He had yet to notice the lonesome girl wandering toward him and she knew she could easily slip away without being noticed but something about the Roman captivated her and she herself being pulled toward him.
"It is alright." Fell muttered as she knelt next to his head. The man winced at her sudden arrival, clearly aware that he was terribly exposed. She did not know if he understood her words, from his reaction she did not think he did. So she went about removing the load off of him without his permission, using all of her strength to push off the heavy bodies one at a time. After a few minutes the soldier began to help her as much as he could with his limited range of movement. It was not until the final corpse that Fell began to see the extent of the soldier's injuries. He was covered in a number of scrapes and wounds but none as severe as the one several inches above his navel. It was deep and contaminated and as soon as the pressure from the dead weight of the body was removed it began to bleed profusely. She immediately removed the thick hide that covered her shoulder and pressed against the man's torso, but quickly proved to be a lost cost as the gash continued to leak blood. Fell watched as the Roman, who had previously seemed alert and attentive, suddenly became drowsy and pale as he fought to keep his eyes open. She felt panic for the man she had just found moments before, to have survived such a horrible event only to die as soon as he was found seemed like such a waste. Her breath began to hitch as she frantically looked around for anything that would help her, anything at all. But nothing was discernible in the mess around her and Fell knew that the life in front of her would expire too soon.
77 AD
Fell gasped as she sat up hastily, letting the layers of pelts that covered her fall away to reveal her heaving breast. She fought to catch her breath and to identify where she was. The dark made the task difficult but eventually she was able to recognize the thick hides and aged timber that made up the small shelter she slept in.
"Fell?" The man next to her sat up also, immediately placing a hand on her back in comfort. "What is it?" There was still evidence of his foreign lineage in his voice but otherwise he spoke words from her tongue flawlessly.
"Just a dream," She breathed as she allowed him to pull back down to the nest of straw and linen beneath them. "Of the day a found the killing ground." She told offered him without being asked. She felt him stiffen against her and she folded her arm in such a way that she could trace the thick scar that was left behind on his torso, just above his navel.
"I am here now, with you." Oltivious mumbled in her ear as he pulled her closer to him.
"And you are all I need Ollie." She sighed before drifting back to sleep.
