The last tendrils of winter were leaving Westfjord. From the top of the fjord, Elias watched patches of ice break off melting ice sheets on ?lskare Delar and float lazily down the river. Seagulls circled over the water and a warm wind tousled his hair, rustling the grassy plains behind him. Elias took in a deep breath and smelled incoming rain. Well…we made it. I’m…home.

  Gloria gaped in awe. “Elias,” she whispered. “I had no idea Westfjord was so beautiful.”

  Beside him, Master Seth stared out at the magical sight. “I’ll be honest,” he murmured, “There was a point I wasn’t sure we’d make it back here.”

  A bittersweet melancholy settled in Elias’s heart. He was still angry at them, but… I don’t want my last words to them to be spiteful. Elias swallowed and croaked out a few words, “Me neither sir.”

  Master Seth’s head whipped back to him; his eyes wide with surprise. Elias struggled to hold his gaze and gave him a half smile. “If you think this is beautiful, you should see her in the summer. Salmon migrate up here every year and all of Westfjord goes crazy. If you’re lucky, sometimes you can see them jump out of the water downstream.”

  Elias turned his face back towards ?lskare Delar. “Brother Stephen always brings home a few big ones to steam.” He smiled at the memory, then glanced back at Master Seth.

  Master Seth’s eyes quivered for a moment before he looked away. “It’s a shame…” he muttered with a tight voice. “I wish I could see it.”

  “You can still—” Elias started to beg, but a sharp pang shot up his right arm through to his chest. Elias grimaced and clutched his shoulder—Mrs. Angie’s cream wasn’t helping anymore.

  “Elias!” Gloria rushed to his side, her face etched with concern. “Are you alright?”

  Elias gritted his teeth and tried to breathe through the pain. “I’m fine.” He straightened and looked up at Master Seth.

  Master Seth’s face was pale, and his eyes wide with fear. He blinked and looked away his face hardening. “Come on,” he said brusquely as he marched towards the trailhead. “Let’s get you home.”

  Elias sighed and trudged after him. Great…I blew my last chance to convince him.

  Gloria put a hand on his shoulder. “Remember…it’s because he cares.”

  “Right…” Elias mumbled, trying not to shrug off her hand. “He cares…”

  Elias and Gloria followed Master Seth down the steep trail into the bustling town. By the time they reached the bottom, Elias’s arm was burning. He panted and held his weakening arm, struggling to keep up with Master Seth’s steady pace and the jostling crowd.

  Gloria anxiously hovered nearby, casting glances at him as he staggered along. Ahead, Elias realized that Master Seth also kept looking over his shoulder at him.

  Another sharp sting shot up Elias’s arm and he doubled over, groaning. Gloria instantly held him, and Master Seth raced back to his side.

  Gloria fretted over him while Master Seth looked him up and down.

  “Are you okay?” Gloria fretted.

  Master Seth tried to prop Elias up. “Can you walk?”

  Elias shot dark glares at both of them. “I’m fine!” he snapped and threw their hands off him. “Can I please have a little space?”

  Both Master Seth and Gloria looked stung but backed away. “Sorry,” Gloria mumbled. “We’re just worried about you.” Master Seth rubbed the back of his neck and nodded quietly.

  Elias glared at them, for another moment, then guilt pricked his heart. Is this how he wanted his last moments with them to be? They just wanted to make sure he was okay. Elias hung his head and shuffled his feet. “No, I’m sorry…I’m fine. I can walk.”

  “You sure?” Master Seth asked.

  Elias nodded. “Yes sir.”

  “Good. We’re almost there.” Then Master Seth turned and started down a side street.

  “Sir?” Elias called, “You know the temple is the other way, right?”

  Master Seth froze, and Elias was sure he heard him mutter a curse. Then he rubbed the back of his neck and looked back at Elias and Gloria blushing. “Thank you, Elias. Is it this way?” He pointed in the opposite direction.

  Elias cursed his good nature and nodded. “Yes sir, that way will be faster.”

  Gloria giggled a little. “You got lost last time too.”

  Master Seth spun around with a huff and marched in the direction Elias pointed in. “I’ve only been here twice! Cut me a little slack.”

  As they passed by Lover’s Respite, the temple bell rang. A jolt of fear went through Elias. They were close. So very close.

  It’s almost time for midday prayer… Elias thought spying the belltower over the dark shingled roofs. No matter how hard he tried to push it away, Father Verdas’s furious red face loomed in his mind. His heart began to pound, and a storm of conflicting emotions rose in him: Relief, sorrow, anger, fear… He shook and clenched his left fist, trying to quell the overwhelming wave.

