"I managed to convince the Dechantin that it's more profitable for her to sell you to Lorenz rather than to Vornbach Monastery," Sister Hildegard said, standing in her pharmacy, facing Gisel. Despite the good news, the nun remained serious. Candles flickered in the niches, casting shadows on the wall. On her small table, she had placed large and small clay pots next to scales and mortars. She held a small wooden shovel in one hand and a pot in the other.

Gisel raised her eyebrows. "How did you manage that?"

"Lorenz is interested in buying your freedom. And the Dechantin realizes that the Bohemian Forest is no less suitable a punishment for you."

"Yet, she harassed me again this morning, to the point of drawing blood."

Sister Hildegard lifted the shovel in her hand, as if threatening Gisel. "You may only stay in the monastery as long as the meeting with the locator lasts. If you run away and do not go to the Bohemian Forest, she will have you searched for, and it could cost you your life. You must never come back to Passau, do you understand?"

Gisel swallowed. She had spent her whole life in this monastery, and the Dechantin was just throwing her out of the city. "When is the meeting?" she asked, trying to gauge how much time she had left.

The usually energetic nun's gaze turned sympathetic. "Tomorrow at sunrise. Lorenz is to be here as well."

Gisel nodded resignedly, feeling awful. The Dechantin was doing everything to make her feel like a miserable worm.

"Cheer up, Gisel! I have something for you." Hildegard scooped into a large clay pot and poured the contents, a brown powder, into a small vessel, then sealed it with a cork lid. She pointed to one pot after another. "Galangal for fever and pain, cinnamon for a heavy, dull head, and licorice for digestion. You'll find most herbs in the meadows and forests around Freiung. But be careful with these here; they are very valuable. The cinnamon comes from the Orient and the galangal from Asia. Do you know how far that is?"

Gisel furrowed her brow, thinking. "Very far?" she asked uncertainly.

"Merchants have to travel for weeks on ships across vast waters to get there!"

Gisel tried to imagine this amount of water, but it was beyond her imagination.

Sister Hildegard packed the clay pots into a small bag. Then she slapped her forehead and smiled. "I forgot something!" She walked over to the shelf and searched among the jars and pots. "Where is it? ... ah, there!" She took out a small package and returned to the table. Unwrapping it from the parchment, she revealed a stone. It was red and streaked with quartz fibers.

Gisel approached curiously.

"This is jasper. It will help you when you give birth. Hold it during your childbed days, and the evil air spirits can't harm you or your little one!"

She wrapped the stone again, put it in the bag, and handed it to Gisel.

"Use the herbs wisely!" she cautioned.

Gisel carefully accepted the treasures, ensuring they did not break. She planned to pack them carefully on top of her belongings that evening.

"Now go and say goodbye to the other sisters. They also have one or two things they want to give you for your journey!"

Gisel beamed. The nuns' concern for her departure meant a lot to her, more than she had expected.

The next day, Lorenz and Gisel sat in a cellar facing the locator and his assistant. The chairs creaked with every movement, and the backrest dug into Gisel's back. The assistant was a young man with ash-blond hair and a pale, angular face. He struggled to find space to spread his documents on the small table in front of him, which wobbled as if it might collapse at any moment. He held paper and quill in his hands, clearly struggling to read his own writing in the dim light.

Gisel had never seen a man like the locator before. He looked strange. His hair and beard were long and unkempt. A wolf pelt hung over his shoulders. His striped leggings looked odd since the local men wore them solid-colored. However, the locator had kind brown eyes, in which Gisel almost lost herself. She touched her face, gathering her thoughts. What did the locator's appearance matter to her? Her future life depended on the next few minutes. If successful, she would head to Freiung. If not, God help her!

"I am Elias, and this is my assistant Curt," the locator introduced them. He surveyed Gisel and Lorenz. "And you? What are your names? And how old are you?"

Gisel took a deep breath to answer, but Lorenz spoke first. "I am Lorenz, and this is Gisel. I am thirty-three, and Gisel is..." He glanced uncertainly at Gisel. There was a pause.

"... twenty-three," Gisel added quickly. "I think I'm twenty-three."

"Are you married?" asked the locator.

Lorenz shook his head. "Not yet."

The locator raised an eyebrow. "You know it's a condition that you must be married? I don't take unmarried or single people. It only leads to trouble and jealousy. I've seen it all before."

Gisel's smile faltered.

"We will marry before we leave!" Lorenz countered.

The locator frowned. "We set off tomorrow. We can't wait for you. The venture is long-planned, and we have enough people for it. Tomorrow evening, we meet the other settlers at Wolfstein Castle."

