Well, here it is, the finale to the gripping saga of Julius Caesar and the tribe of the Nervii. I hope you all have enjoyed reading these tales as much as I enjoyed writing them, and I look forward to reading many other stories submitted here, no matter who or what.
Part Five: Aftermath
Rothlin
The wind lashed the sails as the ship set out from the harbour. Rothlin clung to the side and watched as the coastline of Gaul began to drift away. He knew that he could never return to his homeland, and he wondered if the price he had paid, the price his people had paid was worth anything after all. His thoughts were disturbed as Talia came up from below decks, shielding her eyes from the sun, and smiled at him. Rothlin smiled back. Whatever the price, she was worth it.
Talia walked over to him at the rail, and joined him in staring back at the land they were leaving behind. She gripped his hand gently, and turned to look at him. Do not blame yourself, she said, her voice gentle. There was nothing anyone could have done. Rothlin bowed his head. She was right, there was nothing that he could have done. But he still felt responsible.
After the battle was lost, he had regrouped his forces and ordered them to disperse, disseminating themselves into other tribes. They had grimly acknowledged his order. The Nervii were no more. Caesar had defeated them again, and the best they could hope for was a new life, somewhere among the tribes. Then Rothlin had taken Talia and the people who could not bear to be parted with them, and had ridden for the coast. There they had found a captain willing to sail them away from Gaul, and across the water.
Rothlin turned away from his home for the last time and set his gaze ahead of the ship. On the horizon, looming closer as they sped before the wind, he could see the towering fastness of Ynes Prydein glinting under the sun. His resolve tightened. He and Talia, along with what was left of their people would start a new life here. It would be a long time before the Romans came here, to the final bastion of the Celts. Rothlin nodded slowly. It would indeed be a long time before Rome came to the island called Britannia.
Caesar