Sins of the Flesh

JJ Collins

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 -- JJ Collins

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The early morning sunlight was warm as Adella made her way up the winding path to the monastery. She craved some solitude, somewhere she could be alone, and the garden in the monastery was as quiet as one could get in the countryside. The monks were always early risers, and she could hear the hissing thunk of an arrow as it met its target; Brother Samuel would be practicing his archery in the garden, then.

It had not yet gotten into the blistering heat of summer that sapped the will of every living thing, the morning still nice and cool as a breeze wafted in from the seaside. The fresh greenery of the garden was soothing, and she paused to sniff at a new rosebush that sat in the shadow of one of the monastery’s many pillars. Brother Nathan was forever planting new varieties, all with subtle differences. Knowing that they would not mind if she took a single bloom, she trimmed one of the smaller ones from the back of the plant with a careful cut of her belt knife. She gave an appreciative smile as she brushed the soft petals of the rose with her fingertips before moving closer to the sound of Samuel’s early morning practice, twirling the stem between her fingers.

She found him in the secluded back corner, the view of the rest of the garden blocked by large, squared off hedges that soared above her head. This was the contemplation area, a place of peace and quiet where supplicants could come and reflect on personal issues. Wooden benches were arranged along the wall, and flowering bushes stood in large planters between them to give them a sense of privacy, even when two people were sitting on benches beside one another. Her eyes were drawn to the target set up along the back wall, however, and the man that stood in front of it.