Teres

So, uh, Axis, how do you intend to handle the lack of resupply? You did think about that, right? We're not going to see a rash of hungry warriors raiding farmsteads for whatever they please, right?

I've seen 'x or y' used to denotate lower and upper boundaries of a range before, sort of as a 'well, I might have missed some' type of thing, so I'm guessing it's old-fashioned instead of flat-out wrong. (Is it just me, or does Douglass seems weirdly prone to accidentally tossing in old and outdated usages?)

Each with an ample garden ... and fruit trees...

Call the Inquisition, we've got heresy to find! More seriously, these people believe trees harbour demons. Why in creation are they planting them throughout their village, right next to where they live? (Good heavens, they're one feral stand away from the setup I gave Ceolmund's people!)

I'm pretty sure Medieval houses didn't fence their yards. Not totally sure, but pretty sure.

My main issue with 'Worship Hall' is that it feels very modern Protestant and really, she could have just called them churches. Not like there's any reason not to.

I predict that yon striking woman is someone important.

... You do realize he had to met her before becoming a Brother, yes? Since it had to have been a preexisting marriage seeing as he's not been latized? No?

Douglass, I get that you haven't bothered looking stuff up but how hard could it possibly have been for you to notice that the Church doesn't permit priests to marry! Priests of the Roman church sui juris cannot be married, period, and while the Eastern churches (or at least many of them) permit married men to become priests they do not allow single or widowed priests to get married! (And friars, monks, nuns and sisters have never been allowed to be married.)

The morals bit I could forgive since these people are all supposed to be following the same religion, but when paired with 'community standards' yeah, that's problematic.

Um, are we supposed to think badly of Hagen because his wife (whom I will assume he married before his ordination) ran off? Something about the framing of this feels like we're supposed to think she ran off because Hagen was bad at sex, which is rather mean-spirited.

I'm pretty sure Douglass is trying to do foreshadowing here, and failing badly.

A/N: Fair warning, Ogden, Veremund, and Axis display ablism, and Ogden engages in what I consider to be cultural appropriation and is definitely cultural disrespect. Also, he and Veremund are... incredibly disrespectful in a way I don't know the name of but is really bad.

---

Axis peered ahead through the blowing snow, searching for the bridge that the map claimed was there. If his reckoning was correct, they should be approaching the Willey Bridge about now-

There was the bridge, and a tall man standing by the side of the road clad in green-and-gold.

"Pax vobiscum, Ceolmund!" Ogden called, riding up to the man.

"Vade retro satana," Ceolmund replied. "What is it you want?"

Ogden sighed. "You really shouldn't brood like this," he said sadly. "You know it was necessary."

"So you say."

Axis looked questioningly at Veremund as Ogden spoke soothly to Ceolmund.

"Ceolmund has lost much," Veremund answered, "and it affected him greatly. One must be gentle with him."

"Very well," they heard Ceolmund say. "I will accompany you at least to Tamarton."

"Good," Ogden said. "Come on, up you get," he said, patting his mule.

"I can walk," Ceolmund replied.

Ogden sighed again, and Belial swiftly intervened. "He can borrow my spare horse," he said.

Ceolmund did not look particularly pleased, but he did mount the horse.

"So, Ceolmund was it? How do you know Ogden and Veremund?" Axis asked as they crossed the bridge.

Ceolmund opened his mouth as if to speak, but Veremund interrupted him, saying "We met a long time ago, when we were much younger, and we've been friends ever since."

"Are we?" Ceolmund asked, colder then the wind.

Veremund sighed. "You know we didn't have a choice," he said.

"So you claim."

Belial cleared his throat, disrupting the forming tension. "So why is it Willey Bridge when the nearest village is Tamarton?

"The bridge predates Tamarton," Ceolmund answered, cutting off Ogden. "It was already old when Achar was young."

"Was it built by the Forbidden then?" asked Axis.

"No," Ceolmund said swiftly. "The good people of Willey were as human as this man here," he continued, gesturing at Belial.

"My name is Belial."

"And mine is Ceolmund," he replied. "Well met."

***

There was, Axis thought as he ate his dinner, something very odd about Ceolmund. He seemed to barely acknowledge the two Brothers' presence, and so far had refused anything they tried to give him. And yet he seemed to like Belial, or at least had accepted his invitation to dinner.

The man had drifted well away from the fire, gazing off into the distance. Axis got up and walked over to him.

"So, Ceolmund," he said.

"I'm afraid you have the advantage of me," Ceolmund replied. "Who are you?"

"Axis," he answered, "BattleAxe of the Axe-Wielders."

"And I am Ceolmund," Ceolmund said. "Well met. You wished to speak with me?"

"What are you?" Axis demanded.

"That's a very rude question."

"Are you one of the Forbidden?" Axis snapped.

"No," Ceolmund answered.

"So you're human," Axis said.

"Also no," Ceolmund said. "Tell me, if you could change one thing about the world what would you change?"

Axis barely had to think about the question. "I'd legitimize myself," he answered. How often had he wished he was the legitimate son? Too often.

Ceolmund said nothing, but Axis felt his disapproval. "Well, what would you change?" he asked.

"I would have the Sentinels aid me when the Army of the Axe marched towards Willey," Ceolmund stated. "Even were it true it had to fall, they should have tried. And in truth I disbelieve their vaunted prophecy."

Axis began to suspect what Veremund had meant by 'affected him greatly'. "Why don't you come back to camp," he said gently, "I'm sure the company will do you good."

"The ones you call Veremund and Ogden are no friends of mine," Ceolmund said, "and neither they nor the other Sentinels ever were. Nor are they Brothers, whatever names they ape."

Axis sighed. "Come on," he said, grasping Ceolmund by the shoulders-

Ceolmund twisted out of his grip, knocking him over into the snow.

"Vade retro satana," Ceolmund spat, disappearing into the night.

When Axis told Ogden and Veremund about it later, they were disappointed but not surprised.

"He'll turn up again," they said. "He always has."