Nimue Pov
A blinding glow challenged my vision and the chiming bells beckon me to awake. I started to move, but I didn't want to go back to reality as after all these last days were filled with suffering and cruelty. I don't know if my son survived, if anyone else besides me and Pym managed to escape the brutal paladins, or if Gawain was alive. I don't remember exactly what happened after we escaped from the red cloaks. I think all this adventure tired me a lot, really, I only remember running away with a horse together with Pym, Arthur, Guinevere and Pym's soul mate, Dof, to a small hut. I briefly recall being in such a hut Pym and Dof talking about their bond and Arthur and Guinevere having a sword fight. After that nothing.
I woke up and found a girl looking at me, she was small, she looked like a little elf. She was wearing a gray dress, a white cloth on her head and a symbol that all paladins wear. I got up hastily feeling scared. She asked me.
"Who are you?"
I looked around for Pym and the sword, my two main tasks, saving Pym and taking the sword to Merlin. I didn't answer the girl, but I asked.
"Where's my sword?", not to say where Pym is. "Where's my sword?"
"Your sword?" Very curious about that girl, "Are you a soldier?"
"No, I came here with a sword, I need to take it to someone," I said looking out the window, realizing I'm not at the cabin from yesterday. "Where am I?"
"Yvoire Abbey," she said. "You don't look so smart."
"An Abbey? I..."
"You're safe. Whatever your name is. This is a divine place." Shit, they kidnapped me and handed me over to the paladins. I felt my throat drying up at such terrifying realization.
"Demons are not accepted. That's what Abbess Nora says. I have a way of finding these demons." I got pale with fear, she's gonna hand me over. First, I lost my mother; second, I have a job to do; third I don't know where my friends are and fourth, locate the sword. "You know how?"
"No? How?". I answered as if I'd been interested, but inside my stomach was twisting in fear..
"I stare at them. I stare until I can see their faces, their real faces." She kept staring at me, I felt like I'm was going to revert to using my powers, but I controlled door creaked open and another woman, dressed like the girl in front of me but with her complexion darker than hers, walked into the room, she seemed worried about something.
"Iris." That's the girl's name, "Does Abbess Nora know you're here?"
"No, Sister Igraine." Iris answers.
"Well, it will be our secret." It seems this woman wants to help me.
"There are blackberries for you in the kitchen," says Igraine trying to dispel her. "Come on, child. We have many guests." I've frozen. "And they need food and something to drink."
Iris looked down at me and asked "Who is she?" I was curious how Igraine would answer.
"No one of importance. Go," she said, I breathe a sigh of relief, "Before a guest steals the blackberries." She spoke by persuading her to leave. She left, but before she faced me not yet convinced.
Igraine calmly came towards me and slapped me.
"Only talk to someone if I allow it," she warned me.
"Where's my sword?" I asked aggressively.
"How would I know? I think Arthur took it, I presume, I believe he left with one of the other girls who came here with you," she replied.
My anger began to rise. Those two, I can't believe it; they stole my sword. It was the only task my mother had entrusted me with.
"He what?" I angrily, exclaimed.
"I don't care what you are to Arthur or what trouble he's caused, but as long as you are here, I'm in charge" I removed myself from the bed in order to begin to seek out Pym and her cute soul mate .
"Do you know where the red-headed girl and the blond man are?" I asked calmly.
"I took them to the catacombs below the abbey." I was relieved, at least one piece of good news, I kept walking to the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked, "You can't leave."
I pushed her out of my way. I went towards the door and got out of place. Walking outside I was paralyzed in front of me, at the entrance to the abbey there must have been about 100 paladins. I hid with the hood on my cape, I walked in fear of being recognized. I passed a few and recognized some of them as the leader, but the worst was the Red Paladin who had attacked me before was still alive. I was terrified and worried, I had to hide. Through the courtyard I found a door to the convent. But first I have to disguise myself, I walk in the corridor looking for a room that probably has clothes.
I was looking in the closets when the door opened. It was Igraine. I was alarmed with a tinge of anger.
"Stay away from me, don't touch me," I yelled at her.
"Are you crazy?".
"I might be."
"I'm trying to save the life of you and your two friends, you idiot." She told me.
"Thanks for saving Pym, she's one of the only ones from my tribe that survived. But I need that sword, So where's Arthur? Where did he go?" I asked persistently.
"Igraine?" asked a voice from the door who our location, "where you've been?, it's chaos outside."
Igraine started mumbling, trying not to draw her attention to me, but she saw me. "Who are you?
"Who's that?," asked Igraine and then me. "Who are you?".
Before I could answer, Igraine said that I had arrived yesterday, you were interested. "Yesterday?" She came to examine me more closely.
"You're filthy, what's your name?" she asks me.
I invented a common name, "Alice, lady." she started touching me like you were looking for something.
