"TO PASS IN THE TWI-" Squirrel blurted some words escaping from his lips. He had thought it was a rescued, it wasn't. She had a feeling they were being followed, she should have just listened to herself, they wouldn't be in this mess. Squirrel had jumped out and looked shockingly, surprised and frozen staring ahead. His eyes were stick and narrow. She widened her eyes in disbelief. "No!" She yelled out only to see Squirrel staring at something or someone. "Gwen," he managed to speak, shaking. Immediately, Gwen ran up to him pushing him behind her, she step forward turning her back facing upon a very tall man, wearing a black cloak, it looked like he had been tracking them from a long distance. He was holding her blue blanket, she touched her waist looking for it, it wasn't there. All this time, they were being followed. Slowly, the man came closer, she could see under his black cloak, it was a regular person but his eyes, it looked like he had been weeping. On the contrary, this man looked like a monk. What's a monk doing in an area like this?

The monk started getting closer, she stepped back pushing Squirrel right behind her. "Don't come any closer," she warned, threateningly. Immediately, before anything could happen, he ran towards her making her trip onto the ground. She closed her eyes groggily, pain blasting within her body.

"Gwen!" Squirrel immediately shouted. She struggled to maintain her balance only to finally stand up straight. The monk held Squirrel into the side of a stone covered with moss. The monk turned to look at her, she could sense darkness within him but with confusion and pain.

"I will ask you the questions. And if you lie to me, then this one will pay the price." She touched her head trying to regain consciousness, she must have hit her head.

Slowly, she was coming back. "You're mad."

The monk pushed the Squirrel harder onto the tree, causing him to yelp in pain. "Stop! Stop! Stop, it!" She bit her lip, begging. "Don't hurt him, I beg of you. Don't you have a heart?" She questioned him only for his eyes to meet her in deep sorrow and vulgarity, it made her wince when he grabbed onto her hand pulling her against the tree right beside Squirrel.

"Perhaps, you know a lot more." He commented. Who the hell is he? Has she heard of him?

He held her onto the tree, pushing her beside Squirrel, pushing against her shoulder roughly. The pressure began to come unbearable, his palm beginning digging onto her right shoulder. "How many of your kind escaped?" Her eyes fell weary, she began to think. She wasn't exactly considered a Fey. "I don't know," she answered, panicking, at a fast pace. He then began to tighten Squirrel into the woods.
"I don't know. I don't know. She is telling the truth."

"Let go of him," she ordered, still clinging onto the tree. "Tell me, now! Don't lie to me." She turned to see Squirrel with his eyes closed, shaking. Oh, god no. "How many?"

Immediately, his eyes turned on Gwen, who held deep breaths, trembling. "How many?!" He repeated. Gwen knew she was going to regret this. It's been years since she has been fighting. "How many?!" He repeated. "Enough to slaughter your whole entire cult, you scum!" She broke the silence they were having. That's when she immediately took the knife, she held on her side hand stuck between her clothes, slashed upward completely missing him but letting her free, he backed away, intrigued.

"You're not going to treat me that way or Squirrel!" Immediately she began to circled around him, they both observed each other. She held onto a knife and was ready to use it. Suddenly, she felt the wind fly by. The air is in her favor.

She kicked him on the side, making him fall into the ground. Squirrel stood in the side, curiously looking at her. He looked frightened, he began to pace around. She yelled at him, "Go! Now!" He didn't move like he didn't want to leave her alone. The monk stood up flinging his hand against her but she dodged it backing away. Without thinking, Gwen grabbed onto his arm, squeezing it tightly as she could. Blood can be seen running down his nose. "The girl can fight," he mocked, smirking. He let go of him staring him onto the ground. She prayed he stayed still, she didn't have any more tricks.

She turned around making her way to Squirrel when she was pushed onto the ground making her yelp. She turned around to see him dragging her by the feet, "Stop!" "Stop!" The monk pushed her feet out of the way looking at her.

"It seems like some escaped in the old Iron Wood." She answered truthfully, breathing heavily.

"How many?" He continued to asked. "I don't know." Gwen replied, defeated.

~ ~ ~ ~

Gwen has begun walking, her hands tied. Squirrel right beside her struggling to walk even more. She looked up ahead to see him riding his horse moving at a steady pace. Letting out a grunt, she began to follow him. He had taken her knife and had tied both Squirrel and her against their will, he was leading while they followed.

"Where are we going?" Squirrel whined. "What do you want from us?" She was curious. What did he want? The monk didn't even turned back like he didn't care.

"Oh, come now. Be a monk, and seek to tell us the truth. That's the least help you can give to us," she spoke loudly for him to hear only to hear a grunt. She smirked, amused by his response.

