Chapter 14 - Descent

Cresting the rarely used pass brought a great relief to Lyla. She had been growing more anxious by the hour all the way home. Part of her half expected that nothing would be left when she returned. She had feared that instead of her busy life-filled home, she would find burned-out houses and fields overrun with Blood Orchids.

Her home was fine. Through the misty wisps of cloud at the top of the crest above the tree line, she could see far below the little ant-like people crawling with infinite slowness around the distant landscape herding animals and tending crops. A sliver of silvery grey-blue ribboned in a meandering curl through the fields, orchards, and among the cottages and houses bringing water to the valley floor.