The Golden Acorn - Catherine Cooper [78]
They flew towards the grove and just as Camelin predicted, there on a low stone platform, by two large oak trees, was a pile of food.
‘It’s not as exciting as a takeaway but at least it’s edible.’
‘It’s probably a lot healthier,’ observed Jack as he saw the collection of fruit, nuts and brown bread.
‘Oh, by the way,’ added Camelin, ‘Roman soldiers were always hungry too. They’d eat anything they could get their hands on and raven was on the menu!’
‘They ate ravens!’ gulped Jack.
‘Oh yes. It wasn’t anything personal. They ate crows, jackdaws, peacocks, geese and swans too; anything they could catch. We’re both going to have to keep well hidden and out of range of any arrows. I used to have a really hard time at first when I started flying around the area.’
Jack and Camelin ate their fill. They found a tree close to where Camelin thought he’d been attacked and settled down to wait for first light. As Jack rested he realised that Nora had been right. Returning to the past might be dangerous; the last thing he wanted was to end up being roasted by hungry Romans.
REVELATION
This was the first night Jack had ever spent in the open. He’d never slept on a branch before either. Not only was it uncomfortable but each time he nodded off he relaxed his grip and almost slid off his perch. He understood now why Camelin liked his raven basket so much.
Jack was still awake when the dawn chorus began. He wondered how Camelin was able to sleep through all the noise. People in the houses below were stirring too and starting their daily chores. He could see a woman in a woollen cloak visiting one of the fenced off areas. She stooped low and opened the door of a small hut; hens scurried out eager to leave their coop. They quickly made their way to the front of the round house and started scratching around a pile of grain. He watched the woman collect eggs from the hut and carefully place them in a basket. There were pigs in an enclosure next to the house and sheep in the adjoining field. He’d seen pictures like this in history books at school but this was real. It was happening before his eyes!
There was light on the horizon.
‘It’s morning,’ said Jack as he gently nudged Camelin.
‘I know. I’ve been awake for hours.’
Jack didn’t think that was true because mingled in with the dawn chorus he distinctly thought he’d heard Camelin snoring. He wasn’t about to argue the point; they’d got more important things to think about.
‘What next?’
‘We wait. It can’t be long. The Romans will be breaking camp about now and getting ready to march. They’re somewhere in the trees. You’ll see them soon.’
‘Now we’re here do you remember anything else about what happened?’
Camelin took a deep breath and sighed.
‘I remember running. I kept off the road and out of sight. I used the tall grasses and reeds for cover but their razor-sharp edges cut into my arms and legs. I couldn’t afford to stop and rest. I had to get back to Gwillam as quickly as possible. The two plates I’d already collected were safe inside my tunic. It was starting to get light when I arrived at the edge of the grove. I knew something was wrong; I’d expected Gwillam to be waiting for me. I kept out of sight and moved as quietly as I could from tree to tree until I reached the shrine. Gwillam was slumped across the well.’
Camelin stopped talking. Tears welled up in his eyes; he swallowed hard before continuing.
‘I was too late. I knew he was dead. I thought the Romans had taken the plate; the whole shrine had been ransacked. I remember sinking to my knees and biting my lip so I wouldn’t cry. I didn’t know what to do next. I couldn’t move or take my eyes off the well. It was then that the first rays of sunlight hit the water and I caught a glimpse of the plate’s reflection. It was still hanging on