Lorenz cleared his throat. "We... we will marry tonight," he stammered.

Gisel gave him a look of surprise and insecurity, but did not voice her concerns.

"Good, good." The locator glanced over Curt's notes, then continued the interrogation. "Have you ever been arrested?"

"Oh no, God forbid!" exclaimed Gisel.

"What do you live on?" The locator directed the question to Lorenz.

"I'm a carpenter."

"And I know household work," Gisel chimed in, "and herbs."

The locator nodded approvingly. "A carpenter is worth gold. Do you have any possessions? Cash or other assets?"

Lorenz blushed. "I have two hundred and fifty pennies in cash. I earn thirty pennies a week from my master. Otherwise, I have almost nothing but the clothes on my body. Going to the Bohemian Forest, I have to buy Gisel's freedom at a high price. Not much money will be left."

Gisel snorted, causing her nostrils to flare: "The Dechantin wouldn't be swayed otherwise. Vornbach Monastery would have paid her only two hundred pennies, so Lorenz had to add a lot more! She can never get enough!"

"Then I assume you have no dowry?" The locator turned to Gisel.

"I have nothing," Gisel said quietly. "I am a serf."

The locator leaned back and stroked his beard. Then he whispered to Curt.

"Agreed!" the locator finally said louder and nodded. He addressed Gisel and Lorenz again. "A family has dropped out. So we could take you in their place. But you are city people, not used to rough land, and you have no money. Of course, you can borrow some from me, but you must pay it back. It won't be easy for you." Elias looked intently at them. "You know what you're getting into?"

"Of course, we know!" Gisel exclaimed. "It will be hard work, and we will have many hardships!"

"You will live in a sparse hut, wrestle your food from the land every day, and go to sleep every night with calloused hands."

Lorenz's hands began to tremble. He clasped his fingers tightly together, turning his knuckles white.

"You will struggle for your survival for several years. Against wild animals, against winter, perhaps even against plunderers," Elias continued. "Do you want that?"

Gisel jumped up. "Yes, we do!"

"Gisel!" Lorenz pulled her back down to the chair. "I don't know... Passau is my home, here I have everything I need. My work, a roof over my head... you!"

Gisel frowned. "If you decide against the Bohemian Forest, I'll be sent away! Then you'll never see me again! But this way, we can marry! Lorenz, imagine that!"

Lorenz swallowed and closed his eyes. It seemed he was battling within himself, his lips twitching. Finally, he looked firmly at Gisel. "Alright!"

The locator stood up. "Pack your things together. Tomorrow morning we take the first ferry to Ilzstadt and depart from there." He turned to his assistant, who scribbled the last words on the parchment, nodded briefly, and packed his writing materials. They both stood up, their chairs squeaking on the stone floor, and left the room together.

Gisel and Lorenz remained behind. Gisel opened her mouth to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. She had not expected such a swift departure. There were still so many questions, and the locator had given them no time to ask!

Finally, Gisel composed herself. "And where do we find a priest to marry us?"

The two decided to first visit Lorenz's master, where the carpenter's apprentice now had to quit his job. In case the wedding couldn't happen in time, they hoped to convince the locator to take them anyway and to get married by a priest at Wolfstein Castle. It was to their advantage that both were without possessions, and therefore didn't need to deal with formalities like engagement and banns. The master was displeased about losing Lorenz but eventually allowed the apprentice to move on.

During the entire conversation with the master, Gisel fidgeted with her cap. On the street, she hopped like a little child. She was so excited that everything seemed like a dream passing by. It wasn't Easter or Christmas - yet she was outside the monastery walls! The air was filled with more scents, smelling of bread and horse dung, of fish and freshly brewed beer. The wind from the Danube played with the ribbons of her cap. She watched the colorful crowds and stood amazed at the stalls of traders displaying jewelry, clothes, and baskets. Impatiently, Lorenz pulled her away.

It had begun to rain. When they knocked on the door of the parish house, the wetness had already soaked through Gisel's coat and leather shoes. The rain dripped from the hem of the hood she had pulled over her head. A housekeeper opened and asked them to remove their coats and shoes in the hall, so she could put them by the fire to dry. She led Gisel and Lorenz to the writing room. A small candle flame lit the priest's face, who was bent over a thick book with yellowed pages at his desk, tracing the lines of the parchment with his finger. The corners of the room were dark, swallowed by the shadows. Rain pattered against the animal skin in front of the window. It was cold in the room and Gisel rubbed her arms to warm up a little.

