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

CHAPTER ONE

"I'm getting on it," Nimue replied. They saw the village up-head, it looked like a castle. It was different the last time she saw it. They began riding faster, and Nimue went faster.

Gwen knew in her heart that the ship had left.

They arrived slower this time. "At least your mother wants you home. Mine wants me out. I swear, Gwen. Your lucky you have a brother." Pym called out to her. Gwen grinned thinking the sight of her brother who must be losing his mind as of right now, she didn't tell him where she was.

"And this will be her excuse. She'll say, Nimue gone, get on with it." Nimue began to chuckle at Pym's response. Gwen began to sigh only to blurt some words.

"Don't give hopes much, on brothers, I swear sometimes, I think Boro sees me as his burden." Gwen sadly commented leaving Pym and Nimue to showed smiled sadly upon her sentence. Pym changed the topic just to try to make Gwen laugh. "You no burden. Look at me, I swear she'll marry me off to the fishmonger. Stinky Aaron." Gwen immediately started chuckling, Nimue started giggling thinking about it.

Stinky Aaron.

"It's not funny," Pym whined, shooting playful glares at her friends.  Nimue shrugged her shoulders, "It's kind of funny."     

The three girls dismounted their horses and walked into the crowded marketplace. It was bustling with activity. There were merchants selling silk, fishermen gutting their catch, farmers selling their product, and bards singing tales of noble knights and fair maidens.

"What if they find out you're a girl?" Pym questioned as the three speedily approached the docks.   

  "I'm cutting my hair," the brunette sighed.   

"But what if they find out you're Fey Kind?"      "They won't," Nimue brushed off the comment.

"You'll look after Old Boy?" Nimue asked her  "No, I'll let him starve" Pym responded sarcastically. Nimue felt shocked. "I'll do it. Nimue, you can always count of me."
Nimue smiled at her.   

"What about money?" Pym continued. "I have twenty silvers."   

"What if they rob you?"  

"Pym, enough," Gwen argued.

After that outburst, the pair decided to remain silent as Nimue searched for the Brass Shield. Oddly, it was nowhere to be found

                                                                                                                                                                                              

~~~~

"I don't see the ship." Nimue murmured. Pym flickered her eyes between Nimue and Gwen, confused. "All right? You've made your point."

"No." Nimue immediately spoke, running much faster trying to ask somebody what's going on? Where is the shop? They catch up with Nimue who asked a merchant person.

"Brass left yesterday."

"But . . . It's not supposed to leave for another week." Nimue mumbled. "Tell that to the eager winds," the man responded.

"When does it return?" Gwen spoke up.

"Six months." The man replied. He quickly changed his attitude. "Now, do you mind?" The man pushed himself to the other side walking away, grumbling to see another man trying to steal something. Gwen noticed Nimue walking to the other side seeing the plain ocean. Pym immediately ran up to her touching her hair whispering something to her. Gwen pushed herself forward putting her hand around Nimue's shoulder. "At least we can keep you a little bit longer?"

"Six months."

"I know," Pym responded. Gwen held onto her. "At least you'll marry stinky Aaron. Saving Pym here." Nimue smiled a little bit causing Pym to smile in delight.

"Come on, your life's not so horrible," Gwen whispered in Nimue's ear laying her head on her shoulder.                                                                                           

~~~~

They had walked around the village. She wore a blue blanket over her head covering her platinum hair. She is used to letting her hair loose at Dewdenn cause everybody knows her but this is a village that is unknown to her. She followed Pym and Nimue. All three girls circled in the main court viewing the countless people that were in the courtyard buying clothes and fruits.

Soon after, Pym grabbed her hand pulling her along with Nimue to a gathering. She could hear singing sounded more like poems. She could see a young man, very tall and charming singing as the crowd gathered around him.

Meadows, green, sky.

"He is not good," Nimue whispered to her. Gwen smiled still in the delight of his voice. When suddenly the young man met her eyes began to lose his words before retracing back.
"Your right about that," Pym said.

"a-blue, my mistress struck her arrow true. We kissed and danced 'neath Virgo's eye as the waxing moon fled from the sky," the handsome young man sang to the tune of a guitar. Gwen seemed mesmerized by the singer, and when their eyes met, the boy was entranced by Gwen. He stepped forward and starting singing to her, "But along came a maid with eyes like the ice on the sea. Sing high-lolly-lo. Say, my fair winter lady."

He finished still never leaving her eyes. She immediately felt a hand pulled her away, she began walking the opposite side with Nimue and Pym giggling about the young man.

"He certainly fancies you, Gwen," Pym spoke. "His singing really outdrew his voice." Nimue finished the sentence.

"You drop this milady."