Thank you to everyone who has followed this story and put it in their favorites! I really appreciate it. I hope some of you eventually let me know how I'm doing.

This new chapter is in Athelstan's perspective, and it deals with the consequences of the previous chapter. It felt right to keep his faith even if his feelings toward the other monks suffered, so it might change what comes later.

It's also a little shorter than the last one, but I think it's still good.

More notes at the bottom!


Outcasts

It took no time at all for every monk in the monastery to know what had happened in Father Cuthbert's study. Apparently, there was no punishment for not only spreading the story but also giving an even more elaborate tale as to what had happened with each telling. Brother Cenred was the worst of the two between him and Brother Cenwulf, but they both avoided Athelstan and Lilith like they both had the same wickedness inside them. It did not help matters that Father Cuthbert insisted on Athelstan still tending to his duties in the scriptorium with the other monks, leaving Lilith by herself for most of the morning. But seeing as how everyone in the monastery other than Athelstan was afraid of her, he knew she was as safe as she could be given what had already happened to her.

When he collected her for supper, she was always in good spirits, showing him the new words she had written and some of the new flowers she had drawn. She didn't seem affected by the new turn of events, and Athelstan couldn't begrudge her that. She had already been through something horrible. He couldn't force her to spend time with people who would not see her for the little girl she was. He was happy she was happy, it seemed for the first time in her life.

But he found himself conflicted more than ever. It wasn't that his faith wavered. On the contrary, now that he was the only one looking after Lilith and ensuring her well-being, he had more faith in what he was doing than ever before. But with each passing day, he became more conflicted about his place in the monastery and with the other monks. He could see them watching him, probably expecting him to sprout devils' wings at any moment. None of them seemed able to overlook the rumors and stories and simply let him be.

Was this really how it was meant to be? Was he meant to forsake his brothers for one child, even if he had known her all her life? Surely, there had to be a way to make the others see how innocent she was, even when she did things that scared them. Athelstan prayed every night for a way to show them, but for days and then weeks, there was nothing. He tried many times on his own, but he only met terrified eyes and brother after brother crossing themselves to block the bad spirits. How any of them could continue to behave that way confounded and angered him.

How many of them had known what Father Cuthbert had done to Lilith? Had they all just stood by and allowed it to happen? Were they all so pious and self-righteous that abusing a child had seemed necessary in their eyes, not only to bring salvation to her but also to themselves? How could any of them think that way?

Athelstan had no answers. He wasn't sure he would like them if he ever found them.

Meal times were the worst times for Athelstan to be around the others, even when all he did was fill a bowl with food and take two wedges of bread to the head table where he and Lilith still ate next to Father Cuthbert.

Her bleeding had stopped within a week, and explaining his need of extra material for her had not been easy when Brother Cenwulf asked one day in the infirmary. But still, some of the brothers looked at her the way a man would a grown woman, and Athelstan was in constant fear that one of them would find her alone one day, no matter how improbable that might be.

"Father Cuthbert," he said at dinner one day. "I've been meaning to ask you. Now that I'm taking care of Lili myself, I wonder if it might be possible for her to eat in the kitchens with me. To keep her out of trouble."

The old man didn't say anything for a moment as he ate. He kept his eyes forward, neither reacting nor contemplating. "Very well," he uttered, finally looking in Athelstan's direction but not in his eyes. "From now on, you will both eat in the kitchens. But I will still expect you to be in the scrptorium every morning after breakfast."

It was hard not to smile at his victory, but Athelstan glanced at Lilith, seeing her little grin and then speaking. "Yes, Father."

After that, the only person to worry over was Brother Cuthren, who grudgingly allowed Lilith to have as many eggs in the morning, as she wanted as long as she replenished what she took while she was tending to the chickens as part of her chores. He was an older man, but not as old as Father Cuthbert, and though he wasn't overjoyed with Lilith's exuberance or her appetite, he revealed that it was partially his fault for her last punishment. He admitted to Athelstan that he was ashamed and would not wish such horrors on any children ever again.

It was a small gesture, but for Athelstan, it was enough for the time being.

The closer it got to winter, the more blankets Athelstan brought to Lilith's room, and he replaced the dress she had stained with a new one from the lone robe maker in the monastery. He never told the man why he wanted this one to be the same material of their robes, and the man didn't ask. When she had her bleeding next, Athelstan had her wear the extra dressings and the robe so it would be more difficult to see.

"So will I wash these the way you do?" she asked one morning while they were in the wash room by themselves.

"I will show you how," he said, "yes. For right now, we just need to make sure no one else finds out. Some of the dressings, we might have to dispose of them. We'll know soon enough. Come on. Before anyone else is awake."

