Arrival at Juterbog

Book:

Heinrich mounted the wagon and directed the horse into a moderately fast trot, hoping the lightened load would help him along. About 5 minutes into the journey they passed a man on horseback who was going in the opposite direction - they assumed it was the unfortunate victim, but could not take the time to find out. “Lord help that man,” was a quick prayer that Heinrich uttered. He kept the pace going as the road went through a forested area which seemed like the perfect spot for an ambush. Rebekah put her arm around Heinrich as he sped through the shadows until they were in open country again. Breathing a collective sigh of relief, they were nonetheless mindful of the time. 

Rebekah thought Heinrich handled the whole incident with smart thinking and good decisions. She was feeling better about things and snuggled up closer to him, as she noticed the sun dropping closer to the top of the trees. Having never been here before they could not gauge their progress by the landmarks. After a long time, the countryside finally gave way to a few houses and people walking or riding horses. Then, there was a sign that said Juterbog, which caused Heinrich to say, “Thank you Lord.” The road went through an impressive gate which was part of a high wall which in fact circled the city. On the other side they were going down the street in a good sized town with candles flickering in the street lights. After going two blocks with no sight of an establishment, Heinrich stopped the wagon when he was reasonably close to some people. 

“Pardon me, where is the nearest Inn?” 

“The man sized the situation and pointed in the direction they were going and said, “Stay on this road and take a left at the third street. It’s close by on your left. The name of the Inn is Rathaus Juterbog. Hope you can find some rooms.” 

“Thank you so much sir; good evening to you.”

As Heinrich headed down the street and counted the street intersections, he prayed silently that there would be room in the Inn. He couldn’t help but think of the Christmas story as he turned onto the third street. It was a prominent building with lights in the windows. So far so good.

Halting the wagon in front of the hotel, Heinrich turned and said, “Gather our things and I’ll let you know how it goes.” Sarah and Rebekah merely nodded their heads in acknowledgement. Heinrich stepped down, patting the horse as he headed for the door.

The lobby was rich with wood and colored fabrics. He saw two people inside,one behind the counter. 

“Good evening, how can I help you?” was the greeting from the man.

“I would like to have two rooms for the night - do you have any available? It would be great if one had two beds.”