  Questions raced through his mind: Will I be able to cope with a simple life after what happened? What will Father Verdas say? Will he heal me? He gulped and glanced at Gloria and Master Seth. Will I ever see them again? His gaze dropped to the cobblestone street. Will I ever have a life of my own?

  “It’s going to be okay.” Elias looked up at Gloria who gave him a tight smile. “I’m sure Father Verdas will be happy to have you home.”

  Elias grimaced and a strained laugh slipped out. Even she didn’t sound convinced. “I hope so.” If I survive being whipped…

  The bell had gone silent by the time the trio reached the bottom of the temple steps. Elias stared at the dark twin wooden doors. His mouth went dry, and he wiped a sweaty palm on his habit—a tic that drove Father Verdas crazy. Even now, Elias could hear his scolding voice.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Your habit is a symbol of devotion to Crim—not a hand towel.”

  “Well…” Master Seth said, breaking into Elias’s thoughts. “We’re here.” Master Seth looked at him. Are you ready?”

  Elias took a shuddering breath and shook his head. “No sir. I think I’d rather be in the mountains with The Lady than facing Father Verdas right now.

  Master Seth gave a dry chuckle. “I’m having the same debate myself.”

  Gloria squeezed Elias’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll be with you.”

  Master Seth nodded. “We’ll make sure nothing gets out of hand.”

  Elias looked back to the twin doors. It was time to face him—no more stalling. Elias took a deep breath, then he ascended the steps, pulled the door open, and stepped inside.

  The smell of burning incense and melodic chanting greeted Elias as he entered the foyer. Homesickness washed over him. It felt like it had been forever since he’d been here. How much had changed? How much have I changed?

  Master Seth leaned into Elias’s ear. “Which way to Father Verdas?”

  “It’s midday prayer, so he should be praying with everyone else,” Elias whispered back. He stepped into the sanctuary and looked around, but Father Verdas was nowhere to be found. That’s odd, Elias thought with a frown. Father Verdas never misses midday prayer.

  He looked up to the stained glass depicting Crim’s holy eye at the front of the sanctuary. The radiant eye seemed to watch him curiously. He swallowed under its gaze and slipped into the back pew. Best to pray before Father Verdas flayed him alive.

  Elias knelt down and made a holy sign over himself, then bowed his head. Holy Father, he prayed, his hands shaking. Forgive your servant… The rest of the prayer trailed off and Elias shuddered. Oh Crim, please don’t let him kill me.

  There was a quiet creak and Elias looked up to see Gloria and Master Seth join him in the pew. Gloria made a holy sign over herself, then knelt beside him and began muttering a prayer of her own. Master Seth, meanwhile, sat nervously in the pew before awkwardly sinking to his knees. He clumsily copied Gloria’s motion, then bowed his head.

  Elias squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth to join his brothers in the hymn they sang. His voice cracked a little as anxiety sapped away the moisture in his mouth. He clenched his clasped hands and continued to lift his voice in song.

  The singing suddenly stopped, and the sanctuary went quiet. Elias frowned. Why are we stopping? The hymn still has another verse. He opened his eyes, and a cold rush ran through his veins. All the brothers had turned in their seats and were staring at him, their eyes wide with shock.

  One brother, a few years older than Master Seth, leaped to his feet. “Elias?”

  Elias swallowed and smiled nervously. “Hello, Brother Stephen…”

  The sanctuary burst into a cacophony of cheers and exclamations. Elias trembled as the brothers surged over and surrounded him in a whirlwind of hugs and sharp scoldings. “Where have you been?” they cried. “We’ve been worried sick about you!” The sanctuary spun around him as he was pulled in every direction.

  Finally, Elias was passed to Brother Stephen who gripped his shoulders and looked him over. “We thought you were dead!” he chastised. “What were you doing?”

  Elias blushed. “I-I had to help,” he said sheepishly.

  “Get into trouble is more like it.” Brother Stephen scolded with a frown.

  Elias gulped and shuffled his feet. “Where’s Father Verdas? He doesn’t normally skip midday prayer.”

  Brother Stephen pointed down the left hallway. “In his office. Your disappearance and The Second Winter really took a toll on him. He’s been working almost non-stop trying to keep everything together.” He put a hand on Elias’s shoulder. “I will pray for your sake that he is merciful, and your penance is gentle.”

