Vowess

3.

Delaney had business to do. First priority would be to discover the other four. Luckily as he was away confessing and mostly seeking Mary's company,his companions came to find the other three. Drunk in the tavern,some of them caught above a whore then dragged outside. When James arrived at the meeting spot he found them all bounded and bleeding. "Where is the other one?" He simply asked. But he took no answer. That was enough of an excuse to open a fresh cut on the ones side and cut the thumbs from the rest. Eventually they talked. They revealed that the last one was already on the other side of the island,close to Mary's monastery. James only blink once before he finish them off and let Atticus deal with the corpses. He took his horse and rush to the other side as fast as his horse could gallop. Once he arrived he found a man trying to climb up the hill and go to the monastery. He wouldn't let him reach there,oh no,he was doomed to even think he'll get there. He was trying to get to the back yard of the nunnery. The old building had no gates or fence. He could get inside easily,if James wasn't there. Immediately,he took out his daggers and shoot one on his direction. He found his target underneath the man's ribs. The man fall down rolling downwards until James stop him with his boot. "You ain't fucking dead yet?" The man hissed and Delaney gave him his last shot cutting his throat and let his body roll down until it fall from the cliffs. James looked up at the nunnery and turn his steps towards it making his way from the back garden. There was a small fount by the bench, of holy water perhaps,he thought. He leans towards it to wash the blood from his hands when he paused. He read the facade of the fount. "Be cleansed of sins not only dirt." Wise words he thought. "I'm about to do so.." he replied whispering to the quote and wash his hands.

James looked carefully at the dogs lurking around then trail his eyes up on the man. "Used to.." he nods. "I thought you can't talk.." he pondered calmly looking at him.

"Everybody thinks so," he nodded. "I made a vow of tacitness, so I could stay here," he explained, while he calmed his hounds with hand gesture.

"And why would you want to break it by talking to me?" It wasn't really a question more like a laughless joke. "What's your name?" He asked him.

"Ya aren't nun," he cocked brows and handed him a flask. "Santiago, but everybody here calls me guard."

James accept it taking a smooth sniff on it before he place it on his lips to take a sip. It was quite strong,they could both agreed on that and most welcome for James. "Some kind of moonshine i guess?" He asked the man passing him beck the flask.

Man nodded in agreement and put it back to his pocket. "Ain't brandy," he snorted and James looked at him with corner of his eyes. "Who do ya think, took ya to piss and vomit, while ya were in limbo. That little one wouldn't be able to lift ya hand. And ya were mumbling brandy, brandy and she was desperate, cus she had none and didn't know, what to do," he sighed and brushed his nape." Ya won't hurt her, hm... "His sentence came like something in between threath, announcement and question.

"Never had such intention." James subtly shakes his head. On the contrary, he'd kill everyone who'd try to even bring her discomf. "Is she here?" He asked turning to see the man again.

He nodded head and pointed toward a garden. James checked on his hands and wiped his face and left. Mary was collecting vegetable. Her hands dirty from a mud. She was kneeling and putting carrots to basket next to her, singing. She wore working clothes and her ginger hair in long braid shone like sun during sunset. Once she heard footsteps, she looked over her shoulder and smile curled her lips, when she saw James. She then turned and focused on work again. "Did you come to help me, James Keziah?"

"Mostly." He replied taking off his gloves and coat. He hang them on the nearest tree and walked close to her again. Marveling the beauty knelt before him. "I'm glad to see your rivers of fire under the sum,dove." He said rolling his sleeves and knelt next to her to help her.