The little band had covered considerable ground in the past few days and were ready for another good night’s rest. Eating a meager meal of cold potatoes and bread they settled down for sleep.
As Matthew closed his eyes he began to worry. They had little food, only enough for a few more days. If they didn’t find some soon they might be forced to turn around. And if they did they still wouldn’t have enough for the way home. Turning back without Daniel would be devastating. All he could do at the moment was pray.
Despite the fact that he was tired from the long days journey Matthew could not sleep. He had an enormous responsibility. He was in charge of the entire expedition. They all depended on him. Their lives were practically in his hands! Just the thought worried him. Matthew needed time to think. Excusing Victor from his post as late night guard, Matthew took his place by the fire, thinking, just thinking.
Eileen was dreaming. In her dream she was sitting on the lawn outside of the castle of Christus picking flowers with Meg. They were having a good time. Jenny came out to see them and to bring some cold lemonade. As they sat there sipping the refreshment together. Daniel passed by and waved. He was carrying a basket and was headed towards the woods. She got up to follow him. Then in the distance a group of men jumped out at Daniel their faces were blurred so she could not recognize them. Then she saw the same horrifying scene that she had witnessed that morning not so long ago. This time they were after her too! She started to run, but her leg seemed to be getting heavier suddenly she felt a hand on her back! She jumped awake and realized that she had rolled over and her shoulder was pressing against a rock. Rolling onto her stomach again she took a deep breath. “What a nightmare!” she thought. It had felt as real as when it had happened. Oh, how she hated having those kinds of dreams! They made the tragedy seem like it had happened all over again.
Calm now, Eileen gazed at her surroundings. Everyone was asleep, and as usual, Victor was snoring loudly. It was a cloudy night and there were no stars. The only light was from the fire. . . Or was it? In the distance was what looked like a dim light in the trees. “How curious,” she thought. “I had better tell someone. It might be important.” Seeing someone sitting by the fire she walked over.
“What are you doing up? You should be getting your rest,” Matthew said.
“I had a nightmare.” She sat down next to him. “Do you see that light in the trees?”
“Where?”
Eileen pointed to the right. “Up there. It’s kind of dim. Looks like candlelight.”
“Looks like your right. It’s too cloudy to be a star.”
“That’s what I thought. What do you think it is?”
“Perhaps it’s a building.”
“Must be a tall building, like a tower.”
“Yes I suppose so. Anyway, we’ll investigate it in the morning. You need your sleep. We have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow. Goodnight.”
Seeing that his ‘goodnight’ was her cue to leave, Eileen stood up and said, “Goodnight.”
The next day was foggy, humid and miserable. Altogether the day didn’t look very promising. A light drizzle had awakened them, thus the small band was not in very good sorts. Their breakfast was measly and left each person still hungry. Even though Matthew had said nothing about the food shortage they all knew that the supplies must have been running short, since the previous meals had been meager. The only glimmer of hope was the dim light that Eileen had discovered the previous night. Matthew had related the tale to the others that dawn, though it did little to cheer the crowd.
