Vampire Wares pt 10

Madalina’s slept in a bare, four-walled stone room she shared with three other young novices like herself.  While they slept, she listened, listening to make sure that her three roommates were asleep, and listening for any of the sisters.  The last thing she wanted was to run into one of the nuns and have her evening adventures brought to an end.  Not hearing anyone, Madalina quietly sat up from her bed, put on her shoes, and wrapped herself in a riding cloak.

She stepped down from her bed onto the stone ground very quietly and walked over to the door.  The door was locked, but Madalina had figured out how to push open the lock with a small twig that she fitted between the door and the wall.  There was a slight clicking sound of metal hitting metal, but she kept it as quiet as she could and checked on the other girls to make sure they were still asleep.  Then she slowly stepped through the creaking door out into the halls.

The hallway, led out into the courtyard, which was surrounded on three sides by the three main buildings: the novitiate, where she came from, the nun’s residence and the church.  On the other side was the wall, where there was the gateway leading out of the monastery.  Madalina spied upwards to check the wall-walk atop the wall where two armed sentries perambulated throughout the night. When they both walked out of sight Madalina quickly ran in the direction of the gate.

Getting out through the main gates was the most difficult part of the evening, since there were quite considerable fortifications for a monastery.  The fortifications were necessitated not by the armies, which, though a very real threat, had not been seen in these valleys in many generations, but by the vampires, which clambered regularly to enter the confines of the monastery whenever thirsty.

The front of the monastery was secured by a thick wall, with the exit being a single large gateway.  The gateway was secured by two layers, first a heavy iron portcullis, which had been added to the gateway at a later date, and a large wood double-door.  The portcullis could only be raised and lowered with significant difficulty and noise, but, fortunately, Madalina had found a small hole, which she could squeeze through to reach the gap between portcullis and outer door.

The outer double-door was braced by two large beams, which Madalina pushed aside.  The two large beams retracted into recesses on either side of the door, and she started to pull open the door, when she heard a sound.  Madalina froze and looked back towards the courtyard.  A dark figure crossed the courtyard, clearly identifiable in the moonlight as Sister Oana.  Sister Oana would sometimes wake for an extra evening prayer, and pass through the halls of the novitiate to check on the girls.  Madalina froze in the hope that Sister Oana wouldn’t look in her direction.

Fortunately, Sister Oana continued right on into the hall of the novitiate, and Madalina recommenced her escape.  She slowly pulled the large door open, which creaked with age and weight, until she could just pull herself through.  The door opened inward, and with the portcullis closed, could only be partially opened, but it was enough for Madalina to squeeze through.

She closed the doors, so that no possible invader would realize they were unlocked and then waited.  She was listening to the sound of the sentries’ footsteps.  When they grew distant after another circuit, she ran in the direction of the forest.

<-- Go to Part 9         Go to Part 11-->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Madalina’s slept in a bare, four-walled stone room she shared with three other young novices like herself.  While they slept, she listened, listening to make sure that her three roommates were asleep, and listening for any of the sisters.  The last thing she wanted was to run into one of the nuns and have her evening adventures brought to an end.  Not hearing anyone, Madalina quietly sat up from her bed, put on her shoes, and wrapped herself in a riding cloak.

She stepped down from her bed onto the stone ground very quietly and walked over to the door.  The door was locked, but Madalina had figured out how to push open the lock with a small twig that she fitted between the door and the wall.  There was a slight clicking sound of metal hitting metal, but she kept it as quiet as she could and checked on the other girls to make sure they were still asleep.  Then she slowly stepped through the creaking door out into the halls.

The hallway, led out into the courtyard, which was surrounded on three sides by the three main buildings: the novitiate, where she came from, the nun’s residence and the church.  On the other side was the wall, where there was the gateway leading out of the monastery.  Madalina spied upwards to check the wall-walk atop the wall where two armed sentries perambulated throughout the night. When they both walked out of sight Madalina quickly ran in the direction of the gate.

Getting out through the main gates was the most difficult part of the evening, since there were quite considerable fortifications for a monastery.  The fortifications were necessitated not by the armies, which, though a very real threat, had not been seen in these valleys in many generations, but by the vampires, which clambered regularly to enter the confines of the monastery whenever thirsty.

The front of the monastery was secured by a thick wall, with the exit being a single large gateway.  The gateway was secured by two layers, first a heavy iron portcullis, which had been added to the gateway at a later date, and a large wood double-door.  The portcullis could only be raised and lowered with significant difficulty and noise, but, fortunately, Madalina had found a small hole, which she could squeeze through to reach the gap between portcullis and outer door.

The outer double-door was braced by two large beams, which Madalina pushed aside.  The two large beams retracted into recesses on either side of the door, and she started to pull open the door, when she heard a sound.  Madalina froze and looked back towards the courtyard.  A dark figure crossed the courtyard, clearly identifiable in the moonlight as Sister Oana.  Sister Oana would sometimes wake for an extra evening prayer, and pass through the halls of the novitiate to check on the girls.  Madalina froze in the hope that Sister Oana wouldn’t look in her direction.

Fortunately, Sister Oana continued right on into the hall of the novitiate, and Madalina recommenced her escape.  She slowly pulled the large door open, which creaked with age and weight, until she could just pull herself through.  The door opened inward, and with the portcullis closed, could only be partially opened, but it was enough for Madalina to squeeze through.

She closed the doors, so that no possible invader would realize they were unlocked and then waited.  She was listening to the sound of the sentries’ footsteps.  When they grew distant after another circuit, she ran in the direction of the forest.

<-- Go to Part 9         Go to Part 11-->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Vampire Wares pt 10