“When the whisperings of a love struck monk brings the wrath of elves, all may be lost.”
Avery watched from the shadows near the chapel’s smaller side exit. Stars twinkled from a clear black blanket above. The Sentinels standing on the curtain walls, above the only exit, had already turned to make their steady patrol around the chapel. It wouldn’t be long, Avery knew, and so did the butterflies twirling in his stomach.
As leader of the small congregation, sneaking out made Brother Avery feel very cheap. But that’s what he was doing, what he had been doing for nearly five years. He had betrayed the brotherhood to which he had vowed a lifetime of servitude. And yet, to give in, to reveal his secret, would be to betray Dagney and Katriona, to bring death on them all.
Avery closed his eyes and let his thoughts fill of Dagney and the child, as he always did just before making his break for the gates. Those images gave him strength to quell the butterflies flittering in his stomach.
The Sentinels disappeared along the wall and behind the chapel. Avery took one last glance around. With a final deep breath, he shot across the courtyard, keeping the small-unlit lantern and the basket of goods for Dagney tucked tight under one arm. He had just passed through the gate when a booming voice to the left nearly bowled him over.
“Late to be sneaking about the courtyard, don’t you think,” Brother Argile said, his baritone echoing in the stillness of the chapels’ small courtyard.
Brother Avery nearly tripped and fell. He was so startled. It was near midnight and, he thought, except for the sentinels, he was the only one up. When he looked, he saw not only Brother Argile in front of him, but Brother Everus as well.
Avery straightened and squared his shoulders, pulling the tattered edges of his simple brown habit straight and regaining a measure of his composure. “Indeed, it is Brothers. I should expect the pair of you to be snoring in your beds at this hour.”
“Indeed,” Brother Argile mocked, pointing a stubby finger at the basket Brother Avery carried. “Just going out for a late night picnic are we?”
“A bit late for that,” Brother Everus chuckled, “I’d guess he’s going to visit his woman.”
Brother Avery fought back his surprise. “The poor will always need the aid of the congregation.”
“Indeed,” Brother Argile mocked, “you have forgotten your vows, Brother Leader. Or am I mistaken?”
“I have not forgotten the oath I took and you should remember the punishments I can exact upon you for such accusations,” Avery retorted.
“Hardly a concern,” said Brother Everus. “Do you think us stupid and blind? We know of your violation of our laws. We know you have forsaken celibacy for the evils of lust. And we have hoped you would come to us with these confessions to repent of your sins. But alas, Brother Avery, we will take matters into our own hands, as we must.”
“You will all be punished,” Brother Argile added.
Brother Avery’s Blue eyes widened and the other two brothers didn’t miss the moment of terror that quickly subsided as Avery regained control. “On what grounds? You have only speculation.”
“Nearly enough I should think,” Said Argile, “Many of us have seen the girl in town with her mother. The child bears both her mother’s likeness and yours.”
Brother Everus nodded solemnly. “Come clean, brother. And we shall work through this without the intervention of Abbott Corbin.”
“And who shall lead our congregation during this period of inquisition?”
“There would have to be a vote amongst the other members, but,” Brother Everus paused and looked at Brother Argile as he spoke, “Brother Argile is our most experienced after yourself.”
Avery didn’t miss the gleam in brother Argile’s eyes. Nor did he miss the hint of a smile curling at his lips at the mention of being voted Brother Leader. “Well, so far, the pair of you have not more than speculation. The only way to prove wrong your theory—and I do believe you will find it proven wrong—is a formal investigation from the Abbott himself. It will take at least a week to get news to Abbott Corbin; another week to prepare the necessary magic’s verifying such accusations; and a third week for the Abbott to travel here to perform the investigation. Seems like a lot of trouble for speculation and the possible demerit of your positions within the church.”
Brother Avery paused for a long moment to study the two men, to be sure that he had their attention. Both stared unblinkingly at him. “The woman and the child are of no concern to either of you. Nor is their relationship with me a concern. The personal charities I doll out in the name of the church are of my own matters. Now it is late. I have business, and the pair of you should be getting back to your bunks.” He replied flatly, shoving past the two and stomping off down the street into the small village that surrounded Mount Chapel.
Brother Avery slowed his pace only after he turned the first corner, and only then did he light the small lantern with shaking hands. It had finally come to this. His secret had finally been discovered, and he had done the only thing he could. Buy himself, Dagney, and Katriona a little time.
