Empire’s Edge

For Liz and Therry CharactersRomansAgricola Gnaeus Julius Agricola, former governor of BritainAnsgarius Faustus’s optio in the First BataviansArrius Laenas legate of the Second AugustaCaecilius tribune on Sallustius Lucullus’s staffConstantia daughter of SilanusDiulius Naso Constantia’s husbandFaustus Faustus Silvius ValerianusGaia Valeriani (Guennola) Faustus’s mother; deceasedIndus soldier of First BataviansLartius Lartius Marena the younger, tribune formerly attached to Second AugustaLartius Marena Lartius Marena senior, father of LartiusLascius surgeon with the First BataviansLucius Lucius Manlius the younger, son of SilviaLucullus Sallustius Lucullus, governor of BritainManlius Lucius Manlius senior, husband of Silvia, father of LuciusMarcus Silvius Marcus Silvius Valerianus, father of Faustus; deceasedMarcus Silvius Minor Marcus Silvius Valerianus Minor, older brother of Faustus; deceasedPaullus Faustus’s slaveSilus ex-army surgeonSilvia sister of FaustusSilanus senior surgeon of the Second AugustaGaels and others in Inis Fáil (Hibernia)Aíbinn a DruidAilill eldest son of Elim and king of UlaidBaine daughter of ElimBeric one of Faustus’s captainsCassan Tuathal’s father’s manCennétig chief of the brehonsConrach mac Derg heir to Sanb of ConnachtDai one of Faustus’s captainsElim Elim mac Conrach, High KingElwyn man of Tuathal’s armyEochaid king of LaiginEochu Eochaid’s nephewFiachra Tuathal’s father’s manFinmall Tuathal’s father’s manFoirbre king of An MhumhainLlwyd one of Faustus’s captainsMorcant Elim’s second sonOlwenna Baine’s maidOwain one of Faustus’s captainsRiderch Laigin landholderSanb king of ConnachtSechnal Chief Druid of ConnachtTuathal Techtmar exiled claimant to throne of Inis FáilBritonsAelwen wife of CalgacosCalgacos former leader of united CaledonesCadman Epidii chiefCelyn one of Calgacos’s Kindred, killed in battleCeridwen daughter of CalgacosCoran Harper harper and one of Calgacos’s KindredCuno a traderCurlew Old One of the sidhe of LlanmelinDrust hound in Aelwen’s householdEfa Rhion’s wifeEirian Orkney womanEmrys overchief of the CaledonesGuennola original name of Faustus’s motherGwladus Dobunni woman hired to take care of Silvia and LuciusHafren wife of EmrysIdgual spear brother of PiranMagpie one of the Old Ones, of the sidhe of Tarvo DubronMatauc young chief of the mainland CornoviiNall chieftain of the mainland CornoviiPiran Caledone lordRhion one of Calgacos’s Kindred, husband of EfaRotri a traderSalmon Curlew’s brother, of the sidhe of LlanmelinStarling one of the highland Old OnesSwyddog younger Druid of Rhion’s householdVellaunos Chief Druid of Calgacos’s clan I. OWAINEARLY SUMMER, 838 ab urbe condita, from the founding of the City, in the fourth year of the Emperor DomitianThe men from Hibernia were a bright ring around Tuathal where he sat in the great chair by the hearth. And where had that chair come from, Faustus wondered. It was just enough like a throne to make a statement.Cassan, the youngest of the three, wore enough gold to sink a small boat and a woolen cloak of bright red and green like a parrot. His pale hair fell over his shoulders as he leaned forward. Fiachra was older, no less showily dressed, with a formidable dark mustache and bright blue cloak over a scarlet shirt. Finmall was brown-haired and lanky, with a lazy way of moving that made Faustus think of Galerius, in Isca Silurum with the Second Legion Augusta where theoretically Faustus should be also. The assignment to help Tuathal Techtmar train his motley war band to retake his father’s throne in Hibernia was strictly unofficial.Finmall was doing the talking. All three of them spoke British with a soft overlay of the tongue of the island they called Inis Fáil and the Roman’s Hibernia. “Eochaid Ainchenn of Laigin will come to your banner when you land.”“What surety of that?” Tuathal asked. He was tall and lankier than Finmall now, some seven years since Faustus had first met him as a boy of fourteen with his father’s sword and a single-minded purpose. His dark hair was bound with a gold fillet, and he sat at ease in the great carved chair, his boots to the fire. It was summer but the coastal villages of the Epidii were chill at night when a sea mist rolled over them like a cold blanket.“His word, and because Laigin is in your path to Elim mac Conrach and Eochaid does not find Elim mac Conrach worth Laigin’s blood,” Finmall said. “Not anymore.”Tuathal nodded. He and Faustus were both inclined to take Finmall’s assessment as truth. Finmall and Cassan and Fiachra had been his father’s men before Elim mac Conrach of Ulaid had usurped the throne by murder, which as far as Faustus could tell seemed to be the way that the High Kingship generally changed hands. It was at any rate the way that Tuathal’s father had acquired it from the king of Ulaid who had succeeded Tuathal’s grandfather. The lesser kings of Ulaid, Laigin, Connacht, and An Mhumhain were bound to the High King only so long as he could hold the throne, and clan ties counted for more than political ones. Fiachra, Cassan and Finmall, lordless after Elim’s victory, had attached themselves instead to the merchants who traded across the water to Britain and Gaul and whose caravans were tempting targets, supplemented by raids on those who declined their services. They had had twenty-one years to go where the merchants went, which was everywhere, and to listen.“What of Foirbre of An Mhumhain?” Tuathal asked and Finmall shook his head. “Elim has been dangling a marriage with his daughter Baine before Foirbre and Sanb of Connacht both. Foirbre will back Elim.”“And Sanb of Connacht?”“Sanb will wait and see.” Sanb was second or third cousin to Tuathal in some leftwise manner that Faustus couldn’t follow. It meant that he might be either more or less inclined to back him.“Elim has hinted that he favors Sanb,” Cassan said. “But if he gives Baine to Sanb he loses his best hold on Foirbre.”“Sanb will likely send an emissary,” Fiachra said. “As will Eochaid.”“They will need gifts,” Finmall said. “Just slightly more valuable than those they bring you. But only slightly.”“And Elim will send an emissary in response to yours,” Fiachra said. “Who must be sent now, before you sail. He’ll get no good answer but it must be done in proper fashion if you want the others to follow you.”“Which of you three?” Tuathal asked and Faustus watched with interest as they