A/N: I really tried with my research. The tribe of the Durotriges is real, as is the town of Lindinis and Durnovaria. I hope you enjoy. Thank you to Mango of Angst for helping me edit!
The soft trickling of the river called the Gifl was making me quite sleepy as I settled down onto its bank. The lush grass around me seemed to be singing its own song, greeting the rising sun. I smiled lazily as I gazed into the golden, azure, and purple mixture of the horizon. It reminded me of the time I went to market with my father and saw a painting of the Ladies and Lords dancing at Court. They were like the sunrise. I couldn't understand how so much color could be placed into garments to make them seem to glitter and float as they whirled around the dance floor. What I would give to see such a dance in which all the brilliance of the sunrise is combined into the simplistic movements that human kind has known since the dawn of creation. The dance.
A gentle breeze teased my black hair, tossing its long tendrils over my face. Laughing quietly to myself I brushed the tresses aside as I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest. I sat in such a beautiful place. In the distance the purple mountains seemed to climb to the heavens, echoing the majesty of the Gods. The gentle hills greeted the eye next, perfect for scrambling up and rolling down in the summer months until you got dizzy and Father or Mother ordered you to stop. My brother Andros and I were regulars at getting in trouble.
I sighed, pressing my hand onto the smooth tree trunk beside me as my eyes trailed to the twisting stream a few feet away. Its flowing waters gurgled lightly along the rock bed, tempting me to scramble in and attempt to catch the minnows that swiftly flowed with the current. Silently I cursed my luck, a beautiful morning and I was stuck in my best clothing, not allowed to even get a speck of dirt on my dress or face. I smoothed out the rough green fabric over my legs, sighing softly as I wiggled my toes in the lady slippers I had been forced to wear. The Lady of Avalon was coming today, and I had to look and act my best.
The thought of the Lady made my eyes roll. She was just a woman, wasn't she? She was coming to see the Durotriges tribe in Lindinis and how easily we had bent to Roman rule. I shuddered, remembering the days of the roaring fires of Beltane, with the coupling in the grass and the raw passion of the night. Such were the days of the Lord and Lady, and not Caesar, who demanded our allegiance with steel, not with love, as our Gods did.
Oh, we still had our festivals, but they were toned down… minor feasts, compared to our celebrations of the past. Now all I had to look forward to when I arrived at my home was the smell of clay pits and piss. I missed the days of the Celts, not the Romans. I missed the days in which I could run free and not worry about stepping in a puddle of human piss on the streets, or run into a whore on her way to work in her brothel. It was true, very few Romans actually occupied Lindinis, preferring the area of Durnovaria, but that did not prevent their influences, or their sluts.
I sighed, angling my head up to gaze at the sun now rising high over the mountains. I should be heading back before Mother throws one of her fits about how she's not raising a 'wild child', but a lady, and how any member of the Chieftain's family should be regal and poised. I shook my head, pushing my long and straight black hair behind my ears as I stood up. Carefully I brushed off my gown, glad of the green coloring that hid any grass stains that I may have accumulated in my visit. With another heart-felt sigh I began to pedal my way along the bank running along its rocky shoreline with expert navigation.
A sound of a horse's whinny distracted me from my exertion. Glancing up I noticed with fear that an impressive carriage draped in blue was being hauled up the hills on the road making its way to our town. It was a tightly packed caravan, with horses and guards dressed in soft greens and browns each holding impressive looking spears that the sun glinted off of, making them appear like fire. I shuddered. It was her. She was here.
'Oh, mother's going to kill me,' I thought desperately as I ran as fast as I ever thought possible to the village a couple of yards away. In the distance our tall wooden walls greeted me. I smiled, we were only one of the two Durotriges towns that had walls. They made me feel trapped but at the same time I felt secure from the Roman's and their onslaught even though they lived inside. My heart was racing fiercely as I scrambled up the bank, falling hard onto a stone. Pain shot up my leg and I felt the warm feel of blood trickle down it. Wincing I tried to get up and I felt my stomach flop as I heard the sickening rip of fabric. I was so dead. I bent to look at the damage blood soaked into my green dress which had a hole where my knee had been. So much for making a good impression to the Lady of Avalon. I stood, clutching my leg and began limping toward home nodding as I began to pass farmers working in their fields. It wasn't long before I got to the gates and passed through them into the hustle and bustle of our town.
I sighed and began to walk swiftly, ignoring the pain in my leg as I made my way toward the center of the town. I was going to embarrass my father in front of the Lady of Avalon, in front of the whole tribe. Tears, hot and wet, climbed to my eyes as I limped on. Maybe they would make him step down as leader… maybe he would lose all of the respect our people held for him.
My jaw locked. There was still time to run up and put on my second best dress and brush my hair. Doubtless the Lady would get lost in all this hustle and bustle, especially with her large litter… I could still pull this off. Ignoring the hot blood dribbling down my leg I began to run, dashing under arms and around large men and women selling their wears, indifferent to their curses. Finally my house appeared through the crowd. It was plain, like any other hut you'd see. Wood walls and a well thatched roof. The only difference was its size. It was a house big enough to fit three families of our village. Father always said it was necessary to impress important guests, especially Romans. I agreed with him.
My eyes dashed around wildly looking for my mother. I didn't see her anywhere. Grateful for that small blessing I dashed up the steps and opened the door. There was my mother, offering refreshments to a radiant young woman in blue. My eyes widened as the woman turned gracefully, revealing to me the most beautiful face I had ever seen. It was like one carved from the Gods, with porcelain skin and a gently curved nose. Her gray eyes were deep and dark, reflecting what seemed to me a mystery of their own. Her copper red hair was gracefully pinned under a subtle blue hood, setting off her high cheekbones and full pink lips. Her eyes met mine… oh, those eyes. They held you, captivated you. "Good morning, Eleina." she said, her voice was sensual and melodic, bringing unbidden tears to my eyes. She was the Lady of Avalon. She was a Goddess.
