After forty minutes of rest and energising with the food they'd been provided, the group set off once more. The sun was high in the sky and beating gracefully down on them as they made their way down the other side of the hillsides. The forest loomed before them, hiding the monastery from view. Stealth led them on a path that would take them around the forest rather than through it. They again came too fenced off fields and they had to climb stiles over them in order to reach their destination. A few of the fields had crops growing in them as they neared the large ominous building of the old monastery.
They could barely make out its tall overbearing crumbling walls behind the fort like walls which surrounded it, the walls reached high up and a tall rusting old fence stood on the top of the walls, making it look even more foreboding and ominous in character. A tall steeple reached out from the roof, its spiking tip reaching into the sky. A bell tower sat at the opposite, also reaching into the sky and a cracked but still effective stained glass window in view just below the arch where the bells hung. Even from a distance, the Monastery was quite a sight, despite only garnering a mere glimpse of it hidden behind tall walls and being in its dilapidated state. They still had a way to go before reaching it.
They reached another stile, which gave way to a field of crops, which reached knee length and now a few figures could be seen, in the distance, toiling in the field adjacent to it. They walked around the perimeter of the field to another stile and started over it, the people in the distance becoming aware of their presence.
They had neared the monastery closer now, so that the walls grew taller and they could barely make out the steeple and bell tower behind stonewall barricade and they were still a field away. The next field was empty, the people who had been in it had made a swift exit and could be seen walking at quite a pace in the opposite direction of the group, following a dirt track around the perimeter of the wall.
"They aren't used to strangers," said Stealth in way of explaining their peculiar behaviour. "Remember most of them are runaway slaves, so they can be quite nervous around newcomers. If we follow the dirt track it will take us to the main gates."
"I didn't think this place would be so huge," exclaimed Amber, slightly nervous about the place. The monastery didn't exactly give out a welcoming feel, its stonewalls creating a cold front as if warning newcomers to stay away. In the old days, it had been a perfect façade for a dwelling of isolation and seclusion.
They reached the dirt track and followed it round, the stonewalls reaching high above them. Stealth felt strangely at ease by them and pondered on whether it was because they reminded her of the high cliff tops she was used to traversing daily, save for the spiking fence set atop.
The walls came to abrupt halt and instead became high rusting metal fence, which in turn gave way to gates and an entrance house of sorts. The gates were shut tight but a rope hung down at one side and Stealth gave it a harsh pull. A thick wooden door stood set into the entrance house and a small panel opened swiftly, a pair of eyes looked out intently at the group. They all felt a little un-nerved by those eyes.
"Um, Hi," started Stealth, she knew of the old monastery but had never actually visited before. She neither knew how to present herself and the others to the people here, nor what to expect from them. "Uh, we, we're um, looking for some people. We thought maybe we may find some here"
She wondered why she was explaining in a nonsensical manner their matter of being there to a pair of eyes. She decided to try a different approach.
"We've just come from Willowmere Farm. Kes directed us here, thought that maybe you could help us. Is there someone we could speak to?"
The eyes stared out, showing no sign as to understanding what she was talking about, or showing recognition at Kes' name. Instead, the panel of the door slid shut. Stealth glanced at Amber, who shrugged her shoulders and looked at the others. Everyone seemed as blank on the situation as everyone else did. Then the door opened suddenly and stayed open. Taking a few tentative steps forwards, Stealth led them inside. The small entrance house was more of a built in hallway and opened up into a large expanse in front of the Monastery building which loomed in front of them in all its glory.
A few small buildings surrounded it, as well as a tiny chapel set in the background. The group took a moment to pause at the beauty of it. It almost felt that the stonewalls, which seemed so ominous and foreboding from the outside, were in fact keeping secret to a hidden world of delight. The grass was luscious and green beneath their feet; flowers grew in gorgeous colours in little flowerbeds dotted about. The Monastery doors were flung wide-open, bidding entrance to anyone whom wanted to enter. Calm and peace seemed to flow and buzz in the air.
