Chapter 20
The strange light of the forest gave my journey along the stream bank a dreamy feel. Sometimes I was forced to push through stands of dense willows, my boots damp from the boggy ground. Other times I had to detour around huge boulders and clamber down rock-rimmed ravines while the water surged below.
Through it all, the stream hummed and gurgled. Even when I lost sight of the silvery thread of water, I could follow the sound, and it made me feel less alone.
I marked my progress by the crescent moon swinging across the sky. When it passed its zenith and began to slide down the other side, I stopped to take a longer rest than the short breaks I’d been allowing myself.
At least I had enough to drink, though hunger was gnawing at my belly again. I settled beneath a hemlock tree
