Bears

// This saturday night I had a dream.

I was walking on the path. The road seamed to lead me in between two high walls of very protected castles. I remember perceiving in the back of my head, although I never looked up to actually see, men and women from the castle would look down from the high windows [often under the influence of selected wine] and laugh at the passing pilgrims and their troubled look.

Although I could almost hear it, these thought didn't bother me as I pressed on with my own business towards His house and not these man made fortresses that protect the body but enslaves the soul. As I walked a sound did make itself very audible coming from behind me that raised my concern. Turning my body backwards as I kept walking I saw what it was about.

An old brown mother bear with white fur on her back and her [not so small]  brown cub had sensed my smell; somehow, led by their stomachs they where running in my direction. Yes, for them, I was dinner! I immediately grabbed a long branch and began to run always looking backwards.

I sensed that they where gaining on me, and if only I could increase my speed! Luckily I noticed that although the path led strait forward in a plain manner, if I departed in any direction (left of right) I could run downwards and gain considerable speed and possibly distance myself!

I stopped a second thought from coming to my mind as I sprang downwards, to the right of the path, and though the bears didn't give up on the pursuit the plan worked and eventually the bears where no where to be seen. Nevertheless I kept running downwards for safety.

Eventually, as I run, a bone fire became visible with [apparently] other pilgrims preparing camp for the night. As they saw me running [and probably screaming "bear"], their previous concerns with wild animals was confirmed and they also started running.

"Follow us" they said, "we know a place we can spend the night". They seemed trustworthy and for somehow, maybe for being so long alone on the road, I connected very fast to them and followed them. At some moment running became a fast pace march. The march led us to a stony cave with a resemblance to what you could imagine being an ancient tomb adorned in the ways of the Egyptians.

The cave was dark but we had enough light to see a couple of feet ahead of us. The leader of the group apparently knew the cave. I remember feeling very rapidly inserted into the group as he trusted me to protect the rearguard of the band with my small pocket knife! :) He guided us to a point with two broad windows where we all stopped to admire the colors of dusk that painted the sky outside. We would spend the night there ... "I shouldn't have departed so much from the path.." I thought to myself  "at least..".