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[sub][color=c0c0c0]"Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord."[/color][/sub]

[hr][color=c0c0c0][b]Location:[/b][/color] St. Etheldreda's -> London Streets [/center][hr][hider=St. Etheldreda's Church/Ely House][center][img]http://cdn.ltstatic.com/2009/March/NL277860_942long.jpg[/img][/center][/hider][hr][hr]

	Thinking over the events of the past couple of days, this moment was the only one wherein Mary felt as if she had accomplished something meaningful. It was not a great heroic act, nothing world changing or the like, though it was ingrained to her original training within the Church. Simple charity, and the warm feeling of making a difference in the well-being of a child. If the Grand Duchess was correct, a child with great potential. 

	Sister Alma was being, well, Sister Alma - carrying away the remaining clothing to laundry, only to pause momentarily, switch direction and toddle off, presumably with something else in mind entirely. Mary raised her hand up and called to her, [color=c0c0c0]"Sister Alma? Sister..."[/color] but she had already committed herself to whatever course of action had taken hold of her facilities. Mary made the sign of the Cross in the air with her hand, already raised. [color=c0c0c0]"Our Lord love and bless you, Sister Alma."[/color] she said with a small smile. St. Etheldreda's just wouldn't be the same place without her. 

	Adam looked up at Mary and giggled a bit. "She's silly, I like her," he said innocently as he glanced back down the way that Sister Alma had gone. 

	[color=c0c0c0]"Come along, Adam. Let's get you that breakfast."[/color] Mary led her small charge the last few steps into the kitchens, his hand in hers, and lifted him up onto a nearby stool. [color=c0c0c0]"Sisters?"[/color] she called to the Cloistered women working and gossiping inside, keeping a cheerful voice for the sake of Adam. [color=c0c0c0]"Good morning, Sisters. Have we anything already prepared for our guest to have for breakfast? We have a big day today."[/color] In a more normal voice, she inquired, [color=c0c0c0]"And perhaps two or so more of those [i]wonderful[/i] pies for later? I can spare a quarter farthing if necessary."[/color]

	Sitting there with his legs swinging back and forth, Adam looked around wide eyed. Though the kitchen was not opulent, it was probably more food to have access to than he had ever had. One of the sisters just looked over to Mary and nodded a bit. There was some breads and strawberries. As far as the pies went the nun excused herself, saying she would fetch some after she had handed Adam a plate with some food. Another nun slipping the boy some cheese to go with the rest. 

	Mary slipped a coin on the counter for the pies. Ordinarily it wouldn't be necessary, but St. Etheldreda's made a tidy sum of money by selling its internationally famous strawberries and products made from them. The lack of Catholics living in London meant that they could not rely on tithes or regular sponsored events to raise funds for their expenses. Even the salaries of the clergy were subsidized by the Vatican. Mary was better off than most living in London, and could afford to compensate them for the occasional pie. Or three. They were worth the extra exercise and confession of gluttony on Sunday. Of course, they had other ways of raising money, but they were most famous for their strawberries. 

	She bent her knees until she was on eye level with Adam, [color=c0c0c0]"I'm going just up the corridor to grab some things. We're in a hurry, so make sure to get that wrapped up and we'll eat it on the way to the Circus, okay? I'll be back in two minutes."[/color] Mary leaned her halberd on the wall next to the door and stepped outside. She poked her head back in for just a second, [color=c0c0c0]"But do try some of our church's good bread before I return. It is excellent."[/color]

	Adam nodded with a mouth full of food already, giving her a tight lipped grin as he nodded his head excitedly. He was trying his best to keep the food in his mouth so it wouldn't spill out everywhere or leave crumbs all over himself. 

	Laundry was a few meters away, past a storeroom down the hall. She needed only to grab two things she had left in there the previous day. Stepping inside of the room was like walking into a sauna; the proximity of heated water and cool met in mid-air, forming a layer of steam across the top of the room and condensation upon the walls. Were it not for the attention of the women who labored here, Mary might have expected moss to begin growing along the edges of the room. She nodded briskly to the laundry attendants and quickly located the object of her search among the neat stacks of clean and dry. It was a bundle of white cloth, folded and bound in coarse twine. A tag attached identified it as hers, reading "M. Ignatia" was also a prominent clue. She undid the bow of twine and pulled away the white cloth, revealing her favored robe. It was long and white, hooded, and trimmed with a row of large, red triangles. As much a traveling coat as it was a robe, it seemed to fit Mary's personality: Pure, tough, classy, and edged in crimson. She immediately put it on over her cassock and brought her hood up, allowing her fiery red locks to spill around her shoulders some, and looked to the other item in the bundle. It was her Knight's cloak, the one she wore the previous evening, easily recognizable by the circled, equidistant cross of her Order stitched into the strong black fabric with silver thread. She rewrapped this and returned to the kitchen in a rush. 

