Chapter XXXVI
The next morning the low gray sky spit a stinging mixture of snow and ice, but the crowd that framed the training field was
in such high spirits that they brightened the gloomy day.
Though I chose to go into battle with my hair unbound, I’d taken one look at the sky and had Phaedra braid the mass of it
back away from my face. I’d awakened to an empty bed. After I’d dressed in the beautifully dyed leathers Wulffaed had made
for me, I understood why Rhan had not slept beside me. When I joined her in the main room of the lodge to break my fast, she
presented me with the exquisite silver necklace dressed in feathers she’d spent the night completing. It rested just above
my collarbone under the thick golden torque I never removed. The silver caught even the wan light of the winter morning, and
the feathers rustled like they were living things—and whenever I touched them I felt the presence of my goddess.
“Ah, Boudicca! I thought for a moment you might choose not to leave the warmth of your bed today,” shouted Addedomaros as
I joined him and the other two chiefs at the starting line of our race.
I smiled at the Trinovantes chief, pleased that he was in good humor, even though it was his son’s bragging that had gotten
him into a race that he must have known he would be hard-pressed to win.
“How are those old joints today, Addedomaros?” I asked with exaggerated concern.
“Do you insult my father?” Adminius thrust out his chest and glared at me.
Addedomaros cuffed the back of his son’s head. “Enough! Make yourself useful and go hold Black. Try to keep him calm so he
doesn’t work himself into a lather before his part of the race begins.”
Adminius threw me a narrow-eyed look but stalked away toward the far end of the course, where our mounts would be held until the last leg of the contest.
“Well, I don’t know about Addedomaros, but I’m not ashamed to admit that my old bones are feeling the damp and chill today,”
said Leofric, who was stretching and jogging in place, as if to keep his muscles limber.
“What about you, Comux?” I asked the Dobunni chief, who was closest to my age of the three men.
Comux barked a laugh, which sounded gravelly. He was pale, and the dark circles under his eyes were puffy and bruised, but
his smile was authentic. “The Dobunni are used to the chill of winter. This is but a refreshing morning to me.”
We all chuckled at that, and then Rhan, who had been chosen to open the race, lifted her arm, motioning for us to take our
places at the starting line. Earlier, we’d drawn lots for our positions. Addedomaros was in the first lane. I was next, with
Comux beside me and then Leofric to his right. As I took my position, I had time to stretch, shake out my legs, and ready
myself. Maldwyn was holding Ennis and Finley just before the man-sized straw targets about one-third of the way up the big
practice field. Beyond them I could just make out Tan’s red coat where she waited for me, held by Cadoc.
“Chiefs and queen, ready yourselves!” Rhan called. “When I drop my arm, the contest begins.”
Rhan met my gaze, grinned, and then, with a dramatic flourish, dropped her arm.
I sprinted forward as the army cheered, but I shut them out, concentrating only on the field directly before me, which was
rough with frozen ruts, black ice, and hunks of dirty snow. Within just a few feet I relaxed my upper body as my stride lengthened.
I’d been training regularly, but it had been a long time since I’d felt the freedom of pushing my speed to the limit. In an
instant I was transported to my familiar forest. The frozen ruts became roots of ancient oaks, and mounds of dirty snow turned
to rocks and fallen limbs. I seemed to fly and was a little disappointed when I reached Maldwyn and the chariot.
“You are in the lead,” Maldwyn said quickly as I leaped into the cart, wrapped the reins around my left hand and forearm, and lifted the first spear. “Comux is a chariot length behind you. Leofric and Addedomaros are another two lengths behind him, but do not underestimate them—especially Addedomaros—and do not look back. Go, my queen!”
I didn’t look back.
“Hup!” I called to the familiar team of horses, and they surged forward. I controlled them, but only just. Ennis and Finley
were eager to run and I wished I could give them their heads, but if I did so I would not be able to weave them through the
six targets—and crossing the finish line without following the rules of the tournament would not be a true win. I also had
to consider the rough ground. There was an especially deep rut of frozen dirt that ran the width of the space between our
first two targets. Had I charged the team over that rut at full speed, the chariot could have been thrown into the air. So
I held the eager team in check and threw my first and second spears before I noticed the other teams.
As I reached for my third spear, I saw Comux on my right, now less than a chariot length behind me. I threw the spear, hit
the target, and as I lifted the fourth spear I caught a glimpse of Leofric on my far right. He had not caught Comux or me,
but he also had not lost any ground.
