The sun climbed over the eastern slope, shortening the shadows on the valley floor.
Wind blew in through the valley mouth, pressing the grass into a wave.
Once the wave passed, the grass straightened again.
The dew had dried, leaving a pale film on the stones.
The valley was warm now, and so was the wind.
The four walked single file over the loose stones on the valley floor. Their strides were restrained, their packs snug against their backs.
No one made an unnecessary sound.
Kiyoshi still led the way.
No one spoke.
The sound that had followed them for two nights had stopped before dawn.
They had changed routes at daybreak and walked all morning.
It had not started again.
Half a day of silence should have been reassuring. At first, he had thought they had shaken it off.
By now, he no longer thought so.
The utter silence in his ears felt more like someone had cleared the valley out ahead of them.
The valley walls sent their footsteps back.
Only their own sounds returned. They bounced back and forth twice before fading.
No birds, no beasts, nothing else in the wind.
Not hearing something did not mean it was not there.
A dry gully led deeper along the valley floor, layers of stone stacked on either wall. Knee-high grass brushed their trouser legs, tickling them.
Water had worn the white stones on the gully bed smooth. No one had stepped on them in years.
There was only that soft rustling. Even their breathing was light and slow.
The group moved neither fast nor slow, one step after another.
The gully ahead curved slightly. The bend was gentle enough that both walls remained in view.
Beyond it lay more valley floor. Their shadows shortened as they walked, drawing