It was Lughnasad, the air was full of talking and laughter. As always people where eating, drinking, teasing and provoking each other and like many times the door creaked when someone enters the large storytelling hall. Only this time a deathly silence came over the crowd and everybody turned there heads to see who was there...

In the doorway stood a big female warrior, dressed in a frayed cloak that moved in the wind the same way as her dark red hair that see whore in a braid. She had to bow her head when se walked in trough the small door. I am looking for the Bardic storytelling contest! She set with a heavy woman’s voice. When she spoke, her belly muscles moved and her skin appeared to be of gold by the light of the many candles and torches that lightened the place. She had golden torques around her heavy upper arms, a glittering golden fibula secured her cloak and you saw the fireplace reflected in her green eyes. A rusty chain mail hangs over her shoulders and covers most of her body. In contrast of the rust, was a shiny blade of a large sword that she carried above her legs and that spread spots of light by her movement. The full moon behind her throwed beams of pale light in front of her, making it the people difficult to overlook the whole of her appearance.

"you’ll have to be over there" set a old men who's beard and moustache where full of beer.

The female warrior took a table and sat on it with her face towards the crowd, Here rough voice filled the room as see started telling here story...

My name is Skatha (for you guys Scathach!) and I came to tell you my story and then maybe you’ll understand how I became who I am...

As a baby I was found on a killing field by a gang of plundering German warriors who where advancing along the south off the river Rhine. I must have bin born there during that battle because I was naked, all covert with blood still attached to my navel string and lying there in a pool off amniotic water while they found me among the ruins off a burned out shelter...

A flock off ravens flow around me, so they called me son off the ravens. (The stupid barbarians couldn't tell de difference between a baby boy or a girl.) They took me along further south during there campaign until they where stopped by the legions of Ceasar. Many where slaughtered and many where taken into service as Velites and send to Numibie to fight the Carthaginians, among them was the ravengirl... all that time I lived with people who earned there money by fighting and killing...

After years they discovered that I was a girl and took advantage of that... But soon I couldn't take it anymore, I took a sword and solved the problem the way I saw problems being solved all the time. I hit the raping fellow with his own weapon and messed him up so badly that his own chaps couldn't recognize him anymore. He screamed like a pig and so alarmed his colleagues who game looking to what was happening...

Again they found me naked and covert with blood but this time not so helpless anymore. I fought my way out trough the curious crowd, leaving behind a trail off blood, scattered flesh and crashed bones. After that bloody goodbye, I ran in to the wilderness and there I was alone in the African desert...

There I figured that fighting would be the purpose off my life and so I joined the enemy and started my career as a warrior within the ranks off Hannibal. I fought many battles at his service and even accompanied him crossing the Alps where we scared the hell out off these "almighty" Romans. But unfortunately they regained there strength and crushed our forces. Since then I was sick off the smell of blood and rotten body’s. During all that I med a lot off Celts and among them many Belgae, who are to me not only the bravest but also the best company you can get. These Celts made me realise that I was one off them, so I joint the few that had survived, on there journey back home... ...my home...

Back home, I even found the village where I must have bin born somewhere near the river Rhine. When I saw these burned houses and human bones lying all over the place, something broke inside of me. I told my fellow warriors to walk on while I left behind. I buried myself in the remains of the village and his owners and I cried. I must have bin crying there a whole season, without noticing the freezing cold of the winter that created a large is field out of my tears. I wished to be reborn as a tree in the spring, but the Gods decided differently the spring melted the ice and turned the ground below it into the swamp where I started a new life. All these years my fighting skills became known through out the Celtic world and young men where send to me to learn these skills. So I became, a arms master...

After Skatha told here story to the crowd who was listening breathless, she stood up from the table. Now you understand? Skatha set and walked out of the big hall all the time she was there is has been quiet in the place, but as soon she disappeared thru the door it was full with talking again but, without the laughter...

Outside, the darkness was already making place for a new day the very early people and the ones who stayed up very late could see Skatha emerge towards the large tree that stood there in the middle of a square. In front of that tree she grabbed here cloak and tired of a peace. She stood upon here toes in order to tie the ribbon on a branch as high as she could get it. Then she fell upon here knees and spook some ancient words. After those words a large flock of ravens appeared from behind her, loud flapping and screaming filling the tree she sat by. After that she stood up and walked away, one by one the ravens flew up and accompanied her on the long journey back home...