The Choice

Behind him I could see the massive girth of a man with sandy blonde hair. He was wearing the robes of the church, an enormous cross lay upon his expansive barrel chest. His blue eyes never wavered from mine, with a thin smile he bowed to me slightly. "This man has come from the church in Norwich Nerissa. He has had complaints of you consorting with the devil at nighttime. He says... His name is Father Michael Nerissa, he says..." he gulped looking at me in fear and apprehension. "He says you might have to come with him and his acolytes this night and be questioned by the Church as a heretic, as a ... as a witch."

"A witch? Because I heal with herbs? Because when I see a need I help out?"

"No, Nerissa, you've been seen in the woods." Father Michael added.

"There is no proof of that!" I reached back and felt the table edge holding it for support.

Father Michael stepped forward and reached my bodice before I could step back he yanked open the front of my kirtle and shift. It tore easily under his massive meaty hands. He grabbed the necklace from my chest and yanked hard, so hard the heavy chain snapped and he was holding it triumphantly. "My acolyte Devin followed you and placed this upon your clothing this night Nerissa. You wear your own proof upon your body." He shook the necklace back and forth in front of my eyes. I was struggling to comprehend. Gab... Father Michael. Astral, reality... nothing made sense I gripped the table tighter to keep the room from spinning.

"Look Nerissa. We can work this out here, right now. Tell me. Do you proclaim your innocence? You're true faith in the One holy God of the Church? I have heard good things of you and know some of the women in this town are wagging their tongues to stir up the devils' pot, as if he needs help! I am not an unlearned man Nerissa. Tell me what of goes on at the night times in the forest?"

"I am but walking... I cannot always sleep at night and enjoy the solitude and peace that the forest brings me."

"That is all?"

"No... There is no other God than the most Holy Father. I attend church Father, always."

Marcus nodded his head looking bewildered. I clenched the front of my shift tightly closed over my bosom. Fear was a cold lead weight in the bottom of my stomach.

"Why were you clothes in a pile there?"

"I went to bath in the stream there near the sacred Oak."

Father Michael looked at Devin in question. "It is possible Father. I saw no one in that ancient pagan grove of trees. I always thought myself they should have been hewn down." He silenced himself quickly seeing the dark look that passed over Father Michael's face.

"Nerissa? Your hair is dry."

"It was a goodly time ago that I bathed. Then I sat down under an Ash tree near the stream and fell asleep so relaxed was I." I looked at him innocently and then remembered the words of Logan. A choice... was this the choice?

I was being offered leniency or acceptance of a fate that would bring about speedily my death. My death... could that be the way back to Logan? I looked at Marcus and though I liked him, an arranged marriage not based on love was not the happiest of things to endure. I wanted Logan, needed him. I could feel him and stifled back a soft moan.

Father Michael looked at me quizzically and then a strange look came over him. "Your choice madam Nerissa, I will have it now." He demanded with the power of the Church behind his words.

He was both Father Michael and the long dead Gable, friend of my soul mate and long lost love of long ago. I waited but the shortest of breaths, the pause spanning a lifetime.

I made my choice.