The latest battle was finally over and won yet the usual victorious celebrations were woefully lacking. The companions, battered and bruised slumped around the table in the private dining room they had hired with their spoils - weary, reflective and eating their meal quickly and quietly hardly tasting the food. The exhaustion after so long a fight had sapped them all and it had been a far closer result than any of them were happy to admit.
The door kicked open with a loud bang as Therion struggled in carrying a tray of tankards which he thumped down and divvied the cups out to the others. Ophilia pulled her mug closer and looked at it in some confusion.
'Um...Therion...' She said quietly 'This would appear to be beer'.
'Observant ain't ya' The young man retorted throwing himself down in a chair next to Alfyn.
'Well.. I ..yes, but I don't drink beer'.
'It ain't going to kill you Sister.' Therion leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table. 'This is the bit where she gets on her high horse and sermonizes us all on the evils of drink,' he stage-whispered towards Alfyn who looked back at his friend and shook his head sadly.
'Uncalled for mate. I'll go and get you something else Phili.' Alf flashed a reassuring smile at the Cleric.
'No need, I have water.' Ophilia arched an eyebrow at Therion 'And quite frankly Master Thief my breath is too valuable to waste it sermonizing to you.'
'Actually,' Cyrus pushed his bowl away and assumed what was generally referred to as his lecturing pose. 'I am quite sure that 'sermonizing' is not a real word. Further to that I don't recall a single time that Sister Ophilia has ever indulged in any kind of recrimination for our many and varied sins. To my mind she is simply too kind to point out our flaws.'
A slow blush crept up Ophilia's neck and blossomed in her cheeks. 'Thank you for your faith Professor - but in truth it who am I to judge others? I feel that perhaps your judgement of me may be coloured more by the robe I wear than the actual woman within it.'
'Interesting thought my dear.' Cyrus murmured. 'Yes I suppose it could be easy to make a character judgement based on expectation because of your calling, although to my mind that would be lazy thinking. There is merit to your observation but I believe I will stand by my opinion that you are kind .' He smiled handsomely at the Cleric.
Uneasy silence gathered around the group once more, broken only by the metallic clink of Tressa counting coins and the scratching of her tally and a low murmur as Alfyn checked his fellows hurts and made adjustments to their bandaging. H'aanit moved to assess Linde, then happy with her companion's wellbeing she loped over to sit beside Ophilia.
'I wishe not to dwell but I admit to curiosity,' H'aanit said in a low voice 'I knoweth little of your church and its traditions. Is thy aversion to alcohol a requirement of thy role?'
It was Olberic that replied with a snort of laughter. 'Hardly that,' he chuckled 'Some of the best drinkers I ever encountered were men of the cloth'.
'Truth!' Cyrus agreed 'When they come to the university many are able to put even the students to shame.'
'It's not so common among the Sisters,' Ophilia amended with a smile 'But no - it is certainly not forbidden'.
'So what's the big deal Phili?' Primrose had been resting her head on the table appearing to be sleeping but she looked up now 'Why deny yourself a bit of liquid relief?'
Ophilia looked around at the faces of her friends, all of whom were regarding her with interest - even Tressa had stopped her counting and was staring. Unaccustomed to the attention, the Cleric wrapped a protective arm over her chest and shrank back a little in her seat closing her eyes and searching for the right words. Alfyn came up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder squeezing gently. 'You don't have to explain anything Phil, some people like it and some don't - simple as that.'
'Pfft.' Therion had taken his feet off the table and was learning forward eagerly 'Come on your Holiness, colour me interested - but I wanna know.'
Ophilia looked directly at Therion and smiled at him with a genuine heartfelt warmth. She reached out to the mug he had given her and drew it closer breaking eye contact with him only to look down quizzically at the amber liquid in the vessel. She looked back up at the thief and her eyes narrowed.
'Up for a challenge Therion? I will drink this but you have to take responsibility for the consequences.'
The young man scowled back at her 'What is it? It makes you sick? I gotta clean it up right?'
Ophilia gently shook her head. 'Not long after I took the robe, I found myself ministering to a young girl in great distress, found alone in an alleyway freezing, starving and in labour.' the Cleric sighed. 'For near eighteen hours I battled to save both mother and infant but in all honestly I knew from the start that it was not going to go well. The girl, in her pain and her misery had relinquished hope and the outcome... it was as I supposed, neither she or her babe survived the experience.'
There was silence as Ophilia paused to gather her thoughts.
'Perhaps it is an excuse for my subsequent poor judgement - but my failure weighed heavy on me. The greatest pain however came from the simple, inescapable knowledge that this tragedy was not an isolated case. This poor child was but one of so very many all around me for whom life was such a horror that giving up was the kindest option. In my despair I found I had no heart to go back to the Church that night and instead I found myself in an alehouse - and you can imagine the quality of the establishment by the fact that covered in blood as I was - I created no kind of reaction when I entered.'
More silence. No-one even twitched. Ophilia ran her finger over the mug of beer in front of her.
'And so I drank.' She finally continued. 'And with each cup of this wonderful elixir everything retreated further and further away. Duty, expectation, repression - rather too well in fact.' Ophilia smiled sadly 'It was three days later that I finally regained my senses to find myself in a strange bed in a strange room in clothes that were definitely not my own. The poor lad that had brought me to his home recounted in length how I had alternately cried, slept and...err...oh dear...well, how I had been rather insistent in shamelessly demanding affection.'
Ophilia looked up shyly taking in identical horrified looks on the faces around her 'I was lucky.' She said simply. 'He was a good man and had not taken advantage, although it could have been very different.'
'So you are an emotional drinker, it does take some people in that way.' Olberic's voice was hoarse.
'I am' Ophilia agreed 'Growing up in the church doesn't really allow much expression for the very human desire to connect physically with others - so the lowering of one's control in any way can overwhelm. It is easy to be strong when being relied upon and it's easy to meet expectations when your passion has been trained strictly. It is usually best that I stay away from anything that can break me down so easily. Speaking of which..' Ophilia turned and smiled at Therion '.. I do stand by my challenge - shall I drink this and rely on your care?' She took up her flagon and started to raise it to her lips.
'I don't think so..' Alfyn quickly whipped the cup from her hands. '.. allow me to take one for the team and drink it for you.'
'Awww Alf!' Tressa started bouncing up and down in her seat excitedly. 'Let her drink it, then lock Therion in a room with her! Please! Serve him right for being mean.'
'I swear that Therion's face has grown whiter than his hair, how interesting.' Primrose noted with a grin.
'Heh, very funny you two.' Therion glanced back to Ophilia, his expression unreadable 'Look, It's real easy Sister if you need a hug you only have to ask.' Therion stuck his legs back up on the table reclaiming his belligerent pose.
'R..r..really?' Ophilia stammered.
'Sure thing - then I will go and find Alf for you. He's always up to giving hugs- whether you want them or not.'
'Hug-in-Chief I am.' Alfyn agreed, happily wrapping his arms around Ophilia as the others laughed.
Ophilia retired to bed not long after - recounting her story had fatigued her even more than the battle had earlier in the day.
She opened the bedroom window a crack staring down at all the souls on the busy street below going about their lives for good or bad. She was startled but not alarmed by the arm that suddenly wrapped itself around her waist, pulling her body closer so that she rested easily against his, the welcome warmth quite intoxicating. His other hand reached forward hesitantly to gently caressed her check then strong fingers lifted her chin and his lips found hers very softly.
'You only have to ask.' Therion breathed into her ear before kissing her again a little more firmly and then disappearing into the darkness as silently as he had come.