The monastery

It was close to sunset when they arrived at the edge of the forest. The rickety wagon with big wooden wheels that they were travelling in, was now squeaking louder than during all of the day - sounding like a badly hurt animal screaming for help.

The monks halted the wagon, to rest their shaken bodies. The blooming wild fields surrounding the trail that they were traveling, were whizzing in the lukewarm breeze. No habitats was to be seen as long as the eye could reach, only wild, unkept fields.

-I think we better stay here during the night, said the youngest of the monks, with tremors in his voice. The other two monks snorted without any hidden laughter at him.

-You afraid of the woods, are you, brother Henricus? laughed the old, completely bald monk, who went by the name of Father Isibald.

-I just think it is to take a too high risk, Father Isibald, Henricus murmured and dragged his black monk coat hood over his head, as if to seek protection.

-Young man, said father Isibald, you know as well as anybody that we are holy men, protected by God - there is nothing that can happen to us. Nothing.

The young monk was quiet for some seconds, while attending to the oxes.

-But we don’t know what evil might hide in the woods, Father Isibald. Especially considering why we are here...

The other two monks shook their heads with disparage.

-What evil could possibly be stronger than the power of God, said the other monk, named Father Morgan, with a strict voice, while greasing the squeaking wheels axle with some pigs fat from a goat skin bag.

Young Henricus said nothing, he knew very well that he could not argue such statements, without being in danger of committing blasphemy.

The young monk stayed sullenly silent, under his black hood, during the rest of their pause, while father Isibald and father Morgan chatted openly with high expectations for their upcoming visitation of the remote monastery.

After having eaten some dried meat in nervous silence, they rose to the wagon and continued their shaky travel into the dark, threatening forest.

The omious feeling that brother Henricus felt, was just getting stronger as they went further and further by the trail.