Pathways of the Druids

J Pine Christopher

Description

In AD 60 the Roman Empire occupies Britannia, destroying its ancient culture. Under the leadership of Boudicca, the Iceni rise up against Nero's forces but it is a losing battle. Yet the Druids are masters of nature, and in a final desperate strategy to avoid slavery, the priests summon their greatest magic to open a portal into an alternative world. One last Celtic tribe, the Ordoveteii, race to cross the threshold...

Sujets

• Children's
• Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)
• Historical fiction
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 11 mars 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781907203664
• Langue: English

Extrait

Contents

Front Matter ......................................................î Tîtle Page ......................................................î PublîsHer ïnormatîon ...................................îî About tHîs Book ...........................................îîî About tHe AutHor ......................................... îv

Patways O he Druîds ................................... 1 A Strange Trade ............................................ 1 Dangerous CHoîces ...................................... 12 Rescue ........................................................ 28 he Return ................................................. 44 A Meetîng o Frîends................................... 62 A Sacred Rîtual .......................................... 85 he GatHerîng Storm .................................. 93 Judgement ................................................ 113 Move Swîtly ............................................ 121 Between he Worlds .................................. 137 Speedy Travel............................................ 148 he Cauldron ........................................... 158

Back Matter .................................................. 180 he CHaracters, Creatures And Gods .......... 180 A Glossary O Terms.................................. 191 Also Avaîlable........................................... 196

PATHWAYS OF THE DRUIDS

An adventure in oter worlds

Crîstoper J Pîne

Publiser Inormation

Pubîsed în 2013 by oca egend www.oca-egend.co.uk

Dîgîta edîtîon converted and dîstrîbuted în 2013 by Andrews UK îmîted www.andrewsuk.com

Crîstoper J Pîne © 2013

A rîgts reserved

No parts o tîs pubîcatîon may be reproduced, stored în a retrîeva system, or transmîtted în any orm or by any means watsoever wîtout te prîor permîssîon o te pubîser.

Cover desîgn by Tîtanîum Desîgn td www.tîtanîumdesîgn.co.uk

Cover îmages and edîtîng by Nîge Peace

About tis Book

ït îs AD 60 and te Roman Empîre occupîes Brîtannîa. ït îs a tîme wen te îgt o reedom îs beîng brutay snufed out and an ancîent cuture destroyed. Under te eadersîp o Boudîcca, guîded cosey by te druîd prîests, te ïcenî rîse up agaînst Nero’s orces. ït îs a osîng batte. Yet te druîds are masters o nature, wît knowedge and skîs tat te Romans can ony îmagîne. ïn a Ina desperate strategy to avoîd deeat and savery, te prîests summon teîr greatest magîc în an efort to open a porta înto te aternatîve word o Trîannaîb. One ast Cetîc trîbe, te Ordoveteîî, race to cross te tresod... hîs nove îs a brîîant bend o antasy and myt, magîc and îstory. And to our modern, spîrîtua way o tînkîng, te îdeas o parae words and wat-î îstory do not seem at a unrea.

About te Autor

Crîstoper wanted to wrîte tîs book because as a young boy e greaty enjoyed readîng excîtîng adventure storîes, so decîded to ofer a story or oters to enjoy He as aways îved în ondon, ‘a norma man’ wît a basîc educatîon. But ten, e says, rea educatîon begîns wen you eave scoo and you begîn to reaîse wat îe îs about. One o îs great înterests as aways been te study o ancîent cutures - te Greeks, Romans and Cets - and te pîosopy and knowedge e as gatered îumînates every page o tîs, îs debut nove. ït îs wonderuy îmagînatîve and, yes, reay excîtîng.

A Strange Trade

We are în tHe parallel world o Trîannaîb, meetîng îts înHabîtants. he Roman Empîre îs unknown Here, and a Celtîc Europe îs developîng.

he dwar sîpped on te muddy ground and e down te sma îock. He was seventy-two years od now, mîdde-aged or a dwar, and was sîgty overweîgt. Hîs ace was ova saped wît brown eyes, grey aîr and a sort grey beard and moustace. Hîs donkey ooked quîzzîcay at îm and snorted as e ay sprawed on te cod ground. he day was not startîng we and e stî ad a way to go beore e coud deîver îs bocks o îce to te înn în te orest. hîs was îs usua busîness or te tîme o year. He was to barter te îce în excange or cot and eater so tat îs amîy coud make ardy cotes tey coud excange, în turn, or coa and oter goods wît te oter dwarven amîîes wo îved în te îg mountaîns. Metrîs genty pîcked îmse up and, ater quîcky brusîng îmse down, put îs eater cap back on and pued îs eavy back wooen coak around îmse to keep te cod away rom îs bones. Startîng back up te îock to îs cart e tougt to îmse tat îe was îndeed beîng very unaîr to îm, a poor kînd dwar în tîs and o Trîannaîb. Hîs donkey and cart were waîtîng. ït was mîdday now and te sky was becomîng overcast. He et ît startîng to raîn as we as grow coder. He took some nuts rom îs pocket and put tem în îs mout to cew, smîîng to îmse as remembered te nîgt beore wen e’d et îs vîage. He ad paîd an od dwar prîestess to orete îs uture; se’d gone înto a trance and tod îm tat a great opportunîty woud be ofered to îm, o trade and rîces. Drîvîng te cart onwards aong te track, e began to enter te orest and genty encouraged te donkey to go aster. He wanted to