"You're Fey kind, Alice?" the Abadessa asked me, but I said, "No, no? Just..."
"Are you with the child?" she interrupted me as she casually glanced at my direction.
"Yes". I went along with that excuse (not knowing I was telling the truth). "So I guess, ma'am."
"The Red Paladins will tear your skin off if they found out." I wanted to roll my eyes as if I didn't know that after all they would rip my skin off if they found out I was Fey. She looked at Igraine and continued, "Another one of your charities?".
Igraine saved my skin.
"Yes."
She let me stay "Make sure you stay out of trouble, and especially quiet, we have a paladin almost dying in the hall, if he dies, they certainly blamed us and you know how they will punish us. And go to the infirmary but first let her present herself immediately."
Igraine answered a quick 'yes ma'am'.
My god! It's the paladin who attacked me. I can't let them kill them.
Igraine helped me to look like a nun, when we were done we went to the infirmary and there were more paladins, I had to concentrate on just keeping quiet.
There he was the man who almost killed me. Like roots and twigs locked in his chest. On his side there were other paladins, they were praying for the wounded brother.
"my God" Igraine was amazed.
"It was Wolf-Blood Witch," one of them explained. Oops it was me...(deep down I was a little proud of the fear my nickname brought).
"What?" she said without understanding anything.
"It was a Fey girl... from Dewdenn, she made the roots come out of the ground, tied Irmao Odo like a puppet," he continued telling what I did with the paladin.
"Did a Fey Girl do that?" she asked.
"The branches are inside him, it's not possible." the same paladin as before.
I kept looking down all the time, without saying anything, so they wouldn't look at me and I lost my cover here at the convent. Igraine began to look at his wounds and realized he was choking on something.
"There's something in his mouth, hold him." And she pulled a huge root out of his mouth, I don't know what happened, he was having a flashback of the attack, the branches started to turn inside the paladin.
"It still attacks him." "Hold him, damn it," the other paladins said.
"Go get bandages," she instructed me, I touched my cheek and realized I was the one making the roots move. "Alice, more bandages, before he bleeds to death."
I got out as fast as I could, I didn't know why I couldn't control myself, I feel like my powers are getting out of control, I'm trying to control myself, when I pass in front of the cafeteria.
"... Sword of Power has been found, Praise be to you," said a paladin.
I turned towards the cafeteria, and saw a nun carrying a jar and offered to take it to them. She asked, wondering who I was.
I threatened her, and she fearfully obeyed me.
I entered the mess hall and continued to hear what they were saying about the sword. "It is with this Druid lie that the Feys have been empowered for over ten centuries, thanks to the Pendragon Kings, the Fey Sword while still determining who is worthy to wear the crown. We must bow in servitude". I came as close as possible, and served one of them who was close to the leader.
"If she was found, where is she?" asked the paladin I was serving.
"A Fey girl ran away with her during the attack on Dewdenn". Yep so talking about me.
"Our Brother Odo faced the devil in the forest, and we saw what happened to him, we also know he was cut by the sword, because around the wounds there were burns … with some Feys symbols, the mark of Devil's Tooth".
The leader looks at the stairs accompanied by a mysterious man in a hood. It hit me that I saw him before in the village during the attack. I felt goosebumps on my skin in fear, but the closer the figure came near me a sort of sensation overpowers my worry. I paused for a second feeling a burning sensation in my lower belly, it felt odd yet comforting. As if something was there channeling some sort of energy. The sensation intensified whenever the Weeping Monk stepped closer, he seemed too engrossed in a conversation to detect me. As much I was drawn to get closer, I couldn't afford being caught as I knew what the Red Paladins intended to do with. Fighting off the urge because I couldn't allow my disguise to go to waste.
"Here he is, among my sons. Our Weeping Monk" paralyzed was the guy who killed Feys trails in my village. I should've ran by now, but they're recounting their plans, so I stayed a little longer. These are the lists... the Feys Elders who are still alive. The villages are on the maps and with them we can destroy them, with that information we can wipe out all the feys that are alive and for the glory of God this land will be purified".
"And Merlin? He's still our biggest problem," said one of them.
I remembered what my mother said: take it to Merlin, run.
"As long as he serves Uther pendragon, he is untouchable."
That's it, I can't be here, I have to leave this room.
"Be patient, my friends, our mission is to annihilate the Feys. When we enjoy the sword of power it will be a giant blow to them. Then only then will the celestial fire take charge of ending merlin."I looked back and saw this black figure that made all my senses go crazy, it seemed we were connected (not knowing that this figure felt the same things as I did). No, I shook my head softly, I needed to leave this area as soon as possible.
I went to the infirmary, took all the dressings I could find There still laid the dying paladin. Igraine was still taking care of him. "Okay, we have to drain his blood,"she oriented me.
"Drain the blood ? He's bled enough," I asked.