***
Moments later, Brother Avery approached the small wood planked home Dagney lived in at the south edge of the village. He was only a few feet from the door when it flew open and Dagney darted out to greet him. In that instant he had forgotten his caution, for Dagney was beautiful. Her brown hair had a natural curl to it that bounced fully around her shoulders, framing the delicate features of her face. She rushed out and wrapped him in a hug. “Avery! I thought you would never come tonight!”
He pushed her to arm’s length.
“Quickly, we must get inside,” Avery said, guiding her toward the door and giving one quick glance up the street.
Dagney followed along tentatively, glancing once back along the street herself.
“What is it?” Dagney asked.
“Hurry, inside. We’ll talk in the house,” Avery said, pulling her along. He made certain to shut the door tight behind them.
Inside, candles burned from shelves and mantles scattered throughout the room, lighting the tiny dwelling and scenting it with the smell of strawberries. Two wooden chairs sat opposite the empty fireplace. A red and white striped oval rug separated the distance between the chair and the hearth.
Brother Avery guided Dagney to one of the chairs, then sat in the chair opposite her.
“What is it?” Dagney asked again.
“The other members of the congregation,” Avery began hesitantly, “are beginning to suspect us.”
Dagney nodded, and the look on her face told Avery she wasn’t surprised. After all, how could she be? Even Avery understood that it was only a matter of time. Quite honestly, he was surprised they had made it five years without suspicion.
Dagney leaned back in her chair.
“Then they know,” she said matter-of-fact and as if that one truth had no more meaning than if someone had told her it would rain that night.
Avery’s blue eyes widened. “They know,” he reiterated.
“Yes, they do then,” Dagney replied resolutely. “Maybe it’s time to stop sneaking around. We can be a family. We can be together without fear.”
Brother Avery breathed a deep sigh and looked at the floor. “It’s not that simple. The crimes I’ve committed are unforgivable in the eyes of the one god and in the eyes of the brothers.“
“What crimes?” Dagney retorted, moisture now rimming her eyes.
Brother Avery looked at her for a long moment, not wanting to speak. He could feel that awful twinge of guilt, for he knew he had hurt Dagney by not allowing himself to forsake his vows, knew further that his next words would equally wound her.
“You,” he said at last. “I spoke on oath to the church a vow of celibacy. I’ve broken that vow.”
Dagney spoke one word that seemed to ask and say so much and yet managed to come out like a simple plead. “Why?”
Avery watched her for a long moment. Tears were now running freely down her cheeks and her breath came in short sobs. Avery let his eyes find the floor in front of him. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted.
Avery knew the young woman truly did not understand. She was a full-blooded Cryst, and a member of the indigenous and elusive tribes that lived in the nearby Eltwood. In her culture, holy men were permitted to marry. It was not a sin to raise a family. Indeed, family was encouraged amongst the holy men of the Cryst culture.
Despite the sobs, Dagneys’ voice sounded clear. “What will your punishment be?”
“Not just my punishment,” Brother Avery said, his eyes still on the floor.
“Our punishment.”
Dagney’s eyes widened, and the sobs stopped momentarily. “Our punishment! Katriona and I have done nothing to deserve punishment.”
“The church will not allow any evidence that its laws were disobeyed. All of us will be punished.”
“And by punishment you mean,” Dagney asked, not daring to fill in the blank.
“Execution.”
The word had no more left his tongue when a light thud hit the floor behind him, followed by the patter of tiny feet. In just a moment, a small girl of five with dark brown hair was standing beside him, rubbing the sleep from big blue eyes that matched Averys’ own.
“Brudder Avey,” she said, a smile finding her lips as her arms stretched up to him.
In that moment he wanted so much for her to call him father, to set aside the responsibilities of his station and take the roll of husband. To do so, he knew, would be disastrous. Gently, he lifted her to his knee. She immediately reached for the Crux, the symbol of the one god that he wore on a leather thong around his neck. Avery slipped it over his head and handed it to her. Content, Katriona curled up against him, clutching the god symbol in her tiny hands.
When Avery looked back at Dagney, the woman was smiling warmly, though tears still rimmed her eyes. He motioned her to him as well. The young woman slipped from the chair, taking his opposite knee and laying her head against his shoulder.
