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Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 9.3, Shock and Awe

The fight against the Church's men had been a tough one. The group was outnumbered by almost two to one and while the soldiers who fought against them were all battle-ready a good portion of Aodhan's friends were not. If it was not for the timely intervention of Bishop Fulgaré and the men he brought with him from Wyra the Wolf had doubts that any of them would had survived. The fact that they HAD received intervention in the form of a Bishop and a Wyranese vanguard had made all the difference, and was probably the only reason that they were all still alive.

Friar Juun was both personable and optimistic, traits that Aodhan was exceedingly glad to have once they secured a room to regroup and recuperate. From there it was a matter of having the Monkey explain the Bishop's plan while the group was treated for their wounds. Friar Arlowe, who had taken a nasty blow to the head was the last to regain consciousness. Within five minutes the Monk was standing and ready to direct a course of action. "I am going to stay and help. Friar Juun... can you take Brody, Tobias, and Cruff to safety? This isn't their fight."

As anticipated the response was not well-received by those named. Cruff was the first to speak up-- loudly. "Like hell it isn't! If you're staying then I'm staying too!"

Friar Arlowe was obviously about to argue but he was spoken over by Tobias, who added in his two cents. "I do not mean to offend, Friar, but I came here to help. I can't just leave when things start to get difficult."

Aodhan spent some time looking at the scholar; he and Sada had arrived after the worst of the combat, accompanying Friar Juun with Brody once the Bishop's soldiers had pushed the fighting past the group. The scholar looked disheveled, but none the worse for wear. Choosing to deflect the quickly escalating argument, the Wolf changed the topic. "Mr. Severna-- when you and Ms. deAhm were separated from us did you find anything?"

Sada smiled for the first time since leading the party into the tunnels beneath the Church's catacombs. She spoke for herself. "The Sisters Divine. Once we met up with Bishop Fulgaré we managed to locate where the Sisters were being held."

Sister Aurelie slid off of the bench, falling to a kneeling position, tears immediately beginning to flow. "Oh thank God. Praise be to the Lord our Father for the safety of my sisters."

Aodhan knelt down to join his Eyara. He smiled, wiping an errant tear away with his thumb. "Amen. I told you they would be safe."

Friar Arlowe nodded off to the side, Cruff steadying him while he remained standing. The Raccoon Dog looked to Tobias. "And they were safely led out of the Church?"

Both the Prong Horn and the Otter nodded but it was Friar Juun who answered the question. "Yes. Two of the Wyranese battle captains led them out to wagons that were brought for their safe passage to the docks. A boat was chartered to return them east."

Sir Umberto winced as the bandage around his abdomen was tightened by Brody, who was fussing over him like a squire. The Wolverine batted the Doberman's paws away. "A boat? On whose authority? Who covered the expense?"

The Monkey folded his hands in his lap. "The funds were obtained as part of an indulgence paid by a Wyranese Lord. As this issue is of the Church it only makes sense that the Church pay the costs to help remedy it."

Sister Aurelie's scowl was not the most welcoming. "It will take more than a charter ship to set things right, Friar."

Aodhan gave the Cat a comforting embrace. "Many things are happening, Eyara. Peace. The ship is just one of them. We WILL settle this."

Friar Arlowe was apparently in agreement. "Exactly. With the Sisters safely out of his reach the majority of the power Ignus had over us is gone."

Sada, who was standing beside Tobias rested a paw on his shoulder. "Which means you've finished your obligation here, Mr. Severna... you promised to help free the Sisters and you have."

The scholar nodded, one ear raising as the other focused on her. "Isn't that why YOU'RE here? Isn't YOUR part in this done too then, Miss?"

The Otter woman smiled, a hint of darkness in the expression. "I've learned more about what's going on here in the last ten minutes than I learned in the last ten years. Vengeance may not be the holiest of reasons behind a crusade but it's what I have and it's good enough for me."

Friar Juun glanced to Sada. "What has happened here is not the work of the Church, my daughter, but of a group of men who have elected to put their own ambitions above that of their sworn service to the Holy Word."

She shrugged. "Just don't try to stop me and we won't have any problems."

Rather than appearing to take offense, the Monkey instead looked sad. "Stopping you is not my place, child... but I hope that you will think carefully before undertaking any action that may later come to haunt you."

Sada pushed herself away from the table on which she was leaning. "The only thing that haunts me is knowing that I couldn't do anything about what happened to the men and women who were my family... if I have the chance to keep those monsters from doing it to anyone else then I'm going to take it."

Tobias hesitantly reached out to place a hand on her shoulder but after letting it linger in the air a moment he withdrew, speaking instead. "That isn't a task that should have to fall to you, Ms. deAhm... I think that's why Bishop Fulgaré is here."

She lowered her head, fist shaking faintly. "I don't care. I'm not ready to give up... I want to see this through-- to the end."

Sir Umberto snorted. "The end the Bishop chooses may not be the end YOU would like. What if he elects to let the Inquisitor live?"

Aodhan had never recalled hearing an Otter growl-- usually they hissed when angry, but Sada gave him that experience for the first time. "One more reason why I want to be there."

Sister Aurelie leaned back against the table. "I don't blame you..."

The Wolf had hoped to help maintain a degree of civility. True, he detested the Dragon for what had been done but everything he had been raised with by both cultures still left him wishing that there was some temperate solution. Then again he realized that the situation wasn't something normal in life; perhaps there WERE only extremes. Still, he couldn't keep from trying. "Eyara?"

Sister Aurelie's eyes were still wet but regardless, the feline spoke with certainty. "For all the things he's done he deserves to be punished... and I want to be the one to punish him too."

The Otter nodded, the admission giving her strength. "Good. Then let's--"

The Cat continued. "... but maybe that's why we shouldn't."

Brody glanced from his spot by Sir Umberto, working again on the bandage despite the Wolverine's grumbling. "That sounds like the exact opposite of a good reason. If he deserves to be punished then shouldn't you punish him?"

Friar Arlowe let out a deep breath and shook his head. "The father who strikes his child out of anger teaches him nothing."

Aodhan recognized the quote but couldn't place the scripture of its origin. Apparently Cruff didn't either... and had a different thought in mind. "Maybe the Inquisitor doesn't need to learn anything... maybe he needs to be sent to his final judgment."

Friar Juun looked up from his place at the table. "And who has the right to decide such a thing?"

Friar Arlowe spoke quietly but the room was silent enough for him to be heard clearly. "Once the halls are cleared I am going to leave. We've done what we have come to do and Bishop Fulgaré will handle the rest that has yet to be done. I know it is not MY place to intercede but I cannot fault anyone who feels that they must see this through until its conclusion."

After a long silence Sada's head lowered. One droplet splattered on the stone floor at her feet, followed by a second beside it. A moment later she set a small knife on the table next to where she stood. "I can't do this anymore. I can't... they destroyed my fellowship... and this... this would destroy me."

The Raccoon Dog moved to the Otter's side and embraced her. She stuck her face into his shoulder and cried. Aodhan looked to everyone else before speaking. "There is justice being sought now... it may be found without us, or we may follow it through to its end. I know I won't think less of anyone who is ready to leave and I won't condemn you if you feel that your part isn't yet done. I stand beside Sister Aurelie in any decision. When it is time you may leave if you feel you must but anyone who stays is joining Bishop Fulgaré... and we won't stop until we've seen it through to the conclusion God has in store for this day."