He helped her out of the small washtub they'd been using and wrapped a fresh linen around her before they stepped into the outer corridor. It was already getting cold this early, but once he was certain they were alone, they hurried back to her room where her dressings waited. Because he tried to give her a little privacy, she struggled with the dressings, but once they were on, Athelstan pulled the robe over her and sat her on the bed.

"Very soon," he said, "you will be able to bathe and dress by yourself. I'll bring everything you need in here so you won't have to bother the others, or so they won't bother you."

"But what will you do then?" she asked.

He sighed even as he smiled. "Well, I suppose I will arrive earlier in the kitchens to have our breakfast ready. You know your way to the kitchens still, yes?"

She laughed when she realized he was teasing her. "Yes, I know how to get to the kitchens. But once I start to care for myself, what will you do?"

Athelstan's smile faded a little as he sat on the bed beside her. "I will do what I have always done, my dear Lili. I will watch out for you, and I will find new things for you to learn and see and read, and time will go on. Just you and me, remember?"

She nodded and took in a deep breath. He did as well, kissing her head and rising to take her hand.

"Let's go and get breakfast then. Perhaps Brother Cuthren will have something different for us this morning."

Despite not wearing the same hooded cowl as the other monks, when Lilith was seen wearing a dress made of the same material as their robes, many of them complained to Father Cuthbert. They didn't confront Athelstan or even make a point of saying anything in the main hall where it could be dealt with properly. One at a time, for nearly a week, they all went to the abbot and demanded him to do something.

But he did nothing. He said nothing to Athelstan. The only way he or Lilith found out was through Brother Cuthren, who had heard the others discussing privately what to do. It made Athelstan uneasy to know that his . . . ruse was causing the other monks to behave so suspiciously, but he did nothing to change the way he did anything. Their concerns were no longer his concerns, and as long as Father Cuthbert said nothing about the change, then nothing would come of it. And nothing did.

Some mornings, while he was in the scriptorium, he would hear them whispering around him. He tried not to let it distract him, but it was difficult when Brother Cenwulf couldn't keep his opinions to himself.

"It's not natural for such a creature to wear our sacred robe," he whispered, while not to Athelstan, definitely in his direction. "She is unholy. We should not dress her as we dress ourselves."

Others murmured around him, agreeing with him.

Athelstan clenched his jaws and pressed his lips together, doing everything in his power to hold in everything he wanted to shout at them. He wanted to berate them as they tried to justify their words by taking God's name. He prayed for the strength to let their words not affect him, but mostly, he sat there with his mouth shut. He knew it wasn't worth it to argue with them anymore.

Winter overtook the island abruptly, as it usually did, and Lilith grew almost half an inch, prompting Athelstan to have a new bed made for her as well as a better pair of shoes. The carpenter grumbled the whole time, but he made the best bed he could, helping Athelstan carry it to her room and cover it with new blankets. Of course, the man wasn't expecting the young monk to ask for his own bed be moved into the room as well.

That was when the whispering and objections took a more appalling turn.

Finally, Brother Cenred and Brother Cenwulf couldn't leave him be in the scriptorium, openly discussing their grievances with the others and aiming all their vitriol in Athelstan's direction.

"He is already lost to the creature," Brother Cenred spat over his podium. "Perhaps he always was lost. And now he will burn in hell for his deviance."

"And how unnatural it is for him to be sharing a room with that little heathen," Brother Cenwulf jeered from the other side of the room. "No doubt she has corrupted him like the devil she truly is."

Athelstan almost dropped the brush in his hand, closing his eyes from them all before he took a cleansing breath. He continued to tell himself how ignorant they all were of Lilith, of how closed-minded they had all been since she was a baby. He steeled himself against their cruelty and prayed for strength. He somehow knew that he wouldn't be able to listen to it for much longer, but until it stopped, he would not give in to their taunts.

Every afternoon was a small blessing, since Athelstan was able to spend those hours with Lilith in the barn with the animals. He never told her about what the others said. Whether she understood or not, he still wanted to protect her from everything that was said no matter how vile they made it sound. And of course, he never told anyone else that some nights, he would push his bed against Lilith's so she could hold his hand while she slept. She was finally happy, and whatever he had to do for that to remain, he would do it.

Then as if by the Grace of God, Father Cuthbert finally released Athelstan from his morning duties in the scriptorium. He still required all the monks to attend prayer before breakfast, and he still gave Athelstan materials the rebind. But he allowed Athelstan to do them wherever he wanted, as long as they were completed when requested. That meant that even though the gossip didn't stop — in fact it got worse — Athelstan did not have to encounter it as often. He was more glad of that than he had been since leaving on his first mision.

"So that means you won't be able to bring me more books to read?" Lilith asked as they carried wood to the hearth in the main hall.

