literature

The Abbot ch. 10 Missing

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Chapter 10: Missing
    I rise early the next morning. As I leave the tower, I hover beside Brendan’s door. I’m tempted to check to see if he is still inside. But it’s so early… Of course he’s inside, peacefully sleeping. I don’t want to wake him up.
    As soon as I step outside, one of the brothers waves me over. “Abbot, a new group of refugees has arrived at the gate. They are requesting shelter here.”
    “I’ll see to it.” I approach the gate and gesture to the brothers posted there to open the doors.
    Outside, a small family huddles tightly together. An elderly couple, frail and tired. A woman with a babe in arms, another with her small daughter. They all stare up at me with huge frightened eyes. I step to the side and gesture for them to come in. So few… Where have they come from? Did the rest of their village perish?
    I scan the tree line, watching for any sign that the Northmen have followed them here. All seems peaceful. But how could I know, really? I motion for the doors to be closed.
    I escort the family to the refectory. Here Brother Leonardo will feed them, and Brother Tang will take care of any wounds that need treatment. Then they will be assigned a hut—we always have a few spares built and stocked, ready for new arrivals. The family is quiet as they follow me.
    “Welcome to Kells,” I tell them. “You will be safe here behind our walls.” They gaze up at the wall, and it may be my imagination, but it seems some of the tension goes out of their shoulders. “Please…” I hesitate to ask, but I must know. “Where are you coming from?”
    It’s the old man who speaks. The village he names is to the North of Kells, some distance away but much, much too near for my comfort. “We managed to hide ourselves until the Northmen left,” he said. His eyes close. “But we were close enough to hear the screams of the others…”
    The shorter of the young women speaks next, her voice barely a whisper. “Most of our family didn’t make it.”
    “I grieve with you,” I say. “I too have lost family to the Northmen. If you wish, I will join you in prayer for them once you have settled in.”
    “We would like that,” the woman says.
    I leave them with Leonardo, heading back to the tower to wake Brendan for the day’s work. I have always regretted that I didn’t arrive sooner to Ceather’s village. But if I had to be too late… perhaps it’s best I wasn’t there to hear her last dying cries, helpless to do anything to save her. I shudder.
    Perhaps I should bring Brendan with me when I pray with this family. They might remind him of the dangers awaiting outside of Kells, of the crucial importance of the wall for everyone here. I swing Brendan’s door open and bend down to call to him. “Brendan, it’s time to—”
    He's not there. His bed is empty, already made. My heart freezes mid-beat. Where could he be? Surely, he has not returned to the forest? Not today, not on a day when the Northmen could be near.
    I force myself to take a deep breath. I can’t panic. Brendan could be many places. Maybe he’s waiting for me in my workroom. Maybe he’s off chasing a goose somewhere. We just spoke about this yesterday. He knows he’s forbidden to leave the abbey—he wouldn’t go out. Would he? No, no, he must be somewhere within Kells. I just need to find him.
    I check my workroom first. He’s not there, but I survey Kells through my window, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. There are no signs of him. All is peaceful and quiet. Most villagers are still asleep.
    He’s in the forest, isn’t he? Or… just indoors somewhere. Deep breaths. He must be here.
    I roam the grounds of Kells, keeping a sharp eye out for him. Still nothing. Maybe he’s gone to the refectory for breakfast? But wouldn’t I have seen him? I double back to check anyway. Inside, Leonardo is serving the refugee family their meal. He looks up at me in surprise. The family looks up too, and when they see my face, they become alarmed.
    I force a smile that more resembles a grimace. “Everything’s fine. I’m just looking for my nephew.”
    “He hasn’t come by here, Abbot,” Leonardo says.
    I nod and step back outside. If Brendan has gone to the forest, we’ll need to send a search party as quickly as possible. The longer he’s outside, the more likely he is to be—
    No. I must not think of that.
    Where else could he be? I try calling for him. “Brendan?” My voice carries across Kells, but there’s no response, no child coming running.
    Maybe he’s in the scriptorium. Of course. I quicken my footsteps as I approach. “Brendan?” But the scriptorium door is open, and Brendan doesn’t respond from within.
    I circle through the huts, listening hard. Maybe he just can’t hear me? I try again, louder. “Brendan!”
    Nothing. Still nothing. I close my eyes. He has gone out into the forest. Who knows what awaits him there? Dark images race through my mind—Brendan dashed to bits by a Viking blade. Devoured by wolves. Bitten by a snake.
    “BRENDAN!” I scream so that even the forest must hear.
    He still doesn’t answer.
    I’m running now, checking in between every hut, inside every pen. The villagers give me strange looks as I go. He’s not here. When did he leave? Has he been gone all night? Surely he would know better than to venture forth in the dark?
    I stop, massaging my temples. This isn’t helping. It’s time to assemble a search party. Time to talk to Aidan—maybe he’ll have some idea where the boy would go.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement. I whip around, and there Brendan is, running towards me. He stops suddenly, staring at his hands, and then bends down to pet one of the pigs in a sty. What’s he doing?
    I storm towards him. He still hasn’t answered me, but I know he must have heard me. Why is he ignoring me? What is he doing out here at this time of day?
    Brendan sees me. He straightens up.
    "Where have you been so early?" I snap.
    He comes to meet me, his arms clasped behind his back. He looks at the ground, then up at me, his expression contrite. He doesn't speak.
    No mud or leaves on his robes today. No signs he did venture into the forest. He stayed here in Kells, then. It doesn't really matter where he's been, as long as it was within the walls. He's here. He's all right.
    "Come along, there's much work to be done." I head towards the workroom, Brendan running along behind me.
    I breathe deeply as we go. Brendan is all right. He's safe within the walls of Kells, out of the Northmen’s grasp.
    But the Northmen are coming ever nearer, and there is so much work to be done. I grimace, thinking of the time I've wasted this morning looking for a boy who wasn't missing.
A village near Kells has fallen to the Northmen, and Cellach can’t find his nephew. Did Brendan venture into the forest with the Northmen so near?