They sat in silence for a long time. Brother Avery in his thirty-five years had known much success with the church, rising to the position of Brother Leader and establishing this small community on the Kingdom’s eastern border. This, though, he hugged the girls, young and old, close to him, was his greatest accomplishment. It was something he could never have imagined the day he joined the church and spoke his vows of celibacy. Never in a million years could he have imagined meeting this woman and falling so deeply in love with her that he might break his word. But that was exactly what happened. And now he had a choice to make.
“We could run,” Dagney Whispered in his ear.
“Where would we go?”
“The mountains,” Dagney replied, “To live with my people.”
Indeed, that idea had already crossed his mind. Though they would have to cross Eltwood forest to avoid being caught along the road, a dangerous place. Elves, not friendly with the humans of the lower kingdom, lived there. And the forest itself was full of dangers. How could they possibly traverse the width of that maze of trees to find Dagneys’ people? No, that wasn’t an option yet, especially since the other Brothers had just become aware of his crimes. He must find a way to buy some time, to throw the others off track. Then maybe they could gather the supplies to make the journey to Dagneys’ people by a safer route, perhaps avoiding the Eltwood altogether.
“Eschezbaron,” Brother Avery mouthed quietly to himself the name of the strange being he had discovered in a natural well on the site where the chapel now stood. It had been during the construction phase almost ten years ago when he discovered the creature, the entity, really. He had removed a suspicious-looking stone during the process of leveling an area for the chapel and the entity had charged out, attacking him blatantly with chanting rhythms that wrought powerful energy in bolts that had pounded and scorched his body. It had taken all his strength to summon magic powerful enough to force the entity back into the hole. And when he finally accomplished the task, he hadn’t told any of the others. Instead, he had a special chamber built around the area, and Brother Avery possessed the only key. Over the next five years, he developed a relationship with the entity, that is, until he met Dagney.
He hadn’t spoken to it in ages now, and he wondered if the thing even still existed. “The entity will know what to do,” he said mumbled. It always knew how to deal with the other men of the congregation. It would know how best to deal with this problem as well.
Dagney stiffened and looked at him, her head slowly shaking from side to side as she registered his thought. “You mustn’t,” she insisted.
“I can control it,” Brother Avery replied.
“No,” Dagney replied evenly, “Eschezbaron can not be controlled. He represents an evil only the elves of the Eltwood understand.”
“Eschezbaron can buy us the time we need to make preparations. To gather supplies, we need to make the trek to your people,” Brother Avery continued.
“We don’t need much,” Dagney replied. “I remember the ways of the mountains and my people will not be hard to find. Let’s just go. Tonight! Please. Forget Eschezbaron.”
Avery seemed not to be listening.
“Brother Argile and Brother Everus will act fast. I’ll speak with the entity tonight. Perhaps there is a way to throw them off our plans, buy us some time for a head start. Without it, we will be pressed well into the Eltwood.”
Dagney gave a resigned sigh and laid her head back against his shoulder, reaching out with her left hand to stroke the hair of the child who had already fallen asleep. The small family sat together in this manner for several hours before Brother Avery left, back to the chapel and the entity. It had to be done tonight, for tomorrow the two brothers would spread the rumor and possibly motion for formal enquiry with the Abbott himself.
***
It was late by the time Brother Avery had made his way back to the Chapel. The Cindu, one of Anduan’s two moons, was listing low on the western horizon and a thin rim of light etched the eastern horizon. Daylight would be upon them soon. He must hurry to avoid any more suspicions.
Avery entered the chapel through the double doors at the front, then took an immediate left, heading into the basement. Sneaking back into the chapel didn’t seem to warrant the same caution, and he kept the small lantern lit in front of him.
The lower level was cluttered with kegs and crates of stored supplies, things the monks would need once winter arrived. Avery pushed his way past all of it, heading instead for a smallish door at the back. Once there, he paused to listen and glanced around before pulling a key from a leather cord around his neck. An instant later, he was through the door, shutting it behind him as quietly as possible and resetting the tumbler.
The room was no more than eight feet square. Only a small wooden stool covered in dust stood against one wall opposite a large stone that rested against the opposite wall. A small leather pouch hung from a nearby peg. It, too, was covered in dust. Spider webs trimmed out the corners.
Brother Avery hung the lantern from a peg on the wall before brushing nearly an inch of dust from the stool. With a resigned sigh, he stood and reached for the leather bag, taking from it a soft lump of red ochre. He held the lump in his hand for a moment, rolling the soft material between his fingers. Was this the right thing to do? He had promised Dagney!
