I've not done a little Sneaky Peeking Sunday lately, so today I'm sharing a bit from my soon to be published After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks - Book 3 of my Celtic Fervour Series - coming in only 23 days!
Why is it a similar title to Book 2 of my Celtic Fervour series which is After Whorl: Bran Reborn?
It's similar because Book 2 is the story of Brennus of Garrigill who assumes a new identity after the Battle of Whorl which occcurs at the end of Book 1 in AD 71. The actual battle is only barely mentioned at the end of Book 1- The Beltane Choice - but its aftermath has many ramifications for Brennus of Garrigill who is not dead as is presumed when the battle is over.
Restored to health Brennus assumes the new name of Bran, believing he can't ever return to his former home at the hillfort of Garrigill. He becomes Bran of Witton, Witton being the Celtic roundhouse settlement that the Romans force him to live at.
Operating as Bran, Brennus becomes a member of a spy chain which feeds information to King Venutius of the Brigantes, details about Roman expansion in Brigantia, northern Britannia.
Ineda of Marske, the granddaughter of Meaghan the old healer who nurses Brennus back to health, also becomes part of the spy chain, only knowing him as Bran. Towards the end of Book 2 Ineda and Bran are set upon by a Roman patrol. Brennus/ Bran is again left for dead but Ineda can not be found. Since Brennus is unable to locate the young woman he has come to love as a woman rather than as a foster-sister, he vows to continue his life in the service of his king. Ineda is not dead but is forced to slave for a Roman tribune- Gaius Livanus Valerius. This action covers the years of approximately AD 71- AD 73.
Book 3 After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks continues the tales of both Bran and Ineda as the Roman empire make their imprint on the northern areas of Britannia.
This extract is from the very beginning of Book 3. I hope you enjoy Bran deciding the time really has come to pay a home visit.
 |
| www.123rf.com |
After Whorl: Donning Double
Cloaks
Chapter One
AD 74 Beltane – Garrigill, Brigantes Territory
“Who are you?” The warrior’s eyes lit up in shock, even a
little fear, as he took in the sight of the man who approached the tall wooden
gates of the hillfort at Garrigill.
“The man
you think I am, and yet not that same man. Though I am not a dead warrior
either.” Brennus could not have wished for a better guard to be at the entrance
to his old home.
“We thought
you gone from us after the battles at Whorl. Grond was sure you must be dead.”
“I know you
all must think that, but I lived in spite of my injuries.”
Relief
spread when his old friend began to smile, acceptance creeping across his
familiar features. He grinned at the hearty laugh which bellowed into his ear,
Dairmid’s clasp across the shoulders the warmest greeting he had had for many a
day.
“The face
may be different, but the voice is unchanged!” Dairmid’s inspection was acute
as he continued to slap his palms lightly at Brennus’ upper arms in cheery
fashion, still amazed by his arrival.
“Brennus I
am, but not quite the same person you used to call friend. I am also now named
Bran of Witton.”
“Welcome
then, Brennus or Bran. There is surely a story to hear about that. We have long
missed your drawn out tales ringing out around our hearthsides!”
Dairmid
stood back and took stock of him. His old friend’s keen gaze at his ravaged
face no longer bothered him. He appreciated Dairmid’s next words as much as the
genuine welcome in the man’s grin.
“What’s a
scar or two to a Celtic warrior? We all have them somewhere. But come and tell
your brother, the chief of Garrigill, where you have been. Your arrival will be
such a surprise to Lorcan.”
He was
certain it would be an immense shock, though he hoped a pleasant one. A long
time had passed since he had seen his brother wend his way to the Brigante
Tribes dealings with Cerialis, the Roman Governor of Britannia.
“Garrigill
is quiet, Dairmid.” He deliberately kept any censure from his tone but from
what he had seen on the approach to the huge hillfort of Garrigill there was a
poor guard force at its gates.
“Quiet?”
His old friend paused before he latched on to the meaning. “We have a large
area to patrol and few able warriors to do it.”
Having come
up through the series of defence ditches that surrounded the settlement,
Brennus assessed in his usual fashion, his gaze a swift move to both right and
left. People ambled around, but not in the numbers he would have seen before he
left for the battle at Whorl.
“We have
even fewer able warriors now, Bre…Bran. Whoever you wish to be named! The
defeat at Stanwick left us with many dead, male and female.”
“My
brothers, Locan and Gabrond?”
“Both still
live. Gabrond fretted as any warrior would but he never recovered enough after
Whorl to go to battle with King Venutius. He remained in charge here at
Garrigill, though Lorcan will tell you all. You have much to catch up on.”
They
reached what had been his father Tully’s roundhouse but was now the hearth of
his brother.
“Lorcan?”
Dairmid’s
call brought a small child running out through the entryway of the roundhouse:
a little boy who stopped short at Brennus’ feet and then tumbled over in a heap
alongside.
“Slowly,
little one. Learn to walk properly before you run.” He picked the child up in
his arms, certain he knew who the child belonged to. The eyes and facial
features were exactly like his brother Lorcan, the hair a slightly lighter
bronze than what he remembered of Nara.
The little one had to be his nephew........
If you haven't yet seen the book trailer video yet, here it is:
Book 1 - THE BELTANE CHOICE is available in print and ebook formats from
B&N, Smashwords, W.H. Smith, Waterstones, and other retailers.
Book 2 - AFTER WHORL: BRAN REBORN is available in print and ebook formats from
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1bNcpNk Amazon
US
http://amzn.to/1jaYWFw
Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, W.H. Smith, Waterstones, and other retailers.
ps. Today on the Amazon.com genre chart: kindle >historical>Celtic Britain>fiction
#1 is The Beltane Choice and #11 is After Whorl: Bran Reborn.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=kindle+historical+celtic+britain+fiction
Look out for more, in the coming days, about my forthcoming release...
Slainthe!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading my blog. Please pop your thoughts about this post in the comment box. :-)