Chapter 8: The First Follower
The rest of the day had come and gone, as Jeanne sighed. Between spending an hour or so recovering from the morning, she spent most of the time in her room, looking out the window, staring at Lord Robert's tower.
She had her mission. Confronting the lord was another step in following the steps to complete that mission. It was an entirely different matter when she had no action plan to follow. It bothered her no end.. She felt she was in a boat on a river with no paddles.
It frustrated her to no end.
"Calm down… Jeanne…" She reminded herself as she stared out the window. By now, the sun was starting to set, and she was left to her own thoughts. "God will guide you…" she whispered, "God always does."
And that was true. Not once had her heavenly friends led her astray. In fact, they saved her twice now, if not more times from unknown dangers. They would not fail her again.
"I trust you, God. Help me to trust you even more." She inhaled and exhaled slowly.
A slight knock disturbed her mind, "Jeanne…?"
"Come in, Pierre."
Her brother stepped in with a concerned look, "You're awake?"
Laughing at her brother's question, she nodded and waved him in. "Yes, for quite some time now, I've been thinking."
The young man stepped in, moved to his bed, and sat down, "Pardon for my asking, but about what?"
Jeanne's smile faltered quickly as she looked out the window, "I know my mission, but I know not how to get begin it." She admitted, "I find it frustrating."
Pierre nodded, understanding her sister's frustration, "Indeed, imagine just going without knowing anything." Pierre countered with a chuckle. "If you are blind, then I am a blinded chicken without its head."
She turned around with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms, "You volunteered, did you not?"
Pierre said with a wide grin, "Of course, I did. I'm not letting my sister go it alone."
Her heart swelled with the affection of her brother,
"Besides," He added, "You haven't been led astray so far. What do your voices say?"
Turning back out the window, looking at the tower that dominated the village, "That I am still supposed to meet with the Count."
"Well then…" Pierre said as he walked over to his sister, draping an arm around her shoulder, "I'd worry not. It'll happen as they say it will. You will know the means when they present themselves."
Jeanne pondered the words carefully in her heart. She knew her brother was right, deep down. Yet there was so much to do and no way to start. Nodding, Jeanne accepted her brother's words. This was a test. A test to grow in patience. If she were to lead soldiers, she would have to learn to be adaptable. She would need to learn patience. It was one thing to be patient in the middle of an engagement. It was another thing to be patient in between battles, she realized.
"Indeed, Pierre," She looked up to her brother, laying her head upon his breast, "Thank you for the reminder."
"Anytime, sis," Pierre hummed, "To be honest, I'm surprised you'd still even listen to me with your voices… and well… you seem so sure about things."
Jeanne looked up and flicked him in the forehead, "Pierre!" She protested, "Of course I'd still listen to my brother."
Her brother grinned as he rubbed his forehead.
"CHILDREN! SUPPER IS READY!" Madam Royer's voice filled the house.
"I suppose we should get going, lest we upset our guests"
Those two Arcs joined their guests for supper. They asked a great many questions about Jeanne and her life in Domremy. They even asked about Pierre's life to ascertain their character and quality while they ate a hearty stew with dumplings. It rich in flavor and salt, a little too much salt for Jeanne, considering she had at least six cups of water, which, she realized she was probably going to regret later.
As the night passed, Jeanne answered their questions, one after another, like a catapult hurling stone after stone at a castle. It was getting to be tiring for her, yet she kept on answering their questions. That was until they came to the questions relating to her voices.
"So you're sent by God? Does He speak to you?" Robert asked as he wiped his mouth.
Pausing momentarily, she caught herself from blurting out an answer, thanking God for the catch. "Indirectly." She asked.
Madam Royer raised an eyebrow, "Indirectly, what do you mean? Through objects? The wind?" She leaned with much anticipation, "What does He sound like?"
"He does not speak to me directly." Jeanne reiterated, "I Hear Him through my heart and through others."
"Others?" Royer's eyes widened with an almost youthful liveliness. "Who? Please! Child, you must reveal it!"
Jeanne shook her head gravely, "I'm afraid not, for I've not been told to do so."
"It is impolite to refuse your host's request, " the older woman said in a huff of annoyance.
"And it is improper to engage in things that are above your station."
"Above my station…?!" Madam Royer gasped.
Jeanne couldn't believe she said it, but she knew it to be true. Margaret was right; she was becoming more and more trained for the roles—not by months or weeks, but by hours.
"Girl you have a tongue on you and the mind to match." The older pounded the table in laughter.
Jeanne's frown shifted upward as she joined her brother and Henri in the laughter. She felt herself becoming more bold and honest in all things. She thanked God but also realized that, in a way, maybe these nobles needed someone to tell them the bold, simple truth, and she was that person.
"We will hold on the matter. I believe we are in good hands," Henri said, wiping his eyes, "Jeanne, my dear, you could shame the English to leaving!"
"That would be best!" Jeanne said as wiped water from her eyes, "The idea of blood is abhorrent to me."
"Dear sister, you're just as gentle as a lamb," Pierre added with a grin.