“Things were different,” he mumbled. “There was no danger to Dagney or to Katriona. Eschezbaron could help them now. Could give them the means to be free of this place.”
With a resigned sigh, he dropped the leather bag to the floor and then walked to the stone opposite the chair. He bent and tested the stone by tugging at the front of it. It was still secure, as solid as the day it was last placed. Then, using the sleeve of his habit, he brushed the dust away from the floor in a semicircle. He then followed that arc with the red ochre, tracing a semicircle all the way around the stone and then extending up the wall behind it in a mirrored semicircle that connected back with the beginning of the one on the floor.
With careful precision, he drew the proper symbols in red ochre all about the semicircle and then went back to the stool to sit. He reached inside his habit and pulled out a rather simple five-hole flute, and began to play a haunting melody. At first, the tune seemed choppy, and Avery knew it was affecting the magic he now tried to summon. The energy barrier would rise along the semicircle only with the correct notes and fall away with the wrong ones.
It had been years since he played this tune and now he concentrated hard on the task, putting every ounce of his own soul into the music. The notes became clearer and sharper and the energy barrier began to grow steadily until it connected itself in the shape of a translucent bubble against the wall, covering the large stone. Brother Avery continued to play, insuring the strength of his creation.
He took no breaks, but slowly shifted the melody to a more rocking, unsteady rhythm. Slowly, the large stone shifted, issuing a grating sound as it slid to the side, pulled by the force of the monks’ magic.
Brother Avery stopped abruptly. A few seconds seemed an eternity, and still nothing appeared from the hole. Then, suddenly, a flash of bright yellow light burst forth, taking the rough shape of a four-foot tall humanoid. Its face was completely featureless. The entity paced along the borders of the energy barrier containing it, testing the barrier with a fiery finger. Sparks flew wherever he touched.
Eschezbaron suddenly stopped and squared up on Brother Avery and issued a single telepathic question. “How long?”
A confused look came across brother Avery’s face. It had been so long, and the mental intrusions of Eschezbaron were foreign, probing, distracting at first. Then he answered. “Five years.”
“Five years you’ve left me in that dark hole. Five years you’ve neglected me for the sake of that woman. Five years I’ve been ignored, despite the gifts I’ve offered you. And now what, you’ve returned wanting more? Then to lock me up again. And for how long.” Eschezbaron issued the telepathic barrage and began to pace back and forth behind the barrier.
Brother Avery fought the urge to look away, for every fiber of his honest being new he had betrayed Eschezbaron. The entity was dangerous. He knew. But it had also given him so much music, so much magic over the years, that he felt as though he owed the entity something.
“Indeed,” Brother Avery spoke aloud at last, “I’ve not been here to visit in a while. I’ve been keeping a promise.”
“What sort of promise?” Eschezbaron asked, stopping his pacing.
“I promised not to spend so much time here, but to spend my time with Dagney and Katriona,” Brother Avery said. He wasn’t lying. It was true that had been part of Dagney’s line of reasoning, that and the fact the entity was dangerous.
“Katriona,” Eschezbaron echoed the name telepathically, “So the baby was a girl.”
Brother Avery nodded. “She’s as beautiful as her mother.”
The entity’s flames flared angrily, and it bashed at the barrier, startling Brother Avery. “I would not know. I’ve been kept behind this barrier since we met. A secret from the world,” Eschezbaron thought.
“Safe from the world,” Brother Avery argued, though not nearly as emphatically.
Eschezbaron turned angrily and began pacing again, tapping at the energy barrier absently, sending a shower of sparks with each touch. “Five years since I’ve seen you. Something is wrong else you wouldn’t be here now,” Eschezbaron thought. Then the entity turned suddenly on Brother Avery. It’s thoughts coming to the monk in an almost gleeful way: “They know, don’t they? Your brothers they know of your crime. And you want my help?”
“How,” Brother Avery looked astonished, “how could you know?”
“Why else would you come to me after five years? You seek my help and it is the only thing that makes sense. You ought not to have married,” Eschezbaron implored.
Brother Avery, exhausted, for he had been awake now for nearly twenty-four hours, just hung his head and stared at his toes. “Yes,” he answered simply.
The entity’s flames vibrated in brilliant flashes, and Brother Avery knew the vicious thing was amused.
“So what is it you want from me?” Eschezbaron asked telepathically.
