4 The journey to the chapel
While they were moving, one of the soldiers was walking about a 100 meters in front of him. He must be the scout, Richard thought. But while he was walking, he noticed that one part of the group wore armor and fancy weapons. The other part of the group wore thick robes without any weapons. Richard walked to Cross and asked about that. Cross answered: Well, the members of the brotherhood of steel are divided into 3 groups. The knights. Those are the one with weapons and armor. Paladin's wear those two. Only paladin's commands the knights and they are for security. Knight are mostly for battle and last you have the scribes. Those are the people wearing those robes. They are most times scientists studying the pre-war technology the knights bring in. Most of the time, they stay inside for their own protection, But with things like this, they make an exception. In those 3 groups we have also a ranking system:
for the scribes is: Apprentice scribe, Journeyman scribe, senior scribe and head scribe. Richard knew that Rothchild's a head scribe. That must be the reason he thinks so highly of himself. Cross continues: at knights, it is: apprentice knight, Journeyman knight, senior knight and head knight. Lyons overheard the conversation and said: And now the best group. Lyons laughed. Cross expected that and continued: And the last group: the Paladins, that is: Junior Paladin, Paladin, Senior Paladin and head Paladin. Lyons laughed and said: good job, Cross. You passed your ranking exam. But for you Cross continues, you will be the lowest rank: Initiate. With this rank you still can choose if you want to be a knight, a scribe or a paladin. Just like the rest of the children. Richard looked to the playing children. All of them will be soldiers? No, answered Cross. Some of them will become scribes. After a couple of hours they arrives at the chapel. Before Richard wanted to enter, but Cross held his hand. You can't go in there yet, said Cross. First the knights have to be sure it is empty. After 5 minutes of waiting. The knights returne and said that there isn't anyone in the building. When they enter, Richard thought of the last time he was there. Here he found his own .44 magnum from a dead raider. When he tried to sit on one of the chairs in the chapel his left leg started to hurt again. Richard carefully sits down and he puled his left trouser up. He saw that there was something with his leg and it wasn't something good. Little girl Sarah saw it and shouted: DADDY DADDY SOMETHINGS WRONG WITH THE NEW MISTER. Junior paladin Tristan walked to Richard and he looked at Richards leg. When Tristan felt his leg he knew it. It was crippled. How long did you walk with this problem, Tristan asked. About a week, why? What happened? Asked Richard. Tristan continued: how does this happened. A mole rat bit in my leg. Tristan looked to Richard and shouted: ARE YOU A FOOL?! Your leg was crippled for one week and you didn't treat the problem! Richard knew that in his area. There wasn't any medical supplies to be found. Not even some chems. And medical supplies were expensive. Tristan shouted to the crowd. I need two stimpacks and one med-X. Some scribes ran to Tristan and gave him the medication. Tristan first putted the syringe of the med-x in Richard's leg. Richard screamed of the pain. Oh don't scream, boy. You did this to yourself. Richards tried to stop screaming and after the med-x Tristan putted the stimpacks one after another in his leg. Tristan stood up and said: just sit here for two hours and it will be fine. After those two hours Richard tried to stand up. It goes perfectly, but how? He asked himself. Richard walked to Tristan that was cleaning his energy weapon. Tristan looked at him and said: What? Richard ignored that unfriendly question and said: Thank you for fixing my leg. Tristan answered: your welcome, now go away. What's his problem? Richard thought. He walked to Elder Lyons and asked of there is something that has to be done. Lyons looked weird at him and said: You don't have to do anything. You are a kid. We adults can handle the problem here. But I want to help, your knight fixed my leg, so I want to do something in return. Lyons thought about it and said: What about you go and meet the other knights. Very well, Sir, Richard said humbly. Richard hoped for a better, more challenging task, but to talk to meet the other knights is scary enough. But when he looked around, he saw that he knew all the knights already, except two knights. A blonde hair Caucasian, who was praying at the altar of the chapel or the black hair Asian, who was telling to some scribes that they have to prepare the beds better for the people. Richard choice was easily made and went to the blonde hair one. When he walked to the man, he saw that his sniper rifle had already been cleaned. He must be the knight who walked in front of us, Richard thought. While Richard wanted to talk to him, he noticed that the man was praying loudly. Sir…. Eh…. Sir? Richard began. The man ignored it and continues praying. Richard found out that it was hopeless and looked away. He looked at the sniper rifle and saw there was a small spot still dirty. Richard said: Sir, you forgot one place on your weapon. The man looked up to his weapon and he immediately picked his cleaning towel. He started saying repeatedly: I'm sorry Snipey, I'm sorry Snipey, I'm sorry Snipey. Richard asked: Is everything all right, Sir? NO IT'S NOT, the man shouts. I LEFT MY DEAR SNIPEY ALONE, WHO WAS STILL DIRTY. He placed his clean sniper rifle back and calmed down. So…..,said the man calmly. We haven't already talked, have we? No, we haven't, Richard answered. Very well. My name is junior knight Colvin and this is snipey. Colvin shows Richard, the sniper rifle. And your name is? Richard Newton, Sir, Richard replied. Nice to meet you, boy. Richard heared that Asian man instead of talking, he was shouting to the scribes. Colvin signed and says: Some of my brothers may be gruff, but they will lay down their lives for you. So if you see one of us treating someone wrong, he or she does that for the right purpose. The Asian man shouts again. Colvin stood up: But this time it's goes so far. Colvin walked to the Asian man that was shouting and pushed him away from the scribes. HEY HENRY! Colvin shouts. The Asian man felt and said: It's Paladin Casdin for you, kid. It's the same, Colvin continued, would you like to treat the scribes a little more gently? Some of the scribes started to giggle. Casdin laughed and said: Just like how you treat Ashur, before he died, because of you. Colvin angered and said: you take that back. What's you gonna do about it, Casdin replied. Suddenly Casdin jumps on Casdin and tried to hit him. Lyons and Tristan saw it and ran to the two to stop the fight. Lyons pulled Colvin away and Tristan pulled Casdin away. COLVIN! Lyons began, I expect something better from you. Fighting against one of your fellow members. I'm sorry, Sir, Colvin answered. And you Casdin, Lyons continued. You make fun of our dead member Ishmael Ashur. He died, because the floor above him collapsed in the Pitt. Not because of one of Colvin's land mines. So that's why Colvin was so angry against Casdin, Richard thought. It's about that something happened in the Pitt. Whatever, Casdin replied And walked away to prepare his own bed. Idiots, Lyons mumbles.