"And fierce as a lion." Madam Royer added.
These comments were too much for the young, would-be general. Her cheeks lit up like fire in a dark night, "I… I… I protest these accusations!"
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation as everyone turned. The door opened as a man walked in. Sporting a cape clasped around his olive green surcoat, the man took off his plumed cap. "Ah!" Henri stood up and waved the man in.
The man was tall and slender, evenly built, and handsome for his older age. He had the body of a thirty year old, yet, his eyes were aged from countless wars and battles. "Thank you, Henri and Catherine. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated." His cold eyes fell upon the two house guests, "I hope I am not interrupting anything."
"Oh no…" Madam Royer smiled as she stood up, poured a glass of wine, and offered it to the knight. "We are talking to the savior of France."
The knight took the glass and sipped it thoughtfully, "Oh… and which is the savior of France?"
Jeanne rose to her feet without any hesitation, "You are Jean d'Metz, Squire to Sir Robert, are you not?"
It looked as if the man was hit in the gut with surprise. "I-Indeed I am… who might you be?"
"I will be the one saving France, with your help. . You are to take me to see Lord Robert."
The man cracked a smile as he took a seet beside Henri, "What are you doing here, my dear? It is not fated that the King shall be driven from his Kingdom, and that we shall all turn English?"
Jeane laughed, "Oh my, no! I have come here to the royal chamber to speak to Robert de Baudricourt, to ask him to escort me, or to have me escorted to the King. But He pays me no attention to me." She frowned as her light-hearted mood turned deadly serious. "But all the same, before mid-Lent, I must be with the King, even if I have to wear my legs down to the knees. For there is no one on earth, be he king, or duke, or the King of Scotland's daughter, or anyone else, who can restore the kingdom of France, and he will have no help except through me."
All eyes were upon her as Jean leaned forward, his cold analytical eyes staring into her as if ascertaining weakness: "Why, girl? Do you like war? Even if what you say is true, it will surely lead to many deaths, no?"
Jeanne sat down with a frown and confessed, "I would much prefer to stay with my poor mother and spin, for this is not my station. But I must go, and I must do it, for my Lord wishes me to perform this deed." How the idea of her spinning with her mother and young and beautiful Catherine, her friend and sister in every sense of the word. With all that has been happening, she hasn't really had time to miss home until now.
The knight interrupted her thoughts, "Who is your lord that sends you on this mission?"
Violet eyes shot up, staring the grisly war veteran in the eye, "God."
The room was deathly quiet. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the howling of the wind outside. The soldier stood up and moved around the table, and all eyes followed him.
Standing before her, Jeanne thought the warrior was about to strike her with the grim look and air about him. That was until he knelt before her. Jean placed his hands into her own in a sign of homage to a higher lord. "By God's grace I will lead you to the King. You said you need to meet with Lord Robert? When?"
"Rather today than tomorrow, and rather tomorrow than later."
The knight nodded, "Indeed, Be up at dawn. You will have that meeting."
Jeanne's heart was pounding in her chest. She wondering how to get on with her mission, and here the Lord provided. "I do have a question." The knight asked as he withdrew his hands.
Blinking away the sheer awe of a knight swearing fealty to her, she nodded, "Yes Jean?"
"How did you know my name?" The knight asked, "I never met you nor did I speak it."
"My voices." She said.
Everyone looked at her in awe. Who was this girl?
As night drew on, Jeanne and Pierre excused themselves in order to get a good night's sleep. Once in their sleepwear and in bed, Jeanne knew she was going to sleep like a rock.
"Pierre?" She whispered.
He rolled over, and that was when she could see the sorrow in his eyes.
"Yes?"
"You have been quiet since the arrival of Sir Jean, I would know your thoughts." Jeanne asked with concern.
There was a silence in the dark room as Pierre looked away, "If… if this is really happening? And you will have these knights, even… generals with you…" His voice trailed off as he looked towards the ceiling, "What good am I? What am I even to do?"
"Pierre…" Jeanne frowned at her brother's lack of confidence. In a way she understood how he felt, for she too was in the same boat. Not knowing what to do with all these learned men, but unlike her brother, she had Heaven to advise her directly.
Yet these knights, Jean, introducing the seed of doubt in her brother, she would not have her brother be some kind of soldier. No, she determined that he would have a place of honor among these knights.
It is good. Your family will help you in the battles to come. Michael's voice whispered, "Know that I defend you and Pierre."
Jeanne sat up, feeling a surge of confidence, "Pierre… I do not know how this will go. I know not how this journey will turn out, but you will be my trusted advisors and you will be by my side, despite what others may say."
That didn't seem to satisfy her brother, "You say that now…"
"I do not say." Jeanne countered with genuine, heartfelt sincerity as she clutched her heart, "I will do. Will you believe me?"
Pierre eyed her carefully, his frown and misgivings evaporating. "I do, sister. I'm sorry for these doubts."
"Doubting is normal, it's if we give into them that matters."
A/N
It is strange how one can be so easily forgotten so quickly. If you enjoyed the chapter do the usual, fav, follow, review etc..
God bless,
