In Search of a Priest

by Donna and Abs

King Arthur was frustrated. He had his bride to be safe at his side, a lovely chapel all adorned for a wedding, but there was one slight problem. There was no priest to perform the actual ceremony. With the illness in Edan, none of the ones there would be able to make the journey to Camelot. That left only the monastery as a source. Hopefully there would be a brother there that was of a major order, and thus would be able to perform all the sacraments. With a loud voice, he ordered his men to prepare to ride out. 

Sir Patrise, Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot all said they would guard their liege on the journey, which was not far, but might be perilous.  The monastery was in the mountains just outside Edan, and no one knew what dangers lurked there! 

But as they were making their way to the stables, they ran into the Lady Guinevere, who was getting some air in the courtyard with her handmaidens. "My Lord," she smiled as she greeted him with a curtsey. "Are you going for a ride?" 

"I am going to find a priest, so we may be wed!" he announced firmly. 

She blushed as her maidens snickered behind their hands. "May I ride with you, my Lord?" she asked, smiling back at the laughing girls.  

"No, my Lass," he said, "I do not know what dangers lie in those mountains.  And besides, you have a wedding to plan for, do you not?" 

She pouted prettily, but Arthur soothed her ruffled feelings with a tender kiss full on the mouth. "Hurry back, my Lord," she said, her eyes bright and her cheeks a rosy pink as they separated. 

"That I shall do, and when I return, we shall be wed!" 

Lady Guinevere tied her scarf around his arm. "I will have all in readiness," she promised. A few minutes later, the small troop mounted up and started off in the direction of the monastery.  

The knights were wary, in case some evil should befall their King; but all was quiet along the way, and it was even more peaceful when they at last located the monastery, which was sheltered and cool.  The grounds were well tended, and over all, a feeling of calm exuded from every brick, stained-glass window, blade of grass and leaf! 

They dismounted at the gate, and Gawain rang the bell. A few minutes later, a small window opened in the door. "Yes?" said a friendly male voice from beneath a brown cowl.   

"We have come seeking a Priest," said the knight. 

The door opened to reveal a monk.  He pushed back the cowl and Patrise gasped, for the monk was one of his face!  Now this was odd indeed. 

The monk also looked surprised, but had heard tell of this very strange occurrence on Edan World and was no more than curious about it.  "I am Paul," said the monk.  "There are two who share my name, but the other is one of the leaders of our order.  Perhaps you should speak to him." 

"Thank you, Brother Paul," the King said as they led their horses into the pleasant courtyard. Several monks appeared immediately, taking the horses from them so that the visitors could be escorted to see their senior brother.  

Paul led the way.  he was very soft spoken and even tempered, and Patrise liked him very much.  There was an instant brotherhood between them. 

The other Paul was a round-faced man who smiled easily.  With him, he had a tall, much thinner man, who he introduced at Darius. 

Introductions were made all around, and the visitors were offered tea and refreshments. After the prerequisite polite chit chat had been accomplished, the King came right to the point. "I am in dire need of a priest at Camelot. My betrothed has arrived, and I would like us to be wed as soon as possible. In fact, it would be a wonderful thing if we could have someone there all the time to be our spiritual guide and shepherd."  

Brother Paul, the Major, and Darius exchanged glances.  "Most of our Order are not ordained to perform the sacraments or hear confession.  Only Brother Darius or I could do that." 

"I would be willing to go," Darius said quietly. "It would be good to have my own little chapel again. Perhaps this is the open door I have been praying for."  

"But you did not want to go off Holy Ground," worried Paul aloud.  In fact, Darius had been wondering how he'd gotten *to* Edan, having never stepped out of his church in Paris! 

"Sometimes it is necessary to step out in faith," Darius said softly, remembering the various times that he had left holy ground to tend to the wounded of nearby fighting. It had been during one of those times that he had met Duncan MacLeod.  

Darius smiled at Sir Lancelot. "I have a good friend who looks a great deal like you, my son, do you know him? MacLeod is his name."  

"I have met said Honorable Knight," said Lancelot with a nod.  "And I am honored to share his visage." 

"Excellent!" Darius said. "If Brother Paul agrees to give his blessing on this venture, I can be ready to leave in just a short time."  

"I cannot see why you should not," said Paul.  "If it is safe for you to do so. I should not like to lose you for good," he added affectionately. 

While the king and his entourage ate and quenched their thirst, Darius packed a bag with some things he thought he might need, and then said goodbye to all the other residents of the monastery. Many of them pressed small items into his hands. A prayer book, a package of different herb seeds that Cadfael had harvested from the garden, an ancient scroll that he had been translating. A small donkey and cart was hitched up, and readied for the journey.  

At least they were going down hill this time, and the knights were in good spirits, having found no undesirables on the way to the monastery.  They all thought that was a good sign for the return trip. 

As they traveled, suddenly the riders pulled up. There was the sound of swords clashing off in the distance!  

Sarak, the Arab who had saved Ayesha and Amanda from Xavier St. Cloud, was in heated battle - with a woman! 

"Gawain! Guard the priest" the King ordered, and then with a loud battle cry, he and his knights descended on the fight. Surprisingly the woman, her face painted with ancient Celtic designs, was holding her own quite well!  

At the same time, two men in a kilt and a woman who was very fair, and dressed as his Queen and Lady Melissa, came from the forest as if to aid the warrior maiden. 

Seeing he was completely outnumbered, the man did the only sensible thing he could. "I yield!" he shouted, stepping back from the battle.  

"What did he do?" asked the woman, who, though fair of face and body, seemed to have an inner strength that came to the fore in a stressful situation. 

The painted woman glared at the Arab. "He tried to get me to accompany him by force," she said. "I had no wish to kill him though. He is not one of us. I am Ceirdwyn."  

"I am Rebecca.  This," she indicated the men in kilts, "is Warren Cochrane.  The mortal is Rob Roy MacGregor."  She turned to Arthur and the knights.  "And you, Sire?" 

"King Arthur at your service, ladies," he said with a boyish grin and a slight bow. "And these are my good knights, Lancelot and Patrise. Sir Gawain is up yonder on the hill, with the priest that we were escorting to my castle, Camelot."  

"Patrise’s visage is the same as that of our attacker, is it not?" asked Rebecca.  Patrise explained this to her, then went to Sarak.  He knew there were those with his face on the realm who were not as benign as his fellow knights or the monk he had met earlier in the day, but he was not sure about this one. 

"I am a mercenary," said Sarak in his gravelly voice.  "I kill, but only who I am paid to kill.  I will pledge my allegiance to your king if you spare my life." 

"It is spared then," Arthur said, sensing that this would be a man who he would want fighting at his back. "I will take your pledge now."  

Sarak got on his knee, and made his pledge to use his sword  and gifts only in defense of Arthur of Camelot.  Then, and only then was he permitted to rise. 

The knights seemed wary, but they trusted the king's good judgment. Even the women he had been fighting with nodded in approval. "We travel to Camelot," the King announced. "All of you are welcome to accompany us. You are welcome to stay there or if you wish, safe passage can be arranged to a place called Edan. Let us not tarry here any longer. I have a bride waiting for me to return!"