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As the sun rises on a [br]fall morning in 55 BCE,

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Camma lays two pigeons on the altar [br]at the center of her village.

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She offers a prayer to Matrona [br]mother goddess of the Earth,

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and Lugus chief of the gods.

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Then, she wrings the birds’ necks

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and cuts them open to examine their [br]entrails for divine messages.

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Camma is a druid.

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This means she conducts religious rites,

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but she also serves as a judge, healer, [br]and scholar,

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teaching children and mediating conflict [br]between Celtic tribes.

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She began her studies as a child,

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memorizing the countless details [br]necessary to perform her many roles,

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since the druids’ knowledge is considered [br]too sacred to record in writing.

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Like many druids, she spent years [br]studying in Britain.

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Now, she is a resident Druid [br]of the Veneti tribe

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in a small farming village near the [br]western coast of Gaul,

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in what is now France.

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Since returning to Gaul, she has received [br]many offers of marriage–

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but she has decided to devote herself [br]to her work, at least for now.

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This morning, the omens are troubling.

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They tell of war and strife, as they often[br]have in recent months.

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A neighboring tribe, the Redones,

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have raided their village and stolen [br]cattle in broad daylight twice this fall.

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The children have gathered around [br]to watch her work.

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Camma plays her lyre and sings to them.

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She weaves stories of the powerful kings [br]who once ruled their land –

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brave warriors who were slain naked [br]in combat but who will be reborn,

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as will all the Celts.

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When the children go off [br]to help in the fields,

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Camma heads across the village to visit[br]an old woman with an eye infection.

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On the way to the old woman’s hut,

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she passes men salting pigs for the [br]winter food supply

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and women weaving clothing from dyed wool.

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She delivers a remedy for the injured eye–

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it’s made from mistletoe, [br]a sacred healing plant,

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but deadly if used incorrectly.

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From there, Camma visits the chieftain [br]to discuss the omens.

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She convinces him to go and talk through [br]their problems with their neighbors.

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Accompanied by several warriors,

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they head through the forest and demand [br]a meeting

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outside the Redones’ village walls.

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The Redones’ representatives bring [br]their own druid,

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who Camma recognizes from the annual [br]gathering in central Gaul

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where head druids are elected.

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The chieftains immediately begin to argue [br]and threaten each other.

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Camma steps between the opposing sides[br]to stop them from fighting—

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they must honor her authority.

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Finally, the Redones agree to pay [br]Camma’s tribe several cattle.

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In spite of this resolution, Camma still [br]feels uneasy on the long walk home.

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As they approach the village walls, [br]a bright streak shoots across the sky—

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another omen, but of what?

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Back home, Camma sits among the elders [br]for her evening meal of porridge,

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a bit of meat, and a cup of wine.

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While they were out during the day, [br]an intercepted parchment arrived.

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Camma recognizes the writing immediately.

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Although the druids are forbidden from [br]recording their knowledge,

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she and many other young druids [br]can read Latin.

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From the message, she learns that the [br]Romans are drawing closer to their lands.

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Some of the elders say that the tribe [br]should flee to the nearby hills and hide,

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but Camma counsels them to trust [br]in the gods and remain in their home.

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Privately, she has her doubts.

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Should the Romans reach them, [br]her power to help might be limited.

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Unlike the other Celtic tribes,

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Roman legions have no regard for [br]the druids’ sacred role as peacemakers.

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Before going to bed,

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she observes the course of the planets [br]and consults her charts,

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trying to make sense of the [br]meteor she saw earlier.

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The signs are converging on a larger [br]threat than their neighbors.