Caledonii: Birth of a Nation. (Part Four: The Romans Invade) Read online

“Aye, dhruid. I will.”

  “Calach, son of Ranald, chief of the Caledon people.” Uwan swiveled his head to face his older brother. “You work for the good of the clan, but you are young and impetuous. You need the wisdom of age to dull your energy, and you will find this in your father. Without your father’s help, you will not succeed. Your father is the head of the clan; without his influence and his allies, you will always be seen as a usurper. Embrace him and learn from him.”

  Calach waited for Uwan to finish, then nodded his head in turn.

  “Aye dhruid, I hear you and listen.”

  Uwan extended a hand to each of them.

  “Listen to my words and take heed.”

  The pair looked in silence as Uwan made a whispered prayer. Then he smiled, and embraced his father and brother.

  Tears were flowing from all three, as they mumbled their farewells.

  Uwan turned his back on them, straightened himself, and walked away; the tears forgotten, the moment over, his thoughts on his journey ahead.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Can he do it?” Sewell asked. His words were swallowed by the night. The dark stones rose into the starry sky.

  “If there is one who can, it is Uwan.” Quen’tan liked Circal Rosich. Although not in his clan’s territory, it was the most powerful stone circle.

  “I will feel responsible if he fails.”

  “T’was Kheltine that sent him, not you?” Quen’tan’s voice carried an edge of humor. “Either he succeeds, and Pell falls, or Pell is weakened in the trial. Either way, we weaken them both.”

  “The order is weakened by this.”

  “But the order will survive.”

  Thus ends Part Four of Caledonii.

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  Ian Hall