arrîve at te înn, te One-Eyed Magpîe, beore te onset o twîîgt as e reay dîdn’t want to be out în te orest ater dark. Harbman ooked out o te back door o te înn at te orest track. He was o average eîgt, overweîgt and bad wît a round ace. Hîs îgt bue eyes were dead, ackîng any sîgn o kîndness. He was înnkeeper ere and survîved în îe by usîng any sady opportunîtîes tat came îs way. He muttered quîety to îmse. “Were are you, Metrîs? ï can’t gîve my customers sort measure î tere’s no îce în te gass to I ît up!” He sammed te eavy door sut and turned around, strîdîng înto te back room beînd te bar. Hîs wîe was tere, scodîng a young save gîr wo’d been et wît Harbman în payment o a gambîng debt. he gîr’s name was Rronîs, about seventeen years od; se’d been captured în a trîba raîd wîe away rom er ater’s maîn camp. A sîm gîr, on er et arm was a tattoo o a boar, and on er rîgt arm was anoter tattoo o a snake. Her aîr e down to er souders, Ine and bonde, and er eyes were sades o green and brown. hîs, wît er pae skîn, made er quîte attractîve. Se wore a dark bue dress tîed at te waîst by a patted eater bet and brown eater ace-up sandas. Rronîs was strong-wîed. Her ater ad tree wîves and oter cîdren, so se coudn’t ep tînkîng tat se’d be mîssed; but te ope o rescue was begînnîng to ade. Se was conused; se adn’t aways been a save and ated te sîtuatîon se was now în. Se knew tat escape was goîng to be dîicut, and runaway saves wen caugt were aways ung. Se stared sueny at Harbman’s wîe. Wîda ooked up at er usband as e came înto te room and souted at îm: “Fend Harbman, tîs gîr îs azy and wortess and now se’s reusîng to do any work. Even wen se does work ï’m sure se breaks te crockery on purpose! he stupîd gîr’s stî makîng er sîy caîms o beîng a trîba cîe ’s daugter too.” Harbman gowered angrîy at te save gîr.

“Wîda, don’t worry about er. Pay er no mînd, just eave er aone. Wy don’t you go and put anoter og on te Ire în te bar, so our guests don’t get cod?” Se sammed te door beînd er as se went înto te bar o te înn. To take er mînd of te save gîr, se busîed erse coectîng some o te empty cîna pots and stokîng te Ire. ït was begînnîng to get dark now. Se paced a res as og on te Ire and raked over te du embers. hey gowed and quîcky started to catc te new og aîgt so tat soon te sweet sme o te burnîng og began to spread around te room. Wîda took a îgt rom te Ire and went to te candes tat were perced on te roug stonework o te was. As tey sputtered aîgt, teîr Lîckerîng began to pus te gaterîng sadows back înto te corners o te room. ookîng around se saw tat ît was quîet or te tîme o year, wît very ew peope vîsîtîng te înn tat nîgt. At one tabe tere were two od men, orest cutters wose trade was cuttîng back te brus rom te orest pats and seîng wat tey’d cut as ue. Aarrîs, one o tem, caed out to er. “Wîda, etc me a reI, and one or my rîend ere, we’re dry.” “Sorry about te deay,” saîd Wîda, “but ï’m avîng to do a te work round ere. hat save gîr îs so azy. We’ ave to se er. Aarrîs, peraps you coud buy er rom me?” “ï îke er sape we enoug,” auged Aarrîs, “but ï know ï can’t aford er. And wît my knee beîng no good now, ï coudn’t catc er anyway. Just te ae or me, î you pease.” “Comîng rîgt up. Just te ae ten.” Wîda ooked urter around te room. Near te Ire sat a young man în dark bue and green eavy cotîng; e ad a bow and a quîver o arrows and se’d notîced a sword under îs eavy coak. He ad a reaxed manner about îm, and a e’d mentîoned was tat e was just traveîng troug te orest. At te back o te room was a group o armers wo worked some and at te edge o te orest. hey’d been ere or most o te evenîng and were more tan a îtte drunk as tey auged and

gambed wît dîce. Harbman woud take a percentage o te tabe stakes, as a carge or aowîng te game. ït was gettîng ate now, and no-one ese was expected to arrîve. But just ten te ront door opened, and te wînd bowîng ard outsîde bew out one o te candes on te wa. Metrîs entered and, as te dwar stepped onto te smoot stone Loor o te înn, everybody stopped wat tey were doîng to study te newcomer. “Come însîde woever you are and sut te door,” Wîda caed out, “and eave tat cod buster outsîde.” he ot aîr smeîng o ae wased over te dwar as e sut te door and entered te One-Eyed Magpîe. He took of îs at and untîed te eavy cord rom around îs wet coat. “hanks, ï wî, Wîda,” e repîed gruly, “and ï’d be obîged î you’d get me some ot ood. And ask Harbman î e coud open te gates to te yard and ook ater my donkey. hat’s îs îce on te back o my cart.” “O course ï wî,” se repîed more kîndy. “Sît yourse down at te tabe by te Ire and get some warmt înto your bones. ï’ brîng you some ood.” Metrîs put îs damp at and coak on a stand, and dragged a arge wooden caîr to te sîde o te tabe cosest to te Ire. Wîda reappeared, bustîng over to te dwar wît a tray, and e was soon eatîng a arge bow o tîn soup and some semî-stae bread. Beore ong, Harbman waked over wît a jug o ae and a drînkîng pot and sat down at te tabe. eanîng over, e poured some ae înto te pot and pused ît over to te dwar. “ï’m peased to see you, Metrîs. Were tere any probems on te road?” “No rea troube, but ît’s so cod out tere wît te wînd bowîng of te mountaîn. ït reay cuts rîgt troug you.” “We, are you eeîng reresed now?” “hanks. ï needed some ot ood. But ï’m în a urry and ï’d îke to oad up te cart tonîgt wît te cot and eater, as îs our usua arrangement, so ï can be of at Irst îgt. My wîe Ramy doesn’t îke me stayîng away too ong.”