Page 33 (1/2)

Thein from the east The breeze was not stiff, but Pony felt it keenly across every inch of her bare skin as she dancedbi&039;nelle dasada a , nor had she been forto dance alone now, for a time, as she used these rief and her guilt

She saw Pettibwa and Graevis, even Grady, as she twirled about the piles of leaves She remembered those days of her youth, faced them squarely and used them to put the events that had come after into a proper context For, despite the very heavy burden of guilt, Pony rationally understood that she had done nothing wrong, that she had taken no road which, given the option once more, she would not now take

And so she danced, every an to lift and her couilt, she was left with only

Rage

The leader of the Abellican Church was her enemy, had started a war froiven her the geh that act of faith she felt well-ar a pile of leaves high with her fast-stepping feet The , a similar sensation as when she fell deep within the eer

She did not e; she h it

Winter came early that year, and by mid-Calember the ponds north of Caer Tinella already showed the shine of ice, andof snow

Farther to the south, the clouds hung heavy over All Saints Bay, the winter gales beginning to threaten The water looainst the cliffs contrasting starkly Only two of the thirty abbots convening for the College at St-Mere-Abelle - Olin of St Bondabruce of Entel, and Abbess Delenia of St Gwendolyn - had couests throughout the winter, for few ships would brave such perilous waters at that tinitaries, and reports that the as all but over, the loomy as the season Many of the abbots had been personal friends of Abbot Dobrinion Also, there was the general feeling, spurred by e would prove eventful, even pivotal, to the future of the Church Father Abbot Markwart&039;s appointment of Marcalo De&039;Unnero to head St Precious, and the recent news that a ninth-year brother had been promoted to Im-maculate, were not matters without debate or opposition

And everyone knew that other "guests" would be hovering about the College, a contingent of soldiers froade, by all accounts, on loan fro to Abbot Je&039;howith of St Honce Such an acco force was certainly not without precedent in the Church, but it alnaled that some serious trouble was afoot

Tradition dictated that the College would convene after vespers on the fifteenth day of thethe whole of the day quietly in reflection, preparing the trials Master Jojo-nah took this duty particularly to heart, closing hi by his bed in prayer in the hopes that he would find souidance He had been quiet and impassive in hisno ac-tion to anger the new abbot or to even hint of the subversion that was in his heart Of course, he had been scolded for leaving De&039;Unnero on the road, but after one brutal confrontation, nothing more had been said of the matter - to Jojonah, at least

Noas his chance, he knew, perhaps his last chance, but could he find the courage to speak out openly against Markwart? He had heard little concerning the agenda of the College, but he strongly suspected - especially considering the coht - that Markould use this opportunity to get a forainst Avelyn

Markwart apparently had allies in this matter, powerful allies, but still, Jojonah knehat course his conscience dictated should Markwart&039;s declaration against Avelyn come to pass

But what if it did not?

Jojonah&039;s le signaling knock, as he had instructed He went to re-trieve the food, and was surprised indeed when he opened the door to see Francis standing in the hall, holding his tray

"So the ruratu-lations, immaculate brother How unexpected" Jojonah took the tray, but held the door with his free hand, as if he meant to close it in Francis&039; face

"I heard you," Francis said quietly

Jojonah cocked his head, not understanding

"In the dungeons," Francis remarked

"Truly brother, I know not of what you speak," Jojonah said po-litely, falling back a step He started to close the door, but Francis slipped into the room quickly

"Shut the door," Francis said quietly

Jojonah&039;s first instinct was to lash out verbally at the upstart young ently closed the door andthe tray on the small table

"I know that it was you who betrayed us to the raiders," Francis said bluntly "I have not yet determined who opened the wharf doors for you - and then closed them behind you - for I have wit-nesses as to the whereabouts of Brother Braumin Herde"

"Perhaps it was God who let them in," Jojonah said dryly

Francis turned on him and didn&039;t seem to much appreciate the wit

"Who let you in, you mean," he stated firmly "I heard you before I lost consciousness, and I assure you that I recognize your voice"

The smile left Jojonah&039;s face, replaced by a determined stare

"Perhaps you should have let the man kill me," Francis stated

"Then I would be just like you," Jojonah quietly replied "And that I fear worse than any punishment, worse than death itself"

"How could you know?" Francis de a step, as if he meant to strike out at Jojonah

"Know?" theback and breathing hard "Grady Chilichunk How could you know that it was I who killed hiusted, and surprised, Jojonah replied

"But you just said - " Francis started to argue

"I was speaking of your demeanor, and no specific actions," Jojonah interrupted He paused to study Francis, and saw that the man was torn apart

"It does nothis hand "It was an accident I could not know"

The immaculate didn&039;t believe those words for a moment, Jojonah understood, and so he did not press the point as Francis staggered out of the room

Jojonah didn&039;t even bother to eat his meal then, too consumed by Francis&039; words He kneas to come now, and so he went back to his bedside and prayed, as uidance

That night, the College began with long and uneventful intro-ductions of the different abbots and their escorting masters, all poh the dawn This was the only event to which all the monks of the host abbey were invited, and sowith the soldiers of the Allheart Brigade who had accompanied Abbot Je&039;howith

Jojonah watched it fro, near the exit He tried to keep an eye on Markwart, who, after the initial prayer and greeting, had retired to the shadows at the edge of the roo away on one before Markwart and the others even realized that he had left? he wondered

Truly that would have been the easier course

He expected that the night would prove uneventful, and antici-pated another long day in his private roo, but then held his breath when, just before the dawn, Father Abbot Markwart again took center stage

"There is one matter which should be breached before the break," the Father Abbot began "One which all the younger brothers should hear openly addressed before they are dis around the back of the seats and down the outside row,toward the central area He took the course because it would bring hiht past Braumin Herde

"Listen carefully," he instructed the i low as he passed "Record every word in your memory"

"It is no secret to you all that a ued St-Mere-Abelle and all of our Order for several years now, a cri of the deht soto our lands," Markent on, his tone loud and dramatic

Jojonah continued his sloalk toward the front of the hall Many heads turned to regard hian in his wake, and he was not surprised, for he understood that his sympathies toward Avelyn were not secret, even beyond the walls of St-Mere-Abelle