Chapter 4:
-A walk in the Moonlight-
Michael wandered through the forest. All seemed to be so quiet. An easy breeze blew through leafs and branches of the trees and now and then, a deer ran away. Then suddenly, he heard growl behind him, in front of him and on both sides, from everywhere. He was surrounded by wolves. He grinned and continued slowly. The growl went more and more aggressive and threatening, as suddenly a baring wolf pounced out of the nothingness on him and threw Michael to the ground. It was a powerful animal. Actually, Michael wanted to have a deer but this herd his changed his mind. The animal tried Michael to bite into the throat; however Michael didn't want to play and bite the animal into the neck, sucked the fresh blood from the veins and threw the cadaver of him. Now, three of these animals attacked him. One bite him in his leg, a second in his arm, the third tried to reach the throat once again. Michael cried out. He hurled the animal at the leg against a rock, so hard, that the animal fell death to ground immediately. With his free left hand, he grasped the wolf, which pounced on him from the front…also this lost all its blood and was thrown away. The third at his arm was packed by the left hand and was also bitten into the throat. He saw to the other wolves, these retreated slowly. Michael withdrew the fur of the dead wolf in his hand and caught to distort at the fresh meat. The wolves whimpered and vanished in the dark. Michael felt like born again, he however noticed, it was already time to go back again. He heard the river nearby and washed his bloody face and his hands. He walked comfortably back and his pains had vanished. He knocked at the door. It was after midnight, but he still could see light in Grey Wolf's room. He heard steps, then, the door was opened.
"I started to doubt and to worry."
"Why?"
"I heard wolves very closely."
"I feel better, many thanks. The air really did well."
"Unfortunately, you have to go back into the cell."
And again, Michael was in the cell but he could now rest quietly. Grey Wolf's looks remained on Michael's left leg. He could see blood and the jeans had broken something there.
"What happened?"
"What? Ah, I got caught and fell. I was somewhat careless."
"Ah, take the next time a torch with you, so that you see something."
"I will remember it."
Michael could sleep through the night without further disturbances, also like Grey Wolf. The wolves had stopped to howl and developed a calming nightly mood outdoors.
In the morning, as the mild light of the first beams of the rising sun shone through the window, the sheriff came into his office, yawning. He sorted his files quickly, which he had looked through last night, then, he got the cell key from the upper drawer. Michael already stood there with folded arms leaned against fences. He observed the Native American.
"Good morning, hope you had it comfortably." Grey Wolf welcomed him.
"Had it already more uncomfortably."
The sheriff opened the cell and Michael took his jacket and stepped beside Grey Wolf.
"Ivanhoe is coming soon, to show you about the work of the day, I hope you're fit.
"There, I have no doubt."
Grey Wolf's looks hiked to the table in the cell, where the glass and bread still stood untouched, then, he lifted his brews and looked at Michael directly, but his countenance was mirrored in Michael's sun glass.
"I was not hungry or thirsty." Michael answered before the sheriff wanted to ask.
"And you don't doubt to be fit. As you want. Only as piece of information, you have a short brake in the morning and in the afternoon and of course lunch hour, that is somewhat longer. You will start in the morning at 7.00 o'clock and work till evening 18.00 o'clock. Any questions?"
"Where I will find a housing if it possibly I like to be alone."
"I will care therefore today."
It passed no half hour and Ivanhoe appeared. He already was on the way early, his usual routines walks through the forests and through the village. However, something lay him heavily on the stomach he didn't know how to start. He put his hands into the pockets.
"Morning."
"What got on your way? You look pale." the sheriff grinned. Michael only looked at the two.
"On my tour there... there I found four brute cadavers."
"This often happens in the wilderness, my boy, that's nothing new."
"Not if four wolves were executed brutally. All bones had been shattered, two had bite-sore and from the last was nothing more remaining besides bones and fur. Possibly, it was a bear, a rather furious bear".
"That can be good. Those can be aggressive if they feel threaten."
"If you like, you can have look at it yourself. It isn't far, approximately two miles western of here."
"Thank you, I'll do that. Now, show Michael what's on today."
"With pleasure. Michael, please follow me."
"If something shouldn't be ok, Michael, I'm here if you need me."
"Many thanks."