The End of Things Ch. 02: Storm Crow

That night, that first time with Berta changed my life. But for it I should have stayed at Gariannonum and, in all probability shared its fate, but Fate, God, the old Goddesses, or just pure fluke, saved me; there have been times when I wondered whether that was an unmixed blessing?

Merlin asked my father whether he could speak to myself and Berta alone. Usually my father was keen to take command of any conversation, so I was struck by his willingness to leave us to it.

"We meet again Berta. Who is this pretty little thing, a new lover?"

Merlin's voice was low and deep, you had to adjust your ears to it, but once you did so, he held your attention. I could feel myself blush at his words. Berta smiled.

"Well, you said we would, what brings you here, Storm Crow?"

"As you say, Berta, the storm is almost upon us, and it is my mission to try to divert it, and to do that I need to anticipate its direction. Are you and Edwin and the tribes just raiding, or is something more planned?"

Berta smiled.

"You know how these things are, Storm Crow, where one group succeeds, others follow. Yesterday's disaster will keep our people away from Gariannonum, but there are many other places where we may find easy pickings."

"Pickings, or land and more?" Merlin's voice had dropped half an octave, and he held Berta's gaze.

"More, you know how it is on the other side of the Roman Sea, we need more land, we are being pressed by invaders as the Roman world crumbles, here might be a refuge for us."

"I am coming back with you, Berta, I need to get in touch with my brother Druids. We cannot let all that we have fall apart because of the weakness of Rome."

He looked at me.

"And you, child, you are the daughter of Artos and the sister of Artos. Yes," he said, looking through me, "you will have your part to play. You will come with us. Now I must talk with your father."

So saying, he stalked from the room, leaving Berta and I stunned.

"Who is he, Berta? Is he a wizard?"

"He goes under many name my dear, we call him Storm Crow as he comes on the wings of the storm and bears bad news always. In his native land he is called Merlin and is a Druid. He knows many things that were, and will be, he is not to be taken lightly."

At that point my father came in, a serious look on his face.

"Merlin says you are to accompany him on a mission, Carwen. I cannot say the thought fills me with joy, but his word is not to be denied. He had promised to keep you safe."

My father drew me to him and hugged me.

"Shrimpling, you will be missed. We love you. Take care."

An hour later, to the accompaniment of copious tears from my mother, and envious glances from others, I sat in the stern of a galley with Berta, Merlin and Edwin were already busy talking.

As we sailed along the estuary, I thought to myself how beautiful it really was, this background to my life. I heard the marsh-harriers warbling, and the swish of the water as the bows ploughed through it had an almost hypnotic effect. I watched astern until the land had quite vanished suddenly feeling desolate. I was grateful for Berta's hugs.

She felt warm, and I loved her scent. Her big breasts provided a welcome resting point, and she helped mitigate the sickness I felt as the boat was carried on the tides to her homeland.

The harbour was filled with ships, and I admired the way our captain navigated the hazards. As we moored, I noticed there was a reception committee. Edwin was immediately enveloped in a crowd of people, and Merlin turned to us and said:

"I shall be back this evening, keep safe!"

At which he vanished.

I felt anxious. I could not quite work out what people were saying. Their tongue was not vastly different from ours, but just strange enough for it to take some time to adjust. Berta was met by some of her sisterhood, and she took with me her to join them.

I was overwhelmed by the scents and sounds of the port and felt small and vulnerable; but Berta kept me close to her, and by the time we reached our destination I was feeling if not less anxious, then less lost.

The mead and meat they fed us was most welcome; it reminded me it had been some time since I had eaten. That restored life. I could see that I was an object of interest, and was sufficiently comfortable with the language to understand some of what was being said.

"So, Berta, this little one, is she one of us? Is she a sister?"

The speaker was a tall. blonde woman with prominent breasts in a low cut gown. I'd have put her in her late twenties. She was animated and radiated a sort of charisma.

"Reyna, my dearest, yes, she is one of us, indeed I just initiated her," Berta replied.

"Is she familiar with men, or is she really one of us?" Reyna pressed her point; I could see it mattered to her, but did not, then, know why.

"No, my darling, she is a virgin with men. Can you imagine them wanting one shaped as she is?"

I felt myself blushing. I wanted to say that even if men had been interested, I was not, but of course I didn't. It seemed that a version of me was being put across by Berta to her sisters, and I just had to accept it. It was not, as far as I could judge, as though that made anyone suspicious, far from it, I received admiring glances from the other women, all of whom were older than me. I could not help wondering what Berta meant by "sisterhood," but supposed that at some point I should discover that.

Warmed on the inside by the meal, and on the outside by the roaring log fire, I nestled against Berta and drowsed. It was with a start that I woke to find her gone.

I looked round the room which was festooned with weavings, many of which had on them images of women and stars. It was clear to me it was some sort of communal dwelling, but of its purpose I could not judge. No one was disturbing me, so I pulled a blanket over myself and dozed a while longer.

I was woken by a kiss. I looked up and it was Berta.

"I want you little one, and this is the house of the sisters where all is permitted, do not be shy."

As she had already raised my tunic to expose my kirtle and drawers, I did not think that shyness was a possibility. And as she stripped me, I was aware others could see, but as they were all women, that seemed no matter. Her thighs athwart my narrow hips, Berta removed her gown and bent forward, brushing her breasts across my face; that was the point at which the rest of the world vanished for me.