The group stood and took in the sight and wondered where to go next. They were still waiting for someone to acknowledge their presence and speak to them. A few people wandered about, taking their presence in but going along with whatever it was they were doing. A few tended the flowerbeds, straw heats atop of their heads to protect them from the sun as it shone down. A few lifted their gazes to look at them.
"What now?" mumbled Lex as they stood mostly being gawked at or being ignored.
"I don't,-" started Salene who stood beside him, but her voice trailed off and Lex looked at her quizzically. She looked past him; mouth slightly ajar and her face seemed to drain of colour for a moment.
"Hey Sal, you ok?" asked Lex concerned, even more so when she let her bag drop heavily by his feet and she pushed roughly past him whispering under her breath. He frowned and tried to figure out what she was saying even as she started across the great lawn of the monastery at a speed.
Amber had also started forward, as had Ellie. They were honing in on a young woman who had stood up from one of the flowerbeds being tended and was taking in the sight of the newcomers. Dropping the small trowel she'd been holding onto, she quickly discarded herself of the gloves protecting her hands and started to run across the lawn towards Salene.
Salene could hardly believe her eyes, a voice inside her had said not to believe it, it couldn't be that easy. But her heart had skipped a beat before pounding erratically in her chest. She knew her little ones, only this little one was all grown up and long thought dead. But she knew it was her and as she crossed the lawn and watched the recognition in the familiar face as she drew near, she knew this could be the defining hope for them all. All doubts could now be banished and swept away. She came to a halt as the young woman approached, tears already pouring from her eyes and Salene realised tears were already springing from her own. After a moment of taking each other in, close up and breathless, Salene pulled her close and held her dearly.
"Patsy," was all she could say.
It took more than a few minutes for everyone to make their exclamations of delight at seeing the young woman and make their greetings. Amidst it all they found themselves ushered into the old monastery itself away from the open grounds outside. Inside, Patsy ushered them into seats while questions were thrown out into the air and hung there waiting to be answered. Amber drew a halt to the confusion.
"OK, ok, I'm sure we all have questions maybe we should give Patsy a chance to tell us how she ended up here."
"Oh yes, I will, but first, there is someone else you will want to see first, may help if they're to explain things," Patsy exclaimed standing, managing to extract herself from Salene. "I'll be right back, just give me a moment."
With that and without anyone able to stop her from rushing off after they'd only just seen her after so much time she'd disappeared through a side door of the room. Salene and Amber sat by each other unable to make heads nor tail of it, nor their luck at finding her here. The others sat around, all taking in their surroundings. The building was quiet and no one but themselves sat in what seemed to be a conversion of the original old hall. Pews had been shifted to the side and the floor was filled with more comfortable seats, tables, old rugs lay on the floor and it had a welcoming relaxing feel to it all.
The group all looked up expectantly when the door sung open again and Patsy re-appeared followed by another person. Ellie was first to react with a sharp intake of breath and more than a few surprised gazes watched as Patsy approached them, with Luke following close behind.
"Luke? What,-" started Salene, glancing at Ellie who had stood up as they neared.
"Well this is quite the surprise," Luke said taking in the group.
"Isn't it wonderful," smiled Patsy, leaving his side and settling down by Salene again, as if to make sure it was all real. Salene was caught between joy at seeing her and confusion as to what was going on.
"I think we all have a lot to talk about," smiled Luke. "Where have you all sprung from? I was informed people were looking for some information, I certainly didn't expect any of this."
"We're on a kind of mission actually," replied Amber, trying to keep her questions at bay for now. "There's a lot to explain however, we're actually trying to find some of our lost people, looks like we're making quite a start."
"Have you arrived here from the mainland?" Patsy asked Salene.
"Well yes, but we've actually been here a few months. A tribe called the Speleos took us in, this is Stealth, their leader, she's helping us." Salene motioned towards Stealth who was watching the group from the sidelines with a bemused look on her face. "We've been travelling over the Island, we've just come from one of the local farms."
"Oh?" implied Luke, looking expectantly over to Stealth.
"Yes, Kes directed us," replied Stealth.
"Ah I see, well this is going to be quite a evening. How about I organise some food for us all and we can try and explain how we've all ended up here," Luke said with a smile.
"Sounds like a plan," agreed Amber.