Robert felt the pain flare throughout his body as he felt the soldiers boot crash down upon his back with a resonant thud. The pain shooting through his back like a million tiny needles…He grunted with pain, also feeling the coppery taste of blood within his mouth…It wasn't something he was used to…Sure he had stolen in the past and had to escape some very high speed chases…But not once had he actually been caught.

As more and more pain flared throughout his body as he was beaten and kicked he could feel twinges of guilt and regret seeping into his mind…Oh why didn't he listen? What was he thinking running into this head on? Should he have planned this out better? Should he have been more discreet?

His train of thought was interrupted when he felt the boot of the soldier pressing against his cheek which was firmly pressed against the muddy ground.

"Never steal from my employer again…Perhaps this shall teach you that lesson well." The guard snarled and Robert felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he heard the sound of steel being unsheathed…And the tip of a blade against the back of his neck, wincing slightly as he felt the very tip begin to cut across his flesh…However he then heard a very familiar voice call out.

"Gentlemen? I believe that we can come to an agreement! However it'll require you to stop hurting my nephew if that's alright with you?"

Robert felt the blade slip out of the flesh of his neck and the boot be removed from his cheek, allowing him to scramble backwards a few feet away from the guards. He looked up to see the merry natured face of his uncle striding towards the guards, the small iron cross swinging from side to side from his neck, his earth brown robes billowing in the wind of dusk and a merry smile on his face.

"This does not concern you Father, he stole from us! We don't care that he's your nephew."

"Gentlemen, calm yourselves. He's just a boy is he not? I'm sure he'll give the coin back to you. Won't you Robert?" He said in a sickly sweet tone, giving a forced smile towards him. But Robert could see the sheer frustration and anger in his eyes.

Being too scared to say anything at all, Robert only nodded his head slightly, feeling both the fear of death and the fear of his uncle rising within him.

"Good lad, see gentlemen? How sweet the world can be if we all help one another?"

"I don't care Father, he committed a crime and he must pay for it, it's as simple as that. I suggest you run along back to your church now." The second guard stated, his hand on his arming sword admiring his comrades handiwork on Robert's neck.

"Gentlemen I am only a man of God. Threatening me is not going to end well for you mark my words." Percy spoke in a jovial tone.

The first guard turned to face him, his hands grasping the arming sword in his hands as he spoke in an intimidating voice.

"Are you threatening us Father?" snarled the guard, approaching Percy and seeking to intimidate him.

The priest didn't flinch or seem to care in any way as the guard stood in front of him, towering over the priest in fact…However his Uncle just seemed to stare seemingly certain death in the face and grin.

"Well yes. Gentlemen I do mean the best I assure you, can't we just work together?" the old priest was cut off when he was shoved backwards by the guard with one hand.

"Go home and tend a wedding or something old man, we have a job to do and I advise you let us do it." The guard snarled to Percy in a tone that would frighten most men.

"Urrgghh…Don't say I didn't warn you." Percy spoke, before removing the iron cross from around his neck and launching it towards the exposed face of the guard.

A resonant clang was heard as the metal collided with the nose of the guard, blood flying and bone cracking as it collided at a high speed, the guard cried with pain as he felt the force of the makeshift projectile completely break his nose, blood oozing from the injury like a foetid, seeping pus.

He fell to his knees, clutching his broken nose with his two hands. The thick red ichor flowing from his nostrils like a crimson stream.

Percy dusted off his hands and smiling warmly walking past the stunned guards and pulling Robert to his feet and dusting him off with one hand.

"Good, now we have that sorted gentlemen me and my nephew really must be going, there's much to discuss. Ta Ta." Percy spoke in a jovial tone, grabbing his nephew by the arm and marching swiftly down the earthen road, back towards the growing silhouette of the church.

…...

The doors flung open with a loud bang, with the grin on Percy's face evaporating within an instant, shoving Robert against the wall with a loud crash.

"YOU STUPID, STUPID BOY! WHAT DID I TELL YOU NOT TO DO?!" he bellowed with rage, his usually fat and merry red face now seething and crimson with fury, a vein pulsating grossly in his forehead.

Robert remained quiet, the thought of what was happening was…overwhelming, he didn't know what to think or say…Firstly he had nearly been killed after a failed attempt at pickpocketing, then he had been saved by his uncle who knocked out one of them in a single flick of his wrist, and now the aforementioned uncle was screaming loudly in his face…Just what on God's green Earth was happening today…Was he having a bad dream?

"Why do you always insist on stealing?! You're needlessly endangering Anne as well as yourself, it's horribly immoral especially in these times and worst of all you're not even that good at it! SORT YOUR LIFE OUT ROBERT!"

The final bellow finally cut through the confusion…Robert's mind began to dwell on it…Who was he really doing this for anyway? Yes he wanted Anne to be safe…Of course he wanted her to be safe…But it also seemed to be an escape somewhat…But an escape from what...Yes the rush of theft burned brightly within him whenever he pulled it off…And it did seem to…make him forget all that was happening…So was he doing it for Anne? Or himself…

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" He croaked out, his voice wavering and cracked from the shock.

'Sorry isn't good enough Robert…You almost paid with your life…I know you want to help Anne but this is not the way to do it…You're capable of so much more than simple theft and yet here you are wasting your life." He snarled in a softer tone, but still one filled with frustration and anger.

"But how though? How am I supposed to change Uncle?! We live in some rural backwater where hardly anyone lives. How else am I suppose to provide for Anne?!" Robert yelled back, however he was more upset than angry.

Percy sighed and faced away from him, muttering in a seemingly foreign language, maybe it was French, perhaps it was Latin…However in due time Percy faced back to his nephew and told him…In a tone lower than the deepest caverns within the depths of the Earth.

"I know a way Robert and I know that you're suspicious of me at times, but the truth is…Rather difficult to explain…" Percy spoke.

"Follow me boy, it's time that I give you…a proper calling."