DEVOTION - THE WEEPING MONK [PART 2 COMING IN AUGUST 2023]

CHAPTER ONE

"What?" Pym questioned.

"It seems like you fancy my brother," Gwen spoke, causing Pym to turn around in embarrassment. "Now, it's okay to have the hots for my elder brother." Gwen playfully teased her seeing her smile in delight, looking back at her. They looked up head-on when they saw Nimue running towards her cottage.

"Nimue!" She ran carrying the basket of dry clothes. "Wait, Gwen!" Pym followed behind her. They both managed to walk in Nimue cottage. She placed the basket on the floor and ordered Pym to drop the clothes on the basket.

"What's happened?" Gwen immediately asked approaching Nimue. They were both waiting for a response. They knew something must have happened. An eclipse had just occurred.

"I'm Summoner."

"You're, what?" She blurted out, Pym gasped at the revealing news. "It's not funny if you're lying, Nimue."

"It doesn't matter. I'm going." Nimue announced. Both of the girls couldn't believe it, she was choosing to leave like that wasting no time. "How can you even go?" Gwen asked. Nimue flickered her eyes between both girls, still packing. "I'm getting on that ship today. It's still in Hawksbridge."

"What? Nimue, slow down, you're not making any sense." Pym tried to reason with Nimue. Gwen couldn't help thinking there was no way that the ship was still here. She recalled earlier in the week when her brother had come back from dock informing her how there was a flock of villagers trying to get on some ship that was getting ready to depart that day.

"It can't still be here, either. The ship left a week ago." Gwen argued back. Nimue didn't listen. "It's not true. I'm going. You don't have to say anything to me, to stop me. Besides, they don't want me here and I don't want them. They call it ''burn in the nine hells." Nimue sourly replied, packing a few clothes.

"Who? What, the elders?" Pym continued. "Who cares? What do those shriveled onions think?" She finished the sentence. Gwen raised her eyebrows at her response. "Shriveled onions, really?" She replied, Pym shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to say. That's when Gwen stepped up stopping her from leaving. "You're not really going."

Nimue stared at her for a long moment. "Gwen, I have to." Nimue sighed, noticing she didn't move.

"Oh, my gods, you're acting mad." For a long moment, Gwen stared at her then said, "I'm riding with you."

"I will too," said Pym standing beside Gwen, proving how committed she is.

~ ~ ~ ~

They spend hours riding. Nimue rode with Pym on her back. Gwen took her brother's horse, Hedge, a black horse. They were riding for hours. "I can't believe both of you dragged me here," Pym spoke loud and clear. "I've got lye smell all over me."

"No one asked you to come," Gwen replied. Nimue smirked at her response. Pym shrugged her shoulders, "Well, both you don't know what you're doing."

"We do know," Gwen spoke up for the both of them. "I've spent countless days here with my brother, he is the one who introduced me to the art of travel. Even, though. I'm sure the ship had left, Nimue."

Nimue sighed. "I'm sure it hasn't. I do know. Gawain took the Brass Shield, the only ship that crosses the sea to the desert kingdoms." Gawain, Boro's best friend. She remembers him, she didn't find it funny, she did have a crush on him when she was younger.  Gwen raised her eyebrow at Nimue's response. She was right, Gawain had left but something didn't make sense about the route he took.
"Because nobody wants to go to the desert kingdoms, which should tell you something."