The morning was beautiful, couldn't ask for a better day. I slid through the crowd easily. Absentmindedly I pulled my hood closer to me. A habit I suppose, the scar that marred my face was too big a giveaway. It'd only take a handful of slip ups and we'd have to abandon our post and find new ground.
I still wished the boys would just go on their own. Being around me was dangerous. An image of Gordons gaping eye socket sent a shiver down my spine. No, we tried going our separate ways. It didn't work.
"Whistle." Ion's voice echoed in my head.
"Whistle if there's trouble." I breathed continuing my journey through the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" A voice carried across the courtyard. People turned and gawked at the performance before them. A dazzling display of oddities presented themselves. Men on stilts, people in bizarre costumes, humans breathing fire. I found myself momentarily distracted. I shook my head and refocused on the task at hand. As I slid through the crowd my hands slipped into open pockets. Coins fell into my pockets as I went. This was all too easy. I knew Ion had to be having just as easy a time. My lips stretched into a lopsided smile, the way I was going we'd have enough for food as well as medicine. Bless the Feast of Fools.
I was just pulling the motherload of all coin purses from a fat pocket when I felt a tingle on the back of my neck. My breath left me and I tucked my head to the side. Using my peripherals I gazed behind me.
" Miss me Winky?" Ward's nasty grin was all I could make out. His pale skin glowed in the sunlight, his black hair like a blanket of death. His eyes, smoldering charcoal.
I whipped around and made eye contact with the man I was just about to rob.
"You nasty little thief." He hissed. "GUARDS!" He grabbed for my arm but I jumped back straight into Wards arms.
"Easy there girly." Ward laughed, his hands pinning my arms behind my back.
"Let go of me!" I hissed groping for my dagger. I gasped as Ward yanked my hood off and wrapped his hand around my throat.
"What'll it be." He paused. "Me…or the guards." He turned me to face who I can only assume was the captain of the guard. His armor matched his golden hair and he stormed towards me on an equally stormy grey horse.
"Sick bastard." I choked.
"No need to compliment me Ines." Ward chuckled.
"Fuck you." My hand found its way under the folds of my dress and I yanked the dagger from its sheath. With a grunt I stabbed it into Wards leg.
"AGhhhh." A guttural shriek escaped him.
I didn't bother to stick around, I sheathed my dagger, and ran. My fingers went to my mouth and I whistled as loudly as I could. I let out another before my route was blocked off by one of Wards goons. I slid to a stop and spun on my heel, I was running before he could grab hold to a single hair on my head.
"The next bridge." My thoughts were frantic as I bolted for the nearest bridge. I slid to a stop again when guards blocked it. Breathing heavily i glanced at all my bridges all my escape routes. All were blocked. That only left one plan. I spun around and sprinted for Notre Dame.
"Don't let her into Notre Dame!" A voice roared behind me. It wasn't Ward. I could only assume it was the captain.
Hoofbeats and footbeats thundered behind me as I ran. My saving grace had always been my speed. I jumped up the stairs not chancing a look behind me and desperately fled through the threshold of Notre Dame.
"SANCTUARY!" I screamed not daring to stop my sprint. "Sanctuary! Sanctary!"
An arm fastened around me and yanked me off my feet. I gasped as I was slammed to the ground, a greasy face inches from my own.
"You think the laws of sanctuary applies to us?" Greasy laughed. I never got to know his name, I just referred to him as greaseball as he always looked wet with grease. One of Wards men. "You stupid bitch." He chortled.
"Let me go." I hissed struggling against him. Greaseball lifted me up and slammed me to the ground, my head knocking against the brick.
"Not in a position to make demands Winky." Grease sneered.
"What is the meaning of this?" A man I presumed to be the archdeacon entered the chaos. He was older, his hair balding and grey but his eyes kind though steely.
"Apologies Jean." The captain stated. "We were chasing this little thief." He gestured to me. "She claimed sanctuary before we could get her though.
"I'll be sure she returns what she's stolen." Jean glared at me. "Assuming she wants to be under the churches protection."