"What do you suggest? Because if he dies, we die, understand?" snapped Igraine. I looked at the paladin and remembered what the healer taught Pym and me, I wanted her to be helping me but I know she can't leave where she is with all the paladins and that bloodthirsty killer here, well let's remember the healing plants.
"We need a poultice, milefolio and burdock, that's for bleeding. Look in the kitchens, pepper and beeswax to relieve the swelling and pain." I spoke looking for the things and thinking about what Pym always said when we were healing the wounded. Igraine came to me.
"What?" I asked her, and she whispered to me, "These are Fey cures." I thought it was strange that she knew these cures are Fey.
"How do you know they're Feys?"
"We'll be burned alive so you know"
"If we don't do it he'll die and it'll be worse for everyone here," I told her not giving her a chance to contradict me.
"Who taught you that?" she inquired me.
"A friend." Not telling her I was trained by Fey healers.
She went to look for the things I asked for while I went to see the wounds and there I found the sword marks, they made me have another flashback, so I realized that the sword must have given me more strength and enhanced my magic.
"What's going on?" Igraine asked when I brought her the things I asked for.
"I didn't do anything I just saw." I answered, she went to the dying man. "Igraine, please you need to tell me where Arthur went."
The burns seem to be inside him and are like a circle inside another. Power extracted from the four elements water, earth, air and fire." She knows a lot about my people . "How do you know that?" I ask her while she's gone out of the room. And I received no answer.
Weeping Monk P.O.V
I entered the refectory of the convent, I met father Carden with other brothers discussing the next plans, after the attack in Dewdenn. I discovered some maps, which had all the Fey villages.
"Here he is, among my sons. Our Weeping Monk". Praised father for being proud of my work. "These are the lists... the Fey Elders who are still alive. The villages are on the maps and with them we can destroy them, with that information we can wipe out all the feys that are alive and for the glory of God this land will be purified."
"And Merlin? He's still our biggest problem," said one of the brothers. "As long as he serves Uther Pendragon, he is untouchable."
"Be patient, my friends, our mission is to annihilate the Feys. When we enjoy the sword of power, it will be a giant blow to them. Then, only then, will the heavenly fire take charge of ending Merlin."
I felt that same vibration that I felt in the forest, but this time much stronger. I felt a very tempting scent that brought me a form of hunger, it was incredibly strong that had me clouded with the thought of devouring whomever had that scent just to calm my mind. If I could track it down, then my mind would be free from such strong urge. I went down the corridor to where it was very strong, it was in one of the rooms. I looked in all the closets until I felt the strong smell inside a chest. I picked up what looked like a dress and sniffed it; it was the smell of Fey kind. I had a Fey kind girl, the anger started to come to me and there was only one thought I had; to kill her and find out who was helping.
I went to find Father Carden to tell him I had a Fey here. He was leaving the cafeteria and he approached me and asked what was happening and I answered "the enemy is here".
he's surprised. "How do you know?"
"By the smell." I said "Fey kind."
"Are you sure?". I nod my head. "Do you know who it is?"
"I can't decipher it. It's covered. I only know what I'm feeling, but I'll find out." I said to father.
"Let's talk to the Abbess to find out if she knows anything."
I feel the sensation I had with the little Fey boy, making all my senses a thousand an hour. I was following Father Carden and started feeling a little nauseous, as if my lunch was turning over and I also felt tired, it seemed like I was getting sleepy.
Father Carden told me that he talked to the Abbess and we are going to make an inspection of all the sisters. We entered the barn. Father Carden asked the Abbess if it was all the girls.
"They're all except Sister Igraine who's looking after Brother Odo," she said. I decided to use that as if I could start the inspection. I checked all the girls, but none of them had the smell.
One of them caught my attention asking where the new girl was. "Who?" I asked, it seems someone is hiding something.
"Yes, Alice, she arrived yesterday with some cuts." I found my prey. We went to the infirmary and there was the refreshing smell that made me turn in forbidden places. But I didn't have anyone but the brothers, but I realized I had a door open. I must have gone out there
I want to find out who has that power to make me feel things I've never felt before.
Nimue P.O.V
I was super focused on saving the man who almost killed me and if I was awake I would have killed myself by now. I prepared the pasty mixture, I started to feel a little nausea, as if my lunch was turning and I also felt tired. It seemed that I had not slept for days, but I had to continue, I started to spread it on his burns, after a few minutes he started to wake up. I took a knife to defend myself.
"Is he alive?" he asked Abbess entering the room. "Where is Igraine?"
"I don't know. She just left." She said she didn't want Igraine to have any more problems.
"Where did she go?" she continued "She'll be the one to blame for our deaths if he dies" she gets close to the man and realizes the cures I used "what's that? Who put that Fey thing on him?" looking at me.
" Igraine and me, madame".
