They even believe that the sex has a certain sanctity and prescience, and they do not despise their counsels, or make light of their answers. (Tacitus)
“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Levin grumbled.
We walked on the outskirts of the main Sugambri village, ostensibly there to trade with their healer who, according to the Sugambri hunters who’d passed through our longhouse last week, was in possession of a garlic poultice that cured every ache. I carried a satchel stuffed with dried herbs our healer swore cured every ague. I didn’t often trade, but it seemed like a reasonable excuse for the trip.
My true target was Deudorix and convincing him to ally with me and the Cherusci, not Arminius.
“You say that like you actually wanted to spend the week repairing the bog roads.”
A heavy storm had damaged too many sections of our nearest roads to ignore. The rickety wooden pathways lacked the straight brutality of wide, stone-paved Roman roads, but they allowed us to traverse our lands safely and quickly. Whenever we found damage, we worked to fix it as quickly as possible. That didn’t mean any of us enjoyed spending days on end wading through bogs in sticky summer heat.
“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you damn well know it.”
I grimaced. Levin didn’t particularly care for my big plan to organize the tribes to ambush the legions. He somehow liked it even less than Arminius trying to accomplish the same thing, which apparently the men in my family had all known about before I did.
Unlike Arminius, I was his sister, so when I twisted his arm, he relented, but not before making me swear that if I didn’t get the allies, if I didn’t come up with a foolproof plan, that I’d let it go.
“If we’re being honest, I can’t believe I talked you into this, either.” I chuckled.
“It’s not funny.”
“No.” I reached for his hand and he let me take it. “It’s not funny. I’m grateful you’re here.”
In truth, I was grateful for much more than his presence and, if not support, willingness to be my alibi with our father. While Wout and Lennart had grown into angry men, Levin remained my brother in all ways. His innate good humor never left him. He didn’t blame me for every misfortune that ever befell our family.
He squeezed my hand, and we released our grip as noise from the village grew louder. We were almost in sight of the village proper when the all-too-familiar jangling of Roman armor joined the native chorus. Levin and I froze, a hesitation that cost us the ability to dive into the trees, out of sight.
No common patrol rounded the bend in the road before us, but at least a full century complete with standard bearers and a small supply train marched our way. Fortunately, no prisoners marched with them.
Toward the back road a few officers, including a helmet topped with the elaborate white plumage signifying a legatus. My blood chilled. Even at a distance I recognized the hard lines and sunken planes of Vala’s face, and I had no doubt he recognized me, as well.
“We’re here to trade,” I murmured, more for my own sake than Levin’s. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”
We shifted to the side of the road as the soldiers passed, a sea of silver mail, red tunics, and dark, watchful eyes. More than one man tightened his grip on the pommel of his gladius. Were they so afraid of two lone Germani?
Vala and two other mounted officers stopped before us. His implacable stare bore down on me, and I sensed most deferred to him, like dogs averting their eyes and showing their bellies to a superior. He waited while I simply stared back, then his lips twitched in what probably passed for him as a smile.
“Princess Thusnelda, I’m surprised to see you so far from Cherusci territory. How fortuitous that we’ve crossed paths.”
His unspoken question lay between us, and I debated the merits of answering. “Fortuitous” was not the word I’d have chosen. No, I’d have gone with “unlucky,” or maybe “cursed.” The gods frowned on the day’s endeavor.
“Legatus.” There. That was sufficient. If possible, Levin stiffened even further.
Vala’s lips twitched again. “What brings you to Sugambri territory? And with only one brother? I thought after your incident your father wouldn’t let you out of his sight, at least not without a small army.”
My hackles rose at each successive word. My incident? Segestes wouldn’t let me? Before I opened my mouth and got us into trouble, Levin intervened.
“Some Sugambri hunters stayed with us recently and told us their healer has a remedy we ought to try. We’ve come to trade for it.”
One of the other officers laughed as though Levin told a wry joke. Vala cleared his throat, and the man’s laughter abruptly cut off.
“If the Cherusci have need of medicine, you should send a delegation to the fort. We have some of the finest doctors in the world among our ranks. Our medicine has advanced quite a bit past your quaint rituals.”
The officers struggled to smother their laughter.
“We’ll keep that in mind,” Levin gritted out.
Vala leaned closer in his saddle. “It does strike me as odd.”
When he said nothing further, I relented. “What does?”
“That you would see to this errand. Not only were you the victim of a violent attack not so very long ago, but you are princess of the tribe. Sending the princess and a lordling suggests important business is afoot.”
Those fathomless black eyes tracked over every pore in my face. I kept my mouth shut.
“Is important business afoot, Thusnelda?”
Levin started to answer for me, but I stopped him with a squeeze of his forearm.
“It is as my brother said, Legatus. I like the fresh air, and after all of the governor’s assurances, I didn’t think I was in much danger from stray legionaries anymore.”
“Very well.” He sat back up in his saddle. “Whatever your true business with the Sugambri is, you’ve come at a good time. We’ve just completed our inventory, and I’m sure in their joy at being rid of us, there will be much celebrating tonight.”
