Lyra awoke several hours later, feeling as if she had not slept at all. The sun had risen and while they were still in the shade of the mountain, the entire valley below was bathed in sunshine. Lyra stood on the edge of a cliff and gazed out over the broad valley and the sea beyond. The city of Gatong lay nestled below and the rising sun reflected off a multitude of buildings like light refracting through a many-faceted prism. Lyra never imagined such beauty and was so enraptured with the vision that she did not notice when Syman walked over and stood next to her. The intrusion of his voice startled her and she jumped.

“It is a beautiful sight, isn’t it,” Syman commented.

“Yes,” Lyra sighed, regaining her composure. “It is hard to imagine such beauty. The city seems so small from up here.”

“Indeed, it will be impossible to spot Antello from this distance,” Syman agreed. “I am going to walk up the trail a bit and see if I can tell how far we have to go up before it starts back down. We might be better to turn around and take our original trail back to the road. I am sure that whoever had the campfire last night is long gone.”

Lyra nodded as Syman left and returned to gazing at the vista before her. The people of the city were rousing from their night’s slumber and she watched them move busily about like tiny ants. The sun’s reflection off the buildings kept moving ever so slightly and the people and horses flitted from light to dark as they traversed the streets. Somewhere down there is Antello she realized, suddenly afraid for him. What was it that spooked him so? Was he in danger or did he sense danger for Lyra? A sense of darkness fell over her just as the shadow of a cloud fell over Gatong and she knew that they must hurry to meet Antello, or perhaps, rescue him.

Syman returned at a run and Lyra turned to meet him.