Spring had come early. The sun shown with its first early, warm light of day, illuminating the walls of the monastary in muted hues of pink and gold. The breeze wafted gently, carrying with it the sweet fragrance of early wildflowers and the chirping of new birds. In the middle of the ancient courtyard, a youth sat on an old stone bench. Not yet a man, but no longer a boy, he was fair of face and form. Tall and straight, he sat with his blue eyes closed, the breeze playing at the light curls at his forehead.

A rustle in the grass, and the young man opened an eye. A little snake, quite small and harmless, slithered through the grass along courtyard wall, lifting its head as it stretched itself against the priory. It was attempting to warm itself, the boy knew, against the sunsoaked stone, but to him, it looked as though the little beast were trying with valiant effort to escape by scaling the wall. The thought amused him. He smiled as he watched the little creature try, stretch, fall, and try again.

His smile broadened. He opened his mouth, as if to speak to the creature.

"There you are, Lazarus." A familiar voice startled him from his revery and the boy turned. A squat monk, dressed in heavy crude robes stood glowering from the entrance to the courtyard, in the shadow of the monastary.

"Father Augustus." Young Lazarus greeted his elder. "I was just sitting -"

"The Lord will punish your idleness, boy." The weathered man warned, wagging knobby finger at the young man.

"Does he not command us to sit in quiet?" Lazarus replied. "To meditate upon him?"

The priest glowered.

"God will take you for insolence, too." He grunted. "The fathers are hungry. You will report to the kitchen and fetch up food. Apples and milk, and bread if it is to be found."

"Yes, Father Augustus." The fair-haired Lazarus nodded dutifully. Father Augustus grunted again and turned, disappearing back into the monastary.

Lazarus sighed, taking a last, longing look at the morning light as the sky over the courtyard shifted from gold to pink to blue. Turning his head back to the clump of grass where the snake had been, he found the space empty. He scanned the length of the wall, but the beast had disappeared. Resigned, he returned to the stoic halls of the priory.