But when Lyons wanted to return to his work, a scribe yelled that it was dinner time. Everyone sat on a camping chair and they had dinner at a simple plastic camping table. The food was baked mole rat steak with purified water. Richard had not had a cooked dinner in months. Most times it was junk food for him. While everyone was eating, he saw Colvin praying again. Does he always pray and for what? Richard thought. While he was eating his mole rat steak, he noticed that everyone was looking at him. He looked up and questions while he had mole rat in his mouth: Is there something wrong? Rothchild says: you know you have cutlery in front of you, don't you. He saw that lying next to his plate and question himself: what is this, I never ever saw this nor use it. If I say I don't know how to use it, they will laugh at me. Richard looked back at Rothchild and said with sweat on his forehead, but I prefer to eat with my hands. Rothchild answered: but we prefer if you use… wait a minute. Do you know How to use it? Richard diddn't know what to do and said: Yes, yes I know how to use it. So he grabbed his fork the Opposite way and tries to cut the steak with it. Everybody laughed about it loudly and Rothchild said: you just can be honest with us, kid. It would be much easier for you. After a while, Richard finally knew how to use it and started to eat. It was much easier to eat that way, though.
While Richard was eating properly, Rothchild started to talk to Richard: So, how was it out there on your own? Richard replies It was difficult, but I survived, barely. Well Richard. I have to ask you something that might be a little….sensitive for you. Richard asked what the question is and Rothchild answered. Well, we heard from HQ, that in this area, there is a gigantic Super-mutant is. That is one of the reasons we came here. So that's why I want to ask you. Is in this area a super-mutant thread or not. Well, you see, Richard answered. There aren't any super mutant is this area. Most of the people lives in other areas . I see, so this area is likely safe? Rothchild questioned. No, instead of Super-Mutants, we have deathclaws to deal with and those creatures are a lot harder to kill. Then why did you come here to live? Rothchild wondered. Because I don't want to see anymore super-mutants, that's why. Those… things killed my parents and raid the town where I lived in. So you hate those things? Rothchild asked. Like hell. Then you would be a fine knight, Rothchild replied. I…. a knight. Will that be my faith, what about being a scribe or a paladin. you think I'll be a good knight? Richard asked. Of course you'll be. We can see that to most children from the beginning. Like you, the first thing you did after you was healed, was going to the Elder and asked for a task and if you look to that child. Rothchild pointed at a girl that was about the same age as Richard. She was studying one of the books of the scribes about modifying laser rifles. She had a purple ponytail and weared a vault 106 jumpsuit. Is she from vault 106 ,Richard asked. No, we traded it from a caravan and gave it to her when we found her. She wore back there just a little t-shirt with shorts. But anyway, Rothchild returned to the subject. That child went straight to me, instead of Lyons to ask if she could learn how to read. So we learned it her and look now. She is reading one of the most difficult books we have, I wonder if she can understand it. But anyway she will become a fine scribe. Unfortunately, by most of the children we still can't see what they will become. Rothchild looked around him. We need a base in this wasteland, so we can train the children just like you. But HQ is too stubborn, that we cannot do that. Only if we find a technology so great, so incredible, maybe then will HQ change his mind. Wait, Richard interrupted. You have an HQ? Of course we have, Rothchild replied. We aren't the only brothers of the BoS. Back at the Lost hills bunker in South California. That's where our HQ is. That's where we are from. Suddenly, a scribe shouted. Okay people. hit the beds. Tomorrow we have to continue early in the morning. Everyone wemt to her or his bed, except Richard, because nobody told him where his bed is. What are you waiting for kid, go to bed. The scribe points at the only empty bed at the corner of the room. Richard walked to his backpack and puts his gun in it. He thought that you won't need it for some time and went to his bed. When he lied down, he realizes that he hadn't got a comfortable bed in years. He looks around for the last time and sees that 2 knights still wandering around in and out of the chapel. It's Casdin and Colvin. that it must be their punishment for the fight a couple of hours ago, Richard thought. Well then, Richard was tired from today. He met a crazy group, joined it and shot a scary sniper in the head. All in a day's work, Richard giggles and closes his eyes. Yeah, all in a day's work.