The priest looked up. He wore a black robe and had thinning, gray hair. He scrutinized Gisel and Lorenz attentively. "How can I help you?" he asked, smiling encouragingly.

Lorenz took a deep breath. "We need to get married, today!" he said quietly but firmly.

The priest frowned. "You're late. I have a lot to do. You're lucky to find me at all. I should be on my way to give last rites!"

Gisel's mouth fell open. She had been hopeful until now. But if the priest didn't marry them today, they would have to explain themselves to the locator tomorrow.

"Please, sir! We can't wait! Otherwise, we can't go to the Bohemian Forest!" she blurted out.

The priest looked at her while she spoke, then turned to Lorenz. "I must leave. Wait here, we'll sort it out when I return. Then we can talk about it in detail."

"But we don't have any...", Gisel whined.

"Sit down meanwhile!" the priest interrupted sharply, standing up. He pointed to two chairs in front of his desk. He left the room quickly, the door snapping shut behind him.

Silently, with sweaty hands, Gisel sat on the wooden chair, its backrest uncomfortably pressing into her back. She looked at the large cross on the wall. Next to it was a shelf with several large thick books with brown leather covers, like the one on the desk. Here and there were strange symbols embossed on the spines, only vaguely visible in the candlelight. Gisel wondered what people could write about that required so much parchment. She cast a furtive glance at Lorenz. He sat stiffly and smiled shyly back. Her heart warmed. He had his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white. Otherwise, he didn't show his tension.

Eventually, it stopped raining, and the sun shone brightly through the gaps between the animal skin and the wooden frame.

"How long will this take?" Gisel fidgeted impatiently on the chair. She could hardly bear to sit still.

Then the door creaked and the priest reentered. He went straight to the window and pushed aside the animal skin. A few heavy drops fell onto the wooden floorboards. The sun immediately filled the room dazzlingly. Gisel breathed a sigh of relief.

As he hung his coat on a hook and removed his hat, the priest sighed. "Another poor soul has gone to the Lord." He sat behind his desk. "Now, to you," he said, mainly addressing Lorenz. "Why do you want to marry so quickly?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers.

Lorenz briefly described their situation.

The priest stroked his chin, cleared his throat. "There's nothing wrong with your request. On the contrary. You are fulfilling God's will: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.' God said this to Adam and Eve." He stood and gestured for Lorenz and Gisel to do the same.

Gisel's cheeks heated up. She uncertainly looked from the priest to Lorenz and back. Would the priest really marry them? She watched as he went to a chest and opened it. He took out an object and placed it on the table. It was a purple, rolled-up fabric band.

The priest stood before them and solemnly raised his voice. "Lorenz and Gisel, you have come here today to enter into the covenant of marriage after careful consideration. Is this your free will?"

"Yes!" Gisel answered and heard Lorenz say the same. She looked at Lorenz with a relieved smile. It was really happening!

"Do you, Lorenz, take Gisel as your wife before God, to promise her fidelity in good and bad days, in health and sickness, until death do you part? Will you love, respect, and honor her all the days of her life?"

Lorenz beamed at Gisel. "Yes, I do!"

"And you, Gisel? Will you take Lorenz as your husband before God?"

"Yes, I do!" she exclaimed exuberantly.

The priest took a silver coin from a box on his desk and broke it apart with some effort. He handed one half to Lorenz, the other to Gisel. "Take this as a sign of your love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." He made a sign of the cross with his right hand.

Gisel looked at the ornamental coin. It was slightly oval, with the edges more flattened. On her half, the head and paws of the Passau wolf, the episcopal heraldic animal, were recognizable. Later, she would attach the coin to a string and wear it around her neck. This way, she would always remember this special day.

"Give each other your right hand. God, the Lord, has joined you as man and wife. He is faithful. He will stand by you and complete the good that he has begun."

Gisel placed her hand in Lorenz's, looking at him happily. Her heart almost burst from her chest.

The priest unfolded the purple band and wrapped it around their hands, placing his own right hand over them. "In the name of God and the Church, I confirm the marriage covenant you have made. What God has joined together, let no man separate." He laughed heartily and nodded encouragingly. "You are now man and wife. You may kiss."

A beam of the low sun broke through the window, dazzling Gisel, causing her to blink. She was immensely relieved, as if a hundred-pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders. A tear rolled down her cheek. She felt Lorenz's dry lips on hers. His breath tickled her cheek. Gisel couldn't believe it. Finally, her life could begin, finally, she was waking from this long nightmare! She sobbed and threw herself crying into his arms.

