Beyond the Wall

Book excerpt: With a strong Northeaster pounding the shoreline Antonius, a veteran centurion, believes his evening will pass uneventful. His calm is disrupted when a bedraggled group of teamsters appear. The supply convoy has been ambushed. Antonius’ calls out his century to rescue the precious goods. What follows is a brief, brutal fight with a band of Jutes, to recover the goods. Unknown to the Romans not all of the raiding Jutes were killed. One boat escapes across the North Sea to tell Ragnar One-Eye, their king, his brother is dead. He flies into a fit of rage. Driven by his anger Ragnar gathers his warriors to seek revenge on the Romans and departs for Britain. Meanwhile, Antonius successful recapture of the caravan leads to his being ordered investigates the new threat to the balance of power. A new enemy just might bring catastrophe to Roman grip on Northern Britain. Using a map captured from the Jutes, in the first skirmish, Antonius heads north on a collision course with Ragnar. Both Jutes and Romans for the moment have forgotten the Picts who are planning on destroying the Jute toe hold on their land and recapture their people. Ragnar’s lands at the Jute outpost and hatches a plot to enlist the Picts to aid him in his quest for revenge. He sends a messenger, a released captive to find the clan chieftain Angus McKay, to parley with. Angus taken by the surprise by Ragnar’s offer asked for time to think. Angus is unaware his only child, a daughter, Maeve is held captive by Ragnar in the village. Ragnar toys with Maeve. She resists. When Ragnar goes out to meet with her father she escapes. On his return, finding her gone, Ragnar vows to track her down. Followed by his oath brothers sets out to recapture her. Maeve in her flight discovers her father. Their reunion is short lived as Ragnar appears in hot pursuit. Maeve and Angus run for it and collide with Antonius column. In a brief fight Maeve is recaptured and taken by Ragnar back. With surprise gone on his dawn attack on the Jutes and another enemy, the Picts, before him Antonius has to make a choice, who do I fight? With his time table running out Antonius joins with Picts and to attack the Jute camp. As sunrise comes, the naval assault begins lobbing flaming missiles among the Jute boats. Flames and destruction are the order of the day. Late Angus’ clansmen arrive and join the Romans. Caught between the vise of a sea and land attack the Jutes run for their ships. Desperately, trying to find a path out to regroup the priestess, Bronwhen, is enlisted to uses the ancient relic. This buys time for the Jutes sail. Still bent on revenge Ragnar turns south. While surveying the bloody aftermath of the fight Antonius learns that one Jute boat went south. His sense of duty compels him to follow. The Jutes make landfall first and hike overland to a Roman town where they believe the pickings will be easy.