Chapter 5:

-Job and Traditions-

The young Native American and Michael left the house. Ivanhoe led Michael a few miles southwards away from the village. Ivanhoe sat on his horse and Michael walked beside him. It was a beautiful day, also Michael enjoyed these days. He had left behind his jacket in the precinct. Both were quiet, no one knew what to say. Ivanhoe sighed.

"Michael, did you have heard the howl of the wolves last night?" a stupid topic for a conversation.

"Yes, I did, why do you ask? Is that approximately unorthodox?"

"No, only so. Well, actually they howl more or less through the whole night, but last night was quietly it about midnight. I saw you go into the forest last night..."

"I had the permission of your father, I didn't feel well. I went for a short walk."

"And once again with no lamp." he grinned. "You were quite lucky not to have met the wolves and the bear."

"How many people live in this village?"

"approximately three hundred to four hundred. Maybe one third are Native Americans the rests are from everywhere. We hardly have criminal activities, only that some hunt more than is allowed to, otherwise we live in harmony and live in the future. We have television and radio if you doubted it."

Michael smiled, the first time in Ivanhoe's present. "Do you have traditions, I mean Native American traditions, rituals?"

"Yes, my dad is strict with this testifies and takes it seriously, but never it was from big uses. Some say he's mad, crazy."

"Why"?

"You won't believe it if I tell you this."

"Nothing more surprises me."

"You're genuinely a funny fellow, strangely however you have humour yourself. Many see him nights at full moon in the forest outdoors dancing around a fire and sings in the aged speech. Nobody really knows what he is doing there and what he intended with it."

"Do you know it?"

"He had often told me stories in the childhood from the curse of the wolves, that some can assume the shape of a human being at day, only with full moon, they turn again into the wolf and kill."

"Wow, nice good night story. I thought he doesn't believe in it? He said, these are only fairy-tales".

"I don't know, but he takes it rather seriously. If you like you can ask him yourself, he wouldn't mind. Full moon will be tomorrow, there you have the perfect opportunity."

Actually it was interesting, how different people receive this topic. For some, it was a simple mythology, for some a frenzy became to a cult one and had mostly a bad end. Native Americans seemed to be some different there and Michael interested this. Would also interest him, if he wasn't a werewolf or hybrid. He had read Native Americans stories in books and it seemed they have for every illness, every problem, an antidote or a cure. But this was only the theory or one has to believe in it. Ivanhoe seemed not exactly confident about this superstition, but he knew more than he had he to say.

"What did you do in Detroit, vocational?" Ivanhoe shifted the topic.

"I was a doctor, however had to give up my job because of an allergy." he tried to speak itself out.

"That is a disgrace, but good to know, that we have a doctor here." smiled Ivanhoe. "You said that you have a son. How old? Why wont you to see him?"

"He is nine. I miss him very much. I saw him shortly after the birth and promised him that it was not the last time. At the moment I wouldn't prove me as a good father. My sister takes care of him."

"Don't be to hard to yourself. Definitely, you are a good father. You seem to be young and you could have so much fun. I enjoy every single minute with my daughter which I spend with her. Definitely, it's hard for you, to rise a child alone. What's his name?"

"Alex. If I find the correct time, I will go back to him. I hope it won't be too late."

"It wont. Maybe he will understand it or your sister explained it to him."

Michael thought every day of Alex, how he is going. He was worried about him. Dreadful worried. A feeling told him that Alex is in danger and that every day or he could be the danger, without knowing it. They came to a cottage in the forest and Ivanhoe stopped his horse.

"I'm sorry, however today isn't much work on the fields, but we need wood. Today, woodcutting is required. What you have to do exactly, the experts will tell this to you. However, unfortunately I have to go back again but will come back later to pick you up, so that you know in which direction, it goes back to the village. See you later."

Ivanhoe kicked in the side of the horse and rode fast away. Michael was welcomed by a friendly older man and was brought into the cottage.

"Good day. My name is Wayne and I'm the higher supervisor here. The sheriff has already told me, that we get reinforcement and you look strong, we can use this well. What's your name?"

"Michael Corvin. How can I help you today?"

"Just no hurry. We have still plenty of time. Would you like have a tea or coffee or something else? "

"A coffee, please. But what is with the sheriff? He told me I have to start by seven..."

"We start if I say it. Woodcutting and processes is hard work and we need the energy. In this cottage, you find the tool you require and also my office, if you have questions or problems. We have our brakes here together." he brought the fresh coffee to Michael and asked him to sit. Both sat around a table. "How I can see, you have no work clothes."

"Thank you. No, I don't."

"No problem, we have reserves and furthermore you need a particular uniform anyway, from security-establishes. Which size?"

"I don't know this." Michael grinned and took one sip and tried to avoid a grimace, because the coffee or also other beverages he used to love, had no more the same taste like in the past. "Maybe one of the bigger numbers."

"We will see. You can go to change you and try on afterward, after I will show you your work."

As they had more or less drunk their coffee, Michael set out into the next room and put on a green, rather hard and stable uniform. He let his clothing in this room and went again to Wayne, who already waited outdoors.

"We start with some easy one. We are twenty people. Six are in the forest and fell trees, three bring the felled tree trunks with a truck here, five saw the timber behind there in the other house. The rest fills the firewood into potato sacks or bundle up the lumber and bring immediately it into the storehouse next to. You will help today with the bundling up, at first."