Lorenz's master did not allow the married couple to stay with him, so they sought affordable lodging where they could sleep in the stable with the horses. As the straw rustled in the darkness and Gisel felt Lorenz's hand on her thigh, she was nervous but also excited. Of course, she had talked about "the matter" with other maids. And now it was her turn to experience what it was like to lie with a man. Her heart beat to her throat, her mouth became dry. At first, she stiffened like a board under Lorenz's exploring hands. But his touches tickled, and she had to laugh. Then she became bolder herself, running her fingers over Lorenz's body, feeling the firm muscles of his arms, the soft skin on his neck, the hair on his chest. He pushed up her skirt and parted her legs. Then he rolled onto her. Gisel's heart pounded. Would it hurt? Lorenz rubbed his body against hers. It felt uncomfortable. When he penetrated her, she screamed. A piercing pain ran through Gisel, turning into a strong throbbing. One thrust, two, three. The pain subsided, giving way to another feeling. Unexpectedly, Gisel was swept by a wave of pleasure. Her body arched. She began to tremble. Suddenly, she was eager to feel more of Lorenz inside her. Instinctively, she let her pelvis rotate in his rhythm. But then he gasped loudly and collapsed on her. His chest heaved. His breathing became deeper, calmer. Had he fallen asleep on her? The tingling in her did not subside. She wanted to keep moving in the rhythm they had fallen into. Disappointment set in. She lay there for a moment to calm down. Was that all? She pushed Lorenz away. He rolled to the side and immediately fell back asleep.

Gisel lay with open eyes, staring at the ceiling dimly visible in the moonlight through the window. The horses shuffled their hooves. Somewhere a mouse squeaked. A drunk in the other corner snored loudly. Gisel inhaled the scent of the hay. It smelled wonderful. She reached for Lorenz, touching the coarse linen fabric of his shirt. The marriage was consummated. Lorenz was now her husband before God and the law. That was what mattered most. She would learn to enjoy "the matter."

At sunrise, Gisel and Lorenz arrived at the ferry dock. From a distance, they could spot the locator, standing alone at the landing. His silhouette stood out black against the rising sun in the east. The Danube sparkled in shades of red. The air was cold and clear. Gisel was excited. The disappointment of the night was already forgotten. There was so much to discover, the houses, the streets... She had never before stood at the banks of the Danube, which flowed outside the city walls! Lorenz had to keep pulling her by the sleeve so they wouldn't be late. They had packed their belongings into two sacks and shouldered them – Lorenz, of course, his carpentry tools, Gisel her second underdress, the shoulder shawl for winter, and sewing thread. She also packed her mother's box and handkerchief and her sisters' dowries: spoons, candle holders, and a pretty comb. The containers given to her by Hildegard were placed on top.

Hanging from Lorenz's belt was a leather pouch filled with water, which he could refill along the way. Since Gisel didn't have one, they had to share the water from it. They also packed some bread and dried fruit for the journey.

Finally, they stood with the locator on the dock and watched the ferry coming from the other bank to pick up passengers and then cross back over. The wood of the boat creaked as it bumped against the dock. The ferryman jumped ashore and secured the boat. The arriving passengers, three men and a woman, disembarked and walked past them. Only the other ferryman remained in the boat. Gisel watched the locator as he paid for the crossing. As he counted the coins into the ferryman's hand, she noticed that he had cleaned and trimmed his fingernails. But that wasn't the only thing that looked different today. His hair and beard under the pointed helmet were cut and neatly groomed. With a gesture, the locator beckoned Gisel and Lorenz to board and sit on the benches. It was difficult to keep balance in the swaying boat, but eventually, Gisel found her place next to Lorenz. The locator climbed in afterward. Finally, the ferryman also jumped into the boat and pushed off with the oar. Gisel watched as the two boatmen struggled against the current.

On the shore of the other side, where the Ilz flowed into the Danube, boatbuilders were resident. Gisel recognized it by the wooden skeletons that lay in front of the houses, which would eventually become ferries. Behind them ran a road between the river and rock, lined with a row of wooden huts, some with stone foundations, even some multi-story. Gisel asked Lorenz about the different signs in front of the buildings, featuring anchors, beer mugs, horses, or deer.

"These are inns. You know, this is the trading hub. They sell grain, cheese, and game from Bohemia and take salt, spices, and wine on their pack animals over the mountains deep into Slavic territories."

"You mean the packers?" asked Gisel. She had heard of them. She knew how important they were for the city and its trade.