"Throw it away as quickly as possible, if the paladins find out ..." she started to clean the body mixture and I went towards the door and saw their leader, I immediately returned away from the door.
"Abbess Nora, can we talk?" he said.
"Of course Father Carden."
"Have you had any new sisters in the abbey since last week?"
"Why the question?"
"We're very thorough when we flock to the Fey villages, but unfortunately some escape."
"We don't give refuge to the fey here at the convent, I assure you."
"Of course not, not willingly, but they may pass for humans and the abbey is one of the few places between Hawk Bridge and Grammaire."
"It is," said the mother, "unfortunately no new girl has arrived that I can remember.
"I swallowed my saliva after this announcement, they will find out that I am Fey Kind and all the nuns will die because of me, like my village.
"All?" the abbess asks.
"We'd better be saved". He said "How is our brother?" he kept asking the Abbess.
And she said, "I'm still alive."
"Make sure he stays alive" threatened the priest and left the room.
"Sister Alice, find Igraine. Now" she told me to leave.
"Yes, Abbess."
And I leave the room faster than a fox, I walk down the corridors I see that it is crowded with paladins, when I am going towards one of the rooms and from it two paladins leave and they come towards me, afraid of being caught, I turn to another side, and I hide in a dark corridor, I see that I have lost them I hear a murmur coming from the corridor. "The marks on Brother Odo's chest. It's the sign I was waiting for."
I know that voice, it's from Sister Igraine.
"I can't, stop it, and if they find her," said another voice.
"They won't" sounds like they have something to hide.
"What if they catch us? Don't do anything while they're here." They're very close.
"I won't do anything," says Igraine, gathering her foreheads, as if they've been passing strength to each other. I saw this other sister looking into Igraine's eyes and pulled her into a small but passionate kiss. What a beautiful scene to see in the middle of this misfortune of life, when they separate, they realize that I am present and they look at me with fear.
I leave as soon as possible, but I see a paladin, and Igraine finds me.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
"I, nothing , Abbess Nora said that you are needed immediately in the infirmary" I answered.
"How long have you been listening?" She asks with fear.
"Enough" I inform her
"You don't know what I can do with spies," she threatens me.
"Even if I were a spy, I wouldn't tell anyone, not because I'm afraid of you but because love is love and you've done nothing wrong." I'm talking about confronting her. I realize that my words touched her soul.
"What is your real name Alice?"
"Nimue."
We heard a paladin calling all the sisters to meet Father Carden in the barn.
"Igraine" The Abbess Nora met us. "You two take care of Brother Odo immediately, I'll explain your absence to Father Carden, go".
We left towards the infirmary and passed in front of the cafeteria and remembered the maps, "I have to do something fast" I said to her.
"Nimue, we can't risk it." She said to me. But still I went, I found them, I took a look to understand what they were about, they showed all our villages, when I found the map of Dewdenn I had a flashback of the mysterious black that did atrocities for my family. I took the ones with the locations and hid them in my dress. I got caught up by one of the brothers.
I caught his attention and ran to one of the nearest rooms. Since I can't take them out, I'll burn them. I went back to the infirmary where there were two paladins praying. They must know that praying does not help much when one is about to die. "Their mixture helped much more than any prayer," she said, taking away the thought I was having. "They don't know anything about healing, beeswax and pepper, your friend is quite clever," she said and I remembered my friend who was with her soulmate down here hiding.
"Your friend is the one with the blond man?"
"Herself, but she's not a healer, she was being trained, but still she's the best friend I ever dreamed of." I told her.
The brother woke up and recognized me, he got scared and pointed at me trying to say that I am the one who did this to him." Look, he is getting better. Keep praying, you're making your brother heal." She said, realizing the dying man's commotion.
And she gave him something to drink, making him feel bad. One of them noticed and called for reinforcements to help him pray for his brother's healing.
We got out of there the fastest. Along the way she asked me if I was the Wolf-Blood Witch and if the sword that Arthur stole was the sword of power and once again I explained the story of the task I had to do and she told me where Arthur was and he was in Grammaire and she told me that she and Arthur are brothers and gave me her real name, gave me directions for what to do, she had already talked to some friends to help us. We went to what looked like a cave with a stream inside and had some boats. In the boats I saw a sea of red along with a large and muscular body.
"Pym?" I asked and she stood up in all her naked glory with a Dof full of smiles. "Pym, why are you nak... Don't answer me," I said, flushed with shame and my dear friend didn't even have the privilege of trying to hide.
"Thank you for everything, Morgana, and I'm sorry I got you into this." I said to her and she did something that surprised me. She hugged me and said "you're not alone." I didn't want to lose another friend and asked when we would see each other again and she said she would look for me and we said goodbye the Fey way.
"Born in the dawn to pass in the twilight." and Pym,Dof and I left Morgana at the convent.