“I wish to hide them and the truth from the congregation. But only for a short time,” Brother Avery answered absently.
“So you are leaving then,” the entity guessed correctly. “And what of me, to stay locked here in this prison for eternity?”
Brother Avery was shaking his head before the statement was finished. “No, no, never that. I only wish to hide them long enough that Dagney and Katriona may sneak away, back to her people,” he lied. For he indeed intended to go with them.
Eschezbaron caught the lie clearly, though it said nothing. It paced about the energy barrier while Brother Avery watched, looking very uncomfortable. Eschezbaron enjoyed that look; it gave the entity satisfaction to see the suffering so plainly etched on the man’s face.
“Do you have something, an item you might give to the woman?” Eschezbaron asked at length.
Brother Avery thought for a moment, then produced a small silver chain from the pocket of his habit. A pendant the shape of a raven hung from a silver chain as he held it up in front of him. “I had intended this for Katriona, for her birthday tomorrow.”
“Excellent,” Eschezbaron imparted, “That will do nicely. Lay it on the floor in front of you and I shall teach you a melody to enchant the necklace. But for a price.”
“What price?” Brother Avery asked.
“That you return to see me at least once a week hereafter,” Eschezbaron lied. For it had no intentions of staying here. The magic he intended to teach was such that it would call out to the Elves for help, a call to them for war. And Eschezbaron hoped they would destroy the chapel and discover the entity hidden beneath. He so wanted to be in their presence.
Brother Avery nodded agreement, though he had no intention of returning.
“Take out your flute and follow along.”
Brother Avery did as asked. A rolling melody began to sift telepathically into his mind, and the adept monk had little trouble duplicating it on the flute. His fingers tingled with the energy as he played and became more competent. Then the command came to repeat, and Avery began to repeat, the rhythm gaining strength as he did so. Soon, a thin translucent blue line formed about the end of the flute, and very faintly, he heard the instruction to point the flute to the pendant on the chain. Avery did so and then gave the finishing note, as it was imparted to him telepathically. The blue bolt of energy leapt from the flute and disappeared into the pendant.
Brother Avery sat for a long moment, staring at the pendant. He was physically and mentally exhausted. When he looked up, the entity was slipping back through the hole from which it came.
“Al Quartet,” the entity sent the telepathic instruction to Brother Avery. “Say it to activate the magic, and use it only when you give it to the woman, for it will last only two days. You will have to find another gift to give the girl for her birthday.”
Eschezbaron slipped completely through the hole, and as he did, the stone fell back into its place over the hole, trapping the entity inside. The energy barrier began to ebb and wane and then suddenly just vanished.
Brother Avery scooped up the chain and placed it in his pocket. He must get this to Dagney. He yawned big though and realized he must first get some rest.
***
Nine hours later, Brother Avery awoke in his room. He hadn’t bothered to slip out of his simple brown habit when he had come in earlier. He had been so exhausted that he had simply collapsed in the bed. Now, sitting on the edge of the bed, Avery wondered if it had been a mistake to wait so long before getting the necklace to Dagney. Perhaps he should have gone right out to find her.
He had to admit, though; the rest had felt good and there was one advantage. It was now late afternoon and there would be no need for him to sneak from the chapel. No one would hold any suspicion of him, for he usually took a stroll around the small town about this time of evening.
He got up from the bed and stretched, then smoothed his short black hair into place before checking his pocket to ensure the necklace was still there. Out the door he went, turning down the hall and heading toward the main chapel.
He passed Brother Fenius as he turned out of the main corridor. “Good Afternoon,” the sandy-haired monk said, “Feeling ok Brother?”
“Yes Fenius. I’m feeling good. I believe I’ve slept it off,” Brother Avery answered and continued right on out the main doors of the chapel and into the small courtyard.
Indeed, he felt well. A good rest and a hopeful start made things seem all the brighter, for Fenius seemed not in the least disturbed. He could hardly contain the bounce in his step as he made his way across the courtyard and to the main gates.
But that is where the bounce stopped. Just as he came through the gates, he came face to face with Brother Argile and Captain Winterquest, commander of the small communities sentinels, a group of all women warriors assigned to duty as the military wing of the church.
“I noticed you weren’t in service this morning,” Brother Argile said smugly. “I asked the Sentinels to search for you in the village.”
