It was upon his return that he discovered within himself a genuine vocation that took him into the monastery at Shrewsbury, near the border with his native Wales. Obedience will always be his most difficult vow. Unable to resist being drawn into the affairs of the world, he relies for his salvation on the eventual priestly ordination of his dearly loved helper in the herbarium, Brother Mark, to eventually take holy orders and hear his confession. At the time of the stories, Cadfael has been a Benedictine brother for about twenty years.