"She's under no ones protection. " Grease sneered lifting me to my feet. He held my hands behind my back and tangled his fist into my hair.
"She's mine." Ward limped into the room his black eyes shiny with fury as they settled on me.
"If she's going anywhere its with me." The captain snarled.
"Fancy a fight, dog?" Ward hissed unsheathing his sword.
"ENOUGH!" Jean's voice boomed. "I will not have you desecrate the house of god. Sheath your weapons this instant."
The captain didn't relinquish eye contact as he sheathed his sword.
"You have no authority over me." Ward grunted his sword very much drawn. The rest of his men kept their weapons out as well. Greaseball released my hair only to hold his knife to my throat.
A slurry of soldiers entered the cathedral and the captain smirked at Ward. "If you'll follow me to the courtyard I'll happily dispatch you." He threatened. "Or you can leave. So long as that girl has claimed sanctuary and remains within the walls of Notre Dame, she has the churches protection." He sighed. "And the guards as well." He didn't seem thrilled by that.
Ward glared at the soldiers and then with a huff sheathed his sword.
"Release the girl." Jean ordered.
There was a moment of hesitation before Ward glanced at greaseball and nodded his head.
Grease shoved me to the ground and sheathed his knife. I jumped back up and stood beside the archdeacon.
"This isn't over Ines." Ward hissed. "We'll be waiting outside for you, every exit, every window, and every gutter will be manned by us." His gaze turned evil. "I sure hope your 'boys' have a game plan." He taunted. He gestured to his cronies and they left the cathedral. As promised, splotchy silhouettes took residency at windows and doors alike. A guard at every door.
Shit the boys! Shit I'm trapped! Shit shit shit shit shit! They knew better than to come in after me. Right? They wouldn't risk it. Gordon is in no condition and-
"Empty your pockets." I glanced up at the archdeacon and broke my train of thought. I looked over at the captain who was now standing right beside me.
"You have to return what you stole if you intend to stay." He grunted.
I glanced at them both and nodded. "Yeah of course." I turned out my pockets. Dozens of coins clattered to the floor. Honestly it was impressive I was able to move so quick with all the coins weighing me down.
"I'll be sure it doesn't happen again Phoebus." The archdeacon glared at me.
"Kick her out if it does." Phoebus grunted gathering the coins.
"He isn't wrong you know." Jean turned to me. "Break another law in the house of our god and your protection will be lifted."
"Understood." I responded. Jean held eye contact with me, his brown eyes held no mirth and I didn't doubt that he'd love nothing more than to kick me to the curb.
"Margaret." Father Jean called, breaking his eye contact with me and floating away. The way his robes flowed made him look ethereal. It was then that I noticed a large gathering of people behind us. I'd been so focused on Phoebus and Ward I'd not realized the crowd assembling behind me.
"Yes Father?" A young girl, maybe 18 stepped from the crowd. She donned the clothes of a nun though her habit was white with a black hood. She was rosy cheeked and bright eyed.
"Show… What's your name?" He turned to me again.
"Ah, Ines." I answered.
"Show Ines around. Get her acquainted with the church and our expectations." His gaze pinched. "And show her our bathing quarters."
I gave a cautionary sniff to my clothing and wrinkled my nose. A bit sour, yes, hard to notice when you're surrounded by sour scents. But the church was pristine and smelled divine. I suppose that made sense, being the house of god and all.
"Find her something to wear as well. Those rags need scrubbing." He pressed on.
"Of course father." Margaret bowed her head and with a most graceful sweeping of robes, the archdeacon made his exit.
I glanced around, the echoes of his footsteps the only noise. Dozens of eyes gazed back. Margaret, the other sisters, choir boys, bishops, a priest maybe, and ragamuffin outcasts not unlike myself come to pray. All stared back at me.
"Well." Margaret's smile faltered. "Come along then."
Just like that the spell was broken and a gentle roar of whispers and titters broke through the crowd. I could hardly make out sentences but words like "scarred." And "criminal." Could be made out. Margaret turned and headed towards a corridor. I followed closely behind, eager to leave the chorus of gossip.
