Veil vs. Steel

”Please, Reverend Mother…If I may… We fear the party we speak of is hidden here, placing you all in great danger. If we could only come in and search the house…” his second in command chimed in with a more reasonable tone.

”This convent shelters maidens from every village within a day’s ride. Do you realize how busy we are here? You will not set one single muddy boot inside the sanctity of these walls.”

The scarred man did not stand on chivalry.

”This is your final chance to step aside, Sister,” he growled.

”Careful, soldier,” Elinor cautioned. “You’re coming exceedingly close to threatening a consecrated abbess-...”

”That’s it! I knew it… I know this place!” a voice spoke out from among their ranks.

A pause.

“I know it! I came here once. My sister took refuge here!” The lowly knight insisted.

The other knights turned towards him.

”What is your name, son?” Elinor asked, her voice suddenly softening.

”It’s Edward, Reverend Mother,” said the knight, removing his helmet and thus revealing his young face. “Of Sutton”

”Of course. Edward of Sutton. Brother of Novice Marjorie of Sutton! Why yes, your twin sister is here with us. Quite safe and doing well. She embroiders gorgeously.”

”Oh! Oh, I am… so glad to hear it, Mother! Please tell her that her brother Edward loves and misses her dearly. The two of us are quite close. Being twins and all.”

“Certainly. I will pass along the message. What a loving brother she has! I can see the resemblance.”

“Thank you. Bless you, Reverend Mother,” Edward said, then he turned to his brothers, planting the point of his sword in the ground. ”We will not force ourselves in here. Not with my sword.”

“You have no say in this, boy,” the commander glared.

”Nor mine. My niece is in here,” said another knight, also lowering his sword.

”So is my childhood sweetheart…” said another. “Not with mine either.”

“What is this…?” the leader asked, seeming quite cross.

“We will not breach the walls,” Edward said.

“You will do as you are told, soldier!”

Elinor listened for a moment, unimpressed by the argument.

“I see. Well, there it is,” Elinor said, then spoke up loudly above the noise. “We will leave ale and provisions for your journey back! We pray for your safe return/”

Then she stepped back. The heavy door swung shut, and the bar dropped with a solid, final thud without the squabbling knights even noticing.

✨✨✨

“What is happening out there?” Edgar wondered when the manly squabble carried over into the steely silence of the abandoned chapel.

Still focused on the task at hand, Lorenzo held the vinegar to Agnes‘s little nose for a few breaths. Her pulse steadied, though it did not strengthen. Cedric recorded something in the journal and reviewed the last markings.

Edgar came over, changed the cloth above her brow, and made his observation.

”I do not like her color. How much time is left?”

”Twelve more hours. We will wake her at daybreak. Not a minute after,” Cedric said.

”Are you sure she will hold until then?” Edgar asked.

Just outside, at the height of the battle in the forest, the green woman fell to the ground from the latest brutal blow, while Ignatius battled Hauroth’s shadows and Armando struck antlers with the undead elk that had arisen under his command. The low, resonant braying of the warring stags rolled across the land, the haunted and terrifying groans becoming the stuff of villagers’ nightmares for years to come.

The fallen woman spat out blood, but wiped it and rose back on her feet, staff in hand, with a demented smile and a joyful battle cry that rattled the earth’s core. The searing green light shot forward and aimed its merciless force toward her ghastly foe.

Sleeping Agnes’s eyelids twitched.

”Edgar. Cedric,” Lorenzo was the first one to notice.

The other two rushed to her side.

“It’s too early. Is she waking?” Edgar nudged her gently. “Agnes?”

Agnes did not respond, but her expression tightened. Soon, her eyelids moved as though her eyes followed something quick that kept shifting.

Cedric removed a glove and touched her forehead.

”She’s burning up.”

“I will run a bath,” Edgar said.

”Try the rose water cloths on the wrist first,” Lorenzo instructed.

Soon enough, small beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and whimpers issued while her eyelids closed tightly.

“A nightmare?” Edgar wondered.

“It’s possible,” Lorenzo said. “Agnes? Agnes…”

But their medicinal comforts only seemed to worsen the sleeping nun’s distress.

“Poor child,” Cedric said. ”Should we rouse her?”

”Let’s wait it out,” said Lorenzo.

”We can’t allow this fever to continue to take hold,” Edgar argued.

”Maybe it will pass,” Cedric said, then glanced at the hourglass. “We are close.”

”This time is the most delicate,” Lorenzo said grimly, slipping an arm beneath her shoulders as she began to squirm.

None of them noticed how, outside, the woods burned with that terrible green fire.

The hours slowed to a crawl as the doctors continued to try every cooling remedy they dared. Cloths steeped in rose water were changed at intervals, violet leaves were placed at her wrists, and water-lily oil now glistened across her burning forehead.

“Ignatius… No, Ignatius…” little Agnes mumbled as Lorenzo removed her veil, releasing her long, black, sweat-drenched hair. “Get up, Ignatius…”

The doctors looked at each other and continued to work to try to cool her down.

Lorenzo took her pulse and did not like the noticeable acceleration. Edgar glanced at the hourglass. Four turns remained.

Elinor continued to kneel inside her cell. Vicaress Cecily came in, whispered something in her ear. Elinor looked at her, and then waved her away.

Vicaress immediately walked out and began to sound the crotalus to rouse the sisters and summon them to prayer.

Elinor gazed at the statue of the Holy Mother and tightened her hands together in prayer as more sisters joined the chanting outside the halls. At length, she too rose from her wooden kneeler, lit a candle, and went to join the others in the darkness.

With the sound of the nunnery chants, the three plague doctors battled the little nun’s distress all night.