Reunion?

The village was a long, long way from the city where the airport was located. The road was bumpy and unlit. By the time we left the airport, night had fallen. We had to stay the night at a hotel, which gave me some time to buy outdoor climbing gear—I’d left in a hurry. The three of us set off early the next morning, looking just like the other backpackers heading to the mountains. The drive took another one and a half hours. We had to stop when we ran out of road. The potholed dirt path was too narrow for our SUV to pass. Zane took over as tour guide. ‘There’s a footpath leading up to the village.’ I followed the direction of his pointing finger and could barely make out a winding track leading deep into the forest. ‘The hike is about an hour.’ Zane offered to carry my backpack. I thanked him but declined. I was no longer the woman who could only hide behind Kieran when the going got tough. ‘Let’s go.’ I looked up at the sky. It was the middle of the day, but everything up ahead looked