The feel of her hardening nipple brushing my cheeks aroused me, and as they passed a third time, I fastened my lips onto her left nipple and began to feel her right one. It felt firm yet yielding, and my efforts clearly pleased her, to judge by her moaning. My mouth fasted on her engorged nipple and I sucked hard, flicking it with my tongue. That made her moan louder.

I could feel from the wetness on my tummy that she was without drawers. Her rough hairs rubbed my warm flesh, and I could feel her warmth and stickiness. As she began to ride me, I sucked harder, letting my teeth graze her nipple; she ground her crotch into me harder.

"I want your face, little one," she grunted, moving herself up my body until her thighs were athwart my face. The smell of her wet sex was overwhelming, and as she settled onto my face, I loved the feeling of her squishiness. My tongue found its way to her cleft, and I pushed it between her swollen lips. Her thick, meaty lips pressed into my cheeks as my tongue entered her. She pushed down so that my tongue went in further. Her sex gripped me, and her thighs pressed against my head.

I was lost in an erotic daze. I loved what she was doing, and could feel my own sex was soaking wet and needy. But there was no question of my wants being met. This was about her needs.

She gan to shake, and my face was drenched with her juices when, suddenly, she clenched and came hard. My face and hair were coated in her juices, and as she relaxed and collapsed forward, I felt her tongue on my sex. So aroused was I that I could not help myself moaning loudly. It no longer mattered who else was in the room, I needed to cum, and badly.

Her tongue tantalised me. As she pushed my bud, I screamed out, and when her tongue slipped between my petals I could not hold back. I must have been on the edge, as I came, and came.

As I subsided, she turned and we kissed, smelling of each other.

"You are a good lover, little one, you will make an excellent sister."

Still recovering, I asked lazily what she meant.

"You will see soon, but we must clean up, we have a meeting with Merlin."

One of the other women brought some warm water and we cleaned our faces. I could still smell her on my hair, but did not mind; I liked the sent of her on me.

We met Merlin at what was clearly the Chief's house.

His smile was that of a man who knew what we had been about.

"I am glad you have taken your pleasure my dears, for there is much work to do."

Berta squeezed my hand and looked fondly at me; I reciprocated.

"It was necessary for me to discover the state of play here. As I had thought, Edwin's raid was exploratory, seeking to probe Britannia's defences, and it is plain that there will be more to come. There is pressure on their western borders from raiders from the East, and it seems as though crossing the Roman sea is the easy way out."

"But," I protested, "as long as we have the legions, they will meet with resistance."

"Little one, little one, I admire your optimism, but my information is that the Emperor is getting ready to withdraw the Legions, and what then?"

I looked sceptical. My family was a legionary family, and I literally could not imagine a future without Rome. As though he had read my mind, Merlin went on:

"And without the Legions, Carwen, then what resistance can their be?"

"We have the forts like Gariannonum!" I protested.

"Indeed, little one, but what will that avail us when hundred of raiders land and settle? How will our forts save us?"

It was a question to which, having no answer, I hoped he would.

"So what is to be done?"

"We need to unite, little one. I represent the old religion, but we need to work with the Bishops and the Roman officers who are left to organise a resistance. We already have an example of what might be done, the cavalry force led by your brother, Artos. If we can organise relays of such forces, then we can meet the invaders as they land and decimate them."

"But," I replied, "I don't understand, why do the Saxons let you spy out their plans?"

Merlin smiled.

"As I represent the old religion, I go where I like and do what I like; they know the power of my curse were they to attempt to stop me. But, little one, we must organise - and fast."

As Merlin appeared to be in an expansive mood, I decided to ask him about the "Sisterhood."

His smile took on a lascivious expression:

"Like you, little one, they are women devoted to women, it is the worship of the inner Mother Goddess, and the old religion encourages it in a way that the new religion does not. But then the new religion has in it too many men who fear the power of sex; the old religion harnesses that power. As Berta's acolyte you are now part of that older tradition - unless, of course, you'd like to mate with a man?"

I looked at him, and the horror clearly showed on my face.

"Not me, you little fool, but we can always find a man for a willing woman."

I thanked him for his "kindness," but declined. They very idea made me feel sick. What I had with Berta I loved, but the question was how that would continue?

As though he read my thoughts, Merlin spoke:

"Because your father spared Edwin, Gariannonum will not be targeted by these Saxons, and there is nothing to stop you and Berta continuing together, but if you take my advice, little one, I'd not let your sainted father and mother know anything about it."

As I had no intention of doing so, that advice posed no problems. But it was clear that we would have to part for a while as Merlin intended travelling back now he had discovered the designs of the enemy.

Berta and I parted with a loving kiss, and my heart felt empty, so much so that it seemed to ache; I had never felt that before.

The journey back across the Roman Sea was uneventful, and the sickness that had accompanied my journey out had left me. It was just before dawn that I spied the estuary, and as we made our way down its familiar banks, I felt a huge wave of love. We had to protect out homeland, we had to preserve our way of life. What I had just seen was compatible with our way of life, but I had no sense that any invaders would let us co-exist.

My father and mother were overjoyed, and I went off and helped her get breakfast ready. I could see father and Merlin deep in conversation, and soon after a rider was despatched to the west. As we ate, my father looked at me:

"Artos is on his way, Carwen, the resistance begins here."