Chapter 13
Nilda and Kara led me down the one road I hadn't yet gone down, the one to the north. Not long after we passed the village square, the road started climbing at a steep grade. It was so steep that each house stood above its neighbor to the south, its foundation level with the other's flat roof. I was winded by the time we reached the very last house, but when Nilda and Kara stopped at its garden gate, my feet carried me on to the very end of the road. It ended in another public park with benches sitting among trees arranged in a circle around the turnabout, but what captivated me was the view beyond.
Hill after hill rose up, each higher than the last, all covered in trees. That was familiar enough to me. But beyond those hills were... mountains. I blinked and rubbed my eyes and
