Chapter 1 | 20 (part 1)

It was some time before Amos became aware of his surroundings. Shadows obscured the sharp lines he expected to see within the rocky outcropping and muted its colors to dull greens and grays. Even were it not obscured by the clouds overhead, the light of the moon seemed ghastly, and weak. Below him he could make out the shapes of trees and bushes, rugged and bent low to the mountain’s side, battered by the wind. He couldn’t be sure, but it seemed these were of the same Creation he’d always known. Familiar forms, but somehow altered. Only the wind felt normal, its power and course as sure as he'd always known it to be.

A narrow trail just below the ledge appeared as he stepped forward. The path had been worn smooth by what must have been millions of animals' hooves over time. Amos lowered himself down and began to follow it down the side of the mountain, pausing every now and then to reorient his senses to the world around him and make sure he could still feel the wind. As he descended, more of Huaráz’ valley came into view.

Dwellings dotted the narrow cut between the mountains, concentrated in little clumps of warm flickering light along a river and becoming more and more sparse near the base of the mountains. He could see several farmhouses and large barns; whether for crops or livestock he could not tell at this distance. Faintly he heard a dog's bark coming from the other side of the valley, just outside one of the largest clusters of light. Not knowing where else to turn, Amos continued down the side of the valley, his mind wandering back over the events of the last few days.

Merab told me the Fallen had been appointed, but had she known I would be among them? Nothing in her manner suggested she did. Though she knew my role within the Higher Beings, it's highly unlikely she would have known my assignment in the Garden. Only a few had, and Amos himself couldn't be sure there hadn't been others involved. But for Merab to have come to him in that manner yesterday was unusual. And why had she thought I wouldn't be at the morning's assembly?

Amos had reached the outermost settlements of Huaráz but continued onward. Though it was not yet late into the night, many of the homes were dark but for a single light outside their entrance. As he went further and further into the valley, the wind began to die down. A few cattle and donkeys were still out grazing upon the hills but paid no attention to Amos as he passed quietly among them. The sounds of voices – mankind – could now be heard as Amos finally arrived at one of the larger cluster of buildings.

Now and then someone still out on the streets would turn his way with a questioning look, but only that. Amos could sense no fear in the people he passed. A quiet curiosity perhaps. He began to wonder if they’d known a Higher Being before him. He certainly wasn’t the first to have come into the world of man, but there weren’t many he knew of who’d stayed longer than need or task required of them. It would have been doubly rare that they’d come here as well – Amos had made sure he’d stepped into a part of this world that’d never merited much attention and would not be easy to find.

A dull ache in his side reminded him he needed bread. Besides that, he was weary. He needed a place to rest before he went much further. The smells of a few kitchens wafted through the streets, and after a few moments thought, he headed for an inn he could see a few buildings away.

He must have been close to the center of the dwellings by now, and not having an easy way back into the wilderness made him nervous. He walked three times around the perimeter of the inn, mentally noting a handful of ways he could get out of the building, which was the fastest, which would allow him the greatest amount of cover. From a dark alley nearby he stood and watched the entrance of the inn for a time, carefully observing anyone who went in or out, but he could sense no danger. Most wore satisfaction or ease or a contented exhaustion from the day’s work. The bubble of chatter he heard each time the door swung open consisted almost entirely of food or crops or livestock or when it might begin to rain this evening.

Amos decided these people could be trusted for now, knowing that need drove his decision far more than reason at this point. Their simple demeanor could very well prove to be a ruse. But he was hungry and needed rest. Cautiously he left the shadows of the alley and made his way toward the inn.

. . .