Tales of the Monk

Chapter Two

Deciding to set up camp for the night in the forest I tied up Goliath to a tree so he couldn't run off anywhere, Percival wanted to tag along with me instead of staying with Goliath to find some firewood so we could be warm tonight

Coming back to my horse we dropped our two piles of firewood on the ground. Percival wanted to show me his hunting skills and how good he was with a bow and arrow. In no time at all the boy managed to catch a rabbit for us to feast on, setting up a camp fire I rubbed two sticks together to create the flame and light the wood

I gutted the rabbit clean and removed the fur from the animal, placing the small rabbit above the campfire to cook for a while. With my cloak removed from my body Percival picked up the garment and tried it on, the cloak pooled around his small legs and the boy pulled the hood over his head

'How do you wear this all day and not get tired of the look' he huffed

'You don't like it'

'Its depressing to say the least' Percival snorted. 'You were apart of the Red Paladins for most of your life right'

'That's correct'

'Then why did you dress up as a monk and not like a paladin like the rest of them in red'

'I could never wear the colours of my people when I was forced to murder them'

'How did you even get the name The Weeping Monk?'

'Father Carden named me that after I wept myself to sleep for the first few years with him. I wasn't presented with the red robs till I earnt them but I had gotten used to what I was given'

'Do you like the name you were given'

'Of course I didn't but I welcomed it, a wanted distraction to start a new identity for myself just in case anyone recognised me' I explained. 'Just like when someone calls you by your first name Percival, you don't like it'

'I'd much rather you call me Squirrel than Percival' he snorted, rolling his little eyes. 'But you never did tell me why you chose to be a monk and instead of some other religion to follow'

'Monks are known for an ascetic life by being self-disciplined and abstention from all forms of indulgence' i explained to the boy. 'That was the only way I knew to survive as long as I did with Carden'

'Will you tell me more about your time with the Paladins' Percival asked

I nodded my head and checked on the cooking rabbit, seeing that it was fully cooked I cut up the pieces of meat on the bone and gave them to Percival to eat. From my small satchel I poured some water in a cup and placed it beside him to wash down his meal....

Father Carden re-entered his tent with a small knife in his hands and stood in front of me, ripping the hood from his head and dragged it down, I felt his fingers glide through my silky hair and pulled my head back.

'It's time for you to join us my son' he proclaimed

I felt the sharp tip of the knife slice across the back of my head, clearing my hair from the scalp till I feel a cold breeze wash over the bold patch Father Carden created. Without a moment's notice the knife pierced my skin and marked me, I didn't need to see what he was carving in my skull to know it was a cross

I wanted nothing more than to just cry by just the sheer pain of it, Father Carden didn't waste any time in branding me into one of his Red Paladins

'Now repeat after me Lancelot' he began. 'Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy, and repenteth him of the evil'