The Abbey

[Kidney]

In the strange way kids do, Mercy let her body be tugged around slightly, flopping back and forth a bit, smiling wide as Graces warm hands then tied a warm cloth around her. She may not have been directly thinking about it, but the way she seemed to be acting, she would be holding onto this piece for a very long time. Her bright eyes stared happily at Grace, and she spoke, "I love you Gwace."

[Outisakanobody]

Logically Grace understood she should take the girl's expression of love with a grain of salt, considering how young she was. It was rather unlikely she fully comprehended the concept of love at all.

But the words made her feelsomething powerful deep in her chest. Those words she so rarely heard gave her a feeling that killing heretics never, ever made her feel. It was shocking at how powerful and sudden it was, and it was nearly enough to make the veteran warrior crumble.

As tears welled in her eyes she hugged Mercy tightly to hide the wetness, burying the child's face in her warm bosom as she placed small kisses on the top of her head, occasionally giving small breathless laughs.

[Kidney]

All the emotions that Grace was experiencing seemed to land against the child with little success. Although she did understand the immense amount of warmth, and the wordless breaths that she had heard from the widowed nuns. Her eyes closed, and she pressed herself against Grace, her little hands allowing for an even tighter embrace. 

She seemed to babble quietly, incoherent words stitched together, perhaps to express how Mercy felt about this.

[Outisakanobody]

Grace once again found herself rather lost. Happy as she was, she felt like she should be doing something with this child, but didn't know what. As she considered the matter she sat herself on the bed and placed Mercy in her lap. She busied herself with straightening out the new cloth she had gifted the child and trying to get her hair a bit more orderly.

[Kidney]

As Grace set the little one down upon her lap, she realized this one's hair was of mighty proportions. Whatever time of meticulous fixing this hair may have been apart of was long gone, instead replaced with a mat covered in old dust and the occasional long hair that did not belong to her own head. She did not move, though, whatever teachings the nuns attempted to instill in her sponge-like brain seemed to remain half-instilled, so she remained motionless to avoid any hair tugging.

[Outisakanobody]

"Mmm. It is very important to keep up proper appearances, dear." Grace says as she gently fixes the girl's hair so as not to hurt her. "Not only among strangers, but at all times. You must maintain composure. Keep your wits about you, as my mother would say." she continues, speaking in a gentle, motherly tone herself. She was still smiling, as this was far better than looking over reports in her dusty office.

[Kidney]

Mercy let out a noise of a affirmation, her hair was a mess, but with some finger combing and some use of force, she was able to get it mostly in order. The girl stayed still, her eyes searching the ground in front of her, before she closed her eyes, and opened her mouth to speak. 

But no words came out.

[Outisakanobody]

"I am sure you will not have a hard time. You will grow into a lovely young woman before long." Grace says as she simply starts fussing with the hair now that it was mostly sorted.

[Kidney]

Mercy smiled at that, her hands loosening a tight grip on her trousers. She stared happily at the wall, letting Grace do what she wanted, all the while her little legs dangling against Grace's. She began to hum, as fidgeting kids do, for the sake of boredom.

[Outisakanobody]

"You know...you might not think it, but you are rather lucky. When I was a little girl your age, I was kept very busy. With chores and studying and things like that. I never had time to myself, unless I snuck out at night with my brother." Grace began to say, talking to fill the open air and maybe form a deeper connection with her charge.

[Kidney]

Mercy perked up at this, smiling a bit, Grace seemed to think Mercy was lucky. Her little hands once again came together to fidget, but all the while listen. "Brudder? I didn't know you had one of those."

[Outisakanobody]

"Yes. He was a strong, handsome boy, but very kind as well. I am sure you would have liked him. He thought me how to fight. But you do not need to worry about that. I do not want you fighting anything if you do not have to." Grace explained as she turned Mercy around to face her so she could look at her hair from the front as well.

[Kidney]

Oof. Her bangs needed some work. 

Mercy watched expectantly as Grace went to such work, speaking about this man, "He sounds nice!" she bubbly explained, her little hands moving to scratch her shoulder, "Where is he? Can we go see him?"

[Outisakanobody]

Grace breathed in deeply and started bruising at the girl's bangs. She would probably need tu see someone about a haircut. "He is very far away, so I do not think so, dear." she says, simply.

[Kidney]

Mercy listened, and winced slightly as the brushing clung to a bit of a knot. She did understand though, and she wanted to ask if he would come back, but some strange feeling closed her mouth for her. Instead, she spoke this, "Well, I hope he comes back!"