"Exactly," replied Lorenz. "Goods are unloaded here from the barges, loaded onto horses and donkeys, or offered in the market. The packers are naturally hungry and thirsty and need accommodation." 

The locator pointed up the road along the Ilz. "Go this way along the Ilz. There you will find the Schwarzkopf Gate with the toll station, you can't miss it. That's our meeting point. Curt is already waiting. I'll be right back with you. I just need to fetch my horse."

Gisel and Lorenz did as the locator had instructed. "I've never been here before! Have you?" asked Gisel, breathlessly.

"I sometimes do jobs here," replied Lorenz, casting a scrutinizing glance at Gisel's shouldered sack.

Gradually, life stirred in the Ilzstadt, and a colorful hustle and bustle began. People and animals filled the street, traders unpacked their goods, and the boatmen hammered again on the wooden skeletons. Gisel's mouth hung open at the many impressions. Curt wore a chainmail shirt and an old-fashioned nasal helmet. He looked sleepy as he waited at the toll station. This consisted of a long stone house next to a gate in the city wall at the northern end of Passau and its Ilzstadt. Other groups had already gathered there, packers beside their horses laden with sacks and barrels, knights in dented armors, and a few women in sturdy woolen clothing.

After some time, the locator on his gray horse joined the group and dismounted. A round shield with the painting of a bear hung on the side of the animal. 

"Are you the knights who are to accompany us?" he asked two riders waiting beside Curt on their horses. One wore a blue, the other a yellow surcoat. Their shields were tied to their backs. Both had beards and resolute faces. 

"You're Elias?" asked the man in the yellow surcoat. "I'm Theobald, this is Otto. We are at your service!"

The locator greeted the knights with a handshake, which required them to lean far down from their horses. Then he turned to Lorenz and Gisel. "You are the only settlers leaving from here. We'll meet the others at Wolfstein Castle, about a day's march from Passau. We'll travel on the packers' trade route to the Freiung. The path is too rough for a wagon, so you'll have to walk. If the luggage is too heavy, we can load it onto one of our pack animals." He pointed to three dark gray mules with white nostrils, already laden with crates and sacks. Gisel's and Lorenz's belongings were not heavy, so they declined the offer. The pack animals were already fully loaded.

The locator went into the toll building. A few moments later, he came out with a man wearing a white coat with the red Passau wolf, identifying himself as a ministerial of the city. 

"What do you have to declare?" asked the official. 

"We have tools, agricultural equipment, and some food," replied Elias. 

"And where are you headed?" 

"To the Freiung, to Wolfstein Castle." 

The official went to the mules and checked the goods, opening a few sacks and looking inside. He did not bother to close them again but did not ask the locator to untie and open the heavy crates. Finally, he counted the toll money from the locator into his hand.

Together with Curt, the locator tightened all the straps again, so nothing would fall off during the journey. He clapped his hands. "Ready to set off!" 

He and Curt mounted up. 

Lorenz squeezed Gisel's hand. "Here we go!" 

Gisel beamed at him and gave him a fleeting kiss. Lorenz smiled in response. Her affection seemed to please him. If he had any doubts about the venture, he didn't show them. That cheered Gisel up, and she hopped from one foot to the other.

Finally, the group set off, out through the Saum Gate. Beyond it, green, hilly expanses opened up. Gisel's heart pounded. She kept looking back, watching the city shrink behind them. Before her lay hills covered in lush grass, bordered in the distance by forests and trees. The group made good progress on the well-trodden path that wound along a stream through the meadows, still shrouded in mist. Dew glittered on the grass blades in the morning sun. Among them bloomed dandelions, yarrow, and buttercups, all with healing properties. She breathed in the fresh summer air and the scent of grass and moist earth. Beside her, the stream babbled in a lively monotony. Birds chirped in the trees. The hoarse call of a cuckoo reached Gisel's ear. She remembered the garden in the cloister's courtyard. Her heart leaped. How much freer she felt here, in this endless green, under the boundless blue sky! Just a few hours ago, she had escaped the dreary gray and brown of the city for the first time in her life. She could hardly grasp the vastness that now stretched before her. The tension of the past few days fell from her. A lightness she had never known before spread within her.

Gradually, however, the walking became strenuous. It got hotter, and Gisel sweated under the weight of her baggage on her shoulders. Her shoes chafed at her heels. With each step, Gisel's euphoria waned. She focused on Lorenz's boots in front of her and concentrated on the dull sound of his footsteps. The subdued trampling of the horses and the cheerful songs Lorenz quietly whistled lulled her slowly.