Captain Alicia Winterquest turned her stern visage on Brother Avery. She was nearly a head taller than he, with a broad frame that many would mistake for being male. She was a competent leader, and Avery had learned to trust her counsel. Now, though, he felt very insignificant indeed, staring up at the imposing woman.
Alicia Winterquest let her gaze rest on Brother Avery for a moment longer before letting the same uncomfortable gaze fall over Brother Argile for an equally long moment. Argile though never bothered to look at the woman, he just continued to give Avery that same smug look.
“I don’t know what all this is about,” Captain Winterquest said at length, “But if I have to send my sentinels out on nonsense missions to find Brothers that are not really missing, there will be reports filed with Abbott Corbin and the Counsel of Enquiries back in Halvington.”
Winterquest allowed her gaze to fall more fully upon Brother Argile. “There will be no question of authority here, Brother Argile. No suspicions and absolutely no deceit. Do not waste my time with any of it.” The woman turned away sharply, heading toward the village and presumably to round up the small search party Brother Argile had sent out for Brother Avery.
Brother Avery stifled a grin and cleared his throat. “Well, I must be off too,” he said and started for the village.
Brother Argile, seeming hardly phased by Winterquest’s speech, stepped into brother Avery’s path. “I should think your charity work was done last night, brother.”
“Uh, ah yes,” Brother Avery stuttered, “But I forgot my crux last night.”
Brother Argiles’ eyes glanced over Brother Averys’ neckline. “Indeed. Brother, you should keep closer to such things that are dear to you.”
Avery didn’t miss the insinuation. “Yes, indeed, I intend to,” he replied, and started off down the street once more.
Brother Argile fell in beside him. “Excellent, I shall accompany you into the village then.”
Brother Avery wanted more than anything to reach out and throttle the man to his left. But new there was little more he could do or say that would not further raise suspicion. Instead, he must be discrete when placing the chain around Dagney’s neck. Or did it matter? Once the magic was in place, there would be little suspicion. Brother Avery shrugged and let out a resigned sigh. “Very well then, come along.”
***
The pair remained silent on their way to Dagney’s dwelling. Words were not necessary, for both wore their emotions plainly on their face. Brother Argile marched along with a smug look on his square-jawed features, while Brother Avery appeared to be distant, as though he were in another land with distant problems.
A few minutes passed, and they were standing in front of Dagneys’ door. Brother Avery knocked and only a moment later, the door swung open to reveal Dagney standing in the dim light of the dwelling.
Brother Argile pushed himself roughly past the woman, who only offered a questioning look to Avery. Avery simply smiled and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Well, where is it?” Brother Argile asked. He spun about, peering into the corners and all about the floor.
“What is he looking for?” Dagney asked.
“My Crux,” Brother Avery answered. And as he did, Katriona came in through the dwellings’ rear door.
“Brudder Avey,” she cried, a big smile squeezing her cheeks into the corners of her eyes. She tried to run to him but was roughly intercepted by Brother Argile.
“Who you?” Katriona asked, her bright blue eyes staring into Brother Argiles’ and her arms working desperately to push him away.
“A friend of your daddy,” Brother Argile answered, giving Avery and Dagney a sly look.
“Daddy,” Katriona repeated, “Who’s dat?”
“Indeed,” Brother Argile replied, and just then, he noticed the crux hanging on a leather cord around her neck. Brother Argile relaxed his grip and let the girl stand before him. He pointed to the crux. “Who gave you this? Did your daddy give it to you?”
“No. Brudder Avey,” Katriona piped and turned a big smile on Avery.
Brother Avery felt a wash of relief that seemed tainted with a lie of deceit. So many times he had wanted to tell Katriona he was her daddy, and yet he knew it was not safe.
“Katriona,” he said, “can I have my crux back? I’ll be needing it for church today.”
Katriona nodded and slipped the crux from her neck and carried it to Brother Avery.
Brother Argile stared at the trio for a long moment, standing close together. It wasn’t hard to see the resemblances. The little girl, like a string, tied Avery and Dagney together in the features of her childish face. There was no mistaken the shape of her blue eyes that matched Brother Averys’. Nor was it hard to pick out the nose that so perfectly matched the smallish upturned nose Dagney wore.
“Brother Avery spends a lot of time with you and your mother, doesn’t he?” Brother Argile said.
Dagney and Brother Avery shared concerned glances, but neither said anything.
Katriona pushed the man’s hand away, “Brudder, Avey helps us. Momma thanks him for his help and says we couldn’t make it without him.”