When I lifted my fifth spear, Addedomaros suddenly flashed into my peripheral vision on my left. I could tell that he was
closer than Leofric, and as I threw my sixth spear and then pulled Ennis and Finley to a halt beside Abertha, the Trinovantes
chief caught up to and passed Comux.
“Run, my queen!” shouted Abertha with a feral grin.
I jumped from the cart and sprinted forward, breathing deeply and quickly and sending every bit of strength I had into my
legs. Ahead of me I could hear the huge Trinovantes stallion snorting, more dragon than horse, though I kept my gaze shifting
between the rough ground over which I ran and Tan, who waited quietly beside Cadoc, ears pricked toward me as I raced to her.
I reached her ahead of the chiefs. Cadoc’s hands formed a basket into which I placed my left foot and he easily boosted me
atop Tan.
“For the Iceni!” Cadoc shouted.
As the other chiefs raced up to their mounts, I leaned forward, dug my heels into Tan’s flanks, and screamed the Iceni war
cry as my brilliant mare exploded into motion. Unlike with the chariot team, I did not even attempt to hold Tan back. I knew
my mare. She would not foolishly endanger us by ignoring the rough footing, and as we raced back along the path I’d so recently
come down, she proved my confidence in her by jumping over blackened mounds of snow and avoiding spots of black ice.
I had time to look over my left shoulder to see that Comux and Leofric were neck and neck several lengths behind me. They
didn’t seem to be gaining ground. I did not have to glance over my right shoulder. Even above the roar of the army and the
sting of the sleet, I could hear the pounding hooves of Black. His dark muzzle came into view, then the rest of his head and
neck.
I grabbed a fist of Tan’s mane and leaned closer to her neck. Her ears were flattened against her head as I encouraged her
to give more. From deep within, my mare found a reservoir of speed, and Black stopped gaining ground. I heard Addedomaros
shout and from the corner of my eye saw that he, too, was low over his stallion’s neck as the massive horse’s stride lengthened.
We’d passed the majority of the straw targets. I could see the finish line where Rhan stood, arm lifted again, ready to drop
it when the winner raced past. Just a little more! We’re almost there! I shouted the Iceni war cry but realized Tan had slowed as Black’s muzzle came into view to my right again. He was definitely
not slowing.
I almost dug my heels into Tan to insist she give me more speed, and then I remembered the roughness of the trenchlike width
of the frozen, broken ground and did not ask my mare for more. As I understood why Tan slowed, I heard a horrible sound, and
suddenly Black was no longer in my peripheral vision.
Instantly I pulled Tan up as I turned to see Black fall. I’d watched horses go down in battle—we all had. It is terrible and tragic. The unearthly shriek Black made as his front left hoof hit the ridge of the broken ground echoed throughout the valley. The tremendous speed at which he was going caused his cannon bone to snap like a piece of kindling. Black crumpled, head over rear end, throwing Addedomaros onto the unforgiving ground. The massive stallion rolled over the Trinovantes chief before the horse slid to a stop several feet away.
A great silence fell over the watching army as I vaulted from Tan’s back and ran to the fallen chief.
Blood trickled from Addedomaros’s mouth. He lay on his back. His thick, muscular body was flattened. Blood had begun to seep
through his clothes, staining the snow around him bright scarlet. I went to my knees beside him and his eyes immediately met
mine. I was surprised by the clarity in them.
His bloody lips twitched as he tried to smile. He coughed, spewing reddened froth down his chin. “Did I win?” He whispered
the words.
I used the sleeve of my tunic to wipe the bloody sputum from his face and smiled. “Of course you won. No one can beat you
and that stallion.”
“Yes, Black and I...” He smiled, exhaled a rattling breath, and did not take another.
Gently, I closed his eyelids and bowed my head as I rested my hand on his broken chest. “May you feast with your ancestors
and know only eternal joy.”
“Father! Father!” Adminius shouted as he ran to us.
I stood and moved aside so he could kneel by his father’s body. Dazed, I looked up to see that Leofric was with Black. The
stallion had somehow managed to stand. It was a terrible thing to see, as his front leg was useless, snapped completely in
two. Only skin held it together. The Catuvellauni chief met my gaze and shook his head. He turned back to the stallion, attempting
to calm him.