I spoke before I thought better of it. “Isn’t that sort of thing Arminius’ job?”
Vala waved the other officers on. “It is, but you know, I am an old soldier who can’t help but wonder if the local recruit is helping his local friends avoid paying taxes. You don’t think he’d do such a thing, do you?”
Growing up with brothers, I knew most boys went through a stage during which they felt compelled to torture bugs. I remembered Wout and Lennart—naturally—huddled over beetles, grinning and gleaming as they dismantled the insects piece by piece. That same look filled Vala’s eyes.
“No, I don’t think he’d do such a thing.” Later, I’d feel shame over the softness of my voice.
When Vala smiled, it was a ghoulish thing. “And you’d be correct. His numbers and mine matched almost perfectly. It seems Varus has chosen his aide well, and you have no serious business with the Sugambri.”
I swallowed hard and reminded myself that I didn’t have wings, so that odd wrenching sensation between my shoulder blades couldn’t be from Vala ripping them off.
“I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.” He wheeled his horse around and cantered away without waiting for my reply.
As soon as he was out of sight, my breath left me in a great gust of air. Levin unhelpfully patted me on the back, causing me to cough a few times before getting my lungs back under control.
“There, that wasn’t so bad,” Levin said.
“Not so bad?” I wheezed. “That man is a demon and he knows. He knows we’re up to something.”
“I have to be honest. I stopped listening after he called me a lordling.”
“Is that really all you got out of that conversation?”
“Well excuse me if I stopped listening to the rude man. A lordling? Is that what they think I am?”
I cuffed my idiot brother on the back of the head and together we resumed our journey.
Vala suspected Arminius, and he was right to. Vala suspected me, and he was right to. There was one significant problem with recruiting allies: People talked.
How many allies could either of us recruit before someone talked to Varus?
* * *
Contrary to Vala’s assessment, Deudorix and the Sugambri had no plans to celebrate. Based on the muted welcome we received in his hall, I suspected he was hard pressed to offer us so much as a meal and a blanket for the night.
First he sent us to his healer to conduct that business. The garlic salve smelled wretched, but it was worth a try, and the grandmother who came up with it happily imparted her precise instructions to Levin. I made note of each step and ingredient, knowing Levin was as likely to forget all the steps as he was to forget a few of them.
Then Deudorix left us waiting in his hall. One hour turned to two, then three as the sun sank lower in the sky. Not even his wife appeared, nor any of his daughters, if he had any still residing in the village. He was an older man, so it stood to reason if he had daughters, they were long married off to other tribes. He had sons lurking about, I knew that much. Even his scalcs avoided us, except to offer water while we waited.
“You’ll have to forgive me.” His voice boomed from across the longhouse, in the back where I saw a door tucked away. “I’ve spent the evening soothing wounded prides and raw nerves. I’m hungry and tired, so please tell me what really brought you two all the way to my home. Don’t waste my time with that healer business. I think we all know better than that.”
Apparently the only person who believed my reasons for visiting the Sugambri was Segestes.
He sat heavily upon a thick, well cushioned chair at the head of his table, and we slid onto benches opposite him. I glanced around the curiously empty hall. No dinner. No ale. No sons or chieftains. No other guests. It was dinner time, past that for most tribes and families, judging by the low sun. In the summer months, the sun didn’t set until well into the night. Orange and purple light outside meant it was late, indeed.
Too late to play games, and the odd privacy meant I could speak freely.
“I know you made a deal with Arminius,” I said. “I’m…we’re here to see if you won’t deal directly with us, the Cherusci. I’ve already negotiated with the Chatti, and they stand with us. If it’s a rebellion you want, we’re the ones to provide it.”
I’d practiced that short speech all day, all through the night and day prior. Now that it was out of my mouth, it seemed insufficient. I wanted to appear direct, a contrast to Arminius’ silver tongue. Instead the words felt deficient.
Deudorix looked much the same as I last saw him, though today’s tunic offered brighter colors and more beaded necklaces hung down his neck, playing a hide-and-seek game in the braids of his beard. As I last saw him, his impassive expression betrayed nothing.
He whistled once, and a male scalc I hadn’t yet seen appeared.
“Ale for the table. And bring out that boar I know Cook is hoarding.”
At least he was willing to listen. We waited in silence until the scalc returned with cups and a pitcher of ale, all while sweat dotted my forehead and palms. Not until a platter of roasted boar appeared on the table did he speak again.
“Apologies for your reception.” He tore off a hunk of cold meat and indicated for us to join him. “My wife is ill, and we had to send most of the village scalcs to deal with this inventory business. It would appear Arminius doesn’t quite have the full trust of his superiors he claimed.”
That morsel of bait fell between us. I hardly tasted the seasoned boar as I chewed, nor the ale I washed it all down with. This was exactly the sort of politicking and dissembling at which I was terrible. Just awful. Give me a sword and tell me who my enemy is. Tell me what needs to get done and I will do it. But this? Verbal games, truths packed into lies designed to test each other? It went against my nature.
Was he gauging my loyalty to Arminius? No, my presence here attested to the fact that I had none. Perhaps it wasn’t a test at all, and I was reading too much into his words. My footing was uncertain here.