"No, of course not. There are many times when I can take books from the library. I'm actually glad of the change. When Spring comes again, I'll have more time to read to you outside. Father Cuthbert has already agreed to it. So we can swim whenever we want, and we can go to the beach and dig up clams if you want. We'll just have to do it when the others are working in the mornings, so they won't disturb us."

They made it to the main hall as it set mostly empty. Athelstan paid no attention to the lone monk sitting at the other end of the hall as he read. Instead, he helped Lilith put the new logs in the hearth, adding them to the embers and sitting her in front of him to get warm.

"I know it seems like so much has changed," he said to her, glancing back at the lone monk. "And I know it hasn't been easy. But I promise you we're safe. We both are, and no matter what else changes, I'll do everything I can to keep us that way."

She smiled as she sat over his lap. "I know you will. Even after what Father Cuthbert did, I know that's all you wanted to do. I'm sorry about everything else that's happened."

Athelstan sighed, holding her closer. "Lili, I need you to listen to me. Please. None of what has happened is because of you. Not really. With Brother Cenwar and Brother Cenwulf and Brother Cenred, they blame you because of their own insecurities. Your mother left you with us because she could not care for you herself. I believe she loved you, just as my family loved me even though they could not care for me either. In a way, you and I are both the same. And it is my belief that you were sent here because I was here and would know how to care for you. Whatever happens after all of this, nothing they've done will take any of that away. Do you understand?"

She looked at him, still smiling, and she nodded.

"Good," he said and looked back at the fire. "Now it is almost supper. We should go help Brother Cuthren with whatever he's prepared."

Neither of them paid any attention to the lone monk, leaving the main hall and walking to the kitchens.

The ice and snow of winter melted into spring as the rains began and brought the green grass and colorful little flowers from a long drought of light. With the rain came storms, and with storms came the need to have extra candles as well as extra parchment to teach Lilith inside when they could not go outside. Athelstan had missed the last few Springs with her, but this one, he enjoyed. He could see that she enjoyed it as well. Whether they were the only ones who did mattered to neither of them.

The other monks never went outside when it stormed, and many of them refused orders from Father Cuthbert to continue their chores. Many times, he was forced to use Athelstan as an assistant in the chapel, since Brother Cenred wouldn't leave the scriptorium. Usually when it was only the abbot with Athelstan, they mostly went over the bindings he'd done for the day. They never spoke about Lilith, and Athelstan preferred that way.

Stronger storms came toward the end of May, as well as lightening storms that would sometimes shake the entire monastery. There was one that had nearly everyone in the monastery locked in their dorms, huddled in prayer.

Lilith, however, was not afraid. She watched the storm from her window, and Athelstan watched her from where he usually read to her.

"I bet Brother Cenwulf is terrified right now," she said teasingly. "He never liked Spring storms."

Athelstan sighed as he put his book away. "Nevertheless, we shouldn't take any pleasure in someone else's discomfort. Lots of people don't like storms, Lili."

She sighed as the sky lit up and boomed. "I suppose you're right."

He stood up from the chair he normally occupied, moving to the bed where she stood looking out the window. "Come on. Time for bed."

The sky flashed even more then, highlighting shapes in the clouds. "Athelstan, look! It's a bird!"

Curious, he climbed up onto the bed beside her, looking out the window and seeing what she saw. But it wasn't a bird in the clouds. It was something much bigger. It looked like a serpent. Or maybe –

"That's not a bird, Lili. That's a dragon."

He took her away from the window then and lay her in her bed, tucking her in as he spoke softly.

"I have to go the scriptorium, Lili," he said. "You will stay here until I return, and if what I remember is true, then this is an omen. And I'll need to move you somewhere safer than this room."

She held his hands to keep him from going. "What is an omen?" she asked.

Athelstan sighed, squeezing her hands gently. "It's like a sign, that something is coming. When you see lightning, you know a storm is coming, yes?"

She nodded.

"Well, when you see an omen, especially one you've read about, it means something bad might be coming. And if something bad is coming, then I need to keep you safe."

"So you'll be back when the storm is over?" she asked him pointedly.

Athelstan nodded. "I will be back much sooner than that. Stay here. Don't open the door to anyone. All right?"

She nodded, and he kissed her forehead before he left quickly.

If he was right, then this wasn't just any omen. It was the omen. The one they'd always feared.


Yes, this is the storm from episode two. In the next chapter, actual events will take place. Since we've already seen that sort of from Athelstan's perspective, this upcoming chapter will be from Lilith's perspective.

I actually looked it up to see if I could call it anything other than a dragon, but that's what was written by people who recorded what happened, so it stays.

I'm going to try and upload the next chapter before Monday, so we'll see.

Until next time!