"Well then here's our bedchamber." Sister Margaret threw open the door to reveal a large room filled with cots. Beside each cot stood a nightstand and on each nightstand a vase with a single sprig of lavender.
"Been a long time since I've slept in a bed." I commented, stepping into the room.
"It's where we sisters in training sleep." Margaret remarked. "It's nothing fancy but-"
"Believe me I'm used to stone or dirt beds, this is the lap of luxury." I cut her off. "This one free?" I gestured to a cot.
"-Uh yes." Margaret nodded.
"Excellent." I strode over it and lowered myself onto it.
"WAIT!" Margaret shouted.
I bolted back up to my feet. " What?!"
"You must wash yourself first!" She scolded. "You can't go to bed filthy."
"Well for christs sake Margie you didn't need to react like that." I grunted, walking out of the room.
"It's Margaret." She corrected, closing the door behind her. "Or Peggy. Never Margie."
"Peggy it is." I answered, falling behind her.
The bathing quarters are right here." Peggy walked up to the door directly to the right of the bedchamber.
"Hm, convenient." I nodded appreciatively.
Peggy swung the door open to reveal a fairly simple room. 4 troughs filled with clear water sat in the center. Linens and clothing hung neatly from poles, some fluttering in the breeze coming from an open window. Light extending through the stained glass casting colorful hues across the room. Privacy shades and mirrors were set out at random.
"I'll grab you a dress to change into." Peggy grabbed a towel from a nearby cupboard. "Start your washing, I'll be by soon with something." With that she left. Her hurried footsteps quickly fading away.
I turned to a trough and gazed down at the cool water. It looked beyond inviting. I pulled a privacy shade right up to it, my body had been a spectacle for far too long. Raunchy men and nosy women asking how far the scars extended. I didn't need to have a herd of people come in and see for themselves just how scarred the scarred girl was.
I stripped off my clothes and for the first time in a long time took stock of my body. It was hard to tell what was a bruise and what was dirt. My ribs stuck out more than normal, I'd lost weight. Shit, Gordon would be mad. He'd made it his goal to fatten me up. It was hard to do with how active I was, and how scarce food tended to be.
I set to work scrubbing my body. My thoughts turned to Ion and Gordon. I hoped Ion had been able to slip away. It seemed most of Ward's men and the soldiers had been focused on me. There were plenty of Romani folk around, maybe he was able to blend in with them and sneak away. I winced and gazed down at my leg.
"That is not dirt." I moved the rag to a different spot and continued on. Then there was the worry of what they would do if Ion did get back to Gordon. I knew the boys well and knew they'd try to find a way to bust me out of here. I wish I had a way to tell them not to, to let me be. It would hardly matter, they don't really listen to me.
"Here's a dress Miss." I looked up to see a white garment thrown over my shade. "It's child size, but you aren't very big so I thought it might work."
I grabbed the dress and held it up. She was right, unfortunately, it would definitely fit. "Any chance I could borrow one of those pretty nun robes instead?" I wrinkled my nose at the white dress. The frills weren't really my thing.
"Not unless you were looking to become a sister." Peggy chuckled.
"Ah." I paused.
"You weren't thinking of becoming a sister were you?" Peggy asked. She didn't sound delighted by the idea.
"Probably frowned upon to join only for the robe, right?" I joked.
"Well…yes." Peggy responded. "I'll leave you to it then." I heard the door close behind her.
I grabbed the dress and pulled it over my head. It fell to my ankles, a band fastened over the top of my breasts and the rest poofed out from there. Very much a silhouette for a child. The sleeves were decorated with frills and lace. Again not really my thing. I gazed at my wrinkled, smelly clothing and sighed. May as well get those clean. The sooner they dry, the sooner I'm back in them.
I removed the privacy shade and set to work scrubbing my clothes. I eyed my twin daggers which sat in their sheathes. Those needed sharpening as well. Peggy would come back soon, I was sure but for now, I let my thoughts drift to Ion and Gordon.
"Just let them be safe." I prayed. "Nothing else matters."