“It’s not surprising,” I said. “No matter what titles they bestow on us, they will always view us as barbarians first.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. The Gauls are happy enough, aren’t they?”
“We’re not Gauls.”
His face lit with a smile. “No, we are not Gauls. So, you’re here to make me choose between you, an untested woman whose father and chief I know for a fact remains loyal to Rome, and Arminius, the Cherusci turned Roman who may be plotting to fuck us all in the end?”
Yes, that about summed it up.
“She’s been tested plenty,” Levin said, sitting forward and driving his forefinger into the table as he made his point. “She’s been fighting since she was a girl, and our tribe would fall apart without her. Segestes may be our chief, but Thusnelda is the one they all turn to. They’ll go with her.”
My chest swelled with affection. Levin had never said anything like this before, and I warmed all over with the knowledge that he appreciated all I did. There was at least one family member who liked me. Segestes loved me, I knew that, but in a strangled way. His love was tempered by the fact that he didn’t understand me. He wished I was something else, a biddable and compliant daughter. Wout and Lennart… I shuddered at the thought.
“Does he speak true?” Deudorix asked.
I lifted my chin. “He does. I can’t promise you all the Cherusci will follow me, but most will. Much the same as your tribe, I’d imagine.”
“We are free people.” He raised his cup, and Levin and I did the same thing. After we took our drinks, he said, “I don’t know about this business, though. You and Arminius raising competing armies for the same purpose. Don’t mistake me, you seem capable and had you come to me first, I would have joined with you. But you can’t raise two confederations at the same time. Why not join with him?”
My teeth ground. “As you said, he can’t fulfill his promises. He doesn’t have the trust of his leaders, and frankly, he doesn’t have the trust of our people.”
Deudorix shrugged a big shoulder. “I’m not so sure about that last part. He’s got a fire to him other warriors like. And we need someone the Romans like, which Varus seems to, even if these other officers don’t. I just don’t know. I’ll tell you this: Nothing you just said can’t be resolved by you and I joining with him. He doesn’t have to be the war chief, only the man on the inside. What do you say?”
I didn’t know what to say. Prior to coming here, I thought there were two likely outcomes: Deudorix embraced me and we supplanted Arminius’ ill-formed plot, or Deudorix chased me out of his territory himself.
When I failed to respond, he stood from the table. “Think on it. You’re welcome to stay the night here.”
We bid him goodnight, and when we rode out the next day, I still didn’t have an answer for him.
* * *
Konrada’s brother, Ualter, returned to the village with the other arrestees, along with a small coterie of Germani auxiliaries hungry for a good meal and a break from their training. The more seasoned auxiliaries hailed from a few tribes to the south of us, and they kept weather eyes on the new recruits.
They only had two days before they had to return to the main body of the ala, so I corralled Konrada with me to help prepare a feast in celebration of their return. She followed at my heels, chattering and eager no matter what task I put before her, including cleaning fish. When Segestes grumbled about the extra resources our impromptu feast called for, I assured him I would personally see to it that the best fishers hauled in extra for drying. Dried fish was often the only meat we consumed throughout the winter.
I was helping the cooks haul bread from the ovens when Ualter himself found me.
“Princess.” He bobbed his head and looked anywhere but directly at me.
“Ualter.”
His cheeks turned a ruddy pink, making him appear far younger than his almost twenty summers.
“Can I talk to you? Um, outside?”
This should be interesting. I couldn’t remember a single time he and I had ever spoken privately. I dusted my hands off on my tunic—it was soiled, anyway—and led the way out of the sweltering kitchen house, then down a path between buildings until we emerged alongside a spelt field. The green shoots stood a few feet high and swayed lazily in the breeze. No one could sneak up on us out here, or lurk around a corner and listen.
He swept a hand out to the tops of the plants and chewed the inside of his cheek.
“Well?” I folded my arms across my chest.
“I know, um, it’s just…”
“Wodan’s sake, spit it out.” Frankly, I expected more of a backbone from the man who so brazenly tried to steal from a Roman supply store.
“I thought you should know that Arminius is planning something, against the legions.”
He surprised me, but not for the reason he likely expected to surprise me. Either Arminius was feeling out potential traitors in the ala or word had spread quickly. Too quickly.
“Yes, I’ve heard this.”
His face fell with the disappointment unique to children when you aren’t nearly as excited about what they have to say as they were expecting.
“Oh. All right. I just thought, you’d, I don’t know, want to talk to him or something. Maybe you could get our tribe committed to the cause.”
My eyebrows shot up. May the gods spare me from another man suggesting I work with Arminius.
“He already approached me.” Ualter didn’t need to know more than that, especially if he ran right back to Arminius.
That crestfallen look on his face unfortunately brightened at this news. “Excellent. I knew you’d be with us. Will you be going with him next week, then? He’s going to try to get the Mattiaci on his side while we’re there doing our inventory.”
Despite my effort to remain cool and detached, a smile stretched my lips.
Not only did I now know where Arminius was off to next, but I also had an unwitting informant among Arminius’ own troops.