"I know about you," Squirrel added on. "The one who cries, the weeping monk." The weeping monk? She hasn't heard the story for months. She had heard of a monk that has no blood on terror. Could it be him? Her eyes flickered between Squirrel and the monk. "You killed moon wings." Squirrel continued. "Does that make you very brave? Do you hate them because they're so beautiful, and you're just so very ugly?"

"Squirrel," she warned. He ignored her. "Even your horse is ugly and I love horses. You should see Gwen horse, she doesn't have it now or it isn't her's but it so dam fast and listens to anybody. It's a beauty, his name is Hedge." She began to look up head to see if there's anyway she could escape or break the rope, but the more Squirrel talked, the more she was getting off-track.

"Although from this angle, you definitely do share a resemblance. You hedge-born naïf." Gwen bit her lip having enough of this. "Squirrel, your going to get us both killed,"She warned him. Squirrel finally met her eyes, shutting his mouth.

Suddenly the horse stops, the monk climbs off his horse. Gwen turned to look at Squirrel. "See, now we're going to get killed."

They both widened their eyes, surprised when he came closer to them, to her. He went to her directly, stared at her. "Your hair. Why is it so white?" He questioned. She frowned upon his statement. "Piss off, monk." She grinned feeling embarrassed by his statement, rolling her eyes at him. When she lived in Dewdenn, they always asked her this question. She would always reply, she doesn't know. Eventually people had stopped and everybody knew soon enough. Now this question is being brought up again.

She noticed the monk groan. The sky began to turn dark. He wanted to rest. That's why they stopped. "Pss, Squirrel." She whispered when the monk went back to his horse looking for something. "Let's try to make a run for it, in the night." She watched as Squirrel nodded eagerly. The monk came back pulling the rope towards where he was going.

She let out a groan, she could feel a burning sensation around her wrist. She took a glance to see it's red and irritated, she hastily turned back, shocked but breathing heavily. She is getting nervous, this isn't a good sign for her.
He begins to lay himself on a tree, closing his eyes. Squirrel and her were forced to sit on the ground across from him. "This is pathetic," she murmured.

Squirrel had been lying down on the leaves, his eyes shut. Gwen wasn't sure if he was sleeping or not, whether the case is, she is annoyed that the weeping monk decided to take a rest.
"Why are you silent? Do you not talk?" He had his eyes closed. "Let me guess. I got one. Do you not wish to speak to the girl who defeated you?" She taunted him, smirking. He opened his eyes again taking one quick look at her then closing it.

"What? Don't close your eyes? Why haven't you kill us yet?" He didn't open his eyes again. "I'm talking to you, monk. Open your eyes, monk. Or should I say, the weeping monk, seriously those tears on the face doesn't shed the light on how a terrible person you've been."

He opened his eyes again. "Why haven't you killed us?"

"I do not kill children!" He blurted. What! She wasn't a child? "I'm not a child. I'm telling you now! I'm not one. Why keep me alive a little longer?" The monk let out a sigh aggravated by her behavior.

"Will you shut it? Your mouth is quick as tongue," he replied, opening his eyes widely. "It's passively aggravating me."

"I would never. Your family! Those red paladins, it's your family isn't it? I heard of them. Evil people. Yet, you don't wear the same clothes as him. I don't know much about you but as you can see, I'm mourning! You see, I should be angry and full of hate. I lost a home, they burnt down my village, I'm separated from my only family member. My friends are lost and scattered." She began to rant causing the weeping monk to open his eyes, it seemed like he's listening.

"Some wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word." He spoke causing her to fall back, confusion. "What?"

He groans. "It means you're not the only one lost everything, certainly their people out there who have it lot worse." He closed his eyes again laying his head against the tree. He was talking about himself.

''How do you do it? Hm? You say that you don't harm children yet you stand by them?" She questioned him, slowly. "You see how they harm those little ones.'' He open his eyes once again, "I don't harm children,'' he repeated once more. She stared at him, plainly. "Yet, you see it all with those weeping eyes, that makes you guilty.'' She slowly leaned back leaving him pouring in his thoughts, it was getting night. It seems like Squirrel has fallen asleep, they were planning to escape but rest is what she felt like she needed right now. She closed her eyes seeing an image, rumbling noises of thunder splatter through the sky.

                                                                                             ~ ~ ~ ~

Gwen felt a hand tugged her on the shoulder, she opened her eyes just to see herself staring right into someone's eyes. It was a man, she widened her eyes. It wasn't any man.

Josse.

"Gwen, you alright?" He asked. She nodded quickly, eagerly to get up. They were finally saved. Squirrel began to speak up. "Josse!" He smiled happily to see the sight of his old friend. That's when she watched with her very own eyes how Josse made his way to the weeping monk pointing the pitchfork directly at his chest.

"Get up, your murdering pig."