Requiem of Dawn | TeuTemp

Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Communio - The requiem's third part

It quieted down and Gilbert and Gabriel still sat snuggled up next to each other. All seemed quiet for the time being and the attacking Knights Templar and Knights of Hospitaller, as well as the handful of Teutonic Knights who had also joined the cause, had moved away. Gabriel was the first to move from their hiding place and check out the situation. "The coast is clear," he hissed, motioning Gilbert to come over by means of a simple hand gesture, "And thank you for earlier." "You're welcome." The shorter man smiled wryly as he too dared to come out of his stone hiding place.

Gilbert noticed his limbs already going limp, just dragging behind him like lead. He had hardly been able to take a quiet minute in the last few days, something always came up and the constant fear of being found kept him from sleeping. Above all, the feeling of hunger made itself more and more noticeable, yet he kept silent and followed Gabriel out of the narrow, cool crevice in the rock.

As he trotted along behind him, the pursued man noticed his rescuer tapping his fingers tensely against his thigh and humming softly to himself. The melody was familiar to Gilbert; it was the same song the Templar liked to play on his lute under the olive trees. But why was he humming it? Did it calm him? Did it give him strength?

Gilbert knew nothing that could give him strength and a cool head, except his own thick skull, which he forced himself with all his might in every situation. So why would a ridiculous song help?

"I can see the light on the other side already, we're almost there!"

Gilbert looked up at Gabriel; his gaze softened and the corners of his mouth twitched upward briefly. Every major order had put bounties on Gilbert, trying to catch him with all sorts of things. But still Gabriel had turned on his own people, refused to obey the Grand Master. He himself could be accused of treason...And he had put up with all that just to help him. So that he, Gilbert, could be safe once and for all, if only for a short time.

The albino could not comprehend it. He was a good-for-nothing, punished by God with those repulsive eyes and abnormal hair, possibly for some unforgivable original sin he had to endure. He had only rightly deserved all this, that's what everyone who caught sight of him and pushed him away said until now. Of course, one individual who stood up to it, who did not accept it at all as it was, and who stood up to the belief of the masses, could not save him completely from this tide of self-doubt and self-loathing, much less could he undo it. But he could do one thing. He could stem the tide, he could alleviate it, and he could raise doubt, which in time could become a saving island from the hatred.

But he was far from that. But the possibility existed.

When they finally had the sky above their heads again and had escaped the musty smell of damp rock, it was very quiet at first and the grass grew overgrown with all kinds of weeds. They were at a clearing in a narrow patch of woods. Downed trees marked their path, the cut down tree trunks suggested that this forest had already fallen victim to logging to achieve more grazing area for the sheep.

Numerous tiny insects buzzed in the air, producing a low hum and buzz. To their right, far off in the distance, stood a small hut with a trail leading to it. Gabriel dug a small map out of his pouch and Gilbert tried to look over his shoulder. "We should, if we follow the path, arrive at a port town soon. We may be off the trail, but this section of forest will shorten our time by a few hours."

"Port city? What are we going to do there? There's bound to be other people there trying to hunt me down again..." Gilbert tilted his head. Gabriel scratched the back of his head. "That's true, but it's the best way to get you out of the country." Gilbert flinched. He was supposed to do what? "Smuggle you out of the country? Why would you do that?"

"Gilbert, listen to me...," the Templar grabbed him by the shoulders, looking deep into his eyes, "You won't be able to stay here. With all the Knights of the Order around you, you're a sitting duck. If you don't want to get caught, you have to get away from here. Far away. Hopefully you'll be safer up north than here, and the merchant ships will sneak you into Europe if you hide out with them."