Chapter 11
The next three years were both long and arduous as the Abbot assigned Aiden more laborious tasks. Winter was on its way and the monastery was heated exclusively with wood. And would need it to be chopped. Aiden's job was no longer sweeping the floors, but chopping firewood. The initial boredom of keeping the hallways and chapel floors clean was thrust upon him as a lengthy exercise in discipline and humility. But now, the Abbot saw fit to make Aiden's life a bit more difficult and watched as he carried out his new responsibility, chopping wood for hours each day. He had never so much as held an ax, so one of the monks demonstrated the proper method for splitting a piece of firewood. Feet apart, hold the ax near both ends, swing behind and up over his head, slide the top down to the end of the handle, swing down and aim. It looked easy as the monk effortlessly split a piece of wood into several narrow lengths. But once he was given the ax, the outcome was much different and Aiden found that some things are far more difficult than they appear.
He was expected to learn quickly, to think on his feet. But upon his first swing of the ax, it became cumbersome and unwieldy. The blade missed the wood altogether and glanced off the edge of the chopping block, sending a painful shock into his hands. The Abbot and the monk both grinned slightly at Aiden's expense as he dropped the ax to the ground and brought his hands between his legs in an attempt to quiet their paralyzing pain. The Abbot motioned for him to try again. He made many attempts but only succeeded in knocking the wood off the block. Finally, the blade stuck. The wood was nowhere near splitting, but in Aiden's mind, this was a good start. He would, however, finish many days with blistering hands and painful muscles. The Abbot fully realized how difficult this was, given Aiden's small frame. But, he believed it was time for Aiden to acquire both patients and strength. He would build upon his physical body and develop patience and concentration through the experience of frustration. All under the guidance of the Abbot and without a single word being spoken.
It was only when Aiden could split a piece of wood single-handedly that he was given a new tool. The sword. He would take up the blade, eventually acting as the extension of God's wrath and judgment, swinging its sharpened edge against the heart of evil in all those who stood opposed to His will. But, that would come at a much later time. For now, the only blade he would wield would be carved from Oak as the Abbot oversaw his training, given by another of the monastery's monks. Every time he made a mistake, the monk would parry his oaken sword hard enough to knock it from his hands, and raise his own wooden sword to the side of Aiden's neck. As frightening as this was, Aiden was quick to learn the lesson. Good judgment develops from poor judgment. And poor judgment can be fatal.
His skill with the sword developed quickly and within the space of three years, Aiden had touched steel to the neck of every monk in the monastery. Everyone but the Abbot. With no one left to match his mastery of the weapon, it was time to put his steel against the Abbot's. He was getting on in his years, but it was his wisdom and swordsmanship that had been handed down to the monks over the years. Aiden would not prove himself by accepting the challenge of a true master. Any mistakes would be met by the merciless pounding of steel on steel as Aiden's strength, determination and courage were tested. Either he would touch his blade to the Abbot's neck or be swiftly put in his place. This test promised to be harsh, but victory would be well deserved.
The main hall was cleared and brightly lit. Any other day, it was where the monks gathered for their meals, eating in silence. By this time, Aiden had been given the robes of a monk. His head had been shaven according to tradition and he had taken the vows of the church. He had become like the others, a simple monk. No better, no worse. Here was another lesson Aiden was quick to realize. All God's creatures are equal under His eyes and no one is any better than anyone else.
The tables of the main hall were moved to the far end, while the benches were carried to the side walls. At seventeen years of age, Aiden was brought to the hall where the Abbot and his fellow monks waited. He knew what had been planned, but had no idea as to the outcome, should he be the victor. The monks sat quietly on the benches, their hoods pulled back, their hands on their laps. After being shown in, Aiden took his place near the center of the hall. The Abbot faced him with the tip of his sword resting on the stone floor. This was not part of his training. There would be no wooden practice swords. Aiden and the Abbot would meet each other with steel hammering on steel, youth, and age colliding as he met his final test. Its outcome would be the deciding factor for the direction of his life.
The Abbot gave him neither warning nor mercy as he charged towards him, his blade held high over his head. Aiden retreated by taking a few steps back and drawing his sword. He parried the Abbot's blade high above his head as the sound of clashing steel rang through the halls of the monastery. They struck back and forth as Aiden tried to create an opening in the Abbot's constant attacks. He was stunned by the elderly Abbot's agility and strength, wielding his sword with a minimum of effort. He seemed to move like a ghost. Several times, their blades became bound together as the Abbot, using the full force of his strength, pushed him hard against the wall. But, Aiden refused to fall and in his determination, continued to fight for the opportunity to execute the killing stroke. All he needed to do was touch the edge of his blade to the Abbot's neck and regardless of who would be defeated, there would be no rematch. This test was also a lesson, that life does not offer anyone a second chance. The worst that could happen was defeat, but in the world outside, death was final.
Aiden was beginning to tire under the relentless hammering of the Abbot's sword. This was when he decided to change his strategy. Up to this point, he had allowed himself to be overwhelmed by the Abbot's strength, agility, and cunning. He had spent more time retreating from the Abbot's seemingly constant attacks and little, if any time, forcing him back into the defensive. From the beginning, there was no pause as each attempted to out-think the other, to either force an action or to predict it. Now, instead of retreating from the Abbots attack, he would step into it. And as the edge of the Abbots sword grazed his midsection, Aiden parried it hard enough to send it far to the side. Without stopping, he circled his blade around, over his head and before the Abbot could recover the position of his weapon, Aiden sword had come full circle. His blade had come to rest with the edge touching the side of the Abbot's neck.
The Abbot froze in disbelief. But as surprised as he was by his defeat, he was very pleased. Even before Aiden's arrival, the Abbot knew that God would send him a great warrior, someone whose mind could be finely tuned in matters of both soul and steel. Now, more than ever, the Abbot believed that Aiden was that warrior, the one sent by God, whose only purpose was to cleanse the world of evil in all its forms, be it divination, consorting with the dead or the practice of witchcraft. As far as Aiden was concerned, he had come to the conclusion that all expressions of sin were merely a different kind of plague, a pestilence of the soul. A disease that could only be cut out by cold, hardened steel and the authority of God. Nearly all the monks let out a quiet gasp as Aiden removed his sword from the side of the Abbot's neck. Both stood up and sheathed their weapons. For as long as Aiden had been living at the monastery, he had never seen the Abbot smile. But standing in the great hall, the light from the flickering torches revealed a hint of a smile on the Abbot's face. He was clearly pleased with the outcome of his test of Aiden's skill, but would not release him to the outside world just yet. What Aiden would learn next would be critical to what the Abbot believed was his God-given purpose.