Comux joined me beside Addedomaros’s body. “Stay here with Adminius. I must get Maldwyn to deal with the stallion.” I hurried toward where Tan stood as Maldwyn, driving our chariot, thundered up. He looked at Addedomaros and Adminius, who was shaking his father’s shoulder as he called his name over and over. His gaze went to me. I shook my head. Grimly, he jogged to where Leofric was still struggling with the wounded stallion.
Maldwyn went to the big horse’s head. He took it between his hands. I couldn’t hear what he said, though I saw his lips move
and watched as the stallion stopped fighting and stood, trembling, on three legs. Maldwyn continued to speak softly to the
stallion and stroke him as he draped an arm around the horse’s neck. He pulled a dagger from a sheath at his waist and in
one swift motion slit Black’s throat. With a grunt and a sigh, the stallion dropped to the ground and lay still in an expanding
pool of steaming scarlet.
Rhan was suddenly there with Cadoc and Mailcun. She came to me before she approached her brother and father.
“Is he dead?” she asked.
I nodded and rested my hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry. It was fast. He did not suffer.”
She blew out a long breath and then went to crouch beside her brother, who was still shaking his father, as if trying to wake
him.
“Adminius, Father is gone,” said Rhan.
Her brother turned his face to her. “No. He can’t be. This—this was just supposed to be a friendly competition. Something
to show everyone the greatness of Tribe Trinovantes and the might of our chief. No one was going to die.”
“It was an accident.” Rhan spoke slowly.
“No,” insisted Adminius, who went back to shaking his father’s slack shoulder. “Father, you must get up. Now!”
Mailcun moved around Rhan to Adminius’s other side, where he crouched so he could look into his face. “Adminius, he is gone.
The Chief’s Guard is bringing a litter so that Addedomaros can be readied for his journey to Annwn.”
“No!” Adminius flung himself on his father’s bloody body. “He cannot be burned! He’s going to wake!”
Mailcun looked up at me. His eyes were filled with tears. Rhan stood and backed away from her brother, shaking her head. I could see that Addedomaros’s Chief’s Guard had entered the field and carried a litter between them. My guard had spread out across the field and had been joined by the lead warriors of the Dobunni and Catuvellauni, ready to keep us from being overwhelmed if the Trinovantes tried rushing to their fallen chief, though the crowd remained subdued, watching silently. I knelt beside Adminius and wrapped my arm around his shoulder.
“Adminius, your father is gone. Tribe Trinovantes will look to you for stability. You must be strong for them.”
He turned his tear-and-blood-streaked face to me. “This is my fault.”
I shook my head. “No one is to blame for what happened today. It was a terrible accident. Your father spoke to me before he
died. He asked if he’d won the contest and I told him he had.”
Adminius laughed, though it was a sad, broken sound. “He believed he’d won?”
I smiled and tightened my grip on his shoulders. “He did, which began his journey to Annwn with a smile.”
“That is good. That is good,” he murmured.
The Trinovantes Chief’s Guard arrived and stood quietly waiting. I wiped Adminius’s face as I’d so recently cleaned his father’s.
He seemed very childlike, suddenly reminding me of how grief-stricken my daughters had been by the death of their father.
“Come, Adminius.” Gently I guided him to his feet. “I will escort you and your father to his chamber.” My gaze went to Rhan.
“Your sister will join us. She and I will help you prepare Addedomaros for his pyre.”
“Y-yes.” Adminius nodded shakily. “Stay with me. Please?”
“Of course.”
The crowd parted as our somber procession moved slowly from the field to the cave Addedomaros had made his lodge. It wasn’t as spacious as mine but every bit as well appointed. The guard carefully placed the litter holding their dead chief on the table. We had only been there long enough to begin heating herbed water to cleanse the chief’s body when Wulffaed and half a dozen of her daughters poured into the chamber, bringing oils and clean strips of cloth. Adara, our healer, was with them. One look at Adminius, who was slumped in his father’s thronelike chair with silent tears slipping down his cheeks, and she began brewing a tea. Its scent told me that it was a sleeping potion and I breathed a sigh of relief when Adminius gulped it down. As his head began to bob and his eyes close, I again put my arm around his shoulders and guided him to his father’s sumptuous bed pallet in the rear of the chamber. Before I could walk away from him, he grabbed my wrist.
“You are very kind,” Adminius rasped.
I patted his hand. “Sleep. Your tribe needs you clearheaded and strong.”