“I’ll bet she does,” Brother Argile said, a wide smile crossing his face as he looked up at Dagney and Brother Avery. He didn’t miss the fact that the two stood unusually close to one another. Nor did he miss the fact that Dagneys’ hand played uncomfortably with the tattered sleeve of Averys’ habit.
“You may not be willing to admit your wrongs, brother, but you can not hide them. It’s plain to see what is going on here. A formal inquisition with the Abbott of Halvington will place matters straight,” Brother Argile said.
Brother Avery could feel the hotness growing inside him with every word Brother Argile spoke. He had to act and act quickly. He cupped the chain and pendant in his hand and drew it from his pocket. He reached up and fastened it around Dagneys’ neck. She gave him a questioning look.
“A gift for you,” Brother Avery said.
Brother Argile’s eyes went wide and an accusing finger shot out toward Avery, “I knew. . . ,” he began to say, but Avery spoke first.
“Alquartet,” Brother Avery said, his hand cupping the raven shaped pendant on the chain.
A curious expression crossed Dagneys’ face and When Brother Avery looked back to Argile, the man stood there with finger extended and a look of absolute confusion on his face.
Brother Argile wrinkled his brow. “I was about to say something. What was it?”
“I don’t have a clue, brother,” Avery answered.
Dagney looked back and forth between the two, slowly mouthing the word “Alquartet.”
“You need to leave,” Dagney suddenly said with urgency. She guided the two men to the door and whispered in Brother Avery’s ear, “Set a watch tonight.”
Once outside, the door slammed tight behind the two men. Their differences were now separated by the magic of the chain. They stood dumbfounded, looking at the shut door.
“Were we just thrown out?” Brother Avery asked at length.
“What are we doing here?” Brother Argile said.
“We came to get my crux, remember?”
“Oh, oh yes. I do remember,” Argile said at length, “I think. A strange way to do someone after loaning them your Crux.”
“Indeed,” Brother Avery said. “Come on. Let’s get back to the chapel.”
***
Moments later, with brother Argile safely back at the chapel, Brother Avery departed to visit Captain Winterquest. Two things stuck in his mind. One, the magic was only good for a couple of days. And two, well, two struck more concern with him than anything else that had happened that day. Why had Dagney asked him to set a watch on the lower village?
Brother Avery couldn’t answer that question, but despite all his personal gain, he had a responsibility to see that the village was safe. He would see Captain Winterquest and have her set a patrol around the lower village, then he would gather supplies he needed for himself, Dagney, and Katriona to leave. It would be two days before the effects of the spell wore off and they would have a good head start by then.
Brother Avery only knocked once on Captain Winterquests’ office door before letting himself in. The Captain reclined behind her desk, her boots resting comfortably on a corner.
“What happened to your manors, Brother Avery?” Winterquest said, letting her boots drop from the desk and giving Avery an angry glare. “I might have been entertaining a guest in here. And you just come barging in as if you own the place.”
Brother Avery didn’t slow his pace till he was right in front of her desk. “We need to patrol the lower town tonight.”
“What, are you out of your mind? You can’t just come barging in here and tell me where to send my troops and how to secure this post. This sounds like another goose chase, just like that one Brother Argile tried to pull on me earlier this afternoon.”
Brother Avery took in a deep breath. In his haste he hadn’t thought this through very well, and though Winterquest was a competent commander, she was also a difficult individual to deal with.
“Have a seat,” Winterquest said, pointing to the chair beside Avery. “Perhaps whatever it is you are thinking on will come to you if you take a load off.”
“Yes, perhaps,” Avery puffed. It was the first he realized that he had been breathing heavily. He plopped into the chair. A long moment passed before he began to speak.
“A man was injured along the Eltwood today,” Brother Avery lied. He hated the thought of lying to this woman. She had been a trusted advisor for many years. But he saw no other way around it. He needed that patrol in place and needed it urgently.
“I suppose you’re going to tell me he was attacked by elves, then. Or perhaps fairies would be more likely,” she responded dryly.
“I’ve no idea what attacked him. His wounds were real enough.”
“So he was attacked,” Winterquest said with interest and leaning forward on the desk.
Brother Avery nodded. “I tended his wounds.”
“And where is this man now? I should like to interview him.”
“Left,” was all Brother Avery could say. He hadn’t thought this through very well.
“Left,” Captain Winterquest echoed. “Where did he leave to?”
