As the early morning sun rose, the smell of baking bread filtered through the chapel's various halls. The Forest-Glen chapel, located with-in a forest clearing near the edge of a particularly large stretch of woods, served both as: a house of worship and an orphanage for the various surrounding minor clusters of farmers that could not individually support such a service. As such the few nuns, under the watch of one Father George, served as guardians for the various children left without parents. The church also held periodic services, weddings and often served as a center of operations for any wandering clergy or travelers who had to travel to the more isolated region.
Julianna was effectively the second-in-charge at the small abbey, coordinating the numerous daily tasks to keep the church running smoothly. The years of manual labor had built her large frame into a form comparable to that of seasoned knights, covered in muscles beneath their religious attire of choice. It was not an uncommon sight to see her hefting around large logs for firewood or the recently hunted corpses of wild boar without any sign of encumbrance. To the children she was often referred to as some form of beast due to both her strength and the long matted brown hair that often was exposed during manual labor.
The heat of the ovens was a welcome sensation in the cold spring morning, while the previous winter was now almost two months ago the weather had only gotten relatively warmer. Even with the constant exposure to the elements, she could not get used to the cold weather and often wore additional layers so that only her light-colored face could be seen, flushed bright red with blood. From her place near the hearth, she could already hear movement of the various wards of the church, likely roused by the smell of fresh bread.
Joining her in the kitchen was a travelling doctor, seemingly enjoying the darkened room before dawn and helping out in the kitchen wherever she could. Her hands, used to the processing of herbs and human flesh, translated easily across to the laborious tasks involved with cutting up vegetables and meat for various meals. The medicine woman and her companions had arrived late in the previous afternoon, seeking refugee overnight from the elements. It was a nice change of pace to have assistance in preparing the morning meals, delegating the more dexterous tasks to the doctor while taking on the more labor intensive ones herself. The other sisters were attending to other maintenance tasks, such as snuffing out any sconces and opening the various shutters, all while the pastor was likely still asleep or 'praying for the safety of the church.'
Pastor George's religious arrogance was quickly noticed by their guests, annoying the technically higher ranking William. Despite the visiting priest's warnings to avoid the nearby woods due to pagan rituals, the old cleric refused to take steps to protect his flock because of his unwavering faith. “He shall 'Deliver me from my enemies and defend me from those who rise up against me'- Psalm 59:1.* We shall carry on as we have been, regardless of the godless heathens in the woods. God will protect us from the demons and their ilk.”
The doctor also was the subject of his disdain, demeaning both her profession and skill as to better remind her of her place in the world. His devout ego did take a hit when their third member burst out laughing after he boldly claimed that “You will never receive God's Blessings if you continue down your current path.” Only Julianna noticed the travelling cleric sigh in a direction more towards the Father and not to the chuckling mercenary. Any offence they had taken was short lived, or at least ignored as to conserve energy for more fruitful endeavors, as they collectively settled in for the night and assisted with the evening chores.
As they baked and cooked in the early hours of the morning, Julianna affectionately told heart-felt stories about the church and the orphans that resided with-in. The young doctor patiently listened to each of the orphan's quirks and accomplishments, not to mention their many faults, while preparing the morning meal for the churches many residents. In-spite of their unfortunate circumstances, the sister constantly held hope for the youngster's future, regardless of their chances of success. She was content with watching them grow in the hopes of being knights, craftsmen or just find a happiness in their simple life. Many would simply join travelling merchants or a farm of a local family, if not retaining their place with-in the church as to care for the next generation.
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The topic soon turned to one medicine and general well-being. Despite her desire to leave the church quickly due to aforementioned magical activity, she did agree to provide a quick examination of the children and make sure that they were of good health. “While I am looking at the children, I will pay a fair price for specific herbs, if the children can find them nearby.” She offered whilst dicing up a bundle of herbs for the hearty vegetable soup which was going to be for dinner, “that being said I would strongly recommend avoiding going deep into the forest for the next few days.” “Is it really that bad?” Julianna asked as she lined the bread on various trays, as to let the rest after their time in the oven. “The rituals are based around natural worship, so nothing should manifest from their celebrations.” She said, eyes focused on her blade “That being said, disturbing them would likely not leave the observant untouched or at very least tempt them in various ways.”
“I doubt they would listen to me, but I will ask the girls to steer clear. They at least listen to me.” Julianna sighed, moving over to aid with what little remained of the vegetable preparation. “The boys respect Father George to much and may very well ignore any of my warnings.” “There are ways around that,” the doctor mused as she carefully added the root vegetables to the pot. “I have already asked Leo and William to spread the word amongst the children, although their phasing would be more akin to 'protect your friends by keeping watch for demons' as opposed to 'stay out of the woods.' The father's words are unlikely to provoke any direct action from them.” The girl was already several steps ahead of her, perhaps she had already for-seen this conversation and anticipated her thoughts. It was all too much for the tired nun. “I am no match for the young it seems. I must be getting old. I will get the sisters to pick up the slack and encourage George to pray for protection from the devil. It should keep him from influencing the kids into bad decisions.” This too might be a part of her attempts to keep people away from the wild spirits, approaching the secondary authority figure when the first was in-amicable to her suggestions.
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“Ah! There you are Julianna!” called out Father George, emerging from his bed chambers well after breakfast. “I need you to run an errand to the Southern community” he announced loudly, barging into one of the visiting doctor's examinations. Victoria was apparently unphased by the intruder as she quickly returned to counting teeth and checking various vitals. “Take some coin from the treasury. After sle...er...praying on the issue, I have come to the conclusion that we should heed Father Williams words. As such I will be locked in prayer until the god-less heathens have finished their vile acts. Take this list of supplies and bring them as soon as you can. You should be back by evening prayers, run along now.”
Julianna resigned herself to the unnecessary task, giving her thanks to her superior and leaving for a nearby town. The errand could easily be done by some of the children, but that would not satisfy his need to assert his authority, especially as it had been questioned by several of their guests. As she walked through the halls to collect a wooden frame, as to hold the various plants and oils used in his rites, she quickly organized whatever tasks would need to be completed in her absence. The other sisters were used to this, as the father had a habit of giving demeaning tasks to the more senior nuns with-in the church. Presumably it was to humble the sisters, reminding them of his perceived hierarchy.
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It was nearly sunset when Julianna returned through the tree-lined road to the church, frame loaded with the numerous items that Father George had requested. From the shadows two black-cloaked figures emerged from the roadside, blocking her path. Before she could react, a third hooded figure had appeared behind her and grabbing onto the frame. The nun's desperate attempts to escape were ultimately futile. Her heavy strikes and throws cultured through years of hard labor were only enough to temporarily send the assailants to the ground, before they got back up. Eventually she was subdued, being knocked unconscious by some foul-smelling rag. Her final thoughts before unconsciousness were of the children left alone in the orphanage.