  Elias trembled and bowed his head. “Thank you, sir,” he mumbled. He looked back to Master Seth and Gloria. “Ready? No sense in wasting any more time.”

  Master Seth nodded and helped Gloria rise to her feet, but before they could leave the pew, Brother Stephen’s eyes went wide, then darkened. “Wait, I recognize you two.” He shook his head and pointed to the temple doors. “I’m sorry, but Father Verdas specifically banned you both from this temple—you need to leave.”

  Elias’s heart leaped to his throat. I can’t do this without them! He spun back to Brother Stephen. “Brother Stephen, please! Don’t kick them out!” He scrambled for an excuse. “They need to talk to Father Verdas too.”

  Brother Stephen frowned disapprovingly at Elias, then shook his head. “Crim abhors a lying tongue, Elias.” Elias looked down shamed-faced and Brother Stephen continued, “Father Verdas was quite adamant about it. Unless the abbot himself says otherwise, out they go.”

  Elias’s blood went cold, and he shot a desperate look at Master Seth and Gloria.

  Master Seth squeezed past Brother Stephen and rested his hands on Elias’s shaking shoulders. “Don’t worry, we won’t leave until we know everything is okay.”

  Behind him, Gloria glared at Brother Stephen. “How can you do this?” she spat. “Crim’s arms are open to all who receive him! You can’t—"

  “Gloria…” Master Seth interrupted. “Let’s not make this more difficult for Elias than it has to be.” Despite his steady voice, Elias noticed Master Seth’s face was a faint shade of red and his mouth set in a tight line.

  Gloria opened her mouth to protest, then closed it with a grimace. “Fine,” she growled, then shot Brother Stephen a dirty look.

  Master Seth leveled a stern look at Brother Stephen. “We will wait outside for Elias as you’ve asked, but if we don’t hear from him in an hour, I’m coming back inside to ask for him.”

  The air in the sanctuary shifted and all eyes turned to Master Seth. Brother Stephen grimaced. “Is that a threat?”

  Master Seth shrugged and folded his arms. “Only if you want it to be,” he answered cooly.

  Elias’s face burned. He couldn’t decide if he was embarrassed or comforted by the scene Master Seth and Gloria were making. At least they won’t leave without saying goodbye.

  Master Seth and Brother Stephen stared each other down for a long tense moment. Then the monk pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Fine…I will make sure someone comes out to give you an update. Satisfied?”

  Master Seth nodded. “Yes.” Then he slid aside to let Gloria leave the pew.

  Gloria caught Elias’s eye and smiled at him. “It’s going to be okay.” She reached out for Elias and her fingers brushed against his cheek, but Brother Stephen stepped in between them, breaking contact.

  “I’m sorry miss,” he said firmly, “you’ve been here long enough. You need to leave now.”

  Elias tried to crane his neck around Brother Stephen and reach for her, but he glared back at him. “What are you waiting for? You need to see Father Verdas.”

  Elias looked around the sanctuary. All eyes were on him. He gulped and a sharp sting ran through his arm. He winced, then met Master Seth’s eyes. “Go on.” Master Seth nodded. “We’ll be fine.”

  Elias slowly turned and walked down the hall towards Father Verdas’s office. His knees felt like wobbling jelly. He paused and looked over his shoulder once more at his friends, who nodded encouragingly before he stepped down the long hall.

  His footsteps echoed off the stone walls as he slowly marched towards a thick oak door at the end. Behind him, Elias heard a door open. He whipped back in time to see Master Seth and Gloria leave the temple, then the door shut with a resounding thud, and Elias felt alone.

  Through the hall window, he could distantly hear Gloria raging outside and barely see Master Seth put his hands in his pockets and bounce anxiously on the balls of his feet. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but it was sucked away when he looked back to the wooden door waiting at the end of the hall.

  He gulped and looked down at his bandaged arm. Was Master Seth this scared when he came to see Father Verdas? His heart pounded as he continued down the hall, the oak door filling his vision. How many times had he been sent down this hall growing up? How many times had he been here because he was in trouble?

  Too many times to count, Elias thought and raised his bandaged hand to knock. But nothing compared to this. He was about to knock when a twinge went through his arm. Then he groaned a little, then switched to his left, and awkwardly rapped on the door.

  There was silence for a moment, then Father Verdas’s voice called from within. “Enter.”

  Elias put his hand to the knob and trembled. He steadied himself, took a deep breath, then stepped inside.