“He took the road south toward Halvington.”
Captain Winterquest leaned back in her chair, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Well, you give me little choice. I’ll set a patrol around the lower village tonight. Tomorrow I’ll send scouts to the Eltwood to investigate.”
Captain Winterquest stood and took her sword belt from the peg on the wall. She slipped it around her waist and buckled it. “You’d best go close the chapel up, Brother, and get some rest. It’ll be dark soon.”
Brother Avery nodded and darted out the door. Completely relieved to be out of the woman’s presence. It was nearing close to dark, and Avery figured he had all evening to gather supplies. With patrols out tonight and tomorrow day, there would be little use in trying to leave too soon. He headed back to his room for some rest.
***
It was a difficult sleep for Avery. Images of Abbott Corbin staring down at him from the seat of enquiry back at the monastery in Halvington kept him rolling and tossing all through the night. Once, he awoke in a dead heat, sweat dripping from his forehead.
“You are to be charged with violation of our greatest code of ethics,” the Abbott said in his dream. And from all around the chamber, other members of the congregation stared accusingly at him.
Avery tossed and rolled. But no matter how he turned, he couldn’t escape the terrible dreams. When morning came, it was a very reluctant Avery that drug himself from bed and began packing his personal items.
He didn’t miss the services that morning and, to his relief, the entire ceremony went off without a hitch. Not one monk bothered to interrogate him about the woman in the village or question his whereabouts over the past couple of days.
Still, Avery felt it best to stay within the confines of the chapel this day. Besides, Winterquest would be sending a patrol across the valley to scout the Eltwood for signs. He and his family could not easily get away. So Brother Avery busied himself gathering supplies for the journey. Gathered up dried fruits and nuts, some blankets, flint and tender, and a small tent he had used back when he first came here. He was in bed early that evening, meaning to get an even earlier start the next morning.
The preparations of the day had removed the presence and seriousness from his mind, and his sleep came a little more restful. Still, when he awoke around three in the morning, he felt a great since of dread. He shook it off, thinking it was no more than his own opposition to leaving the chapel. After all, this place had been his home for nearly ten years.
Moonlight sifted through his lone window as he slipped into his simple brown habit and gathered up his traveling pack. Avery stepped into the hallway, locking the door securely behind him. In just a matter of minutes, he found himself standing in the yard outside the chapel. But it wasn’t the dark, quiet place he expected.
Monks ran all about, their flutes in hand, some kneeling over wounded men from the village. Others used the healing magic of their flutes to heal wounded Sentinels. Over top of the small curtain wall, Avery could see flames licking the night sky, and he knew they came from the small village around the chapel.
The pack slid from his shoulder and his jaw gaped open. In all the ten years he had been here, nothing like this had ever happened. He rushed toward the gate and just as he passed through, he came face to face with Brother Fenius. The man’s left arm hung limp at his side, blood saturated the sleeve of his habit.
“Brother Leader,” Fenius said, “The fighting has stopped, but so many are hurt.”
“Fighting, what fighting, where?”
But Brother Fenius looked as though he would pass out at any moment. Avery turned and saw two monks nearby working with the wounded. He motioned the pair to take brother Fenius inside.
“Have you seen Captain Winterquest?” Avery asked Fenius.
Fenius didn’t answer, but just pointed toward the town with his good arm. Avery didn’t miss the fact that the general direction was toward Dagneys’ home.
“Get yourself inside,” Avery said and turned at a run heading toward Dagneys’.
Only fifty paces from Dagneys’ dwelling, he ran into a group of Sentinels. The women, in their battle armor, swords in hand, looked as though they expected attack at any moment.
“Seal off all the alleyways and set a perimeter around the village,” came a command from the center of the group. Avery knew it was Winterquest.
He paid little attention to the group and instead darted past them and into Dagneys’ home. Nothing inside was out of place. Everything except that Dagney sat in the chair next to the fireplace, her back to the door. She seemed so still, and then Avery heard the sobs and knew they were coming from Katriona.
Avery rushed forward, panic welling in his gut. Katriona sat on the red and white rug, grasping her mother’s hand.
Avery knelt beside Dagney, and that was when he noticed the stab wound in her chest. Dagney tried to smile, he thought, but her features were so ghostly. Blood pooled on the rug around her feet and in her lap.
“Alquartet,” Dagney said, her voice barely audible, “Ancient Elven words that mean to strike here.”