As the sun rises on a  fall morning in 55 BCE, Camma lays two pigeons on the altar  at the center of her village. She offers a prayer to Matrona  mother goddess of the Earth, and Lugus chief of the gods. Then, she wrings the birds’ necks and cuts them open to examine their  entrails for divine messages. Camma is a druid. This means she conducts religious rites, but she also serves as a judge, healer,  and scholar, teaching children and mediating conflict  between Celtic tribes. She began her studies as a child, memorizing the countless details  necessary to perform her many roles, since the druids’ knowledge is considered  too sacred to record in writing. Like many druids, she spent years  studying in Britain. Now, she is a resident Druid  of the Veneti tribe in a small farming village near the  western coast of Gaul, in what is now France. Since returning to Gaul, she has received  many offers of marriage– but she has decided to devote herself  to her work, at least for now. This morning, the omens are troubling. They tell of war and strife, as they often have in recent months. A neighboring tribe, the Redones, have raided their village and stolen  cattle in broad daylight twice this fall. The children have gathered around  to watch her work. Camma plays her lyre and sings to them. She weaves stories of the powerful kings  who once ruled their land – brave warriors who were slain naked  in combat but who will be reborn, as will all the Celts. When the children go off  to help in the fields, Camma heads across the village to visit an old woman with an eye infection. On the way to the old woman’s hut, she passes men salting pigs for the  winter food supply and women weaving clothing from dyed wool. She delivers a remedy for the injured eye– it’s made from mistletoe,  a sacred healing plant, but deadly if used incorrectly. From there, Camma visits the chieftain  to discuss the omens. She convinces him to go and talk through  their problems with their neighbors. Accompanied by several warriors, they head through the forest and demand  a meeting outside the Redones’ village walls. The Redones’ representatives bring  their own druid, who Camma recognizes from the annual  gathering in central Gaul where head druids are elected. The chieftains immediately begin to argue  and threaten each other. Camma steps between the opposing sides to stop them from fighting— they must honor her authority. Finally, the Redones agree to pay  Camma’s tribe several cattle. In spite of this resolution, Camma still  feels uneasy on the long walk home. As they approach the village walls,  a bright streak shoots across the sky— another omen, but of what? Back home, Camma sits among the elders  for her evening meal of porridge, a bit of meat, and a cup of wine. While they were out during the day,  an intercepted parchment arrived. Camma recognizes the writing immediately. Although the druids are forbidden from  recording their knowledge, she and many other young druids  can read Latin. From the message, she learns that the  Romans are drawing closer to their lands. Some of the elders say that the tribe  should flee to the nearby hills and hide, but Camma counsels them to trust  in the gods and remain in their home. Privately, she has her doubts. Should the Romans reach them,  her power to help might be limited. Unlike the other Celtic tribes, Roman legions have no regard for  the druids’ sacred role as peacemakers. Before going to bed, she observes the course of the planets  and consults her charts, trying to make sense of the  meteor she saw earlier. The signs are converging on a larger  threat than their neighbors.