VI. Visiting the Iceni

When Jun turns ten (10) years old, he was now allowed to venture outside the camp but of course, he's not allowed to venture farther than the Iceni tribe.

"Uncle Cnaeus, I plan to visit the Iceni today. I'll return tomorrow at dawn. Tell mother not to worry." Jun said.

"Young master Jun, I cannot allow you to venture alone. You are the future of Rome! Let me organize guards for you." the aged Cnaeus replied to Jun.

"I'm sorry Uncle Cnaeus, but I'm not asking for your permission. I don't need guards either, I want to socialize with the Iceni. Guards will just cause them to be cautious of me." Jun said in strong tone.

After a half day of journey on foot, Jun arrives. The sentry guards were the first to approach him because of the style of the clothes he wore was of Roman.

"Child, are you lost? The Roman camp is in that direction." Sentry guard 1 said.

Thanks to myself, I studied different languages when I was a toddler.

"I came from the Roman camp, I just want to visit the Iceni. I wish that you'll allow me to enter. I mean no harm as I'm a child and curious." Jun replied.

"Fine. I'm impressed that you speak our tongue. I will notify our Chief about your arrival, stay here with him while I'm away. Pray that the Chief is in good mood that he'll allow you to enter." The sentry guard 2 said.

After an hour of waiting, sentry guard 2 returned.

"Boy, the Chief allowed your entry. I have a small briefing with you though, do not enter any house, do not attract attention and do not bother busy people. Sight seeing is the best and only thing you should do inside because you are a foreigner. To sum up, stay out of trouble." Sentry guard 2 briefed.

"Understood." Jun leisurely replied.

As I made my entrance, I saw a lot of beautiful but dirty women. They lack hygiene because bath is not as popular in their culture probably because of the climate, unlike in our camp, Romans find ways to obtain a stable clean water source for hygiene but not to the point where its like in 21st Century though, but at least they do efforts for hygiene in this era.

Various people have blue paint in their faces, are those safe for human skin? I still prefer cleanliness, it doesn't add up to your armor. But I respect their tradition and beliefs, its just in my mind.

As I walk deeper in their settlement, I saw a stone shrine, maybe for druids and alike? And then as I get closer to the shrine, a weird looking man grabbed me and stared straight into my eyes.

"I see immense power in you foreigner, you are not mortal. Tell me, are you a God? And what do you seek in this world?" The druid said to me in a creepy way.

"Uhmm, I think you got the wrong person. I'm just a visitor and a normal human." Jun denied the accusation.

"You do not need to hide it from me. The moment you set foot in our land, I already felt your presence, the power bursting out from you. Now tell me, is there anything you need me to help you with?" The creepy druid said.

"No, I'm good. Just go, do your normal stuff. Pretend that we did not talk. I'm not here to attract attentions and unnecessary trouble." *shoo* *shoo* Jun tried to break the conversation.

The creepy druid just smiled in a very nasty way showing his almost black teeth while moving back to the side.

Jun continued his walk and quicken his pace. He landed to a seemingly a huge residence, looks like a Long house.

'This house looks grand for a barbarian. I think this is the residence of the Chieftain. There are a lot of people going in and out of that huge door at the front. Maybe thats their Tribal hall? I guess I'll just sneak in at the back door.'

'Whooh, that was easy. I just went inside the door at the back and surprisingly there's no one inside here. This place looks like the kitchen. Hmm, let me taste this. *blurghh*

I don't like their food.'

Jun carefully went further inside, he found the door leading to the great hall where they seem to be having a Tribal meeting. Jun went to the other door, where he found a stairway leading to the second floor. As he reached the second floor, there are four doors. Among all of those doors, the one at the end looks decorated and so he proceeded to that door.

As I went inside, this room surprisingly has a harp. I looked at the other stuffs and even the cabinet, yeah I'm that curious as to whose room is this. As I opened the cabinet, I found women clothes. At the same time, I heard footsteps heading this way. I need to hide! Okay, maybe I can hide temporarily in the cabinet.

"Hmph, why is everyone so paranoid! All I ever wanted was just to explore the outside world and then I'll return when I'm done. Is that very hard to permit? I also know how to fight and I'm even excel in the bow. Why do they think that I'm still their little meek baby girl?" A girl about thirteen (13) years old talked to herself.

As the girl opened her wardrobe, she found a boy inside it. She quickly moved back and grabbed her pocket knife to point at him.