Link to all chapters: celticmoonbeam.deviantart.com/…

My personal head canon for why Cellach is screaming for Brendan as Aidan tries to talk him into doing the Chi Ro page. The timing makes sense to me. Brendan ventures into the forest and shakes Cellach’s trust in him. Then the next day a band of refugees show up from a nearby village, reporting that there’s been another Northmen attack. We see Cellach welcoming them into Kells, and the very next scene is Aidan and Brendan’s discussion about the Chi Ro page with Cellach calling for Brendan progressively louder in the background. It makes sense to me that Cellach went to wake up Brendan (like he does the very next day, when he wakes Brendan up from his Chi Ro page nightmare) and then freaks out because Brendan isn’t there and he’s afraid he’s gone out into the forest again when the Northmen could be close by.

I like to think Cellach’s relieved when he finds Brendan (although also annoyed Brendan didn’t answer him or come earlier—and he must have been so confused why Brendan felt the need to stop and pet the pigs—he’s looking right at Brendan while that happens!). In my mind, that’s why he doesn’t push Brendan too hard to figure out where he was. He says, “Where have you been so early?” but then for once he just lets it go instead of making Brendan answer him.

And.... I think it's hilarious I just wrote out that full play by play. Um..... You're welcome, I guess. ;)
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Hikarionesa's avatar
I couldn't help grinning while reading this chapter, it is very well written, you can feel how Cellach is really worried and progressively freaking out, but I also found it a bit amusing despite it. Not sure why, maybe the "deep breaths", because it reminds me a bit of me sometimes and more comical situations using it? And when he sees him "petting" the pig!! :giggle: I actually wondered if he noted that too!
:iconabbotcellachplz:: What is he doing??Revamp - :confused: 

I also love the interaction he has with Bree's family, poor them :(