Though the sky darkened, the urge to walk to the ridge before he turned in grew strong. It wasn’t wise leaving so late, but he justified it by claiming he needed a better understanding of the entire landscape to feel secure when he slept. He shouldn’t leave half of it still hidden, he claimed.
He grabbed a hand-light and started out.
He followed a trail apparently made by animals up toward the ridge, which resembled a jawline of worn teeth. Rocks swelled up around him and made a formidable barrier, but he maneuvered a narrow saddle through it.
Just when he realized the sun was hitting the horizon behind him and that he might have started out too late, the ground leveled and he crossed the ridge. The boulders opened and a view spread before him.
But it was very different from what he sa