	[color=c0c0c0]"Ready, Adam? There's a storeroom just over here next to Laundry you may change in."[/color] She took back her halberd and smiled expectantly at the boy. 

	Hopping down from his seat, Adam looked over towards Mary bright eyed. "Okay," he said as he rushed off with his things to change. Wrapped up in a bundle next to where he was sitting was the food that was packed for them, as well as several pies boxed up and ready. It wasn't long before he came rushing back out, looking much better than he had in his rags and it was clear that someone back in laundry had taken a cloth to his face and hands. They were scrubbed clean but a bit red. "Ready, can we go now?" he asked excitedly. 

	[color=c0c0c0]"Of course we may."[/color] responded Mary. [color=c0c0c0]"If you would please, carry the food for us? Thank you, Adam. Oh my, and you look [i]very[/i] presentable. We must get you some sets of your own clothing, and a good hat besides."[/color] 

	"Really truly? My very own?" Adam asked excitedly. He had never had clothing meant just for him. 

	She busied herself with re-appropriating the twine that was around her laundry bundle, tying it around the boxes of pies for easier transportation. She draped the folded cloak over her forearm and utilized that hand to take up her halberd. The strong, nimble fingers of her free hand curled around the twine fastening the boxes of luscious fruity pies together. Thusly laden, she walked out, into the hallway, calling for Adam. [color=c0c0c0]"Follow me, child. We are headed back to Archives to pick up my papers, but just after we are going to the stables. You get to meet my warhorse, Cassius! He is a very handsome animal, Cassius. But we must hurry. One does not keep a Grand Duchess waiting."[/color] 

	With that, Mary began leading Adam back to the office of Sister Lazarus to recover the writ from her Order. Adam followed her quickly, falling in step beside Sister Mary as they made their way to see the sourpuss sister. Sister Lazarus looked over from her desk as the two walked in. "Here you are," she said as she tapped the writ on the desk before her head went back down and she went back to writing.  

	Mary set down the stack of pies to free up a hand, deftly taking her writ up from the desk. She spread it open as best she could with her thumb and forefinger, just enough to confirm the contents of the paper. Satisfied, she tucked it into her sporran bag and hefted up one of the strawberry confections from her bundle. [color=c0c0c0]"And here you are."[/color] she said, setting it down upon the corner of her desk. [color=c0c0c0]"Thank you so much for your haste, Sister Lazarus."[/color] Mary picked her stack of pies back up and resumed her walk to the stables, carefully ushering Adam out of the office and letting the door slowly come to behind them. 

	The day's mixed light filtered through the larger shrubs at the edges of St. Etheldreda's gardens, under which the pair of them walked with determined stride. Mary looked up to the sky, trying to determine what the weather may hold for them that day. She couldn't quite tell from her vantage point, not yet, anyway. Perhaps that would be a little more forthcoming after they got out under fully open skies. That would have to wait, as Mary and Adam passed under a large stone archway that led them from the church grounds proper and into the bailey, which contained (among other things) the common stables. [color=c0c0c0]"Almost there. Just across the yard."[/color] 

	The doors to the stables were opened wide, as it usually was during the hustle and bustle of the day. Mary strode confidently back to her reserved pen and greeted its inhabitant with a warm smile. [color=c0c0c0]"Adam, this is Cassius. Cassius, Adam."[/color] said Mary, introducing the two. The horse was a fine, dappled grey stallion with black socks and mane, truly a majestic animal for the newly anointed Dame Commander Mary Hale. [color=c0c0c0]"Cassius has been with me for a while now. He's as good a knight's horse as any I have witnessed."[/color] 

	Mary set down her load of pies, weapons, and textiles, then entered the pen. She lifted her saddle from the side of the railing, taking careful but urgent steps to ready her horse for travel. Saddle, tack, saddlebags, tethers, reins, and the few belongings they would be taking with them over the day. Mary needed a little help; she asked Adam to hand her the occasional item, but after a few minutes' time they were riding out of the front gate of the Ely Palace with Adam sitting in front of Mary, holding onto the bundle of food. The blessed steel of Mary's halberd rose above them like a vorpal, Catholic flag as they departed the grounds of their cathedral, en route to Regent's Park.