Herdenmord - ONC2021

Prologue

"It's just like the postcard," Andy breathed.

Vikos Gorge stretched in front of him like an invitation. The Voidomatis River wound its way between the great limestone and dolomite walls of the gorge, creating a perfect pathway from the village of Vikos to Monodendri. It was twenty kilometres in length, and he had a six hour hike ahead of him, but Andy had been looking forward to hiking the gorge all week. He'd grown tired of the crowded bars and walkways of the cities.

Andy was accustomed to the staggering space and endless mountain vistas of Alaska, but, for some reason, he'd never expected to find anything like them in Greece. When he thought of Greece, he thought of azure seas, white buildings topped with blue domes, and ancient marble ruins, not deep, forested mountain gorges and glacier blue rivers—yet here he was and here they were.

He hooked his thumbs under the straps of his backpack and looked at the sky. It was a mild spring day, perfect for walking. He thought he'd be able to reach Monodendri without having to break out the rain gear. He started down the steep path to the bottom of the gorge with a spring in his step, feeling ready for anything.

He stopped frequently throughout the hour long descent to admire the Towers of Astraka looming above him. The great limestone bluffs grew taller and taller as he worked his way down to the foot of the gorge. Pine, oak and spring flowers scented the air and he took deep breaths as he looked over the sides of the path to the valley below. When he finally reached the bottom, he went straight to Voidomatis Springs to see the river emerge, clear and blue, from the ground. The riverbed further up the gorge was usually dry, but it was Spring and meltwater coursed down the riverbed and contributed to the Voidomatis' flow.

Andy took off his hiking boots and stepped into the clear water. He gasped. He'd considered starting with a swim but changed his mind the moment his skin broke the surface. He knew too much about icy rivers. He dried his feet in the mild sunlight, laced up his boots and began his journey through the gorge.

The walk was as idyllic as advertised. He hiked the hard, rocky paths through scrubby, mountainous terrain and pleasant slopes crowded with maple, beech and fig. He scrambled over boulders and clambered up or down the short ladders provided for steeper sections. He lingered in shady tunnels created by branches arching over his head, sunlight filtering down through the leaves, and passed glades of purple and white flowers. At times he followed the path of the river, listening to the rush of melted snow over the smooth white stones. The prettiness of the path was improved by the low number of hikers. Two smiling young women headed for Vikos passed him about an hour past the springs and he saw an older man perched on a rock and looking over the valley. After that, he might have been the only person left on Earth.

By the time he got to the halfway mark, he was beginning to feel he'd stepped back in time. He could have been a villager from centuries past, if not for his high-tech clothing, boots, backpack, and the smart phone he carried in his pocket.

He stopped for lunch, sitting on the smooth, white rocks by the river and unwrapping the bread, cold meats and boiled eggs he'd purchased in Vikos. He listened to birds calling and the hum and buzz of a thousand insects. Lizards skittered over the white stones of the riverbed before disappearing into the thick, green grass. Nobody disturbed his meditation on the beauty of this small wilderness. He drank deeply and refilled his bottle from the icy stream rushing past him.

Bird song rang through the gorge. Andy turned his head, trying to spot the bird. It was a strange, fluting melody of a call. Languid, yet piercing sweet. He'd never heard anything like it. The birds closest to him began to answer, piping the same tune back. The song echoed from the walls of the gorge like an orchestra. He listened, spellbound, for far longer than he intended. When he finally rose to his feet, the shadows pointed to afternoon.