Sometimes I find, in the back of my mind, a little place to hide.

The autumn sun hung low in the sky, making David squint as he walked. He had no idea why he was walking and no idea where. There was nowhere to return to, so he kept putting one foot in front of another as the miles turned to memories in his wake.

At some point, he figured, he’d need to stop to refill his pack. Maybe there would be people in the villages ahead of him who hadn’t yet heard, who would be willing to trade with him, willing to part with some food for a weary, lonely traveller.

For now, though, the track drew him across hills bathed in gold, over icy streams, through evergreen forests as dark as night, between hamlets and villages, scattered sparsely across the wild landscape.

Unbidden, his mind cast itself far off to his left, cutting across his reverie briefly. He paused for a moment and reached for the canteen that swung from his pack. He pressed it to his lips, sighed and let the track pull him on once more.